The First 50 Years - Rev. Riemann

THE REVEREND RUDOLPH G. RIEMANN

The Committee on Pastor reported to the regular meeting of Session held on November 9, 1948, that it had unanimously agreed upon a candidate to fill our pulpit. He was the Reverend Rudolph G. Riemann, presently pastor of the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church of Crawfordsville, Indiana. He had been invited to occupy our pulpit on the 21st of November, in order that the entire congregation might hear him. A congregational meeting was called to convene immediately at the close of that service "to take whatever action the congregation might deem advisable." In view of the fact that our associate minister, the Reverend Hugh I. Schuster, was himself a candidate for the position, the Reverend Zoltan Irshay had been requested to moderate the meeting. Mr. Irshay was an old time friend of the church and, in effect, Dr. Jaquess' successor.

The Reverend Mr. Riemann preached an excellent sermon to a large congregation, and at the conclusion of the service the members remained to consider the important problem at hand.

The chairman of the committee then read to the assemblage a lengthy and very detailed report, indicating the extensive work of the committee in its efforts to obtain the best man possible. Some of the credentials and recommendations received by the committee were included in the report, and it was clearly apparent that the committee had exhausted every source of information about the candidate whom it was unanimously proposing. After this report was received, a motion was made and supported that Mr. Riemann be called to our church as its pastor.

Despite the very careful investigation on the part of the committee and the equally detailed and thorough report which it submitted to the congregation, the report was not at once accepted. The Reverend Hugh I. Schuster had been serving the church as associate minister since early in April. Both he and Mrs. Schuster were very personable young people, and each had entered enthusiastically into the life of the church. They had made many friends. There were some members of the congregation who felt that the committee had not given sufficient consideration to Mr. Schuster. A motion to table the call to Dr. Riemann was rejected. On a written ballot, the motion to accept the report of the committee and call Dr. Riemann was carried, but not by a significant majority. After a motion to make the call unanimous had been made and supported, a motion to adjourn was offered, a maneuver intended to delay final action. That motion also failed, and on vote to call Dr. Riemann, a substantial majority of those present then approved the call.

Born in India of missionary parents, Mr. Riemann grew up and attended public school at Richmond, Michigan, and considered himself a Michigan product. He received both his AB and his AM degrees from the University of Chicago, and was later graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary. Entering the chaplaincy of the United States Army in World War I, he served with that branch of the service at Camp Grant during the war.

It is rather interesting to note that all of Dr. Riemann's pastorates had been in college towns. He served as university pastor at the University of Wisconsin for two years, after which he was called as pastor to the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Oxford, Ohio, where both Miami University and Western College for Women are located. Many of the students from both schools had the benefit of the fine preaching and pastoral help of Mr. Riemann. He then served the Andrew Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, where students of both the university and Macalester College came under his influence. The latter institution conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1939, the year after he left that community to take over the pastorate of the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church of Crawfordsville, Indiana. This was the home of Wabash College and many from the faculty and the student body of that institution were regular attendants at his church. Thus it will be seen that every church which Dr. Riemann served before coming here had been located in college towns.

Dr. Riemann was formally introduced to the Session and the Board of Trustees at the traditional Session dinner tendered outgoing elders. This time, in honor of the arrival of Dr. Riemann, the Trustees were also invited, together with Associate Minister Hugh Schuster, our only Elder Emeritus, Alexander Thorburn, and Elder Alex Lofquist. It was in the Lofquist home that the Riemanns were guests while the manse was being made ready for the new minister and his family.

On the following evening, January 12, 1949, Dr. Riemann offered the prayer at the opening of the annual meeting of the congregation, and later signed the minutes of that meeting as moderator, his first official act as the new minister.

The Reverend Dr. Riemann first occupied the pulpit as our minister on the following Sunday, January 16, 1949. He began a very energetic and ambitious program for the church. He early effected the organization of the official boards into actively working groups, with detailed outlines as to duties and responsibilities of each.

One of the early special events of this pastorate was a well-deserved reception tendered the Rev. Zoltan Irshay, who had been appointed interim pastor, and who, with the associate minister, had served the congregation so faithfully for the preceding six months. Mr. Irshay's work with the church and his personal interest in our program was suggestive of a similar service previously rendered by Dr. Jaquess. The reception in honor of both the Reverend and Mrs. Irshay was largely attended by members of the congregation who wished to show their appreciation for the fine leadership he had supplied in time of need.

