Church Pastors
Rev.
John Klindworth
(Served from 1859 – 1879)
Rev. John Klindworth was born on
August 9, 1833
in
Hanover
,
Germany
. His father was a well-educated man and a teacher by profession. Rev. John came
to
America
at the age of twenty-five. He had been well educated with reference to his
future calling with the church. He was betrothed to Miss Catherine Brandt, who
came to
America
with him, as his intended bride. They were married on
October 18, 1861
. To their marriage they were blessed with seven children. Their children are as
followed:
- Clara
– She married Rev. A. Kleinlein.
- Gustave
– A minister of the Lutheran faith, he served
Zion
&
St. John’s
from 1888 to 1900.
- Albert
– He also became a minister of the Lutheran faith, he served in
Steubenville
,
Ohio
.
- Otto
– He was a shipping clerk for the firm of Myer, Rose, & Co. in
St. Louis
,
MO.
- Agnes
– married Mr. Wecker.
- Emma
– She passed away at the age of about three months.
- Emilie
– She passed away at the age of ten months old.
Rev. Klindworth founded St.
Matthew’s Lutheran church in
Galena
,
IL
in 1858. He also founded
St. John’s
Lutheran church in
Guilford
Township
in 1868.
St. John’s
and Zion Congregation obtained land from Anton Schap in Schapville to build
their first parsonage (this was in March of 1879).
(Article from the Galena Gazette
on December 5, 1907 -- Rev. John Klindworth III -- The parochial
school of St. Matthew's Lutheran church was closed today by order of the mayor
on account the Rev. John Klindworth, pastor of St. Matthew's church being taken
ill with diphtheria. The home of Rev. Klindworth also has been placed under
quarantine. The many friends of Rev. Klindworth will learn with regret of his
illness, and will hope that he may recover as quickly as the nature of the
sickness will permit.)
Church record from St.
Matthew's Lutheran church states that Rev. John Klindworth took ill on December
2, 1907 and dictated a letter from his sick bed to his daughter, Mrs. Clara
Kleinlein. This letter was later read to the congregation after his death.
Rev. Klindworth’s wife, Catherine, passed away on the 23rd
day of March in 1900. Rev. John passed away on
the 5th of December 1907
. Both are buried in
Greenwood
Cemetery
in
Galena
,
IL
along with their daughters Agnes, Emma, & Emilie and some granddaughters.
Rev.
George Kaempflein
(Served from 1879 – 1886)
Rev. Kaempflein was born around 1852. He was married to Hannah
(b. 1855 in Bovaria) and had
two girls when they moved to Schapville. His two girls were:
Agnes (b. 1876) and Ester (1878 –
November 14, 1898
). He served a parish in New Baltimore, Michigan in 1875
before
coming to St. John and
Zion
’s Congregation. While at our congregation, he and his wife, Hannah had a son,
Gustow August Adolf (August 21, 1882). He withdrew from the Iowa Synod and
became an independent pastor with no synodical connection. He was the first
resident pastor for
St. John’s
and Zion Lutheran church. There was a need for a second church and so they
purchased the land from Mr. Philip Parker and built Zion Lutheran (also known as
the lower church) in Schapville,
Thompson
Township
, Jo Daviess County. Rev. George left this little community and moved to
Janesville
,
Wisconsin
where he served at
St. John’s
Lutheran
Church
. While there, he and his wife had another son, George F. (b.
December 25, 1887
) and a daughter, Emma (b. 1889). He and his family later moved to Beloit,
Rock County,
Wisconsin
where he passed away on
April 6, 1898
.
Rev.
Hugo Basilius Kuhn
(Served from 1886 – 1888)
Rev.
Hugo B. Kuhn was installed (October 11, 1886) the day after the dedication of the new church in Schapville
,
IL
. During his time at
St. John’s
&
Zion
, the church purchased land from Theodor Hoppe for the cemetery.
Rev. Kuhn was born around 1816. Not much is know about his life. Pastor
Kuhn resigned because of poor health in early October 1888. He then moved to Chicago,
IL, where he passed away from a chest illness that he had suffered from for the
past year. He passed away on
July 13, 1889
and his wasted body was laid to rest in a Christian manner with the
participation of the congregation that he belonged to. He is buried in a Lutheran
Cemetery
in Blue Island,
IL. He left behind a wife, one grown son and one grown daughter and many dear
friends.
Rev.
Gustuv F. Klindworth
(Served from 1888 – 1900)
Rev.
Gustuv F. Klindworth was born on
November 22, 1965
in Galena
,
IL
. He was the son of Rev. John & Catherine (Brandt) Klindworth, our founding
father. Rev. Gus attended
Northwestern
University
in
Watertown
,
Wisconsin
and then the
Capital
University
and Seminary in
Columbia
,
Ohio
. He was ordained on
April 30, 1883
. He served in
Des Moines
,
Iowa
as an assistant for his brother-in-law, the Rev. A Kleinlein, from 1883 to
1888. His next call was to
St. John’s
and Zion Lutheran church.
