HE — Iff- Si John' " IVel &'" ?'\\ i : $Pi /.IP' ^ ape** 15 i Evangelical Lutheran Church 100th ANNIVERSARY •'*^ v &iJ^;fJ ||irll v Hi &•, IP k STERLING, ILLINOIS \, tlUHQIS HISTORICAL SUMEt ftUNws RisroRicni survey Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/centennialanniveOOster (^entenniat ^ri of ST. JOHN'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH Sterling, Illinois 1854-1954 St. John's Today ^Archn ow ledum en t St. John's Centennial Committee wishes to commend the Ladies' Social Circle for its fine service to the congregation in having this an- niversary booklet published on the occasion of St. John's Centennial. The decision of the Social Circle to sponsor this project makes it pos- sible for all the people of St. John's to know more about the past his- tory of our beloved church, and credits the good ladies with another fine piece of work, done in the interest of the congregation. The Centennial Committee also wishes to express its appreciation to Miss Hazel Chalmers of Washington, D. C, for her fine contribution in the designing of the cover for this booklet. It is truly the work of a master artisan. Miss Chalmers, a former member of St. John's, is the artist who did the beautiful portrait of Dr. Harris which hangs in the narthex of our church. CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE Edwin R. Bowers Mrs. Nevin R. Loux Mrs. Clarence Bressler Pastor A. L. Grewe Leo Lund Charles Behrens I. Clyde Eshleman Gunnar Benson 5u>l/^ ;l2Y./' 7W5 ' ^sroreword 'My Church, my Church, my dear old Church! My fathers' and my own! On prophets and apostles built, And Christ the cornerstone!" This little booklet, prepared on the occasion of St. John's Cenntennial Anniver- sary, is an attempt by one of the lay members of this congregation to bring to your attention, in word and picture, the story of the first one hundred years in the life of our church. For the past 18 months I have lived in close communion with the good people who made St. John's history. I feel almost as if I had been personally acquainted with all of them. It would be impossible for me to bring to you, within the confines of this book, all the rich experiences I have enjoyed with these, the builders of our church. I have briefly told the story as I found it. Important events and personages may have been overlooked. If so, it was not intentional. I can only ask that you be charitable in your criticism. The preparation of this booklet would have been well nigh impossible, had it not been for the excellent work done by Dr. E. C. Harris in preserving historical materials and records of our church. His published booklets were invaluable as were the almost complete set of Synodical Minutes and the Proceedings of the Church Council. Access to the complete files of the Sterling Daily Gazette and assistance from synodical archivists has also been of great help. The Centennial Committee, appointed by the Church Council, has been very helpful to the writer in many ways. I especially wish to recognize Edwin R. Bowers who did so much in organizing this material for the printer. Space does not permit the listing of all who have helped. Some have come forward with important bits of information, others with needed pictures, and still others by showing an interest in this project. St. John's has had a rich history during the first hundred years. Let us all begin now to build an equally fine history for the second century in the life of our church. "All else beside, by storm or tide, May yet be overthrown; But not my Church, my dear old Church, My fathers' and my own!" Gunnar Benson, Centennial Historian —3— ■ ALFRED L. GREWE, D. D. Pastor of St. John's Since 1945 VJne ^hrundrecl bjc ear6 Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Four! Nineteen Hundred and Fifty-Four! Truly great dates in the history of our beloved St. John's Church! It was on the third day of December, a century ago, that eleven men and women organized our congregation. Now it becomes our high and holy privilege to observe the centennial. Mighty changes have been effected in all parts of the world during the past one hundred years, so much so, in fact, that we are reminded of the lines of one of the great Christian hymns: "Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane." The second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries were years of unusual inventions, inventions which our earliest ancestors would have be- lieved to be impossible: The telephone, electric light, automobile, aeroplane, count- less household appliances, radio, television, etc. Although geographically still the same, the world has been made much smaller, so small that it can be circled in flight in only a few brief hours; so small, that today man's voice is carried across continents and oceans as well. St. John's Church likewise has changed in more ways than one. Then, only a handful of members; now — and for many years already — one of the largest congre- gations affiliated with the Illinois Synod. Then, in the early days, men, women and children, remembering the immortal words of Jesus, "Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it," came together on the Lord's day to worship the Triune God in rented quarters. Great was the joy of the people when the congregation was privileged to dedicate "The Little White Church in the Locust Grove" in 1857. An- other change followed when the old brick church was dedicated in 1892. And still another, when the present sanctuary was dedicated to the services of the Lord in 1924. The years brought changes in clerical leadership also. Eight ministers of the Gospel have, at one time or another, served St. John's throughout the first century. It would appear to your pastor that, in observing the One Hundredth Anniver- sary, we should not primarily aim at enlarging upon changes which have come to pass. On the contrary, we ought to rejoice that in certain vitally important phases St. John's has remained the same. Such simply had to be the case, for the Lord who has been worshipped through the years once said: "For I am the Lord, I change not." Through the years the members of our congregation have taken and maintained a lively interest in sharing Christ with the world, never forgetting the divine com- mission: "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." In obedience to Christ's command the eleven organizers confessed one hundred years ago: "We therefore dedicate ourselves anew to God and HIS SERVICE." The beautiful missionary spirit prevalent through the years has brought great, even boundless joy to all her pastors. Let us also dedicate ourselves anew to this great service! The aim and purpose of organizing a Christian church was stated in these words a century ago: ''Being desirous of promoting His glory in the salvation of blood- bought souls." Praise God, this chief purpose has never been forgotten. That is why Christ crucified and risen has been preached at all times because it is only and solely through faith in Him that man can be saved in all eternity. The aim of all eight pastors has been to lead each and every member to see clearly that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Today, on our One Hundredth Anniversary, we dedicate our lives anew to share "a changeless Christ with a changing world." Your Pastor, ALFRED L. GREWE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT THE ILLINOIS SYNOD of the U. L. C. A. Chicago, Illinois December, 1954 St. John's Lutheran Church Sterling, Illinois Dear Friends in Christ Jesus: Your sister churches of the Illinois Synod, with whom you are associated in the great enterprises of the Kingdom of God, present to you their congratulations on the one hundredth anniversary of your organization. As we think of this long span of time spent in the service of God's people and God's Kingdom, surely we are mindful that God's blessing and grace have been be- stowed upon you in a very special way. For his everlasting mercy and sustaining grace, we thank Him in your behalf. May we likewise express our deep appreciation of what God's grace has accom- plished through you during these many years. It would be interesting to know how many have heard the saving news in Christ Jesus because of your witness and splen- did Stewardship. It would be interesting to know how many Christian homes have been founded through your influence. Surely God's grace has dwelt in you richly and you have been most faithful. For all this we thank our Heavenly Father and pray that His blessing and guid- ing grace may continue to rest upon the members of St. John's Lutheran Church through all the days to come. Very sincerely yours, HARMON J. McGUIRE, PRESIDENT The Illinois Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America THE UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT LUTHERAN CHURCH HOUSE 231 Madison Avenue NEW YORK 16, N. Y. December, 1954 St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Third Avenue at Seventh Street Sterling, Illinois Dear Christian Brethren: One of the noblest nhrases in our whole Christian vocabulary is "Mother Church." God, our Father, has chosen the Church to be Christ's holy bride. Mother Church has brought all of us to the second birth in Holy Baptism. She loves all her children, tends them, and teaches their souls like a true mother. The highest joy of the United Lutheran Church in America, aside from her Lord, is her 4,017 congregations. Each of them is a beloved daughter. Although a true mother must never have favorites, St. John's Church is in the center of the affection of the entire, broad United Lutheran Church in America today. Our nation-wide Church extends her arms to you on this glorious anniversary. We are cheered by the faithfulness and generosity which St. John's Church has eager- ly manifested in the past and we invoke the power and the glow of the Holy Spirit on you as your congregation goes from strength to strength. FCF/md Fraternally yours, FRANKLIN CLARK FREY STERLING - ROCK FALLS MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION December, 1954 St. John's Lutheran Church 703 Third Avenue Sterling, Illinois Dear Friends: The members of the Sterling-Rock Falls Ministerial Association join me in con- gratulating you on the occasion of your Centennial celebration. We wish for you a coming century of growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The ministers of St. John's Church have distinguished themselves for many years as leaders in building christian fellowship in the community and in fostering the ecumenical spirit. Your ministry has indeed been a ministry to the community as well as the pastoring of your congregation. We commend you for your interest and oversight in the training of young minis- ters who look to the Church for guidance in their first efforts as ministers. Such interest in youth and their churchmanship has extended also to young men most of whom will be laymen in the Church. Through such community organizations as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts your ministers have given freely of their time and energies. We bespeak for your present minister the confidence, encouragement and sup- port that he will need to lead you into the new century. May your good work con- tinue to be blessed by Him who ministers and who calls us to minister in His name. Sincerely yours, LEE E. DAVIS, President Early History Of Sterling The City of Sterling had its beginning from two small towns or villlages known as Harrisburgh and Chatham. Harris- burgh, which was located in what we think of as the First Ward, was settled first, its founder and first citizen being Hezekiah Brink. Mr. Brink made an ex- ploring trip along the Rock River early in 1834, following the river from Dixon to the Indian village of The Prophet (Prophetstown), having made a short side trip along Elkhorn Creek to the mouth of Spring Creek (near Emerson). Returning to Dixon, Mr. Brink rested a few days at the cabin of Father Dixon before he returned to the site he had selected for his claim on the north bank of Rock River east of the street we call Broadway in the City of Sterling. Here, in early June of 1834, Hezekiah Brink erected a crude cabin of logs and drift- ed lumber before he returned to Indiana for his family. Hezekiah Brink and his family made the trip to Illinois the following spring and occupied their cabin on the Rock River about May 1, 1835. The closest neighbors to the Brinks lived at Dixon and Prophetstown. Near them flowed the beautiful Rock River, the Sinissippi of the Indians, and all about them was the boundless rolling prairie, the only variation in the landscape being the patches of timber. The place, in spite of its beauty, was desolate enough and gave no hint of the thriving city which was to rise here in a few years. The Brinks were soon joined by others and the little settlement began its ca- reer. In the summer of 1836, Captain D. S. Harris, of the Steamer Pioneer, came up the river with a load of pro- visions, and landed above the rapids, the settlers having towed his boat to the landing point with their teams of oxen. Many of the provisions were sold to the settlers, Captain Harris taking a h^lf interest in the town as payment for th^m. The settlers showed their appreci- ation of the Captain by naming their little town Harrisburgh, in his honor. Captain Harris, Hezekiah Brink, Eli- jah Worthington and others immediately had the town surveyed. Harrisburgh, as originally platted, extended north from the river between what is now Thirteen- th Avenue and the east limits of the city. Early in 1835, William Kirkpatrick, a resident of Sangamon County in Illinois, made a claim and built a cabin on land which lay a little to the west of Harris- burgh. Mr. Kirkpatrick had the land platted as a town in the spring of 1836 and called it Chatham. During the sum- mer he hauled in lumber from his mill in Stephenson County and built the first frame house in what is now the City of Sterling. Chatham extended north from the river between what is now Seventh Avenue and Avenue A. Nelson Mason and John D. Barnett soon purchased the interest of Mr. Kirkpatrick in the town, put some improvements in the frame house he built, and opened up a store with an assorted stock of merchandise. This store became the trading center for the settlers in the nearby communities. There was some additional building in these early days but the growth of both Harrisburgh and Chatham was slow for some time. Between the two towns was a strip of neutral territory from what is now Seventh Avenue on the west to Thirteenth Avenue on the east. It was in time settled and for a time was the location of the Post Office, which had at first been located in Chatham and later in Harrisburgh. The locating of the Post Office in this neutral territory was the first event which helped to break down some of the rivalry which existed between the two towns. When steps to organize Whiteside County were under way in 1839, the two little com- munities decided to join forces and pull together with the hope that they might provide the site for the county seat. —9— After many meetings, it was decided to settle the naming of the consolidated town by the tossing of a coin. The rep- resentatives for the coin tossing cere- monies from the two towns were Elijah Worthington and Hezekiah Brink for Harrisburgh and Hugh Wallace and Nel- son Mason for Chatham. The Chatham- ites won the toss and the name Sterling- was their choice. The winners were also to select the site for the County Court House in the event it was aw r arded to the newly consolidated town. Broadway had been decided upon as the dividing line, so the Chathamites chose Block 57 just west of Broadway between Third and Fourth Streets. The uniting of forces was to pay off for a time, at least. The county seat was located in Lyndon in 1839, but was mov- ed to Sterling in 1841. In 1842, county affairs were again held in Lyndon, only to be moved back to Sterling in 1844. Construction on the Court House in Sterling started in 1842. It was first used in 1844, and served until 1857, when the people of Whiteside County decided by a vote of 1631 to 1572 that the county seat should be moved to Morrison. The growth of Sterling was slow un- til the coming of the railroad. Up to that time it was considerably behind Fulton, Albany and Dixon. Once the iron horse made his appearance in Whiteside Coun- ty, all this was changed, as now Sterling- had the best of transportation for its industries. The combination of excellent transportation and water power was the impetus that the community needed to bring a flood of new settlers and busi- ness interests from other parts of the country. One can almost say that the spurt in growth of the City of Sterling dated from the arrival of the first train in 1856. In 1855, Sterling had a popu- lation of 1,741; in 1860, 2,427; in 18~0, 3,998; and by 1877 it had reached 7,500. It was not long after Sterling's first settlers located on the banks of the Rock River that they began to turn their at- tention to other things besides the build- ing of homes and the feeding and cloth- ing of their families. Most of Sterling's first citizens came to Illinois from the eastern states. Back east they had en- joyed many privileges which were mis- sing in their new-found home and as soon as the needs of the physical body had been met, they began to think of spiritual needs, and cultural opportun- ities for their families. The first school in Sterling was taught by Mrs. E. B. Worthington, who taught her classes in her home. Other early teachers were Mr. L. Whipple and Mr. William H. Andrews, who held class in a building erected for a shop on Seven- teenth Avenue in the fall of 1838. School was also held in a stone school- house built opposite Lincoln Park and in the basement of the Presbyterian Church. Ward schools were built on the sites occupied by the present Lincoln, Central, and Wallace Schools between 1859 and 1866. The early settlers of our community were for the most part Christian, God- fearing people and long before there were any churches to be found in Ster- ling, the people gathered in neighbor- hood homes so that they might worship together as they had in the communities from which they came. At first these good people were led in the worship of their God by their own neighbors who lived good Christian lives. In time, trav- elling preachers or missionaries would occasionally pass through and preach to the people, baptize children and perform other services of the ministry. It was only natural, then, as time passed, that those of like faith should seek each other out and become the nu- cleus for a congregation of Christians who would meet regularly and worship God according to the practices of their chosen faith. The first religious society in Sterling was formed in 1838 in the cabin of Hezekiah Brink. This was the beginning