The History of the Pipe Organ

Hans-Detlef Kleuker (1922-1988) learned organ building from Emanuel Kemper, in whose company he worked from 1947 to 1954.1 He passed his Master Organbuilder examination in 1955 and set up his own business in Brackwede in northern Germany, not far from Düsseldorf. He established one of the leading organ building workshops in the region, building 350 organs over the next three decades, which included instruments exported to 20 countries. He also took an interest in renovating existing organs. His organs tended toward the Baroque aesthetic in their sound and disposition.

The Detlef Kleuker organ acquired by Faith Lutheran was originally built in 1964. It was conceived by Kleuker as a representative promotional instrument and was imported to the U.S., displayed, and demonstrated at a national organ convention in 1965, probably the annual gathering of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). A visitor at the convention who was associated with Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis, MO, and who had provided financial support to the seminary in the past, was impressed with the Kleuker instrument. He purchased it and gifted it to the Seminary. It was installed in Koberg Hall at the Seminary in 1965. The multi-purpose hall was used for dining, lectures, concerts, worship services, and wedding receptions.

Rev. Dr. Daniel Reuning, who today is Kantor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN, recalls playing the instrument in its original location.

“I remember so well playing the instrument in Koburg Hall in the early 60’s, when I returned to the seminary for summer music institutes,”

said Rev. Reuning.

“It was the third tracker organ that I had ever played. I was delighted with the responsiveness of the action and the clear sound. You are so fortunate to have it.”

A recording also exists of noted Lutheran organist Paul Manz playing a concert on this organ during those early years.

Over the years, the heat generated from the sunlight coming through the apse windows and hitting the back of the organ case caused deterioration of the felt seals in the organ. The damage gradually rendered the organ unplayable. The seminary obtained an estimate for a remedy which was judged to be unaffordable, so they put the organ up for sale in February 2002.

The organ was seen by John and Margaret Schroeder on eBay. John wrote,

“I had been working for some time designing a pipe organ for my own use. I had obtained several ranks of pipes and was almost ready to begin construction. But then I saw this Kleuker organ listed on eBay on a Monday. The low price reflected the fact that it was unplayable. But why build one when you can buy one, even one that needs fixing? Moreover, this one had the tonal characteristics I was looking for. By Tuesday evening I had phoned the seminary and cut a deal to purchase it.”

John and Margaret flew to St. Louis on Wednesday and spent Thursday and Friday with Alan Nagle and crew from the St. Louis Pipe Organ Company taking notes and photos to record the dismantling process. By Saturday morning,

John and Margaret boarded the Ryder truck, now loaded, and headed west to California. The organ was then restored to full playing condition from 2002 to 2004. John explained:

“The answer to ‘where do we put this’ came as we renovated my great-grandfather’s house in Midpines, Mariposa County, California. The house was built ca.1860 and added on to in 1868. Margaret and I, with assistance from two people from the moving company, transferred the organ components from a moving truck into the [renovated house] in 2003.”

After the restoration of the organ, the instrument was maintained by Philip Browning, an organ tuning and maintenance professional based in Turlock, CA. Sixteen years later, in January 2020, John and Margaret decided that it was time to find a new home for the organ. They were in their early eighties and needed the space for other purposes. The terms of sale were simple:

“Make a reasonable offer.”

The organ was again listed on eBay, where it was found and purchased by Carl Fischer, an engineer and organist. He had it transported across the country to his private residence in Wayne, NJ. He reassembled the organ with meticulous attention to detail; the many pictures he took during this process proved valuable during the later reassembly at Faith. Sadly, Carl passed away not long after the organ was built. The organ was listed for sale with Organ Clearing House, where members of Faith, who had begun a search for a possible instrument that would be suitable for the church, found it in early 2021.

Following a report by a member who traveled to see and play the organ in April 2021, the church decided to purchase the instrument. The organ disassembly was led by Alan McNeely and conducted from July 19-21, 2021, with the assistance of volunteers from the church. The organ was packed into a shipping pod and turned over to a transport company for its journey to Florida.

However, due to logistical problems on the part of the transport company, the pod did not take a direct route as planned. The organ spent several weeks in a non-air-conditioned warehouse in New Jersey. Furthermore, during the transport, crates shifted around in the pod and pipes bounced around in their pipe trays, resulting in some damage even though the pipes had been carefully and individually foam-wrapped. The organ finally arrived at the church in September 2021, where an army of volunteers helped to unload the organ components and pipes and place them in storage in the church’s Luther Hall.

While the organ seemed perfect for the size of the space and congregation, there was one difficulty: where would the organ be installed? While there was space at the back of the nave, the ceiling was not high enough to accommodate the organ. An architect, Edward Hoffman, was engaged in May 2021 to provide ideas. Ed was intrigued by the challenge and drew on his experience and creativity to come up with a plan to raise the roof above what was at the time the narthex, behind the nave. While it sounds like a straight-forward project, it turned out to be anything but simple. Initial estimates from building contractors exceeded the congregation’s available funds, and the project was put on hold to allow for additional fundraising.

By the fall of 2023, through generous donations and bequests, the congregation was ready to resume the project, select a general contractor, and begin the construction phase. Bill Laursen and his team began construction in April 2024. In addition to raising the roof and refinishing the entire area at the back of the church, all carpets were removed from the nave and chancel. The existing terrazzo floor was refinished. A new chancel area was built and finished with marble tile. These changes resulted in an acoustic that is ideal for choral and organ music as well as for congregational singing.

The organ was assembled and voiced at Faith Lutheran Church, Dunedin, FL in March 2025 by Daniel Angerstein of Angerstein Organ Works, Ltd, supported by J. Anthony Nichols. Many volunteers from the church also assisted with part transportation from storage to the nave, case assembly, and pipe unpacking.

The last phase of this project was a redesign of the chancel. The walls behind the altar were angled and a stone fascia was installed improving acoustics. The pulpit and lectern were replaced with traditional designs, and the altar was refinished to match. The chancel was reshaped into a semicircle and a new communion rail installed. The carpeting was replaced by marble tile. A new baptismal font crafted from wood recycled from old pews will be dedicated in September of 2025.

The organ was re-dedicated to the Lord’s service and first used in the divine services at Faith Lutheran Church, Dunedin, FL on Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025.