Once upon a time there was a beloved member of Zion who would always wear his seersucker suit and no socks at the beginning of summer. And we started to notice that two other gentlemen started wearing their seersucker suits. And then this member developed ALS and we didn’t see his seersucker suit anymore.
Ernest (Ernie) Stellke was a character. You could call him Ernie, but in print he was always Ernest. He was a confirmed bachelor who was devoted to caring for his mother. He was a prankster known to push her wheelchair down the handicapped ramp and then let go. He traveled the world. He acted like he didn’t like kids (he did) and we threatened to name the nursery “Uncle Ernie’s Nursery”.
Over 20 years ago, Zion was in the process of deciding how we could finance the addition and renovation to the Christian Education Building. Zion owned a piece of property on the corner of Rt 523 and Lamington Road. It was decided to sell it and it is now the home of Melick’s farm stand. Ernie was not happy because he felt Zion should have a “nest egg” and he offered to very generously begin to fund an Endowment Fund with a $50,000 gift. And that is how the Endowment Fund came to be.
Ernie died on October 18, 2012. The next summer we decided to carry on his tradition of wearing seersucker at the beginning of summer. This June 17th will be the first Summer Sunday worship at 9:30 a.m. and it will also be the 6th Annual Seersucker Sunday. It is not liturgically correct. It is fun. And it’s a way to remember Ernie that I am sure he would approve of.
And so, remember to wear your seersucker, or even stripes, on Sunday, June 17th.
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