The Early Evangelical Churches
In Germany in 1817, the Lutheran and Reformed Churches were united by government decree into one Evangelical Church. When the second great wave of German immigration reached America in the mid-nineteenth century, its members organized, in the Mississippi Valley and westward, the Evangelical Synod of North America.
The Evangelical Synod of North America was founded by six German ministers in 1840 at Gravois Settlement, near St. Louis, Missouri. Known in its early years as the Evangelical Union of the West, it changed its name to German Evangelical Synod of North America in 1877, and in 1925 "German" was dropped from its name. Some of the early ministers were from the Evangelical church of Prussia, the union of Lutheran and Reformed churches, which gave support to the American church. The Evangelical Synod of North America accepted the Heidelberg Catechism, Luther's Catechism, and the Augsburg Confession as its doctrinal standards.
Four other church groups of German background subsequently joined the Evangelical Synod. When it merged with the Reformed Church in the United States in 1934, it had 281,598 members. In 1957 the Evangelical and Reformed Church agreed to unite with the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ.
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:hp3.St. John's Evangelical Church, north of Union:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The St. John's Evangelical Church is located two and one-half miles north of Union. It was organized in 1843, only three years after the founding of the Evangelical Synod of North America. After meetings had been held for some time in a member's home, the first log church building was erected in 1846. That building was used by the congregation until 1875, when a new brick church was erected on the same site as the log building. Like many of the early German churches, St. John's had a school that was connected with the church. The school was taught by the pastor, and classes were all taught in German.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Fred Mantels, 1853-83
:li.John Simons
:li.Joseph Gruess
:li.Albert Muecke, Oct 1886-
:eol.
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:hp3.St. John's Evangelical Church, Casco:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The St. John's Congregation dates its formation back to April of 1850. The first pastor, and charter members of the congregation, broke away from the Evangelical Lutheran Ebenezer Church located nearby. For further information about the formation of this Evangelical congregation, see :hdref refid=lefman..
The first log church and parsonage were built as a single building. It served its purpose until December of 1854, when the thirteen members decided to build a new frame church. The cornerstone was laid on May 1, 1856.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Henry Grote, Aug 1848-Aug 1853
:li.H. C. W. Schuenemann, Mar 1854-Nov 1858
:li.Georg Maul, Feb 1859-Feb 1865
:li.Martin Kruse, Feb 1865-Aug 1870
:li.Friederich Frankenfeld Sr., Feb 1871-1873
:li.H. C. W. Schuenemann, 1873-76
:li.Wm. Baehr, 1876-Jun 1878
:li.Wm. Beck, Oct 1878-Nov 1885
:li.D. Behrens, Oct 1885-Apr 1890
:li.Henry Rixmann, Aug 1890-Oct 1894
:li.Tigram Schaveled, Dec 1894-Oct 1897
:li.Samuel Fayn, Nov 1897-Feb 1900
:li.Wm Jung Sr., May 1900-Jul 1906
:li.von Lanyi, Nov 1906-Nov 1908
:li.Adolf Kalkbrenner, Nov 1908-Nov 1913
:eol.
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:hp3.Bethany Evangelical 'Stone Church', Big Berger:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
Officially, the Bethany Congregation was not organized until 1853, but it actually began in 1852 or earlier. Meetings were held in 1852 in the home of Frederich Oberwortmann, who later gave the congregation forty acres of his land for church purposes. The first ordained pastor who ministered to the congregation was the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Church in Hermann. The first church building was constructed of logs, which were later covered with weather boards. In 1854, a log parsonage was constructed. A decision to replace the original log church with a stone structure was made in 1869, and the building was dedicated in August of 1871.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.C. Nestel, 1853-54
:li.S. Weiks, 1854-57
:li.C. Bek, 1857-63
:li.C. F. Doehring, 1863-69
:li.C. Kautz, 1869-74
:li.F. M. Haefele, 1874-79
:li.J. J. Hotz, 1879-99
:li.A. J. Hotz, 1899-1901
:li.C. Kautz, 1901-05
:li.A. D. Kalkbrenner, 1905-07
:li.G. Kuecherer, 1908-12
:eol.
