Church's surviving bell tolls 100 times to mark armistice centenary

When the First World War ended, parishioners at Trinity Lutheran Church in North Delta were so excited they raced to ring the church's two bells. Ever since that day​ 100 years ago, the two bells have never rang together again.

"They were so exuberant, they climbed up into the steeple and took hammers and pipes and rang the bigger bell and then it cracked," said Horst Flemig, a Trinity Lutheran parishioner since 1969.

The bell has sat silent in the steeple for a century because, according to Flemig, it is too costly for the church to fix.

But the smaller bell can still toll — and toll it did this Remembrance Day.

Trinity Lutheran was among several churches across Canada that rang its bells 100 times at sunset on Sunday. Each ring signified one year since the end of the First World War.

With Flemig's assistance, community members were invited to climb the steeple and take turns ringing the remaining bell.

This time, there was no exuberant hammering allowed.

'All mothers are fearful'

Jennifer Peat came to ring the bells, but she also came to record the sound for her son — a Canadian veteran who served in Afghanistan and was married 20 years ago at Trinity Lutheran.

Peat was excited about the event, but was also reflective about the struggle of having a son who served in the military.

"You're scared, you're proud — it's a combination." said Peat. "But you're very happy when they return safely … all mothers are fearful."

Flemig was born in Germany in 1938 and grew up with many families whose sons did not come home.

He remembers starting school as a young boy and half the children in his class did not have a dad because of the Second World War.

Flemig said the parish hopes to raise the funds to move the broken bell out of the steeple and display it on the grounds outside the church.

"We should learn from history," said Flemig. "War should never be forgotten."

With files from Jon Hernandez