Another event of note occurring in the first few months of his pastorate was the ordination of one of the sons of the church, Mr. William Bowen. This service was held in the sanctuary on May 5, 1949. Dr. Robert S. Steen, under whose pastorate this young man had made his decision to enter the Christian ministry, returned to have a part in the ceremony, and he gave the Charge to the Minister.

Dr. Riemann early sensed the necessity of expanded facilities, and began a vigorous building program. Even two Sunday morning services which were now regularly held did not accommodate all members who wished to attend, and the Church School was using all available space and was still crowded. A second paid-quartet was employed "to help out the choir at the first Sunday Morning Worship Service - - - - with the stipulation that they also help out with the second service", and this effort to make both services equally attractive only compounded the space problem.

As the year 1949 came to a close, the Reverend Mr. Schuster requested the dissolution of the pastoral relation with us in order to accept a call to the First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg, Indiana. He had remained with us during the transition of one pastorate to another, and his faithfulness had earned for him the respect of the entire congregation. His request for dissolution of the pastoral relation was granted, and after a reception for Mr. and Mrs. Schuster, at which the members of the church had an opportunity to express their appreciation for their splendid work with us, they departed for their new field of service with the best wishes of the congregation.

Again the increasing size of the membership presented the problem of cramped quarters. A Planning Committee had been busy for months, with drawings and figures. At the annual meeting held early in 1950, the report of the committee showed some progress, but the committee was now urged to speedup its work, to add new members, if necessary, and in general to proceed with such dispatch as to be able soon to present some very definite plans for building additional facilities.

There were other evidences of our rapid growth. Parking space became a problem and the Trustees requested permission to prepare the lands to the west of the church building for parking purposes. It was felt that a parish visitor was needed to call on new families and perform other duties which the ministers did not have time to perform. An effort was made to divide the whole area into districts, so that calling by officers and older members of the church might be better arranged.

During all of this time the regular work of the church went on. Although we were actively engaged in raising money both for building purposes and the regular work of the church, giving was so generous that we were able to increase our benevolences to the point where our congregation received from general headquarters in Philadelphia special recognition for excellence in benevolence giving to the church at large.

Another interesting national occurrence caused some interest and concern to the officers and members. The president of the United States had recently appointed a representative to the Vatican, an action which many Protestants of the country felt was highly improper, and a violation of the Constitution of the United States which requires the separation of church and state. The matter was discussed in Session meeting, and as a result the following resolution was adopted:

"The General Council of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America , meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 7-8, 1950, vigorously and sincerely re-affirms the historic position of the Presbyterian Church on the separation of Church and State. This position has been made clear repeatedly in the official actions of the General Assembly since 1788. This position has just as clearly been manifested in the corporate life of the Church. 'We join with other great representative bodies of the country in firmly protesting any continuance of official relations between our Government and the Vatican, under whatever guise they are cloaked, and we believe that henceforth the basic American principle of the separation of Church and State, upon which our Government was founded, should be followed meticulously by the President, the State Department, and the Congress of the United States in spirit as well as in letter, as a guide in our foreign relations.' "

Work with the young people of the church was keeping up with the general growth of the congregation. With a full time director of religious education, the program of the Church School and other youth groups greatly expanded. A Recognition Dinner for teachers and staff of the Church School was held annually, Daily Vacation Church School became a permanent part of the youth program, and excellent lay leadership seemed always available to assist in the many programs devised by the church staff.

In the meantime it was necessary to secure either another minister or a director of religious education to replace the Rev. Mr. Schuster. A senior student at McCormick Theological Seminary, Mr. Glen Schwartz, was interested in the position and his services were obtained. He commuted between Chicago and Royal Oak for a few months before his graduation in May, 1950, when he moved to Royal Oak to devote his full time to our church. The membership was now approximately 1,300 members and was steadily growing.

The employment of a minister for work with the young people of the church presented certain problems. Trained for the Christian ministry itself, it was only natural that after some experience in church work in a secondary position that an ordained minister would be interested in a church of his own. This had been our experience in the previous cases of the Rev. Jesse Houk, the Rev. Hugh Schuster, and it was now the experience with the Rev. Glen Schwarz. A Presbyterian church on Detroit's east side, the Faith Presbyterian Church, extended him a call as its minister, and he accepted.