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:hp3.Ebenezer Evangelical 'Stone Church', north of Gerald:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
A history of the Ebenezer Evangelical Church, written to commemorate the 110th Anniversary of the church, documents that the formal history of the Ebenezer Evangelical Church goes back to June 12, 1854, when it was organized by twelve men. They must have immediately decided to erect a church building, as the first church, built of logs, was dedicated on July 9, 1854, less than a month after the formal organization. About four months later, a cemetery was dedicated, on November 6, 1854.
The records of the Ebenezer congregation begin in 1854. Antedating the formal organization, however, we find documentary evidence of the existence of worship hours and the administration of the sacraments. The Rev. H. C. Schuenemann, of the St. John's Evangelical Church at Casco, who assisted when the organization took place in 1854, and who had assumed charge of the Casco church early in 1854, wrote the first entries of baptisms, deaths, etc. into the Ebenezer Church record book. His predecessor in Casco, Rev. Henry Grote, died in 1853, and it is recorded that parishoners from the Stone Church on Boeff Creek attended his funeral service.
Rev. Grote is mentioned as having worked among the folks on the Boeff. And one of the baptism records of Rev. Schuenemann dates back to August of 1850. This substantiates the reports of meetings, long before the organization of the congregation, in the open air, with logs for pews, and of meetings for worship in the homes. And it is clear that the St. John's Evangelical congregation at Casco was the Mother of the Ebenezer Evangelical congregation on Boeuf Creek.
The decision to replace the first log church with a stone structure was made in December of 1862. The new church building was dedicated in September of 1865.
Several of the families featured in this book were members of the Ebenezer Evangelical Church congregation. They include the Philip Landwehr family, the Maria (Landwehr) Lichte family, the Fritz Landwehr family, and the Lefmann family.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.H. C. Schuenemann, 1854-1857
:li.J. P. Welsch, 1857-1862
:li.Chr. Haas, 1862-1868
:li.Ed. P. Veerhoff, 1868-1868
:li.W. Bek, 1869-Mar 1874
:li.H. Koenig, 1875-1883
:li.A. Fismer, Apr 1883-1885
:li.K. Kurz, Nov 1885-Oct 1894
:li.Prof. A. Grabowski, Nov 1894-Oct 1898
:li.R. Agricola, Oct 1898-Sep 1899
:li.B. Slupianek, 1899-1900
:li.P. C. Schnake, 1900-May 1903
:li.W. Jung, 1903-1907
:li.D. Behrens, 1907-Sep 1912
:eol
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:hp3.St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Gerald:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The earliest written record of the St. Paul's Evangelical Church is contained in a register of births, confirmations, marriages and deaths maintained by the officiating pastors, and the first entry is dated in January of 1856. From that book of entries it is certain that the church was functioning. The first services of the church were conducted in a log house located on the John W. Vossbrink farm, located one mile east of Gerald, and just north of the early village of Shotwell.
The first log church was built on a site one mile north of Shotwell, where the St. Paul's Evangelical Cemetery is still located. The log church was dedicated in April of 1860, and a parsonage was built in 1863. A new and larger frame church building was dedicated at the same site in August of 1886. The Fritz Landwehr family was affiliated with St. Paul's in the late 1800's and early 1900's. St. Paul's moved into Gerald when a new church building was dedicated in July of 1905.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.H. C. Schuenemann, supply prior to 1860
:li.J. P. Welsch, 1860-61
:li.G. Maul, 1861-65
:li.Michael Kruse, 1866
:li.Fredrick Rasche, 1866-67
:li.Edw. P. Veerhoff, 1868-69
:li.William Bek, 1870-73
:li.No record, 1874-84
:li.P. A. Fismer, 1885-90
:li.Henry Rixmann, 1890-93
:li.Tigram Shanelet, 1893-94
:li.J. S. Fismer, 1894-97
:li.Valentine Strauss, 1898-1903
:li.E. Roglin, 1903-07
:li.E. J. Becker, 1908-12
:eol.
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:hp3.St. John's Evangelical Church, Berger:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
In May of 1875, a meeting was held in an old log school house at the edge of Berger. After some deliberation, those in attendance decided to build a church in their community, then known as "Berger Station". At a meeting held the following month, the organizers of the St. John's Evangelical Church were assisted by Rev. Haefele, minister of the Bethany Evangelical Church. A decision was made to have services every fourteen days at the Berger Station schoolhouse until a new church building was ready for services. Rev. Haefele agreed to conduct the services.
