USA > Iowa > Johnson County > Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa, History > Part 29
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St. Mary's has a large number of church societies whose scope is such as to take in members of all ages. There are the Gentlemen's Sodality for men, the Altar Society whose mem- bership is made up of the married ladies of the congregation.
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the Young Ladies Sodality, and Children's Sodality, and St. John Berchman's Sodality, composed of altar boys exclusively. In addition there are St. Joseph's Benevolent Society which financially and charitably aids the sick, and the Roman Catho- lic Mutual Protective Society, an insurance organization on a very stable basis. This organization pays the usual policies and death claims and received its impetus in the early days from promoters in St. Mary's congregation.
From St. Mary's as the parent church there have sprung two other churches in recent times.
St. Patrick's church was built under the direction of Father Patrick Smyth who recently passed away at Council Bluffs. Previous to that time services were held in a frame structure and the first priest of Celtic origin to minister to the spiritual wants of the congregation was Father Rice. In 1873 the con- gregation was formally organized, and the Rt. Rev. Bishop. Henessey established the congregation as a separate one, at the solicitation of several members of Celtic tendencies, who were of St. Mary's congregation. It will be recalled that St. Mary's in the early days included those of German, Irish, and Bohemian extraction while today its membership is composed largely of German descendants while St. Patrick's is almost exclusively composed of Irish descendants.
In 1877 the present structure was commenced and the corner stone was laid June 13, 1878, by Father Brazill, assisted by Father Fogarty, and Father Flavin in the unavoidable absence of Bishop Hennessey. After mass Father Brazill spoke in a complimentary way of the city and its people, then the people assembled at the site of the new building where the exercises were continued. In the receptacle of the corner stone were placed copies of the daily papers of the city, the Catholic weeklies, several American coins, and an official document signed by Father Brazill stating "that he had laid the corner stone according to the rites of the church."
Father Smyth was succeeded by Father John O'Farrell, and he by Father Ward, the present pastor. Before the de- parture of Father Smyth, he was instrumental in establishing St. Patrick's school for boys in 1885. It was improved in 1896. St. Agatha's seminary was affiliated with this congre- gation during its continuance here, under the direction of the:
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Sisters of Charity. In quite recent years the congregation erected a new home for the pastor, modern in all respects, and costing approximately ten thousand dollars.
The youngest of the three Catholic churches in Iowa City is St. Wenceslaus located on the corner of Dodge and Davenport streets, the corner stone of which was laid on September 25, 1893. Rev. Joseph Sinkmajer undertook the work of interest- ing the new congregation in the matter. Previous to the erec- tion and dedication of the new church, the Bohemian Catholics whose church St. Wenceslaus is, had worshipped at St. Mary's, Rev. Sinkmajer having come to the city in 1891. After the completion of the church the congregation acquired the Joseph Koza property just west of the church building and this is now used as a parsonage.
Father Sinkmajer was succeeded in September of 1904 by Rev. Father A. Chihal, the present rector, and since his coming many improvements have been made, including the installa- tion of the pipe organ. Among the church organizations are the Rosary society, composed of the married ladies who take care of the church and the altar, the Catholic Workmen, a fra- ternal insurance society, whose parent St. Wenceslaus is, the Young Ladies society and the W. W. club, the latter being a society for the young people, where sessions are chiefly literary.308
Many years ago blocks thirty-one and thirty-two, which lie between Brown and Ronalds streets in the original plat of Iowa City were given to the German Catholics for church and school purposes by John Neuner. A brick building was erected before 1857 and used for a church and also for a school con- ducted by the Sisters of Charity. After it ceased to be used as a church, about 1867, it served as a German school under the direction of Mr. Max Otto. In August, 1869, however, the building burned, and a subscription was at once taken in the city to erect a small building which was opened as a school in November of the same year. The money raised was not enough to pay for the building, and lawsuits followed, ending in the sale of block thirty-one; the teachers' salaries were in arrears and in 1872 the property was again sold at their suit and bought by Mr. Baschnagel and Mr. Goetz, who with others transferred it to Father Emonds. In 1875, he sold it to the
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Sisters of St. Francis, who proposed to use it as a convent. The new eastern part was then built two stories high, the old part being used as a chapel. In 1878 the Sisters left Iowa. City and sold the entire property to John Goetz in whose hands. after long litigation the title remained, and who owned it at. the time of its burning in December, 1883.
