On Jan. 18 the congregation of St. Paul Lutheran Church surprised their organist, Debra Mortensen, by honoring her for serving as their organist for 45 years.

Mortensen was 12 years old when she started playing organ for church services. She was 10 when she started playing piano for Sunday school. She gives credit and thanks to her parents, the late Bill and Gen Kruger, for the years of piano and organ lessons and for their encouragement and support. She also thanks God for her gift of music.

She has played for soloists, the church choir, Sunday school Christmas programs, weddings and numerous funerals.

The first organ she played was a Hammond C2. Then in 1994 her church received an Allen MDS1 Digital Computer Organ.

The church has had three hymn books during her time as organist. The red hymn book, service book and hymnal; the green hymn book, Lutheran book of worship; and the cranberry hymn book, Evangelical Lutheran worship.

Mortensn is on the church council and serves as the financial secretary. She is also on the worship committee and is a Thrivent advocate for her church.

Mortensen works for the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office and her husband, Ben, works for the Albert Lea Police Department.