St. Martin United Church Of Christ
High Ridge, Missouri - 1868-1968
Written By Mrs. Charles E. Schulze
FOREWORD
It was a great privilege to prepare this book in commemoration of the
Centennial of St. Martin Church. The task has been an interesting, challenging,
and yet joy-filled experience. Through it, I have endeavored to compile as
concise and accurate a history of the church as I could.
I
would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of the persons who
assisted me by translating the old German records and through the gathering of
information and pictures. I would also like to thank those who did the typing,
editing, and layout work for this history.
It
is my fervent hope that this book may prove to be more than just interesting
reading. I pray that each reader will be challenged and inspired to trust and
to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The history of this church stands as
a powerful witness to the faithfulness of God and the unchanging love of Jesus
Christ.
Sharon Schulze
DEDICATION . . .
To Those of Yesterday
who founded St.. Martin Church upon a solid rock, wed it with vision and
foresight, and maintained the spirit of Christ in all they did,
To
Those of Today
who seek not only to maintain and perpetuate this spirit of St. Martin, but to
further and extend it to all the world,
To
Those of Tomorrow
our youth and children, whose sacred duty it will be to strengthen the Church's
foundation, to enlarge its vision still further, and to carry the spirit of
Christ to new fields of endeavor,
To These Three
we sincerely dedicate these pages commemorating our 100th anniversary:
to the first in loving memory and gratitude, to the second in thankful
recognition, and to the third in hopeful anticipation of what shall be done to
the glory of God by members and friends of St. Martin's Church.
THE
LAND WE WERE CALLED TO SERVE
In the year 1868, soon after the Civil War, when virgin forests covered the
hills and valleys of Jefferson County, a German protestant congregation was
founded in the High Ridge area of Meramec Township.
What
was High Ridge like in the decade of the 1860's and immediately thereafter? A
general store was owned and operated by the Brackman
family. A saloon and boarding house was run by a man named T. C. Cage. A
builder and architect named Peter Oster became a
resident in 1878. In the Jefferson County Atlas of 1871, it is stated,
"High Ridge was a post office with a store". This is the only
description given. Still later, in about 1880, John Heller, a blacksmith and
undertaker, took up residence in the fledgling community. A Catholic Church was
the only church in the area, located at Rock Creek, three miles east of High
Ridge, and was made up largely of Bohemian families. It seems that High Ridge
was not one of the first communities in this area to be settled. It grew slowly
at first, presumably because of less natural water resources and poor farming
ground. Most of the founding members of St. Martin lived in more fertile
valleys, such as Rock Creek, Sugar Creek, Antire, and
Big River. One of the things that apparently promoted the establishment of the
community was the junction of many roads at this location, such as Rock Creek, Antire, Hillsboro-Valley Park, and Little Antire, as well as the graveled road (now Highway 0)
leading from Big River Valley to the Fenton Bridge. It seems that St. Martin
Church played a large part in the subsequent growth of High Ridge.
More
information can be found on the early settlement of House Springs. In the year
1795 James Head settled about a mile above the mouth of the creek which now
bears his name. His locating here was doubtlessly determined by the beautiful springs
of water that were to be found in the vicinity. James Head moved out and was
followed by Adam House, whose name is perpetuated in the village of House
Springs. After living here two years, House was massacred by Indians. The old
town of House Springs was laid out in a subdivision before the year 1870 and
called "Demaree". The post office always
used the name "House's Springs" however, and the community has long
been called by that name. Apparently House Springs did not have any churches in
the year 1868. In 1869 a Catholic Church was established at Byrnesville.
Murphy
was named for the Murphy family which settled there. A post office was
established in 1893 but discontinued in 1901.
THE
BIRTH OF A CHURCH
Before this time, accurate records were not kept. From that point on, Sunday
morning offerings, the expenses of the church, and the first deeds to cemetery
lots were recorded.
The church and cemetery were dedicated on Sunday, May 2,
1869, and given the name St. Martin's. Pastor August Roeder of St. Louis, who
officiated, took as his text for the sermon of the clay Psalm 84. He also
ordained and installed Pastor Fehlhaber as
"preacher" the same day. Pastor Roeder was a well known German pastor
who at that time apparently was not affiliated with any denomination.
Most churches we read about were led by a minister during
the period of organizing, but St. Martin is different in this respect. Records
do not tell us much of this, but apparently Martin Hauser was the organizer of
the group of 19 men who chartered St. Martin. He was not an ordained minister,
but a devout layman who remained a faithful member until 1892, when he moved
with his family to Litchfield, Illinois, where he helped with the organizing of
still another church, now
called. Trinity Lutheran Church.
