Sunnyside Years 1937 1972
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SECTION 2 Sunnyside Years 1937 – 1972
Timeline
Aug 1937 First services at 2122 W. Sunnyside Ave.
Serving in the ministry – Robert Haas and Eli Winzeler.
Oct 24, 1937 First baptisms at Sunnyside – Bertha Grusy, Persida Grusy,
Eunice Schladenhauffen, Raymond and Pearl Winzeler, Viola
Winzeler, and Frieda Zimmerman.
Nov 26, 1939 The care of the church was laid on Elder Bro. George Yergler
(LaCrosse, IN), who served 30 years as non-resident elder
for Chicago congregation.
Dec 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor bombed – America enters WW2.
Jan 20, 1946 Al Fisher appointed minister.
Mar 23, 1946 First known wedding in Sunnyside – Viola Winzeler and
Virgil Von Tobel.
2
Living in the City
The brethren warmly greeted one another at the door. They came from all directions – some
on foot, a few by car, many by streetcar. The front double-doors swung open to embrace each
visitor as if they held the promise of a welcoming haven, a place of refuge. Above the door, bold
letters “Apostolic Christian Church” declared the purpose of the building, and “2122” identified
the location on Sunnyside Ave. in Chicago.
The believers now had their own place of worship. It was a day of dedication, August 1937,
the first worship services in their new church.
For twelve years, the brethren had been meeting in apartments or rental buildings before Eli
Winzeler discovered the modestly-sized, available church building on Sunnyside Ave. A contract
of sale was signed early April 1937, and they proceeded with an extensive remodeling project to
prepare the church for occupation.
Nearly every pew was filled for the first services in the new church, affectionately called
“Sunnyside” still today. Vibrant sun streamed through the notable stained-glass windows, perhaps
a promise from God: “Mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually” (1 Kings 9:3).
The new building provided a place to gather for the faithful brethren spread throughout the
region. Within two months, they welcomed seven new converts into the fold, evidence of God’s
work within the congregation.
Robert Haas and Eli Winzeler were serving in the ministry when Sunnyside opened. Elder
Bro. George Yergler from LaCrosse was given the oversight of the Chicago congregation in 1939;
he faithfully served in that role for 30 years.
The brethren clung to one another as America entered WW2, following the surprise attack on
Pearl Harbor. Many Army recruits – who were processed at Fort Sheridan or stationed at other
nearby facilities – found a place of refuge in the church while displaced from their families. God
provided additional ministry for the congregation when Al Fisher moved to Chicago shortly after
the war ended.
The following pages contain vignettes of the many brethren who moved to the city during this
era. God’s story of Chicago church continues to develop through the lives of these individuals.
Fred and Marie Meyer [1935 – 1970]
Nancy, Lenny and Patty
Fred Meyer moved to Chicago
(1923) with his parents, Alfred and
Caroline, when he was 10 years old.
He most certainly would have been
expected to help out at the rooming
house they operated on California
Ave.
Marie Rinkenberger – the
eldest of twelve children – wanted
to leave home (Gridley, IL) at 18
years old to find her own way in the
big city. Her parents reluctantly
accepted her decision, in part Fred and Marie Meyer
Nancy, Lenny and Patty
because her Uncle Ben and Aunt
Sophie Hofer were already living in Chicago. This was in 1932, difficult times for large families
during the Depression. Marie worked as a domestic for a doctor in Oak Park and met Fred Meyer
through church fellowship.
Fred and Marie were married in 1935, not yet converted. Their first home was an apartment
on Drake Ave., and then they moved to a classic bungalow on Newland Ave., where Nancy (1937)
and Lenny (1940) were born.
With dreams of raising their family in the country, Fred and Marie moved to a dairy farm in
Huntley (north of Elgin) in 1943. Soon after, the armed services started drafting married men for
WW2, so Fred moved his family back to the city, first to Elmhurst, then to Chicago. He wanted
them to be closer to family if he needed to leave them for the war efforts. He was never called up
for service.
A few years later, they moved to the 2nd floor of a three-flat in the neighborhood of Sunnyside
church. Lenny has wonderful memories of growing up on the streets of Chicago – playing baseball
in the alley, riding bikes and taking the streetcar to the YMCA. He shares one memorable day in
his own words:
My sister Nancy and I walked south on Damen Ave., about ½-mile through the alley,
to the streetcar stop. We would catch the streetcar and take that to the YMCA. It cost
4 cents to ride the streetcar, so my mother gave me 4 cents for the ride to the Y, 4
cents to get home, and 5 cents to buy milk or pop with my lunch. One day the
conductor told me that it now costs 5 cents to ride the streetcar, so I gave him 5 cents
and saved 5 cents to get back home. I did not have any pop that day.
Grandmother (Caroline) Meyer lived nearby, surrounded by many family members. Lenny
described his grandma’s house and surrounding neighborhood:
Grandmother Meyer lived on the first-floor apartment on Wolcott Ave.; Uncle
Walter’s family lived in the basement. Just up the street lived Uncle Emil’s family.
Aunt Louise and Uncle Eddie operated a little corner grocery store and lived in a
small apartment behind the store. I recall the time my cousin, Kenny, shared candy
from the store with the neighborhood kids. Uncle Eddie was not too happy with him
for that!
While living in Elmhurst, Fred delivered milk for Borden Dairy and often had to work on
Sundays. Fred did not go to church very often, but Marie tried to get their children to Sunday
school, first to Elgin, later to Sunnyside. Through the goodness of God, He drew the wayward
couple to Himself in repentance and they were baptized in 1950. Fred’s heavy smoking habit came
to an abrupt stop the day he knelt at the cross – one of many indications of his new life with Christ.
Four years later (1954), Nancy and Lenny – who were now teenagers – also sought the Lord
in repentance and were baptized, along with good friend Johnny Baum. And then – surprise! –
baby Patty joined the family that year to make a household of five.
They moved to Skokie, where they lived until
retiring to Florida in 1970. They enjoyed many family
events during that time. In 1955, Nancy married Virgil
Wuthrich, and soon little children provided youthful
energy to the church. Lenny married Charlotte Haerr
(in Taylor, MO, 1964), and they raised their family in
Chicago. Patty was baptized in 1973, the first baptism
at the new Hillside church. She married Dan Roth one
year later and moved to Fairbury.
Beloved Fred and Marie truly exemplified the
lovingkindness of the Lord and modeled obedience to
Fred and Marie Meyer
His Word. Their faith, as well as the faithfulness of
their children and grandchildren, is a cornerstone of the Chicago church. Fred passed in 1994;
Marie in 2006. They were laid to rest in Eureka. “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children” (Psa 103:17).
