Bethlehem Lutheran Church

01/13/2024

We lost a important part of our Bethlehem Family last week. We will miss you Winnie Stromberg. You touched so many of us in a special way that no one else ever will. Please post your memories of Winnie. You were truly a blessing to all of us.

Winifred "Winnie" Stromberg died Jan. 5. She was a 50-year volunteer at Silver Cross Hospital, a cherished member of the community.

09/05/2021

September 5 Service

08/08/2021

https://youtu.be/YDcMPOhDoP4

AUGUST 8, 2021 SERVICE

08/07/2021

Friendship Club
Those of you who know Bethlehem Lutheran Church know that we like to gather AND we like food. Well, the Friendship Club fits that description to a tee! Over the years, they would have various get-togethers, but they went all out in the summer. Lois Lewis would open her home for a good old fashion summertime picnic where the members of the Friendship Club would cook on the grill, socialize and occasionally play some games.
The pictures below are from Phyllis Holmquist, showing the Club members' wonderful time at the picnic in 2002. As you look at these, I am sure they will bring back memories of so many of our congregation that are no longer with us. They just brought a smile to my face and heart!
Enjoy!

07/17/2021

Midsommar Festival
In Sweden, the Midsummer ('Misommar' is Swedish) Festival is the summer celebration that
people look forward to throughout the year, especially in the middle of the long, dark winters in
Scandinavian countries. It is known as the second most important holiday in Sweden! Do you
know what is first? Christmas, of course!
According to the Nordic Museum in Sweden, Misommar was initially developed from a
Christian holiday for John the Baptist, which took place on June 24. Rather than having
Midsommar on a different day of the week, it was decided in 1953 that it should always be
celebrated on the Friday between June 20 and 26.
The maypole, or midsommarstang, was the center of all the activities. Many think the maypole
was originated in Sweden, not the case. It was actually originated in Germany in the late 17th or
early 18th century. The maypole stands tall in the middle of a park where the festivities are. It is
customary to dance around the pole.
Of course, there is always food at the Midsummer festival! You will find foods very similar to
what is eaten during the traditional Swedish Easter or Christmas celebration. These foods may
include pickled herring (sill in Swedish), potatoes with dill and sour cream, chives, salmon, etc.
Then add beer or shots of akvavit/vodka, and we are all good!
In 1985 the Swedes in Joliet, IL, thought it would be great to have a Swedish Heritage Day and
showcase traditions such as the maypole and the food. Bethlehem's very own, Pastor Bob, was
the first to spark the idea and other churches and businesses soon followed suit. Joliet proclaimed
June 9 to be Swedish Heritage Day! There were so many vendors, entertainment and of course,
food!
Our very own Al Lewis designed and built the midsommarstang. Although it was very authentic
and beautiful, it was not delivered without challenge. Once Al completed it, the midsommarstang
was so large that Al could not safely transport it to Bicentennial Park during the day. He made
the trip in the middle of the night when there was no traffic. It did not end there! When Al tried
to place the maypole, the ground was all cement! Al saved the day again! He got a jackhammer
and moved the cement right out of the way, and put that pole up!
Many of the ladies of Bethlehem worked to prepare traditional Swedish food and serve it to the
festival-goers. In the pictures below, you will find some of the recipes that the ladies used that
day. Your mouth will be watering when you are done reading!
All the attendees had a good time. They left with their minds and bellies, full of Swedish
traditions.
Enjoy the pictures below. The maypole is the actual one that Al made and transported to Bicentennial Park

04/30/2021

Flash Back Friday April 30, 2021
Sons and Daughters of the Congregation

Bethlehem Lutheran Church has given many young men of the congregation to the ministry. Over the 100 plus years of existence, Bethlehem has had nineteen youg men that felt the deep convistion that their lives should be dedicated to the work of the Lord. In the first seventy years, three were called to serve. In the 1950’s, a surge of interest in the ministry came to Bethlehem. Over the course of twenty years, fourteen men chose the path of ministry. That is unprecedented!
Not only did Bethlehem have a surge of producing young men that chose the call to be ministers, they also had many that we called “daughters of the congregation”. These were women of the congregation that married men who were pastors. Bethlehm had eleven, with seven of the marrying the men described above. Again, an unprecedented number for one congregation to have. Isn’t is amazing!
Forty five years ago, on April 25, 1976, Bethlehem Lutheran Church hosted a homecoming celebration for the men of the congregation who followed the Lutheran ministry and the women from the congration that were married to Lutheran pastors. On this day the visiting pastors participated in Sunday worship service, coffee hour, and a banquet with of course wonderful food as all of Bethlehem’s banquets/dinners are.
Men Who Became Lutheran Ministers
• Claes Thunberg
• Emil Johnson
• Per Arthur Johnson
• Irvin Moline
• Luther Swanson
• Arthur Larson
• Erwin Swanson
• Robert Stromberg
• Ronnie Peterson
• Robert Mader
• Paul Holmstrom
• William Munson
• Gordon Larson
• John Bengston

• Stephen Hanson
• Charles Paton
• Kenneth Soderlund
• Richard Pearson



Daughters Who Married Minister Sons of Bethlehem
Daughters Who Married Lutheran Ministers
• Kay Lundeen (John Bengston)
• Carol Anderson (Paul Holmstrom)
• Norma Ruden (Arthur Larson)
• Cheryl Carlson (Gordon Larson)
• Vicky Olson (Richard Pearson)
• Berdeva Gradberg (Luther Swanson)
• Karen Bengston (Irvin Swanson