While
many say our church was named to honor Martin Hauser, we have no recorded
statement as such. It is believed by some that, since so many of the founding
members were of Lutheran background, it was also named for Martin Luther.
Checking back in old Synod reports about 1895, we find that our church was
simply listed as "Martin's Church"
THE FRAMEWORK OF OUR HISTORY
In the fall of 1869, the members undertook the task of building a new
parsonage. They all agreed to make a loan to pay for the construction, along
with digging a cistern.
By early spring of 1870, the
congregation was in need of a pastor and called the Rev. George Geisser to be their minister. He was installed by Pastor
Roeder of St. Louis on April 14, 1870. Pastor Geisser
served the church for a short time and taught only one confirmation class.
In 1872 the congregation was in financial difficulty and the
members voted to sell 20 acres of land to pay off their debts. The 20 acres
sold were north of the church. At that time some repairs needed to be made,
which included enlarging and adding windows to the parsonage.
While
there is not much in the records about the next person who came to serve St.
Martin, we find listed a "Mr. Rettig Zollman", who apparently ministered as
"teacher".
School
was started on the 21st of April, as soon as he arrived, but there was no
confirmation class. Mr. Zollman evidently spent only
three or four months at St. Martin.
There
was an epidemic of smallpox in the community at that time, which took the lives
of a number of members of St. Martin.
In
April, 1874, the Rev. August Kitterer was called as
pastor to the congregation. The Rev. Kitterer was the
first pastor who was a member of the German Evangelical Synod of the West. This
is the first evidence of St. Martin's affiliation with this Synod, even though
it was always recorded up to this time that they were to secure pastors from
the Evangelical Synod (although once it reads from the "Evangelical
Lutheran Synod"). Little is known of the denominational affiliation of
pastors previous to this. Remember now, St. Martin was organized as a
"Protestant Evangelical Independent Congregation". Some of its
members were of Evangelical background, having attended church at St. John's
Evangelical Church in Mehlville, Mo. ; some were of the Lutheran background,
having attended church at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church at Otto, Mo. ;
and still others were apparently of various other Protestant backgrounds. (The
German Evangelical Synod was the result of a merger in 1817 in Germany of the
Lutheran and the Reformed Churches. The Lutherans who came to this country
represented those who did not join in this merger.) In the beginning they
sought to worship as an independent church, but by this time they apparently
recognized that it was necessary to be associated with some denomination or
synod.
Confirmation
Day, March 28, 1875, is the first record of those communing. There were 52
persons who partook of Holy Communion on that clay.
Pastor
Christian Molthan was called in September, 1876, and
stayed about one and one-half years. He apparently was not affiliated with
either the Evangelical Synod or the Lutheran Synod. The next year Arnold Fismer from the Evangelical Synod came as preacher and
teacher for the German School and Confirmation School, staying almost three
years. Pastor Fismer confirmed two confirmation
classes, one of which included his daughter, Salome.
In
July, 1879, a Reverend R. E. B. Beyer was called to serve the church for two
years. We are not certain whether Rev. Beyer was a member of the Evangelical Synod,
for the Synod has no record of him. The Beyers had a
son, Karl Wilhelm Adolph, baptized while they were at St. Martin.
Although
we have no records of the first meetings, many say that August is the
anniversary month of our church. The first transaction in our records was the
purchase of the present church property. On the 11th clay of September, 1868,
an agreement was made between Sarah Boly and Martin
Hauser, Wilhelm Nollmann, and Henrick
Hoffimeister, who are listed as the trustees of the
German Evangelical Protestant Church, to purchase 40 acres of land for $300.
For a small group of meager means, this was a sheer act of faith. The deed was
made and entered into the 13th day of December, 1868.
Apparently,
by the early part of the fall, the log church had been built. Each member was
supposed to have brought two logs to erect the church, a boiling 24 x 30 feet.
The
first constitution, adopted December 1, 1868, began as follows:
"The Constitution of the Protestant Evangelical Independent
Congregation of Jefferson County.
"We, the undersigned of the Independent Congregation, give the following
laws and regulations, and everyone who signs is committed to hold to the same.
The purpose of our organization is to serve the honor of God by Pure Christian
teaching, and further to instruct the young in school and confirmation.'' .....
