Sad News

We have some sad news. The oldest member of our church, Ursula Wallmeier, passed away Sunday night late. Services will be Friday at 10:00 a.m. at church. Visitation is Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Nieburg and Vitt Funeral Home.

Ursula has an amazing testimony. She was a young woman in Nazi Germany. Her first husband died in the siege of Stalingrad. After the war she married again and lived in East Germany. She and her husband escaped shortly after Joseph Stalin died. They were sponsored by a family in Washington, Missouri and made their home here. She had four children.

Ursula was saved in the early 1980's. While walking down 8th street, she fell and cut her knee. At the time our little church was not air conditioned so the windows were open on that hot Sunday evening. She heard singing from the building and came in to get some care for her knee. The ladies tended to her and she sat down for the preaching and was saved that very night. Her commitment to God has been extremely strong ever since. Just before her husband Heinz died, Pastor David Snodderly led him to Christ.

Each Christmas for many years, we have made a family trip to visit Ursula at Christmas time. We always took her Springerle Cookies. I always had her quote the 23rd Psalm or the Lord's Prayer to my kids in German on those visits. I want them to remember this lady. She may be their link to understanding that the horrors of the middle 20th century were not fictitious. She also loved the Lord and that is worth remembering!