John and Pauline Schrenk [1939 – 1988]
Nancy, Carol and Bonnie
John and Pauline Schrenk enjoyed 71 years of
marriage together; Chicago church was blessed to
be part of that faithfulness!
John moved to Chicago in 1933 when many
of his siblings were also migrating to the city. He
met Pauline Ramseyer who was employed as a
domestic, earning twelve dollars a week, in
Kenilworth. They married in 1939; together they
committed their lives to Christ and were baptized
in Sunnyside on Nov.17, 1940.
John and his brother, Raymond, initially
apprenticed as bakers with Gus Baum in Highland
Park; then they opened their own bakery –
Schrenk’s Pastry Shoppe – on Chicago Avenue.
After three successful years, they parted ways
when they heard a big bakery was coming to the
John and Pauline Schrenk
area. Raymond moved his family to California, Nancy, Carol and Bonnie
where he opened a bakery. John baked goods for avariety of suburban German bakeries,
eventually taking a job with Reuter’s
Bakery – a large Chicago-based, retail
bakery. Pauline found employment at
Goldblatt’s Department Store and
Knowles Electronics.
John and Pauline lived in
Bellwood, where they welcomed three
daughters: Nancy (1942), Carol (1944)
and Bonnie (1946). In 1952, they
moved to River Grove. This was closer
to Grandma Edith Schrenk’s home; the
girls could clean her rental apartments
for a little spending money. Nancy,
John and Raymond's Pastry Shoppe on Chicago Ave. Carol and Bonnie graduated from East
Leyden High School.
The family served in a variety of roles in the church: John taught Sunday school and was
sound system coordinator for many years. Sweet Pauline helped in the kitchen – always with a
smile. The young girls made friends with the other children in Sunday school. According to Nancy,
“It was small; we needed each other.”
All three daughters were baptized in Sunnyside: Nancy in 1955, Bonnie in 1959 and Carol in
1963. Nancy, who was baptized with Joan Wagler and Verna Stedman, described her baptism day:
Provings were Sunday – then baptisms followed in the basement. The baptismal
tank was close to the kitchen, and all of the congregation stood around it while we
took our vows for our covenant. A meal followed, and then Bro. George Yergler
had a train to take home.
Then the weddings started: Nancy had a Sunnyside wedding (to Ron Schambach, 1965) and
moved to Elgin. Bonnie married Paul Reeb in Muscatine, IA, in 1971, after he was released from
the service. Carol married Ed Troxel in Hillside church (1976) and moved to LaCrosse.
John and Pauline lived in their Bellwood home for 36 years until they moved to Elgin in 1988.
They maintained close relationships with their dear friends in Chicago for the remainder of their
long lives. John passed in 2010 (age 94) and Pauline in 2012 (age 99). They were laid to rest in
the cemetery behind Elgin church. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Cor 2:9).
Bro. George Yergler [non-resident elder, 1939 to 1970]
For thirty years, Bro. George Yergler (LaCrosse, IN) graciously served as non-resident elder
for Chicago church. One can only imagine the countless hours he spent on the train – his preferred
method of travel – and on his knees in prayer for the dear flock. His years of service (1939 to 1970)
approximately spanned the Sunnyside Years (1937 to 1972).
George was present on Day One when services began in the city, the unexpected (and
providential) turn of events when he took a load of livestock to the city. Bro. Jacob Stettner (Elgin)
had the oversight of the Chicago congregation until the care was given to Bro. George on Nov. 26,
1939.George was known as a person of detail, maintaining
excellent hand-written diaries of his travels and elder work.
It was a great day when I discovered his two comprehensive It was a great day when I
journals – preserved in Curt Frank’s elder files in LaCrosse.
discovered Bro. Yergler’s
What a wealth of information!
two comprehensive
There are 120 journal entries of trips to Chicago. He
typically took a late afternoon train from LaCrosse to
journals.
Chicago, worshipped with the brethren (services at 3 p.m. What a wealth of
and 5:30 p.m.) and then returned home on the 10 o’clock
train. His wife Ida rarely travelled with him. Occasionally a information!
diary entry says, “Ida went along,” but she preferred to stay
home.
Over 90 Sunnyside baptisms occurred during his tenure and are recorded in his diaries.
In that era, it was common for an elder to share counsel or a marriage proposal with a letter,
what we now call “snail mail.” Maureen Frank Stettner shared a copy of the letter that was sent to
her dad, Maurice Frank,
containing a marriage proposal
from Phil Stettner. The envelope
contained a typewritten letter
from Phil’s elder, Bro. Sam
Aeschliman (Bluffton), to Bro.
George; he forwarded the note to
Maureen’s dad with his personal
comments at the bottom.
Maureen said “Yes!” to the proposal and married Phil on July 23, 1967, at Sunnyside.
In 1969, George asked to be relieved of his
Chicago duties as Ida’s health declined. Bro. Al
Fisher was selected, interviewed at the Elder
Meeting in Elgin (Jan. 28, 1970), and then
ordained elder at Sunnyside on Feb. 1, 1970.
Sadly, this was preceded by Ida’s death one
month earlier; she had passed on Jan. 6, 1970.
Bro. George – considered a kind and caring
man of great wisdom, who made a great
impression on the believers – was honored for
his loving service with a farewell dinner
following communion in early March. “And I
will give you pastors according to mine heart,
which shall feed you with knowledge and
understanding” (Jer 3:15).
George and Ida YerglerSunnyside Apartment
A few people reduced their
church commute to “a walk
down the steps.” In exchange for
cleaning the church, they were
permitted to live rent-free in the
second-floor, one-bedroom
apartment which juts out a few
feet over the side alley. The
“church apartment” was a
distinctive feature of the old
church and has a personality of
its own.
An exterior stairway
provided access to the apartment Apartment on 2nd floor of Church Building
at the rear of the building, but
most remember the steep steps inside church and “the slanted floors at the top when you got there.”
When Ethel Waibel Wiegand returned to the apartment in later years, she exclaimed, “I cannot
believe how small that apartment was!”
It was not the upper crust of living. There were squirrels in the attic, and a dead bird was once
discovered behind the washer and dryer. The slanting floor caused items to roll across the floor,
and it was very dark behind the furnace, where piles of egg crates were stored.
The primary benefit to the church was having
someone nearby to keep an eye on the building and keep
the church cleaned, a local tradition that continued in
Hillside with the purchase of a house next to the church.
Beggars often rang the
Beggars often rang the doorbell of the church,
doorbell of the church, asking for a sandwich or handout. Depending on the era,
asking for a sandwich each had their own solution: Sophie Hofer dropped a key
or handout. out the window, so he could come up to the apartment;
Alice Kilgus creatively tied a care package to a rope and
lowered it down to the alley; Judy Eisenmann simply
dropped a sandwich out of the window to the beggar
below.