It
was signed by the following men:
·
Martin Hauser
·
Hermann Nollman
·
Wilhelm Wolgast
·
Charl Boehling
·
John Issfeldt
·
Henrick Kreienheder
·
Christian Werner
·
H. Wm. Delbruegge,
Sr.
·
Jacob Schneeberger
·
Friedrich Heller
·
Wilhelm Delbruegge,
Jr.
·
Heinrick Broemmelsick
·
Wilhelm Nollman
·
Charles Scharff
·
Friedrich Harre
·
Charles Heller
·
Henrick Hoffineister
·
L. Heinrick
Heitz
·
Heinrick Stuerman
All
signed in their own hand except Charles Scharff, who
had died just before the constitution was written. There were others who signed
the first constitution who apparently had become interested in the church
between the organization and the writing of the constitution. They signed as
follows:
·
August Vornberg
·
Wilhelm Spreckelmeyer
·
Andreas Alt
·
Gottlob Baumbach
·
Wilhelm Barby
According
to the cemetery deeds listed right after the constitution, there were many
other persons interested in St. Martin besides the charter members. The first
minister to be called to St. Martin was Julius Fehlhaber,
who started as "preacher and teacher" on February 22, 1869.
Pastor
Johann Joseph Daiss, a member of the Evangelical
Synod, came to serve St. Martin in October, 1882. Pastor Daiss
confirmed three confirmation classes. Two of his children, Joseph and Hulda, were baptized in our church. He concluded his
ministry to St. Martin on June 7, 1885.
The
Rev. Friedrich Woelfle came to St. Martin in October.
1885, and served for about two years.
The
tenth minister called to proclaim God's Word and teach the young was Pastor
Herman Walz, who came in December, 1887. It was
during his pastorate that the congregation sought to make the Lord's house more
beautiful by covering the log exterior with weatherboard siding and by adding a
vestibule and bell tower. G. F. Baumbach and Ernest Bonacker were elected to a committee to secure the
necessary funds to complete the project. The construction was started at the
end of September, 1888. Peter Oster was the
contractor. The cost of the reconstruction came to a total of $575. The new
building was dedicated to the "Glory of the Triune God" on November
18, 1888. At the dedication Pastor Torbitzky of
Dittmer and Pastor Walz preached in German, while
Pastor Rieger of St. Paul's Church, Oakville,
preached in English.
Later
the same year the congregation purchased pews for the church and also a
475-pound bell, at a total cost of $225. The bell was dedicated on December 9,
with Pastor Kruse of St. Lucas Church, Sappington, delivering the dedicatory
sermon.
From May 1890 to March 1895, St. Martin was served by Pastor Ernst Hugo. It was during the early part of his pastorate in 1891 that a church was also begun at Cedar Hill. It was served by our pastor, with a worship service at least one Sunday a month, and was supported by the Evangelical Synod. Church services were held at the location of the present Cedar Hill Baptist Church. At that time, this location was called "Local". There was also a Union Church with which the Evangelical congregation shared the building. The cemetery, however, belonged to the Evangelical congregation. Many Evangelical people are buried there. In later years, the Evangelical congregation moved to the town of Cedar Hill. A description of Cedar Hill from the Atlas of Jefferson County, 1876, states, "Cedar Hill is on Big River 14 miles north-west of Hillsboro, is otherwise known as Jefferson Mill or Maddox Mill. Cedar Hill is the name of the post office. There are two stores. The mill at this point is said to have been the first one built on Big River. A substantial bridge known as Maddox Mill Bridge, a covered bridge, crosses the river at this point."
The following year, in August, 1892,
St. Martin's first parsonage was purchased for $110 by W. Delbruegge
and was moved across the road where it stood for many years. The building of a
new, beautiful, two-story parsonage was started on September 10, 1892. The cost
of the building was $845. It was dedicated on November 20, 1892. Pastor H. Bode
and Pastor H. Drees were the special guests at the
dedication of the parsonage dedicated to the "Praise of God". While
Pastor Hugo was minister, St. Martin celebrated its 25th anniversary of
pioneering ministry to the previously mentioned communities, with a community
picnic consisting of dinner followed by music provided by the High Ridge Brass
Band. St. Martin continued this picnic traclition
annually for many years. Many friends gathered at St. Martin for the
fellowship.
Following
Pastor Hugo, the Reverend Otto Albrecht came to serve the congregation until
April 1900. Also in 1900, the congregation decided to add a room to the
parsonage, a new kitchen.