While Rev. Klindworth was serving as pastor of
St. John’s
and Zion Lutheran church, he fell in love and married Miss Regina W.
Schlichting (a young women from his congregation in Schapville.)
Miss Regina W. Schlichting was
born on
October 9, 1871
in
Guilford
Township
. She was the daughter of Louis and Sophia Schlichting.
Regina
was baptized by Rev. John Klindworth and confirmed in 1887 by Rev. Hugo Kuhn.
She was a homemaker. Two years before she passed away, she became ill. She
passed away on Monday, morning,
November 28, 1921
at
7:30 pm
with her husband and two daughters at her side. She is buried at
Lutheran
Gethsemane
Cemetery
. The cemetery is owned by the Salems & St. Paul’s Lutheran
church
of
Detroit, Michigan.
Rev. Gustuv Klindworth and Miss Regina Schlichting were married on
February 5, 1890
at
Zion
Lutheran
Church
in Schapville with Rev. John Klindworth officiating. To their union, they were
blessed with five children. There children are as followed:
1. Ruby
Maria Sophia Catharine (January
27, 1892 – September 27, 1973)
2. Enno
Johann Ludwig (July 10, 1896 –
August 9, 1897)
3. Amos
Johann Albert (October 29, 1898 – August 22, 1900)
4. Lucile
(June 7, 1901 -- July 12, 1901)
5. Flora
(1904 --)
While Rev. Gustuv was at
St. John’s
and
Zion
, there were new pews installed at
St. John’s
, a new bell was given by Gustav Durstein and John Hesselbacher in 1891. In the
year, 1900, a barn was erected on the parsonage property. That year was also
memorable as the year that the parsonage was destroyed by fire. Rev. Gustuv also
lost his mother suddenly in March and lost his son, Amos in August. The
congregation of
St. John’s
and
Zion
grew uneasy with Rev. Klindworth and asked for his resignation that same year.
Rev. Klindworth took a call from
St. Paul
’s Lutheran church in Lynville from 1900 to 1912. He served three other
congregations before he retired in 1932. Rev. Klindworth passed away on
June 22, 1933
in
Detroit
,
Michigan
. He is buried beside his wife in
Gethsemane
Lutheran
Cemetery
in
Detroit.
Rev.
Henry F. Meyer
Served
from 1900 – 1907)
Rev. Henry Meyer was installed on
December 5, 1900
. He was married to Eleonore Prigge. They had three children while serving our
congregation. All three were baptized here. Their children were:
Herman Karl Heinrich (October 25, 1902 - April 15, 1988); Eleonore Johanna Henrietta
(September 4, 1904 - October 1986); and Walter Hermann Johann (June 25, 1906-
April 1973).
While Rev. Meyer was here, our congregation held the first Mission
Festival picnic and they raised $77.00. During his time here at
St. John’s
and Zion, the ornate copper ceiling at Zion
was installed in 1904. Rev. Meyer and Henry Boldt traveled to
Chicago
to select the material for the ceiling which cost the congregation $800.00 and
an ornamental large crown for the chancel was purchased for an additional cost
of $10.00. It was brought back to Scales Mound by rail and then four teams of
horses and wagons brought it to the church. George Kuhn was one of the drivers
of the teams. The ceiling is still intact and the talk of all who attend services
at
Zion
(now Shepherd of the Hills). It still remains a mystery what the actual
material is that makes up the ceiling. The congregation also added the
handcrafted altar from Germany. This altar came across the
Atlantic Ocean
and through the
Great Lakes
to
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, then it was shipped by rail to
Apple
River
. Henry Schlichting and Louis Schultz brought the altar to Schapville by a team
of horses and a wagon. The altar cost the congregation $800.00.
Rev. Meyer contracted tuberculosis. He resigned and retired from the
ministry on
December 7, 1907
.
Rev.
Henry Hofhenke
(Served from 1908 – 1921)
Rev.
Henry Hofhenke was born on
November 13, 1876
in
Germany
. He graduated from Luther Seminary in
St. Paul
,
Minnesota
and was ordained in 1901 under the Ohio Synod. He served as a pastor in
Bowbells
,
North Dakota;
Schapville,
Illinois; and
Mt. Olive,
Illinois
for a total of fifty-five (55) years. He retired in 1956.
Rev. Henry was married to Bertha Harms on
December 15, 1903
. They had three children: Heinrich J. (January 24, 1905); Bertha J. (July 24,
1906); and Paul Theodor Hermann (March 21, 1911- December 21, 1995 in Alabama). Heinrich was confirmed at Zion
Lutheran church on
April 13, 1919
and Paul T.H. was baptized on
April 9, 1911
at the parsonage.
