Lavern Gerhard Franzen

Rest in peace, Rev. Dr. Bishop Emeritus Lavern G. Franzen, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and servant of the Lord. Passing the morning of May 24, 2016, in Venice, Florida, Lavern was 90 years of age. Lavern was born in Leigh, Nebraska, the second son of Frank and Addie Franzen. His grade school education was at Zion Lutheran School in Leigh; his secondary education was at Leigh Public High School. Lavern attended Concordia Teacher’s College (now Concordia University) at Seward, Nebraska to prepare for a career as a teacher of music and religion in the parochial school system of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. Following graduation from Concordia in spring 1948, he married his college sweetheart, MaryAnn Langevin of Englewood, Colorado, that August. The newlywed Franzens moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where Lavern taught at St Paul Lutheran School. Their first daughter was born the following summer. In 1949. Lavern accepted a call to serve at the Lutheran High School in Detroit, Michigan, where he served as instructor in New Testament and head of the music department for fifteen years. Lavern especially enjoyed directing the choirs at the high school, touring with them, and conducting both sacred and secular music. While in the Detroit area, the Franzens welcomed three more children into their family. While still teaching at Lutheran High, Lavern began his studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, receiving a Master of Arts in Religion. He was ordained into the Lutheran parish ministry in 1963, and in 1964, accepted a call to begin a mission congregation in Saginaw, Michigan. He served the Lutheran Church of the Messiah until January of 1969 when he accepted a call to become pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Temple Terrace, Florida. Never abandoning his love of music, Lavern also directed the church choir as part of his ministry in that parish. While in Temple Terrace, Lavern organized joint music events during the Christmas season for the Temple Terrace Christian Ministerium. In 1976, reflecting a larger schism in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Our Redeemer congregation became part of the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches. Reverend Franzen served the AELC as Auxiliary Bishop, leading the southeast region. When the AELC joined with the Lutheran Church in America and the American Lutheran Church to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lavern was elected the first bishop of the Florida--Bahamas Synod in 1987. He served as Bishop until 1995. Upon his retirement, the Synod Council conferred the title of Bishop Emeritus on Bishop Franzen. In retirement he continued to serve the church in several capacities: as Regional Development Associate for Lutheran Services of Florida; as part-time associate pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sun City Center; as an interim pastor at St. Armands Key Lutheran Church in Sarasota, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, and at Faith Lutheran Church in Rotunda West. Lavern also worked as a development associate for Trinity Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. He was active as a lecturer and teacher, working with such groups as Lutheran Elder Hostels in Florida, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, and the Lutheran School of Theology in Pinellas County. During his years of ministry Lavern authored several books of children’s sermons, wrote children’s songs, and developed a community choir, The Tampa Chorale, drawing participants from Tampa areas Lutheran churches. In addition to his undergraduate work and his seminary degrees, Lavern earned a Doctorate in Ministry from Columbia Seminary, Decatur, Georgia, and was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Newberry College, a Lutheran college in South Carolina. The Franzens resided in Temple Terrace until 2004, when they moved to Wesley Chapel, FL, until joining the retirement community of Village on the Isle in Venice, Fl, in 2011. Lavern is survived by his wife of 68 years, MaryAnn Langevin Franzen, their four children, Kathryn Wood (Houston), Frank Franzen (Amelia), Sheryl Oda (Takashi) and Deborah Gall (Richard), nine grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and two step-great-grandchildren. Memorial services will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Venice, FL, June 24, 10:00 a.m. and Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Temple Terrace, FL, June 25, 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Village Partners at Village on the Isle, Venice, FL or Lutheran Services Florida. The Franzen family invites you to sign the guest book.