KATSCH, GUS AND ELLIE April 2003 by Dick Engelhardt
Gustav Katsch was raised in the "Heights" section of Jersey City where he attended St Trinitatis Lutheran Church. There were German services and Gus received confirmation instruction in German. Later on the church merged with nearby St. John Lutheran Church. He had to drop out of full time attendance at Dickinson High School to work and help the family but got his high school diploma later as a night student. Gus was drafted into the U.S. Army and was scheduled to participate in the invasion of Japan when the United States dropped the atom bombs that ended World War II. Gus feels this saved his life as invading Japan would certainly have cost many lives on both sides. After World War II Gus took courses at the prestigious Stevens Institute Of Technology in Hoboken and went to work for Public Service Electric And Gas Company from which he retired as a supervisor in 1989.Eleanor Maser grew up in Rutherford and graduated from Rutherford High School. Her Dad was Lutheran and her Mom Episcopalian. Ellie began attending Rutherford Methodist Church when friends offered to take her to Sunday school with their child. While in high school Ellie worked for a florist and after high school she went to work as a clerk and "problem solver" at the Prudential headquarters in Newark.
Ellie and some girlfriends liked to dance and they went to Schuetzen Park in North Bergen where she met Gus in 1952. He wanted to take her out but was told he had to call her and ask for a date. Just then the phone company went on strike so Gus drove to Rutherford and checked out where Ellie lived. The strike ended and he made that call. Gus and Ellie were married June 20, 1953 at the Rutherford Methodist Church. They have 3 daughters. Cynthia Leanore was born first and baptized there. "Cindy" (The nickname somehow got shortened to "Cin," which sounded too much like "Sin" so "Sid" became another nickname) Hildebrand lives in Hawthorne with her husband, Dave, and their son, Benjamin. They are active at Our Savior where Dave is an elder and an usher.
Debra Anne came along next and the family began to look for a local church after they moved to Fair Lawn. Herb Weber and Henry Hesse had called on the family after they came to our church for the first time and reported to Pastor Dunker (who served Our Savior 1940-59) that Debra had not yet been baptized. Pastor Dunker visited the family and Debra was baptized at our church and the family joined. Debra lives in Independence, Missouri and works in Kansas City as a Public Health Nurse assigned to the United States Marshal Service. Lynda Marie Green lives in Irmo, South Carolina with her husband, Andrew, and their 11-year old daughter, Bethany Joy.
Here at church Gus has served as a deacon, a trustee (under the old form of our church government), treasurer and a long-time choir member. He currently is a member of the group that counts and credits our offerings on Monday nights and serves on the building and renovations and organ committees. Ellie has served as president and secretary of the Dorcas Guild and was also a long-time choir member. She currently is a member of the quilting group and serves on the bereavement committee, helping host luncheons following funeral services for our members, and on the organ and outreach committees.
Gus and Ellie will move to Cedar Crest Village in Pompton Plains this summer but plan to continue to worship at Our Savior. Say hello to them and let them know how happy we are that they will still be with us.
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