Pastor Hofhenke was installed on
February 26, 1908
. During his time at
St. John’s
and
Zion
, new hymnals were purchased from the
Ohio
church. A new black pulpit and altar were purchased for the
St. John’s
site. The first automobile garage was built at the parsonage. The Brotherhood
organization was started in
October 20, 1917
at
Zion
and every male member was to become a member. No further information about this
group is known. One English service will be held each month at
St. John’s
. In 1920, electricity was installed at the parsonage and
Zion
Lutheran
Church
.
Pastor
Hofhenke registered to serve in WWI on September 12, 1918.
Pastor Hofhenke took a call to Zion Lutheran church in
Mt. Olive
,
Illinois
, the beginning of January, 1921.
Pastor Hofhenke passed away on
February 14, 1968
at his home in
Pine Grove
,
Pennsylvania
.
Rev.
Henry Holzhausen
(Served
from 1921 – 1923)
Rev.
Henry Holzhausen was born on
January 6, 1881
in Leisten,
Hannover
,
Germany
. He attended the Luther Theo.
Seminary in
St. Paul
,
Minnesota
. He was ordained
on
June 18, 1909
under the Ohio Synod.
Rev. Henry was married to Ida Grimm in 1909. To their union, they were
blessed with two children:
Oscar (August 27, 1912) and Elvira (February 11, 1916). In 1935, his dear
wife, Ida, passed away. He later remarried Louis Steinke on
September 6, 1938
.
Rev. Holzhausen was installed on
April 3, 1921
. During his time here the following things were accomplished: The envelope
system was started at
Zion
in 1922, Membership was determined – a full membership was a single or
married man and a half membership was a widow or single lady.
At the end of 1922, the two congregations were getting dissatisfied with
Rev. Holzhausen and asked for his resignation. He took a call at Emanuel
Lutheran & St. Paul’s Lutheran Churches in
Garrison
,
North Dakota
. He gave his last sermon on
May 27, 1923
. He served many congregations in
North Dakota
in his life time of ministry.
Rev. Holzhausen retired on September of 1956. He suffered several light
strokes that affected his mind to the point that he was unable to do anything.
He later died on
May 30, 1963
in
Steele
,
North Dakota
.
Rev.
Herman F. Leschensky (Served from 1923 – 1928)
Rev. Herman F. Leschensky was born on
May 26, 1892
in Marion, Waupaca County, Wisconsin. His father was August Leschensky. He attended
Luther
College
and Seminary in
St. Paul
’s, Minnesota
from 1908 to 1915. He was ordained on
June 23, 1915 under the Minnesota District and Ohio Synod.
Rev. Leschensky married Gertrude Barteilt on
July 8, 1915
. To their union, they were blessed with four children:
Eugene J.
(July 25, 1916 - January 5, 1997) – he became a minister; Immanuel (
February 24, 1918
- February 1980); Armin (May 8, 1920 - January 1983); and Lorraine Gertrude Wanda (October 24,
1926 - ).
Lorraine
was baptized at
Zion
in Schapville on
November 7, 1926
. Rev. Leschensky’s wife, passed away in 1954. He later married a Louise Hertz
on
December 7, 1955
.
Rev. Leschensky was installed on
July 8, 1923
. During his time as pastor at St. John’s and Zion, he had services in German
as well as English, the parsonage was remodeled, building the new school house,
a basement was put under Zion church to hold a parish hall in 1925, and a new
altar was presented to St. John’s by the Wachter Family on November of 1926,
both congregations adopted a constitution. To keep in accordance with the State
of
Illinois
,
St. John’s
and
Zion
became incorporated on January of 1928. Also in 1928, all services at
St. John’s
were held in English.
Rev. Leschensky took a call at Trinity Lutheran church in Loyal,
Wisconsin
in January of 1928 after receiving a peaceful dismissal from our congregation.
He served on the Board of Education for over 8 years while in Loyal,
Wisconsin
. He served in four other parishes in
Wisconsin
after leaving
St. John’s
and
Zion
Lutheran
Churches
. He retired on
April 21, 1963
.
Rev. Leschensky passed away on
August 20, 1976
in
Wausau
,
Marathon
,
Wisconsin
.
Rev.
Otto Carl Moke
(Served
from 1928 – 1934)
Rev. Otto C.
Moke was born on
July 13, 1897
in
Hillside
,
South Dakota
. He was the son of Gottlieb and Anna (Nisch) Moke. He attended Dakota
Wesleyan in Mitchell
,
South Dakota
in 1917;
Wartburg
College
in
Clinton
in 1919;
St. Paul
’s Luther
College
in 1920 and
St. Paul
’s Luther Seminary in 1925. He was ordained in 1925 by the Joint Ohio Synod. He registered for WWI on
August 24, 1918
, at
Rev. Moke married Laura Steinigeweg in 1925. To their union, they had two children: Lois Harriet
(September 13, 1928) and David Fredrick (July 16, 1933). Lois was baptized on
October 18, 1928
at Zion Lutheran church and David was baptized on
August 9, 1933
at the church parsonage.
