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Slatington group holding annual cemetery walk

The Slatington History Preservation Committee will present “A Walk at Peace” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Friedens Church. Left, front to back, Judy Gellis-Snyder, Robert Stettner and Linda Kemmerer. Right, front to back, Candyce Mantz, Marilyn Cerrone and Jeff Potters. TERRY AHNER/TIMES NEWS

A cemetery walk will serve as the highlight of a yearlong celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of a church in the Northern Lehigh area.

The Slatington Historic Preservation Committee will present “A Walk at Peace” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Friedens Church, 7727 Route 873, just south of Slatington.

Friedens Church, in cooperation with The Slatington History Preservation Committee, will sponsor the event, which is free and open to the public.

The event will be held in the church sanctuary. Light refreshments and fellowship to follow the presentation.

Jamie Harini will talk about the history of the church, as well as the history of the cemetery.

Judy Gellis-Snyder, president of the group, said the committee will tie in the walk with the 175th anniversary of the founding of the church.

“We were delighted since we were having the 175th anniversary, to do it together,” Gellis-Snyder said.

Part of the program will be about the history of the church. It will also be about Civil War veterans, including four who died during the war.

The four who died during the Civil War were Paul Sauerwein, William Roth, John Lentz and Gabriel Kern.

The committee said that Friedens UCC is the oldest church building in the Northern Lehigh area, and the Welsh are the oldest congregation in the area.

Jeff Potters, president of the Friedens UCC Church Counsel/president of the 175th anniversary committee, said a dinner was held to commemorate the 175-year anniversary in May at the American Legion Post 16 in Slatington.

Potters said the church has 200 members, which is led by Pastor Monte Schroeder.

Donations will go toward the location of the future museum.

This will mark the fourth cemetery walk geared to feature each of the cemeteries in the Northern Lehigh area, according to Robert Stettner, treasurer of the group.

Stettner said that last year, “A Walk Among Slatedale Notables” was held in Slatedale Cemetery. In 2019, “A Walk with Slatington Businessmen” was held in Union Cemetery. In 2018, “A Walk Among the Slate Barons” was held in the Fairview Cemetery. There was no walk in 2020 because of COVID-19.

Gellis-Snyder said the committee may hold a cemetery walk in Heidelberg Township in 2023.

Stettner previously said the plan is to eventually have a museum in the area that would highlight the slate industry, farming and schools in the Northern Lehigh area.

For more information, contact Snyder at 610-767-5935, timjudy@yahoo.com, or visit them on Facebook.