REV. WALTER C. PIEPER  Pastor of Trinity from 1965-1970

Rev. Walter C. Pieper, son of Rev. and Mrs. Walter A. Pieper, was born in Englehardt, Ontario, Canada, on April 10, 1933.  He attended and graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School, Wyandotte, Michigan; Concordia College, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. He received his B.D. and S.T.M. degrees from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.  Prior to graduation from the Seminary, Pastor Pieper vicared at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Twin Falls, Idaho.  In addition, he studied one year at Obereisel, Germany and served one year as an instructor at Concordia Collegiate Institute, Bronxville, New York.  Pastor Pieper was ordained into the holy ministry October 11, 1959 and installed as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Tawas City, Michigan in July 1960.   Pastor Pieper was installed at Trinity Lutheran Church Sunday September 5, 1965 at 4 p.m. with the Officiant Rev. Walter A. Pieper, St. John Lutheran Church, Ludington, MI; the preacher Rev. W. Harry Krieger, M.S.T., D.D. Fourth Vice President, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; Installing Officiant Rev. James Moehring, Counselor, Traverse Bay Circuit; Pastor of the Arcadia/Beulah Parish. The organist was Mr. James Johnson and Mike Dean played the trumpet.. 

Pastor accepted a call in 1970 to Grand Lake Lutheran Church, Oakland, California, leaving Traverse City by August 15th.  He retired from Grand Lake Lutheran Church on Christmas Day in 1994. He serves as guest Pastor at a Mission at Sea Ranch a second home community for many on the ocean 130 miles north of Oakland. He usually does the special worship services-Easter, Christmas, Pentecost and Reformation.

Pastor Pieper married Janice Howard on December 29, 1962. Janice is a graduate of Concordia Teacher's College, River Forest, Illinois. Pastor and Janice  still live in Oakland, California. Their marriage was blessed with three children.  Their children all live close to them. Toby is a VP of Engineering in a small computer company and lives in Orinda, a suberb of Oakland.  Jay lives down the hill from them and is an artist for Pixar. Each son has two children.  Christa is a professional singer and lives in Berkley. She also teaches voice.  

Pastor Pieper sends greetings and God's blessings to all the folks at Trinity for their 125th Anniversary.