by Rose Nightingale
When the men came back from the service in 1918, they found the church remodeled with no athletic facilities. Arthur Rogers, prominent Minneapolis lumberman, and Senior Warden from 1914-1917, stressed maintenance and repair of the church as a regular policy. The lawn was kept, shrubbery planted, and a fence built. Wood paneling was installed to make the church interior more homey and pleasant. An oak pulpit was built into the hand carved chancel rail. New lighting was installed.
The men’s and boy’s choir was a powerful factor in recruiting and holding church membership. Choir stalls were filled every Sunday with men and boys interested in singing. Bessie Olivia became a fixture at Saint Paul’s. Beside secretarial duties, she supervised choir camps for many years, attending all of them as “foster mother”. After 32 years, she retired in 1943.
The Rev. Remington spent much time and effort at missions. He, with the Rev. Edgar Haupt, recognized the need for a church in the Lynnhurst district. Many families moved from the neighborhood and were too far for children to attend Sunday School. Saint Paul’s allowed its Rector to conduct services on Sunday afternoons in various halls and schools. The new mission became an independent parish, Saint Luke’s. Some 30 families transferred there.
In 1915, sale proceeds by the women of the church were used for redecoration of the new rectory. In December, they raised $1,250 to pay off the debt for the building. In 1915, with 125 members, the Women’s Guild elected Miss Nettie Waite president. Two years later, under the leadership of Mrs. A. R. Rogers, they raised an additional $1,600 for missions. Sunday School was flourishing with an enrollment of 300. A parents’ and teachers’ group was organized. Women of the church continued sending boxes to missionary stations. Mrs. H. B. Waite, elected for the fifth consecutive year as head of the Altar Guild, served faithfully till her death in March 1938.
War with Germany erupted in 1917. Saint Paul’s men did their share during World War I, with 84 members serving. 153 members of the parish served in World War II. On 5 November, 1917, Rev. Remington was the third of Saint Paul’s clergy to be called as bishop of the missionary district of South Dakota.
