Those of us in St. John's Lutheran Church who knew him as a boy are proud of Dr. Marty and have the fondest memories of the days when the Marty family was a part of our church life.

When the congregation moved from the old frame church building in 1952, the altar, pulpit, baptismal font, pews and pipe organ were offered free of charge to any of our congregation if members would come and get them. The only fixture saved and moved to the new church building was the bell. After it was moved, it was tested and appraised by an engineer of church architecture and equipment. The old bell was found to be a true G as to tone and that one like it would then cost $6,000.00. Moving the 1,200-pound old bell from the belfry in the old church tower to the tower in the new building aroused great interest and a large crowd gathered to see this engineering feat.

Then to further arouse memories. Nearly every boy — and perhaps some girls — when they attended our Lutheran Parochial school while the old church building stood, was lured into making the venturesome trip to the belfry in the old church tower. The trip started by climbing an attached ladder in the northeast store room to reach the attic. (This was later the furnace room). When one reached the attic it would require a moment to accustom the eyes to the semi-darkness in the attic. Then to traverse the narrow catwalk from the rear of the church to the tower at the front of the building; then climb another ladder and enter the belfry through a trap door. What a wonderful view of the town and countryside from this vantage point, eighty feet above the street level, looking through the slatted openings.

Finally, during Pastor Decker's stay, his son Oscar, Jr., told his father something that other boys had not cared about or for fear of being punished for having climbed to the tower, were afraid to tell their parents — the belfry had in it a great deposit of feathers, straw, and offal, left by the nesting pigeons for nearly fifty years. Screen netting was then tacked to the inside of these openings in an effort to keep out the pigeons. Even this failed as the pigeons continued making their home around the tower as long as it stood.

In 1907, members of St. John's Lutheran Church living south of town decided to organize a parochial school so that their children would have the benefit of having Christian training. W. G. Ditzen of Willow City, North Dakota, then a student of the Lutheran Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, was the first teacher, his successor being Ottomar Schmitt.

Soon the patrons of the school longed for a minister of their own and St. Peter's Lutheran Church was founded. Charter members who received a peaceful release from the mother church to form the new congregation included: John Prauner, Jr., H. H. Fundum, John Fundum, Fred Neuwerk, Sr., Fred Hofmann, Fred Seckel, John Aldag, Chas. Praeuner, Fred Praeuner, William

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