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St. John's Lutheran Church / (Wisconsin Synod)
Founded 1852
North 5th and Cady Streets
St. John's, 1910
Its Beginnings
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church had
its beginnings, together with many of the older Lutheran churches of our land,
in the great emigration from Germany that took place in the latter half of the
nineteenth century. In Germany, as in
most of the countries of Europe, there was opportunity only for the princes and
the landholders. But in America,
opportunity was unlimited. Vast reaches
of land, fertile farms were available to those immigrants, whether native or
foreign, who were willing to come into what was then known as the West, and
live on the land and cultivate it. The
railroad, improved roads, established settlements, the push to the far West
inspired by the gold rush of 1849 helped to tame the wilderness, to make it
easier to get into the West, and to
remove the fear of the unknown which kept many at home. By the hundreds of thousands immigrants
poured into the land, and those from Germany resolutely moved into the West,
and took their faith with them.
Among the vanguard of the German immigration
there were the founders of St. John’s Church.
They came from Pomerania, in northeast Germany along the Baltic
Sea. They were a little band, closely
knit by friendship, relationship and by their common faith. Already in Germany
they had left the State Church which had become more and more lax in it
adherence to the word of God, and affiliated themselves with a Free Lutheran
Church.
1851 Arrived
in 1851
In the summer of 1851 they came to
Watertown. Watertown was then a thriving
community of 4,000 inhabitants. It was
not yet a part of the great railroad network that contributed so much to the
opening of the West, but was connected with the nearest railhead, Milwaukee, by
a plank road. The journey across the
Atlantic took eight weeks, from there they went by rail to Milwaukee, and the
final stage of the journey was made by wagon.
It is impossible to ascertain exactly the
names of the hardy, Godfearing pioneers, who under God, were the founders of
St. John’s Church. Among them were,
however, the following: Heinrich
Kroening, Friedrich Schumacher, Friedrich Klug, Wilhelm Dobbratz, Heinrich
Koch, Erdmann Folijahn, Ludwig Mielke, August Schatz, J. G. Gerbig, J. F.
Spiegelberg, Caspar Schroeder, Carl Grewe, Wilhem Graunke, Carl Glamm,
Christoph Wiedenhoeft, Gottlieb Hicke and Goerge Marquardt.
First Service
Being devout Lutheran Christians, one of the
first cares of this little group was to provide for their own spiritual welfare
and that of their families. There was in
existence in Watertown a congregation composed of German immigrants, served by
the Rev. Friedrich Rentzsch, but it required only a little investigation to
discover that this congregation was not an orthodox Lutheran group, but taught
the same “error” which had moved them to leave the German State Church in their
homeland. Unwilling to compromise the
true Lutheran faith, and being desirous to establish that church which teaches
the word of God in all its truth and purity, and make a beginning free of all
compromise, a number of the immigrants, under the leadership of Heinrich
Kroenig, and through the cooperation of one of the civic leaders of Watertown,
John W. Cole, rented a small public school building at North Fourth and
Division Streets. Here this little group
of Christians met, and since they had not pastor, one of the members would read
a sermon each Sunday from a book of Lutheran sermons prepared and published by
a German pastor, Heinrich Mueller. There
was, at first, no formal organization, so that actual date of the founding of
St. John’s Church is indefinite. But so
eager were these devout immigrants to be served by the pure Gospel that
according to the best information available these services were instituted a
very few months after the arrival of this little band of Lutherans in Watertown,
very likely in the fall of 1851.
1852 Pastor
Called
St. John’s Church in Watertown had its beginning in 1852. The first new church building dedication followed on June 25, 1865.
Within a year, in 1852, the congregation
called its first pastor, the Rev. A. Kleinegees, who lived in Watertown and was
a member of the then Ohio Lutheran Synod.