St. Martin's congregation had a great concern for their
cemetery. It was an important part of the church. There was always much
maintenance on the cemetery, keeping it in order, numbering the graves, and
keeping fences repaired around it. Each family was to see that its family lots
were cleaned off in the spring, that the grass was cut during the summer, and
also that the flowers that the family planted on each grave were taken care of.
In the fall, the graves were to be cleaned off.
Each member was asked to bring
one-half to one cord of wood each year for heating the church and parsonage. It
apparently reached the point where every member wasn't bringing his wood; so
about this time, they hired someone from the congregation to cut the wood -
approximately 15 cords per year at $2 per cord.
On March 24, 1901 Pastor S. Peter Goebel came to serve St. Martin. He was installed by Professor Becker of the Eden Seminary on March 31, 1901. Pastor Goebel was not married, and his blind brother Karl lived with him, Karl was very talented in music, playing the organ and violin. This was also the first year St. Martin sent a delegate to the Missouri District German Evangelical Synod Meeting. Daniel Bonacker was the delegate.
In 1902 St. Martin congregation painted the outside of the
church and wallpapered and painted the inside. A new carpet and new cloths for
the altar were purchased.
That
same year our church became an official member of the German Evangelical Synod,
sending August Nollman, Sr. as official delegate to
the Synod meeting held at St. Paul's Evangelical Church, St. Louis. On November
16 St. Martin Church celebrated its becoming a member of the German Evangelical
Synod with a special church service. Pastor Allrich
of St. Charles, President of the Missouri District of the Synod, was present.
The
first Mission Fest recorded was celebrated in September 1903. The special
guest preachers present were Pastor Torbitzky from
Dittmer and Pastor Kruse from Sappington. The choirs from both churches
also participated in the service. The members of the congregation would
bring home-canned goods or other harvest they had reaped during the year and
place it on the altar during the service of worship. The special offering went
to a mission fund, while the harvested goods were sent to one of the denominational
institutions in St. Louis. This was celebrated annually for many years.
There
were always many improvements to be made around the parish grounds. There
were fences - a paling fence, a plank fence, and/or a wire fence - around the
cemetery, the parsonage, the church, the garden, and the orchard. There
were many other buildings besides the church and parsonage which had to be kept
up, including a stable, a chicken house, a wood shed, and a smokehouse for the
curing of meat.
By
1910 there was a need for the church cemetery called "God's Field" or
"God's Acre" to be enlarged. There were many proposals. It was
finally decided to use the orchard below the parsonage for the new addition.
On May 19 the new cemetery was dedicated.
On
June 10, 1910, early in the evening during a thunder storm, lightning struck
the framed-over log church, burning it to the ground. Pastor Goebel was
attending a conference at the time of the fire. Mr. Henry Delbruegge, who lived across the road, ran and rang the church bell until it fell from the tower, to try
to summon help, but by the time enough persons came to help, the building was
too far gone. They were very concerned that the parsonage might also
catch fire, but were able to protect it. There was a loss of many valuable
articles such as hymnals and furnishings, as well as all the Braille books and
materials of Karl Goebel which had been stored in the balcony of the church.
Fortunately, Pastor Goebel had removed the church records to the
parsonage before he left for the conference and they were saved. Many
persons today have a piece of the melted church bell which they salvaged from
the ashes.
During
the time the congregation was without a church building, they worshipped in the
parsonage and also in Brackman's Hall in High Ridge.
Immediately the congregation began planning a new building. The
Building Committee presented two plans and the congregation decided on the one
with a basement and furnace, the building being 54' x 33', at an estimated cost
of $3,000. When all the bids were too high, the architect tried to cut
some costs by using cheaper yellow pine instead of cypress for the siding.
The second time all the bids still were too high, the lowest being
$3,632 and the congregation decided to do their own digging, concrete work, and
painting to cut cost. They finally eliminated the basement and furnace.
The cost then would be $3,089. The plan was rejected by the
congregation. A new Building Committee asked Peter Oster,
architect and builder, to submit a plan. The cost was not to exceed $2,
000. The plan Mr. Oster submitted was for a 40'
x 26' building, including a 12' x 18' classroom, a tower, and an entrance on
one side, at an estimated cost of $2, 500. This plan was accepted by the
congregation. After this difficult time in selecting a plan suitable to
their needs and budget, the first spade of ground was turned for the new church
on November 1, 1910. On March 12, 1911, a cornerstone-laying ceremony was
held. Pastor Agricola of St. Luke's Church, Glaize Creek,
was guest speaker. The new church was dedicated on August 13, 1911, at 10
o'clock with the unlocking of the doors and a service in German. Pastor
E. Agricola, Pastor Jacob Irion, St. Louis and the choir from St. Lucas Church,
Sappington, took part in the morning service. The afternoon service was
held at 2:30 with Pastor H. Walz from Illinois.