The congregation sent two calls to Rev. Moke before he agreed to be the
new pastor of
St. John’s
and
Zion
. He was previously the pastor at
St. Paul
’s Lutheran church in
Warren
,
IL
. Rev. Moke was installed on
April 12, 1928
. During his time as pastor of
St. John’s
and
Zion
was: The arched gate way at
St. John’s
, it was given by Mrs. John Dotzel as a memorial. Also there was a woodshed
built at
St. John’s
cemetery (to store equipment and wood).
Rev. Moke accepted a call from
St. Paul
’s Lutheran church in
Streator
,
Illinois
in 1934. He later served in congregations in
Louisiana
and
Arkansas
before retiring in 1965 after 40 years of service to Our Lord.
On
October 4, 1978
, Rev. Moke passed away in
Biloxi
,
Mississippi
at the age of 81 years old.
Rev.
Albert R. Seeman
(Served from 1934 – 1938)
Rev. Albert Seeman was born on
February 9, 1898
in
Altenburg
,
Mo.
He was the son of Ernest T. Seemen. His education was received at Wartburg
College in Waverly, Iowa in 1922 and then on to Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque,
Iowa. He graduated from seminary on June 1926. He was ordained on July 11, 1926
under the Iowa Synod.
Rev. Seeman
married Augusta Litzner on August 6, 1928. To their union they were blessed with
two children: William C. (April 30, 1930) and Georjane Frances (July 17,
1935 and baptized at Zion Lutheran on August 4, 1935).
Rev. Seeman
was installed by the Rev. Dieter from Clinton, Iowa on October 28, 1934. While
he was pastor, the following changes were made: The pulpit at Zion was
lowered and the organ was moved from the balcony to the main floor. Art Koester
began his duties as Janitor at St. John's succeeding his father, who had held
that position for many years. Confirmation was held 4 days a week and it was
changed to Saturday only, for two (2) years and students started in the 7th
grade. Anyone over 16 years of age were considered an adult (this was for anyone
joining the church)
Rev. Seeman wrote a letter to the congregation of both St. John's and Zion in
February of 1938. In this letter he had been called before the church trustees
and told to leave. Rev. Seeman was accused of making remarks about the former
pastor and other district leaders who made life miserable for him and his
family. Which lead to Mrs. Seeman's nervous breakdown. He also apologies for any
remarks to the congregation and that he would be leaving as soon as he could and
he wanted their forgiveness. Rev. Seeman gave his last sermon on May 1, 1938.
Rev. Seeman
took time off to help his wife and family before taking another parish and
moving to St. John's Lutheran church in Patricksburg, Ind in 1951. He
served here for 17 years. He also served St. Paul's in Steubenville, Ind. until
his death on September 18, 1968. In his elder years he had considerable trouble
with arthritis and other minor ailments.
Mrs. Seeman
passed away in 1958 while at Patricksburg, Indiana.
Rev.
Ernst W. Karsten (Served 1938 -- 1942)
Rev. Karsten was born on
June 1, 1905
in
Renwick
,
Iowa
, the son of Albert F. Karsten. He attended
Wartburg
College
from 1922 to 1926. Then he attended Wartburg Seminary from 1926 to 1929. He was
ordained on
June 16, 1929
under the Iowa Synod. His first call was with
Redeemer
Lutheran
Church
in
Oak Forest
,
Illinois
. He served in another parish and was a chaplain in the U.S. Army before coming
to
St. Paul
’s and
Zion
Lutheran
Church
in 1938.
Rev. Karsten married Elva Hueneke (b.
September 22, 1904
in Alts Vista, Iowa)
August 8, 1929
. To their union, they were blessed with eight children:
Joan M. (October 7, 1930); John A. (March 23, 1932); Carla R. (February
22, 1935); Wanda L. (April 6, 1937); Kathryn Ann (June 1, 1939, she was baptized
at Zion Lutheran on June 8, 1939); Ernst Randall (October 14, 1940, he was
baptized at Zion Lutheran on November 10, 1940); Gail M. (May 3, 1944); and E.
Melise (June 5, 1945). The two children that were born during the Karsten’s
stay were born in the parsonage with the help of Ruth Dotzel, who at the time
was the church organist.
During Rev.
Karsten’s stay at our congregation the following items were accomplished:
†
The American Lutheran Hymnal was adopted.
†
No more German services at
Zion
.
†
The parish became a member of the ALC Pension Fund.
†
Changes made to the Constitution, so no officer should succeed
himself.
†
Sunday services were held at both churches each Sunday.
