GOSHEN —

Seventy-six years ago, Ethel Umble’s father asked her if she would like to play the organ at the Swedish Lutheran Church in their hometown.

Umble’s answer? "No way."

"Okay, her father replied. "Let someone else earn $10 a month."

The monetary carrot he dangled was enough to get Umble to change her mind — but the $10 stipend wasn’t enough to keep her from being terrified about her first organist job.

Like her three siblings, Umble had started piano lessons at age 5 at the behest of her father, who owned a music store in Michigan City. Her father and elder sister had both played organ in church.

Though her sister showed her the basics, Umble’s first stint as a church organ player was still a learn-as-you-go experience.

"I was petrified," Umble said. "They were still doing services in Swedish and I didn’t know one word of Swedish. But I got through it. I learned the pedal board as I played."

Umbel’s musical service to the church has continued these 76 years and at age 89, at least one Sunday a month, she can be found volunteering her still-nimble fingers at College Mennonite in Goshen, where she has played since 1973.

First 20 years

She continued playing at the Swedish church for 20 years – through her marriage and birth of her three children.

In the early part of those years, prior to her marriage, Umbel was also studying music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago.

"I graduated from high school at 16," Umble said. "This was during the depression, so I only went in (to the city) as I could afford the train fare."

At that rate, she didn’t complete her degree in four years, but she did have the opportunity to play piano in the American Conservatory Orchestra in Orchestra Hall in Chicago after winning a piano competition. Years later, she took her only formal training on the organ: one semester with Professor Philip Gehring at Valparaiso University.

To Elkhart

Her husband’s career led the couple to Elkhart in 1955 — a move that would eventually lead to Umble earning a college degree and traveling to Japan, London, Belize and China.

Upon their move to Elkhart County, Umble played at a Methodist church (now on East Jackson Street) for four years and then became a member of the Presbyterian church, where she served as organist from 1960 to 1969. She also was the accompanist for the Elkhart High School choirs for 12 years under William Gowdy.

She resigned from those duties when her husband died and in 1970, embarked on a year-long stint as an English as a Second Language teacher in Japan, where she also got a choir together to do parts of "Messiah" in English.

"I came back and enrolled at GC (Goshen College)," Umble said. "I started to teach piano lessons again." Umble taught piano most of her life, starting at age 13.

She earned her bachelor of arts degree in music from GC in 1975, when she also moved to Goshen, and continued to work as a secretary in the music department until 1977, when she was invited to go to London to work for the London Mennonite Center.

She came back and married her landlord, Roy Umble, and continued to play organ for College Mennonite Church. She and Roy served as GC faculty in Belize for Study Service Term (GC students spend a semester on SST, immersing themselves in a foreign culture as part of their degree requirements.)

"While I was (in Belize) I played piano — there was no organ — for our services there," Umble said.

Shortly after returning from Belize, the couple went to China to again teach ESL.

"There was not a lot of opportunity to play, but I had some (piano) students there," Umble said.

Then it was back to Goshen and her relationship with College Mennonite, which continues today.

The memories

Over 89 years, she has accumulated many stories. She remembers when she would play for funerals in Michigan City.

"I would get a babysitter for the children and walk a mile to the church, play at the service and walk home," Umble said. "This was the 1940s and Social Security had just started. I remember getting a check for $1.96."

Umble said at the time, it astonished her that the government was taking money from her check for this new program.

She also remembers at least one not-so-smooth performance when she hit a note that wouldn’t end.

"One loud pedal stuck," Umble said. "There wasn’t anything I could do but turn off the organ."

The orchestra played the intro five times in a row as Umble got off the bench, went down in the basement and took a maze-like route to the second story where the pipes were. She found a paper cup in a wastebasket, climbed a ladder to the low A pipe and stuck the paper cup under it to stop the airflow.

Crises averted, she went back to her duties.

"I’ll never forget that," Umble said.

Staying busy

Umble has always stayed busy and while music continues to be a big part of her life, it’s not her only passion.

As a member of the American Guild of Organists, she has been a substitute player at four or five churches in the area — learning the tricks of new organs. She has also played at many, many weddings and funerals. This year, she accompanies Greencroft’s Evergreen Singers, who had 21 performances lined up this year.

Working for peaceful solutions to conflict has also been a goal of Umble’s.

"My strong interest in peace and justice issues has provided me with many interesting experiences," Umble said. " I was a member of the College Mennonite ‘Jail Grandmas’ team for about 23 years, visiting the women’s ward monthly to provide a Sunday worship service, and visiting individual residents on a regular basis. I remain in touch with some of those today," Umble said. "I feel that our penal system is broken and that we must try to rehabilitate rather than ‘punish’ those who are incarcerated.

She is still a member of Seniors for Peace, a grassroots organization whose members write letters and make calls to legislators lobbying for peace.

"I also traveled to eastern Tennessee and West Virginia numerous times to join other protesters at two factories that have been using depleted uranium in the missiles they manufacture. They were used in the Gulf War and in some of the current conflicts," Umble said. She and her fellow protestors believe the uranium use has led to birth defects and also to new varieties of cancers, especially among children.

At age 89, Umble is in good health. She still climbs the very steep steps up to the organ in the balcony of the church, albeit a bit slower than she used to.

Coming down the steps? It’s full speed ahead.

"That’s no problem," Umble said.