Rev. Krikau, friend of immigrants

By BETSY BOLGER-PAULET

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 29, 2000

DUNEDIN -- By delivering the word of God to scores of German immigrants in their mother tongue, the Rev. Henry Krikau brought them a little slice of home once a month.

The popular retired minister, who served at Grace Lutheran Church of Clearwater for 13 years, died Tuesday (March 28, 2000) at home under the care of Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. He was 80.

Jan Cote, church member and volunteer since 1964, remembers him fondly -- and not only as the minister to the German population, but as the founder of the first Stephen Ministry, a lay ministry program that requires 72 hours of training.

"Rev. Krikau taught the classes and got the groups started," Cote said. "Now the church has lay ministers to bring communion to the homebound. More importantly, he trained us how to be listeners and helpers."

The Rev. Krikau was the only minister to conduct German-language services in Pinellas County. When he retired in May 1995, the program was taken over by the Rev. Klaus Koch of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, New Port Richey. The service is regularly attended by the 150 or so German immigrants, tourists and winter residents who come to Grace Lutheran on the fourth Sunday of each month.

The Rev. Krikau and his wife, Ruth, attended after his retirement. The German services are broadcast locally on radio station WLVU-AM (1470).

The son of German-Russian farmers who emigrated to Canada, the Rev. Krikau was born in Rosthern, Saskatchewan, and earned a master's degree in theology at Luther College. Ordained in 1948, he served congregations in Canada and Wisconsin before moving to this area from Racine, Wis., where he also served as chaplain and social worker at the Lincoln Lutheran Home from 1974-1980.

Although he was bilingual, the Rev. Krikau did not use German in his ministries until he was called to Grace Lutheran in 1982.

The special Lutheran liturgy services conducted in German draw not only Lutherans but also Roman Catholics, Presbyterians and Baptists from all over Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Most of the German-language parishioners are elderly, but there remains a steady trickle of younger German nationals, according to Koch.

On the day of his retirement, the Rev. Krikau said: "It's a wonderful feeling to see people of different denominations come to the table as one family. It's like something special from home to hear the word of God in the mother tongue and then fellowship afterward and talk about the old days."

The Rev. Krikau published a monthly newsletter for Germans, gave short German devotionals on WLVU and for nine years officiated at the annual anniversary celebration and renewal of wedding vows at Manor Care Dunedin and Manor Care Palm Harbor.

Survivors include his wife of 44 years, Ruth Ellen; two sons, Philip, San Francisco, and Timothy, Racine; two daughters, Kathy Barker and Susan Krikau, Racine; three brothers, Fred and Rheinold, Rosthern, and Herbert, Burnaby, British Columbia; three sisters, Mary Wienick, Rosthern, Nora McConnell, Nanaimo, British Columbia, and Esther Braden, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada; and four grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Moss-Feaster Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, Dunedin Chapel, 1320 Main St. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Grace Lutheran Church, 1812 N Highland Ave., Clearwater. Donations may be made to Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, the American Cancer Society of Grace Lutheran Church Memorial Fund.

- Information from Times files used in this report.

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