Ben and Sophie Hofer (late 1930s)
Ben and Sophie Hofer were the first residents of the apartment. Ben was in the egg business
with Eli Winzeler, who lived a few blocks away. They stored large egg crates in the dark basement
area. Ben and Sophie were extremely caring people, “kind of amusing,” according to Lois Baum,
who remembers Ben as a devoted Sunday school teacher. Ben and Sophie had no children by birth
but took Lauretta Buettner into their home and under their care until her marriage to Ed Gramm
(1948) at Sunnyside.
Lenny Meyer, a nephew of the Hofers, shares a story about Aunt Sophie:My mother would let me ride my bike up the street to go visit Aunt Sophie in the
apartment. I would run up the back stairs, excited to embrace her. I put my arms
around her large waist in a tight squeeze. One day – it was like magic – my arms
were long enough to go all the way around and my fingertips could touch in the
back!
Alice Kilgus and Ethel Waibel (1956 – 1961)
Ethel Waibel and Alice Kilgus moved to Chicago together, seeking a change of scenery from
Forrest, their home church. They briefly lived in an apartment at Seeley Manor, then moved into
the church apartment. Alice cleaned the church and Ethel paid her a small amount for rent.
Ethel found a job at Hancock Insurance Company, and Alice waitressed at Stouffer’s
Restaurant in Skokie. Ethel noted that Alice was an artist, very talented, and painted murals in
homes for people. Neither of them had a car and got quite skilled at using public transportation.
In 1958, Lauretta Haerr moved in with them for a brief stay. Although there was not enough
room for three, Lauretta was content to go downstairs and sleep on the couch in the Kimmerle next
to the sanctuary. They used the basement dining room to cook meals for company.
Lauretta wanted a piano so she bought one… and learned several life lessons in the process:
Larger pianos cost less than small ones, so I bought a big one! When the movers
arrived with the large, upright piano, it was too bulky to make the U-turn up the
stairway. We told the mover to push out the wall at each turn, as “after all, the
building was so old.” Somehow, they got it into the apartment. Alice added a coat
of black spray paint to the piano and then discovered little black spots on the light
blue walls. Later, the tuner refused to tune the piano – he said it’s not worth it – so
now we had a bulky, untuned piano with two broken keys, light blue walls with
black spots and holes in the stairway.
Several times, Alice and Ethel invited young Judy Klopfenstein to a sleepover at the
apartment. She remembers, “I played with paper dolls and they gave me snacks to eat, all I
wanted!” What a treat for the young girl to receive special attention away from her siblings.
Ethel bought a car to aid her move to Phoenix in 1960 and then moved back to the Midwest
in 1961 when she married Dave Wiegand in Forrest. Alice remained in the apartment for an
additional year after Ethel moved out.
John and Judy Woerner (1963)
John and Judy Woerner, in Chicago for medical school, lived in the apartment briefly in 1963.
Dale and Judy Eisenmann (1964 – 1967)
Dale and Judy Eisenmann moved to the apartment in 1964. Dale was a dental student at the
University of Illinois, and Judy worked as a typist for a professor at the university. In 1965, they
welcomed little Bradley into their family. They had to watch him carefully in the high chair; if he
spilled milk, it rolled down the slanting floor and disappeared into the wall under the window.
One-time, Judy accidentally locked herself out of the building when Bradley was sleeping in
bed. She could peer in to see him through the exterior-stair window while she waited for Dale to
come home with the key. Shockingly, this was during a three-day period (July 1966) that
psychopathic killer, Richard Speck, was on the loose after murdering eight student nurses on the
South Side.Dale and Judy were living in the apartment
during the “Blizzard of 1967,” the worst
snowstorm in Chicago’s recorded history.
Sunnyside Ave. was buried under 31 inches of
snow! It took a week before they could get their
car shoveled out; church was cancelled for
several weeks. Life came to a halt around the
city. In some places, buses skidded sideways
and blocked streets.
In 1967, Dale, Judy and Bradley moved to
their newly-built ranch home in Westmont
(Darien). – Blizzard of 1967 –
Judy and Bradley Eisenmann on Sunnyside Ave.
Eldon and Lucille Schurter (1970)
Although they did not live in the apartment at the time, Eldon and Lucille Schurter were
longtime caretakers of the church during the 1950s. He was quite diligent in the role for 14 years.
They lived in Evanston for many years, briefly lived in the apartment in 1970, then moved to
LaGrange.
In 1976, they left Chicago area and moved to Fort Scott, KS, where they were laid to rest upon
passing: Elden (1981) and Lucille (2014).
The Sunnyside apartment was no longer “a thing” after the sale of the church in 1971, but the
practice of having a family reside near church continued when Tibor and Pearl Bozzay moved into
the house on Heidorn Ave. that backs up to the new church.
Servicemen and Women
The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) and
the resulting entry of United States in WW2 brought
additional brethren to Sunnyside, who occasionally showed
up in uniform. The doors of the church were always open to
support, nurture, and love those who were away from their
families for a time. Similarly, the churches in Altadena and
Maywood, CA, were important to men and their families
during the war.
Fort Sheridan, located on the North Shore with a history
back to the Civil War, became quite active during WW2 as
4th Army Headquarters. More than 500,000 men and women
were mobilized and processed at the training center.
Many Apostolic Christians who served were stationed
at Fort Sheridan. They were within walking distance of the
Gus Baum home in Highland Park and could walk there for
a home-cooked dinner on their time off. When possible, they
found a way to get to church, just 40 minutes away. A few
of the enlistees are honored below, but many others rotated
Otto Baer at Fort Sheridan, 1942
through the facilities.Otto Baer attended church while stationed at Fort Sheridan in the early 1940s, where he met
Eleanor Grusy, who was working as a domestic for a family in Evanston. They were married in
1943 after he was discharged.
Robert Reuter felt the need for baptism while stationed in the Chicago area and confessed his
need to Bro. Yergler. He was due to be shipped out immediately, so he was announced, proved
and baptized at Sunnyside on the same day – May 16, 1943.
Clyde Knobloch was in the service between 1959 and 1962. He was first stationed at Fort
Carson, CO, and then sent to 5th Army Headquarters Data Processing Center on Pershing Rd. in
January 1961. He married Charlene Hohulin (Goodfield) in April 1961, and they rented an
apartment near Midway Airport. After marriage, they attended Sunnyside church rather than travel
back home on weekends. His time in the Army was extended a few months because of the Berlin
Crisis, and then he was discharged in 1962.
Bob Pflederer (1963 - 1965) was based at Fort Sheridan for his two years of military service.
Ellie and the boys made their home with him on base: “It was an interesting place to live with other
military families.”