†
They did a extensive remodeling job on
Zion
Lutheran
Church
. The remodeling included the addition of stained glass windows, new pulpit
(Pastor Karsten carved the panels for the pulpit, on their kitchen table in the
parsonage. He was unable to find a pulpit to match the carvings on the altar, so
he volunteered to build one. He did the carving and a couple of men from the
congregation helped him with the mill work and construction of the pulpit.), new
pews were added, the oak flooring, the entry was added along with the cry room,
the new cement steps, a basement was added with fellowship hall, kitchen &
bath rooms, the front of the chancel was changed to what it is now
(with one room on each side), the drive way was bulldozed and blazed to make it
wider, and some changes to the school house by the Luther League and Choir. On
May 20, 1941
, there was a dedication service held for all the redecorating and remodeling of
the church. Rev. William String of
Rockford
,
IL
, Rev. T.J. Pagel from
Galena
,
IL
and Rev. F.W. Henke from
Ashton
,
IL
came to the celebration and each preached on the occasion.
Rev. Karsten resigned to serve as a chaplain again in the U.S. Army,
since the USA
entered the war in
Europe
. The Karsten family moved to
Ozark
,
Alabama
while Rev. Karsten served his country. Lois Grebner went to live with the
Karsten family in Alabama, to help Mrs. Karsten with the children while Rev. Karsten was away at war.
Rev. Karsten served in
California;
Seoul,
Korea;
Hawaii; and Kansas.
Rev. Karsten retired in June of 1970, but he served as Interim Pastor
until 1977. He passed away on
October 6, 1991
.
Rev.
Arnd Traugott Buckler (Served
1942 – 1947)
Rev. Buckler was born on
April 9, 1899
in
Princeton
,
Minnesota
, the son of Frederick Emil Schimpfky Buckler. He attended
Northwestern
University
from 1918 to 1919, then
St. Paul
Luther
College
from 1919 to 1920, then St. Paul Luther Seminary from 1920 to 1923. His
transcript of credits has a solid B average. He was ordained on
June 17, 1923
under the Joint Synod of Ohio. His first congregation was at
St. Paul
’s Lutheran church in
Otis
,
Colorado
in 1923.
Rev. Buckler married Laura Viola Olson (b.
September 6, 1902
in
Calfax
,
Wisconsin
– d. July 1978. She was a Registered Nurse) on
December 12, 1924
. To their union they had six children: Paul
F. (November 18, 1925 – August 17, 1999); Margaret (1927);
Genevieve (1929); Phyllis (1930); Dorothy (1932); and Gerald (1936).
Rev. Buckler was installed on
July 5, 1942
by Rev. Pagels of
Galena
,
IL
. While he served our congregation the following things were done:
†
Women were given the right to vote in church.
†
St. John’s
received electricity and a building fund was established.
†
Lenten services were alternated between the two churches on
Wednesday night
†
Zion
joined the
American
Lutheran
Church
.
†
Zion
congregation purchased an acre of land from the Zion Presbyterian church in
1947, for the cemetery.
†
Mrs. Emma Liphardt was recognized for her 13 years of service as
the organist.
Rev. Buckler resigned and left our congregation on October 1947 to take a
call at
St. John’s
Lutheran
Church
in
Cullom
,
Illinois
. After leaving her he was involved
with many organizations (Commander of Legion Post, President of Community
Library Club, President of Peoria Conference Sunday School Teachers Association
and the list goes on) while in Cullom and
Somonauk
,
Illinois
. He retired on
July 1, 1976
.
Rev. Buckler passed away on June of 1980 at
Chenoa
,
Illinois
.
Rev.
Randolph Frederick Hahn (Served
1948 – 1951)
Rev. Hahn was born on May 7, 1915
in
Grabina
,
Germany
, the son of Herman Hahn. He attended
Wartburg
College
in Waverly,
Iowa
from 1944 to 1945. He then attended Wartburg Seminary in
Dubuque
,
Iowa
from 1945 to 1948. He was ordained on
June 6, 1948
under the
American
Lutheran
Church
.
Rev. Hahn married Margaret Burzlaff (1918
in
Clinton
,
Iowa
) on
October 18, 1942
. To their union, they were blessed with three children:
James Randolph (baptized on September 11, 1949 at Zion
Lutheran Church); Kathryn Margaret (1951): and Donald Paul (1955).
While Rev. Hahn was pastor of
St. John’s
and
Zion
the following items were accomplished:
†
Vacation
Bible
School
was held every year;
†
The Kilgen pipe organ was purchased at
Zion
.
†
The basement at
Zion
was excavated and built to substantially what it is today.
†
St. John’s
became members of the
American
Lutheran
Church
.
†
St. John’s
observed its 80th Anniversary of its dedication.
†
Mrs. Hahn directed a joint choir of the two churches.
Rev. Hahn took a call from
Zion
Lutheran
Church
in
Tinley Park
,
Illinois
on January of 1951. He then served two congregations in
California
before retiring. He now lives with his son Donald in California.
Rev. Hahn passed away on May 20, 2006 at Glendale, Los Angeles County,
California.
