Zion German Congregational Church Stories and Photos
Members of the Zion Congregational Church serving in World War II in 1943. Photography courtesty of Karen Drier Esayian.
Zion German Congregational Church members - year unknown.
Photograph circa 1913. This group appears to be a baseball team posing with their champions trophy. They are standing in front of the Zion Congregational church in Portland. John J. Hopp is kneeling at the far left of the front row. Jay Miller is standing at the far left of the back row, Rev. John. Hopp is standing second from the left. Courtesy of Barbara Tuck.
Sausage Dinners at Zion
Story contributed by Marcia Staunton – Portland, Oregon
Beginning in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s, the Zion Church held popular Sausage Dinners sponsored by the Fellowship Club (young married couples).
The menu was German sausage, fried potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, rye bread, pickles, and homemade pies. Potatoes were donated during the early years by Howard Winters of Troutdale, Oregon (a friend of my folks). We would go down the night before and peel potatoes and Esther Klaus Heron would fill the roasters full of baked beans, set the tables up and have lots done before Saturday night rolled around.
The dinner was cooked in the parsonage next door several years and the hot water tank was tapped with hoses so they could do dishes. My dad made the coffee and did dishes. When the dinner got too big to have in church basement, the event was held for a couple of years at the Mayflower Dairy auditorium.
I used to help serve the meals. I always carried pie trays because mother and Bernice Wagner worked in the pies. I even got tips a few times for finding special varieties for people.
For a few years, the sausage was made at John Sinner’s Meat Market. The men would go down and work at this then they would smoke the sausage.
The dinners were a lot of work to put on. Rivercrest Church held the dinners for two years in the early 1990’s. Too much work and not enough help.
Last updated February 22, 2018.