The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Sheet 56

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

Other Services.

Pastor Drewes’s brethren in office upon various
oceasions showed how highly they esteemed him by
choosing him to offices of honor. In 1916 he was
appointed to serve on the committee which had
charge of lifting the jubilee collection in connection
with the quadricentennial of the Reformation, and
later his fellow-members on the committee honored
him with the chairmanship. In 1925 the Pastoral
Conference of Eastern Missouri chose him chairman
and would probably have reelected him at the ex-
piration of his term, but his many duties as
Executive Secretary of the Board for Colored Mis-
sions made it impossible for him to serve more than
the one term. For a number of years he also was
chairman of the Pastoral Conference of St. Louis
and St. Charles Counties.

Pastor Drewes and His Family.

On October 9, 1892, Pastor Drewes was joined
in holy wedlock with Miss Laura Motz of St. Louis.
The marriage ceremony took place in Holy Cross
Church, St. Louis. This union was blessed with
three children, Walter W., Elma L., and Theodore
R. Drewes. All three children and the loving wife
survive Pastor Drewes. The departed is also sur-
vived by three grandchildren, the children of
Theodore R. Drewes, Dorothy Rae, Marjorie E., and
Theodore R.

The home-life of the Dreweses was singularly .

happy. Husband and wife were singularly attached
to each other and mutually sympathetic. Father
and children occupied those mutual positions which
God intends them to occupy. The children were
respectful and yet intimate; the father was never
forgetful of his paternal relationship, yet his love
to his children was ever apparent. God give the
stricken survivors the comfort which He alone
can give! F. J. 1.

The Last Resting-Place of Pastor Drewes.

On March 6 our beloved Director of Colored
Missions was carried to his final resting-place. The
funeral services were held in Messiah Church in
St. Louis, as he had been a communicant member
of that congregation. A large gathering of friends
and relatives as well as the whole St. Louis Pastoral
Conference and the Board for Colored Missions were
present. The Rev. W. F. Wilk spoke on John 12,
_ 2%. 28. The Rey. Otto C. A. Boecler, representing
the Board for Colored Missions, spoke on the won-
“derful work which God had permitted Director
‘Drewes to do for our Colored Missions. The Rev.

Richard Kretzschmar, president of the Western Dis-
trict, speaking in the name of Synod, expressed
condolence and sympathy of the clergy of the Mis-
souri Synod. Director Drewes was laid to rest at
St. Trinity Cemetery, Pilgrims’ Rest.

St. Louis, Mo. L. M.

A Loving Tribute to the Sainted
Director Drewes.

The following letter comes to the Editor from
Miss Rosa J. Young, the lady through whom our
Colored Missions came to Alabama. Miss Young
writes : —

“I am not so well; the news of our beloved
director’s death gave me such a shock. The depar-
ture of Director Drewes has brought to us colored
people profound sorrow. By his death we have lost
a friend, yea, a true friend. THe was a man who
truly loved Jesus, his Savior, and for Jesus’ sake
he loved the colored people. He loved the colored
people as a dear father loves his dear children.

“He was always thinking of doing something to
help us; he was always praying, thinking, writing,
speaking, planning, working, and traveling in the
interest of us colored people.

“He was most patient with us. He overlooked
our many blunders and did not charge it against
us that we often failed to manifest proper gratitude
for our many blessings. In many instances he could
with perfect justice have been severe with us, but
still he was patient and long-suffering. Seldom did
he use his authority; he was ever ready to put the
best construction on everything.

“Director Drewes was always ready to give us a
hearing when we approached him with our requests
and appeals and always granted us our wishes when
it was reasonable and possible to do so.

“He had a very pleasant and moderate tone of
voice. He always carried a slight smile on his face.
He was easy of approach; a little child could stop
him. No one could have any good and reasonable
grounds to fear to approach him on any subject.
His’ administration was truly a blessing to our
Colored Missions. For all these reasons we feel his
loss, and we feel it very keenly. We have lost a
friend, true and tried, yea, a friend and brother.
His wife has lost a dear husband, his children a
beloved father. The Church has lost one of its
greatest men, a great preacher and counselor, yea,
a soldier of the Cross and a follower of the Lamb,
a most faithful shepherd. The schools have lost a