Rev.
John Northwall (Served
1951 – 1953)
Rev. Northwall was born in 1927
in
Kansas City
,
Missouri
, the son of Walter Northwall. He received his higher education at
Tarkio
College
in
Tarkio
,
Missouri
from 1944 to 1947, then he attended the State University of Iowa from 1947 to
1948. Afterwards he attended Wartburg Seminary in
Dubuque
,
Iowa
from 1948 to 1951. He received his Ph. D in Speech from the University
of
Colorado
in 1969. He was ordained on
June 3, 1951
under the
American
Lutheran
Church
.
Rev. Northwall married Naomi Ruth Ohrtman (1925 in Fonda,
Iowa) on
June 10, 1951
. To their union, they were blessed with four children:
Karl Walter (baptized at Zion
Lutheran church on May 18, 1952); Susan (1953); Luke (1956); and Karen (1960).
During the time that Rev. Northwall served as our pastor the following
items were accomplished:
†
Constitution was updated.
†
St. John’s
was enlarged and renovated. A new floor was installed, the pulpit was lowered
and covered, the interior was redecorated and two Sunday School rooms were added
to the western end of the church.
Rev. Northwall took a call at
Hope
Lutheran
Church
in
Smithfield
,
Nebraska
and
Peace
Lutheran
Church
in Arapahoe,
Nebraska
. He left in March of 1953. In 1978,
he was teaching at
Dana
College
in
Omaha
,
Nebraska
. He lives in
Omaha
,
Nebraska
with his wife, Naomi Ruth.
Rev.
Paul Eugene Albers (Served
1953 – 1956)
Rev. Albers was born in 1924
in Golden,
Illinois
, the son of Eilert William Albers. He received his education at
Wartburg
College
at Waverly,
Iowa
from 1947 to 1950 and then attended Wartburg Seminary in
Dubuque
,
Iowa
from 1950 to 1953. He was ordained on
June 28, 1953
under the
American
Lutheran
Church
, Illinois District.
Rev. Albers married Erna K.B. Fick (1927 in Boyden, Iowa) on
June 14, 1953
. The couple was blessed with four children:
Mark Paul (he was baptized at Zion Lutheran church on June
12, 1955); Timothy John (1957); Anna Marie (1962); and Ruth Erna
(1966).
Rev. Albers first call was at
St. John’s
and Zion Lutheran church. During his time that he served as pastor the
following accomplishments were completed:
†
A loud-speaker system was installed at
Zion
in memory of Russell Dotzel.
†
New front doors were added to
Zion
.
†
A new Baptismal Font was added.
Rev. Albers took a call from Good Shepherd in
Bloomfield
,
Iowa
in February of 1956. After serving that congregation the
American
Lutheran
Church
loan Rev. Albers to the
Lutheran
Church
of
Australia
. He served in
Australia
from 1960 to 1970. He then was released from the
American
Lutheran
Church
and served six parishes in all. He retired from parish service in June of 1991,
but became the chaplain at the Loxton Lutheran Rest Home from 1991 to
July 25, 2004
. He is now properly “retired”.
Rev. and Mrs. Albers celebrated their 50th marriage
anniversary and the 50th anniversary of his ordination in
Loxton
,
South Australia
on the 29 of June, 2003. They have moved into a retirement village near the
capital of
South Australia
.
Rev. Elroy Dietrich
(Served 1956 – 1960)
Rev. Dietrich was born in 1928
in Cedarburg
,
Wisconsin, he was the son of Paul F. Dietrich. He received his education at Milwaukee
State Teacher’s in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
in the fall of 1946. He then attended
Wartburg
College
in Waverly,
Iowa
from 1948 to 1952 and then attended Wartburg Seminary in
Dubuque,
Iowa
from 1952 to 1956. He was ordained on
February 5, 1956
under the American
Lutheran
Church
.
Rev. Dietrich married Joan Dahlstedt (1933 in Fort Wing,
Wisconsin) on
August 9, 1953
. They were blessed with one son,
Carl Arthur (he was baptized at Zion Lutheran on April 29, 1956).
During Rev. Dietrich time at our congregation the following events
occurred:
†
St. John’s
obtained a new Hammond Spinet electric organ.
†
Service Book and Hymnals were purchased.
†
Chancel pews and a new baptismal font were added to
St. John’s
as a gift from the Women’s Missionary Society.
†
New doors were added to
St. John’s
.
†
A new propane gas
furnace was placed in the parsonage to replace the wood-coal furnace.
Rev. Dietrich took a call from
St. Paul
’s Lutheran church in
Marine City
,
Michigan
. He left our congregation in March of 1960.
Rev.