He remained with the congregation a very short time, until March of
1853, since it was soon discovered that at the time he believed and taught the
liberal and rationalistic doctrines of the German State Church. Obviously, however, Rev. Kleinegees, who was
born in Germany on
During the tenure of Rev. Kleinegees and
under his leadership, the congregation took the first steps toward
organization, the election of a board of trustees. This act is recorded as the first entry in
the first volume of the records of corporate bodies filed with the register of
deeds of Jefferson County, Wisconsin, and is reproduced here in it entirety
because of its historical importance:
_______
German Evangelical Lutheran
St. John’s Church
Certificate of Election of Trustees
State of Wisconsin
SS
Jefferson County
George Gerbig and Johann
Spiegelberg being duly sworn on oath depose and say that on the 6th
day of
December, instant at a meeting
called according to law for that purpose Christoph Weidenhoeft,
George Marquardt and Gottlieb Hicke were duly elected trustees of the
German Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s Church in Watertown, Jefferson County
and State of Wisconsin, namely Christoph Weidenhoeft for one year, George
Marquardt for two years and Gottlieb Hicke for three years.
Watertown,
Witness George Gerbig
A Kleinegees John Spiegelberg
Subscribed and sworn to before me
this 11th day of December, A. D. 1852
A.
Minges
Justice of the Peace
Recorded
________
Being without a pastor, the congregation
prevailed upon Rev. L. Geyer, the pastor of Immanuel Church, Town Lebanon,
which at that time was a member church of the Missouri Synod, to serve in this
capacity. He began to serve the
congregation on
Parish School
Into this period belongs also the beginning
of St. John’s Parish School. The exact
date of it origin cannot be determined, but it is obvious from what is known
that one of the first concerns of the founders of St. John’s Church was the
Christian education of their children.
Already before the pastorate of Rev. Geyer,
Heinrich Kroening, and Rev. Kleinegees had served as teachers to the children
of the congregation. Now, however, the
work of the school was expended, and the children were placed under the
instruction of the son of the teacher of Immanuel Church, Lebanon, Mr.
Wetzel. It is remarkable, and a reason
to glorify God, that in the one hundred years of St. John’s history the needs
of its parish school have always been close to the hearts of the members of St.
John’s Church, and that its small, difficult beginnings have grown into such a
magnificent institution, and that this nursery of Christian education has
provided uncounted blessings to thousands of blood-bought souls.
1854 Join Synod
In this period St. John’s Church took
another important step, which has had far-reaching significance upon its
history. In 1854, at the eighth annual
convention of what was then known as the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of
Missouri, Ohio, and other States, the congregation applied for membership with
this boy and was received as a member.
It is noteworthy that St. John’s
congregation is thus one of the oldest member congregations of what has become
a world-wide church group. Through its
affiliation with this staunchly conservative Lutheran body, St. John’s Church has
carried out its duty of preaching the Gospel into all the world, has helped to
bring the printed “Word” to thousands of blood-bought souls, has, by it gifts
and by sending men and women from its midst, provided pastors and teachers
firmly indoctrinated in the Gospel to meet the needs of a constantly growing
church body, and has taken an active part in the spreading of the Church of the
Reformation into every state of the union, and many of the far corners of the
world. Through its affiliation with this
body, St. John’s Church has also taken part in major works of charity,
supporting institutions of charity within the church and contributing liberally
with its fellow congregations whenever an emergency arose among members of the
household faith.
Full Time Pastor
It is understandable that a group as
God-fearing and devout as the founders of St. John’s Church would not long be
satisfied with only one service a month, particularly as their group continued
to grow as the tremendous immigration movement of the mid-nineteenth century
gathered momentum. They wanted, not only
a service every Sunday, but also to have a pastor in their own midst. And so, in the year 1854, they addressed a
call to candidate of theology, Anton Wagner, who had just graduated from the
Theological Seminary of the Missouri Synod at Fort Wayne, Indiana. He accepted the call, and came to Watertown
around the first of the year, 1855. At
that time the railhead was extended to Oconomowoc, form where the young pastor
traveled the remaining miles to Watertown by stagecoach. He arrived in the middle of the night, and
found lodging in a hotel. The next
morning, in spite of having contacted a severe cold on his journey, Candidate
Wagner walked the six miles through snow a foot deep to the home of Rev. Geyer
in town of Lebanon. Here he discovered
that St. John’s Congregation had no “Agenda”, that is, the book of forms and
prayers for church services, baptisms, the celebration of communion, the
performing of weddings, and similar ministerial acts. The Missouri Synod had published no such book
at that time. There remained nothing for him to do but to spend several days as
the guest of Rev. Geyer, and copy the most important sections from Rev. Geyer’s
book, which itself was also a handwritten copy.