of what is now the First —10- Methodist Church of Sterling (Broad- way). The Presbyterians of Sterling organ- ized on November 4, 1844. This group built the first church in Sterling, start- ing construction in 1848. In 1854, St. John's Church was organized. With the coming of the railroad in 1856 and the accompanying influx of people, many other church groups were formed in the next couple of decades. Sterling was organized as a city under a special charter granted by the General Assembly of the State of Illinois and ap- proved February 16, 1857. The first election under the charter was held in April of that year, and resulted in the choice of Lorenzo Hapgood for Mayor; John Pettigrew and David H. Myers, as Alderman for the First Ward; Henry Bush and D. R. Beck, for the Second Ward; and James Gait and B. G. Wheel- er, for the Third Ward. The City Coun- cil met for organization at Boynton's Hall, on the evening of April 23, 1857. Sterling was now a full-fledged munici- pality and in the next two decades was to make itself heard and felt near and far through its industries, schools, churches and other enterprises. There is much more of interest that could be said about the development of Sterling but as this booklet was prepar- ed primarily to tell the story of the first hundred years of the existence of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sterling, it will be left to the reader to observe for himself what has been ac- complished from such humble beginnings one hundred and twenty years ago. Early Lutheranism It was no accident that St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church of Sterling came in- to being on Sunday, December 3, 1854. There were many contributing factors that brought about the organization of this congregation of Lutherans one hun- dred years ago. Events that were to have a bearing on the founding of St. John's had their beginning more than three hundred years before the first settler came to Sterling when Martin Luther made his break with the Roman Catholic Church. Generations of the followers of Luther planted Lutheranism in many parts of Europe and with the settling of the New World, the Lutheran Church also made its way across the Atlantic. Lutheranism met with many obstacles in its early days, but in spite of the many hardships it continued to grow. Many of the early settlers had come to this country in search of religious free- dom. As the pioneers moved westward across our great country they establish- ed the Lutheran Church wherever they chose to settle. Beginnings In Illinois After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, thousands of descendants of the early German immigrants on the east coast migrated to the Midwest, drawn there by the wonderful stories of the fertility of the land. As early as 1816 or 1819, there being some doubt about the exact date, the first Lutheran Congregation was organized in Illinois. St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Don- gola, Union County, holds this signal honor, being at that time a member of the Synod of North Carolina and ad- jacent states. Once the Lutheran Church had been established in Illinois, other congrega- tions soon were organized, mostly in the southern part of the state. In 1835, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the west was organized in Louisville, Kentucky, being composed of congregations from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennes- see. This organization was dissolved in 1846 and on October 15, of that same year, the first Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Illinois was formed at Hills- boro. This marked the real beginning of the organized Lutheran Church in the State of Illinois. —11— Synod of Northern Illinois When Synod met at Oregon, Ogle County in September of 1850, a deci- sion was made to divide the Synod of Illinois to overcome the inconvenience of travel and the amount of time requir- ed in traveling to and from meetings. The boundary line was set "at a line run- ning east and west in the region of Peoria," and a committee consisting of Pastor Stroh, Donmeyer, Burkett and Thummel was appointed 'to meet with such other brethren in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin as might be desirous of perfecting the organization of a new Synod." This committee met in the home of Dr. C. B. Thummel in Palmyra Town- ship, Lee County on May 14, 1851 and drew up the articles of a constitution for the new Evangelical Synod of Northern Illinois. It also was determined at this time to hold the first regular Synodical Session at Cedarville in Stephenson County, September 18-23, 1851. At the time of its formation the Synod was composed of twenty congregations and seventeen preaching stations, but there were only three church buildings. From its beginning, the newly formed Svnod of Northern Illinois manifested a great interest in missionary work, with its pastors traveling to nearby commun- ities, where they preached to the people in homes, schoolhouses and other public buildings as often as it was possible to make such trips. It was in this way that the Lutherans in, and about, Sterling were served by the ministry before St. John's was organized. Dr. C. B. Thum- mel of Prairieville was one, who on oc- casions came to Sterling to preach to the Lutherans who were found here. A further impetus was given to the missionary program of Synod, when at its third session, held in Galesburg in October of 1853, eight ministers volun- teered as exploring missionaries for the purpose of "bringing the word of God to the churchless Lutherans of Northern Illinois and nearby states." This action taken by Synod in 1853 was to have considerable bearing on the organization of St. John's in Sterling, as two of the men who volunteered as exploring mis- sionaries were Dr. Thummel of Prairie- ville and Rev. William Uhl, who in this same year moved from Peru to Dixon. The nearness of these two men, beyond a doubt, brought closer the day when a congregation of Lutherans could be formed in Sterling. MARTIN LUTHER 12- St. John's Is Born The missionary trips of Rev. Uhl soon brought him in contact with the Luth- erans in the vicinity of Sterling, and, finding a nucleus for a congregation, he agreed to unite with them and serve as their first pastor. So it was that on Sun- day, December 3, 1854, Pastor Uhl met with four men and six women in the old courthouse in Sterling to organize them- selves "into an Evangelical Lutheran congregation," to be called St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ster- ling, Illinois. The charter members, besides the pastor were Isaac Reed, Mary A. Reed (wife of Isaac), Catherine E. LeFevre (daughter of Isaac and Mary Reed), Mary A. Reed (daughter of Isaac and Mary Reed), M. C. Auld, M. D., Susan Auld (wife of Dr. Auld), Benjamin Reed (brother of Isaac), Harriet Reed (wife of Benjamin), John Hecker, and Elizabeth Hecker (wife of John Hecker). Mounted on one of the pages of the 1854-1865 Church Register is the origin- al copy of the first constitution of our church. This valuable and interesting document is in Pastor Uhl's own hand- writing and is signed by the founders of the church, the pastors name heading the list. A copy of this, the original con- stitution of our church, has been re- produced on pages 15 and 16 of this booklet. Charter Members Who were these founders of St. John's? Where did they come from and how did they earn their living? It is only natural that we should be a little curious about this band of Christians who played such an important part in the founding of our church. Very little is known about some of them, but the writer, in his research, has been able to gather some scraps of information which he will pass on to you. Dr. M. C. Auld was a practicing phy- sician in Sterling at the time, but soon moved away, and there is no record of the family after the first couple of years. Dr. and Mrs. Auld were regular visitors at the Lord's Table, and the Doctor was a member of the first church council. The occupation of John Hecker is not known, and whether or not he and Mrs. Hecker left Sterling has not been es- tablished. The first Church Register shows that they were dropped from membership on February 3, 1857. The minutes of the organizational meeting show that Mr. Hecker was appointed Deacon and Treasurer of the church at the request of the congregation. Isaac and Benjamin Reed were sons of Michael and Catherine (Reiser) Reed and were both born in Franklin County, Pa. Isaac was the eldest and Benjamin the ninth child in a family of eleven children. Their parents, who were en- gaged in farming, were both members of the Lutheran Church. Isaac Reed was born in 1803 and spent his youth on his parents farm. He married Mary Ann Commerer and to this union were born eleven children. Isaac and Mary Reed came to Whiteside County, and settled near Emerson, where they engaged in farming for many years. The Reeds were members of St. John's until 1870 when they were dismissed by letter so that they might help to organize the Ev. Lutheran Church at Empire (now called Emerson). Isaac Reed was appointed Elder by Pastor Uhl at the organizational meeting of St. John's, at the request of the congregation, and held that office until 1870. He served as the first lay delegate from St. John's to the Synod of Northern Illinois at the meeting held in Dixon in October of 1856, and was further honored by being chosen to represent the Synod of North- ern Illinois at the meeting of General Synod at Reading, Pa., in May, 1857. Mr. Reed again represented St. John's at Synod in 1863 and 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Reed were very generous in —13— their support of the church. In 1877, the Reeds moved hack to Sterling and united with the Presbyterian Church of this city. Isaac Reed died Feb. 18, 1889, and Mrs. Reed joined him on July 28, 1897. Benjamin Reed was born Sept. 11, 1822, and grew to manhood on the old homestead farm in Pennsylvania. After attending the subscription and district schools of the county, he learned the cabinet maker's trade, which he follow- ed for a number of years. On Feb. 22. 1844 he married Harriet Clark, and to this marriage were born ten children, several of whom became members of St. John's. In 1854 the Reeds came west to Illinois and settled in Hopkins Township, Whiteside County. Here they farmed for almost thirty years. Upon leaving the farm they took up their residence in Emerson, living there for about two and one-half years before moving to Sterling in 1884. For a time, after coming to Sterling, Mr. Reed conducted a feed store on Second Avenue. From 1891 un- til 1902, Benjamin Reed served as sex- ton for St. John's. Harriet Reed was born in 1823, the daughter of a prominent family in Franklin County, Pa. Her grandfather was the first judge in that county. Mrs. Reed is remembered as a wonderful wife and mother, and a friend to all who knew her. The Reeds held membership in St. John's until the formation of the Emerson Lutheran Church in 1870. On April 10, 1887, they rejoined St. John's by letter from Emerson. Their daughters Kate, Clara and Edna also transferred from Emerson on that date. Of the ten children of Mr. and Mrs. Reed, only Clara (Mrs. F. R. Taylor, of this city) survives. Mrs. Taylor has celebrated her 93rd birthday and is a remarkable wom- an for her advanced age. When the writer last visited her she recalled many interesting facts about her parents and the early days in our church. She lives with her daughter, Miss Helen Taylor. a teacher in our local schools. Benjamin and Harriet Reed lived to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of our church in Dec, 1904. They were the only survivors of the charter group whose names still appeared on the membership rolls of the church. The Benjamin Reeds were true and faithful members of St. John's for many years, giving generously of themselves and their means to the support of the church. Mrs. Reed passed from this life on July 11, 1907. Her good husband, last surviving male member of the founders of St. John's, went to his heavenly reward on Jan. 18, 1909. The large stained-glass on the west side of the sanctuary, showing Christ as a boy, is a memorial to these two fine Chris- tians, a tribute from their children. Mrs. Catherine E. LeFevere, eldest child of Isaac and Mary Reed, was born in Pennsylvania in 1830. She came west with her parents and was married to Amos LeFevere shortly before the organ- ization of St. John's. Mr. LeFevere was admitted into membership with St. John's, by baptism, on March 22, 1862. Amos LeFevere was a son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. LeFevere, who gave to the church the lots on which the church and parsonage stand. Amos and Cath- erine LeFevere later joined with the Presbyterian Church in Sterling. Mrs. LeFevere died in 1903. Mary A. Reed, third child of Isaac and Mary Reed was born in Pennsylvan- ia in 1833. She, too, came to Illinois with her parents and lived on the family farm in Hopkins Township until her marriage to William Caughey who join- ed St. John's in 1860. Mr. Caughey serv- ed as Deacon from 1862 to 1865. The Caugheys transferred their church af- filiation to the Presbyterian Church in Sterling and in time moved to Kansas where Mrs. Caughey died in 1910. Mrs. Mary Reed Caughey was the last sur- vivor of the charter members. Although that little band of charter members of our church has long since left us, their memory and what they did in establishing the first Lutheran Church —14- in Whiteside County will long stay with us. Could they but see and know St. John's as it is today, they would certain- ly feel a real sense of pride in what they did one hundred years ago. It is only fair to say that there were others, not present on Dec. 3, 1854, who became connected with the church in its earliest days and played a very prom- inent role in its development almost from the start. The preceeding paragraphs, in brief, have been an attempt to relate the many incidents, which, directly or indirectly, had a bearing on the founding of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sterling. The pages that follow will tell, in word and picture, the story of the first one hundred years in the life of our beloved church. c/tir&j p^rV; tZ^L^iP -tC^J^t^y &£^ */> -^£-z>-^<- -^*-U/C~ ^/r^ix-^fy &C*-*^*^ ■^^t^Vl^C^-^. A*l>^~. *6 6L*^r yi^e^^c^ —15— —16- St. John's Pastors 1854-1954 REV. WILLIAM UHL 1854- 1858 Rev. William Uhl, St. John's first pastor and organizer of our church, was born in Alleghany County, Maryland on Oct. 28, 1819. He came from a long line of staunch Lutherans who had come to this country from Germany during the 18th century. In 1840, William Uhl was married to Lucinda Cook at Wellers- burg, Pa. To this union were born two sons and two daughters, all of whom settled in Illinois and Iowa. Having early shown an interest in the work of the church, Mr. Uhl entered Gettysburg College in 1842 to prepare for the ministry and was graduated in 1845. He entered the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1844, serving for several years in the east. In 1851, Rev. Uhl came west to Peru, Illinois, remaining there as pastor until 1853. While in Peru he founded two churches and was largely responsible for the erection of a church which was dedi- cated on Christmas Day in 1851. Rev. Uhl was received into membership in the Synod of Northern Illinois on Oct. 7, 1852, at its second annual session, held in Chicago. The minutes of Synod re- cord the fact that he preached at a can- dlelight service and was described as a ''sound, serious clergyman, who reads his sermons." This was the beginning of a service of almost forty years in Il- linois, interrupted at times by recurring illnesses. Rev. Uhl came to Dixon in 1853, where he served as pastor until 1858, except for one year. Here he remained for many years, engaged in farming and other enterprises while he continued to preach to the Lutherans of the vicinity, including those to be found in Sterling. His efforts in Sterling resulted in the organization of St. John's on Dec. 3. 