With plans uncertain because of this experience, as to whether we should seek another minister, or whether we should seek a director of religious education for our youth work, one of our more experienced Church School workers was suggested for this assignment. Mrs. James Benjamins was interviewed and she consented to act as interim director. To assist the minister in his calling, another member of the church, Mrs. E. J. Warne, was secured to work as a parish visitor. Both of these selections were most satisfactory in the results obtained, and both rendered exceptional service to the church in their respective positions

By August the committee, whose responsibility it was to recommend a new director of religious education, was ready to report. Mr. Jesse L. Waller, a former Methodist minister, but currently employed in industrial personnel work in Jackson, Michigan, was the nominee. Although not an ordained minister in our denomination, the committee felt that his qualifications and experience were such that he would be well qualified to serve us in our youth program, and that his tenure with us would be longer than that of an ordained minister. He was therefore employed, and at a special meeting of the congregation, held on October 8, 1952, Mr. and Mrs. Waller were introduced to the congregation.

The real purpose for calling the special meeting just mentioned, however, was to consider the building situation. At the annual meeting held earlier in the year, the Planning Committee had reported that $89,000 had been raised for the Building Fund. It lacked only $11,000 needed to claim a "Challenge Fund" of an additional $ 25,000 which had been offered by a few members of the church when $100,000 had been pledged. Several special studies of our problem had been made, especially as to the practicability of enlarging the present building.

The committee was now ready to report. Its studies had indicated that plans to enlarge the present building should be discarded, and the committee recommended that action be taken to construct an entirely new edifice. The congregational meeting concurred in these recommendations, and the Board of Trustees was authorized to contract for the construction of a new sanctuary.

There were matters other than the building of a new church that also occupied the attention of the church membership and its officers. In view of the national, as well as international, prominence given the handling of the integration problem, it is illuminating to consider the sentiments of our Session as set forth in a letter to Presbytery.

Detroit Presbytery had adopted a resolution on the subject and had forwarded it to the several churches within Presbytery for their approval. There was considerable discussion of the matter within our Session. As a result, the resolution was not concurred in as submitted, but a letter prepared by the moderator and concurred in by Session was addressed to the Board of Church Extension, setting forth the position of our particular church on the general subject of integration. Because the whole problem is so very much in the news today (1964), we believe it appropriate to copy the letter as sent by clerk of Session:

Rev. Donald Zimmerman April 14, 1953
The Board of Church Extension
Presbytery of Detroit
1105 Kales Building
Detroit 26, Michigan

Gentlemen:

In accordance with the direction of Presbytery, the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, has given careful consideration to the Resolution presented to Presbytery and adopted, dealing with the general subject of non-segregation.

We are unanimous in our conviction that the Church must always be an inclusive fellowship of all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A refusal to admit to membership any persons because of economic, racial or national background is, therefore, a denial of that fellowship which is incumbent upon a Christian Church.

We do, however, deplore deeply the implications contained in paragraphs 4 and 5 in the mimeographed copy of the Resolution adopted. It is our reasoned judgment that while, undoubtedly, there are Churches and individuals within our fellowship, some of them doubtless in the membership of our own Church, who have failed to recognize the inclusiveness of the fellowship created by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ, this furnishes no justification for the unwarranted statement that agencies of government, labor, etc. are committed to the "principle" of non-segregation more definitely than the Church.

The mere fact that a Church has in its membership only one racial stock, whether white, black or oriental, is not in itself an evidence of belief in segregation. Fellowship across racial lines is entirely possible and feasible in all the matters which concern the Church as a whole so long as all racial groups are regarded as equally worthy followers of Jesus Christ. That they gather in groups of their own choosing is both natural and productive of real values in the creation of a common Christian witness. That if and when members of one racial group wish to unite with members of another racial group in common worship, no barriers should be erected to prevent such common work and worship, seems equally clear to us.

May our Church seek always to bring to bear upon every problem involving social equity the mind and Spirit of our Lord and Master.

Respectfully submitted,
By Order of the Session

M. R. Hemphill Clerk

At the annual meeting of the congregation and corporation held on January 14, 1953, the chairman of the Building Committee reported that, acting on authority previously given by the congregation, a new church building, with a seating capacity of 720 and costing $325,000, was planned, and that Harold Wagoner of Philadelphia had been employed as architect. He had produced certain plans, which the committee was presently studying.