Father Emonds, the builder of Catholic churches, founded' the church at Solon which was a branch, really, of the Iowa City church. The building was first erected in 1858, but the: organization had been completed in 1850. The original mem- bers were E. McDonnell, A. Walter, Joseph Beuter, A. Stehle, Jacob Stehle, and Fidel Kessler. After the first frame build- ing had served its purpose the brick was erected in 1875. The early pastors were Father Emonds, Father Spochek, Father John and Father Schmeller.
In the past there have been two churches of the Catholic people located in Cedar township. The Bohemian of St. Peter and St. Paul was organized there in 1861 with the orig- inal members numbering eight or ten, if reports are to be relied upon. Among them were John Brush, James Ulch, John Ilik, Sr., John Fiala, Sr., Anton Dvorak, Frank Svejkov- sky, Joseph Drable, and Albert Maly, Sr. They built a stone church in 1866 costing near thirteen hundred dollars, which was dedicated by Father Urban. The membership at one. time reached seventy.
The Irish church was organized in 1863, with Mathias Can- field, Thomas Noland, Patrick Larkin, James Brennen, John Peters, Michael Donahue, Michael, Patrick, and James Beech- er, D. Mahoney, Thomas Ryan, Michael Harty, Thomas Butler, Thomas Wall, James Cahen and probably others whose names. are now forgotten. Father Emonds of Iowa City dedicated their building in the year above, but a short time after, anoth- er was put in its place that was more suitable for the congre- gation. The church owned forty acres of land belonging to the parish. Among its pastors have been the Fathers Emonds, McCabe, Quigley, Welch, Downey, Sullivan, O'Riley, and Burke.
The original members of St. Mary's Catholic church of Ox- ford were the families of the Floerchingers, Reynolds, McGil- licuddys, and Daltons so far as the records will furnish a clew
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to the membership, and they were early in constructing a building for their use. Father Emonds of the Iowa City church was instrumental in securing the organization, serving the church for sometime, and probably assisted in securing the completion of the first frame house in 1862. A second was finished and dedicated about 1882, the property including at the present time a good home for the pastor as well as a good church building. However there is more desired and a new church is now under consideration by the congregation and Father Renihan.
The Catholic church at Windham began its work about 1860, when five acres of land were donated in section thirty-five, by Thomas Clark, of St. Louis, for the church and cemetery. Seventy families at one time were connected with the church. Among them appear the names of the Bradleys, McCabes, Cusacks, Roberts, Corcorans, Wollen, Malloy, Burns, Brierton, Welsh, Deckerman, Murphy, Mulcahey and many others.
The Catholic church was represented in Liberty township in 1854 as organized at that time by Bishop Loras of Dubuque. Forty acres of land donated by Michael Dall and Gregory Gross, each furnishing half, became the property of the church known as St. Stanislaus, where the first frame building was erected and dedicated in February, 1854. The original mem- bers whose names have been recorded include the donors of the land, B. Dagenhart, Fidell Heitzman, Adam Amish, N. Birrer, and Joseph Rummelhart.
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CHAPTER XVIII
The Lutheran and Unitarian Churches
T HE work of the German Evangelical Lutheran church is divided into three parts-that of Zion's Evangelical Lutheran church of Iowa City; the Zion's Evangelical Luth- eran church of Solon; and that of St. John's Evangelical Luth- eran church of Sharon Center. The interesting development of this work is excellently portrayed by a reference manual which has been prepared by Rev. J. G. Hoerlein, who has been pastor of the local church since 1887.
The following sketch gives an excellent history of the three churches of the county and also gives the present organization.
With the emigration of settlers to the prairies of Iowa came scores and scores of good and faithful Lutherans; Germans from the "Vaterland" across the sea, and German and Eng- lish Lutherans from the east, who true to their mother church, soon recognized the necessity and great importance of organ- izing a congregation-procuring and to build thereon a house of worship.