1854. At this time Pastor t/hl was divid- ing his time between Dixon and Sterling and in 1855 he saw the completion of a fine brick church in Dixon. The cost of this church was greatly reduced because of the untiring efforts of the pastor, who did much of the work himself. Be- cause of Pastor Uhl's connection with the church in Dixon, Dr. C. B. Thummel, of Prairieville, preached in Sterling on alternate Sundays so that the people of St. John's might have preaching every Sunday. St. John's held its organizational meet- ing in the old Court House in Sterling and continued to meet in the county building for several months. From 1855 to 1857, church services were held in the Presbyterian Church which faced south on E. 4th Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues at the southwest corner of the old High School property Pastor Uhl —17- (now Junior High School). This was the first church to be built in Sterling, con- struction starting in 1848. The basement was used for several years before the building was completed in 1856. This old stone church also served as schoolhouse for the Second Ward during the 50's. The people of St. John's early began to plan for their own house of worship. The realization of this dream was brought a little closer when on April 24, 1856 Mr. and Mrs. John W. LeFevere deeded lots 2 and 6, Block 3 of Le- Fevere's Addition to the congregation to be used for a church and parsonage. Led by Pastor Uhl, immediate steps were taken to build a church, and construc- tion was started that year, with the as- sistance of a $300 grant from the Church Extension Board. The debt was paid at the end of the seven-year period of the loan by George Grove and Ben- jamin and Isaac Reed. The exact cost of the first church is not known, but we do know that at the dedication service in April of 1857 an additional $235.50 was subscribed. Assisting pastors at the dedication services were C. B. Thummel, C. Young and H. Knepper. The little white frame church stood in a locust grove just east of the present church building on what is now Third Avenue, the street at that time not hav- ing been opened. There was a cemetery just east of the church, in the Park Place area, and a few farm houses to the north. There were no sidewalks lead- ing to the church, so carriages and wag- ons were driven up to the door for load- ing and unloading of passengers. The first church was a plain rectang- ular building with a window on each side of the entrance door on the south, and four windows on the east and west sides. Just inside the entrance were the stoves and on either side of a center aisle were rows of seats. At the north end of the room stood a box-shaped pul- pit on a raised platform, with a board nailed to the wall to serve as a seat for the pastor. This was a crude structure, as churches go today, but the people of St. John's were proud of their new home. The first Communion Service of which there is a record, was held on May 20, 1855 with nine communicants present. The last Communion Service conducted by Pastor Uhl was on April 17, 1858, with 38 communicants. Pastor Uhl records his first baptism on May 3, 1856, when Isaac Reed, son of Amos and Catherine LeFevere re- ceived this Holy Sacrement. The first confirmation is recorded April 5, 1857. On that day John Reed, Joanna Myers and Barbry Darshem took their vows. There is no record of any weddings or funerals during the tenure of Pastor "The Little White Church In The Locust Grove" -18- Uhl. With the departure of Pastor Uhl in 1858, the congregation busied itself with the building of the first parsonage so that they might provide living quarters for their new pastor. This first parson- age stood on the same site as the present one and served the pastors of St. John's for almost forty years. After leaving St. John's, Rev. Uhl lived in Dixon for many years, still tak- ing an active part in the work of the church. Minutes of Synod for 1863 show him as pastor of the newly organized charge at Franklin Grove. He served there until 1866, during which time he used his energies to bring about the building of a Union Church which was shared by Lutherans and Presbyterians. It was dedicated on Chirstmas Day of 1865. Pastor Uhl was very generous in his support of the work of the church. This was possible because he prospered in his business enterprises. He was a man of ability and held many positions of trust while a citizen of Dixon. The Synod of Northern Illinois recognized his worth by electing him to serve in several of- ficial capacities. In 1888, he moved to Monrovia, Los Angeles County, California, where he made an effort to organize a new con- gregation. Later on he became identified with the First English Lutheran Church of Los Angeles, and in 1891, he was one of the charter members of the Synod of California. Rev. Uhl died in Monrovia, California on January 19, 1897. Rev. William Uhl left behind him many monuments to his untiring efforts, as a pioneer Lutheran pastor in Illinois, in the many congregations he organized and the churches he helped to build. St. John's was indeed fortunate to have had this man as its first pastor. REV. NATHANIEL W. LILLY 1858- -1859 After his departure from St. John's, Rev. Uhl was called upon by the Presi- dent of Synod to assist his former con- gregation "In obtaining a suitable pas- tor." This he did in the person of Rev. Nathaniel Lilly. Rev, N. W. Lilly, St. John's second pastor, was born in Northumberland County, Pa., on Oct. 25, 1829. In time he was graduated from Gettysburg Col- lege and later from the Theological Department of Illinois University at Springfield, Illinois. At the meeting of Synod in 1858, at Mendota, Rev. Lilly represented St. John's of Sterling. He was ordained at this meeting of Synod, on Sept. 20th, having been highly rec- ommended by Dr. S. W. Harkey, pro- fessor of Theology at the University. The minutes of Synod indicate that the ordination service was one filled with deep emotion, both on the part of the candidates and the brethren present. Shortly after the arrival of Rev. Lilly in Sterling the first parsonage was com- pleted. Pastor Lilly and his family oc- cupied the parscnage in the fall of 1858, but his stay was short as he was granted a release to the Synod of Illinois on July 25, 1859 by President Thummel, so that he might accept a call to Men- don, Illinois. S ; ... Ut % i i nCTi x mBJBkm- II Bid KJ First Parsonage Only one Communion is recorded by Pastor Lilly, that being on Feb. 6, 1859, T " 'th 45 communicants. Eight new mem- bers were received on this date. The growth of the congregation up to the time Rev. L\illy arrived is indicated by the fact that 85 members were re- ported to Synod in 1858. The Church —19- Pastor Lilly Register shows four baptisms, two con- firmations and no weddings or funerals during his stay. In November of 1866, Rev. Lilly was back in the territory of Northern Il- linois, having accepted a call to Forres- ton. After four years he moved to St. Paul's in Dixon, where he also stayed four years. From Dixon Rev. Lilly mov- ed to Tippecanoe City, Ohio. 1892 saw him back at Forreston for another stay of four years. At the meeting of Synod in Sterling in 1899, President Dysinger announced his release to the Kansas Synod. Rev. Lilly died in St. Louis, Mo., April 24, 1914. At the time of his passing, one of his fellow clergymen said of him, that "He was a quiet, affable man, a faithful and strong preacher of the Word, and a kind and sympathetic pas- tor." Rev. Lilly was an active member of the Synod of Northern Illinois dur- ing his years of service in this area, having held several official positions, including those of Secretary and Presi- dent of Synod. REV. W. A. LIPE 1860 - 1873 Because of the short stay of Pastor Lilly, St. John's was again, in less than a year, faced with the problem of find- ing a pastor. This they did in the person of Rev. Lipe, who was to lead our church through some of its early and trying years. Wyley Archibald Lipe was born in Ca- barras County, N. C. on July 9, 1835, and came with his parents to Hillsboro, Illinois that same year. After securing a preparatory education, he entered the Illinois State University at Springfield, Illinois. Here he was a classmate of Robert Lincoln, son of our Civil War President, and was a frequent visitor in the Lincoln home. One of his in- structors at the University was Dr. C. B. Thummel of Prairieville, who was Professor of German and Theology in 1854-55. Student Lipe made an enviable record for himself and graduated with the highest honors in his class. During his last two years at the University he supplied pulpits in and around Spring- field. Minutes of the 10th meeting of the Synod of Northern Illinois, held at Knoxville, show that on Sept. 10, 1860, W. A. Lipe was licensed to "preach the Gospel, and to perform all other minis- terial acts for one year." Fifteen days later he was married to Elizabeth Brown, and to this union were born seven chil- dren. Having accepted a call to Sterling at a salary of $60 for the first year, he arrived in our city with his bride on Oct. 10, 1860 to begin his first pastorate, which were to last for 13 years. Pastor Lipe was ordained on Sept. 22, 1861 at the meeting of Synod in Ada- line, Ogle County, Dr. C. B. Thummel preaching the ordination sermon. The Examining Committee found his ser- mons "well-written, sound in doctrine, well-arranged, plain, practical, and in- dicative of the writer's future useful- ness." John Over was lay delegate from St. John's at this meeting of Synod. -20- Rev. Lipe conducted his first Com- munion in Sterling in November of 1860 with 23 communing. In 1861 Pastor Lipe organized our Sunday School and served as its first Supsrintendent. This organization of the church, now in its 94th year, has had a long and glorious history. In 1862 Pastor Lipe reported 50 scholdars and 10 teachers to Synod. In 1954 our Sunday School shows an enrollment of more than 600 scholars, teachers and officers. Pastor Lipe show- ed his interest in the work of the Sun- day School at large by taking an active part in the organization of the White- side County Sunday School Association on Dec. 1, 1864, and served as its first Vice President. Not long after Rev. Lips came to Ster- ling, our country was plunged into a bloody civil war. In 1864 Pastor Lipe enlisted in a regiment of 100-day men and was elected Chaplain of his regi- ment. It was during his absence that St. John's entertained the Synod of North- ern Illinois for the first time. Rev. P. Bergstresser, Secretary of Synod, closes his report of this meeting by saying that "This was one of the most delightful meetings of the kind that we have ever attended." In attendance were 22 cler- gymen and 7 lay delegates, including John LeFevre of St. John's. Early in 1866 the "Little White Church" was refitted and enlarged by addition of a front hall and a tower with bell, the cost being $1800. The little church was rededicated on August 19, 1866. with Rev. A. A. Trimper of Dixon preaching the dedication sermon. As- sisting were Pastor Lipe and Dr. Thum- mel, President of Synod. The cut of the first church as shown in this booklet pictures the church as it appeared at that time. The interior of the church was considerably changed in the re- modeling and this is the church as some of our oldest members remember it. In October of 1867 St. John's was host to a called meeting of Synod. Pastor Lipe maintained an active in- terest in education and was elected Trustee of the Synod sponsored schools at Mendota and Springfield. In 1872 the Synod of Northern Illinois honored him with its Presidency. From 1873 to 1880 Rev. Lipe was pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Omaha, Neb. In 1882 he was back in Illinois, having been called to the South Dixon charge, where he stayed four years. While here he suffered the loss of his wife. His next call came from Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1886, after which he held pastorates in Omaha, West Point and Ponca, Neb. In 1900 he moved to Webster City, Iowa, staying for 8 years. While here he married Mamie Auge and to this marriage was born one daughter. With his health failing he moved to New Cambria, Kansas in 1908 where he finished his ministerial labors. On July 17, 1909, after a lingering and painful illness he was called to his Maker. The last rites of the church were performed in St. John's in Sterling, where he had held his first pastorate many years be- fore. Rev. Fleck, pastor of St. John's, preached the funeral sermon. One of the assisting pastors was Rev. W. C. Seidel (son of St. John's). Rev. Lipe's body laid to rest in Riverside in Sterling. Pastor Line -21- Ic was said of Rev. Lipe that he was a staunch Lutheran, mighty preacher, sweet singer, and a fine Christian gen- tleman. The great Evangelist, Dwight L. Moody once made him an attractive offer, if he would travel with him as chorus leader and solo singer. Rev. Lipe decl.ned, preferring rather to preach and sing the Gospel for the members of his congregation. At the time of his pas- sing, the Sterling Gazette paid him this fine tribute: "Rev. Lipe w r as a strong and influential preacher, and his varied service was the means of doing a work that surpasses the ability of mortal mind to compute or even enumerate." An interesting document from the period of Pastor Lipe's tenure in St. John's is the set of RULES OF FAITH AND PRACTICE drawn up in 1865. It has been reproduced in the paragraphs that follow. Rules Of Faith And Practice ST. JOHN'S EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH STERLING, ILLINOIS We the officers and members of the St. Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sterling, Illinois, assembled in our house of worship on this the thirtieth day of July, and in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty Five, do adopt the followng Rules of Faith and Practice. Rules of Faith 1. We receive the unadulterated word of God as our only infallible rule of faith and practice. 2. We receive the Augsburg Confes* sion as setting forth a just summary of the doctrine taught in the word of God. Specifications 1. We believe in the Trinity of per- sons in the One Godhead, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God. 2. We believe in the universal deprav- ity of our race. 3. We believe in the vicarious and un- limited atonement of Jesus Christ. 4. We believe in justification by faith alone. 5. We believe in the necessity of a holy life, and good wor\s as the fruit of faith. 6. We believe in the divine appoint- ment of the Holy Ministry and Sacra- ments, and that Baptism ought to be administered to children. 7. We believe in the final judgment and an eternity of rewards and punish- ments. Rules of Practice 1. We receive the formula of the General Synod, laid down in our hymn boo\s, as our Rule of Discipline and Government. 2. The Council of this church shall consist of two Elders and three Deacons. They shall be the lawful Trustees of the church. 3. This Council shall be elected tri- annually, or, once in three years. 4. 7\[o one shall be eligible to member- ship, either by confirmation, or baptism, who is not a Christian, or gives un- mistakable evidence that he desires and is earnestly see\ing to become such. 5. Persons may be received from other churches, either by letter or confession of faith. 6. The members of this church shall cheerfully acquiesce in all elections and decisions held and made according to the formula of the General Synod. 7. Each member of this church shall uphold and encourage the pastor bx prayer and a Godly life. 8. Each member is recommended to attend upon the means of grace as often as practicable and pray that it may con- tribute to his growth in grace. 9. A member of this church shall not visit nor countenance places of public amusement — Balls, Theatres, etc. He shall not countenance nor engage in anx games of chance, whatever. —22— 10. 7s[o member shall use nor counte* nance the use of intoxicating liquors in any way whatever, except as recommend' ed b>? a reliable physician. 11. A member shall not engage, nor allow anyone to engage in un\ind or abusive language toward the church, the pastor, or any member of the church, except there be sufficient evidence to establish the same before the Council. 12. It is expected that each member shall cherish \indly feelings toward all people, but especially those of the same faith. 13. Any member violating any or all of the above rules shall be subject to the discipline of the church as laid down by the General Synod. 14. Each and every member shall as- sist and sustain the Council in a strict and impartial administration of the church discipline. REV. EMMANUEL BROWN 1873 - 1875 Rev. Lipe was succeeded as Postor of St. John's by Rev. Emmanuel Brown, who served our congregation for more than a quarter of a century. Only Dr. Harris could match him in length of ser- vice. These two men were the spirit- ual leaders of our congregation for more than fifty of the first hundred years of her existence. Emmanuel Brown was born near Get- tysburg, Pa., Jan. 28, 1841. After com- pleting his elementary education he re- ceived his advanced schooling at Millers- ville Normal School and moved to Il- linois where he began his work as a school teacher. He was a successful teacher and administrator in Lena, Ro- chelle and Oregon for a period of ten years. During these years he was great- ly interested in the work of the church and in 1866 his name appears on the minutes of Synod as a lay delegate from Oregon. At this same meeting of Synod the Committee on Examination of Can- didates for the Ministry, after an inter- view with Mr. Brown, offered the fol- lowing resolution: "Resolved, That Mr. Brown be authorized to conduct relig- ious meetings and to preach under the supervision of Rev. G. W. Crofts for one year, and that he be desired to pursue a course of theological study under the direction of Dr. Harkey." Rev. Brown continued his work as an educator, at the same time pursuing his theological studies. At the meeting of Synod in Carthage in 1873 he was rec- ommended for licensure by the Commit- tee on Examination of Candidates for the Ministry, having "very creditably sustained an examination of various theological subjects and on personal piety." He also submitted several ser- mons to the committee, "which gave evidence of good Homiletical ability." Having been licensed, Rev. Brown was called to become pastor of St. John's on Oct. 7, 1873. He finished his schoolwork in Oregon on Nov. 7th, and arrived in Sterling on the 22nd of November to begin his pastoral duties. In a personal record book kept by Pastor Brown is to be found the follow- ing statement: "My first impression Past< -23— after reading the call (to St. John's) was to decline, but after prayerful con- sideration and consulting with the Presi- dent of Synod, I concluded to accept. I notified the Council at Sterling of my decision. While writing my answer, I felt that I was writing the most impor- tant letter of my life." St. John s acted as host for a called meeting of Synod in April of 18 74. The purpose of this meeting was primarily for the purpose of examining candidates for the Ministry. At the annual meeting of Synod held in Oregon in September, Rev. Brown was ordained by that body, at the request of the Examining Com- mittee, his "sermons and journal furnish- ing satisfactory evidence of his aoility and fidelity in his pastoral work." Fred Eyster represented St. John's as lay delegate at this meeting. On April 22, 1875 Rev. Brown was married to Anna Hormell of Oregon. He brought his bride to Sterling but was not to stay for long as he had been ap- proached about returning to Oregon to teach school. He consequently tendered his resignation to the Church Council on May 5th to take effect Aug. 15th. The Council reluctantly accepted his resigna- tion and set about finding a replace- ment with the assistance of Pastor Brown. REV. A. K. FELTON 1876 Rev. Brown's decision to return to the schoolroom in 1875 again left St. John's without a pastor. Rev. J. Scherer (pi- oneer Lutheran pastor) w r as first con- sidered, but did not accept the call. After experiencing some difficulty in filling the position the congregation fi- nally succeeded in obtaining Rev. An- thony K. Felton. Rev. Felton was born in Bedford County, Pa., Jan. 17, 1848. His early in- terests were in education and as a young man taught a country school. He later- conducted a Normal School near his home. His interest in the work of the church soon led him to the decision that he should devote his life to the Holy Gospel Ministry. With this in mind he entered Gettysburg College, graduating in 1872, and completing his study at Gettysburg Seminary in 1874. Rev. Felton was ordained in October of 1874, in New York City, and served as pastor of a church in New Jersey for a short time before coming to Illinois as a home missionary. On Dec. 13, 1875, he accepted a call to St. John's in Ster- ling, beginning his pastorate on Jan. 1, 1876, but failed to stay the year out, his resignation taking effect June 14, 1876. During his short stay the church rec- ords show one Communion with 50 pres- ent, one wedding, and one new member taken into the congregation. He was dismissed to the Synod of Kansas that same year, and on Jan. 1, 1877 he married Amanda K. Derr. To this union were born four children. Rev. Felton was soon back in his native state, having accepted a call to Phillipsburg, Pa. From Pennsylvania he moved to Ohio, where he spent most of his years Pastor Felton —24— in the ministry, holding pastorates in Pleasant City, Upper Sandusky, Lucas, Greenford, Smithville, East Union