Rev. Harold Gene Hermetz

Rev. Hermetz, Pastor Emeritus of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman, died at Cullman Regional Medical Center while recovering from a recent heart attack and surgery. He was one of Cullman’s longest serving pastors and community leaders.

Rev. Hermetz served 51 years in the Christian ministry, with 36 years as senior pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman.

Rev. Hermetz was installed as the ninth pastor of St. Paul’s on Nov. 21, 1965. During his 36-year ministry, St. Paul’s congregation constructed a new church sanctuary, acquired additional property and facilities, and increased its church and school staff.

In 2001, Rev. Hermetz retired from full-time ministry. He continued to serve churches throughout Alabama, while performing local and area weddings, funerals, baptisms and worship services as guest preacher and as vacancy and interim pastor.

Rev. Hermetz’s ministry included pastoring churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He is founding pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church and School in Metairie, La. He also founded churches in Cleveland, Miss. and Greenwood, Miss.

The past two and a half years, Rev. Hermetz preached twice monthly at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Tuscaloosa. He previously served as interim, vacancy or guest preacher of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Muscle Shoals and Christ Lutheran Church in Albertville, as well as Trinity Lutheran Church in Scottsboro, as well as guest preacher for churches in Decatur, Hartselle and Birmingham.

On May 10, 2009, at a public reception honoring Rev. Hermetz's 50 years in ministry, Cullman Mayor Max Townson presented Rev. Hermetz with a key to the city "in recognition and appreciation of his many years of service to St. Paul's Lutheran Church and our community for generously giving his time and effort through the years and for being a powerful influence of good in our community."

In addition to his pastoral ministry spanning half a century, Rev. Hermetz was known for his melodious singing voice. He often sang at weddings, funerals and community events. He enjoyed singing “The Lord’s Prayer,” one of his most requested songs.

Rev. Hermetz recorded a music CD in 2007. His “Sing to the Lord” album features 15 of his favorite hymns and songs. He sang the national anthem at the Huntsville Stars baseball team’s annual Lutheran Night.

Rev. Hermetz shared the stage with nationally-known elected officials, as well as local and statewide church and community leaders. He provided the invocation at many Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce annual banquets, where he shared the stage with Ronald Reagan, Gov. George Wallace, Rev. Robert Schuller and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, among others.

Rev. Hermetz was a former vice president and member of the Board of Directors of the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as president of the Cullman County Ministerial Association. He was a retired adjunct professor of Wallace State Community College, where he taught public speaking classes for two decades.

Rev. Hermetz served as vice president of the Board of Directors of the Cullman Mental Healthcare Center and as vice president of the Friends of Frankweiler organization, Cullman’s German Sister City Partnership. Rev. Hermetz traveled to Germany several times with Cullman City officials and Friends of Frankweiler members. He was a longtime member of the Cullman Oktoberfest Board of Directors and the Pilot Light House Board of Directors.

He was a longtime patron and board member of the Cullman Community Concert Association as well as former president and a founding member of the Cullman chapter of Toastmasters International.

In 1998, Rev. Hermetz served as Burgermeister of Cullman’s Oktoberfest. As Burgermeister, he was interviewed by The New York Times and Southern Living magazine. He proudly shared Cullman’s Christian heritage as “the City of Churches” and told of the outstanding quality of life enjoyed by Cullman residents.

Rev. Hermetz served the Southern District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod as Circuit Counselor for North Alabama, as a member of the District Board of Directors for nine years, and as second vice president for three years. He also served on the Missions Committee, was chairman of the Parish Education Committee and Youth Ministry Committee.

A native of Baldwin County, Ala., Rev. Hermetz was born in Foley, Ala. on Oct. 23, 1932. Since moving to Cullman in 1965, he called Cullman home.

At age 14, he enrolled in the high school division of Concordia College in Austin, Texas to begin studying for the ministry. He was a varsity tennis and basketball player.

In 1953, he began theological studies at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo., where he was editor of the campus newspaper and a member of the varsity tennis team.

He spent a year of intern training for the pastoral ministry in Decatur, Ill. He graduated in 1958 with a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained as a pastor in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, August 1958. In 2008, he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his graduation from Concordia Seminary-St. Louis by reuniting on campus with former classmates.

His first call in the ministry was to be a mission developer in the new Veterans Highway area of New Orleans. This “church planting” led him to become the founding pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church and School in Metairie, La., where he served as pastor until 1962.

In 1962, Rev. Hermetz accepted a call to serve Faith Lutheran Church in Greenville, Miss. While serving as Faith Lutheran’s pastor, he led mission work in two neighboring areas.

Rev. Hermetz dedicated his life to teaching and preaching the Word of God. For generations, he enjoyed mentoring new pastors and inspiring, encouraging and leading people to serve Christ. He was known for his unwavering enthusiasm and tenacity when leading churches and congregations, as well as for his volunteer service as a community leader.

Rev. Hermetz celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary in 2007 with wife, Myrna Schmelling Hermetz. He was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony and Josephine Hermetz of Foley, Ala., and brother, Paul Hermetz of Gulfport, Miss.

Rev. and Mrs. Hermetz are the parents of four children: Tim Hermetz, Toni Hermetz Treadway (Ronnie) and Tina Hermetz, of Cullman, and Todd Hermetz (Christina) of Yorba Linda, Calif.

Rev. and Mrs. Hermetz have five grandchildren: Michael Heatherly (Sara) of Auburn, Michelle Heatherly of Jacksonville, Fla. and triplets, Grant, Josiah and Alessandra Hermetz, of Yorba Linda, Calif.

Rev. Hermetz is survived by one sister, Joyce Hermetz Hawkins (Skip) of Friendswood, Texas, brother, Dr. Robert Hermetz (Debbie) of Meridian, Miss., two sisters-in-law, Ginny Hermetz of Gulfport, Miss., and Jean Schmelling Regal (Art) of Suring, Wis., one brother in-law, Don Schmelling of Kenosha, Wis., as well as a host of nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be Saturday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cullman with the Rev. Warren Ruland officiating.

Saturday morning visitation will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Friday night visitation is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Moss Service Funeral Home in Cullman.

Pallbearers will be the pastors of North Alabama Circuit Eight Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod churches.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in honor of Pastor Hermetz to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church-Cullman and the Cullman County Chapter of the American Cancer Society.