Loon Lake

 

Stained Glass Window

Chapter One

In 2010, Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Hardy auctioned the furnishings of their church including the stained glass windows.  Mike asked Cindy the synod administrator and a member of Trinity to bid on one of the windows. His bid got the window on the left side of the chancel. It is the Seven Flames, The Holy Spirit, The Christ Symbol, and Creator’s Star. The triangle with circle reflects the triune God.

The window made it to Storm Lake and it lived under our bed for the next three years.  The dream was that it could be installed at our yet to be built lake cabin on Loon Lake, either in a peak or as a side light to the door.

In 2013 our Storm Lake home sold quickly and we were about to move to Mason City.

Chapter Two

In 2013 and the window that lived under our bed.…No cabin yet…move it or?  Researching we found Kountry Glass by Larson in rural Albert City. And we also learned it was not a leaded stained-glass window!  It was a faceted stained-glass window. (This was a real blessing for us because a leaded window should never be stored flat!!)

I began researching faceted glass and this window of ours. It was created by Hauser Glass in Winona, Minnesota for Trinity Lutheran. Faceted glass is defined as raw, thick, unpainted glass with deep color and shimmering sparkle. Earlier windows were held in place with cement. Now epoxy is poured around the design.

Chapter Three

In November after our move to Mason City Mr. Larson had stabilized the window and framed it ready to be installed in our lake cabin.  The plan was for Mike and I to drive to Storm Lake, get Dad’s pickup, drive to Albert City and get the window, take it to Bob and Cindy’s rural Hardy farm and store it there. Cindy pointed out that was a lot of back and forth and why didn’t she and Bob just go pick it up and bring it to their farm.  And they did! Cost – a beer and burger! And we still haven’t paid up.

Bob wrapped it and put it on a pallet and framed and stored it.  And there it has resided until this spring, 2022.  Each year we tried to meet up and have dinner with Bob and Cindy, a bit of rent and so much fun to be together.

Chapter Four

We are now 75 and our Loon Lake cabin hasn’t been built.  We have loved our Loon Lake Resort. In thinking about our window, we decided to offer it to Lutheran Lakeside Camp (LLC). LLC is where we met when we were both counselors 55 years ago! LLC accepted the gift. This May with son Joe we drove to Bob and Cindy’s and Bob loaded the window into our pickup with forklift and tractor and strapped it tightly.

We headed to LLC and where we were met by Ranger Z and his Bobcat and forklift. It was moved into the old dining hall.