A new church building, a brick structure with a basement, was constructed within a few months. A parsonage was completed in April of 1877. The first occupant of the new parsonage was Rev. Fr. Werning, who was moved by team and wagon from his former charge at Drake, Missouri.
The Maria (Landwehr) Lichte and the Philip Landwehr families were affiliated with St. John's in the late 1870's and early 1880's. Further information about organization of this congregation is provided by the :hdref refid=maria..
The St. John's Evangelical Church cemetery dates back to January 1, 1881, when the congregation authorized the purchase of one and one-quarter acres of land to be made into burial lots.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Fr. Werning, 1877-81
:li.G. Guebner, 1881-May 1883
:li.J. J. Hotz, 1883 (supply)
:li.J. D. Berges, Jan 1884-May 1885
:li.J. Daiss, May 1885-Jun 1917
:eol.
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:hp3.St. Peter's Evangelical Church, New Haven:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
In 1878, a few Evangelical Christians, under the leadership of Christian Bueker, wanted to organize an Evangelical Church at New Haven. The pastor of the Evangelical Church at Pinckney, in southern Warren County, was asked to conduct afternoon services every two weeks. Services were first held at the "Yeates School Hause" east of New Haven, but were soon moved to a school house in New Haven. Services were well attended, and a decision was made in 1879 to build a church. The church was dedicated in November of that same year.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Wm. Beck, 1879-80 (supply)
:li.Adam Schroeder, 1880-Jan 1895
:li.J. U. Schneider, 1895-96
:li.Doernenburg, 1896-Oct 1900
:li.Leesmann, Oct 1900-Apr 1901
:li.J. A. Hotz, 1901-Sep 1904
:li.Conrad Stoerker, 1904-
:eol.
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:hp3.Dutch Hill Evangelical Church, near Spring Bluff:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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Very little information about the history of the Dutch Hill Evangelical Congregation has been located. Visitors to the site of the church will find a small, deserted frame church building, and a small cemetery. Both the building and the cemetery are well-maintained.
We can estimate the date when the congregation was organized. The first person buried in the Dutch Hill Cemetery was probably Philip Landwehr's eleven-year-old son, Willie, who was buried there on August 5, 1883. The burial site was apparently located on the farm of C. H. Blankenship. Exactly three months later, on November 5, 1883, C. H. and Sophia Blankenship sold eight and one-half acres of land along Jake's Prairie Road to J. H. Wilmesher, G. Tebbe, and Hy. Hecht, Directors of the "Evangelishe Luth Kirche" for $85.00. The Dutch Hill Church and Cemetery are located on this eight and one-half acres. We are, therefore, probably safe in assuming that the congregation was organized in 1883.
The original Dutch Hill church building was a log structure. Henry Landwehr, Philip Landwehr's son, helped build the current frame church building about 1908.
We don't know whether the Dutch Hill congregation ever had a resident pastor. We do know that in the later years of the Dutch Hill Church's history, they were dependent on ministers from other congregations. We have heard one unconfirmed report that there was once a log parsonage associated with the church. We do know that the Dutch Hill Church was never affiliated with the Evangelical Synod of North America.
The Dutch Hill Church was located only two miles southeast of the Champion City community. Until the Methodist congregation organized in Champion City in 1893, the Dutch Hill Evangelical Church would have been the only church in the Champion City neighborhood. Therefore, we suspect that the church was important to many Champion City residents between 1883 and 1893. Philip Landwehr and his family were certainly affiliated with the church at an early date, and William Landwehr buried his two sons in the Dutch Hill Cemetery in 1890. Fritz Landwehr and his family were Evangelical, and could have been affiliated with the church.
We don't know when the Dutch Hill congregation disbanded. Services apparently continued until at least 1922, but may have been discontinued soon after that date. In the later years, services were only held once each month.
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:hp3.St. James Evangelical Church, Stony Hill:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The beginning of the St. James Evangelical Congregation dates back to August 10, 1890, when the Rev. J. J. Hotz, pastor of the Bethany Evangelical Church near Berger, conducted services in the home of Mr. Christian Gumper. Rev. Hotz conducted services in the Gumper home every other Sunday.