Jerome Witzig (Jan 1967 to Mar 1968) was a Vietnam-era enlistee:
My dad was injured in a farm accident when I was in basic training. I was given a
compassionate reassignment to Ft. Sheridan so I could help with the farming. I
went home on weekends (when possible) but attended Chicago church many
Wednesday nights, or on Sundays when I was able. I was a medic and worked at
the Ft. Sheridan dispensary. We didn’t have a hospital on post so we used the Great
Lakes Naval hospital that was 8 miles north. I was an ambulance driver or
attendant. During harvest I worked 16 hours at night and was off for two days. I
traded shifts with my buddies and was able to go home and farm for a week at a
time. I sure appreciated having a church nearby!
Fort Sheridan closed in 1993 and has been designated a National Historic Landmark, but the
Army Reserve continues operation on a few acres. The remaining land is a residential
neighborhood within Lake Forest, Highwood and Highland Park.
Great Lakes Naval Yard, north of Chicago near the Wisconsin state line, is for shipping. It
was authorized by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 but did not play a significant role in the armed
services until WW2 when it became a site for basic training of sailors. More than 100,000 Navy
enlistments from the Midwest trained at the naval yard during the war, including Bill Witzig
(Morton), Fred Witzig (Morton) and Willard Rudin (Cissna Park). It is currently the only site that
the US Navy has retained for basic training.
Navy Pier was an active training center for the US Navy during the war. Mocked-up ships and
aircraft were used to train pilots how to take off and land planes on a carrier. There are a number
of naval aircraft at the bottom of Lake Michigan from unsuccessful flights. After the war,
University of Illinois at Chicago held classes at the pier until it relocated to Circle Campus. Navy
Pier is now a popular outdoor attraction.
Glenview Naval Air Station, originally Curtis Field airport for civil and military purposes,
was the Midwest center for naval seaplanes, linked to carrier training at Navy Pier.
Serviceman’s Newsletter was sent to the young men at their various stations, the start of the
Silver Lining publication. In 1973, the end of the draft brought a close to this era in our church
history.Will and Emma Wagler [1940 – 1959]
Anne, Harold, Jean and Earl
Will and Emma Wagler (from Morton)
moved to the city around 1940, following
some of their adult children. They lived in an
apartment at 2106 S. 51st Ave. in Cicero and
were welcomed into fellowship by the
Sunnyside congregation.
Anne, Harold, Jean and Earl attended
church with their parents while they lived at
home for a time, adding spark to the small
church. Two married daughters were nearby:
Dorothy and Irvin Lehman, and Emma and
Will Berghammer. Harold married Gladys
Mitchell, and they welcomed little Danny
into their home. None of the Waglers are
Will and Emma Wagler in Cicero apartment
listed in the church directory after 1959.
Albert and Margaret Fisher [1945]
John and Helen
Al and Margaret Fisher – and their two
children Johnny (13) and Helen (9) – moved
from Peoria to LaGrange in 1945. He had been
transferred to the new suburban Illinois Bell
plant, where he filled the position of District
Engineer. This was a time of tremendous
growth for the telephone company as soldiers
returned home from the war, moved to the
suburbs and began having children.
Margaret must have been skilled at
packing and unpacking dishes! From
LaGrange, they moved to Clarendon Hills,
Evanston, Skokie, and then settled in the
western suburb of Geneva.
Al was placed in the ministry in 1946 – a
gifted and talented preacher. He briefly shared
the pulpit with Eli Winzeler until the Winzeler Al and Margaret Fisher
family moved to Indiana the following year.
In 1954, Al was appointed deacon, a significant leadership role for a church that did not have
a resident elder. Faithful Margaret stood by his side and ministered with her loving and gracious
hospitality. They often hosted brethren for dinner, followed by singing around the piano.The Fisher family especially enjoyed the company of the young people. Johnny was an
enthusiastic young fellow, who made friends easily, but Helen was shy, content to stand in the
background and observe. Both heard the call of the Lord and were baptized: Johnny in 1947, Helen
in 1952.
Meanwhile, a young Swiss immigrant (Peter Ernst) showed up on the scene and transformed
the Fisher family. Peter fell in love with Helen and married her. Peter’s sister (Ruth Ernst) also
immigrated, lived with the Fishers for a time and later married Johnny. Peter’s parents (Otto and
Lydia Ernst) came to America for the weddings – and never returned to Switzerland.
That sequence is difficult to follow! Let’s try it another way: Al and Margaret had two
children, Johnny and Helen. Otto and Lydia Ernst had two children, Peter and Ruth. Johnny Fisher
married Ruth Ernst (1953); Peter Ernst married Helen Fisher (1955).
Al was known to say what needed to be said. Once, a young man, who had just moved to
Chicago, slipped into the back pew (delayed because of traffic) on a Wednesday evening service.
When Bro. Al asked a brother to offer a prayer, there was a lengthy pause – so Bro. Al asked the
young man directly from the pulpit, “Are you a brother? Then why don’t you pray?”
The account of the powdered donuts is legendary! Al stood up after lunch one Sunday, visibly
annoyed as he brushed white dust off his dark suit, and announced, “Powdered donuts are too
messy, and we will not serve them at lunch.” And that was the end of powdered donuts at church.
Another oft-repeated account of Al includes an unhappy neighbor lady:
Sometimes on-street parking at Sunnyside required squeezing into tight parking
spaces where the car extended over a sidewalk a bit. During one of the church
services, one very particular, eccentric neighbor lady, who lived a few houses west
of the church, stormed into church while the service was being preached,
demanding that the person’s car be removed: “Whoever is parked in front of my
house better move your car or I’m calling the cops!”
Bro. Al took care of the problem (while Glen Pfeifer moved
his car) and then Al calmly continued his sermon with the
phrase, “Well, we have our interruptions.” Parking was
definitely a problem at Sunnyside.
Lenny Meyer calls this story “Projectile Coming
Through the Window”:
One warm Sunday all of the church windows
were open. They pivoted outward and had no
screens. In the middle of the service, something
came flying in through the upper window on the
men’s side, flew over their heads, and – splat! –
landed on the women’s side. A ripe tomato
captured everyone’s attention! Fortunately, it
did not hit anyone directly, but whoever threw it
had to have a pretty good aim to send it through
the narrow opening.
This is the final “sermon-interruption” story endured by
Bro. Al, one that involved a young mother who was
disciplining her unruly child, as told by Jim Rinkenberger: Al FisherDuring the summertime, because of the layout of the church and with no air
conditioning, the back assembly room windows were often open. While the sermon
was in session, one young mother took her child outside to the driveway to correct
the behavior. While having her “session” with the unhappy child in the driveway.
he cried, “Don’t spank me, Mommy!” The young mother did not know that her
message was being heard by the church through the open windows. The two
messages at the same time – Al Fisher and the unhappy child – blended together to
make a one-of-a-kind message.