The following April the Building Committee reported that it was ready to proceed with actual construction. There was on hand cash in the amount of over $141,000 and unpaid pledges of an additional $40,000. The plans which had been adopted were submitted for bids, but the bids were beyond the realm of possibility, so they were all rejected. New plans were submitted, with some modification and alternatives. The bids on the revised plans appeared to be more within the range of our possibilities, but it would still be necessary to raise a substantial sum by means of a mortgage. Our church requested permission of Presbytery to mortgage our properties for a sum not to exceed $175,000, which request was granted.

The contract for the construction of the new sanctuary was finally signed. We were ready to proceed with actual construction. Ground-breaking ceremonies were held on the 22nd of November and quite appropriately, three of our charter members were given the honor of turning the first spades full of dirt. They were Mrs. W. O. Hullinger and Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Jenkins. We illustrate a picture taken of the event, with Mrs. Jenkins and the late Mrs. Hullinger actually turning the sod, while Mr. Jenkins and Dr. Riemann look on. (Fig. 18)

Fig. 18

Despite the fact that it was late fall before actual work began on the new building, construction had proceeded to the point where it was possible to hold the cornerstone laying ceremonies the following June. Elder J. C. Austin was in charge of the program and we show as Appendix III the list of the contents of the cornerstone. We illustrate the dedication of the cornerstone in Fig. 19.

Fig. 19

During all of the time that committees were busily at work raising funds and arranging details for the new building, the regular business of the church went steadily along. While the passing of any member of the church is a matter of loss to us all, it seemed appropriate to make special mention of the passing, in the fall of 1952, of the only elder of our church who had been honored by being named as Elder Emeritus, Alexander Thorburn. Because of the long and faithful service of this elder, the following resolution was adopted by the Session at a meeting held October 14, 1952:

"Whereas our beloved Elder-Emeritus Alexander Thorburn has passed thru death into life eternal, we the members of the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, Michigan.

Herewith record our deep appreciation of the Christian character and witness of Elder Thorburn.

Coming to our Community from the background of a devoted and consecrated Scottish home, Mr. Thorburn and his good wife immediately identified themselves with the work of the then small and struggling Presbyterian Church in Royal Oak.

Mr. Thorburn was a student of historical, philosophical and theological interests and so became a very real inspiration to a succession of pastors of the Church. His was a Christian faith which was intellectually acceptable, evangelically sound and morally potent. The temper of his life matched the tenor of his profession.

During the years of the depression, he was the leader in ministering to the physical needs of many folk in Berkley and Royal Oak, making his rounds with the Rector of the Episcopal Church, the Rev. Charles Jatho, while his own Church was without a pastor and bringing to the needy the food contributed by members of the various Churches of Royal Oak.

At a time when financial difficulties threatened the completion of much of our present building he with others underwrote the cost of continuing the work, even tho it meant great personal sacrifice.

In later years, with the growth of our various communities, Mr. Thorburn was always deeply interested in the integration of new members and at the time of his death was a member of the Building Committee.

Thru all the years, his quiet but sturdy faith in the Christian Gospel and its adequacy for the meeting of all human needs, was noted in his devotion to every good cause in the community--notably his service as a member of the Library Board.

He was truly a Christian Gentleman and we cherish the heritage of faith and faithfulness which he leaves to us as well as to the members of his immediate family.

'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.... Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them. ' "

The General Assembly of our church held its annual meeting in Detroit's Masonic Temple in May of 1954. Several of the men and women of the church served on committees in connection with this event, while many other members of t h e church had the privilege of attending various meetings during the Assembly's conclave.

Earlier in the same year efforts to unite the three separate Presbyterian bodies were stimulated by the appearance in Detroit of the moderator of the Southern Assembly and the moderator of the United Presbyterian Assembly. Together with the moderator of the Detroit Presbytery, they addressed a large gathering of Presbyterians in Detroit's First Presbyterian Church. Plans were approved which later has resulted in the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. under the name of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.

