One of the often overlooked aspects of our museum is that of regional history. While we are best known for preserving and sharing the story of the 1839 Saxon Lutheran immigration and our German Lutheran roots, we are also deeply committed to collecting and interpreting the history of East Perry County and the surrounding region.

Last month I wrote that one of the things I love about this job is that you never know on any given day who is going to walk through the door—or call or email—with a question or a story. That particular post started with a phone call. This one, however, starts with a visitor.

Near the end of March, two area non-LCMS pastors came for a visit. In the course of conversation with Gerard, one of the pastors mentioned that he had something in his basement that we might be interested in. Now, we hear something like that quite often around here—and we never quite know what’s coming next.

He went on to say that what he had was five large wall hangings made to look like stained glass windows.

At that point, it was difficult to visualize exactly what he meant. Were they actual windows? Paintings? Fabric panels? So when he offered to send pictures in the coming days, I gladly took him up on it.

A few days later, the photos arrived—and with them, the spark of excitement that comes when something truly unique crosses our path. These were not stained glass in the traditional sense, but rather hand-crafted wall hangings created to mimic the look of stained glass.

They came from a church that once worshiped in a converted funeral home. The sanctuary had been the former visitation room—completely windowless. Wanting to add beauty and a sense of sacred space, the women of the congregation created these “windows” by hand, crafting them to bring color, symbolism, and reverence into their worship space.

How could we say no to something like that?

We’re thrilled to add them to our collection and are currently working at hanging four of them in the windows down the hallway of the main gallery. Here’s a sneak peek at the first one. If you want to see the rest, or read the full story about where they came from, you will have to come to the museum and see for yourself.

In the meantime, we’re grateful—as always—for those who walk through our doors with stories, memories, and treasures to share. Because around here, you just never know what piece of the past will come through the door next.

by Denise Hellwege, Museum Director