The congregation was organized with twelve charter members in October of 1890. A decision was made the following month to erect a frame church building, and the new church was dedicated in May of 1892. A parsonage was built the following year.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.J. J. Hotz, 1890-1897 (supply)
:li.August Kuhn, 1897-1937
The Evangelical Synod of North America was founded by six German ministers in 1840 at Gravois Settlement, near St. Louis, Missouri. Known in its early years as the Evangelical Union of the West, it changed its name to German Evangelical Synod of North America in 1877, and in 1925 "German" was dropped from its name. Some of the early ministers were from the Evangelical church of Prussia, the union of Lutheran and Reformed churches, which gave support to the American church. The Evangelical Synod of North America accepted the Heidelberg Catechism, Luther's Catechism, and the Augsburg Confession as its doctrinal standards.
Four other church groups of German background subsequently joined the Evangelical Synod. When it merged with the Reformed Church in the United States in 1934, it had 281,598 members. In 1957 the Evangelical and Reformed Church agreed to unite with the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches to form the United Church of Christ.
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:hp3.St. John's Evangelical Church, north of Union:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The St. John's Evangelical Church is located two and one-half miles north of Union. It was organized in 1843, only three years after the founding of the Evangelical Synod of North America. After meetings had been held for some time in a member's home, the first log church building was erected in 1846. That building was used by the congregation until 1875, when a new brick church was erected on the same site as the log building. Like many of the early German churches, St. John's had a school that was connected with the church. The school was taught by the pastor, and classes were all taught in German.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Fred Mantels, 1853-83
:li.John Simons
:li.Joseph Gruess
:li.Albert Muecke, Oct 1886-
:eol.
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.sk 2
:hp3.St. John's Evangelical Church, Casco:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The St. John's Congregation dates its formation back to April of 1850. The first pastor, and charter members of the congregation, broke away from the Evangelical Lutheran Ebenezer Church located nearby. For further information about the formation of this Evangelical congregation, see :hdref refid=lefman..
The first log church and parsonage were built as a single building. It served its purpose until December of 1854, when the thirteen members decided to build a new frame church. The cornerstone was laid on May 1, 1856.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Henry Grote, Aug 1848-Aug 1853
:li.H. C. W. Schuenemann, Mar 1854-Nov 1858
:li.Georg Maul, Feb 1859-Feb 1865
:li.Martin Kruse, Feb 1865-Aug 1870
:li.Friederich Frankenfeld Sr., Feb 1871-1873
:li.H. C. W. Schuenemann, 1873-76
:li.Wm. Baehr, 1876-Jun 1878
:li.Wm. Beck, Oct 1878-Nov 1885
:li.D. Behrens, Oct 1885-Apr 1890
:li.Henry Rixmann, Aug 1890-Oct 1894
:li.Tigram Schaveled, Dec 1894-Oct 1897
:li.Samuel Fayn, Nov 1897-Feb 1900
:li.Wm Jung Sr., May 1900-Jul 1906
:li.von Lanyi, Nov 1906-Nov 1908
:li.Adolf Kalkbrenner, Nov 1908-Nov 1913
:eol.
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.sk 2
:hp3.Bethany Evangelical 'Stone Church', Big Berger:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
Officially, the Bethany Congregation was not organized until 1853, but it actually began in 1852 or earlier. Meetings were held in 1852 in the home of Frederich Oberwortmann, who later gave the congregation forty acres of his land for church purposes. The first ordained pastor who ministered to the congregation was the pastor of St. Paul's Evangelical Church in Hermann. The first church building was constructed of logs, which were later covered with weather boards. In 1854, a log parsonage was constructed. A decision to replace the original log church with a stone structure was made in 1869, and the building was dedicated in August of 1871.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.C. Nestel, 1853-54
:li.S. Weiks, 1854-57
:li.C. Bek, 1857-63
:li.C. F. Doehring, 1863-69
:li.C. Kautz, 1869-74
:li.F. M. Haefele, 1874-79
:li.J. J. Hotz, 1879-99
:li.A. J. Hotz, 1899-1901
:li.C. Kautz, 1901-05
:li.A. D. Kalkbrenner, 1905-07
:li.G. Kuecherer, 1908-12
:eol.
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:hp3.Ebenezer Evangelical 'Stone Church', north of Gerald:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
A history of the Ebenezer Evangelical Church, written to commemorate the 110th Anniversary of the church, documents that the formal history of the Ebenezer Evangelical Church goes back to June 12, 1854, when it was organized by twelve men. They must have immediately decided to erect a church building, as the first church, built of logs, was dedicated on July 9, 1854, less than a month after the formal organization. About four months later, a cemetery was dedicated, on November 6, 1854.