Charles Mueller (Served from 1960 -
1962)
Rev. Charles Mueller was
born on November 4, 1933 in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. He was the son of Arno
Fredrick & Edna Mueller. He was educated at Marquette University in
Milwaukee, then Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and then to the Wartburg
Seminary in Dubuque, IA. He graduated from Wartburg Seminary in May of 1960 and
was ordained on June 5, 1960. Taking a call at St. John's Lutheran church &
Zion Lutheran church as his first parish. He served here for two years.
Rev. Mueller married
Helene L. Bencke (1936) on August 11, 1957.
To their union, they were blessed with two children, Edna (1959) and Eric
(1963). His wife, Helene, was an elementary school teacher. She enjoyed sewing,
music, gardening and reading.
His last parish was St.
Luke's Lutheran church in Manchester, Missouri. He had served there since
January 1984 and retired in 1999. Rev. Mueller passed away on August 25, 1999 at St. Louis,
Missouri.
A choir was organized with 15
members.
Zion
and
St. John's
Churches
incorporated as
St. Paul
's Parish.
Rev.
Ernest L. Serr
(Served from 1962 - 1966)
Rev. Earnest
Serr was born in 1931 in Botkins, Ohio. He was the son of Otto & Sophia Serr.
He was the youngest of seven children. He was
educated at Bowling Green State University, Capital University in Columbus,
Ohio, Evangelic Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, Northwestern Lutheran
Seminary in Minneapolis and Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, IA. He was
ordained on July 28, 1957. His first parish was St. John's Lutheran church in
Cullom, IL.
Rev. Serr married Beverly
Wenzel (1934) on June 10, 1956. To their union, they were blessed with a son,
Brian (1958). His wife, Beverly was a elementary teacher. His last place of
employment was Mendota Lutheran Home as a Administration/Chaplain. He started at
this position in May, 1981 and retired in 1994.
New steeple was finished on St. Paul
's (
Zion
) church. Lighted cross was donated in
memory of Raymond Schlichting. The Brotherhood held a
Mission
Sunday and a family night.
Rev. David Siefert
(Served from 1966 - 1969)
St. John's
congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Lenten services were joint with the Schapville Presbyterian Church.
Rev. John Paul Dexter
(Served from 1970 - 1979)
Rev. Dexter was born on June 26, 1932
in Kankakee, IL, he was the son of Charles Dexter and Lorette E. Meintz Dykstra.
He married Shirley Capper on June 1, 1954. He was ordained a minister of the
Lutheran Church in 1958. He received a call from St. John's and Zion Lutheran
Church in Jo Daviess County in IL on July 7, 1970. He was installed pastor
of both congregations on August 16, 1970. Along with him and his wife, Shirley
they brought to the Schapville parsonage four sons. Residents from
Apple
Canyon
Lake
began coming and many joined Zion Lutheran
church. Services and Sunday School were moved to
Zion
church for each Sunday of 1973. In 1976,
legal action was taken to combine the two congregations. A vote was taken
to dissolve the church names of
Zion
and
St. John's
and adopt the new name of Shepherd of the
Hills
Lutheran
Church
. New roof was put on the Schapville
church. Pastor Dexter and wife, Shirley, had two sons confirmed while they
were here: Joel Michael Dexter (1972) and Joshua Anthony Dexter (1976).
Rev. Dexter left Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in 1979. Even after he
left, he kept in close contact with members of the congregation. He passed away
at St. Mary's Hospital in Galesburg, IL on December 11, 1988. He is buried in
Danforth Cemetery in Danforth, IL
Rev.
James Gardner (Served
from 1979 - 1994)
Rev. Gardner
was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He graduated from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska
in 1974 and Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa in 1978. His first call was at
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (St. John's and Zion Lutheran Churches) in Elizabeth,
IL on December 30, 1979. He was married to Cheryl
in May 1, 1974. They had no children.
New
hymnals were donated by Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Gustus. New piano was
purchased. The church was redecorated by The Religious Art Group. It
was voted to donate St. John's
building to the mission Lutheran church in
East Dubuque. This was later abandoned because of cost.
New parsonage roof. Church signs were placed on several roads, giving
direction to the church. New siding for the parsonage.
Over a Year Vacancy
The
old garage at the parsonage was torn down and a new two car garage was added.
Air-conditioning was added to the church and the parsonage.
Rev. Richard
Dowling (Served from 1995
- 1998)
Rev. Dowling was born in Akron, Iowa. He attended high school at Akron Community High
School and college at Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa and Lutheran
School of Theology in Chicago, Illinois. He also did Clinical Pastoral Education
at Christ Community Hospital in Oak lawn, IL and Iowa State Mental Hospital in
Cherokee, Iowa.
Rev. Dowling married Paula
Koehler in 1978. They were blessed with four sons: Thomas P.; James P.; John P.;
and Robert P..
New siding for
the church.
St. John's
church building was sold for $10 to Sandy
Wolfram and now rest on her farm as a wedding chapel. Every summer, our
congregation holds a Sunday service there and an old fashion picnic follows the
service. Construction of the new sign in front of the Shepherd of the Hills
church. Gazebo was built over the place where St. John's church once stood. The
first computer for the church office was purchased.
