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Conrad
Rook was born June 25, 1893 in Germany. In 1902, he immigrated with his mother,
three brothers, Herman, Gustave and Rudolph and two sisters, Minna and Ida to
Huron County, Michigan. He attended a log-house school which has been
re-erected in Greenfield Village. At the age of 13 he was confirmed in the
Lutheran Church near Bad Axe, MI.
He entered Concordia
Seminary, Springfield, IL in 1910 and graduated from there in 1916. He vicared
during the school year 1914-15 at New Fane, Fond du Lac County, WI. He was
ordained and installed as pastor of the Lutheran congregations of Lapeer and
Kings Mill, Michigan by the Rev. W. F. Junke on August 6, 1916.
Rev. C. A. Rook accepted a
call to a parish composed of Traverse City, Mancelona and Kingsley, MI.
(Information from an anniversary bulletin from St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Battle Creek, MI) He was installed at Trinity Lutheran Church,
Traverse City in April of 1922 by Rev. T. C. Haessler, Leland, MI. He preached
his farewell sermon at Traverse City, September 29, 1929. On October 1, 1929, he
came to St. Paul’s in Battle Creek, where he served faithfully until his
retirement on November 6, 1959. Even in retirement Pastor Rook continued to
serve as a Lutheran Chaplain at the Veteran’s Hospital at Fort Custer and
occasionally filled pulpits for vacationing pastors. The Rooks also continued
their membership at St. Paul’s in Battle Creek.
Ella M. Gallmeyer was born
December 4, 1890 to Conrad and Mary Gallmeyer (nee Kraft). She lived with her
parents and four brothers, Martin, Conrad, Gerald and Carl and five sisters,
Frieda, Martha, Johanna, Eulalia and Marie on a farm south of Fort Wayne, In.
She attended parochial school and was confirmed at Friedheim Zion Lutheran
Church.
Pastor Rook and Ella
Gallmeyer were married by the Rev. C. B. Preuss at Friedheim on October 1,
1916. Their attendants were: Nora Kaufman, Johanna Buuck (sic), Martha
Kaufman, Gustave Buuck (sic), Gustave Rook. The Rooks had five children:
Arnold Rook, deceased, 1 daughter Janet Robarges; Marilyn Bernthal
(Roy deceased) 2 children, Stephen Bernthal & Mary Bernthal; Esther Hartwig,
3 children: Richard Hartwig, James Hartwig & Carol Hull; Ruth Meckes 5
children: Marsha, Mark, Kay, David, Rev. Daniel Meckes, Faith Lutheran, Bay
City, MI; Wilfred Rook 4 children: Roger Rook of Florida, Ronald Rook of
Holt, MI, Wendy Dohm of Lansing and Brian Rook of Lansing.
Pastor Rook died May 2,
1967 in Battle Creek, MI and he was buried May 5th in the Memorial
Park Cemetery of Battle Creek. His wife, Ella died Dec. 5, 1973 and she was
buried in the same cemetery.
Information from: Service
of Thanksgiving 50th Anniversary of Ordination in the Holy Ministry
and 50th Wedding Anniversary of Pastor and Mrs. Conrad A. Rook, St.
Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Battle Creek, MI, Marilyn Rook Bernthal,
Frankenmuth, MI daughter of Pastor and Mrs. C. A. Rook.
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