Both German and English jointly raised sufficient cash to purchase a lot a little west of the site, where today the Union bakery is erected. An agreement signed August 6, 1856, con- tains the following familiar names: Frederick G. Ealy, Michael Boarts, D. W. Cohick, John C. Hormal, George Fictor, Frederick Blume, Balzer Hormel, Johannes Kneisel, Heinrich Nicking, Julius Wienecke, Peter Long.
.Unfortunately difficulties arose that caused a separation of the two factions, each organizing congregations of their own. This occurred in 1856 and from this time on the German Luth- eran people labored faithfully-under difficulties unknown to the present generation-for the extension of the Lord's king- dom-mostly among their kinsfolks.
The records show that on March 16, 1857, the First German
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Lutheran church was organized by Josias Ritter who filed articles of incorporation, witnessed by the following signa- tures : Josias Ritter, pastor, Michael Protz, George Fictor, Jo- hann Euler, F. Blume, Michael Immel, Adam Mickel, Leonard Trumpp, Henry Behrens, before Malcolm Murray, a justice of the peace on the 21st day of December, 1857.
In glancing over the list of names the records provide, there seemed to be quite a few German Lutherans in those early days among the population of Iowa City and surrounding country, as the church records prove that Rev. Ritter baptized no less than forty-two children in eighteen months, married eleven couples and buried twelve. The first baptism was that of Eliz- abeth Friedericke Oestreicher on August 24, 1856. The first couple married were Wilhelm Buck and Barbara Baer on November 12, 1856, and the first burial was that of Dora Kueh- ner on September 18, 1856.
After the departure of Rev. Ritter early in 1858 it seemed as though the people-being without a minister for a year or more-disbanded, some joining the German Methodists who for a short time had an organization. A Rev. J. A. List, still alive at Waverly, Iowa, visited the German Lutherans of this vicinity upon several missionary tours, through this section, but was unable to permanently supply them, the lack of avail- able ministers being as distressing then as it is today.
At this juncture a German Lutheran pastor of Rock Island, Rev. A. Selle, became aware of the sore distress of the local German Lutherans, and arranged services for them every other Sunday. On the 20th of March, 1859, he advised them to reor- ganize, which was effected on April 10, 1859, under the name of the congregation as known today: Zion's German Lutheran church-twenty-one members signing their names to the con- stitution and electing J. Ruppert, H. Behrens, Christ Luther as trustees, F. Ranger and Andre Horme as deacons, and George Fictor as treasurer.
As yet there was no house of worship. Services were con- ducted in the third ward school, the "State House," and occa- sionally in private houses.
However with the advent in November, 1859, of Rev. Fr. Doescher, a young divine, who had recently completed his theo- logical course, the congregation made a very decided forward
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move. In February, 1860, the lot was purchased on which the church is located for $275, and building began in March of the same year. But money was scarce, so the members betook themselves to the woods to fell trees for timbers, or to the quarries for stone-still others to lime kilns north of the city, each performing ardently such tasks as each individual was able to do. By Christmas, 1860, the basement walls were fin- ished and a temporary roof placed over the same in order to conduct Christmas services. A happy, thankful congregation it was, but how to raise the necessary funds to complete the struc- ture sorely puzzled the members. Cheerfully, each contribut- ed such sums as his poverty permitted; by delegation of the congregation, a Mr. John Ruppert rather unsuccessfully at- tempted to collect some funds in older congregations; by help of friends in the city, and by their undaunted zeal the original structure was completed by the fall of 1861. An accounting early in 1862 shows that the congregation up to that time, had expended in cash for the structure something like $1,300 (not counting their own labor) and had an indebtedness of $200. Pulpit, altar, and pews were built in the spring of 1863, for which the pastor collected the money. Shortly thereafter Rev. Doescher accepted a call from a congregation in Illinois and Rev. H. W. Wehrs succeeded him until June, 1866. Under the regime of his successor, Rev. R. Voight-summer of 1866 until the spring 1870-some noteworthy improvements were added. The congregation bought for the accommodation of their pa- rochial school teacher, the property adjoining the church lot to the east; procured in the spring of 1869 their bell, which is noted for its clearness of tone, and organized the ladies' so- ciety, which has been so efficient, practically indispensible to its further development and growth.