Rev.
Dowling attended the 1997 National Youth Convention in New Orleans with 5 youth
and one other adult from our congregation. He
belonged to the Apple Canyon Lake Fire Department. He expanded his puppet
ministry.
Rev. Dowling took a call
from Redeemer Lutheran Church in Rio, Wisconsin. This was to move them closer to
Paula's family who live in Wisconsin. He gave his last sermon on March 15, 1998,
he also held Confirmation that Sunday.
Two Year Vacancy
Seminary
Students from Wartburg Seminary helped provide us with leadership. We were
fortunate to have one special student who helped in the leadership of our church
for most of the two year vacancy.
Tony Haglund
Tony was a Seminary Student
from Wartburg who gave our congregation one and a half years of service. He
preformed the duties of a supply pastor while he was here. His wife, Rhonda was
involved with the choir and children's choir. His three children attended Sunday
School and was in the children's choir. He played the guitar, which added more
music on certain Sunday's. Tony, Rhonda, Elizabeth, Sam and Justin became
a part of our congregational family. In spring of 2000, Tony and his family were
going to leave so he could do his internship in South Dakota.
Rev.
Barbara Rapp
(Served from 2000 - 2002)
First women pastor in
the history of our church. Shepherd of the Hills was redecorated, new
sound system installed, and protection windows were installed to protect the
stain glass windows. During this time the church parsonage remained vacant.
Rev. Rapp was a part-time
minister and worked part-time for the Bishop's Office. Rev. Rapp resigned as
pastor of Shepherd of the Hills in August 2002. She is now working with Campus
Ministry at De Kalb University,
De Kalb, IL.
Rev.
Denise Anderson
(Served from 2002 - 2003)
Rev. Anderson
accepted our call after she graduated from Wartburg Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. She
was married to Kevin and they had three children. Her and her husband lived in
Dubuque, Iowa while serving our congregation.
Floor
was refinished at Shepherd of the Hills. All the old wooden signs for the church
at different locations in the area to direct visitors have been replaced with
vinyl direction signs.
Rev. Anderson was extended another
one year contract and she declined the contract. She accepted a call from the Lutheran church in Cuba
City, Wisconsin.
Rev.
Arthur Stees (Served from 2003
- May 15, 2005)
Rev. Stees entered into a 18 month contract with Shepherd of the Hills
congregation . We need a pastor and had an empty parsonage. The Stees need a home to live in after
selling their home in Freeport and Pastor was retired. Pastor & Audrey Stees
lived in the parsonage from August 2003 until March 26, 2005. They moved into
their new retirement condo in Freeport, IL. He will be serving Shepherd of the
Hills month by month, until we approve a new pastor.
During this time our congregation has purchased over 10 acres of land just up
the road from the church. It is for future plans of maybe moving the church to
the new sight. A church directory was done. The Stees have spruced up the
parsonage and the grounds around the parsonage.
Rev.
Barb Rapp (Served from May 15,
2005 -- )
The Congregation of Shepherd of the Hills voted to extend a call to Pastor Barb
Rapp on April 17, 2005. She accepted the call. She will be starting on May 16,
2005. Her future plans are to sell her home in Freeport and move into the church
parsonage for one year and a half. During her time of living in the parsonage,
she will pray and consider about purchasing her own home in the area.
As of July her future plans have been completed. She sold her home in Freeport
and moved into the church parsonage on July 13, 2005.
On September 11, 2005, the Congregation of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
will be taking a vote on moving the church from its existing site to the new
site, hiring a architect and contractor, and applying for a loan thru Mission
Funding. The meeting will be held at 11 am following the 10 am service. The
congregation voted to continue with the plans for adding on to the church and
wanted cost for the new site and the old site. To move the church and keep
Maryville Construction, the congregation voted it down.
On
March 12, 2006, the Congregation of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church took a
vote to move the church to the new site and add on to the east side of the
church and extend the entry way.
May 28,
2006, Groundbreaking ceremony at the new site. On June 4, 2006, the last services at the old
site will be celebrated. Photos of those members and guest attending were taken
after each service. The church will be moved in June,
2006.
June 28, 2006 -- the church was moved from the present location up the road a
half mile to the new site. The move started getting the church ready before 8 am
and was completed by 4:50 pm.
December 24, 2006 -- the first service
was held since the moving of the church. The sanctuary area has been given the
ok to worship in by the county. Our congregation is now home again.
January 28, 2007 -- Dedication of the new
addition. A 3 pm service was held. There were 208 people at the dedication
service and many more attended the luncheon and open house that followed the
service.
*
Despite the frequent change of pastors, Shepherd of the
Hills parish has been fortunate in having Wartburg Seminary professors and
students, retired ministers and individuals from our church to provide
immeasurable and dedicated leadership. For this we are thankful.