Herman George Bickel

Herman George Bickel was born May 6, 1923 in Birch Run, Michigan. Pastor Herman Bickel went to his heavenly home on August 8, 2012 at the age of eightynine years. He was named after my uncle Herman Bickel and grandfather George Hetzner. He was the fifth child ofeight children born to Rev. Fred Bickel and Lydia Hetzner. There were 5 brothers, Victor, Ottomar, Adolf, Kurt, Lester and one sister Elvira Neumeyer. When he was two years old his family moved to Amelith, Michigan near Bay City Michigan. It was a German community where he learned to speak German. He grew up in a very loving extended family. In grade 5 he began to have doubts about some teachings in his religion and decided to be a minister to find out the truth. He grew up very competitive, but when he was about twelve years old he decided to be a nice person. He attended High School at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Michigan. Two years of Junior College at Concordia College Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 4 Years at Concordia Seminary, St Louis, Missouri. For his vicarage he taught School at the Indian Mission at Gresham, Wisconsin and at Big Rapids, Michigan. He entered the ministry in 1948 and served a four-point Parish around Oxbow, Saskatchewan; 1954- 1967 he served Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Regina, Saskatchewan. Here he began to discover the truth that God loved everyone and that I could love everyone. He married Helen Walters in 1956. Their five children were born in Regina: Richard, Janice, Barbara, Robert and Jeffrey. While in Regina he also served the Manitoba Saskatchewan District as the Chairperson of the Education Committee.

He then took a call to Our Savour Lutheran Church, London Ontario 1967-1973. He and Helen started fostering and cared for four babies until they were adopted. There he was theologically criticized for the first time in his life, and learned how to apply the Gospel to himself and learned that he was still okay. He then took a call to Redeemer Lutheran Church in Victoria, British Columbia (1973-1985). There they fostered three children, who became part of the family, two brothers, Lenny and Derek Hurst and a daughter Susan Donaldson. There we learned, particularly through the 12 steps, how to apply the gospel to others by practicing tough love. In 1986 he took a call to Zion Lutheran church, Athabasca and Golgotha. Lutheran Church, Elscot. Alberta and ended up being a country pastor again.

He retired in 1988 and moved to Camrose, Alberta where he taught at the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute for 4 years. He was back to his first love teaching the Bible.

From 1993-1998, he was a Spiritual director to Randy Charlton, worked with my new son-in-law Robert M. Fisher and read most of the author George Macdonald writings. He and Helen moved back to Victoria in 1998. where six of their eight children live, and became an active grandfather to their eighteen grandchildren. Family was central to him and hobbies throughout his life were reading, studying, gardening and sports.