OLD ZION’S TRUMPET …Blow ye the trumpet in Zion…
Volume 3 7 Number 2 Brickerville, PA November 2019
Christmas Carol Sing: Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 2:00 PM and 4:30 PM
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
The Christmas spirit will be present at Old Zion’s
Carol Sing on Saturday, Dec. 14th at 2:00 pm and
4:30 pm. This will be in evidence in the old church
building, which will be lit by both candlelight and the
glow of the kerosene chandelier, and by the sounds of
the traditional, beloved holiday carols.
The Carol Sing will be led by local vocalist,
songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Liz Fulmer.
She has studied at Millersville University and the
Berklee College of Music and is currently pursuing a
Master’s of Divinity degree at the Lancaster
Theological Seminary.
Liz states that she has found a “home in the church,
using music to create experiences of divine
encounter”. She describes herself as a “storyteller at
heart by pairing lyrics and melodies to share the
stories”. The Christmas stories will be told as the
congregation’s sings the traditional carols and when
Liz shares her original, sacred music.
Because the church is without heat or electric light, it
is important to dress warmly and to bring a flashlight
to view the song sheets and to guide your way along
the church’s pathways.
Tickets for this special annual event are free, but
need to be obtained in advance by completing the
attached request form. Mail the completed form and a
self-addressed stamped envelope to the address
below after November 15th. The free tickets will
then be sent to you.
Old Zion Church and grounds are not equipped to
handle winter weather. For safety reasons, ice or
snow on the ground on Saturday, December 14
will result in a cancellation of the event. Please
check Old Zion’s website for information,
www.oldzionchurch.org or Blue Ridge cable 11 TV
announcements.
Complete the enclosed free ticket request form.
Then send the form with a self-addressed stamped
envelope after November 15 to:
David Hoffman
1263 Ash Lane
Lebanon, PA 17042
RECOGNIZING THE PAST
Have you ever walked into the cemetery at Old Zion
and wondered about the names and dates of the past?
Board member and retired pastor Rev. Bill LaSalle
took an interest in names and dates of several Civil
War veterans. His research cultivated an incredible
Anniversary Service in September 2019 that shared
links to the past and modern day concerns.
His sermon entitled, “Rich Man’s War, Poor Man’s
Fight” painted a picture of several men that were
members of the church and also enlisted to serve their
country. Rev. LaSalle was able to rent a pastor-like
costume from Fulton Opera House to add to the
historical nature of the service. He introduced the
historical members of the congregation as their pastor
by interpreting Rev. William Troutman Gerhard.
A sampling of some of the history shared follows.
Samuel Ressler, a married wheelwright who lived
with his mother. He enlisted in November 1862 and
did garrison duty until he mustered out in July 1863.
After the war he returned to Clay Township where he
worked as a day laborer.
Reuben Habecker lived and worked at Jacob
Brubaker’s Elizabeth Township farm. He enlisted in
1864 and was a private in B Company, 79th regiment.
He was active in the campaign leading to the fall of
Atlanta, Georgia and was involved in the Battle of
Bentonville, North Carolina. Following the war, he
lived in Clay and Warwick Townships where he
worked as a wheel right apprentice and a day laborer.
Farm friends, John Enck and Isaac Walter enlisted in
Company G, 195th Infantry. They spent time in West
Virginia and Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley guarding
river ford and keeping the peace. Their duty tour also
included guarding government property in
Washington, DC. They returned to Brickerville
where Isaac worked as a saddler. John was a day
laborer and farmer who became a deacon at Old
Zion.
Rev. LaSalle’s sermon continued highlighting
contemporary conflicts and existing Christian
attitudes toward war and peace.
JP Welliver and Lily Moore added beautiful music to
the service with pump organ and violin respectfully.
Dan Lingle, a Civil War reenactor, interpreted Private
Reuben Habecker, Civil War veteran buried at Old
Zion Cemetery. Special thanks to all the friends of
Old Zion who filled the church with one of the
largest congregations in recent times.
OLD ZION’S ORDNUNG If you’ve ever wondered whether the organization of
Old Zion church has changed over the years, this
project sheds light on that question.
Board member, Rev. Bill LaSalle was researching
some archival documents at Bethany UCC in Ephrata
and found some handwritten papers with what
seemed to reference Zion Reformed Church in
Brickerville. The handwriting was difficult to read as
it was written in Kurrant Script and written in
German. Bill enlisted the help of Old Zion Board
Secretary, David Hoffman, to transcribe and translate
the “Ordnung” or organization of Old Zion Church
from 1827.
The original document remains in Bethany’s
archives, but the copy David transcribed is also at
Old Zion in both German and English. When the
church is open for various events, the Ordnung can
be displayed to allow everyone to see what has
changed in the past 192 years and what has remained
the same.
CEMETERY CONSERVATION
PROJECT Old Zion’s historic cemetery is a sacred resting place
for 18th century Revolutionary War soldiers and
individuals from the 18th- 20th centuries in addition to
the modern area of the cemetery. The board acting
on its firm commitment to perpetual care recently
approved a project to conserve and restore the
headstones within historic area of the cemetery.