Al was ordained elder at Sunnyside on Feb. 1, 1970, the first resident elder of Chicago church.
This was in the middle of the Hillside building project. He was concerned that the older folks, who
relied on public transportation, would be stranded after the move and pleaded with the
congregation to help provide rides. Many stepped into a “Taxi Ministry,” a long-held tradition of
our scattered congregation.
Bro. Al only served four years as elder – stricken by a fatal heart attack on Good Friday, Apr.
9, 1974. His funeral at the newly-built Hillside church was a somber occasion. He left provision
for the care of Chicago church in a sealed envelope: a request that Dale Eisenmann (ordained
deacon) be considered for elder at his death.
Although his tenure as elder was brief, he had served as deacon for many decades and presided
as elder over the important transition from a city church to a location in the suburbs. Through the
remainder of this book, the impact of his pulpit ministry and firm-but-friendly leadership can be
seen in the lives of the people he served. “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to
them that walk uprightly” (Pro 2:6 – 7).
Dear Margaret pressed on alone. She lived in Elgin a few years, then returned to Peoria in
1984. She passed in 1989 and was laid to rest next to Albert in River Hills Memorial Park in
Batavia.
Al and Margaret FisherPeter and Helen Ernst [1948, 1951]
Mark and Lisa
Peter Ernst, born in the Aargau region (low hill country) of
Switzerland, immigrated to America when he was 18 years old
(1948); he was sponsored by Rich Schurter. He boarded in the
front attic room of Schurter’s two-story bungalow. Inspired by the
church’s loving and kind church environment, he gave his heart to
the Lord and was baptized in 1949. (Karl and Minnie Lehman
were also baptized that day.)
With limited English skills, he struggled to find work in his
preferred field of business. He worked in the office of an overcoat
manufacturing plant for a brief time, sold encyclopedias on
commission in Wisconsin, and then found a sales position at
Memory Gardens Cemetery in Arlington Heights. He found this
job quite intriguing: the cemetery was developing a new type of
burial ground without tombstones, but instead with flat bronze
markers – flush with the lawn – in beautifully landscaped gardens
surrounding a single artistic sculpture. Peter Ernst
He went home to Switzerland after 2 ½ years, unsure of his
future plans. Within a few short months, he returned to America with his sister, Ruth. She lived
with the Al Fisher family and Peter moved back in with the Schurters. He returned to his sales job
at the cemetery.
Peter found his key to employment success when the door opened to purchase a beautiful, 40-
acre cemetery – River Hills Memorial Park – overlooking the Fox River in Batavia. He was only
25 years old; quite an accomplishment for a new immigrant!
Peter married Helen Fisher on the first of January, 1955;
Helen was 18 years old at the time. In his memoirs, “My
Journey,” he described the wedding:
The church where both of us were members did not
believe in fancy weddings, so my beautiful bride wore a
lovely knee-length, soft-white dress and I wore a dark
business suit. The entire church was invited to attend, and
Helen’s dad married us in a simple ceremony. After the
wedding service, a dinner for all present was served in
the fellowship room in the basement, followed by a
reception at Fisher’s condo in Evanston.
Helen’s brother John had offered to be the official photographer
and he took many pictures only to find out later that there was
something wrong with the camera.
They purchased a small home near River Hills, where Mark
(1958) and Lisa (1961) were added to their family. They joined
Peter and Helen Ernst
a nearby Baptist church but frequently visited family back at
Sunnyside. Mark shared his memories of these visits:I very fondly remember visiting [Sunnyside] church with Gram and Gramps Fisher.
I sat with Gram on the ladies’ side while Gramps would be up front with the other
ministers. Then came the sound of the pitch pipe, followed by a Capella singing,
with all the parts! Oh, how I envied how my parents could sing parts! The prayers
seemed especially long. The rich smell of coffee permeated the air as the service
came to a close, then we filed down the basement to those wonderful crusty rolls,
laden with butter.
Peter and Helen bought a motorhome and drove 4500 miles to Alaska for the summer of 1971.
For ten weeks, the family camped, fished, picked berries, saw wildlife and breathed deeply in the
wide-open spaces. As they travelled back toward Chicago, the dream formed: “Let’s get away
from the rat race and move to Alaska.” So that is what they did.
They sold their house and cemetery, piled all their
possessions on top of the motorhome and moved to Seward,
Alaska. In later years, Peter and Helen retired to Washington
state, where they passed and are buried. Mark lives in Seward
yet today, and Lisa Avery calls Washington home.
An additional note on River Hills Memorial Park: Peter’s
parents (Otto and Lydia Ernst) and Helen’s parents (Al and
Margaret Fisher) are buried together in the Garden of the
Christus at the top of the hill. Louise Kettner was also buried
in this cemetery, at another location.
Otto and Lydia Ernst
Al and Margaret Fisher
John and Ruth Fisher [1953]
Eric, Gary and Terry (twins) and Susan
John “Johnny” Fisher moved to Chicago with
his parents (Al and Margaret) when he was 13
years old. Ruth Ernst immigrated from
Switzerland in 1951 – and was taken under the care
of the Fishers and Sunnyside church. She sought
the Lord in repentance and was baptized in 1952.
(Johnny had been baptized five years earlier, as a
teenager, in 1947.)
They married in 1954 and soon had their
hearts and their hands full: Eric (1954), twins Gary
and Terry (1956), and Susan (1958) were added to
their family in a few short years.
Johnny served in the Navy for three years,
then worked as an internal auditor for Illinois Bell.
Ruth was a successful realtor in Elgin. Tragically, Standing: John Fisher and Ruth Ernst
young Susan was killed by a drunk driver in 1990 Seated: Peter Ernst and Helen Fisher
and was laid to rest in River Hills Memorial Park in
Batavia.Otto and Lydia Ernst [1953]
Peter and Ruth
Otto and Lydia Ernst travelled from
Switzerland to attend the wedding of their
daughter (Ruth, to Johnny Fisher) on June 13,
1953. They never went back to their
homeland.
The elderly couple – previously baptized
in Switzerland – shared their testimony and
were received as members of the church in
1954.
Their adjustment to American life was
not easy. Lydia found a job at a drapery shop Otto and Lydia Ernst, Peter, Ruth
and learned English quite well. Otto – at age
63 – could not adapt. He found a simple job at a carpenter shop but lost the esteem and honor of
being in charge and showing others how to do things. He only spoke in German.
Son Peter wrote in his memoirs, “I have often questioned the fairness to yank those two solidly
Swiss citizens out of their comfortable surroundings and place them in a foreign environment.
