Thelma Olava Michelson died on March 3 at her home in Park Ridge, Illinois, after a long illness at the age of 96. She was a Chicago area music director, church organist and choir director most of her life. Throughout the years she was associated with Moorland Lutheran Church, Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Chicago; St. Luke's Lutheran Church, Park Ridge; St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Evanston for 21 years; and Congregation Solel of Highland Park for 14 years. She was a member of Edison Park Lutheran Church, Chicago, for over 50 years. Mrs. Michelson was born in Grand Meadow, Minnesota, in 1901, and began piano lessons at an early age. She became organist of Grand Meadow Lutheran Church while in high school and was valedictorian of her high school graduating class. She graduated cum laude from St. Olaf College in three years, and then went on to teach organ and piano there. She moved to Chicago in 1923 to become organist at Moorland Lutheran Church, where she married Harry Michelson in 1925. She earned the Master of Music degree from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, studying organ with Wilhelm Middleschulte, and a second Master's in organ and church music from Northwestern University. She was an active member of the AGO and the Chicago Club of Women Organists, for whom she organized the Gruenstein Competition for many years. Mrs. Michelson collaborated with another Middleschulte pupil Margrethe Hokinson on two books of choral music, Alleluia, Books I & II, published by Neil Kjos Publishing Co. She is survived by her son Rolf, one brother, two sisters, and one grandson.
Ronald Sauter, of Frank J. Sauter & Sons, died April 17 at the age of 67. For 41 years he built and repaired pipe organs at his family-owned business in Alsip, Illinois. A Chicago native, he studied French horn with Helen Kotas Hirsch of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for five years. Like his late brother Francis, he joined his father's pipe organ business and maintained a life-long love of music. He was a member of the Southwest Symphony and DuPage Symphony orchestras. He played in the 5th Army Band and was in the National Guard Band. Survivors include his wife, five daughters, and 10 grandchildren. A funeral mass was held at St. Adrian Catholic Church in Chicago.
Fred Tulan died on March 15 in Stockton, California. A native Stocktonian, he had an international career as an organ consultant and concert artist. Born on September 5, 1930, he performed Schoenberg's unfinished Organ Sonata for the composer in 1941 at the age of 11. A 1954 graduate of the University of the Pacific, he continued his education and earned a doctorate in music. Included was six years of European study of organ in Paris and of pedal harpsichord in Heidelberg, Germany. Further organ study was with Charles Courboin at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral. He performed recitals in 17 countries, including such venues as Notre-Dame in Paris, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Patrick's Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, Washington National Cathedral, and the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. He performed eight times at Davies Symphony Hall and several concerts at Grace Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral, all in San Francisco. He was engaged by the San Francisco Symphony and Davies Symphony Hall as consultant for the new Ruffatti and Noack organs. He served for six years on the executive board of the San Francisco AGO chapter, and was a member of the program committee and Chairman of the Commissioned Works committee for the 1984 AGO national convention in San Francisco. He was honored twice by the Stockton Arts Commission, in 1976 "For outstanding contributions to the cultural life of the city," and in 1985 "For lifetime career achievement." Dozens of internationally prominent organists wrote works especially for him, including such names as Guillou, Newman, Pinkham, Peeters, Cochereau, and many others. He premiered works by many noted composers, among them Shostakovich, Khachaturian, Schoenberg, and Virgil Thomson, and played private recitals for such notables as Francis Cardinal Spellman and T.S. Eliot.