It might be well to note at this time that
in those early years before the publication of hymnals by the Missouri Synod,
the conducting of a church service involved considerable difficulty. The German immigrants had faithfully brought
with them their copies of their hymnals, but since they came from different
sections of Germany, the selection of hymns varied considerably, and the same
hymn, although it often appeared in all the hymnals, nevertheless had different
verses and was published in different dialects, all of which made congregational
singing a problem. There frequently
remained nothing for the pastor to do but to serve as cantor. He would sing the first line of a hymn and
the congregation would repeat the line, whereupon the pastor would go on to the
second line, which was repeated by the congregation, and so on through to the
end of the hymn.
1855
Because of deep snow, Candidate Wagner’s
ordination was postponed to Quinquagesima
First Church
It was well that the Lord had provided this
infant congregation in virgin territory with a pastor full of enthusiasm and
physical stamina, for there was a great deal of work to be done. Already in 1854, the congregation had begun
the construction of its first house of worship, a frame building 40 x 26 feet,
located, as closely as can be determined, at the intersection of Vine and Lynn
Streets. The deed for the property was
turned over to the congregation on
The walls and roof of the building had been
completed before the winter set in, but construction was suspended for the
winter. In the meantime, the services of
the congregation were still being held in the little public school building at
North Fourth & Division Streets. At
this time the congregation experienced a wonderful blessing. An accident, however, made the congregation
realize the need for its own house of worship.
It must have been at one of the first communion services at which Rev.
Wagner officiated after his ordination, the floor of the building suddenly
dropped several feet. Panic followed,
and the entire congregation, with the exception of Rev. Wagner and several of
the elders, fled the building. After the
dust had settled, the congregation returned, and the service was resumed,
although one can imagine how much on edge the members must have been, fearing a
further accident. The service was
concluded without incident, but on the next day it was discovered that the main
beam supporting the floor had broken, and that the joists resting on the beam
had very nearly been pulled from the walls.
Even after many years, Rev Wagner frequently remarked how wonderfully
the Lord had protected the congregation, in that no injuries or deaths had
resulted from this accident.
The accident, together with the rapid influx
of German immigrants who came to the congregation as members, moved Rev. Wagner
to urge the early completion of the new church. On the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Laetare Sunday,
1855, he preached on the Gospel for that Sunday, (St. John 6, 1-15) the story
of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. He
pointed out that, as the Savior had provided a place for His miraculous meal,
so the congregation had the duty to provide a place for hungry souls to be fed
with the “Bread of Life”. The next day
members of the congregation came, prepared for work, and in a few weeks it was
possible to conduct services in the new building. It was not completely furnished at first.
For some Sundays, Rev. Wagner officiated
before an altar made of a table covered with a cloth, and preached his sermons
while standing on a pew. But the altar
and pulpit were also soon provided, so that it was possible to hold the dedication
services on the day of John the Baptist,
First School
Immediately after his ordination, Rev.
Wagner took over the conduct of the parish school in which he was soon actively
engaged. It can no longer be determined,
where the classes were held, but from a description of the building one can see
how determined the fathers of St. John’s Church were to carry out the command
of the Lord to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord in spite of humble and primitive surroundings. The building was a little hut made almost entirely
of slabwood, the trimmings from a lumber mill.
The walls were made of slabs struck into the ground: the roof was composed of the same material,
and was anything but water tight. In the
center of the room was an old stove, from which a metal stovepipe projected
through the roof in lieu of a chimney.
Such a condition was not permitted to exist very long, however.
Approximately a year and a half after the
dedication of the church, the congregation constructed, on the same plot of
ground, a school building, which was also to serve as a parsonage and
teacherage. This was the well known “old
school”, which many of the older members of St. John’s Church attended, which
served as a school until 1885, and was subsequently converted into a teacherage
and used for the purpose until 1929, when it was sold. The building located at
Trinity Church – Town of
Lowell
It was necessary that the pastor be relieved
of the burden of teaching the school, since opportunities existed in great
number in neighboring communities for the pastor to gather together the ever
increasing numbers of German immigrants into congregations. This was particularly true in the
neighborhood of Reeseville, in the town of Lowell, where there was a community
made up largely of immigrants of Bavarian descent. Clergymen of various persuasions attempted to
form a congregation in this area.
One of the most successful was a
non-confessional pastor from Watertown, Rev. C. Sans, who regularly held
services on Sunday afternoons in a public school in this community.