and Magnolia, his last charge. He served as Statistical Secretary for the East Ohio Synod for 13 years. Pastor Felton's labors as a Minister of the Gospel came to a close on Feb. 2, 1915, with his passing at New Phila- delphia, Ohio, after a lingering illness. It was said of him, that "as a man, he was sincere, devout, faithful; as a min- ister, conscientious, unselfish, and sound in the faith." PASTOR BROWN RETURNS 1873 - 1900 With the departure of Pastor Felton, Rev. Brown was again called to serve St. John's. He accepted the call and re- turned after an absence of one year. This time he was to stay until his pas- sing in 1900. The next few years were lean years for the congregation. At one time the payments on the pastor's salary were one year in arrears. In spite of many difficulties the pastor and congregation continued their efforts in the interest of the Kingdom. In September of 1879, St. John's was again host to the Synod of Northern Illinois. Council Minutes tell us that the build- ing of a new church first came up for discussion in 1881, ten years before con- struction started. Beginning in 1885, Pastor Brown served as President of the Synod of Northern Illinois for three suc- cessive years. The matter of building a new church was now receiving a great deal of at- tention and on Oct. 5, 1886, ''in response to a general call to the ladies of the congregation a meeting was held in the home of Mrs. Alex Murphy for the pur- pose of discussing the advisability of organizing a society for the purpose of raising funds to assist in building or buying a church." Officers elected at this first meeting were Mrs. Huldah Maynard, President; Mrs. Joseph Grubb, Vice President; Mrs. Jennie Hazard, Secretary; and Mrs. John Miller, Treas- St. John's Second House of Worship —25— urer. This group, calling themselves the Ladies Aid Society, immediately set about the business of raising funds for their stated purpose and played an im- portant part in the realization of a new church. It was during this period that the 'Annual Suppers" had their begin- ning and proved to be one of the most important sources of revenue for the new society. In July of 1890 the Church Council voted to present to the congregation the proposition of erecting a new church edifice. This was done and favorably re- ceived by the congregation. On Aug. 24th, 1890 a Building Committee for the new church was chosen, consisting of Herman Sturtz, John Wolfersperger, Noah S. Loux, John F. Strock, and Rev. Brown. The congregation, on Sept. 6, 1890, subscribed $8549.00 for a new house of worship. Contracts were let and the cornerstone laid on June 16, 1891. The old church was sold to the Second Avenue (Messiah) Lutherans that sum- mer for $250.00. The total cost of the church was a little more than $15,000. Dedication services were held April 10, 1892, with Dr. S. B. Barnitz, Western Secretary of the Board of Home Mis- sions, preaching the sermon. St. John's was once more host to the Synod of Northern Illinois that year. The Ladies Aid Society, having a- chieved its goal in assisting in the erec- tion of the new church, now set its sights upon the building of a new par- Second Parsonage sonage. This hard-working group of women not only raised the funds for this new project but took an active part in the drafting of the plans for it. The old parsonage was sold in 1897 to Mrs. Jennie Hazard who had it moved to its present location on the southeast corner of Johnson Avenue and E. Tenth Street. The new parsonage was finished in No- vember at a cost of $3,000.00. The Synod of Northern Illinois held its 49th annual meeting in Sterling in 1899, beginning Oct. 25th. This meeting of Synod, at which Pastor Brown acted as host, was to be his last as six months later he was no longer in the land of the living, having been suddenly called to his final reward on April 13th, 1900. The passing of Rev. Brown was a terri- ble shock to his wife and children, Flor- ence (Mrs. Fred Clark) and Paul, as well as the congregation and the com- munity as a whole. The end came sud- denly and with little warning on Good Friday. Rev. Frank A. Miller, an Evangelist of the Congregational Church, who had been assisting with some special Easter services took over for Pastor Brown and inspired the congregation to dispose of the balance of the debt on the church before they laid their pastor away on Easter Monday. The efforts of Pastor Brown during his last days were evident in the 81 new members who joined the church on that sad Easter Sunday. People from all walks of life attended the funeral of this beloved pastor of St. John's and the community at large. Rev. J. M. Ruthrauff, President of Carthage College, preached the funeral sermon. Assisting in the services were a host of pastors from Synod and the local com- munity. The church could not hold all who wished to attend, hundreds turning away or standing outside. Delegations were present from many local organiza- tions and institutions that Rev. Brown had served during his years in Sterling. At the time of his passing he was ser- ving the congregations at Emerson and —26— Prairieville, as well as St. John's. He was also President of the Board of Di- rectors of Carthage College, and Presi- dent of the Board of Education of the newly formed Sterling Township High School. For years he had served as Presi- dent of the Board of Education of the Second Ward School (Central), relin- quishing this office so that he might take an active part in the organization of the new high school. Many honors were heaped upon Rev. Brown during his lifetime by his church, the Synod of Northern Illinois, and the local community. At the time of his pas- sing he was further honored with many tributes of praise. The Synod of North- ern Illinois recognized his passing by resolution which in part said: "In Broth- er Brown, as we familiarly called him, we recognize a brother of unusual abil- ity as a preacher of the Word, a splen- did organizer, a wise and safe councilor, a true and devoted friend ... in short, his worth and work as a minister of God, a member of Synod, and a brother man, make his memory an inspiration and his life and character a shining example." Among other things Dr. Ruthrauff, Pres- ident of Carthage College said of him, "He had profound convictions on all im- portant questions that concerned the church, the state and home, and he had the courage of his convictions." The Twin Cities Ministerial Association and The Sterling Gazette both recognized him as an outstanding citizen and a man of God. REV. E. LEE FLECK 1900 - 1909 In July of 1900, St. John's issued a call to Rev. E. Lee Fleck of the Second Lutheran Church of Dayton, Ohio, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Pastor Brown. The call was accepted, Rev. Fleck taking up his pastoral duties in Sterling on September 1, of that year. Rev. Fleck was born in Sinking Valley, Pa., Sept. 8, 1856. Here he received his elementary school education. After fin- ishing his high school work at Clarence, Iowa he entered Carthage College, grad- uating in 1884. He immediately entered Wittenberg Theological Seminary, from which he received his divinity degree in 1887. On March 7, 1888 he married a col- lege classmate, Miss Olive Hosf ord of Hamilton, 111., and to this union were born five children, Vera, Harlow, Irene, Donald, and Elmer. His first parstorate was the Third Lutheran Church of Springfield, Ohio which he organized; the new congrega- tion under his leadership building a church the first year. Pastorates in Sid- ney, Neb., and Dayton, Ohio followed before Rev. Fleck came to Sterling. Here he stayed for nine years and during that time there was a decided increase in the membership and a number of improve- ments were made to the physical proper- ties of the church. In 1902 and 1903 the entire church was redecorated and improved, an im- portant addition in 1902 being a water motor for pumping the organ. Early in 1904 it was decided that a new pipe or- Pastor Fleck —27— gan should be purchased and installed in time for the 50th Anniversary cele- bration in December. This was done and the instrument dedicated during the an- niversary week, but not without many anxious moments as the organ was much delayed in its arrival and not completely installed until the final service. St. John's Golden Anniversary was celebrated from Dec. 18th to 23rd with many local and visiting pastors taking part. Rev. W. A. Lipe who served St. John's during the Civil War period, re- turned and recalled for the congregation some of the early days in the life of the church. Benjamin and Harriet Reed, charter members of the church, and still active, were present to help celebrate this very special occasion. In 1906 the church was recarpeted throughout and also in that year appear- ed the first church paper, entitled "Our Daily Work." 1906 was the year of "The Great Ice Gorge." There was much dam- age to property and all of the Avenue G Bridge was carried away by the ice. Many people were thrown out of work because of power failures in the fac- tories. Luckily no lives were lost. Spe- cial services of Thanksgiving were held in the churches when the channel of the river was finally cleared. Pastor Fleck brought his work in Ster- ling to a close in August of 1909. From Sterling he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he engaged in supply work for many years. Rev. Fleck was on the roll of the Nebraska Synod at the time of his death. The end of his pastoral labors came on May 18, 1937 at Lincoln, Neb. He was buried at Hamilton, Illinois. Rev. Fleck was a man of high prin- ciples and a firm believer in these prin- ciples. He was not a man to be swayed from what he believed to be right. On the occasion of St. John's Golden Anniver- sary the Sterling Gazette had this to say of Rev. Fleck's ministry: ''He has work- ed hard and to good effect, and the satisfactory consumation of his plans is an excellent testimonial to the effect that he is the right man in the right place." Benjamin Reed Harriet Reed —28- REV. E. C. HARRIS, D. D. 1909 - 1935 With the arrival of Rev. E. C. Harris on Oct. 17, 1909, began one of the most outstanding pastorates of any pastor who has served in Sterling. Like St. John's beloved Pastor Brown, Dr. Harris was to endear himself to the people of his congregation and the city as a whole. Edwin C. Harris was born near Ox- ford, Ohio on July 19, 18/0. After at- tending the Public Schools he received his early advanced education at Miami University and National Normal Univer- sity in Ohio. After teaching in the Pub- lic Schools for one year he enrolled at Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, graduating in the class of 1896. He im- mediately entered the Hamma Divinity School, graduating in 1899. During his Seminary years he supplied churches in Xenia and Dayton, Ohio and Middle- town, Indiana. On Sept. 21, 1899, Rev. Harris was united in marriage to Anna Magdalene Snyder, a native of Whiteside County, whose family had moved to Ohio. The young couple, having been commissioned by the Board of Foreign Missions as Missionaries to India, sailed from Phila- delphia Nov. 4, 1899 for Guntur, India, a trip of 13,000 miles, arriving seven weeks later. Rev. and Mrs. Harris stayed in India for 81 years. The story of their labors in India, because of space, cannot be told here. However, to quote a report in the Minutes of Illinois Synod, it may be said "they labored faithfully and sue- cessfully." Daughters Margery (Mrs. William Nelson) and Kathleen (Mrs. Donald Ball) were born in India. Lloyd was born in Sterling. Because of the poor health of Mrs. Harris the family was forced to return to this country. For about one year Rev. Harris served the Board of Foreign Missions as represen- tative at various synodical meetings. In August, 1909 Rev. Harris partici- pated in the Bible Conference in con- Pastor Harris nection with the Rock River Assembly in Dixon. He was invited to visit St. John's, which he did, and on Sept. 20, 1909 received a unanimous call from the congregation to be its pastor. The call was accepted and Pastor Harris and family arrived on Oct. 17, 1909. This was Rev. Harris' only pastorate in this country. Installation services for Pastor Harris were held Dec. 5, 1909 with our own Dr. W. C. Seidel delivering the charge to the pastor and Rev. Thos. B. Hersch, a classmate of the pastor and President of the Synod of Northern Illinois, the charge to the congregation. Under the leadership of Pastor Harris the congregation took under consider- ation the matter of supporting a Mis- sionary Pastor at the Annual Meeting in January of 1911. That same year, in October, St. John's was host to the 61st Annual Meeting of The Synod of North- ern Illinois. On June 21, 1914, Rev. Harry E. Dickey was installed as Missionary Pas- tor from St. John's. This was the be- —29— o M C X 3 Q x, o h 3 JS u c u 4> —30— ginning of a fine missionary project that lasted until 1931. From 1912 to 1917 a number of dec- orating and maintenance projects were carried out by the congregation and its various auxiliaries. One very noticeable change was the addition of an altar and new altar furniture. This altar furniture is still in use at the Elmhurst Lutheran Church being moved here when the pres- ent sanctuary was completed in 1924. The Synod of Northern Illinois hon- ored Pastor Harris with its Presidency in 1915 and again in 1916. Rev. Harris was again honored in 1918 by his alma mater when he had conferred upon him the Doctor of Divinity degree, for out- standing service in his field. 1917 saw the purchase of the Gould property just west of the church (where the present auditorium stands) at a cost of $4,000. There was now a great deal of talk about the necessity of expand- ing the facilities of the church, and in 1918 a Building Fund was started. In 1919 the Church Council was in- creased from seven to nine members, consisting of four Elders and five Dea- cons. The following year the congrega- tion elected an "Investigating Commit- tee" to look into the matter of enlarging the church. Serving on this committee were Theodore Trouth, Lewis Reitzel, Jonas Baer, Gustave Fritz and Hugo Weyrauch. After considerable study the congre- gation decided to proceed with a pro- gram to enlarge the physical facilities and on April 13, 1921 created two com- mittees to carry out its wishes. The Building Committee was composed of G. E. Bishop (Chmn.), Mrs. Minnie Ander- son (Sec), Theodore Trouth, Otto Leitz, Hugo Weyrauch, Henry Grebner and Mrs. Ida LeFevre. The Finance Commit- tee included Nevin R. Loux (Chmn.), Miss Helen Hamm (Sec), Miss Jennie Linn (Treas.), Charles A. Smith, M. E. Wilger and Harry R. Trudo. Ground breaking services for the new church were held April 19, 1923. Noah S. Loux, only surviving member of the building committee of the church built in 1891, turned the first shovel of dirt. The corner-stone was laid on July 1, 1923, and the completed church was dedicated April 27, 1924. It was a great day for the people of St. John's and was observed with week- long services, many visiting church dig- nitaries taking part in the celebration. The cost of this fine new temple of wor- ship was about $120,000 and was com- pletely paid for in five years. One of the most enjoyed features of the new church was the magnificent new Moller organ. This fine instrument was a gift from Mrs. Clara S. Martin in memory of her father-in-law, John Mar- tin. The old pipe organ was sold to the First Congregational Church in Rock Falls and is still in use today. At a special congregational meeting in March 1926, Theodore Trouth, Sr. was elected Assistant to the Pastor, a position which he held for five years. It was in October of 1926 that the congre- gation was shocked by the sudden pas- sing of Rev. Dickey, Missionary Pastor from St. John's to India. He had served for 12 years in the field, his only as- signment being in the name of St. John's. The following year Rev. S. C. Burger was appointed Missionary Pastor from St. John's and continued to serve until 1931. Rev. Burger was an active missionary in India when the Harris* were there. A week of special services were held from Dec 1 to 8, 1929, to celebrate St. John's Diamond Jubilee. It was a happy 75th anniversary. St. John's had grown to be one of the largest congregations in the Illinois Synod and had made an enviable record in support of the ben- evolent programs of the church. A new house of worship had been completed five years earlier and on this occasion the congregation found itself debt free. The depression years in the 30's were rough on St. John's as they were on everyone. Dr. Harris, as one might have —31— The New Sanctuary — 1924 expected from him asked that the con- gregation cut his salary in an attempt to alleviate financial conditions. Other employees of the church followed his ex- ample and also took cuts. Although there was a depression in terms of money, there was no depression in the activity and growth in our con- gregation. The burden on Dr. Harris was becoming too great and so it was, after consideration by the Church Council and the congregation, that Student Albert H. Keck, Jr., of Maywood Seminary was called to be Assistant Pastor at St. John's. He served St. John's on a part- time basis from Sept. 1933 until his graduation from the Seminary in May, 1934. Rev. Keck was made Associate Pastor June 1, 1934, with the thought of fur- ther relieving Dr. Harris. A continued decline in his health, however, caused him to resign as Pastor of St. John's in January of 1935. Dr. Harris' resignation was accepted and he was made Pastor Emeritus as of May 1, 1935. Rev. Keck was issued a call to become Pastor of St. John's as of May 1, 1935. This call was accepted and Rev. Keck installed. A complete breakdown in the health of Dr. Harris soon followed, and after an illness which lasted for more than six years, he was called to his Master on Oct. 17, 1942, exactly 33 years from the day he took up his duties in Sterling. The people of St. John's and the com- munity at large paid their final respects to this great and dearly loved man in services held in the church he had loved so dearly, and for which he had given so many years of his life. Rev. Albert H. Keck, Jr., Pastor of St. John's, conducted the services, assisted by JDr. Lloyd W. —32— Walter of Dixon and Dr. Thomas B. Hersch, a classmate of Dr. Harris, who preached the sermon. A large delegation of clergy from Synod and the commun- ity attended in a body. Hundreds of the friends of Dr. Harris had filed by his re- mains as they lay in state from Sunday afternoon until the time of the funeral on Monday. Following services in Ster- ling, the body was taken to Darrtown, Ohio for burial, the services there being conducted by Rev. James Miller of Day- ton, Ohio, on Oct. 21, 1942. The expressions of tribute to this saintly man would fill many pages of this little