Walter and Irene

“There’s nothing fancy about us,” said Irene one afternoon, while bagging the fragrant dill we had cut from my garden; “I just cook plain, ordinary food.” We laughed, enjoying our mutual ordinariness. Ordinary or not, Walter and Irene are exceptional musicians. Walter sings; she plays piano. Though they’ve spent a lifetime in training – his rich tenor voice; her nimble unerring fingers – fame and fortune have never been their goal. Whether it be a solo, or a large inter-church choir; whether it be a simple song for a lonely shut-in, a classical concert, or hymns at a local Rest Home; they readily acknowledge their constant need of divine guidance, blessing, and approval.

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Walter was born during the DIRTY THIRTIES in Coaldale, Alberta; third child for his father and first-born son for his mother, his Dad’s second wife. Altogether, there were six children in the family. Since father was a Bee Keeper, all the children learned to work with bees, too. “We were a Christian family,” said Walter, “and had regular morning devotions. It was really a very good time, in Coaldale, with my brothers and sisters. I had a very good friend, named Jimmy, who witnessed to me quite a bit.” Music, familiar as honeycomb to him, was also a sweet influence in his childhood – the songs his father sang while softly stroking his zither – the hymns at church – the songs at Sunday School. “It was all very meaningful for me,” he said; “I would even sing ‘parts.’ We sang in German then; songs like ‘GOTT IST DIE LIEBE . . .’

Irene was born in Herbert, Saskatchewan, and had one older brother. When farming became too difficult, her family moved to Winkler, Manitoba, where Dad got a job as an accountant in the hospital. Music filled their home. “My brother and I, and Mom and Dad, used to sing as a quartet,” she said. “People knew that we sang, and we were always ready to do this wherever we went. It was so enjoyable! At home we had devotions every day. We’d kneel, and all four of us would pray. My brother and I grew up studying the Bible with our parents teaching us about Jesus.”

Salvation came early to both Walter and Irene; to him at an evangelistic meeting, and to her, at her mother’s knee. “I was 10 when I accepted the Lord,” said Walter. “My friend, Jimmy, and I talked a lot about our faith.” Irene was 9 when she made that commitment. “I remember looking out the window in the evenings,” she said, “thinking that if the Lord came tonight, I wouldn’t be ready. My mother asked me if I’d like to accept Jesus in my heart. I didn’t hesitate; I was ready. I said, ‘Yes I would!’ Then my Mom actually led me to the Lord. She gave me Scripture verses, like John 3:16* and John 1:12*. After this I started having devotions and reading through the Bible on my own.”

In succeeding years, both Walter and Irene attended summer camp; he at Southern Alberta Bible Camp, and she at Camp Gimli, in Manitoba. “That was a very meaningful time for me,” said Walter, “it helped me grow in the Lord.” Irene earned her way to camp by memorizing over 100 Bible verses. “Going to Camp really helped my spiritual life,” she said. “I’ll never forget it.”

Those Bible verses stood her in good stead when, after deciding to be baptized, strong doubts began to fill her mind. Questions like: ‘Are you really a Christian?’; ‘Have you really made that commitment?’ “It was tough,” said Irene. “But a lady gave me this advice: Every time Satan tells you that you have not made a commitment to Jesus, just say, ‘Then I’ll do it right now!’ After that, it wasn’t long before all my doubts were gone. The verse that helped me the most was John 6:37 ‘All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.’ Music also gave her comfort and strength — singing with her family and in the Girls’ Choir; playing the piano. By the time she was 16 years old she was well qualified to teach piano students herself. How rewarding! From then on she could pay for her own piano lessons. Irene developed a special bond with all her students.

Walter and Irene met for the first time through an inter-church choir in Kelowna. Providentially, both families had moved to that city about the same time. His parents became charter members of the now Willow Park MB Church; and her parents joined them there soon after. “After one of the choir rehearsals,” Walter recalled with a chuckle, “I asked Irene’s Dad if I could take her home. He thought it was very noble of me, to ask for permission.”

Walter had always been earnest about his faith. After graduating from High School in Kelowna, and then from a Christian school near Abbotsford, he was baptized and received into the Church upon confession of his faith. While studying at the Coast he discovered the joy of singing Scripture while taking part in a choir which performed the whole of Handel’s Messiah. “That was like a revelation to me!” he said. “The Scriptures just came alive! It was marvelous! This awakened the desire in me to study Music – especially Voice. Not long after Irene and I were married I started taking Vocal lessons in Kelowna. My desire was to glorify the Lord with singing.” Music had brought Walter and Irene together; they were married in 1953. He became an Accountant, and she continued to teach piano. Today, after three children, five grandchildren, and more that fifty years of marriage, they know they met by divine appointment.

There came a time when both of them began to sense a growing restlessness and lack of direction. Without either knowing about the other, they both went forward publicly to rededicate themselves to the Lord for greater service. Together, they set themselves to serve the Lord with Music and Song; determined to strive for excellence in His sight. It was a commitment they fully intended to keep. Moving their family to Winnipeg then, Walter enrolled in the Arts Program at Bible College, with a major in Music and Voice. During the next few years Irene taught piano to put food on the table, while Walter applied himself at school. “That was a truly precious time,” they agreed. “We wouldn’t have missed it for anything!”

After College, Walter was called to be Music Director of the Church in Coaldale, a position he filled for over 17 years. During that time he conducted several choirs, and, for 5 years, the Lethbridge Symphony Chorus. One of his choirs performed Handel’s Messiah in its entirety. From Coaldale, they were both called to serve in the Church at Clearbrook, BC; where they ministered in Music for over 7 years, until 1992. Since then Walter and Irene have become pillars of the Church at GRACE MB in Penticton.

In 1988, and again in 1998, they had the marvelous opportunity of traveling to Russia, Siberia, Kazakstan, and Ukraine with a Church Partnership Evangelism team, to encourage the Christians there, to give some practical help, and to share their testimonies (through interpreters) on a one-to-one basis. They even sang AMAZING GRACE and HOW GREAT THOU ART in Russian (by following words written down phonetically). Those were touching moments of genuine Christian fellowship. “For months, before the trip,” said Walter, “I had practiced some Russian phrases — so I was actually able to pray with people in Russian. It was quite amazing — a highlight of my life.” Irene especially remembers a lady she visited one afternoon, who then attended the evening service. “This lady came up to the front and gave her testimony. That was very meaningful to me. Then she came to me, where I was sitting in the choir, and gave me this big hug. That is kind of a special memory for me. It made it worth while to have gone.” It was thrilling to see many people come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. To this day, Walter and Irene have kept in contact, by phone and letter, with one woman they met there.

“In the Christian life,” says Walter, “it’s very important to keep our priorities straight. God put us here for a purpose; and if we don’t use the talents and gifts that He’s given us, then we’re not fulfilling our purpose. It’s not just a matter of trying to make a lot of money or anything like that. We need to recognize that our purpose for being here is to glorify God with our lives.” Irene nodded in complete agreement.

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* “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)

* “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12 NKJV)

September 2004

© 2004 SKM