The Lutherans of the community, however,
felt dissatisfied with his avoidance of any clear cut statement on the Bible
doctrine, and asked Rev. Wagner to serve them.
In order to be absolutely neutral, the board
of the public school decided that the pastor who arrived first could conduct
the services in the public school on that day.
Naturally, the trips to the town of Lowell frequently amounted to a
race. The pastor would drive or ride
horseback to the shore of Mud Lake, where he would be met by one of the members
in a row boat. It frequently happened,
of course, that Rev. Wagner would arrive later than Rev. Sans. Then the Lutherans would leave the school
house and go to the home of one of the neighbors. Several pieces of fire wood would be taken
into the kitchen, planks laid across, and the improvised church was ready. Toward the end of his ministry at Watertown,
Rev. Wagner was instrumental in forming this nucleus into a congregation. It was in 1858 that Trinity Church of the
Town of Lowell was organized. It was
served by the pastors of St. John’s Church, Rev. Wagner and Rev. C. J. A.
Strasen, until 1865, when it called is first resident pastor.
Rev. Wagner also preached occasionally in
the vicinity of Ixonia in the home of Mr. Keup, no doubt, laying the groundwork
for the unique Lutheran school district which was organized later, and gaining
many families for the cause of conservative Lutheranism.
Growth Continues
The infant congregation under the blessing
of God and due to the phenomenal influx of immigrants grew amazingly in a short
time. In 1853 Watertown was a city of
4,000 inhabitants, the second largest city in Wisconsin. By 1855 the population had doubled. A good proportion of the immigrants were of
German origin, and many of these were Lutheran.
It is understandable, therefore, that by 1857, only five years after its
organization, St. John’s Church was a congregation of 90 voting members and 381
souls.
Not all the experiences within the
congregation were happy, however, perhaps due to the fact that the membership
of the congregation was drawn from Lutheran immigrant from various sections of
Germany, where customs differed. A
controversy arose in 1857 in St. John’s Church as well as in the congregation
at Lebanon. The custom of private
confession before communion, which many of the older Lutheran liturgies still
recognize as good Lutheran order, was followed.
A group of the members, however, under the leadership of the first
teacher of the congregation, Friederich Hasz, opposed this custom, at first
privately, without the knowledge of the pastor.
When finally the matter was brought into the open, and in spite of the
fact that in deference to the objecting faction the equally correct custom of
using the form of general confession was introduced as an optional practice, 20
families left the congregation. While
this constituted a serious loss to the congregation, it was quickly recovered;
so that only a year later the voting membership had once again risen to
96.
Rev. Wagner, who had served the congregation
for four years, received a call from Trinity Church, Fristadt, Wis., late in
1858, and being convinced that the Lord was calling him to a different field of
service, left Watertown with the reluctant approval of the congregation, and
was installed in his new charge on
Such, under God, were the beginnings of St.
John’s Lutheran Church, the first orthodox Lutheran Church in Watertown. The first seven years the congregation had
become a sizeable group; it had founded a school; purchased property; built a
church and school; called a pastor and a teacher; and undertaken missionary
activities in the surrounding communities and affiliated itself with the
Missouri Synod. It is with deep
gratitude to God and to the fathers of St. John’s Church that we can look back
upon these early efforts, which laid the groundwork for the century of Gospel
preaching which St. John’s is permitted to celebrate, which had brought peace
of conscience and the assurance of salvation through the merits of the Blessed
Savior to thousands of blood-bought souls.
1865
St. John’s Church in Watertown had its beginning in 1852. The first new church building dedication followed on June 25, 1865, at the corner of North Fifth and Cady Streets. The cost of that structure was estimated at $15,000, a very large sum in those days.
1875
06 16 Prof. E. C. Gaebler is
putting up in St. John’s Lutheran Church a magnificent pipe organ manufactured
at his Temple of Music, Fourth Street.
His organ is a fine specimen of Watertown manufacture and reflects
credit on its builder. A brief
description of the instrument may be interesting.
The organ has two banks of keys, two octave of pedals,
and contains over fourteen hundred pipes from 16 feet to 3/4 of an inch in
length. There are 28 stops and
combination pedals. The case is 15 X 14 feet
and 20 feet high. There are 28 gilded
pipes in front, the largest of which is ten feet long and 6 inches in
diameter. The bellows furnishes 35,000
inches of wind every second. The organ
when completed is worth $5,000.