Mother adjusted relatively well, but for Dad, it was a bitter mistake.”
Otto passed in 1968; Lydia in 1995. They are laid to rest in River Hills Memorial Park in
Batavia.
Morris and Verna Stedman [1937 – 1986]
Morris Stedman and Verna Clauss (from Wolcott)
met in Chicago and were married in 1937. After a
couple of decades of hearing the Word, Verna
committed her life to Christ and was baptized in
Sunnyside (1955). Two young girls, Nancy Schrenk
and Joan Wagler, were also baptized that day.
According to Nancy, “Verna was a such a loving,
caring person to us, almost like a mother.” It was
another two decades before Morris joined Verna in her
faith walk; he was baptized in Hillside in 1978.
They moved to Parkview Haven in Francesville in
1986, where they lived out their remaining years. They
were laid to rest in Remington: Morris (1995) and
Verna (1999).
Maurice and Verna StedmanFrank and Louise Fisher [1948]
Tom, Franklin and Elizabeth
Illinois Bell brought another Fisher
family to the suburbs of Chicago. Frank
and Louise Fisher and their two sons,
Tom (10) and Franklin “Frankie” (5),
came to Downers Grove (1948) from
Peoria. Illinois Bell had created a new
Suburban Division because of the rapid
growth in the collar counties. Frank was
promoted to Building Superintendent.
Through the influence of his brother
(Al Fisher), they started attending
Sunnyside and discovered the church
was “full of brotherly love.” Frank and
Louise sought the Lord in repentance
and were baptized on Jan. 1, 1949.
Young Frankie had warm words to
describe the people who taught him to
love God, be truthful, work hard and be Frank and Louise Fisher
humble, but he was convinced that the Franklin and Beth
summer heat caused the sanctuary clock
to stop, and he found his way to escape:
It got really hot upstairs in the afternoons. There were two standing fans by the
pulpit – they made a lot of noise, but that was all. The ministers, filled with a good
lunch and full of the Spirit, would preach well past the hour. I would start sticking
to the bench as the service went on.
When my parents hosted lunch, I got the job of sweeping the dining room, where it
was cooler. I was careful to do the most meticulous sweeping job before joining the
afternoon service.
Frank and Louise welcomed a little girl, Elizabeth “Beth” into their family in 1951. Beth loved
the church building, describing it as a “fine old building”:
When you entered the front door, you could either go upstairs to the assembly or
downstairs to the bathrooms, Sunday school and kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee
greeted you.
Grief engulfed the family on Jan. 24, 1962, when Louise was killed in a horrific train tragedy.
Beth was 10, Franklin (18) had just gone to college, and free-spirited Tom was on his own. The
family was devastated by their loss but took comfort in the words of Louise’s favorite hymn, “The
Old Rugged Cross.” She was laid to rest on the rolling hills of Springdale Cemetery in Peoria.
Through an unexpected introduction, widower Frank met Gladys Wittmer at a potluck dinner
with mutual friends, and the family unit took new shape.Frank and Gladys Fisher [1963]
(Tom, Franklin, Elizabeth) and Jeanne
Frank and Gladys Wittmer were married in Eureka
in 1963. This was such a blessing to the family, as noted
by Franklin: “God was very good to us. He brought a
super stepmother (affectionally called “Glady” by the
children) into our lives. She blessed us richly with her
love and kindness.”
Little Jeanne Marie was born in 1964.
Frank – eighteen years older than Gladys – passed
in 1995 and was laid to rest in Roanoke. Gladys (in her
90s) lives in the western suburbs, with Franklin (Linda)
nearby in Naperville. Beth (Brian) Meyer lives in
Washington state, and Jeanne (James) Rimmer makes
her home in Indiana. When her family signs off a phone
conversation with “I love you,” Gladys is quick to reply,
Frank and Gladys Fisher
“I love you MORE!”
Sam and Belle Slagel [1946 – 1985]
Sam and Bella Slagel first started attending church
around 1946. He was baptized in Sunnyside on Sept. 21,
1947. Sam was employed as a real estate agent, a helpful
skill when he served on the Building Committee for
Hillside. They moved to Florida in 1985.
Sam and Belle Slagel
Howard Maurer, Karl Lehman and Sam Slagel
Sam and Belle Slagel
at Groundbreaking CeremonyJohn and Ann Wagler [1940 – 1942, 1949 – 1958]
Joan and Susan
John and Ann Wagler moved to Chicago in 1949, the second time for both of them. They were
returning to the city, where they had met seven years earlier.
John Wagler (from Pulaski, IA) was employed as a chemical engineer at National Aluminate
Corporation, and Ann Hodel (Roanoke) was working as a nurse at Presbyterian Hospital when
they first met one another. They were married in 1941 in Roanoke.
One year later, John was transferred to Savannah, GA, where Joan (1943) and Susan (1945)
were born. They lived in Jacksonville, FL, briefly, before moving back to Chicago.
Sunnyside church readily embraced the young
family with two sweet girls, Joan (6) and Susan (4).
They were quite adorable with their white dresses,
their bobby socks and black patent shoes, their
blonde curls held in place with bows – a delightful
addition to the church!
John was appointed to the ministry in 1950,
sharing the pulpit with Al Fisher. Susan told her dad
there seemed to be a light around him when he
preached, to which he quipped, “It must be my shiny
suit!”
Joan sought the Lord in repentance and was
baptized in 1955, along with good friend and
classmate, Nancy Schrenk.
The family settled in Western Springs; Ralph
and Catherine Klopfenstein lived in nearby
LaGrange, so young Gloria became a good friend of
the girls. Likewise, Lynn and Miriam Klopfenstein
moved into the house directly behind the Waglers.
Leon Schurter recalled going to the Wagler home
several times for Bible Study. “They were loved by
my parents, as well as the rest of the congregation and John and Ann Wagler
were sorely missed when they left.” Joan and Susan
In 1956, John felt God’s call to leave his job and go into full-time mission work. They moved
to Alabama, where John ministered to the four Apostolic Christian churches in the Athens area.
John and Anne were later active in home-missions and other humanitarian ministries in the United
States and foreign countries. They returned to Eureka/Roanoke area for their final years and
remained active ministering to the inmates at Peoria County Jail. John passed in 1988; Ann passed
in 2010. They were laid to rest in the cemetery behind Roanoke church. “As every man hath
received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace
of God” (1 Pet 4:10).
