Beginnings...........



The church where Carolyn was confirmed.  1954, the first confirmation in the new church.



And, where we were married in 1963.

The beginning of my career.  Teacher and then principal, 1962-67.

Zion Lutheran Church and School
     Zion Lutheran Church in Oakland, founded in 1882, was the second LCMS church west of the Rockies, with the mission work being done by Pastor Jacob Buehler (see history of St. Paulus, SF, below).  Zion's first pastor and teacher were brothers, J. H. and J. G. Theiss, who together spread not only the precious Gospel, but also the Theiss name.  My dear Carolyn is one of those Theiss people.
     The photos above are of the current Zion of Piedmont (Oakland) built in 1954.  The church was pastored by my uncle, Arnold Levenhagen, and designed by a Theiss relative-by-marriage, Bob Fink.  I was privileged to serve there as teacher and principal from 1962-1967.  This may sound like a stretcher, but Zion, founded in 1882, was being served at that time by its third pastor!  Pastor John Henry Theiss served from 1882 to 1916, Pastor George Mieger served 1916 to 1946 and my Uncle Arnold served from 1946 to 1976.

The home Carolyn grew up in in Oakland

Our first apartment

And,

The home where Grandma grew up in Berkeley

We had quite a day!!

This picture of Zion, Piedmont, reminds me of the summer of 1964.  Coach Don Bielke, who was at California Concordia College, and I painted the church and school as part of our summer duties.  The tower was my job!  (I was younger and Coach B said "no way")

St. Paulus Lutheran Church History

The flock gathered by the Holy Spirit, and the missionary efforts of Pastor Jacob Buehler, became St. Paulus Lutheran Church of San Francisco, California.  The first LCMS church west of the Rockies was pastored by a missionary among missionaries.  Hand-picked by C. F. W. Walther himself, Buehler, by the power of the Holy Spirit, brought Lutheranism to every corner of California.

This is St. Paulus as dedicated in 1893.  It is a replica (towers reversed) of the great Chartres Cathedral of France.  Two notable differences; 1) It was constructed of 100% redwood, in fact the largest redwood church in the world, and 2) it was LCMS to the core.  The church could, and did, seat 2,000 people for worship.  The great fire and earthquake of 1906 came close to ingesting St. Paulus; it came within two blocks of the church on two sides.  It was saved by one of the only working fire hydrants in that part of the city.  Fifteen square miles of San Francisco were destroyed.

It was a homeless man's fire in the entrance to St. Paulus on the eve of November 5, 1995, that burned this San Francisco gothic to the ground.