Excellent workmanship has been displayed on all
portions of the instrument. The design of
the front was drawn by Mr. L. Charboneau and, of
course, is tastesty [sic] and artistic. The gilding and painting on the organ was
done by Messrs. Degenhardt & Bradow,
Mr. W. E. Dervin having a hand in on the finishing
touches. Of course the tone of this
instrument will be of the highest order, having passed through the hands of
Prof. Gaebler, one of the foremost musicians of the
state, who has supervised every portion of the work.
Our citizens will have an opportunity of hearing this
magnificent organ for the first time on Sunday, June 27th. It will be played by a celebrated organist
from Milwaukee. We hope the day is not far distant when Prof. Gaebler
& Son will engage more extensively in the manufacture of pipe organs. They are certainly competent to turn out as
good instruments as can be found anywhere, and we trust they may meet with
sufficient encouragement to build up a large manufacturing interest of this
kind in our midst. WR
1907
01 20
At a meeting of the congregation of St.
John's Lutheran church on Sunday, it was definitely decided to carry out the
plan to erect a new church edifice at a cost of about $30,000, plans for which
were drawn about a year ago by Architect F. A. Lindsay. This will be one of several notable
improvements that are promised Watertown for the present year, another writer
having in mind the new M. E. church, which is to be erected of concrete blocks
at a cost of $10,000 or $12,000.
It is the plan of the St. John's church
people to begin building operations just as soon as possible. A meeting of the building committee will be
held tomorrow evening to perfect plans for the preliminary work, and arrange
for the commencement of operations in calling for bids.
The new building will be erected on
Judging from the plans, the new church
will be an imposing structure. It is to
be erected of red pressed brick, with a slate roof. The interior finishing will
be handsome and is to be of oak. The
fixtures will be in keeping with the other appointments and when completed the
St. John's congregation will have a house of worship of which they can feel
proud and the city another ornament.
1907
06 30 St. John's German Lutheran church is
one of the oldest churches in Watertown and probably in the state. It was organized in 1852 . . . The foundation
of the congregation was laid by the Rev. Louis Geyer, who lived eight miles
northeast of Watertown. Rev. Geyer visited
the small congregation for a few years, when in 1855 a resident minister was
called. Rev. H. Wagner became, in the
fall of 1855, the first permanent pastor of St. John's church. The services during Rev. Wagner's pastorate,
were held in a small frame building in the Sixth ward. In 1859, Rev. C. Strasen succeeded Rev.
Wagner. Rev. C. Strasen's work at the St. John's church was crowned with great
success. He occupied his position for
over forty years and until seven years ago he was pastor of the church when he
retired owing to old age. Since 1900 the
Rev. H. Eggers has acted as pastor of the church, a minister known for his
conscientious work.
The new church is expected to be
completed by Christmas time . . .
New St. John’s Church, Gamm Drug Store
postcard.
Early
in 1907 it was decided to build a new and larger church to meet the growth of
the congregation.
1908
04
05 On April 5, 1908, the construction was
finally completed, and with great rejoicing the congregation was able to
dedicate its new house of worship. Dedication
services were held in German and English.
The
church was built at a cost of about $45,000 in a Roman style of
architecture. The roof is covered in
slate shingles. The foundations are of
Portwing red sandstone, and the remainder of the church is built of St. Louis
hydraulic red brick. The north steeple,
the higher of the building’s two towers, extends 112 feet in the air, and
contains three large bells which were saved from the earlier church
building. The main sanctuary of the
church could seat 800 individuals, and at that time, the balcony could seat
375. A new pipe organ was installed at a
cost of $4,650.
1908
10 30 Fred.
H. Meyer, school instructor for the past 40 years, died at his home; 11 06
Funeral held from his home to St. John's Church. WG
1909
07 02 Lutheran Home
Corner Stone Laid; St John’s participation
WG
1918
05 24 Ladies Aid Society was organized May 24, 1918
with 47 members.
