100 Years of Service – History of the LDA Continued

Once the Association was established, the next challenge for Pastor Herzberger was to find a “centrally located Motherhouse where our women workers can be trained and where they can find their home when sickness or old age incapacitates them from their duties.”

In October 1920, an agreement was reached with the Fort Wayne Lutheran Hospital Association to purchase a home from the chief surgeon at the hospital and have it moved to a plot of land on the hospital grounds. The Association would rent the land for the cost of $5.00 per year. The cost of the house plus renovations came to $10,252.

The Deaconess Home at 216 Fairfield Avenue in Fort Wayne served as Association headquarters until 1943. Students lived in the home, took their deaconess training classes there and after consecration, stayed at the home while waiting for a call or while taking further specialized training.

Pastor Wambsganss and his family lived in the home until 1923, when Rev. Bruno Poch became Superintendent. He lived in the Deaconess Home until 1931. After that, the Home was used exclusively as a home for deaconesses, the training school, and the official headquarters.

The first Board of Directors of the LDA were: Rev. Phillip Wambsganss, Mr. August Freese, Rev. Henry Luehr, Rev. William Moll, Mr. August Becker, Mr. Louis Schmoe, Rev. John Graebner, Rev. Jacob Miller, and Mr. Charles Scherer. The Articles of Incorporation stated that “the term of the existence of the Association is to be 50 years.” Little did these founding members know what God had in store next!
To be continued…

Leave Comment