The public is cordially invited to join the congregation of Emmanuel Reformed Church, 202 E. Morris Street, Morrison, IL, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2015, for an Open House. Join us in celebrating Karen Mouw’s 42 years of faithful service as an organist for the church. The celebration will be held in the gymnasium of the Christ Center.
Karen became a regular organist at Emmanuel over four decades ago, when she replaced Effie Klimstra, who had retired after many years. Both Klimstra and Karen’s mother, Agnes Bos, were Charter Members of Emmanuel. They had moved to the new church from Ebenezer (where they were both organists) when the newly-born Emmanuel congregation began meeting in the old Coliseum in 1947.
Mrs. Bos retired after playing for 40 years–bringing this mother/daughter ministry to over 82 years of combined music. At the time Mouw began playing organ, she was joined by two other organists at Emmanuel, Lois Lawrenz and Trudy Hunt. Together, the three women shared responsibilities by rotating weeks.
Mouw explained it was different back then. When the organist played on a Sunday, she played both the morning and evening worship services. Plus it was that same organist’s responsibility to play for the Wednesday night prayer meeting. Over the years evening services and mid-week prayer meetings have become a thing of the past, but the commitment to be in town every weekend for Sunday mornings has continued.
Accompanying funerals, weddings, choir rehearsals, and other church functions made for a very large time commitment. Mouw currently was the principal organist at Emmanuel, assisted by Brenda Haan and Rich Criss, whenever she and her husband, John, would travel or winter in Texas.
She saw many changes during her ministry at Emmanuel. When she began playing, Mouw played a much smaller, Conn “Sonata” electronic organ. It had started out in the basement of the church before the upper level was built onto the building. After the new sanctuary was completed, that organ was moved upstairs and used until 1968, when a new Wicks pipe organ was dedicated. This console sat in the choir loft for many years on the platform until recent years. Emmanuel’s choir grew so large that the space was needed for choir. At that point the console was moved down onto the main floor at the west side of the sanctuary. Following major problems with the pipe organ, Karen was instrumental in securing a large four-manual (keyboard) Allen digital organ, which was installed in June 2010. She has enjoyed playing that instrument since.
Looking back at her time as organist, Karen recalls one of her greatest joys was playing her mother’s music, which she had inherited when Agnes Bos no longer played. She can remember her mother practicing in a cold sanctuary with gloves on her fingers during the winter. Before the days of air conditioning, Mouw recalls sitting on a towel on the organ bench when it was terribly hot in the sanctuary, so as to not strip the varnish off the bench from perspiration!
Music has always been in her heart. From the time she was very young, she would sit in her little rocking chair and listen to her mother play at home. This love has not dwindled, but instead remains strong. “Blessed Assurance” remains Karen’s favorite hymn, although she estimates she has played “In the Garden” 1000 times!
Both she and John look forward to continuing to be a part of the music ministry at Emmanuel, by singing in both Sanctuary Choir and Voices of Praise, when they are in town. She also enjoys going to Resthave Home two afternoons a week. She goes from room to room, playing her autoharp, singing old hymns and favorite songs to the residents. She has decided to add an afternoon of nursing home ministry and visit Skilled Care at Morrison Community Hospital as well. Her musical ministry is truly not over!
Please join the folks at Emmanuel in wishing Karen Mouw well in her retirement, and extend thanks to her for so many years of faithful service.