1924
08 27 At the
time of his death, Rev. Christians was
assistant pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
WDT
1952
Watertown
Daily Times, 09 03 1952
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH HERE
PREPARES CELEBRATION FOR ITS CENTENNIAL
History of its first 100 years
to be published
Introduction
St. John’s Lutheran Congregation in
Watertown, a member of the Missouri Synod, this year is observing its 100th
anniversary and the centennial will be celebrated on the four Sundays in
October. There will be outstanding guest
speakers.
A display of crosses has been placed in the
church, starting with the founding of the church in 1852. A cross is added each month representing
another decade of progress until the entire display of eleven crosses is
completed in October. In the center of
this display is the Luther Rose, which was the official seal of Dr. Martin
Luther. At the bottom of the display are
the words, “Through a Century with Christ”.
St. John’s congregation and its members
played an important part in the growth and development in the city of Watertown
and the surrounding area. It not only
founded this church, but helped in the founding and development of other
churches in the surrounding communities.
1954
09 15 St. John's Lutheran School
Work
has begun on the demolition of St. John's Lutheran School to make way for a new
and modern structure which will be undertaken shortly. The old building has served St. John's
congregation for the past 69 years. It
was erected in 1885 and several generations of children have attended its
classes. The school which is to replace
it will be a modern structure, utilizing considerable glass and will embody
many of the latest features. The
architect is Alfred Siewert of Milwaukee.
The new school will front on North Sixth Street, between Cady and Jones
streets. It will occupy a much larger
site than did the old structure, since additional space (the former Wendt home
and property on Cady Street and the Zimmermann home and property on Jones
Street), were acquired by the parish for school campus purposes. The old properties have been cleared away to
make room for the new school.
Groundbreaking ceremonies will be held at the site by the congregation
Sunday morning. Classes in St. John's
School are being conducted in the city's old Webster School in Western Avenue
during the interval of construction.
1954
01 09 Final details were being arranged today
for the dedication on Sunday of the new school erected by St. John's on the
site of the old school building in North Sixth Street between Cady and Jones
Streets. There will be three dedication services at the church, directly across
the street from the new school. The school, which has a current enrollment of
270, will open Monday morning. The new $360,000 school was designed by Alfred
H. Siewert, well known school architect. The general contractor was the firm of
Fred Piette and Sons, Appleton.
1954
09 Rev E F Quandt’s 30th
anniversary as Pastor
1958
Edwin H. Matthes, retirement of,
teacher and principal WDT 06 04
1966 Confirmation
1968
The next renovation/building program did not take
place until 1968. The interior of the
church was completely modernized with the balcony wings removed to uncover the
large stained–glass windows. The
interior was greatly changed from the original ornate and Gothic furnishings to
a very plain nave and chancel. The
free-standing altar and baptismal font, as well as the tops of the pulpit and
lectern, were covered with Travertine marble.
A wing was built onto the east end (Sixth Street) of the church
containing the sacristies, two pastor’s offices, the church business office, a
reception area, the council chamber, restrooms, and an east and west
entrance. In the front of the church an
addition covered the front steps and contained a chapel, restrooms, and north
and south entrances. In the basement
there were 10 Sunday school rooms, an altar, fellowship hall, kitchen and
restrooms.
1971
08 30 Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church sprouted shortly
after members of St. John's Lutheran Church voted to sever its affiliation with
the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, on
On Aug. 30, 1971, congregational voters met in the
church and voted to leave the Missouri Synod.
This ended an association with Missouri Synod which had lasted 117
years.
1975
06 09 On June 9, 1975, St. John’s voted to apply for
membership in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The congregation together with its pastors
and teachers were accepted into the WELS in August 1975.
1988
09 18 Another renovation of the interior of the church and
dedication was held Sept. 18, 1988. The studios
of Potente were selected as the architect for the renovation project. The original Gothic interior was restored
with the soft colors and design painting.
The central focal point was the 17-foot linden wood cross and carved
figure of the ascending and blessing Christ on the center wall of the
chancel. This cross and figure of Christ
were carved in a small woodcarving shop in Italy.
The front narthex has been
repainted and the golden altar missal stand refinished. A special 100th anniversary banner has been
constructed and will hang in the church.
Historical picture
displays of the church may be viewed in the lower level of the church. Refreshments will be served. The public is welcome
1992
140th anniversary celebration at St.
John’s
St.
John’s Lutheran Church will conclude its month-long 140th anniversary
celebration with three festival services on Sunday, Reformation Day. Services
are planned at 7:15, 9 and 10:30.
