John Fehringer Papers

John was born on Jan. 25, 1929, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of the John W. and Bertha (Touwsma) Fehringer. John, also known as Jack, was a graduate from Wagner College with a BD in social studies in 1950, and from Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg in May 1953 with a masters of divinity degree in systematic theology, and ordained in 1953 as a pastor of the ELCA. He served at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Dansville, N.Y., the Nativity Lutheran Church in East Aurora, N.Y., and Wales Hollow Lutheran Church in Wales Hollow, N.Y., and after retirement, John served as pastor and interim pastor of a number of congregations in the Upper Susquehanna Synod. While serving at his many churches, John was quite active in each community. In East Aurora, he co-founded the “FISH” program, established a preschool at Nativity and served as president of the East Aurora Council of Churches. He was a member of the Lion’s Club in Dansville, secretary and president of the East Aurora Rotary Club and member of the Hunterstown Ruritan Club. He also volunteered at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg performing numerous tasks. After volunteering for two years at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, John became a staff member in the development office. He has served as director of the Friends of the Seminary and has conducted tours of the Seminary for numerous visitors, also writing a booklet about the seminary chapel windows. His hobbies included painting, writing, cooking and woodworking.