Walk into our sanctuary and you immediately notice

our beautiful pipe organ! 

  It was constructed and installed in 1919.

The sound is unique due it its mostly lower pitch stops. 

The organ has a total of 1022 wood and metal functioning pipes.

Below is a brief history of its recent restoration... 

During September 1987, under the direction of Jorg Bente, a master organ builder from Rotenberg, Germany, the aging pipe organ was cleaned, re-leathered and partially rebuilt. The instrument, built by Reuben Midmer and Sons of New York in 1919 exclusively for the Marietta church, had aged and deteriorated.

The pipes were removed, cleaned, some painted and others rebuilt by a contingent of congregational volunteers under the direction of our guest expert.

The instrument was first thoroughly cleaned. This meant the removal of all pipes, which were then washed both inside and out. Many of the smaller pipes were found to be in poor condition. Time was taken to resolder, shape and straighten all those which were damaged.

The large bellows was removed and completely re-leathered. The smaller stop bellows (14 in all) were extensively patched and refurbished.

Many small technical problems, including non-functioning pipes, stops and keys were repaired and put into good working order before the final tuning. Along with the tuning, all pipes were set for a balance and equalization of air pressure.

The final touch was the preparation and painting of all exposed pipes to bring them closer to the original color.

After more than 80 years of continuous use, our sanctuary, organ, God willing, will supply many more to our congregation.

The work that Bente performed with the assistance of members of Crown of Life took most of a month. For his efforts, the congregation paid him $1,500 and provided airplane tickets to the U. S. for he and his wife. In later years when regional organ tuners have worked on the instrument, they have said the rebuilding work could have cost as much as $50,000. To date, nothing the master craftsman repaired has undergone any further work.

A service of thanksgiving and rededication took place on November 15, 1987. A record crowd of 155 filled ed the sanctuary with praise to the Lord of the Church led by our newly restored pipe organ. Commemorative plaques were also placed at the front and rear of the church at that time. They stated the basic message:

Crown of Life

Evangelical Lutheran Church

(Wisconsin Synod)