The
special emphasis for the day is on the organizations of the church and the
service of its members. Parishioners and
guests are encouraged to stop at the new display case in the entrance of the
church to view the pictures showing past and present organizations of the
church.
Preservice
music will be played by the handbell choir and special music will be offered by
the three church choirs during the services.
The
youth league will serve a potluck dinner at noon in the school cafeteria. Following the meal, Ruth Feld will give a
slide program on the history of St. John’s Lutheran Church. The congregation
and friends of the church are invited to share in this time of remembering.
St.
John’s Lutheran Church was formed in the summer of 1851, when a group of
emigrants from Pomerania in northeast Germany made their way to Watertown, a
thriving community of 4,000 people.
Under the leadership of Heinrich Kroening, the group rented a small
public school building in the neighborhood of North Fourth ad Division streets. There was no pastor so a member would read
the sermon each Sunday from a book of Lutheran sermons. The congregation called its first pastor, the
Rev. A. Kleinegees, in 1852. He and
Kroening also served as teachers.
The
construction of the first house of worship began in 1854 and was located at the
intersection of Vine and Lynn Streets. A
school was later built to the south on the same lot. This building is currently being used as a
private home.
The
Rev. C. J. A. Strasen was installed as pastor of the congregation on July 31,
1859, a position he held for 41 years.
During that time, a new and larger church was constructed on the corner
of South Fifth and Cady streets at a cost of $15,000. Dedication services were held June 25, 1865. The new school building was construction on
the corner of South Sixth and Cady streets in 1885, with F. W. A. Fuerstenau as
teacher for 37 years. F. H. Meyer was
called as the second teacher in the 1868 and served for 40 years.
In
less than 50 years, the congregation grew to 1,600 members, making a larger
church necessary. The demolition of the
existing church began April 2, 1907 and the dedication of the completed new
structure took place on April 5, 1908. N This new building, the present church,
can accommodate approximately 800 people and was built at a cost of $45,000. The Rev. F. H. Eggers was pastor of the
congregation and served St. John’s for 47 years.
The
oldest organization in the church, the Mixed Choir, was formed in 1908 and the
ladies aid society was organized May 24, 1918 with 47 members.
The
school received necessary changes in 1911.
Construction of the present school began in 1954, with dedication
services in 1956. In 1987, the school
received an extensive facelift, replacing the glass-block walls with more
energy efficient material and remodeling the office area. A parish hall was built in 1926 and is still
in use today.
Two
major church renovation projects were carried out by the congregation. The first project in 1967 saw the removal of
much of the original balcony, installation of a new pulpit and altar,
enlargement of the narthex, completion of the basement and an addition to the
office area. The 1988 renovation was
chiefly a redecorating project, with painting, installation of new carpeting, a
lectern, modified lighting, and the erection of the Ascending Christ behind the
altar.
St.
John’s left the Missouri Synod in 1971 for doctrinal reasons, ending a 117-year
association with the synod. The
congregation became a member of the Federation for Authentic Lutheranism (FAL),
an interim synodical body. On July 9,
1975 the congregation voted to apply for membership in the Wisconsin
Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
St.
John’s congregation supports a school with nine full time teachers, two part
time teachers, and a principal. Classes
are held for children in preschool through eighth grade. The Rev. E. P.
Kauffeld and newly installed associate pastor, the Rev. John Boehringer, serve
St. John’s.
1999
11 12 The beautiful sound of handbells at St. John's Lutheran Church has reached a more
resounding ring with the addition of two more octaves. The adult handbell
choir will make its five-octave debut on Sunday, Nov. 14, when members will be
wearing new robes and performing at a longer line of padded tables. The original bells for the first three
octaves have been refurbished, making them just as bright and sound worthy as
their new counterparts . The enhanced sound means much more than increasing the
number of bells from 37 to 61. Adding
the two octaves shows the dedication of members and the growing interest in
providing special music for the congregation.
2002
The 150th anniversary of St. John's Lutheran
Church-WELS was celebrated with guest preachers and special activities
throughout 2002. The theme of the anniversary celebration was "Children of
God: Then, Now and Forever."
A number of guest speakers were planned
during the year.