The records of the Ebenezer congregation begin in 1854. Antedating the formal organization, however, we find documentary evidence of the existence of worship hours and the administration of the sacraments. The Rev. H. C. Schuenemann, of the St. John's Evangelical Church at Casco, who assisted when the organization took place in 1854, and who had assumed charge of the Casco church early in 1854, wrote the first entries of baptisms, deaths, etc. into the Ebenezer Church record book. His predecessor in Casco, Rev. Henry Grote, died in 1853, and it is recorded that parishoners from the Stone Church on Boeff Creek attended his funeral service.
Rev. Grote is mentioned as having worked among the folks on the Boeff. And one of the baptism records of Rev. Schuenemann dates back to August of 1850. This substantiates the reports of meetings, long before the organization of the congregation, in the open air, with logs for pews, and of meetings for worship in the homes. And it is clear that the St. John's Evangelical congregation at Casco was the Mother of the Ebenezer Evangelical congregation on Boeuf Creek.
The decision to replace the first log church with a stone structure was made in December of 1862. The new church building was dedicated in September of 1865.
Several of the families featured in this book were members of the Ebenezer Evangelical Church congregation. They include the Philip Landwehr family, the Maria (Landwehr) Lichte family, the Fritz Landwehr family, and the Lefmann family.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.H. C. Schuenemann, 1854-1857
:li.J. P. Welsch, 1857-1862
:li.Chr. Haas, 1862-1868
:li.Ed. P. Veerhoff, 1868-1868
:li.W. Bek, 1869-Mar 1874
:li.H. Koenig, 1875-1883
:li.A. Fismer, Apr 1883-1885
:li.K. Kurz, Nov 1885-Oct 1894
:li.Prof. A. Grabowski, Nov 1894-Oct 1898
:li.R. Agricola, Oct 1898-Sep 1899
:li.B. Slupianek, 1899-1900
:li.P. C. Schnake, 1900-May 1903
:li.W. Jung, 1903-1907
:li.D. Behrens, 1907-Sep 1912
:eol
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.sk 2
:hp3.St. Paul's Evangelical Church, Gerald:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The earliest written record of the St. Paul's Evangelical Church is contained in a register of births, confirmations, marriages and deaths maintained by the officiating pastors, and the first entry is dated in January of 1856. From that book of entries it is certain that the church was functioning. The first services of the church were conducted in a log house located on the John W. Vossbrink farm, located one mile east of Gerald, and just north of the early village of Shotwell.
The first log church was built on a site one mile north of Shotwell, where the St. Paul's Evangelical Cemetery is still located. The log church was dedicated in April of 1860, and a parsonage was built in 1863. A new and larger frame church building was dedicated at the same site in August of 1886. The Fritz Landwehr family was affiliated with St. Paul's in the late 1800's and early 1900's. St. Paul's moved into Gerald when a new church building was dedicated in July of 1905.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.H. C. Schuenemann, supply prior to 1860
:li.J. P. Welsch, 1860-61
:li.G. Maul, 1861-65
:li.Michael Kruse, 1866
:li.Fredrick Rasche, 1866-67
:li.Edw. P. Veerhoff, 1868-69
:li.William Bek, 1870-73
:li.No record, 1874-84
:li.P. A. Fismer, 1885-90
:li.Henry Rixmann, 1890-93
:li.Tigram Shanelet, 1893-94
:li.J. S. Fismer, 1894-97
:li.Valentine Strauss, 1898-1903
:li.E. Roglin, 1903-07
:li.E. J. Becker, 1908-12
:eol.
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.sk 2
:hp3.St. John's Evangelical Church, Berger:ehp3.
.br
.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
In May of 1875, a meeting was held in an old log school house at the edge of Berger. After some deliberation, those in attendance decided to build a church in their community, then known as "Berger Station". At a meeting held the following month, the organizers of the St. John's Evangelical Church were assisted by Rev. Haefele, minister of the Bethany Evangelical Church. A decision was made to have services every fourteen days at the Berger Station schoolhouse until a new church building was ready for services. Rev. Haefele agreed to conduct the services.
A new church building, a brick structure with a basement, was constructed within a few months. A parsonage was completed in April of 1877. The first occupant of the new parsonage was Rev. Fr. Werning, who was moved by team and wagon from his former charge at Drake, Missouri.
