“My hope for the church is that it remains a continuing legacy for future generations.”
An interview with Jill Zehnder Lewis, Past President of Old Salem Shrine Board of Directors, and granddaughter of C.J. Zehnder, one of the founding members of the church. Jill passed away on Sunday, June 7, which would have been Founders’ Day Sunday at Old Salem Shrine.
I remember my grandfather (C.J. Zehnder) talking about how the American Indians would use the grounds at Old Salem for their tents, etc. Occasionally Old Salem would hold a revival meeting over the weekend that would include those Indian families. After the uprising and the hanging of many Indians, families within the church adopted the orphan Indian children as their own.
For me, my earliest memory was that the Founders’ Day Service in June was a “big deal.”
This was the service held for the original families and their descendants to celebrate the heritage we had all been given. My Grandfather Christian J. Zehnder (nicknamed C.J.) spent a lot of time cutting grass, planting flowers, trimming, etc. to have everything in shape for that service. My father, Cyrus Zehnder, would work with the Conference to have a speaker available, the building in tip-top shape, and bulletins prepared. My mother, Edith Woods Zehnder, would provide the organ music for the service.
Both my father and grandfather were dedicated to the caretaking of the property. Both Grandpa and Dad would spend countless hours there planting and watering flowers, cutting grass, cleaning up brush and freshening up the church building. I remember that every summer my father would dedicate a week to paint the fence along the street. Occasionally he would find helpers, but he felt that wrought iron fence needed an annual paint job!
I was not very involved at Old Salem until the late 80s as Dad declined with Alzheimer’s. My role in the church grew over the years from attending services, to playing the organ for the services, and then to becoming an active participant on the committee.
I believe that Old Salem is a beacon for the community to show the historical significance as well as a continuing place of quiet rest for neighbors to reflect, meditate, and appreciate the surroundings.
“Old Salem is a signal to the modern generation of a ‘grounding’ to the past—so much that our ancestors gave up to have a place of worship and a church family.”
Neighbors, I am told, say “we love our church” and several take an active role in keeping an eye on it.
The original name of Upper 55th St. was Salem Church Road – a great reference to the fact that there are two “Salem” churches on the road. Years ago, the neighborhood was primarily farms and has grown with development, both commercial and residential. The appreciation shown by the neighborhood when help is needed for Old Salem is very heartwarming.
I remember when both the fence and the aluminum siding were installed to assist in the ongoing maintenance. The original wood siding, as well as the fence, needed to be painted every year or two and the volunteers that had done it for many years had died. So, with contributions and volunteers, the aluminum siding was installed. In hindsight, that has proven to be a mistake in applying for historic status and associated grants.
One of my fondest memories is of my son, Mark, who was working at Old Salem when his wife went into labor with my first grandchild. She had been “pushing” the lawn mower while Mark was trimming in preparation for the Founders’ Day Service. It felt like a blessing connecting the generations.
Growing up, there were two services held at Old Salem each year: Founders’ Day on the first Sunday in June, and the Father/Son service on Father’s Day. My best memories would be watching the care my grandfather and father had for the church. Going to a service when I was a kid was somewhat mandatory but always heartwarming watching my mother playing the organ and my father greeting everyone who entered there.
Our challenges always seem to have been financial with continuous expenses to maintain the property, yet we have little connection to descendants of most of the families buried there.
My greatest joy has been watching as new visitors are in awe of the way which the building has been preserved in its original state.
I believe that my greatest contribution has been in involving more community members. Historically, the President of the Old Salem Committee of Trustees was the District Superintendent of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, and after the merger in 1968, the United Methodist Church.
The District Superintendents, though great leaders, were not familiar with the neighborhood and those who showed an interest in Old Salem.
This article appeared in the June 2020 issue of the Old Salem Shrine newsletter.