Those addressing the congregation were:
Jan. 12 and 13 The Rev. Richard
Lauersdorf
March 9 and 10 The Rev. Eugene
Kauffeld
May 9 The
Rev. Herbert Prahl
June 8 and 9 The Rev. Shawn
Kauffeld
Aug. 10 and 11 The Rev. Richard
Strobel
Sept. 7 and 8 The Rev. Robert
Voss
Oct. 12 and 13 The Rev. Karl
Gurgel
Several guest choirs will also provide special music during the
celebration.
Jan. 13 Wisconsin
Lutheran Seminary Choir
Feb. 10 The
handbell choir of St. John's
Feb. 17 Lakeside
Lutheran High School Choir in Lake Mills
April 6 Dr.
Martin Luther College Choir
April 27 The Luther
Preparatory High School Choir
A new
pictorial directory was planned for church members and their families. Other
activities included a historic display, commemorative Christmas ornaments, an
anniversary video of the past 150 years, a congregational history book. A new pictorial directory was planned for
church members and their families. Other
activities included a historic display, commemorative Christmas ornaments, an
anniversary video of the past 150 years, a congregational history book, and an
anniversary dinner at Turner Hall on Oct. 13.
2008
04 11
St.
John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
dedication of its worship facility during special services this weekend. Services are planned at 6 p.m. Saturday and
at 7:45 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. WDT
Historical
picture displays of the church may be viewed in the lower level of the church.
Refreshments will be served. The public is welcome.
[1992 reference]
St.
John's Lutheran Church was formed in the summer of 1851, when a group of
emigrants from Pomerania in northeast Germany made their way to Watertown, a
thriving community of 4,000 people.
Under the leadership of Heinrich Kroening, the group rented a small
public school building in the neighborhood of North Fourth and Division
streets. There was no pastor so a member
would read the sermon each Sunday from a book of Lutheran sermons. The congregation called its first pastor, the
Rev. A. Kleinegees, in 1852. He and
Kroening also served as teachers.
The
construction of the first house of worship began in 1854 and was located at the
intersection of Vine and Lynn streets. A
school was later built to the south on the same lot. This building is currently
being used as a private home.
The
Rev. C. J. A. Strasen was installed as pastor of the congregation on July 31,
1859, a position he held for 41 years. During that time, a new and larger
church was constructed on the corner of South Fifth and Cady streets at a cost
of $15,000. Dedication services were held June 25, 1865. The new school
building was construction on the corner of South Sixth and Cady streets in
1885, with F. W. A. Fuerstenau as teacher for 37 years. F. H. Meyer was called as the second teacher
in 1868 and served for 40 years.
In
less than 50 years, the congregation grew to 1,600 members, making a larger
church necessary. The demolition of the
existing church began April 2, 1907 and the dedication of the completed new
structure took place on April 5, 1908. This new building, the present church,
can accommodate approximately 800 people and was built at a cost of
$45,000. The Rev. F. H. Eggers was
pastor of the congregation and served St. John's for 47 years.
The
oldest organization in the church, the Mixed Choir, was formed in 1908 and the
Ladies Aid Society was organized May 24, 1918 with 47 members.
The
school received necessary changes in 1911. Construction of the present school
began in 1954, with dedication services in 1956. In 1987, the school received an extensive
facelift, replacing the glass-block walls with more energy efficient material
and remodeling the office area. A parish
hall was built in 1926 and is still in use today.
Two
major church renovation projects were carried out by the congregation. The first project in 1967 saw the removal of
much of the original balcony, installation of a new pulpit and altar,
enlargement of the narthex, completion of the basement and an addition to the
office area. The 1988 renovation was
chiefly a redecorating project, with painting, installation of new carpeting, a
lectern, modified lighting, and the erection of the Ascending Christ behind the
altar.
St.
John's left the Missouri Synod in 1971 for doctrinal reasons, ending a 117-year
association with the synod. The
congregation became a member of the Federation for Authentic Lutheranism (FAL),
an interim synodical body. On July 9,
1975 the congregation voted to apply for membership in the Wisconsin
Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
St.
John's congregation supports a school with nine full time teachers, two part
time teachers, and a principal. Classes
are held for children in preschool through eighth grade. The Rev. E. P.
Kauffeld and newly installed associate pastor, the Rev. John Boehringer, serve
St. John's.
DVD AVAILABLE: St. John’s Lutheran
Church, Watertown, Ben Feld history slide show