Joan (Don) Kinzer lives in Texas and Susan (Sam) Parrucci lives in Virginia. Several years
ago, Susan visited the old Sunnyside neighborhood and fondly recalled many childhood memories:
“We are grateful for God’s faithfulness and for the faith our parents instilled in us.”Dean and Betty Bahler [1940s – 1956]
Dennis, Mary Beth and David
Dean and Betty Bahler lived on N. Wolcott Ave., where Dennis (1950) and Mary Beth (1952)
were born. They moved to Skokie, where David (1954) joined the family. In Skokie, they lived
near Fred Meyer’s family; Lenny remembers they had chinchilla rabbits in the basement. They are
no longer listed in the church directory after 1956. Betty and the children are in the attached photo.
Standing in the back: Aldenne Schurter and Betty Bahler (holding Mary Beth)
Middle: Susan Wagler, Dennis Bahler, (those in back right are unknown)
Seated: Joan Wagler, unknown, unknown, Louise Knecht, Emily Lehman and Marie MeyerTimeline
Jun 27, 1950 Korean War – President Truman ordered troops to South
Korea.
Oct 8, 1950 John Wagler appointed minister.
1951 Sunnyside church basement remodeled, including dining
room, furnace and baptismal tank – $6000.
1953 Services changed from afternoon and evening hours to
traditional morning and afternoon (End of Domestic Era).
Aug 3, 1958 Maurice Frank (from Bay City, MI) moved to Chicago and
joined Chicago ministry.3
Turbulent Times
The 1950s brought many changes to the congregation and are remembered as turbulent times
for those who attended Chicago church. The country was engaged in a divisive war in South Korea,
and young servicemen continued to seek a place of refuge at church.
John Wagler joined Al Fisher on the pulpit.
The church basement was remodeled: kitchen cabinets were replaced; a new, oil-fired furnace
was installed; and the baptismal tank was enclosed. The total cost of redecorating was $6,000.
Modern conveniences significantly reduced the domestic workload, diminishing the need for
maids and domestic workers in the city. Many young sisters moved on to other employment,
returned to their hometowns, or got married. Church services, which had previously been held in
the afternoon and evening, were changed to the more traditional hours of 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.,
signaling the end of the domestic era.
Unfortunately, the congregation was rocked by diversity of opinions and conflict during this
period. A few individuals – who were there at the time – shared their own perspective on the
events, as noted by the various quotes below. All names will remain anonymous:
Back then there was little evident desire to spread the gospel beyond the confines
of the church. “Missionary” was a word to be avoided.
A group of young – and some not so young – were burdened to reach others with
the gospel. Some wanted to work through the church but ultimately gave up.
Change is always too fast for the old and too slow for the young.
It was a sad and unpleasant time. I was a young member, so I did not realize the
seriousness of the problem nor the implications of it.
My home elder advised me to get away from Chicago lest I be influenced by those
that were missionary-minded. But he was too late. In his behalf, he did what he
considered to be right.
The elder brothers struggled and prayed and did the best they could at the time.
When considering a job transfer, someone said to me, “You don’t want to move to
Chicago – it is a mess up there.” That gave me a poor opinion of the situation. After
I moved, I found my thoughts were wrong. It was a very nice place to go.
When we moved to Chicago, the church was deeply divided down the middle of the
issue. It was a palpable division – but my parents tried to be peacemakers and were
friendly to everyone.In time, the hurt and disappointment began to fade away. Maybe all of us were
trying hard to not “stir the pot.” By God’s grace, we were able to keep going.
Much of the tension could be observed on the pulpit – shared by Al Fisher and John Wagler
and guided by non-resident elder George Yergler. Bro. Fisher’s ministry represented the
established, traditional opinion of missionary work of that era. On the other hand, Bro. Wagler
exhibited a burden for the lost, with a desire for evangelism and missionary work. Those who
wanted to get involved in missions gravitated to Bro. Wagler. The need for training prompted them
to go to nearby Moody Bible Institute, causing substantial conflict between the two ideologies.
Bro. Wagler was removed from the pulpit for a time.
Elder Bro. Yergler made an earnest attempt to resolve the conflict. The member meetings
were tense, with an occasional brother storming out of the room in response to various accusations
and statements. The entries in Yergler’s diary contain language of that era: warned and
admonished, placed under punishment, withdrew from fellowship, severed from fellowship.
Several brothers and sisters forfeited their church membership at that time and went their separate
ways.
Bro. Wagler was given the blessing to labor in home missions in our Alabama churches; they
moved in January 1958. Later that year, a brother was selected as a new minister to join Bro. Fisher
on the pulpit. During the afternoon member meeting, before the appointed brother could be
announced, a small group of young people rose, one by one, in opposition to a minister installation
at that time. This evidently took Bro. Yergler off guard, as he ended the meeting, placing the matter
on hold. His diary entry that evening states flatly, “Searched for minister, not successful.”
Bro. Maurice Frank – a minister from Bay City, Michigan – moved to Chicago with his family
in August 1958. He was received into the Chicago ministry and was a catalyst for healing and
moving forward. He was “a kindly man, a little more tolerant, who was willing to listen to the
young people.”
As God told Moses in the wilderness, “Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn
you northward” (Deut 2:3). The church was ready to begin a new chapter.
The following pages contain vignettes of faithful brethren who stood true to the Lord’s work
through the 1950s. The account of their lives illustrates God’s faithfulness through this difficult
and challenging period.Arlene Kaufmann [1949 – 1953]
Arlene Kaufmann was not a born-again believer when she moved to Chicago in January 1949.
She loved to go to shows and dances and wanted to “have a good time” in the city. In two short
weeks, she felt the Lord draw her to Himself. She was baptized in Cissna Park (her hometown) on
Mar. 19, 1949.
She initially worked at A.B. Dick Mimeograph Company and then switched to Monarch Finer
Food, where she was secretary for the Export Manager. Lastly, she worked for Fred Meyer in his
office supply store.
Arlene described her four years in Chicago as very enjoyable times, filled with wonderful
fellowship. She lived with several other young ladies in an apartment at 4427 N. Seeley Ave.:
Evelyn Hartman was the one who invited me to move into #302 with her. Miriam
Hemmer also moved in later. When Evelyn left, Carolyn Schumacher joined us.
Howard and Esther Hay’s family lived across the street. Seeley Manor was just
around the corner from church. It was quite convenient to just walk to church,
regardless of the weather. None of us had cars, but public transportation was easy.
The apartment had one bedroom and a hide-a-bed
which opened out from the closet into the living room.
We always tried to have three of us paying rent
($75/month) and had loads of fun with many
sleepovers and lots of company from other churches.
It was not unusual to have 6 to 8 lined up on the floor
to sleep. We also made many weekend trips out of
town.
On May 3, 1953, Arlene became the bride of Mel
Gutwein in a Sunnyside wedding. After their honeymoon,
they spent the rest of the summer in Francesville (his
hometown), then moved to Jersey Shore, PA, to prepare for
mission service under Tribes Boot Camp. They served as
missionaries in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, for 28 years and 11
years in Bangkok. Mel passed in 2006; Arlene resides in
Arizona.
