First Congregational Church (Oshkosh, WI) Music History
Choir Directors and Organists

          This is the first draft of a page which will eventually be a complete list of all Choir Directors, Organists and other Music Staff since the Church was founded in 1849. This page is the result of my Personal Research since 2003.

[p. ?] = the page numbers refer to the information contained in the published Church history:
          "Independent of Mind, Open of Heart: 150 Years of Ministry - 1849-1999"

| Directors: Chancel Choir / Junior Choirs / Handbell Choir | Organists |

• Chancel Choir Directors: - Chancel Choir Members
  • ? - (1849-1929)
              The book does not explain what "full" in "first full adult choir" in the following entry means. There may have been other "not-full" adult choirs in the 1849-1929 period, but there seems to be no historical record of them or other possible previous Choir Directors.
  • Marie Woodward Steves (1930-mid-1930's) - "first full adult choir" [p. 142]
  • Marjorie Nuss (mid-1930's-1939) - "after Mrs. Steves passed away" [p. 142]
  • Mrs. Lawrence C. Thomas (1939-1940) [p. 142]
  • Paul Grosh (1940-1943) [p. 172-3]
  • Fred Leist (1943-1944) [p. 173]
  • J.A. Breese (1944-1945) [p. 173]
  • Imogene Schreiber (1946) [p. 173]
  • Jesse Breese (1947-1949) [p. 194,6]
  • Mrs. Kendrick Strong (1949-1950] [p. 196]
  • Donald McNew (1950-1951) [p. 196]
  • C. Walter Bronson (1952-1954) [p. 196]
  • Frederick Peabody (1954-1959) [p. 196,223]
  • Wayne Jipson (1959-1960) [p. 223]
  • Stanley S. Linton (1961-1975) [p. 223,226]
  • John M. Minniear (1975?-1976?) [p. 255]
  • Harold B. Porter (1976?-1984) [p. 255,258]
  • Joanne Peterson (1984-date) [p. 258]
• Junior Choir Directors:
  • ? - (1849-19??)
  • Harold Chamberlin of Ripon (19??-19??) - "girl's choir" [p. 142]
  • Marjorie Nuss (19??-19??) - "youth choir" [p. 142]
  • William Fuller (1960-1968) - "Junior Choir" [p. 224,226]
  • Ellinor Porter (1968-1997) [picture on unnumbered page following p. 157] [p. 226,228]
              The Junior Choir was renamed to the Crusader Choir, and a new Carol Choir was formed for the younger children. [p. 226]
  • Lori Kubasta (1997-2001) Carol Choir renamed to Angel Choir [p. 262]
  • Jeff Dyer (1997-2001) Crusader Choir renamed to Jubilee Singers [p. 262]
  • Robin Oxley (199?-19??)
  • Linda Ruona (2002-2007)
  • Christina Conn (2007-date)
• Handbell Choir Directors: - Handbell Choir Members
  • Ken Snart (1999-2007) [p. 263]
              The Handbells arrived on 10-21-1999. The first appearance of the Handbell Choir in a service was on 11-07-1999 or 11-14-1999.
  • Cara Davis (2008)
  • Patrick Meyer (1/21/2009-date)
• Organists:
  • Mattie Murdock (1875) **
              The church's first pipe organ was installed in 1875. It was built by the Marshall Brothers Organ Co. (Milwaukee) for $3,800, and it had 29 stops and 1,166 pipes. No picture of this organ has been found.
  • Morris Parkinson (1875-1878)
  • Professor Stillman of Ripon College (1879-1881)
  • E.S. Wilson (1882-1892)
  • J.K. Weaver (1893-189?)
  • ? - (189?-1901)
  • Clarence Shepard (1902-1903) [p. 112]
  • ? - (1904-1910)
  • 1911 - Casavant Freres Opus 469 organ installed
  • 1911, 1959 and 1986 - Organ Consoles
  • Clarence Shepard (1911-1940) [p. 142,171]
              [per Michael Corenthal, p. 134, he played the inaugural recital of the new Casavant organ on 1-06-1912]
  • Paul Grosh (1940-1943) [p. 172-3]
  • Farley Hutchins (1944-1945) [p. 173]
  • Donald Fischer (1946-19??) [p. 173]
  • Florence Hollenbeck (10-19-1949 - 6/1966) [p. 194,222,225]
  • Ray Thompson (1966-1968) [p. 225]
  • Joanne (West) Hess (1968-1989) [m. Thatcher Peterson]
  • Joanne Peterson (1990-date) [picture on unnumbered page following p. 157]

    Thank you to Ralph DiBiasio-Snyder for the above information about the 1875-1893 organists and the first FCC organ.

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