• Marjoie Johnson Stenholm
• Margaret Swanson Benson
• Ruth Holmstrom Olson
• Jane Anderson Lindberg
• Nancy Holmstrom Youngdahl
• Judy Holmstrom Pearson
• Marcia Pearson Herath
• Katherine Erckman Miller
• Ginnie Kay Meier Weber
• Francie Almberg Kukkonen (Walter Kukkonen who was pastor at Bethlehem)
• Susan Goddard Kucenski

04/11/2021

Flashback Friday. April 9, 2021

The Circles of Bethlehem Lutheran Church
By: Winnie Stromberg
The Circles of Bethlehem Lutheran church were started when the Lutheran Church at large changed to Lutheran Church of America (LCA). At that time, the ladies aid were disbanded.
In the beginning, the Circles were named after the Books of the Bible. One that comes to mind is Amos. Years later, the names changed to Truth, Charity, Patience, Peace, and Wisdom. I was in Wisdom! To this day, Truth still is active.
The ladies that were interested in participating were assigned to a designated Circle. Each group was also appointed a leader to coordinate the various activities each Circle did.
The Circles did various service projects. Some did scrapbooks to send overseas (I did not recommend this to my Circle since they were so expensive to ship.). I was in charge of the service projects for my Circle, and one of the projects we did was make burn dressings for Silver Cross Hospital. I had a supply of big pieces of gauze and filler. I think we sewed them, but I cannot remember! One Circle made bed pads for the nursing home.
They were made with several layers of newspaper and then cloth or sheet fabric covering. They were then sewed together. The Circle made a lot, but after a while, the nursing home patients' families complained that they did not want their family member using newspaper to sleep on!
The offering was taken at each monthly meeting, which was usually in someone's home, and was turning in to the Treasurer of our LCW. Half of the collections we sent to headquarters and a half we retained for Bethlehem's purposes.
Did you know that the Circles would take turns hosting the Mother/Daughter banquet? That was always a must in the church circles.
They also would deliver the Altar flowers to shut-ins on Sunday morning.
We were usually in a Circle for two years, then in September, at the big meeting, we found out our new Circle and who we would be a member of.
In closing, I thought a funny story would be appropriate. When we would do district meetings of all the Circles in the area, we would provide corsages for the speakers with a card. One time the card was to say LCW, but instead, someone wrote Elsie W!

04/11/2021

April 11, 2021 Sunday Service

04/03/2021

04/03/2021

Easter Preparation by Alter Guild

The beauty of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church's Sanctuary on Easter Sunday is second to none. This transformation happens because of the hard work and passion of a group of women (and their families) that are part of Bethlehem's Altar Guild. Below is Judy Simonich's reflection of Altar Guild's participation in preparation for Holy Week at Bethlehem.
Our contribution to the Easter celebration at Bethlehem Lutheran each year was mainly decorating the sanctuary. On Good Friday, the altar area was bare and unadorned, as befits the church year's saddest day.
But what a transformation for Easter Sunday! We tried to make it worthy of this joyful day.
The altar was dressed in white paraments.
On Saturday before, the Altar Guild would place forty beautiful lilies on the big wooden cross in the front of the church or grouped around it on the floor. We often ordered twelve geraniums or some other spring flowers, too, just for color.
We hung ten to twelve Easter banners around the sanctuary, in front and on the walls, and suspended from the balcony.
The Easter Garden list was included in the bulletin, commemorating the names of loved ones past and present, whom people wanted to remember especially.
When we heard the organ start to play and the choir processing up the center aisle of the beautifully decorated sanctuary, the sights and sounds of our Easter morning worship were very memorable.
Later that day, Altar Guild members would deliver lilies to shut-ins who were unable to attend.

03/27/2021

Messenger Choir

Did you know that a messenger is a person who carries a message or who is employed to carry a message? Well, that is how every person that was part of Bethlehem Lutheran Church's Messenger Choir felt! Especially when it was under the leadership of Choir Director, Mrs. "Marlene" Lewis!
The Messenger Choir was the youth choir at Bethlehem for ages 2nd grade to Senior in High School. Imagine keeping all of those kids in the vast range of ages engaged, in line, and in tune.
Mrs. Lewis was always able to accomplish all of that and more. For many years, Bob Peterson was our accompanist until he went to college. After that, we would have the organist at the time play the piano. Later years, Kris Axelson-Lavelle picked up the reigns.
We had other directors fill in when Mrs. Lewis decided it was time to retire. Still, she always came back to make us better than ever, even though the choirs' size over the years declined.
The practice would usually be on Thursday nights and early Sunday morning before the 8:30 AM service. We would practice and practice until we got it right, and rarely did we ever need to look at the words when we sang the anthem on Sunday mornings.
Holiday time was always a busy time for the Messenger Choir. Especially Easter since there was the cantata on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Of course, we were always prepared and sounded great. Well, that is what the congregation would tell us!
Every year we would also go tobogganing at Woodruff Golf Course. After, we would have sloppy joes at Mrs. Lewis' house, which everyone looked forward to every year! There were so many memories that they cannot all be listed here. It was a time that anyone who was a Messenger will never forget.
Thank you Mrs. “Marlene” Lewis!

03/21/2021

Enjoy our service for today.