Bethpage-Tribune_1988-12-15

              iljll
1 ^ -A' T"^^
BETHPAGE
Q 0 »• I t v»
1 7 t A
Island Trees Plainedge
also serving
Seaford Old Bethpage Plainview
VOL. 22 No. 7 December 15-21,1988 20 CENTS
St. Paul's Celebrates
65tii Anniversary
This year, St. Paul Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Bethpage has
celebrated a very special anniversary.
The church has been blessed in the
65 years that it has served the Lord
and the community. St. Paul's has
been an element of Bethpage history
which has made an impact on many
people over the years.
On March 5, 1923, a meeting of
Lutherans from Central Park (later to
be named Bethpage) was held in the
Theodore Roosevelt RepubstGan Hall.
Thirty-five people attended and $8
was collected. Pastor William Rusch
of Hicksville offered to conduct
services on Sunday afternoons at the
firehouse on Stewart Avenue (across
from the present site of St. Paul's).
The first worship service was held on
March 11, 1923 and 75 attended.
The name of St. Paul's was chosen
and the first officers were: Henry
Schaaf, Chairman; Theodore Damm,
Secretary; and Edward Sengstacken,
Treasurer and Superintendent of
Sunday School, positions which he
held for many years. (Edward and
Dorothy Sengstacken are currently
living in Hawaii.)
The present property was pur­chased
and in November, 1923, work
was started on the church building.
On November 25, 1923, the corner­stone
was laid and in a few months
services were held even though there
was no heat except for a stove.
The church was dedicated on Sep­tember
28, 1924. The building, lots
and water came to a total of
$16,522.14.
The Dorcas Aid Society was started
on May 31, 1923. A choir was also
begun shortly thereafter.
Pastor Rusch served until 1928
when Pastor August Brunn was called.
The parsonage was on Lafayette
Aveniie (Litdwlg hbriie). The Walther
League (young peojjle's group) was
started.
Pastor Brunn started a Lutheran
church in Amityville and accepted a
call there. Pa§tor Alfred Faulstick
served as next pastor until 1935 and
Pastor Edmund Bohm served until
1943 when he accepted a call to
Amityville.
Pastor James Taylor served St.
Paul's from 1943 until his retirement
in 1981. Rev. Edwin Marohn served
during the vacancy until Vicar Wil­liam
Flammann arrived in 1982. In
1983, he was ordained as pastor and
served until 1986 when he accepted
a call as Chaplain in the U.S. Navy.
Rev. Stephen Brighton and Rev.
Albert Neibacher served as vacancy
pastors until 1987 when Rev. Bruce
Hanson, our present pastor, was
called.
THi SCO©P
ON
In 1988, St. Paul Evangelical Liitlieran Ciiurcii at 449 Stewart Avenue in Betli|iafe
celebrated its 65th anniversary..
**SANTA CLAUS~A KNICKERBOCKER CREATION," a special
exhibit tracing the evolution of Santa ClaiK, is now on display at
Eisenhower Park's Museum in the Park in East Madow.
Everyone knows who Santa is, but
how did he get his red suit, reindeer
and clay pipe? "Santa Claus-A Knick­erbocker
Creation," a special histor­ical
holiday exhibit tracing the evo­lution
between 1800 and 1817 of our
present day image of Santa Claus, is
on display at Eisenhower Park's
Museum-in-the-Park through Janu­ary
29. Museum hours at 9 A.M. to
4:45 P.M. daily through January 2,
thereafter Wednesday through Sun­day.
Admission is 25fl;.
County Executive Thomas S.
Gulotta said that the exhibit features
original prints, objects, miniature
Santa Claus figures and a life-size
Santa riding on his sleigh. Gulotta
added that Washington Irving, Cle­ment
Moore, and Thomas Nast, New
York's leading writenj and illustrators
during the early 1800s, adapted the
historic legends of St. Nicholas and
created a New York version of Santa
Claus. The exhibit includes an original
1821 edition of Irving's "A History of
New York" with the earliest New
York" mentions of Santa Claus and
several original Thomas Nast prints
from "Harper's Weekly" including the
famous "Merry Old Santa Claus."
The Museum is also featuring an
exhibit of 19th Century toys and dolls,
a children's activity room and barley
candy making demonstrations, a
historic winter pastime where sugar
candy is molded into interesting
shapes and designs.
The museum-in-the-Park, a facility
of the Nassau County Etepartment of
Recreation and Parks, is located
adjacent to Parking Field #6 in
Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, with
entrances on Hempstead Turnpike
and on Merrick Ave. at Stewart Ave.
For further information, call 542-
4517.