book. A few chosen at random will tell in what high esteem Dr. Har- ris was held by all who knew him. ''Dr. Harris was a diligent worker, a good organizer, an able leader. But above all else he was a true pastor, loved and esteemed for his understanding, gracious sympathy and living faith. He served everyone in one spirit — that of his Master. He was in constant touch with his people and rejoiced with them when they rejoiced, and wept with them when they were in sorrow. He was often in their homes and wrote many cherish- ed letters. The whole community regard- ed him as one of God's saints and many hundreds in the community counted him their pastor and servant though they were unchurched. He served them with- out counting the cost. He was truly bles- sed of God in a beautiful personality without weakness, and in his passion for the aid and salvation of his brethren." The Sterling Daily Gazette expressed the feelings of the community in an edi- torial, part of which follows: "He moved among us smilingly, bringing cheer to the afflicted, advising the young, cheer- ing us in our everyday tasks. He never entered a home without bringing with him a feeling of friendship and a desire for a better life; he never left a home without leaving behind him a happy thought. If ever a man taught the Gos- pel by precept and example, that man was Dr. E. C. Harris. This community has been enriched because of his having lived among us." It was the privilege of this writer to have known Dr. Harris and to have call- ed him Pastor. Nothing that has been said of him in eulogy was undeserved. We should like to add another credit to this good man. His complete and well- kept records of the church have made the work of your centennial historian much easier than it could otherwise have been. His great interest in the early history of our congregation, and the many booklets which resulted from his research have preserved for our church, information that would be beyond our reach at this time. REV. ALBERT H. KECK, JR. 1935 - 1945 With the continued growth of St. John's during the pastorate of Dr. Har- ris, it became very evident that it was a physical impossibility for one man to serve a congregation so large. A step to- ward relieving Dr. Harris was taken in 1933 when Albert H. Keck, Jr., then a student at Maywood Theological Semin- ary, was called as Assistant Pastor. This was the beginning of an association be- tween Rev. Keck and St. John's that was to last for nearly twelve years. Albert H. Keck, Jr., son of Dr. and Mrs. Albert H. Keck, Sr., was born in Aurora, Illinois, March 23, 1910. Dr. Keck has been an outstanding minister in the ULCA for many years, serving at present as Pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Richmond, Indiana. Albert H. Keck, Jr. attended the pub- lic schools of South Bend, Ind. and grad- uated from Central High School in 1927. After his graduation from Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio in 1931, he attended Hamma Divinity School for two years. He was graduated from the Chicago Lutheran Seminary at Maywood, Illinois in May of 1934. His ordination took place at South Bend, Ind., on May 15th of that same year. As has already been mentioned, Rev. Keck served as as- sistant to Dr. Harris until his graduation -33- Pastor Keck from Seminary, at which time he be- came Associate Pastor of St. John's. On Aug. 15, 1934, Rev. Keck was united in marriage to Virginia Elizabeth Rhodes, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. George H. Rhodes. Dr. Rhodes has for many years been associated with the Lutheran church in North Carolina. To this marriage has been born four chil- dren: George Albert, David Rhodes, Timothy Alan and Barbara Jane. All but Barbara Jane were born in Sterling. During Rev. Keek's first full year in Sterling, St. John's was host to the Synodical Convention of the Women's Missionary Society. After the resignation of Dr. Harris in 1935 because of ill health, he was elec- ted Pastor Emeritus and Rev. Keck was called to be Pastor. This change became effective as of May 1, 1935. Seldom has so young a man been called to serve so large a congregation. Rev. Keck, how- ever, was equal to the challenge and completely justified the people of St. John's in their choice of pastor. Early in 1935, was organized the So- cial Gardeners, a group that has for years been responsible for the altar flowers and other floral decorations in the church. An important event in 1936 was the adoption of the Revised Con- stitution and By-Laws of our congrega- tion. It was shortly after this that the congregation was presented with a fine grand piano for the sanctuary, a memo- rial to Theodore Trouth, Jr. St. John's was the host to the annual meeting of the Illinois Synod, May 16- 19, 1938. This was the second time the Illinois Synod had met in Sterling, the previous meeting having been held in 1925. Discussion of extensive alterations and renovation in the Sunday School came up for discussion at this time, lead- ing to an 85th Anniversary Appeal for $2500. In 1939 all the brickwork was repoint- ed and the outside woodwork painted, which did much to improve the outside appearance of the church. Rev. Keck prepared and published a special histor- ical booklet and church directory in con- nection with St. John's 85th anniversary. Special services were held in honor of the occasion, and on Sunday, Dec. 3, the birthday of our congregation, Dr. Armin G. Weng, President of Illinois Synod, preached the anniversary sermon. The Young Married People's Group was or- ganized in 1939. St. John's Luther League acted as host to the State Convention of Luther Leagues of Illinois Synod in August of 1940. This was a great occasion for the young people of our church and brought many fine Leaguers to our midst from all parts of the state. Extensive repairs and alterations were made to the parsonage in 1941 and 1942. Again there was talk of having an as- sistant to the pastor. Late in 1941 the Grebner family presented a set of chimes, a very fine addition to our or- gan. Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, was the occa- sion of the attack on Pearl Harbor and led to our involvment in World War II. Many of our fine young men and women —34— were called into the service of their country in the next few years. Pastor Keck and the Luther League did a fine job of keeping in touch with those who were in the service. In 1942, the congregation voted to in- crease the Church Council to four Elders and eight Deacons, besides the Pastor, which number still applies. The big Sem- inary Drive which had been postponed during the depression years was launch- ed in 1942, with St. John's raising $5423. In March of that year the con- gregation voted to secure an assistant for the pastor and in time called George Hershberger, a student at Gettysburg Seminary. He took up his duties in June of 1942. A 2-year catechetical course was start- ed by Pastor Keck in 1942. This was also the year that the Council voted to send the Gleaner to the members of the con- gregation. On Oct. 17, 1942, occurred the death of our beloved Dr. Harris, his suf- ferings on this earth having been brought to a merciful end. The first parish secretary was em- ployed in 1943, to relieve the pastor of clerical work. This year also saw the realization of the Dr. E. C. Harris En- dowment Fund to help educate native missionaries. This fund has continued and has been added to from time to time. Pastor Keck began publishing the St. John's Messenger in 1944, a church paper that appeared several times a year. The Erva Moody Missionary Soci- ety came into being that year. The much delayed Carthage College Drive was launched in 1945. Our Synod- sponsored school at Carthage had suffer- ed severely during the depression and now all the churches in the Synod were being given a chance to help Carthage get back on its feet. St. John's raised $3994 as its apportioned share in this project. Sunday, May 6, 1945, was a sad day for our congregation for on that day at the close of the morning service, Pastor Keck read his resignation as Pastor of St. John's, to take effect June 24. The congregation very reluctantly accepted the resignation and set about looking for a new pastor. Rev. Keck left St. John's to accept a call to Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Lincolnton, N. C, where he stayed three years. In 1948, he was elected Professor of Practical Theology at Lutheran South- em Seminary. Here he stayed until 1953 when he accepted a call to St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, Hickory, N. C, where he is now located. Rev. Keck has already been honored many times by Synod and the U.L.C.A. He has served as Secretary of the Board of Chicago Lutheran Seminary; Chair- man of the Illinois Synod Stewardship Committee; Chairman of Long Lake Summer School Board; Home Mission Board of N. C. Synod; Committee on Ministerial Education of N. C. Synod; member of U.L.C.A. Committee on Wor- ship; delegate to U.L.C.A. in 1938, 1944, 1952 and 1954. He was' the writer of a quarter of U.L.C.A. 1954 Lesson Com- mentary, and has contributed to "The Lutheran," "The Lutheran Quarterly," and "Luther League Topics." Rev. Albert H. Keck, Jr., though still a young man, has had a fine record as a Minister of the Gospel. We, who have known him intimately, have expected great things of him and feel that many more honors will come to him before his pastoral work is finished. We of St. John's still follow with much interest the doings of "Pastor Keck." Our best wishes go out to him and his fine family. It is with great joy that we look forward to his return during our centennial cele- bration. REV. ALFRED L. GREWE, D. D. 1945 - After Rev. Keek's departure, several ministers filled the pulpit during the summer, with the result that the congre- gation voted to call Dr. Alfred L. Grewe, Pastor of Faith Church in St. Louis, Mo. Alfred Louis Grewe was born April —35— 17, 1897 in Okawville, Washington County, 111., the son of Fred and Minnie (Budde) Grewe. He attended the public and parochial schools of Okawville and graduated from Concordia College, Ft. Wayne, Ind., in June of 1916. Gradua- tion from Concordia Seminary at St. Louis came in June 1919. Rev. Grewe was ordained at Bethle- hem Lutheran Church (his home church) St. Louis, Mo., on Aug. 17, 1919. His first call came from Twin Bridges, Mon- tana, where he was installed Aug. 31, 1919. Churches at Sheridan and Dillon, Montana were also included in this par- ish. The young pastor was housed in a pioneer type log cabin when he first ar- rived. Rev. Grewe's stay in Montana lasted less than a year as the inhabitants of his parish were rapidly leaving this community for other localities. Being left without a congregation, Rev. Grewe accepted a call to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Booneville, Mo., and was installed June 13, 1920. Here he stayed for almost six years, also serving as student Pastor at Missouri University at Columbia for three years. Rev. Grewe was married to Effie M. Chapline on Jan. 22, 1922. This union has been blessed with two daughters, Mrs. Raymond (Lois) Snyder of Los An- geles, Calif., and Mrs. James (Carmen) Haskell of Sterling. On Feb. 28, 1926, Rev. Grewe helped to organize Faith Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Mo. That first service was at- tended by 51 men, women and children. Under the able leadership of Pastor Grewe, Faith Church grew until at the time of his leaving in 1945, the baptized membership numbered nearly 1200. His outstanding work as a Minister of the Gospel was recognized by Carthage College, when on June 9, 1941, he had conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. Dr. Grewe was called to St. John's in 1945, and assumed his duties with this congregation on Sept. 17th, his installa- tion taking place Sept. 28, 1945, with Dr. Armin Weng, President of Illinois Synod, preaching the sermon and assis- ted by Rev. George J. Curran of Dixon. Shortly after Dr. Grewe's arrival, the long delayed remodeling program was started. Much of the preparatory work had been done before Rev. Keck left Sterling. Pledges totaling more than $32,000 had been received early in 1946. Work was started this year and contin- ued for the next two years. The sanctuary was completely redec- orated and treated with an accoustical ceiling. New light fixtures were hung and the lighting of the chancel greatly improved. The chancel steps were wide- ned and the floor recarpeted throughout the auditorium. The organ console was moved to the east transept and screens placed in front of east and west transept and front pews. The Sunday School departments were redecorated and fitted with new light fixtures. New church offices were built in the Senior Sunday School department and were completely outfitted with new furniture. The Beginners' Department was enlarged and a new east entrance replaced the old steps that led up to the Senior Sunday School department. This new entrance also leads to the Primary and Beginners' Departments. The boiler room and heating plant received con- siderable attention and all wiring in the church was replaced and housed in con- duit. The cost of all this work totalled nearly $40,000, covered in part by pledges and partly by bequests. In 1947, the John C. Haberer Memo- rial Harp was added to the organ. The following year new offering plates were presented to the church as a memorial to G. A. Fritz, and in 1949, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Linton made a gift of a beautiful new communion set. About this time new robes were provided for the choirs. In 1949 and 1950 the parsonage was repaired and painted, and asphalt tile was placed on the floor of the north Sunday School room. 1950 saw the ar- rival of the Legzdins family, deportees —36— Chancel — Christmas, 1948 from Latvia, one of many Lutheran fam- ilies from Europe who were sponsored by congregations in this country. This same year the kitchen in the church was given a complete overhauling and is now one of the most modern to be found in Sterling. The Council began discussions in re- gard to securing an assistant for the pastor in 1950, and at the Annual Meet- ing in January 1951, the congregation voted to call a seminary student for a year's internship. The arrival of Student Fritz Treptow in June 1951, was the be- ginning of an arrangement with Capitol Seminary of Columbus, Ohio, which has brought us a student interne each year. St. John's Women's Missionary Soci- ety was host to the State Biennial Con- vention of the Women's Missionary Soci- ety late in 1951. Just before this con- vention a new flexotile floor was laid in the basement social rooms. Student John Holman arrived in June -37- 11)52, to serve as interne and was fol- lowed in 1953 by Student W. Howard Ward. Plans for St. John's Centennial Anni- versary in December 1954, got under- way early in 1953. This year also saw the establishment of a Ministerial Schol- arship Fund. This fund is available to young men of St. John's who are pre- paring for the Lutheran Ministry. To qualify, they must have completed their Junior year in College. At a called meeting of the congrega- tion on November 29, 1953, the people of St. John's voted to raise a Centennial Anniversary Fund of $12,000, to be used for the improvement of church properties. This program called for the redecoration of the sanctuary, new floors and tiled walls in the Beginners' and Primary Departments of the Sunday School, and redecoration of all Sunday School Departments. The interior of the parsonage was re- decorated in 1954 and the Anniversary improvement program will be completed when St. John's celebrates her 100th birthday. Student George Hartman started his internship in June of 1954, and contin- ues the very fine relationship that exists between St. John's and these young seminary students. The tremendous program of improve- ments that has been carried out in our church in the past eight years has taken much time and money on the part of the individual members of the congregation and the auxiliary organizations as well. One might even wonder if there has been time for anything else. While all of this material growth has been going on, the spiritual side of the life of St. John's has not been neglected. The congregation has grown until the baptized membership numbers close to 2000, and attendance and participation in church activities has increased. For more than a year, there have been two services each Sunday morning with the result that total attendance has in- creased about 20 r /c . Dr. Grewe has striv- en for several years to bring this in- crease about, and must be pleased with the substantial gains that have been made. The work of our Stewardship and Evangelism Committees has been very encouraging to Pastor and congregation. With the continued cooperative efforts of Pastor and congregation, St. John's can look forward to even greater accom- plishments in the future. Dr. Grewe has, through the years, served the Synod and the U.L.C.A. in many capacities. These, in part, include the Board of Home Missions and Church Extension; Board of Ministerial Educa- tion; Board of Directors of the Nachusa Home for Children; Board of Directors of the Chicago Lutheran Theological Seminary; Social Mission Committee; Stewardship Committee; Examining Committee; Lutheran Commission on Evangelism of the National Lutheran Council. Dr. Grewe has also taken lead- ership in worthy local projects, such as Red Cross and Community Chest. We have been brought up to date in our story of the first hundred years in the life of St. John's. From this point on, Pastor and congregation will be building history, that it will fall to others to record. Let us hope and pray on our Centennial Anniversary that fu- ture generations will look with favor upon our accomplishments. Assistants To The Pastor The need for an assistant to the pas- tor to help him in caring for a congrega- tion as large as St. John's was recogniz- ed by the congregation in the mid-twen- ties. So it was that on March 8, 1926, a special meeting of the Church Council was called with the officers of the Ladies' Social Circle present. The ladies brought from their organization the recommen- dation that Pastor Harris be provided 38- with an assistant to help him in his work. After considerable discussion it was agreed that a Congregational Meeting should be called and that three proposi- tions should be presented. (1) Pastor Harris should be provided with an as- sistant. (2) Theodore Trouth, Sr. be recommended for the position. (3) The salary for such a position shall be $600 per year. These recommendations of the Coun- cil to the Congregation were presented at a meeting called on March 28, 1926, and were duly adopted. Mr. Trouth ac- cepted the position and served until 1931, requesting that his salary be plac- ed in the Building Fund. So it was