As we entered 1955 the new sanctuary had reached the stage where plans for its dedication were begun. The decision of the Session was that such dedicatory services should be spread over an entire month, rather than crowded into one week. The actual dedication services were set for Sunday, April 17, followed on the succeeding Sunday by Youth Day, an organ recital, Women's Sunday, and closing with Layman's Sunday on May 15. All of the events connected with the dedication were well attended. Dr. R. Worth Frank, president of McCormick Theological Seminary, Dr. Robert S. Steen, our former minister, and the Reverend Zoltan Irshay, together with local clergymen, participated in the impressive ceremonies.

The building of the new sanctuary gave members and friends of the church the opportunity to make special gifts as memorials to loved ones. As Appendix III a detailed list of these memorials is given, but special mention is made here of one of the major gifts, the Clara B. Talbot Memorial Organ, presented by Mr. and Mrs. E. Howard Perkins in memory of her mother, Mrs. Talbot. The organ was dedicated at a special recital given by August Maekelberghe, a talented organist of Detroit, held on the evening of Sunday, October 2, 1955. A description of the organ itself is reproduced from the program used at the dedication. (Fig. 20)

Besides performing all of his pastoral duties in connection with the constantly growing congregation, Dr. Riemann had been most active with the building program. Now that the new sanctuary was completed and this splendid objective attained, Dr. Riemann looked forward to retirement. He had been laboring without the aid of an assistant minister, although Mr. Waller was doing splendid work with the youth of the church, and Mrs. Warne was performing an equally fine service as part-time parish visitor. Still there were duties which only a minister could perform, and these all fell on Dr. Riemann. A committee was appointed to recommend an associate minister. At the same meeting of the congregation a resolution commending the Building Committee for its work in the building of the new sanctuary was adopted, and reads as follows:

"Whereas, the beautiful new Sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, Michigan, is nearing completion, representing a long-cherished goal of this Congregation:

And whereas, this Church was erected to the greater glory of God and the larger service of man;

And whereas, for many years to come this Congregation and those who join with us in Christian fellowship may worship God in surroundings conducive to greater reverence and renewed faith;

And whereas this accomplishment was made possible in large measure by the devoted interest and the untiring efforts of the dedicated men and women who served on the Building Committee;

Therefore be it resolved that the Session, on behalf of the entire Congregation, expresses its deep and abiding appreciation for the uncounted hours, the varied and considerable talents, and the unselfish heart-interest with which they guided the progress of this inspiring edifice, to the members of the Building Committee:

          Mr. Marlin R. Hemphill, Chairman
          Mr. J. C. Austin, Vice Chairman
          Mrs. A. E. Lofquist, Secretary
          Mr. O. W. Baur
          Mr. M. F. Cole
          Mr. G. H. Davis
          Mr. Read Jenkins
          Mrs. F. H. Linscheid
          Mr. Herschel Miller
          Mr. E. H. Perkins
          Mrs. E. J. Warne
          Mr. A. L. LaMont
          Mr. Alex Lumsden
          Mr. H. D. Osgood
          Mr. E. W. Waltz
          Mrs. F. B. Williams
          Mr. G. D. Wright

In Memoriam, the late Mr. Alex Thorburn; and to the Rev. R. G. Riemann, D.D., who discharged his responsibilities as a member of the Building Committee and as Pastor of this Church in the highest tradition of the 'builders of the Temple' as well as of those who serve God and their fellow man through the ministry.

For they have builded a Church to the glory of God, the highest calling that can be heeded by the hands of man."

Another occasion for celebration was Dr. Riemann's forty years in the Christian ministry. Because of the anticipated large numbers who would wish to attend this special occasion, the locale was moved from the smaller dining room of the church to the more commodius Jane Addams School, and the special speaker for the occasion was Dr. W. P. Lemon, pastor of the Ann Arbor Presbyterian Church. It took place on June 2, 1955.

It was in this same year that another young man of the church, Dennis C. Benson, Jr., signified a desire to study for the ministry, and upon approval by our Session he was placed under care of Presbytery. A planning conference at Clear Lake for Church School and youth workers was well attended by representatives from our church, and we benefited by the many constructive suggestions which resulted from the discussions held at the conference on various phases of church work.

In the meantime the committee that had been appointed in March to interview candidates for the position of associate minister had been steadily at work. It was understood that Dr. Riemann wanted to retire in May, 1958, and the selection of a co-pastor was to be with the definite understanding that the minister finally called would succeed Dr. Riemann as pastor upon his retirement.

