Bio: Thur, Gary (Ordained - 1971)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Thur, Hefty, Galleta

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 6/10/1971

Thur, Gary (Ordained - 13 June 1971)

Gary Thur, the third son of the Ernest Thur family to choose the life of a clergyman, will be ordained into the office of the holy ministry on Sunday, June 13, in Zion Lutheran Church in Granton. He has accepted a call to Frazee, Minn., where he will serve three area Missouri Synod churches.

The Rev. Richard Thur of Alice, Tex., will ordain his brother at the 10:30 a.m. worship service. He will be assisted by another brother, The Rev. Melvin Thur of Paullina, Ia. The Richard Thur will also preach the sermon both at Zion and at Christ Lutheran Church at Chili. A reception with a potluck dinner will follow the morning service at Zion.

Gary Thur is the youngest of the four sons of Mrs. Ernest Thur of Marshfield and the late Mr. Thur. The family lived and farmed in the York Center area from 1943 until October of 1970, when Mrs. Thur moved to Marshfield following the death of her husband on May 17 of that year. Mrs. Thur’s mother, Mrs. Marie Hefty, is a former resident of the Humbird area. Mrs. Hefty now lives in an Augusta nursing home.

The Thur’s second oldest son, David, also began studying for the ministry but entered the Army before his training was completed. He lives in Franksville, works in Racine, and is presently taking nicht school courses toward obtaining a bachelor’s degree.

Gary Thur graduated on May 28 from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. He attended elementary school in Clark County, graduated from Concordia High School in Milwaukee, and spent two years at Concordia College in Milwaukee and two years at Concordia College in Ft. Wayne, Ind., before entering the seminary. All the Concordia institutions are schools are of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The new clergyman is married to the former Dianna Galleta of Wood River, Ill., and the Thurs are the parents of a son, Kelly. Installation ceremonies at the Frazee churches have been set for Sunday June 20.