Melvin and Arlene Gutwein
May 3, 1953
Lynn and Miriam Klopfenstein [1952 – 1960]
Ann and Mark
Lynn Klopfenstein (Gridley, IL) moved to Chicago in 1955 to train as a field representative
for Dun and Bradstreet, a credit reporting agency. But God was calling him into another ‘agency’:
the service of the Lord. He describes his move:
Until residency could be established, I stayed a few days with my brother Ralph
and his family. Ralph encouraged me to go to midweek services with them, where I
met several young people and was very much impressed with their spirit and
dedication! Future invitations were offered for fellowship, and I was pleased to
participate.
It wasn’t long before he sought the Lord in repentance and was baptized in Sunnyside on Feb. 12,
1956. “This, indeed, has been one decision not regretted!”One of the young believers that he met was Miriam “Mim” Hemmer, who had moved to
Chicago (1952) to attend grad school at the University of Illinois Medical Center. She was
employed by G.D. Searle Pharmaceuticals in Skokie and lived with Arlene Kaufmann and Evelyn
Hartman in Seeley Manor apartments.
Lynn and Mim were married in Princeville, her home church. They were blessed with two
children, Ann (1957) and Mark (1958).
They moved to Chenoa in 1960 to invest in a Ford dealership. In Chenoa, two more children
were born – Mary (1961) and Rhoda (1963) – and the young family attended Gridley church. They
moved to Alabama in 1965 to minister to the people in the Athens, Hillsboro, and Landersville
churches. Because of their location, they had many opportunities to fellowship with “church folks
from the North” who stopped to visit on their way to or from Florida.
Lynn and Miriam both continue to be active in spreading the gospel in their local community
in Anderson, SC. In reflecting on their time in Chicago, they describe Sunnyside as a “stabilizer
for us” and a place of loving Christians who were gracious in hosting the young folks: “I’ve often
thought the only way to repay them would be to pass on their acts of kindness.”
Missionaries
Several names that appear on lists and church records in the 1950s are connected with the
church tension with Bible training. It is difficult to sort out all of the information but three of the
missionary couples are described below:
Richard and Alma Lou (Anliker) Hohulin [1950 – 1959]
Richard Hohulin was “not born again when he moved to Chicago, but the Lord drew him to
Himself very soon after.” He was baptized (1951) in Peoria, his home church.
He met Alma Lou Anliker while living in the city. They were married Jan. 8, 1956, in Oakville
(her home church). Two sons – Paul (1956) and David (1957) – soon joined their family. Richard
attended classes at Moody Bible Institute.
Their church membership was terminated in 1959. They spent many years in the Philippines
doing Bible translation. They are still involved in translation work in Dallas.
Bob and JoAnn (Klopfenstein) Conrad [1952 – 1959]
Bob Conrad moved to Chicago to attend Moody Bible Institute. He met JoAnn Klopfenstein
through a shared zeal for foreign missions. They were married in 1954 in Bob’s home church in
Portland, OR. They shared a very close friendship with Richard and Alma Lou Hohulin. Bob shares
his description of the time when the two couples were removed from church membership:
While my wife and I were studying at Moody Bible Institute, I was advised that
several elders were coming to Chicago “to give us the axe.” The two areas of
contention: who will be in heaven and whether eternal security was a biblical
doctrine. Since we disagreed on these issues, they asked us to resign. We refused,
and so they dismissed us.
Bob and Jo went to Papua, New Guinea, for Bible translations. The tribe was so remote, it
took four days to get there! They later returned to Dallas where they continued translation work.
JoAnn passed in 2014; Bob recently rejoined the AC church in Leo, IN.Virgil and Nancy (Meyer) Wuethrich [1955 – 1960]
Nancy Meyer was born in Chicago (1937), baptized at Sunnyside (1954) and then married
Virgil Wuthrich a year later. They welcomed Scott (1957) and Susan (1958) into their home. In
1960, they withdrew from church membership to attend a small Baptist church and then transferred
their membership to the Howe Street Nazarean church, where Virgil was placed in the ministry.
They welcomed three more children: Donna (1962), Steven (1963) and Diane (1966).
Virgil worked in the accounting department at Sunbeam. When he retired from his job, they
wanted to pursue mission work. They participated in a boot camp training program for New Tribes
Missions in Wisconsin and then moved to Florida, where he took a job in the finance department
at New Tribes Headquarters in 1989. Nancy passed in 1998, Virgil remarried (Ella Ogle) in 2000.
Ella died in 2019 and Virgil in 2020. Virgil and Nancy are buried together in Sanford, FL.
Many of the missionaries maintained close friendships with each other over the years and also
continued connections with brothers and sisters throughout the Apostolic Christian brotherhood.
Arlene Kaufmann Gutwein shared this summary in one of her emails:
It amazes me how many of us who were in Chicago in that era ended up being
called into a position of serving the Lord. Dick Hohulin and Alma Lou Anliker met
in Chicago, married and spent many years in the Philippines. They are still involved
in translation work from the Dallas area.
JoAnn Klopfenstein was in Chicago for a few years before she married Bob
Conrad. They were in New Guinea doing translation and continued with translation
when they returned to Dallas.
Bob Hueni became one of the Bremen, IN, ministers. Bill Heinsman from Peoria
was in Chicago for schooling and went to Taiwan with his wife, Jeannie Schlatter.
Ted and Evelyn (Hartman) Malaimare were in the Grace Brethren Church in
California, where Ted was a minister.
Lynn and Miriam Klopfenstein ministered in a school and church in Alabama.
Stan Gudeman and Jean Wuthrich went to Venezuela as missionaries for a 5-year
term. Mel Gutwein and I [Arlene] went to Thailand for 39 years. We started out
treating leprosy patients. Mel’s main thrust was evangelism and church planting.
She completes her account with the stark reality: “Of those mentioned, many have gone to be with
the Lord – JoAnn Conrad, Bob and Letty Hueni, Bill Heinsman, Ted and Ev Malaimare, Carolyn
Schumacher, and my dear Mel.” Miriam Klopfenstein adds these words, “Now our days are soon
over, and only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Jerry Cargill [1954 – 1958]
Jerry Cargill lived in Chicago for four years (1954 to 1958) while attending University of
Illinois College of Medicine. He describes the setting:
The College of Medicine was located on the corner of Polk St. and Wood St. on the
Near West Side. Congress Expressway was being constructed at the time, and the
Douglas St. branch of the L was also under construction. I traveled to church near
Ravenswood by way of the Damen St. bus because I did not own a car.You can also read