The committee investigated and considered twenty-nine candidates in all. By October the committee had reached an unanimous decision in the person of the Rev. Thomas W. Kirkman, Jr., a young minister then serving the Hammond Avenue Presbyterian Church in Superior, Wisconsin. He had been invited to preach in our church on October 23, 1955. Immediately after the service a congregational meeting was to be convened to consider a call to Mr. Kirkman "who will at Dr. Riemann's retirement in May, 1958, become the senior pastor."

Mr. Kirkman was a native Pennsylvanian, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania , with his theological studies at Princeton Theological Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1946. He served the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul for two-and-one-half years, after which he was called to the church in Superior.

Those hearing him were well impressed with Mr. Kirkman, and a call was issued to him immediately, which he accepted, and the call was successfully prosecuted at Presbytery. Installation services were set for June 15, 1956, although he had begun work with us during the previous month.

In the meantime the size of the Session was increased to eighteen elders and for the first time in our history the annual budget passed the $100,000 mark.

At the annual meeting in January of 1956, announcement was made that there would be two sessions weekly in every department of the Church School, so large was the attendance. This caused considerable concern among the members as to the need for additional Church School space, and consideration was given to converting the former sanctuary into a Christian Education Building. At a special congregational meeting called for March it was reported that the cost of remodeling would amount to $ 75,000. The meeting voted not only to remodel the old building but also to construct an entirely new one-story classroom building tied into the former church building . The ever-reliable J. C. Austin accepted the chairmanship of the committee charged with raising the building costs. To give some idea as to the constant growth of the congregation it will be noted that on Sunday, March 25, 1956, over one hundred persons joined the church, a record number up to that point received at a single service.

Mrs. Gertrude Smith, who had efficiently directed the choirs of the church and had presided so satisfactorily as organist, now tendered her resignation. During her period of service she had brought the musical program of the church to a new high, and her resignation was reluctantly accepted.

As the fall work began, the new Christian Education Building was ready to be dedicated and this splendid new structure added immeasurably to the efficiency of the Church School.

The annual meeting of 1957 witnessed the introduction of Miss Ruth Burkholder as our new organist and choir, director, but she resigned later in the year to be married. The employment of a housekeeper for the church was recommended by the Women's Association, and such action was approved. The spring also saw the Riemanns leaving for a well-earned two-months trip to Europe.

Late in the year, having in mind the earlier request of Dr. Riemann that he be granted retirement in 1958, the Rev. Mr. Kirkman was authorized to start screening possible candidates for the position of assistant minister. Dr. Riemann had asked that his services terminate on June 30, 1958. At the annual meeting held on Jan. 8, 1958, Dr. Riemann, after recalling that the church membership had doubled during his nine years as minister, and that the financial receipts had been greatly increased as well, formally requested that his resignation, effective as of June 30, 1958, be approved. The request was granted, and because of the outstanding leadership furnished the church by him, action was taken by those attending the annual meeting to request Presbytery to permit us to name Dr. Riemann as Pastor Emeritus, a request that was later granted.

It was about this time that there was agitation to establish a Presbyterian church on the campus of Michigan State University Oakland, as it was then called. As one of the larger congregations in the area , our church was asked to co-sponsor this new church, and we were one of four Presbyterian churches to do so. Two of our elders, Charles Edwards and Fred Thompson, served temporarily on the Session of this new church and in other ways assisted in its start.

As the time for retirement approached, arrangements were made for a dinner honoring Dr. and Mrs. Riemann. Dr. Howard Lowry, president of the College of Wooster, was the principal speaker on this memorable occasion. We illustrate a copy of the program used for the event. (Fig. 21)

Fig. 21

Later in the year the Session of the church adopted the following resolution relative to the good doctor:

"Resolved, That the Elders of this Church do hereby express their deep and humble thanks to Dr. Riemann for his inspiration, guidance, service and fellowship throughout the nearly ten years that he has acted as Pastor of this Church and do pray that he and Mrs. Riemann will be blessed by God with many years of health, happiness and opportunity to serve our Lord."

But it was not to be. Early in November it was reported that Dr. Riemann was seriously ill in Beaumont Hospital. He did not recover. Death came to him just as he was about to enjoy a retirement from the ministry in which he had served for forty-three years. The high regard and esteem in which Dr. Riemann was held was only partly revealed by the installation in the sanctuary of two memorial windows in his memory, the gifts of individual members of the church.