From May, 1870, the congregation set out upon a new era of greater development. Missions were started in South Lib- erty, West Branch, Solon, Sharon Center, and later on near Lone Tree-in Cedar Rapids and near Homestead. Success- ful efforts were made to reduce the debt, amounting then to $1,200; a gallery, a new pulpit and an altar were built, the Lad- ies' Society was stimulated to greater activity ; a plan to build a tower was set on foot in 1872 and accomplished in 1875 at an expense of $1,500; a thriving Sunday School was organized in
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February, 1878; stained glass windows installed in the early eighties; a fine pipe organ placed in 1885; a larger addition doubling the capacity of the church, with new, comfortable pews, furnaces, carpets, and frescoing, erected at a cost of about $3,000 in 1889; in 1892 the Sunday school added a library room and purchased a German library of some 600 volumes; built the commodious parsonage in 1893 at an expense of about $2,200; rearranged the basement of the church and had the church newly frescoed and carpeted at an expense of over $800. Yet today the congregation is entirely out of debt. Such is the brief history of this period and the congregation now pos- sesses a property which materially adds to the beauty of the city.
These pastors have served the congregation :
Rev. Josias Ritter, 1856-1858.
Rev. A. Selle (temporarily only), 1859.
Rev. Fr. Doescher, 1859-1863.
Rev. H. W. Wehrs, 1863-1866.
Rev. R. Voight, 1866-1870.
Rev. J. Hoerlein, 1870-1873 (died October 17th, father of the present incumbent).
Rev. L. Paeverlein (temporarily only).
Rev. C. Ide, 1874-1879.
Rev. O. Hartman, 1879-1887.
Rev. J. G. Hoerlein, November 3, 1887 to the present time.
From the beginning a German-English school has been main- tained showing in some instances an enrollment of eighty and even more scholars, with special teachers-where the pastors were not in a position to conduct the school themselves. Eigh- teen years ago the daily parochial school was changed to a Saturday and Summer school with German and religious in- structions only, conducted by the pastor. The former is con- ducted from October to June, the latter during the summer months daily, with an average of eight weeks and has an aver- age attendance of 40 to 50 scholars.
In 1870, through the instrumentality and untiring efforts of the late Henry Hertz, the late J. Hoerlein began to conduct regular services every fortnight in the afternoon, in a school house four miles northwest of Solon, which later were conduct- ed in an abandoned Presbyterian church in Solon. A few
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years after a congregation was organized, which some twenty- five years ago procured two lots in the southwest portion of that village and erected thereon a neat little frame church, ful- ly equipped, with a sweet toned bell, dedicated on that mem- orable July 13, 1890. Unfortunately this congregation is but small and apparently dwindling year by year by deaths, re- moval of members to other localities and other causes, but nevertheless very energetic and more active than many other congregations twice or three times its size. Services are con- ducted every Sunday afternoon at two o'clock in German, mostly, and invariably are always attended by the greater majority. The few ladies diligently sustain their ladies' so- ciety, some of whom form another organization, meeting monthly at the home of one or the other, and with untiring zeal prepare special Christmas offerings for orphan asylums, home for the aged, as well as such needy students of the Col- lege at Clinton, or Seminary at Dubuque, who prepare for the ministry, of which many a larger congregation could take ex- ample.
With the exception of a very short time, when Rev. C. Mar- dorf was pastor, the congregation has always been served regu- larly and faithfully by the pastors of the mother congregation at Iowa City.
The Sharon Center congregation is also a daughter of the Iowa City congregation, founded by the late Rev. J. Hoerlein in 1870 as a mission and services were conducted in Willow Grove school house. Under Rev. C. Ide, this mission was or- ganized into an independent congregation, G. M. Hermann, Ferdinand Ratzlaff, and John Memler, signing the articles of incorporation and purchasing on July 15, 1875, of Jacob C. Guengerich and one-half acres for $75.00. At a cost of $1,212 (the farmers doing all of the necessary hauling free of charge) a frame church 26x40, was erected the same year. As it was impossible to serve this growing congregation satisfactorily from the city, Rev. H. Hertlein, a young clergyman, was called, upon the advice of Rev. Ide, on May 5, 1878. Under him the parsonage was built the same year, but on account of ill health he was obliged to give up the ministry in September, 1879. His successor was a Rev. J. Leupp, from October, 1879, till July 28, 1881. From this time on Rev. O. Hartman and his assistant
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served the congregation from the city until August, 1886. In September, 1886, the beloved pastor, Rev. J. Kutz, took charge of the parish. None served more faithfully until his early death, August 17, 1896, than he. His son Adolph became his successor and remained until 1899. From the summer of 1899 until after Easter, 1903, Rev. F. Preu very ably filled the post.
