Rev. Henry Bringfried Roemer

CLERGY
Rev. Fred Sprenger
Rev. Dr. David Felton - UCC Interim Conference Minister
Rev. Ronald Nuss-Warren
Rev. Paul Opsahl
Rev. Donald Stoebner
MUSIC
Organist - Shelly Finck
Congregational Hymns
Processional - “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”
“Oh Worship the King”
Recessional - “Be Still My Soul”
HONORARY CASKETBEARERS
Henry’s Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren
CASKETBEARERS
Myron Stoebner
Leon Reiner
Wayne Nuss
Keith Frey
Reno Stoebner
Keith Stoebner
Henry Bringfried Roemer was born on Friday, January 3, 1919 at Wolseley, Saskatchewan, Canada. He was one of ten children born to John and Marie (Fehler) Roemer. His middle name, chosen at the ending of WWI, means “bring peace.” Henry was baptized and confirmed in the Wolseley Bethany Reformed Church. 
Henry graduated from Wolseley High School in 1936. At age 17, he entered Mission House College at Plymouth, Wisconsin and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1940. He attended Mission House Seminary for only one year because of border crossing travel restrictions during WWII.  Consequently, he continued his theological studies at St. Stevens College (United Church of Canada Seminary) in Edmonton, Alberta. During the summer of 1942, the Board of National Missions of the Evangelical and Reformed (E&R) Church called him as a Licentiate of the Dakota Synod to serve two churches, Salem and Zion, near Vegreville, Alberta, Canada. It was at Salem that Henry met the church organist, Lydia Giebelhaus. Lydia became his wife on October 18, 1945. He graduated “in Absentia” from Mission House Seminary with a Bachelor of Divinity Degree on June 2, 1946. 
On October 20, 1946, Henry was ordained and installed as pastor of the Salem and Zion E&R churches where he served for 16½ years. In 1947, Henry also began serving Mewassin E&R Church at Duffield, Alberta for one Sunday each month until 1958. He served on the Kingdom Service Committee of Dakota Synod for four years and attended General Synod meetings in Cleveland, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio.
In November of 1958, Henry accepted a call to Scotland, South Dakota, where he and Lydia moved with their three children, Phyllis, Harold and Carolyn. He served the Bethany E&R Church, the Ebenezer E&R Church in Alpena, South Dakota and the Hope E&R Church near Wessington Springs, South Dakota. While in Scotland, both Henry and Lydia received scholarships to attend three-week seminars of the Rural Leadership School at East Lansing, Michigan from 1959 through 1961.
Henry was editor of the “Synodical Messenger” and a delegate to General Synod at Denver, Colorado in 1962. He served on the Board of Directors of the South Dakota Synod Conference for two three-year terms.  He also served on the Committee on Church and Ministry of the South Dakota Conference for approximately 21 years, and was committee chairperson for 12 of those years. Henry served on the E&R Synod Council as Secretary from 1958 to 1959 and Vice President from 1960 through 1962. He served as President of E&R Synod until the South Dakota Conference of the United Church of Christ was organized on May 2-3, 1963. At the first UCC annual meeting, Henry was in charge of the Act of Constituting the South Dakota Conference of the United Church of Christ, led the Call to Worship and gave the Constituting Prayer.  
After receiving another call, Henry began a pastorate on February 14, 1963 with the Friedens and Emmanuel UCC churches in Tripp, South Dakota with a combined membership of 900 plus people. These two churches were joined on January 15, 1980. Henry believed, “A good shepherd keeps his flock together.” Above and beyond pastoral duties, Henry gave many hours to secretarial matters such as newsletters, bulletins and annual reports. Church improvements during these years included the donation of the playground from Dr. Eric Mueller, the Christian Education addition and a new Parsonage.
At his retirement service on May 13, 1984, Henry and Lydia were honored with paid-up life-time memberships in Friedens United Church of Christ.  Friedens also granted Henry “Pastor Emeritus” standing on October 26, 1986.
After retirement, Henry served as the interim Associate Conference minister. He was also an interim pastor for many UCC churches in South Dakota including; Salem in Menno, Bethany in Delmont, Congregational in Mitchell, rural Templeton church and Wessington Springs church, Wessington Springs, rural Zell Wheaton and Redfield First in Redfield, and especially at Friedens UCC in Tripp. Henry also did pulpit supply work in an interdenominational capacity. In June of 2011, Henry was recognized by the South Dakota Conference of the UCC for the 65th anniversary of his ordination.
Henry enjoyed carpentry, fishing, camping, traveling, reading, gardening, planting spruce trees and fruit trees, and especially his family. He was always ready for lively conversation including good natured jokes and story-telling.
Grateful for having shared his life are his three children: Phyllis (Dennis) Schaefer of Platte, Harold John Roemer of Calgary, AB, Canada, and Carolyn (Rev. Albert) Goldammer of Corsica; seven grandchildren: Brenden (Suzy) Schaefer, Tanielle (Joel) Sylvester, KyLee (Nicholas) Shoemaker, Josiah (Lindsey) Goldammer, Talitha Goldammer, Hannah Goldammer and Keleah Goldammer; two great-granddaughters: Lily Schaefer and Addison Sylvester; two great-grandsons: Dawson Sylvester and Gilbert Schaefer; sister-in-law Martha (Francis) Everett of Wainwright, AB, Canada; brother-in-law, John (Katie) Giebelhaus and sister-in-law Elizabeth Giebelhaus, all of Vegreville, AB, Canada; and many nieces and nephews.
Henry was preceded in death by his wife of almost 66 years, Lydia (Giebelhaus) Roemer; his parents, John and Marie Roemer; an infant brother, Conrad Roemer; four brothers: Ewaldt and Irene Roemer, Armin and Helen Roemer, Athniel Roemer, and John Roemer; four sisters: Christine and Donald Giebelhaus, Mary and Clifford McCaslin, Elisabeth Roemer, and Johanna and Magnar Knutson; and inlaws: Marie and John Giebelhaus, Bill and Esther Giebelhaus, Leah and Rueben Schwindt, Bertha and Joe Roberts, and Daniel Giebelhaus.