Roth Cemetery Services of Lancaster will be
completing the project. Roth will carefully map the
cemetery using aerial photography, followed by a
comprehensive inspection of each stone to document
needed repairs. Estimated 101 headstones will be
restored and conserved. Work includes plumbing
and leveling headstones on tamped gravel beds,
repairs to headstones, re-setting tablet stones into
notches, and patching and reconstructing broken
headstones.
Visitors to Old Zion are invited to walk through the
cemetery and admire the results as they are
completed.
An Old Zion burial plot is available for $450.
Ground openings at Old Zion are $150 for cremains
and $450 for a standard burial.
Old Zion Church’s Board of Directors provides
perpetual care. Cemetery ground maintenance is
ongoing. If you’re interested in more information
regarding burial plots, please email
UP IN THE ATTIC The attic windows at Old Zion have been restored
after damage from squirrels along with the weather.
They will be reinstalled soon. The half-moon style
windows add light to a small crawl space beneath the
roof of the building. Within this crawl space are the
enormous beams that arc to give the ceiling a
beautiful shape and add incredible acoustics. An
intricate pulley system was used in 1813 to bend the
beams. A unique and special feature of the building.
Soon the windows will be reinstalled, and the outside
face of the building will return.
CALENDAR 2020
EASTER DAWN SERVICE – APRIL 12
STRAWBERRY SOCIAL – JUNE 13
3:30 – 6:30 PM
ANNIVERSARY SERVICE – SEPT. 13
4:00 PM
CAROL SING – DECEMBER 12
2:00 AND 4:30 PM
PROPERTY UPDATES
Caring for Old Zion’s 1813 building and the
surrounding property and cemetery is an ongoing
challenge. To maintain this historic site the Board
has approved several varied, current and future
projects.
Metal fencing: Recently, sections of the wrought
iron fencing along Reifsnyder Rd. were removed for
restoration. The sections will be powder-coated
before being returned to their original locations.
Signage: A new sign will be placed on the property
to provide visitors with historical church and
cemetery information. This project is scheduled for
springtime so post holes can be dug when the ground
is softer.
Shutter repair/replacement: Old Zion’s early 19th
century shutters are showing their age. North side
shutters have shown the greatest wear due to weather.
In the springtime Old Zion will have a carpenter
further assess the need to either repair or accurately
replace them.
“Critters”: During warm weather wasps seem to
enjoy making their nests at Old Zion. Chris Walker,
“The Wasp Expert, Inc.” has checked on this
situation and indicated that the nests will be inactive
until spring. The existing dormant nests are in the
upper areas of the building. Tentative plans include a
spring clean out of these attic level nests. At the
same time features at the roof level will be closed to
deter squirrels from seeking shelter in the attic.
Organ Repair: One of the pump organ’s straps
snapped during September’s Anniversary service.
Fortunately, organist, J. P. Welliver, managed to
continue playing for the remainder of the service.
Arrangements for the installation of a new strap are
underway.
Shed Roof : New roof shingles have been ordered to
replace the leaking shed roof.
Maintaining Old Zion continues to be possible
because of offerings collected at the Anniversary
Service, Carol Sing, Strawberry Social, and from
private donations. Thank You!
CHRISTMAS 1813
For many people in the 21st Century, December 25,
2019 will be a holiday from work and a day spent
with family and friends. It’s hard to picture
December 25, 1813. Old Zion Church would have
been celebrating services in a new church that was
only a couple months old. While the day itself may
have included some scripture reading chances are it
didn’t include an entire morning to open presents and
a day off for everyone.
Elizabeth Furnace just north of the church would
have been in blast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Employing hundreds of workers that worked inside
and outside the furnace many families were
connected to this type of business in the Brickerville
area. Likewise, farm families were just as busy as
many farm families today without the benefit of
modern technologies.
Take a moment to imagine the teamster wagons
pulling loads of charcoal to the furnace or wagons
filled with pig iron that left the furnace for Speedwell
Forge on Route 501 and 322. Imagine breaking a
layer of ice from the morning water bucket to water
the cow and horse in the barn just off Brubaker
Valley Road. Sometimes a brief look at the past
helps us all put a different focus on the present.
As we gather together
during this holiday season,
we can honor the past with
an appreciation for all that
we have to share today.
And as always, be on the
look-out for the Belsnickel!
. SPOTTED LANTERNFLY
Old Zion Church property is within the multi-county
quarantine area for the invasive spotted lanternfly. If
you have the bug in your neighborhood you have
probably also heard about possible control methods
to help reduce the population. The bug lays eggs on
trees from September through November until a
heavy frost affects the adults.
Take time to look for egg masses throughout the
winter. The egg masses can be scraped from trees
and placed in a baggie or bucket. Then cover the
eggs in hand sanitizer to kill them.
This leafhopper bug, while beautiful, enjoys taking
sugars from trees as their food source. This process
can stress and weaken a tree over time. Winter is a
good time of year to make a plan for your property
preparing for the spring. Nymphs will begin to
immerge in March and April.
Visit https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly for
more information.