Pastor E. Roglin, St. Martin Church, Dittmer,
and the St. Lucas choir participating. Pastor S. Kruse from Sappington
delivered the address in English. The teacher, Louis C. Saeger of Frieden's Church, St.
Charles, presided at the organ.
The
furnishings they selected included chairs instead of benches, (Some of these
chairs are still in our balcony.) an 830 pound bell, and an organ. The
cost of the building was $2, 651. and $801.98 was the cost of the furnishings.
Many of the furnishings were donated.
At
the congregational meeting in January 1912, two of the laymen suggested that
the congregation try one English service a month. Up to this time, all
worship was in German.
The
years of World War I followed. Many young men of St. Martin were called
to serve their country.
Pastor
Goebel labored with energy and zeal, taking a special interest in the work of
the young people. It was during his pastorate that the Young People's
Society or League was organized on May 20, 1917, with a membership of 32.
During the first year, it grew to a membership of 45.
The
first time the church minutes were written in English was in 1921. Prior
to this time, all records were kept in German.
On
July 14, 1922, Pastor S. Peter Goebel was called to his Eternal Rest,
concluding a most vigorous ministry for his Lord and Savior. Upon his
untimely death, the congregation mourned the loss of their pastor, a most
faithful servant of God. From this time forward, the Cedar Hill Church
was served by the pastors of St. Martin Church, Dittnier.
After the death of Pastor Goebel, Rev. Schneider of St. Louis temporarily
filled the pulpit on Sunday morning and guided the congregation spiritually.
The
Rev. George Low was called to serve St. Martin congregation from August 1922 to
April 1926.
English
services were then increased to two times a month. Later on, there was
one English service every Sunday, plus two German services a month.
During Rev. Low's pastorate the ''Ladies Aid Society" was organized
on October 23, 1922. Also during his pastorate, in 1926 the congregation
tried a new method of collection by the system of envelopes, the first order
being for 100 sets.
A
Sunday School Class called the Careful Gleaners was organized about this time
and was taught by Miss Clara Boehling (Mrs. Clara Boemler). This class continued for many years.
These were the first young people of the church to continue in Sunday
School after confirmation.
While
St. Martin was without a pastor, Mr. Armin Bahnsen
served as student pastor during the summers of 1926 and 1927. Mr. Bahnsen stayed in the homes of many of the members of the
parish. His father, also a minister, exchanged pulpits with his son so
that St. Martin could have at least one German service a month. According
to notes left behind by Mr. Bahnsen, it seems he
tried to keep the congregation together and spiritually guided them through
these two summers, until the calling of Rev. Traugott
Amacker on October 24, 1927.
When
Rev. Amacker arrived, the little white frame church
was about 16 years old. It was in need of general repair. It also
was becoming too small for the growing congregation and community. In
April, 1928, this problem was brought to a climax when one of St. Martin's more
affluent families, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Boemler,
offered the congregation a donation of $4,000 for a new brick church, if the rest
of the members would raise the sum of $15,000. A meeting was called and the
congregation accepted this very generous offer. A finance committee was
elected with Mr. August Nollman as chairman.
They sought to receive pledges.
This
was not encouraging in the early stages, but the spring season of 1929 brought
new life into the proposition, and by April,1929, the congregation was informed
that the requirements had been met. The frame church was sold with the buyer
dismantling the building. The stable, feed shed, and chicken house also had to
be moved for the construction of the new church.
While
the building was being erected, the construction of new Highway 30 was fully
under way. People had a difficult time in traveling during this
construction period. Many people can reminisce about leaving their cars
by the side of the road and walking the rest of the way to church one Sunday
morning because the concrete was not fully cured. Many special events of
the church were cancelled while the construction was going on.
On
a beautiful day in September 1929, the cornerstone was laid with the following
ministers taking part - Rev. H. T. Bahnsen, Trinity
Church, delivered the sermon; Rev. F. J. Langhorst
addressed the assembly; Rev. Richard Gadow, St.
