The rest of the story

Each week The Star News runs a “Where in Taylor County” feature of picture taken somewhere in the county. Over the past few months, the pictures have focused on area churches as we led up to Easter Sunday capping it off with a picture submitted by Loise Ogle of Jesus at the Sea of Galilee.

Eagle-eyed readers quickly let us know that the painting is on the wall at the Perkinstown Community Church. While the description of the photo credited Loretta Kuse as the artist who painted it, that was only half right. Hildegard Kuse called me this week to set the record straight and fill in the other half of the story.

Before we get to that, there needs to be some background on the picture. For years Loretta, who was still teaching at the time, would preach at the small church located near Lake Kathryn during the summer months.

Many years before, Loretta and Hildegard’s father had painted a picture of Jesus that was displayed in the old church building. That picture eventually ended up being given to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Medford where it is still located. When the Perkinstown Church was building a new log church, the request was made to get that picture back. However, it had already been given to St. Paul’s and was not available.

Instead, Both Hildegard and Loretta worked together on making a new painting. “You can imagine two sisters working on one picture,” Hildegard said, with a laugh in her voice. Both sisters had art minors. Painting the image was well within their abilities, but when it comes down to style, especially in expressing the human form, every artist has their own unique way of doing things.

The background of the picture was based on a photo of the local lake which was used to represent the Sea of Galilee. Hildegard noted locals recognize the lake in the picture and use the painting to point out where their residence would be on it in relation to the church.

Hildegard said things got more challenging as they worked on the figure of Jesus as part of the painting. “We had some very interesting discussions about it, of course,” Hildegard said.

She said that what they were trying to do with the painting was to relate what happened 2,000 years ago to the here and now. Hildegard said that if Loretta was alive today, she would have cherished in the joy that people would have been able to find connections between what happened 2,000 years ago, was relevant to their lives today.

The painting was dedicated in August 1990. Loretta, presided at the service dedicating the church and the painting. Hildegard found it hard to believe that it has been 32 years ago already.

The great thing about art is that it touches people’s lives across decades and even centuries. All those who view it are connected and share in the message they find in it. At the same time, art demands that each of us find our own meanings and messages in the subtle play of color, light and shadow.

Not every Where in Taylor County photo has such a rich story behind it, but it is good to share those stories whenever we can so that they live on.

Speaking of living on, I wanted to give a shout out to Bob Virnig. Virnig called me this week wondering why a short emailed Vox Pop he submitted had not run.

The letter was letting people know that “Reports of his death had been greatly exaggerated” and that contrary to the rumors flowing around he was very much alive and kicking but had been out of the area.

“To those who were concerned and actually missed me, I am truly honored and humbled. For those who may have felt elation ... sorry to disappoint,” he wrote.

Virnig sent it after coming back to the area in early April and reached out wondering why we had decided not to run it.

While there are reasons some letters get rejected, there was nothing objectionable about this one that would raise any sort of red flag. I discovered the answer when I searched through our email archives for his name and found the email program had sorted it into the “junk mail” folder. I get about 300 emails a day with a good portion of them literally junk. I have no idea how Bob’s letter got included in there and my apologies go out to him. His letters have always been welcomed for the points he makes and discussion he fosters. I am glad he called me to check on it so that we didn’t miss something from him in the future.

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News.