Stained glass is purported to have
adorned places of worship since the 7th century. The Zion
Lutheran Church of Garland, Nebraska is adorned with assorted windows
of stain glass, suitable for the most elegant cathedral.
This week I had
an opportunity to make a short trip from Seward, where I was visiting
my folks, to visit Garland and the Zion Lutheran Church.
Garland is a small town in southeastern
Nebraska with a population of about 280 individuals. Originally named
Germantown, it was renamed to Garland at the time of the Great War,
after the second local man who had died in the war. Among the modest
homes that grace the town is the white clapboard greek revival
church with multiple gable roofs of various pitches, topped with a
simple white steeple.
The original stained glass window above
makes it clear the German origins of both the Lutheran faith and the
church. “Kirche,” German for “church,” it was an Evangelical
Lutheran Free Church (UAC) when it was originally founded.
The Germans that emigrated to this
country and settled in the Garland area had roots in the soil and in
farming and a strong work ethic for hard work and a strong faith in
God. Anyone that has any experience with farming knows that having
those two traits are required attributes for success in farming and
in this life.
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