that the first Pastor's as- sistant was installed more than twenty years ago. Mr. Trouth spent much of his time in visiting the sick and making calls on the members of the congregation. He also assisted the pastor in the adminis- tration of The Holy Communion. From 1931 to 1933, Dr. Harris again tried to carry on his super-human task of visiting his large congregation be- sides looking after all his other re- sponsibilities. It was too much for a con- scientious man like Dr. Harris. Conse- quently, a Congregational Meeting was called on Sept. 29, 1933, at which time it was voted to call Student Albert H. Keck, Jr., of the Maywood Seminary to become Assistant Pastor. Until his grad- uation, he was to spend his weekends in Sterling, taking charge of the Luther League, the Catchetical Class and preaching one sermon each Sunday. After his ordination in May of 1934, Rev. Keck became a full-time assistant, and before a year had passed, had been made, first, Associate Pastor, and later Pastor of St. John's. After Dr. Harris' retirement, Rev. Keck carried on alone until 1942. The matter of having an assistant for the pastor having received considerable thought and study the previous year, it was decided to call a student interne for one year. George M. Hershberger, a student at Gettysburg Theological Seminary, arriv- ed in Sterling in June 1942, and stayed one year. Student Herschberger spent much of his time in visiting the sick and other members of the congregation. He also spent a portion of his time in the interests of the young people of the church. Other duties included preaching on occasions during the year, and assist- ing the pastor in the conducting of the Sunday morning worship. After the departure of Student Hersh- berger, a period of eight years was to elapse before another interne was called to assist the pastor. During these inter- vening years, part-time and finally full- time secretarial help was furnished the pastor. In June of 1951, began a period of internships by seminary students that has continued until the present time, and is proving quite satisfactory. The dutiese of these internes have remained much the same as they were for Mr. Hershberger. In the paragraphs that follow, a short biographical sketch of each of these as- sistants to the pastor will be given. Some of these young men are now located in pastorates of their own, and it is certain that with each one of them goes the very best wishes of St. John's as they continue in their chosen work, the Holy Gospel Ministry. Theodore Trouth, Sr. Theodore Trouth, son of Engelhardt and Anna Trouth, was born on a farm in Jordan Township, March 1, 1861. At the age of 22, he set out for himself and proved to be a very successful farmer. Dec. 30, 1884, he married Elizabeth Miller and to them were born three children, Anna, Florence (Tuckerman) and Theodore, Jr. Only Mrs. Tuckerman still survives. For some years Mr. Trouth conducted a farm implement store in Sterling, and later a furniture and funeral parlor with his son. During these years in Sterling, Mr. Trouth was a devoted member of -39- Theodore Trouth, Sr. George Hershberger Henry F. Treptow John Holman W. Howard Ward George Hartman —40- St. John's, serving on the church Coun- cil and taking an active part in the work of the church. It is therefore not sur- prising that, in looking for a good Chris- tian layman to assist the pastor, the con- gregation chose Mr. Trouth. It can truly be said that a very useful and fine Chris- tian life was brought to a close with Mr. Trouth's passing on Feb. 19, 1940. George M. Hershberger George Madison Hershberger was born in McGrann, Pa., Nov. 17, 1916, the son of Russell and Cornelia Hershberger. After graduation from the public schools of Ford City, Pa., he entered Thiel Col- lege at Greenville, Pa., receiving his A. B. degree in 1940. Mr. Hershberger re- ceived his seminary training at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, Fa., graduating in 1944 with a B. D. degree, having interned for one year (1942- 1943) here in Sterling at St. John's. Rev. Hershberger was ordained in May of 1944 by the Pittsburg Synod, and was immediately called to Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church, New Ken- sington, Pa. He stayed there until Dec, 1947. It was at the close of his year of internship in Sterling that Rev. Hersh- berger was married to Eleanor B. Korn- man. This marriage has been blessed with two children, Carol Lee and George Richard. From Jan. 1948 to Sept. 1951, Rev. Hershberger served St. Paul's Evangel- ical Lutheran Church at DuBois, Pa. On Sept. 18, 1951 he was commissioned Chaplain in the United States Navy and enrolled in the Chaplain's School, New- port, R. I. Dec. 1951 to July 1952 was spent at the Marine Corps Recruit De- pot, Parris Island, S. C. The next two years were spent with Destroyer Squad- ron ELEVEN, Pacific Fleet. Chaplain Hershberger has been stationed at the Naval Training Center at San Diego, Calif., since October of this year. Henry F. Treptow Henry F. Treptow. son of Henry and Edna Treptow, was born in Halletsville, Texas, April 7, 1928. After graduation from Halletsville High School in 1945, he attended Texas Lutheran College, Seguin, Texas and Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, graduating from the former in 1949. Mr. Treptow was gradu- ated from the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary of Capitol Univer- sity, Columbus, Ohio with a B. D. degree on May 31, 1953. It was during this seminary training that Mr. Treptow spent a year as student interne in St. John's in Sterling, his period of service dating from June 1951 to June 1952. On July 26, 1953, Henry F. Treptow was ordained a Minister of the Gospel in St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Hallets- ville, Texas. Rev. Treptow took over the work as pastor of Grace and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, Slaton, Texas as of Aug. 1, 1953 and serves there at the present time. Rev. Treptow was married to Marilyn Henzler of Toledo, Ohio on May 30, 1953. Rev. and Mrs. Treptow are the proud parents of a fine son, Carl Ed- ward, born in September of this year. Rev. Treptow or "Fritz" as we loving- ly think of him plans to pursue post- graduate study in theology at Chicago Lutheran Seminary at Maywood, Illinois. John N. Holman John N. Holman was born June 16, 1928 in Norwalk, Ohio, the son of Dr. and Mrs. M. E. Holman. After gradua- tion from Norwalk High School in 1942, John Holman entered Capitol University, Columbus, Ohio and was graduated with an A.B. Degree in 1950. Seminary train- ing at Capitol University followed, with a year's internship at St. John's (1952- 53) coming before his senior year. Mr. Holman received his divinity degree on June 6, 1954. Rev. Holman's ordination took place at St. Peter's Ev. Lutheran Church in Norwalk, June 27, 1954. He was called to Zion Ev. Lutheran Church, Wilming- ton, Del. as Assistant Pastor, and was installed on July 18, of this year. ■41- William H. Ward William Howard Ward, Jr., was born Feb. 13, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Ward, Sr. After graduation from the public schools of Baltimore in 1947, cam:- four years of college work at Capitol Univer- sity, Columbus, Ohio. College graduation in 1951 was followed by seminary work at Capitol University. After two years of seminary training Howard spent his year of internship with us here at St. John's. He made many friends while with us and we are wishing him well in this his last year in the seminary. We do not know where Howard's first call will come from, but we do know he will be well received and will make many friends in his first pas- torate. George A. Hartman, Jr. George A. Hartman, Jr., was born Sept. 27, 1931 at Lancaster, Ohio, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. A. Hartman, Sr. George's father has been a school teacher for many years and at pres- ent is Supt. of Schools, Circleville, Ohio. George lived in several places in Ohio while getting his public school education and graduated from high school in Carey, Ohio in 1949. Next came college work at Capitol University in Columbus, Ohio with graduation in 1953. After one year at Capitol Seminary, George came to Sterling in June of this year and is spending his year of intern- ship here at St. John's. George is doing an outstanding job and we are all look- ing for great things to come from him. Missionary Pastors Pastor Harris' great interest in for- eign missions never left him, and in St. John's he found a congregation that was willing to take steps to support this great work in the Kingdom of God. At the Annual Congregation Meeting held Jan. 5, 1911, the congregation re- solved to support a Missionary Pastor in India. Action was deferred for a time, but at the Annual Meeting on Jan. 3, 1913 the congregation voted to sup- port a Missionary Pastor in India for eight years at $750 a year. More than a year was to elapse be- fore the Board of Foreign Missions could secure a man. On Jan. 22, 1914, Rev. Harry E. Dickey of Richmond, Ind. was commissioned as "The Missionary Pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Sterling, Illinois." Rev. Harry E. Dickey Missionary Pastor 1914 - 1926 Harry Elverton Dickey was born near Richmond, Ind., April 8, 1885, the son of Harry and May Dickey. The influence of a good Christian home, and the spirit- ual guidance of his pastor, led him to enter Wittenberg College. He graduated in 1911, and that fall enrolled as a stu- dent of Hamma Divinity School in prep- aration for the Gospel Ministry. The summer of 1912, he was student supply at Trivoli, 111., where he met Miss Nannie Opie, to whom he was united in mar- riage March 22, 1913. That summer the Dickeys supplied St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Evanston, and in the fall Mrs. Dickey enrolled at the Seminary to take a course in theology, so that she might be of greater help to her husband in his chosen work. Rev. Dickey was installed as St. John's Missionary Pastor, June 21, 1914, here in our church. The charge to the con- gregation was given by Dr. Luther B. Wolf, Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board. The charge to the pastor was given by Dr. E. C. Harris, Pastor of St. John's. Rev. and Mrs. Dickey left their native lsnd, Oct. 21, 1914, and their entire vcyage to India was made exceedingly dangerous because of the outbreak of World War I. They reached Guntur, however, in safety Dec. 1, 1914. During —42- 1915 and 1916 they were residents of "The Kinsinger Memorial" in Chirala, and in 1917 moved back to Guntur to take charge of the Taluk's work. From 1919 until their return to America on furlough in 1922, Rev. Dickey had charge of the work at Sattenapalli, twenty-three miles west of Guntur, whose Taluk work he still retained, mak- ing his superintendency one of 15,000 Christian people, 180 workers and 95 schools. Their three children, Harold Elverton, Rosemary Annetta, and Geral- dine Olsie were born in India. During their furlough, the Dickeys visited St. John's in Sterling where they were received with great joy, and the people of our church heard first hand from Rev. and Mrs. Dickey of their many experiences in India. It was an especially happy occasion for Pastor and Mrs. Har- ris, who themselves had served as mis- sionaries in this same territory, to hear of the work that was so dear to their hearts. Upon their return to India in Sept. 1923, Rev. and Mrs. Dickey were assign- ed to the pioneer work of building up the new station at Repalli. Here he did his last and best work. It was here that Rev. and Mrs. Dickey were both stricken with ptomaine poisoning, caused by eat- ing tainted food. The physician and nurse from Guntur came to minister to them, and Mrs. Dickey responded to treatment rapidly, but with Pastor Dick- ey it was otherwise. Weary and worn from the arduous task of constructing new buildings on the compound, besides the growing Taluk work, he was unable to throw off the poison, and growing weaker, his heart finally failed Oct. 2, 1926. Funeral services were held at St. Matthew's Church in Guntur and burial took place in the European Cemetery. Rev. Dickey's life was characterized by deep consecration to his Savior and Master. He was willing to serve in any position to which he was called, and per- haps no missionary was moved from one field to another more often than he. While the acquisition of the Telugu language was difficult for him, his per- sistence and studious habits won, and he became a most valuable evangelistic mis- sionary in telling "the old, old story of Jesus and His Love." During the whole of Rev. Dickey's service as a missionary in India, he was connected with St. John's as its Mission- ary Pastor. It was his first and only missionary assignment. After his passing, his family returned to this country and the last news of them is that they are living on the west coast. Rev. S. C. Burger, D. D. Missionary Pastor 1927 - 1931 After the death of Rev. Dickey, St. John's transferred its support of a mis- Rev. Dickey Rev. Burg2r sionary in India to Rev. S. C. Burger who had been active in the field for many years. Rev. Sylvester C. Burger arrived in Guntur, India in 1898, just a year be- fore the Harrises came to Guntur. In 1902-03 the Harrises and the Burgers shared the same cottage. In the beginning Rev. Burger was en- gaged in educational work, taking over as the head of the Training School in Feb. 1900. He and his wife and son, Keith, returned to America on furlough, April l s 1907. Upon his return to India he was placed in charge of the Tenali and Baptla Charges. During World War I, he was largely responsible for the saving of the Hermannsburg Mission, being located during those trying times at Tirupati. It was shortly after this on Oct. 5, 1919 that he suffered the loss of his wife. During the "twenties" and "thirties", Rev. Burger was in charge of the Andhra Lutheran Church of the Telugu Country, besides having charge of the work cen- tering in Narsapur of the West God- avery District of South India. After many years of very effective work in India, Dr. Burger lives in well- deserved retirement at Daytona Beach, Florida. Too much cannot be said about the efforts exerted by Pastor and Mrs. Har- ris in the interest of the Missionary Pastor program of our church. They not only did much to promote the program within the congregation but through the years gave generously of their means for the support of the work. Difficulty in raising the funds needed for this work during the depression per- iod brought an end to the full support of a missionary pastor. In more recent years partial support for a missionary pastor has been sponsored by organiza- tions of the church. Sons Of St. John's - Ministers Of The Gospel Every Christian congregation takes great pride in its sons who enter the Holy Ministry. During the first century in the life of St. John's, two young men from her midst chose the preaching of the Gospel as their life's work. Dr. W. C. Seidel The first son of St. John's to answer the call to the Ministry was Dr. W. C. Seidel. William C. Seidel was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, April 22, 1843, and came to this country with his par- ents, John and Barbara Seidel, when he was ten years of age. They settled in Ohio and about ten years later came to Sterling, where they united with St. John's on March 22, 1862. It is inter- esting to note that on that same date Cassie L. Wolfersberger, who was to be- come Mrs. Seidel, also joined the church. Early in 1864, Mr. Seidel enlisted in Company A of the 140th Regiment, Illinois Volunteers. Returning to Ster- ling after the close of the war, he enter- ed Illinois University at Springfield in 1866. This same year he served as lay delegate from St. John's at the meeting of Synod and again the following year. Rev. Seidel was licensed to preach by the Synod of Northern Illinois at its meeting at Polo on Oct. 14, 1872. He was graduated from the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., in 1873, and in September of that year was mar- ried. On Oct. 5, 1873 he was ordained by the Synod of Northern Illinois at its meeting at Carthage, having accepted a call to the Pastorate at Davis, Illinois. In 1876, Rev. and Mrs. Seidel were called to Kansas to serve as Home Mis- sionaries, their work resulting in the organization of several new churches. From Kansas, Rev. Seidel moved to Pen- nsylvania where he served congregations in West Fairview and Carlisle. Ill health caused him to give up his pastorate in 1896. In 1905, Dr. Seidel organized St. —44- Paul's Lutheran Church in Nashville, Tenn., where he served until 1909, when ill health again forced him to relinquish his work. He then returned to Sterling where he made his home until his death on April 1, 1923. Here, for many years, Dr. Seidel de- voted his time to the writing and dis- tribution of religious tracts, and work- ing for the many agencies of the church, with special emphasis on our Foreign Mission work in India. His good wife, who was for so many years his faithful helper in his chosen work, passed to her final reward July 30, 1940. Rev. C. C. Warfel The second son of St. John's to an- swer the call of the Ministry was Clarence Warfel, son of Mrs. Florence and the late John Warfel of Rock Falls. Clarence C. Warfel was born north of Sterling on June 20, 1912. He received his early education at the West Science Ridge and Rock Falls schools. In 1937 he graduated from Carthage College and entered Maywood Seminary in the fall of that year, graduating with his divinity degree in May of 1940. Rev. Warfel was ordained at the meet- ing of the Illinois Synod at Chicago Heights, May 16, 1940, with Rev. J. Bannen Swope preaching the ordination sermon, and his pastor the Rev. A. H. Keck, Jr., of St. John's, assisting in the laying on of hands. Rev. Warfel accep- ted a call to be Assistant Pastor of Children's Memorial Church, Kansas City, Mo., June 1, 1940. On Oct. 20, 1940, Rev. Warfel was united in marriage to Marjorie Baum- gartner of Moline, and to this union have been born one son and two daugh- ters. Rev. Warfel accepted a call to St. Mark's Lutheran Church at Nokomis, 111., Nov. 15, 1941. He was installed in his new pastorate on Dec. 7, 1941, with Rev. Marvin C. Reichert preaching the Installation Sermon. While at Nokomis, Rev. Warfel served as Secretary of the Central Conference of the Illinois Synod. Here he stayed until March 12, 1944, when he accepted a call to Amity Luth- eran Church of Lena, 111. He was in- stalled on March 19, 1944, by Rev. A. H. Keck, Jr., of St. John's, Sterling. During his stay at Lena, Pastor Warfel served for a time as Secretary of the Northern Conference of Synod. After eight years of outstanding ser- vice at Lena, Rev. Warfel accepted a call to Grace Lutheran Church at Mon- roe, Wis., on March 17, 1952. He was installed March 23, 1952 by