The Maria (Landwehr) Lichte and the Philip Landwehr families were affiliated with St. John's in the late 1870's and early 1880's. Further information about organization of this congregation is provided by the :hdref refid=maria..
The St. John's Evangelical Church cemetery dates back to January 1, 1881, when the congregation authorized the purchase of one and one-quarter acres of land to be made into burial lots.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Fr. Werning, 1877-81
:li.G. Guebner, 1881-May 1883
:li.J. J. Hotz, 1883 (supply)
:li.J. D. Berges, Jan 1884-May 1885
:li.J. Daiss, May 1885-Jun 1917
:eol.
.br
.sk 2
:hp3.St. Peter's Evangelical Church, New Haven:ehp3.
.br
.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
In 1878, a few Evangelical Christians, under the leadership of Christian Bueker, wanted to organize an Evangelical Church at New Haven. The pastor of the Evangelical Church at Pinckney, in southern Warren County, was asked to conduct afternoon services every two weeks. Services were first held at the "Yeates School Hause" east of New Haven, but were soon moved to a school house in New Haven. Services were well attended, and a decision was made in 1879 to build a church. The church was dedicated in November of that same year.
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.Wm. Beck, 1879-80 (supply)
:li.Adam Schroeder, 1880-Jan 1895
:li.J. U. Schneider, 1895-96
:li.Doernenburg, 1896-Oct 1900
:li.Leesmann, Oct 1900-Apr 1901
:li.J. A. Hotz, 1901-Sep 1904
:li.Conrad Stoerker, 1904-
:eol.
.br
.sk 2
:hp3.Dutch Hill Evangelical Church, near Spring Bluff:ehp3.
.br
.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
.br
Very little information about the history of the Dutch Hill Evangelical Congregation has been located. Visitors to the site of the church will find a small, deserted frame church building, and a small cemetery. Both the building and the cemetery are well-maintained.
We can estimate the date when the congregation was organized. The first person buried in the Dutch Hill Cemetery was probably Philip Landwehr's eleven-year-old son, Willie, who was buried there on August 5, 1883. The burial site was apparently located on the farm of C. H. Blankenship. Exactly three months later, on November 5, 1883, C. H. and Sophia Blankenship sold eight and one-half acres of land along Jake's Prairie Road to J. H. Wilmesher, G. Tebbe, and Hy. Hecht, Directors of the "Evangelishe Luth Kirche" for $85.00. The Dutch Hill Church and Cemetery are located on this eight and one-half acres. We are, therefore, probably safe in assuming that the congregation was organized in 1883.
The original Dutch Hill church building was a log structure. Henry Landwehr, Philip Landwehr's son, helped build the current frame church building about 1908.
We don't know whether the Dutch Hill congregation ever had a resident pastor. We do know that in the later years of the Dutch Hill Church's history, they were dependent on ministers from other congregations. We have heard one unconfirmed report that there was once a log parsonage associated with the church. We do know that the Dutch Hill Church was never affiliated with the Evangelical Synod of North America.
The Dutch Hill Church was located only two miles southeast of the Champion City community. Until the Methodist congregation organized in Champion City in 1893, the Dutch Hill Evangelical Church would have been the only church in the Champion City neighborhood. Therefore, we suspect that the church was important to many Champion City residents between 1883 and 1893. Philip Landwehr and his family were certainly affiliated with the church at an early date, and William Landwehr buried his two sons in the Dutch Hill Cemetery in 1890. Fritz Landwehr and his family were Evangelical, and could have been affiliated with the church.
We don't know when the Dutch Hill congregation disbanded. Services apparently continued until at least 1922, but may have been discontinued soon after that date. In the later years, services were only held once each month.
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:hp3.St. James Evangelical Church, Stony Hill:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The beginning of the St. James Evangelical Congregation dates back to August 10, 1890, when the Rev. J. J. Hotz, pastor of the Bethany Evangelical Church near Berger, conducted services in the home of Mr. Christian Gumper. Rev. Hotz conducted services in the Gumper home every other Sunday.
The congregation was organized with twelve charter members in October of 1890. A decision was made the following month to erect a frame church building, and the new church was dedicated in May of 1892. A parsonage was built the following year.
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:li.J. J. Hotz, 1890-1897 (supply)
:li.August Kuhn, 1897-1937