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On To A New Era
After three years at St. Mary's, Pastor George Carlson left, and was replaced by the Rev. David Meissner. Like his predecessor, he did not come directly from the seminary, but had been serving for several years at a little church in North Dakota.
St. Mary's not only was developing programs for all age brackets, but its pastoral staff also would reflect the generations, ranging in age from the mid- 20s to early 70s.
In June 1975, the church began sponsorship of several Vietnamese families, refugees from the Asian conflict. They arrived from a temporary camp in the South with little more than the clothes on their backs. St. Mary's volunteers found them housing, and the church gym was filled with donations of household goods and clothing for them to select from. The excess was sold and the money used for their other needs.
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The families, Chuong and Thuy Tran, and their three children, Tran and Tam Nguyen and their three youngsters, plus two single women, sisters of the families, and a nephew, were assisted in many ways. The Trans remained in Kenosha for years; the others eventually moved to Texas and California. The parish adopted another Vietnamese family in 1982, after a dramatic escape from their homeland to Thailand in an open boat. After a time, they relocated to Milwaukee.
St. Mary's has had, since the earliest days, a deep musical tradition, from sturdy Danish immigrants singing in their native tongue to the somewhat reedy renditions of favorite hymns on an old fashioned pump organ.
It was in 1903 when 13-year-old Minnie Larsen became the church organist while still a member of the confirmation class. It wasn't until later that she received her formal musical schooling, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Milwaukee State Teachers College and Northwestern University.
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A full-time music teacher in the Kenosha Public Schools, she not only was St. Mary's organist for years, but also directed the choir as well. After three decades, Minnie decided to cut back a bit, although she continued to play until 1951, a remarkable 48 years of service. Her music student, Doris Larsen became part-time organist at St. Mary's in 1936, and soon was a regular, playing the impressive pipe organ until her retirement in 1969. Edith Hansen was an important member of the musical ministry between 1955 and 1971.
Also making music for St. Mary's were organists Mrs. J. C. Gallagher, in the early 1950's, and, later, Audrey Akvick Walsh, Carol Hawkinson and Mary Ann LaKovich.
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