President Harmon J. McGuire of the Illinois Synod, and is at present serving the people of this congregation. He is active in local affairs and is the current President of the Green County Ministerial Associa- tion. Your historian has in his possession Dr. W. C. Seidel Rev. C. C. Warfel Warren Thummel —45— a most interesting letter from Pastor Warfel in which he recalls his youth in our church. He mentions the many fine Sunday School teachers he had and what a fine influence they were during his boyhood. Rev. Warfel remembers the kindly guidance of Dr. Harris, the encourage- ment of members of the congregation, the influence of a good Christian home, his Y.M.C.A. work and his years at col- lege as all playing an important part in his decision to enter the Ministry. Pastor Warfel states that he enjoys all phasss of his work, and that he can think of no other work that can bring a greater sense of satisfaction than that of serving as a pastor of a congregation of Christians, and leading them in find- ing peace of life through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It will be a happy occasion for St. John's and for Pastor Warfel when he returns during our centennial celebra- tion to occupy the pulpit during one of the services. We are proud of the fine record Pastor Warfel has made for him- self, and we wish for him continued suc- cess and even more satisfying accom- plishments in the future. Warren Thummel As St. John's enters the second cen- tury of her existence, it is indeed grati- fying to know that another son of our congregation is preparing for the Min- istry. Warren Thummel, son of Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy Thummel, is now enrolled at the Chicago Lutheran Theological Sem- inary at Maywood. Warren will also ap- pear in the pulpit during our centennial services. One hundred years ago, Dr. C. B. Thummel often preached to the people of St. John's. Now, during our centen- nial, his great great grandson is sched- uled to make one of his first pulpit an- pearances, here in St. John's. Our pray- ers and best wishes go with Warren as his training for the Ministry continues. And when it has been completed, we shall follow his labors as a Minister of the Gospel with great interest. St. John's is proud of her sons who have chosen the Ministry as their life's work. We earnestly hope that others in our midst will hear the call in the days to come and will answer it by becoming servants of the Lord. The Church Council The first Church Council consisted of two Elders, two Deacons and the Pastor. During the years, as the congregation has grown, this number has been in- creased until we now find four Elders, eight Deacons and the Pastor. The Con- stitution of our church states that the Council shall be charged with the ad- ministration of the temporal and spir- itual affairs of the congregation. From the very beginning, the Council of St. John's has faced many problems, both large and small. There is no doubt but that the efforts of early Council members often saved the struggling lit- tle congregation from ceasing to exist. The record shows that they gave freely of their time and their means — often carrying the greater part of the load. The responsibilities falling to the lot of the Church Council today are many, and the job is not always easy. St. John's is indeed fortunate to have men who serve willingly, and seriously try to do what is expected of them. The organization of the Council at the present time is as follows: President, Pastor Grewe Vice-President, Sterling Carter Secretary, George Davis, Jr. Fin. Sec.-Treas., Harold Wade Elders Clarence Bressler Sterling Carter Leo Lund William McFalls Deacons Charles Behrens Mason Behrens Gunnar Benson George Davis, Jr. —46- -47— I. Clyde Eshleman Ray Loos Dan Metzger, Jr. Harold Wade The Council meets regularly on the first Monday of each month, and at such times as is necessary to transact the business of the church. Council members are elected for four-year terms and may not serve more than two successive terms. The Ministry Of Music Music, both vocal and instrumental, has played an important part in the wor- ship service at St. John's through the years. Not too much is known about the church music in the earliest days of our congregation, but bits of information have drifted down to us so we know that music was important to the founders of our church. One of the foundation stones of the Lutheran Church was the church hymn, and it has been said that "Luther won as many souls for the Lutheran Church by the singing of hymns as he did with preaching." Singing Lutheran hymns has always held a prominent place in our service of worship. Early members of the congregation remembered that Henry Landis led the congregation in singing with his violin. Rev. W. A. Lipe was a great singer (even attracting the attention of Dwight L. Moody), and made St. John's a sing- ing congregation. Jonas Windom and Abram Waldron are the first known choristers, having served before and after the Civil War. Reed organs were used in the "Little White Church," the second instrument having an ornate panel of pipes. The shell of the first organ has been pre- served and will be on display during our centennial. May Sigler (Reitzel) is men- tioned in Council Minutes for 1884, as organist. It is not known how long she served. Organists through the years since that time have been May Benner, Emma Eisele, Edna Hazard (Loux), Clara Cochran (Pitney), Amy Colquist (Linn), Mrs. Pearl Graehling, Mrs. Dora Wiles, Mrs. Bertha Wingate, William Lewis, and Mrs. Roscoe Eades. The faithful service given by our organists through the years has done much to enhance the service of worship. Before the water motor was purchased for the organ in 1902, a very important service was performed by the organ pumper, a familiar sight in the days gone by. Some of the young men who provided the power for the organ around the turn of the century were Nevin Loux, Willie Haug, Bert Baer, Farraday Strock and Frank Reed. A new Kilgen organ was installed and dedicated during the 50th Anniversary Jubilee in 1904. This instrument served for twenty years, after which it was sold to the Congergational Church in Rock Falls where it is still in use today. The present organ was installed in 1924 when the new sanctuary was dedicated. This fine Moller organ was the gift of Mrs. Clara Martin. Choral music in St. John's has gone through many stages. From time to time there have been choirs for different age groups. As in many churches, the choral music has had its high and low points. In its most flourishing days, great can- tatas have been presented. Men, women and children who have given of their time and talents in this important work of the church, deserve the highest com- mendations of the congregation. Choir directors through the years, of whom we have a record, have been Ella Richards, Mr. Olmstead, Muriel Price, Ruth Caughey, Lloyd Andreas, Ella Richards, Mrs. Muriel Phelps, Dora An- dreas (Wiles), Gunnar Benson, David Stryker, Gertine Schlough (Calligan), Mrs. Roscoe Eades, William Tonkin, Gunnar Benson, Mrs. Mildred Cleverly, William Lewis and Gunnar Benson. The first attempt at having a Youth Choir came in 1928, when Dora Andreas organized a choir for boys and ^irls of —48- —49— high school age. In 1933, a Junior Choir for boys and girls between the ages of ten and fifteen was organized by Gun- nar Benson. Since that time, there have been from two to four choirs for various age groups. At the present time, there are three active choirs. The Junior Choir is for boys and girls in the 4th, 5th and 6th grades. The Youth Choir is for 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th graders. The Senior Choir is for those beyond this age group. SENIOR CHOIR PERSONNEL Director: Gunnar Benson Accompanist: Mrs. Roscoe Eades Sopranos Arlene Behrens, Mrs. Chas. Behrens, Mrs. Keith Behrens, Mrs. Leland Davis, Mrs. Raymond Fulfs, Jane Harting, Mrs. John Hey, Ruth Kilgus, Ann Lundstrom, Janet Oltmanns, Verna Oltmans, Ann Scheineman, and Jane Thummel. Altos Mrs. Gunnar Benson, Joan Eshleman, Mrs. Eugene Eubank, Sandra Haberer, Mrs. James Haskell, Mrs. Dan Metzger, Jr., Mrs. Theodore Myhre, Barbara Peterson and Joanne Whitaker. Tenors Gunnar Benson, Eugene Eubank, Robert Lund, Lloyd Schott, Don Schontz, and Ralph Weigle. Basses John Benson, Edwin R. Bowers, Gene Brandt, Philip Breiding, Neal Bressler, Leland Davis, Lloyd Elfline, Wayne Friedrichs, Charles Holloway, and Chris Kilgus. YOUTH CHOIR PERSONNEL Director: Gunnar Benson Accompanist: Mrs. Roscoe Eades Choir Mothers: Mrs. Clarence Bressler, Mrs. John Goshert and Mrs. Marie Taylor David Allen, Patty Beck, Georgia Behrens, Judy Bohlken, Wilma Burger, Philip Burger, Sandra Braun, Larry Braun, Lyle Bressler, Charles Carter, Meredith Carter, William Davis, Robert Elfline, Eddie Evans, Frances Farver, Delores Feather, Judith Fisher, Mary Kay McGlaughlin, Susan Goshert, Caro- lyn Hains, Penny Heffelfinger, Thomas Hilger, Loren Holloway, Richard Huber, Vickie Huenger, Earl Janssen, Leslie Johnson, Walter Kilgus, Margie Knuth, Ruth Landis, Pamela Lentz, Aina Le- valds, Nancy Sulouff, Jannet Taylor, Sandra Thomas, Janice White, and Ron- ald Zemke. JUNIOR CHOIR PERSONNEL Director: Mrs. Roscoe Eades Accompanist: Carole Benson Choir Mothers: Mrs. Joe Allison, Mrs. Wayne Fritz, and Mrs. Edward Ohda Karen Allison, Gerald Baker, Michael Baker, David Beck, Cheryl Behrens, Carole Benson, Barbara Bogott, David Breed, Kay Elfline, George Ernst, San- dra Fritz, Mary Lou Gaskill, Carolyn Hafner, Shirley Hammelman, Mary Jean Howard, Ruth Howard, Arthur Keefer, Lowell Kilgus, Nancy Kindle, Pamela Klocke, Patricia Kreider, Ann Landis, Jeri Marsh, Stephen Metzger, John Mitchel, Judy Null, Randol Ohda, Mary Kay Plautz, Donna Reed, Karen Red- field, Thomas Schwab, Roger Swartley, Jacqueline Thummel, Mary Tyne, Bar- bara Wagner, Sheryl Wechsler, Sharon Wechsler, and Douglas Zemke. AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CHURCH Rev. Keck very aptly stated the func- tion of the Auxiliary organizations of the church in the 85th anniversary book- let, as follows: "The organizations are not apart from the church but are of it and by it and for it. They provide study, worship, service, and fellowship for those within the membership, in groups which are naturally bound together by sex, age, or interest. None of them take the place of the services of worship in which the en- —50— tire congregation should unite. Activity in any of them cannot substitute for the fulfilment of the privileges and duties of Church membership through the means of grace. These organizations exist to serve the congregation, not to be served by it; they are burden-bearers and not burdens. They provide additional oppor- tunities for any member to carry out the obligations of his faith." The material that follows, briefly de- scribes the organizations that exist in our church today. Mention has also been made of societies that have existed in the past. The Sunday School St. John's Sunday School is the oldest and largest auxiliary organization in our church. It is also the only subsidiary organization of the church that is pro- vided for in the Constitution and By- Laws of our church. Section V of the By-Laws says in part — "1. A Bible (Sunday) School shall be maintained by the congregation for the training of its members, especially children and young people, in the know- ledge and practice of the religion held and confessed by the Evangelical Luth- eran Church." All information available points to the fact that our Sunday School was organized in 1861 by Pastor W. A. Lipe, who served as the first Superintendent. In 1862, he reported 50 scholars and ten teachers to Synod. Under Pastor Lipe's fine leadership and supervision, the Sunday School con- tinued to grow, and became a very strong member of the Whiteside County Sunday School Association. Other Super- intendents in the early years were; Abram Waldron, Rufus L. Lipe, Harry Keefer, Fred Eyster, W. W. Davis and Louis Kline. In 1908, George L. Carolus became Superintendent of the Sunday School and continued to serve for over 30 years. He was in turn succeeded by Leroy Thummel, Hugo Weyrauch, Walter Grebner, Christian Kilgus, Dr. Harold Readel, Lloyd Elfline and Daniel Metz- ger, Jr. There have been many workers in St. John's Sunday School who have given years of devoted service. The list would be long, and could not possibly be com- plete because too much that has been outstanding has not been recorded. It has been the unselfish and untiring efforts of these people that have made St. John's Sunday School for years, one of the most potent religious organiza- tions in Sterling. Our Sunday School is open to all who wish to learn more about the Bible and the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ. There are classes for all ages and groups. The officers and teachers of the Sun- day School at the present time are: Dan Metzger, Jr., General Supt. Dr. Harold Readel, Asst. Supt. Nelson P. Wolf, Secretary I. Clyde Eshleman, Treasurer Nevin R. Loux, Supply Secretary Mrs. A. H. Breiding, Enrollment Sec. Raymond Harting, Librarian Mrs. Alfred L. Grewe, Pianist Joan Eshleman, Asst. Pianist Ruth Kilgus, Asst. Pianist Adult Department Teachers Mrs. Fred J. Behrens, Sterling Carter, Dr. Alfred L. Grewe, Mrs. Gabriel Lan- dis, Leroy Thummel, Mrs. Leon Worth, George Hartman, Jr. Intermediate Department Teachers Mrs. Charles Behrens, Mrs. Charles Buyers, Laurence Dimond, Frank Duis, Jr., Mrs. Irwin Koser, and Lloyd Schott. Junior Department Miss Florence Kreider, Supt. Mrs. Christian Kilgus, Asst. Supt. Amis Sedols, Sec.-Treas. Gabriel Landis, Asst. Sec.-Treas. Miss Arlene Behrens, Pianist Mrs. Leonard Schwab, Chorister Teachers Charles Behrens, Earl Dalgren, Mrs. George Davis, Jr., Mrs. Arthur Doty, Mrs. Marion Farver, Mrs. Raymond Leusby, Robert Lund, Miss Joyce Sulouff, —51 Mrs. Walter Smith, Mrs. Harold Null, and Lee Tyne. Primary Department Miss Laura Chalmers, Supt. Mrs. Wayne Fritz, Asst. Supt. Miss Ruth Haberer, Sec.-Treas. Miss Ann Scheineman, Asst. Sec.-Treas. Miss Joan Boese, Pianist Teachers Miss Gale Aper, Miss Mildred Deets, Miss Doris Doty, Mrs. J. M. Havner, Mrs. Edward Huntley, Mrs. Olga Jaquet, Miss Dorothy Loos, Mrs. William McFalls, Miss Janet Oltmanns, Miss Verna Olt- manns, Miss Betty Sulouff, and Mrs. Cyril Tyne. Beginner's Department Mrs. Raymond Harting, Supt. Mrs. Dan Metzger, Jr., Asst. Supt. Miss Bess Ebersole, Sec.-Treas. Mrs. Clarence Reecher, Asst. Sec.-Treas. Mrs. Gilbert Zarr, Pianist Teachers Mrs. Glenn Gaskill, Mrs. Kurt Gran- zow, Mrs. Walter Hardy, Mrs. Otto Heida, Jr., Mrs. Frank Leitz, Mrs. James Mays, Mrs. Edmond Reichard, Mrs. Charles Richards, Mrs. Lawrence Smith, and Mrs. Carroll Taylor. Cradle Roll Department Mrs. Carroll Taylor, Supt. Home Department Mrs. Fred A. Hay, Supt. MISSIONARY SOCIETIES From the very beginning, St. John's has been interested in the missionary work of the church as the earliest paro- chial reports to Synod will show. The first known attempt to organize a soc- iety for the support of missions came in 1883. Since that time, other societies have been formed, and the support for this work reached a new high under the leadership and encouragement of Pastor and Mrs. Harris, who, themselves, had served as missionaries in India. Today we have three missionary societies, each serving a different age or interest group, but all having the same goal, the sup- port and understanding of the mission program of the Lutheran Church. The Women's Missionary Society Harris Circle This society is the oldest auxiliary society in our church except for the Sunday School. It had its beginning on Sept. 19, 1883, with 14 charter mem- bers, and has been continuously active except for a few years shortly after it was organized. This society has been a leader in Synod's Mission Program, and several years has been listed as the larg- est society in Illinois Synod. Synodical conventions have been held in Sterling en numerous occasions, vhe last such meeting being here in 1951. Thousands of dollars have been con- tributed by this society to the mission- ary work of our church, entirely through voluntary giving, Thank offerings, leg- acies, and life and memorial member- ships. This organization, with 60 members, is not large in numbers, but has remain- faithful to its purpose of supporting the Home and Foreign Mission Work of the U.L.C.A. in every way possible. A number of years ago, this society began calling itself the Harris Circle of the Women's Missionary Society, in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Harris who did so much to promote this work in St. John's, and in recognition of their mis- sionary service in India. For a number of years, the Women's Missionary Society sponsored a child- ren's division in the Sunday School, called Children of the Church. This phase of the missionary program was discon- tinued by the U.L.C.A. a few years ago, and more recently was dropped in our church, the Sunday School still carrying on some of this work. All women of the congregation are eligible for membership in this society which meets the third Wednesday of every month at 2:15 P. M. The present officers are : President: Mrs. Wesley Hicks Vice-President: Mrs. Fred J. Behrens Secretary: Mrs. Albert Breiding, Jr. Treasurer: Mrs. Nevin Loux The Edith Eykamp Circle In September of 1930, the Sunday School Classes of Mrs. E. C. Harris and Mrs. Anna M. Weyrauch, which had be- come interested in Missions through the fine leadership of Mrs. Harris, organized themselves as a missionary society and took the name of one of our fine mis- sionaries in India, Miss Edith Eykamp of Polo, Illinois. There were about 20 charter members. Mrs. Harris led these young ladies in a study of the mission program of Synod and service projects for its promotion. The group has continued strong, and since its organization, the society has aided in all efforts of the larger society in helping both home and foreign mis- sions. The society, which now numbers 45, is striving to reach 100 f / f in life mem- bership in connection with St. John's Centennial. This group meets on the second Monday of each month and is open to any woman of our congregation. The officers at present are: President: Mrs. Leonard Schwab Vice-President: Mrs. Charles Buyers Secretary: Mrs. James Mays Treasurer: Mrs. Gordon Johnson Erva Moody Missionary Society This society was organized March 28, 1944 as an evening missionary society, so that working women and young mothers with little children might have a chance to do their part in supporting the missionary work of the U.L.C.A. It replaced a former evening misisonary society, organized in 1913, which had been absorbed by the older society. Mrs. Albert H. Keck, Jr. was the organizer of this group which takes its name from one of our fine missionaries who served in China