Submitted Photo Elaine Heichberger served at many churches as organist in Western New York.

GOWANDA — A nearly three-quarter century tradition has come to an end in Otto.

Elaine Boldt Heichberger has retired as a church organist after 74 years of continuous and dedicated service. She rarely ever missed a church service as organist. Mrs. Heichberger is a resident of Gowanda and a native of Springbrook, New York.

Mrs. Heichberger began her duties as Sunday school organist at the age of 12 years of age at Faith Lutheran Church in Elma. Following that position, she then served as organist and choir accompanist at Immanuel Lutheran Church in East Aurora. She then when on to serve as organist and choir director at St. Martin’s in Boston Hill followed by service at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Fredonia as organist and choir director.

The next 25 years, she went on to serve as organist and choir director at Salem Lutheran Church in Springville. Twenty-years ago, Mrs. Heichberger retired as church organist at Salem. However, in less than a week after that initial retirement, she was contacted by the Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Otto and asked if she would just “fill-in for a few-weeks” as their organist.

Interestingly, those “few weeks” lasted for another 20 years as their church organist until her retirement in August. One of Mrs. Heichberger’s closing statements at the time of her retirement were these words, “The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to serve Him and His people these past 74 years as church organist. I am grateful to Him and to all my friends here at Otto, and in the previous Congregations of which I have had the pleasure of serving. I am thankful.”

Mrs. Heichberger is the mother of one daughter, Dr. Lisa Heichberger, a physician in South Carolina, and the mother of a son Mark Heichberger a teacher at Griffith Institute in Springville. She has six grandchildren. She is the wife of Dr. Robert Heichberger, a retired State University of New York professor.