Rehoboth Ramblings

Saying Thank You for Decades of Service

Of all the people who volunteer in Rehoboth, there is probably no one who has contributed more time and energy to more organizations in town than Werner Horlbeck. Many of Werner’s friends filled the church hall at Rehoboth Congregational Church on Jan. 25 to say “Thank You”. Werner and his wife Chris will soon be moving to Hingham, after 40 years of living in Rehoboth.
Rev. Sarah Weaver, pastor of the Rehoboth Congregational Church where Werner has served as a deacon and volunteered so much over the years, called Werner a “pillar of the community, someone with insight and wisdom.” She set the theme for the evening’s gathering: “We’re not here to say good-bye, but thank you.”
Laura Bennett, Director of the Blanding Library, called the event “The Werner Appreciation Party”. She noted that Werner has been an invaluable presence at the Blanding Public Library where he “always puts his heart into everything”.
State Representative Steve Howitt presented Werner with a citation from the Commonwealth, issued at the State House, for his countless hours of service to Rehoboth as a volunteer.
Werner has served the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society (RAS) in many ways over the years. Past RAS President Tom Charnecki thanked him for taking over as RAS treasurer 12 years ago and serving as a member of the governing board. “He is the glue that held everything together – the Carpenter Museum, the Blanding Library, and Arts in the Village,” Tom said. “He has volunteered with enthusiasm and diligence. He’s always reliable and most importantly, he has served with a high level of integrity, honesty, and moral values.”
Tom also thanked Werner’s wife Chris for all she has done for the Blanding Library, where she first organized a children’s library and then served as director for a number of years, retiring in 1998.
Selectman Gerry Schwall presented Werner with a certificate of appreciation from the Board of Selectmen for distinguished service from 1994 to the present. He said that with Werner’s departure from the town, “we will lose a little piece of our soul. You made us better.” Werner has served on a variety of committees over the years, including the Water Commission, the Agricultural Commission, and the Community Preservation Committee, among others.
Following the tributes to him, Werner thanked everyone and gave a short talk, looking back on his four decades in Rehoboth. “These 40 years just flew by,” he said. “I feel that I’ve led a charmed life; that I’ve been dealt an exceptional hand in my life, starting with my parents.” He said that his German parents were able to pursue the American dream, coming to the U.S. after the dark years of World War I.
A graduate of Brooklyn Polytechnic, Werner had a distinguished career in chemical engineering before retiring, including setting up new plants in Europe and America. He and his wife Chris first met in 1965, married in 1966, and headed off to Europe, where his work took him. They will celebrate their 50th anniversary this May. The Horlbecks have two children, Rick and Karen, and seven grandchildren. The senior Horlbecks’ move to Hingham will bring them closer to Rick and his wife Dawn and their five daughters, who live in Norwell. Karen lives in Rochester MN with her husband Frank and young son and daughter.
After living in Europe with their young children in the early 1970’s, Werner and Chris decided to come back to the U.S. in 1975. Werner chose to work at “a little plant in Dighton” where he said he had a great crew. He had the opportunity to retire early and then he turned all his energy to volunteering. Even before he retired, Werner was on the Board of Trustees at the Congregational Church for 12 years. During that time, they got the church hall built so the children would not have to walk down Bay State Road to Goff Hall for Sunday School.
Chris Horlbeck was then asked to start a children’s library at the Blanding in Goff Hall. When librarian Juliet Mansfield retired, Chris then became director of the Blanding, so the library owes a great deal to both Chris and Werner. They were also instrumental in setting up The Friends of the Blanding Library volunteer organization and Werner has served as its treasurer for many years.
Another of Werner’s accomplishments is his facility with languages. He concluded by quoting the famous song of French chanteuse Edith Piaf, “Non, je ne regrette rien” (I regret nothing) and then gave a Yiddish blessing to his many friends gathered at the church hall, wishing them all a long life.
Werner said that he’s felt blessed all his life. He has certainly been generous in sharing these blessings with the wider community. We will greatly miss Werner and Chris. Fortunately, they are not moving too far away and we hope they will be frequent visitors to the town they have given so much to.