By Tim Snyder
‘Fred’s Gifts’ a Christmas mission tradition
By Joy M. Newcom O
ne Advent about 20 years ago, Fred Boettcher sold hun-
‘He has a heart for
dreds of wrapped gifts for $1 each in the narthex of Calmar (Iowa) Lutheran Church. Known as “Fred’s Gifts,” Boettcher supplied shoppers with novelties he had found at garage sales and thrift shops while raising hundreds of dol- lars for Lutheran Disaster Response. And a Christmas mission tradition was born. This year, with the help of his daughter, Susan Boehm,
mission and clearly wants to feel useful regardless of age.’
With gifts wrapped, Fred Boettcher and his daughter, Susan Boehm, are ready for his annual sale at Calmar (Iowa) Lutheran Church.
woman’s call to Boehm after learning it would be the family’s first Christmas after their mother’s death. Boehm helped her get the gifts in time for Christmas. “She was so happy to be able to continue this special
Boettcher, 90, had hoped to meet his goal of raising more than $350. In past years, his gifts have generated more than $500—at $1 per gift, that’s a lot of shopping and wrapping. “He talks about it as his mission,” said Phillip Olson, pas-
tor of Calmar. “He has a heart for mission and clearly wants to feel useful regardless of age.” The Fred’s Gifts display appears after Thanksgiving, and
members shop through the last Sunday in Advent—or until the gifts are gone. Preparation is a yearlong endeavor that Boettcher, a retired high school history and drama teacher, has recently relied on his daughter to help accomplish. “Now that he’s in assisted living, I have become his shop-
per,” Boehm said. “I bring him the gifts, cut the wrapping paper to size, and we spend some wonderful father and daughter time together wrapping.” His daughter also serves as the relay person for those who
supply him with donations of wrapping paper, tape and gifts. Last year she helped a woman from out of state continue
a tradition started by her mother of giving every family member one of Fred’s Gifts. The church secretary had forwarded the
Boettcher and Boehm
enjoy their father-daughter time while wrapping gifts.
BRITTANY TODD
tradition on behalf of her mother and support the mission fund,” Boehm said. During his life, Boettcher’s activities constantly pointed
toward mission support. In addition to Fred’s Gifts, he held multiple garage sales with profits donated to support the work of ELCA missionary Mary Beth Oyebade. And about 10 years ago he began repurposing electric blankets as quilt batting for Lutheran World Relief (to read “Boettcher’s quilt batting,” find this article at
www.thelutheran.org/feature/december). Boehm said her father has always had a servant’s heart:
Sunday school teacher and superintendent, congregation council, building committee chair. While his wife was alive, he accompanied her on quilting days to sharpen scissors and serve coffee cake he had baked. He also was known as a skilled carpenter who was able to repair and repurpose items found on his regular garage sale and dumpster rounds. “In Calmar, my father was known as the local dumpster
diver,” Boehm said. “The kind of man who follows the gar- bage truck on its rounds to rescue items. Once he brought home four broken chairs and repaired them to make three that were like new. He’s just able to see value when others cannot.” It’s a “salvation” tradi-
tion that has lived on annually at Calmar— enabling support for mission and bringing joy to others $1 at a time.
Author bio: Newcom is a writer in Forest City, Iowa, and a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Forest Cty.
December 2015 29
BRITTANY TODD
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52