Nathan Bienz on January 12th, 2026:
Sources: History of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1926–1940, on the occasion of the Dedication of Her House of Worship, August 4, 1940. Patricia Sagester Arthur, Making Joyful Noises: A History of the Pipe Organs of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana (Nappanee, IN: Evangel Press, 2001), 129–130.

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Nathan Bienz on January 12th, 2026:
This entry represents the installation of a new organ in a new church. Identified through online information from Nathan Bienz [January 12, 2026]: Bethlehem Lutheran School was organized in September of 1925 as a branch school of Zion and Concordia Lutheran Churches' schools. Services were first held in the small school building the following January, and in September 1926, a new congregation was officially organized. A reed organ served to accompany worship in this initial space. A new two-story brick combined church and school building was constructed in 1930, with the chapel on the first floor and two classrooms on the second. A small pipe organ was installed in the front left corner of the nave. The current church building was constructed in 1939–1940, and was initially equipped with a three-manual Wangerin organ, the latter being dedicated on August 4, 1940. A contemporary description of the organ follows: "The pipe organ installed in our new church was built by the Wangerin Organ Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is a three-manual instrument with a total of sixty-seven stop controls and 1456 pipes. "Two chambers on either side of the choir loft house the organ proper. One chamber contains the great organ, choir organ, and the heavy pedal division. The other chamber encloses the swell organ and the soft pedal division. The blower is located in a special room in the basement. "Forty speaking stops are provided, the four requisite families of voices being represented as follows: "Diapason Family: Eleven stops of the open diapson (sic) class in various pitches and tone shadings. "Flute Family: Sixteen stops in a large variety of tonal effects and pitches. "String Family: Five stops of violin-toned voices yielding the proper proportion of string tone. "Reed Family: Five Stops of richly effective reed voices in a comprehensive variety of imitative tones. "This outstanding ensemble is further enhanced and augmented by a total of twenty-three couplers. Thirty-two adjustable combination pistons provide an all-embracing control of the stops and couplers in the organ. There is also a set of highest class organ chimes, consisting of twenty-five accurately graduated heavy tubes. "The console is placed in the front center of the choir loft. The organ action is electro-pneumatic, of the latest and most developed efficiency, instantaneous in perfect attack, response, release, and repetition. Stop knobs rather than tablet tongues, have been incorporated in the console equipment of this organ, since this type presents a more handsome and dignified appearance and is the more traditional form." The organ was purchased at a cost of $5,000, the funds being donated by the Ladies' Aid Society. A later source records that it was a highly unified organ of 17 ranks, several of which were reused from the previous chapel organ. Unfortunately, the two side chambers only sounded effectively into the balcony, leaving the rest of the church with an anemic sound. A new organ committee was organized in 1960. At the urging of Dr. Paul Bunjes, an organ consultant from River Forest, IL, the congregation voted to sell the Wangerin to Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI, for $5,000. This organ was still in regular use as of 2001, but it appears that Divine Shepherd no longer uses an organ in its services. Bethlehem then proceeded to purchase the Schantz that still serves the congregation today.