Orchard
             House
                           Authors
    Bernhard Hillila

    This man was amazing  -- authority on saunas, author, tight-wire walker, poet,  story teller, preacher,
    teacher, college and seminary administrator, lecturer,  authority and champion of Finnish culture
    and legend.

    His writings run the gamut of eloquent verse to hilarious stand up comedy. To read or to hear him
    was to discover an awesome reverence in holy matters;  warm and very human reflection; wise and
    thoughtful assessment of life and nature and almost any other subject; a  quick,engaging wit; and
    a gentle and sometime mischievous humor.

    Dr. Hillia died on November 27, 2006.  Those who had been with him, either in his presence or in the pages he wrote,
    said he made one feel like you'd want him as a friend -- and one you'd want to stay a little longer. Dr. Hillila's wife Esther
    is a resident of Valparaiso, IN.

    Books available from Orchard House
    The Cutting Edge
    Other books by Dr. Hillila
    FinnFun
    The Finnish Line
    The Sauna Is . . .








    Karl E. Lutze  Fifteen years as parish pastor; university professor of  theology at Valparaiso University; executive
    director of two church related organizations (race relations;  older adults); editor: author.  Pastor Lutze
    served 15 years as Parish pastor in  African-American communities in Oklahoma,  first in Muskogee
    and later in Tulsa.

    Because those were days when the segregating practices in the country were being challenged, he
    became involved in human relations movement that prepared him for a career change as he was
    engaged by the Lutheran Human Relations Association of America to serve as its field secretary  
    and shortly thereafter as its executive director.Concurrently he taught in the theology  department of
    Valparaiso University, where LHRAA’s  offices were located.

    He has been the president of Lutheran Church and Indian People and was a charter member of
    the National Indian Lutheran Board and served on its executive committee. In l992 he became the
    first full time executive director of The Association of  Lutheran Older Adults, serving in that post until
    he retired in 1997. Pastor Lutze continues to live in Valparaiso with his wife, Gail.

    Books:  To Mend the Broken
    Forgive our Forgettings, Lord
    Of Walls and Doors, Procession through my life
    . . . a lot on my mind, Lord
    Awakening to Equality,









    Paul H. Strege

    From his earliest days in rural Kansas, the author had  wanted to be an overseas missionary.
    During his seminary   days he learned sign language skills, preparing  himself for  ministry
    among the deaf in this country.  Upon graduation,   he was altogether surprised to find he’d been
    named for a missionary post in Japan. This was less than two years after World War II had ended.
    As time went on, his experiences, his skills, and his effective performance prompted his church
    body to  elect him to fill the role of Area Counselor for East Asia Missions.

    An exceedingly modest man, this gentle pastor extols the virtues of his long time wife, Vercile,
    and time and again cites her  “partner” role as a dynamic force and inspiring resource for his
    ministry and life.

    This octogenarian’s writing reflects his humility  and warmth, his wisdom and his pastoral heart.

    Books: How Small is Small?
    How Far is Far?
    How Free is Free?








    John D. Wolf

    In his “retirement,” the author is a regular columnist for THE TIMES, a daily newspaper serving
    the entire Northwest Indiana area. Retired from pastoral ministry in the United Methodist Church,
    he remains active in community concerns and his life – as well as his columns – reflect his
    commitment to walking the high ground of moral responsibility,  

    He has taken a strong stand against the compromising which governmental institutions
    and community leaders have made with gambling interests, not only locally but anywhere
    in our nation. An outspoken opponent of the very idea of resorting to war for resolving
    disputes among nations, Dr. Wolf  himself  served as a chaplain in the United States Navy,
    serving in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific theaters aboard the USS Frederick
    Funston. Returning from sea duty, Lieutenant  Commander (Ret.) Wolf taught at the Navy
    Chaplain School. Dr. Wolf resides in Valparaiso, Indiana with his wife, Carolyn.


    Book: Amen! Until Tomorrow











    Richard O. Ziehr

    Now in his retirement the author has found time to reflect on his career-long experiences as a Lutheran pastor in the
    South.  His book reveals him to be an honest, caring person – a thorough reporter and engaging story teller.

    Having served in parishes in Alabama, Louisiana, and Northern Florida between 1954 and his retirement, Pastor Ziehr
    and his wife, Connie, now reside in Fort Walton Beach, Florida


    Book:  The Struggle for Unity


    Robert Zimmer

    The author has had a varied career, with roots in Canada, which he left to attend a church related
    school (now Concordia University,  River Forest, Illinois) to prepare to become teacher in his
    denomination's  elementary school system.  His first post was in Hyattsville, Maryland. After  eight  
    years in that position he accepted an assignment to serve in Taiwan and filled a lead role in
    establishing a Lutheran school there.

    Upon his completion of his Asian tour, Wheat Ridge Ministries called on him to become its
    President, an executive position.  Wheat Ridge is a church related funding organization that raises
    money to be channeled to "projects of healing" -- spiritual, mental, and physical --  most often in
    neglected communities the world over.

    During his tenure in the Chicago based ministry, he did graduate work in theology and filled
    requirements for ordination into ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

    In October 1990, at the age of 57 he became Pastor of St. Armands Key  Lutheran Congregation in
    Sarasota Florida, serving there until his retirement in 1999 where he still resides with his wife
    Shirley who has been at his side since his college days.

    Book: Dreams do Come True, Memories of a Prairie Boy