In order to pay more attention to the English work at Shar- on, the small and weak charges at Oxford and Homestead, which, on account of their great distance and extremely bad road, often impassable, were abandoned. By removal the church at Sharon Center was much weakened and since min- isters could not be found to serve these people in residence they have, since 1906, been under the guidance of the Iowa City pastor.
The English Lutheran church in Johnson county had its beginning in the later forties when the services were held in homes of members and others who had some interest in a move- ment looking to organization. For some time services were conducted by pastors who were passing through the town and often in the summer time these services were held from the old capitol steps. The first meeting of record was held on the afternoon of April 22, 1855, in the Baptist church which was freely opened for this purpose. At this time the congregation was organized and matters of importance were discussed. There were twenty-five charter members, but the list which would be of great interest, seems to have been lost. The min- utes say that the congregation gathered for a business meeting on April 24, 1855, and "it being inconvenient to obtain the key to a room, we met on the state house steps, south side." The gathering evidently was not large but must have been an earnest one or they never would have met and held a meeting in so public a place. This was the beginning. Services were held more or less regularly, in the "State House Chamber," Baptist, old stone Presbyterian, and Methodist churches until the little band could erect a home of their own.
As near as we can tell, the present location was secured in June, 1855, and a church built upon it. This building still stands and is used by the Eureka Stock Food company. This and the old stone Presbyterian church were the last of the meeting places left standing.
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The work of the church advanced with varying success for many years, but in the history we find a few periods and es- pecially from 1862-1872, that are passed over in silence. There were a few among this band who remained faithful to their trust, but no effective and permanent work seems to have been done until the year 1893, when Rev. S. R. Elson became pastor. He gathered the few remnants together and they decided that if the work would go forward they must have a good and at- tractive church building, and plans were made whereby the present comfortable building was made possible. At that time there were possibly fifty baptized members. During the past 14 years the church has had a steady but stable growth, mem- bership now reaches nearly three hundred, an increase of about 200 per cent. This date marks the beginning of the present effective organization and indicates the zeal and strength of the members. When one thinks of possibly ten paying mem- bers and not one of them wealthy, although well to do, under- taking to build a ten thousand dollar church, we begin to realize that there must have been more behind this movement than mere desire for a church, there must have been conse- cration as well as will. The building was completed and dedi- cated on July 1, 1894, "after long years of patient waiting, fervent praying and earnest working." 809
Since the organization, 53 years ago, twelve men have been in charge as follows:
Organized by Rev. H. F. Ealy who was pastor from 1855- 1856; Rev. D. Spreckler, 1856-1859; Rev. G. W. Schaeffer, 1859-1860; Rev. J. Helsell, 1861-1862; vacant from 1862-1872; reorganized by Rev. D. P. Groscup in 1872, who was pastor until 1878; Rev. J. W. Elser, 1878-1879; Rev. J. A. M. Zeigler, 1880-1885; Rev. J. W. Elser, 1888-1892; Rev. S. R. Elson, 1893-1897; Rev. R. H. Williams, 1898-1901; Rev. Dana C. John- son, 1901-1903; Rev. A. B. Leamer, 1903-1908; Rev. H. F. Martin, 1908-
Many of the early country churches have served their day, and their history is brief if found at all. Among these is the Evangelical Lutheran of Big Grove township which was first erected on section five in or about 1858. Two years before this the congregation had been organized with original members composed of only two families, if the records are correct.
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They were George, Jane, Elias, and M. A. Stream, John and Doretha Mahring. . The land for the church building was granted by Christopher Fuhrmeister. Among the pastors who have served the charge the names of C. Baird, Jesse Hal- stead, R. C. Baird, A. M. Tanner, Wm. Leslie, Rev. Settle- meyer, B. F. Mills, S. Knight, and J. K. Bloom appear.
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