The years from 1949 to 1952 were busy for a nation growing and building and also for Trinity Lutheran Church.

Voter's Meeting 4/10/49:

One of the motions made:  "That we remove the weeds, burn the trees and level the ground on our Floral Drive property."

Ground breaking for the school on Floral Drive took place in early 1950 and it was dedicated on August 20, 1950.

There was some debate about making the school larger originally and financial concerns won out. 

But in the Voter's Meeting of 7/8/51:

"Motion to authorize the trustees to employ an architect to prepare sketches for a fourth school room to be attached to the present building."

And in the Voter's Meeting of 10/7/51:

"Motion to authorize the President to appoint a 5-man building committee immediately to start plans for constructing 2 new school rooms."

Also, throughout this time a search was on for an additional teacher.  A call went out to Albert W. Grauer of Cleveland, Ohio.

Then, suddenly in July, Principal Marvin Stegemann accepted a call to Zion Lutheran Church in Terra Bella, CA.  He was granted a peaceful release from Trinity and Albert Grauer was installed on August 19, 1951 as teacher and acting principal.

8/10/51  A letter of thanks from the Voter's to Miss Ruth Ilten (Ruth Scott) for playing the organ during the absence of the regular organist.

8/13/51  "Motion to authorize the school board to offer Mr. John T. Hoffmann ...a teaching contract."  Mr. Hoffmann taught from 1951 to 1959.

In September of 1951 your writer was enrolled in first grade with Miss Storandt as my teacher.  The small wood frame house next to the parsonage served the lower grades until the additional classrooms were built at the new school.

1/13/52   Mr. Grauer appointed School Principal.

6/8/52     A second service is added at 8:00 A.M.  (The original service is moved to 10:30 A.M.)

7/30/52  The Pickering and Penn property is sold for $80,000 to St. Mary's Catholic Church.

10/12/52  "Motion made that Mrs. Grauer be accepted as our fifth school teacher, on a temporary basis..." 

Some familiar names were added to Trinity's membership during these years:

10/9/49   Mr. & Mrs. Al Steinweg  (Thelma still attends here when she is able)

4/16/50   Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Winter (Herb lead Trinity's Boy Scout troop & Elizabeth led the Girl Scout troop)

1/14/51   Mrs. C.T. Gans (Marie Gans was a member of  the Ladies Aid for many years)

7/8/51     Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Ferrari (Olga Ferrari was a faithful Braille worker)

7/8/51     Mrs. Helene Jacobian  (Linda Joyce's grandmother, who was responsible for having Linda begin attending Trinity school in 1952.)

10/7/51    Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Schon
                  Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Ilten and son Bruce
                  Mr. & Mrs. George T. Reed and Jackie (Ardith Reed organized the LWML at     
                              Trinity in March 1953.)
                 Mrs. M. D. Crockey  (Dee Crockey was a faithful LWML member.)

4/20/52   Mr. & Mrs. B. M. Wolfframm from Zion Lutheran, Springfield, Ohio.

-Pauline Hiles, Winter 2014