for many years and was driven from the field by the communists. The Erva Moody Missionary Society now has 27 members and is open to all women of the congregation. They meet on the first Tuesday evening of each month. A recent project of the society has been the sponsoring of the beautiful souvenir anniversary plates. Present of- ficers of the organization are: President: Mrs. Earl Dahlgren Vice-President: Mrs. Clinton Hilger Secretary: Mrs. William Pratt Treasurer: Mrs. Walter Smith The Luther League The Luther League is an organization for young people in our church. It is an outgrowth of the Christian Endeavor Societies of another day. The first Chris- tian Endeavor Society was organized in 1888, with St. John's claiming the larg- est C. E. Society in Whiteside County for many years. The Luther League of Christian En- deavor was organized about 1917, and in 1922, this group united with the Il- linois Luther League and has maintained connection with the Synod of Illinois since that time. In time, the Christian Endeavor Societies were disbanded, and the Luther League, since then, has serv- ed our young people. The Luther League has usually had two societies in order to better serve the different age groups. At present, the Intermediate League is for confirm- ed members of St. John's who have not reached the Junior year in high school. The Senior League is made up of con- firmed members of St. John's who are Juniors and Seniors in High School and older, if not married. Each League has a membership of 35 at present. Both organizations are interested in providing good Christian fellowship for fellow Lutherans; developing better spir- itual lives; becoming better church mem- bers; and in rendering effective service in extending the Kingdom of God. The two Leagues meet on alternate Sunday evenings at 6:45 o'clock, with the first part of each meeting being de- voted to worship and study. After the devotions, each group enjoys a social hour. —53— Purely recreational evenings and out- ings are planned by the Leagues and occasionally, the two groups join forces in their social activities. For many years, the Luther League has promoted the sale of 'The Lutheran" in the congregation so that our people might be better informed on the work of the church at large. Monies raised during the year by various projects are used for the support of Nachusa, Mis- sions and other Synod-sponsored activ- ities. Officers of the Intermediate League are: President: Sue Schwab Vice-President: Leslie Johnson Secretary: Sally Hennings Treasurer: Mary Kay McGlaughlin Sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Bressler Officers of the Senior League are: President: Joanne Whitaker Vice-President: Neal Bressler Secretary: Sandra Haberer Treasurer: Ann Lundstrom Evangelism Chm.: Ruth Kilgus Social Action Chm. : John Benson Missionary Chm.: Jane Thummel Rec. Chm.: Betty Sulouff, Bob Lund Christian Vocations: George Hartman Luther League Post: Joanne Whitaker Sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Landis The Ladies' Social Circle This group was organized May 16, 1900, to foster fellowship among the women of St. John's and to render ser- vice to the church through special ac- tivities, and cooperation in the achieve- ment of the purposes of the congrega- tion. It shares the basic aims of the church, namely, the inner unity and maintenance of the faith, and the ex- tension of the Kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Social Circle meets the first Wednesday of each month (except Aug- ust), beginning with a one o'clock lunch- eon. Any woman of our congregation, who is interested in the work of the church, is welcome as a member of the group. The society now claims about 200 members. St. John's Social Circle has, from the beginning, been a working and giving organization of the church. It has spon- sored the Annual Suppers and Bazaars since 1905, when it united with the Ladies' Aid in this project. The Circle also has served many banquets through the years. The Social Circle has been generous in giving financial aid to worthy com- munity projects such as Red Cross, Com- munity Chest and the Hospital Fund. In recent years, this group has been responsible for the remodeling and re- furnishing of the kitchen and the parlor in the basement as two of its larger pro- jects. Whenever there has been need for material aid in St. John's, the Social Circle always has responded very gen- erously. For the last three years, scholar- ships to Long Lake Bible Camp have been granted to our young people for perfect Church and Sunday School at- tendance. This society has taken over the work carried on in the early days of our church by the Ladies' Aid Society. The Aid Society was in time absorbed by the Social Circle as its members passed on, or became too aged to remain active. The present officers of the Social Circle are: President: Mrs. Noah Lehman Vice-President: Mrs. Fred J. Behrens Rec. Sec: Mrs. Leon C. Worth Fin. Sec: Mrs. Clarence Bressler Treasurer: Miss Ruth Hoffman The Lutheran Brotherhood Dr. E. C. Harris was the prime mover in the organization of St. John's Broth- erhood, which was founded on March 29, 19L0, with 48 charter members. The purposes of this organization are: "To lead men into fellowship with Christ and the Church; to promote the spiritual, intellectual and social welfare of its members; to quicken the activity and —54— increase the efficiency of the congre- gation with which it is connected; to give men in every condition of life, especially in times of trial, the stimulus of Christian comradeship and the inspir- ation that comes from association of men with kindred aims. As a brother- hood, it stands for everything that tends to a noble manhood." This very fine organization of men has been a powerful influence in the church through the years. It has spon- sored many worthwhile projects, and has brought to its annual banquets outstand- ing speakers. The men of our Brother- hood have been leaders in the state-wide program of Brotherhood. Several times, men of St. John's have held the Presi- dency of the state organization as well as other offices. The first Synodical Brotherhood Convention was held in Sterling with St. John's as host. The Brotherhood is open to all con- firmed male members of our congrega- tion. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of every month. The present officers are: President: Bert Shannon Vice-President: Laurence Dimond Secretary: John Musselman Treasurer: I. Clyde Eshleman Troop 90 Boy Scouts This troop of Boy Scouts was organ- ized Feb. 18, 1926 as Troop 5, and two years later became known as Troop 90. The first Troop Committee consisted of Charles A. Smith, Hugo Weyrauch, and Fred A. Hay, with Walter Grebner as Scoutmaster. The troop is open to boys who have reached their eleventh birthday, and who are interested in becoming better Chris- tian citizens, and in building good char- acter. Boys 11 to 14 are members of the regular troop, and those 14 and older are enrolled as Explorer Scouts. Meet- ings are held in the church basement every Wednesday evening. The troop, sponsored by St. John's Brotherhood, has had a grand record, and has been led by only three scout- masters. Walter Grebner served from 1926 to 1941. He was succeeded by Dan Metzger, Jr. in 1941, his tenure lasting until 1945, when he was in turn suc- ceeded by George Davis, Jr., who has served since that time. Walter Grebner was called back as Scoutmaster in 1944 and served until 1946, while Dan Metz- ger and George Davis were called into the military service. Troop 90 has 60 Scouts and Exporers at the present time, and is led by the following men: Scoutmaster: George Davis, Jr. Asst. Scoutmaster: Lloyd Elf line Explorer Advisor: Ken Rosier, Sr. Institutional Rep. : Lloyd Schott Treasurer: Earl Helms Troop Committee: Dan Metzger, Jr., Chm. Charles Buyers Charles Kreider Clinton Hilger John Hay C. M. Tyne Dr. A. L. Grewe (Honorary) The Social Gardeners The Social Gardeners came into being in the early Spring of 1934, when a group of 21 ladies from the Social Circle decided to form a society so that they might together pursue their common in- terest in plants, flowers, etc. This group meets the fourth Wednes- day of each month (except November) to share and study information on gard- ening, visit and study gardens, and to carry out projects related to this inter- est. Each year they sponsor a Flower Show in September, and for twenty years, this has been an outstanding af- fair, attracting people in large numbers from this and surrounding communities. Once or twice a year, the group takes bus trips to distant exhibits, gardens and homes, as well as the Chicago Flower Show. —55— Any money earned by the organiza- tion is used to help beautify the church and grounds, and other church property, or some community property. The society has for its motto, "We spread happiness through our gardens.'" This they have done through the years by remembering the sick and shut-in, and by decorating the church on many occasions. This group will decorate the church for our centennial observance. The Social Gardeners now claim a membership of 93 and would be happy to have any member of St. John's, who is interested in the purposes of this organization, join them. The present officers of the society are: President: Mrs. F. E. Dieckmann 1st Vice-Pres.: Mrs. Ward Freeman 2nd Vice-Pres.: Mrs. Albert Peterson Secretary: Mrs. Wayne Trueblood Cor. Sec: Mrs. Lloyd M. Eshleman Treasurer: Mrs. Carroll Taylor The Loyal Lutherans In December of 1948, a group of 24 young people met with Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Thummel, as advisors, and organ- ized themselves into a society called the Loyal Lutherans. The purpose of this society was to provide an organization for young married couples, and people out of high school, who were not of the Luther League age group. In 1939, a similar organization for young married couples, only, had been organized by Rev. and Mrs. Keck. This organization, however, ceased to exist during war years when most of the men were called into the service, and the mothers found themselves tied down with their families. The Loyal Lutherans has met the need for an organization of young people out of high school, and young married couples who wish to associate with church members of their own age in devotional study and recreation. This group meets the third Tuesday of every month, and its officers at present are: President: Mrs. Leland Davis Vice-President: Wayne Trueblood Sec.-Treas. : Janet Oltmans HONOR ROLL On an occasion like the centennial anniversary of a church, one may very well wonder who has longest been as- sociated with the congregation. Long and faithful service to a church by its members is important to its growth and advancement. New members are also necessary for vitality in an or- ganization, but members of long stand- ing give any group continuity, loyalty, and devotion that are necessary to its continued success. The names on the Honor Roll that follows indicate men and women who were members of St. John's on the oc- casion of her 50th anniversary, and who have maintained continuous membership since that time. Others may have be- longed at that time, but their member- ship has been interrupted by residence in some other community. Still others may approach 50 years of continuous membership, but, as can be easily under- stood, the line must be drawn at some point. The date that follows each name in- dicates the year that person became a communing member of St. John's. Mrs. Floy Frerichs 1890 Mrs. Edna Loux 1892 Mrs. Jennie Obendorf 1893 Mrs. Ida Le Fevre 1894 Miss Mollie Wentsel....- 1894 Mrs. Mary Andreas 1895 Mrs. Emma Landis 1895 Mr. Nevin R. Loux 1895 Mrs. Barbara Ramsdell 1897 Mrs. Edith Dieterle 1898 Miss Anna Ebersole. 1900 -56- Miss Ella Ebersole 1900 Mrs. Anna Goshert 1900 Mrs. Anna Hunter 1900 Mrs. Tena Johnson... 1900 Mr. Clayton Royer 1900 Mrs. Hattie Sayers 1900 Mrs. Hattie Wade 1900 Mrs. Edna Walck 1900 Mr. Charles Weaver 1900 Mr. Elmer Beck 1901 Mrs. Anna M. Davis 1901 Mr. Fred B. Frerichs 1901 Mrs. Catherine Morris.... 1902 Mrs. Lucie Boxmeyer 1903 Mr. John Hartman 1903 Mr. Abram Kreider ...1903 Mrs. Mertie Longfellow 1903 Mrs. Susan Weidel 1903 Mrs. Mary Davis ...1904 Mr. Frank Duhm 1904 Miss Bessie Ebersole 1904 Mrs. Pearle Graehling 1904 Mrs. Lizzie Grieb 1904 Mrs. Anna Howe 1904 Mrs. Ella Karl 1904 Mr. Abram Landis 1904 Mrs. Amanda Landis 1904 Mr. David Neitzke 1904 Mrs. Hattie Reitzel 1904 Mrs. Ellen Shaw 1904 Mr. Harry Wade 1904 Mr. Stephen Weidel 1904 Mr. Donald Wilger 1904 Helpmates of The Pastors In thinking of the history of a church, it is convenient to divide the years into pastorates, and recall the happenings of any such period in terms of the minister who served at that time. Naturally, the pastor is prominent in the appraisal of his term of service, which is to be ex- pected. Too often, however, we are apt to fail to give credit to his very able companion in the parsonage. Could the men, who have served as our pastors, all return and tell us what an important part these fine women have played in their effectiveness as leaders of St. John's, we would have to add many more pages to this book. We know little or nothing about the helpmates of the early pastors of our congregation, but what little has come down to us indicates that they were a real help and comfort to the pastor, and active in the work of the church. The effective service of more recent "mis- tresses of the manse" must also be rec- ognized by the congregation at this time. These good women usually operate in the shadows of their husbands, content to be good wives and mothers, and not wishing to detract from the work of the pastor. Each in her own way, however, has done much to indelibly stamp her- self upon the memory of the congrega- tion. Let us take this opportunity to ex- press to Mrs. Grewe, Mrs. Keck and Mrs. Harris, as well as those who have gone before, our deepest appreciation for the many fine things they have done for the congregation. We are indeed happy at the prospect of having Mrs. Harris with us during our Centennial Week so that she may celebrate this occasion with us. We hope that Mrs. Keck can also be here. Bequests and Endowments Members of St. John's have many times remembered their church in be- quests left in the name of the congrega- tion. Some of these gifts have been ear- marked for specific use. Others have been left to be used at the discretion of the Church Council and the congrega- tion. This thoughtfulness on the part of departed members has made possible im- provements and additions that might not otherwise have been realized. The prac- tice of remembering the church in memorial bequests and endowments is certainly to be commended. -57— REV. C. B. THUMMEL, D. D. Prairieville, Illinois Although Dr. C. B. Thummel was never officially connected with St. John's of Sterling, he played such an important part in the early history of our church, both before and after its organization, that it is only right that we here pay tribute to this great pioneer of Luth- eranism in Northern Illinois. Christian Bernard Thummel was born in Germany on April 5, 1802. His youth was spent in acquiring an excellent edu- cation in his native land. He was the master of seven languages and majored in Philology, Philosophy and Theology. In 1824, he was accepted into the minis- try of the Lutheran Church in Germany. Being unjustly accused of being affili- ated with a hostile political group, and seeing no chance of clearing himself, he took the advice of the Grand Duke of Jever and left the country, arriving in Philadelphia in August of 1826. After being admitted to the Minis- Dr. C. B. Thummel terium of New York in 1827, Rev. Thummel spent several years in Pensyl- vania, New York, South Carolina and Ohio, preaching and teaching. With his family, he set out for Illinois in 1845, and arrived in Palmyra Township, Lee County on Oct. 15th of that year. Here Dr. Thummel was to remain for the rest of his days, leaving an imprint upon the people of Lee and Whiteside Counties that is still very much in evidence. Dr. Thummel soon became connected with the Synod of Illinois, and was large- ly instrumental in the organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Northern Illinois, that body having been founded in the Thummel home, one mile north of Prairieville on May 14, 1851. The Lutherans of Sterling were served by Rev. Thummel before St. John's was organized. He preached to them, upon occasions, in their homes and was called upon to perform various ministerial acts. A study of his ministerial records shows that many baptisms, weddings, funerals, etc., were performed by him for for- bears of some of the present members cf St. John's. It is interesting to note that the last administering of a Holy sacrament by Dr. Thummel was the bap- tism of Edith Anna Schuck (Mrs. G. A. Fritz). Mrs. Fritz recently told the writ- er that Dr. Thummel's health at the time was such that it was necessary for him to perform this act from his bed. His last official act was to offer the closing prayer at the dedication of the Prairieville Church in February of 1881, being supported by two of his brethren of the ministry. Dr. Thummel closed his labors on this earth on May 24, 1881, and lies buried in the beautiful little cemetery, north of Prairieville. During the pastorate of Rev. Uhl, who was also serving St. Paul's of Dixon at the same time, Rev. Thummel preached on alternate Sundays so that St. John's might have preaching every Sunday. Dr. Thummel was present when St. John's first church was dedicated, and his name appears on the list of contributors who ■58- made this fine house of worship possible. The record shows that he was also pres- ent on many other occasions in later years. Succeeding generations of the Thum- mel family have held membership in St. John's, and have taken an active inter- est in her work. During our Centennial services, as has already been mentioned, Dr. Thummel's great great grandson, Warren Thummel, will appear in the pulpit as one of our anniversary speak- ers. Warren is preparing for the minis- try and is at present a student at Chi- cago Lutheran Theological Seminary at Maywood, Illinois. The close association between the churches at Prairieville and Sterling was carried on after Dr. Thummel's passing by Pastors Brown, Fleck and Harris who preached in Prairieville for so many years. There was a similar close associa- tion with the Lutheran Church at Emer- son. It was formed by members from St. John's and was in later years served by pastors from St. John's until the re- maining members transferred to our church in 1933. Thummel Home Prairieville Birthplace of Synod of Northern Illinois —59— "I ■ i=p! :'■ ft J JLLiiik.Ll Sffi Wii^^^lililyi ail $*? —60— I 51rs.tyof.luno.suhb.na C001 SMBSSU-w*" ***«■ CENTENNIAL