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stained glass

Lawrence Rueve was born in September, 1938, in Leofeld District (between Cudworth and Bruno) and was the oldest child of Otto Rueve and Ida Kohle.

In 1944, Lawrence moved with his parents to a farm that Otto and Ida had purchased, one mile north of the St. Gertrude Church, about 7 miles south of Muenster. It was here that Lawrence grew up.

Lawrence went to school until grade 9, and then worked as a hired farm labourer on a farm north of Humboldt. After 5 years of being hired help, Lawrence returned to school, getting his grade 12 at St. Peters High School, and then going to Saskatoon, where he earned his teaching certificate. He started teaching in 1963.

Lawrence married Agatha Klane from the Marysburg Parish in 1963. Agatha’s parents were Joseph and Bertha Doetzel. Lawrence and Agatha initially lived in Humboldt after getting married, and then moved to a teacherage at Morvin in the Burr area where he was the teacher.  In 1964 Lawrence and Agatha moved to Muenster where he taught school. In 1967, he and Agatha moved to the family farm north of St. Gertrude.  Lawrence and Agatha raised a family of 6 children: Kevin (Glenda Savage), Keith (Gail Witte), Rhonda (Richard Moellenbeck), Kent (Tracy Eberle), Ryan (Karen Knaus), and Everett (Nicole Kratch).  Lawrence taught school in Muenster until 1972 and was the Vice Principle for a number of years. He then decided to quit teaching, and to farm full time.  He became active in the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. Lawrence started out by being a committee member, and then later a Wheat Pool delegate. He raised cattle for a number of years, and he and Agatha spent many early mornings in the barn during calving season.  Lawrence played the organ at the St. Gertrude Church, and enjoyed curling, fishing and the outdoors.  He enjoyed keeping up with current affairs, and loved listening to CBC radio and all the CBC programming.  All of us remember being in the vehicle with dad listening to a program on the CBC radio station.  His major in teaching was History, and many times Lawrence would discuss the historical significance of many of the ongoing issues with all of us around the kitchen table.

Lawrence actively farmed until his passed away in 1987. He is buried at the St. Gertrude Cemetery.

Although farming was difficult in the late 1970’s and 1980’s with low prices, high interest rates, and droughts, Lawrence always was able to make do and keep ahead. He loved the harvest, and seeing the fruits of hard work come in and the grain going into the bin. It was always exciting to have the dinners and suppers taking place in the field during harvest.

In this vein of meal times and harvest, the theme of the stained glass window is that God will provide, even when circumstances appear to be very difficult. The window illustrates the Bible Story of the 5 loaves and 2 fish, the loaves being symbolized by 5 heads of grain. The 2 fish are shown, and as well, the window also illustrates the 12 baskets which collected the remains after the meal was served.  The reading is as follows:

The Multiplication

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?’ Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’ Now there was a great deal of grass in the place;  so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.’ When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The symbol in the top panel of the window is God’s hands providing, once again showing that despite all the challenges and difficulties in life, God always is there to provide for our true needs. 

Evergreens were important to Lawrence who planted hundreds of them in his life time, and are shown in the window. The sunrise showing the many early mornings that Lawrence saw the sunrise, especially during seeding.

Despite Lawrence passing away quite young at only 48, his family realizes the gifts that the Lord provided for him and Agatha. We, the family of Lawrence, continue to see those gifts that God provided to Lawrence every day in our family gatherings, the yard site that Lawrence and Agatha planted and looked after, and in the grain fields that Lawrence gave us when he pursued a farming career.

This stained glass window is dedicated to his memory.

Window installed September 9, 2011

Submitted by:  Kevin Rueve