[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 165 (Thursday, November 5, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            145TH ANNIVERSARY OF PALM VALLEY LUTHERAN CHURCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN R. CARTER

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 5, 2015

  Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
incredible longevity of a place near and dear to me and many others. In 
a country that commemorates the 25th or 50th anniversary of an event, 
Palm Valley Lutheran Church has a special distinction. On November 8, 
2015, it celebrates its 145th anniversary of ministry to the growing 
town of Round Rock, Texas.
  In the early 1850's a small number of Swedish immigrants began 
settling in an area known then as ``Brushy,'' located a few miles east 
of the present day town of Round Rock. Although there was neither a 
Swedish Lutheran Church nor pastor in all of Texas at that time, these 
hard-working pioneers met together in a local cabin for prayer, Bible 
reading, and singing of hymns.
  On November 27, 1870, the ``Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Brushy 
Church'' was officially founded. In 1872 a wood-frame church was built 
to replace the original log cabin. The name remained until 1936, when 
it was changed to Palm Valley Lutheran Church.
  Palm Valley Lutheran Church has been a silent witness to a country 
coming into being, its expansion across a continent, the aftermath of a 
civil war that pitted brother against brother, the strength of a people 
tested by the Great Depression and world wars, and the rise of a 
superpower. It has been the site of countless baptisms, weddings, 
funerals, and sermons. For 145 glorious years, this church has been a 
place where faith was nurtured, renewed, and embraced.
  Palm Valley Lutheran Church remains committed to proclaiming the 
gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed to a community that has changed 
much during the past 145 years. Let us honor the durability of this 
steadfast source of identity and pillar of stability for all Christians 
in Central Texas.

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