Luke's Church, Glaize Creek; and Rev. A. Rinne, St. Martin Church, Ditter,
had part in the liturgy. The chairman of the building committee also took
part. The architects and contractors were introduced. Then the actual
cornerstone laying took place with the ministers, the building committee, and
the board of elders participating. The cornerstone contains the following
items: 1) The membership list, 2) A list of those who pledged and
promised contributions toward the new church, 3) A copy of the church constitution,
4) A copy of the constitution of the Evangelical Synod of North America, 5) A
copy of the Friedensbote (Messenger of Peace), the
Evangelical Herald, and the Light-Bearer, 6) A catechism, 7) A program of the
dedication of the old church in 1911, and 8) A copy of the contract with the
architect.
During
construction, the congregation met in Brackman's Hall
for worship. But as soon as the basement of the church was finished, it
was used. A beautiful brick structure, 66' x 38', was erected, with a
seating capacity of 200 in the main auditorium. The total cost of the
building was $19,907.83. The furnishings cost $3,721.47, but many of these
things such as pews, light fixtures, and windows were donated.
On
April 27, 1930, St. Martin congregation was proud to dedicate their new church
with a service, in the morning in German, an organ recital, an afternoon
service, and an evening service, plus a dinner and supper. As quoted from
Rev. Amacker's notes, "Though it was raining in
the morning, the church was filled to capacity. Rev. Paul Press,
President of the Missouri District, preached on the text Matthew 7:24-27 and
emphasized in his eloquent way that true wisdom cannot do otherwise than build
on a pure foundation. He was followed by Rev. John E. Schneider, St.
Andrew's Church, St. Louis, who spoke in German, stressing the loveliness and
beauty of the house of God, Psalm 84:1-2. As weather conditions improved, guests
came from far and near; among them were the Rev. John Baltzer,
D.D., President Emeritus of the Synod, who also spoke greetings and words of
encouragement, and F. A. Keck, General Treasurer of the Synod.
"Inspiring
messages were delivered in the afternoon service by the Rev. H. T. Bahnsen, Trinity Church, St. Louis; Rev. H. Walz, St. Paul's Church, Oakville, pastor of St. Martin's
40 years before, Rev. John N. Schuch, St. Luke's
Church, St. Louis; and Rev. S. Kruse of Kirkwood.
"The
evening service was dedicated to the Ladies Aid by Rev. J. F. Langhorst, St. Lucas Church, Sappington. The Sunday
School and Religious Education was represented by Rev. Richard M. A. Gadow, St. Luke's Church, Glaize
Creek; and the Young People's League by Rev. A. F. Rinne,
St. Martin Church, Dittmer. Prof. F. Pfeiffer presided at the new two
manual electric pipe organ and by his masterly skill demonstrated in a special
organ recital the magnificent qualities of the new organ, which was bought from
the Wicks Pipe Organ Company, Highland, Illinois. The choir of the
neighboring congregation, St. Luke's Glaize Creek,
the Young People's League, and the Ladies Aid helped to beautify the services
by their hymns."
St.
Martin came right out of their building program into the "Depression
Years". In addition, there were several years of unfavorable seasons
for the congregation's farmers. All this made these years among the most
difficult St. Martin knew. It was in the fall of 1932 that Rev. Amacker offered to the congregation to reduce his salary
from $1,200 to $1,000 per year, with the understanding that his salary be
increased to $1,200 when the price of wheat went to $1.00 per bushel. The
organist's salary was also reduced. However, by the Grace of God, they
endured the crisis.
For
years, the Cemetery Committee assessed the lot owners to pay for getting the
grass cut. At this time, monies were solicited to establish a perpetual
care fund and by 1936 the cemetery was organized as a non-profit corporation.
Rev.
Amacker left St. Martin in the spring of 1933.
By June 1933, the Rev. Addie S. Petzoldt had
been called.
It was during Rev. Petzoldt's ministry that the men
of the church organized themselves as the Churchmen's Brotherhood of St. Martin
Evangelical Church. One of the first projects was the purchasing of a
mimeograph machine upon which was printed the first church paper, "The
Friendly Visitor, " later known as "The Messenger, "
"Tidings, " and now "The Epistle". This machine is
still being used by George Werner to print the Churchmen's Fellowship's paper
The Men's Patter.
In
May 1934 St. Martin Youth League made the Missouri Pictorial Section of the St.
Louis Post Dispatch, with a picture of the cast of the play "The Old Oaken
Bucket". The Youth League showed a great deal of interest in
dramatics, giving many plays.
Throughout
this period, the Evangelical Synod and the Reformed Church were preparing for
the merger which took place in 1934, forming the Evangelical and Reformed
Church.
The
depression was subsiding, when the congregation called the Rev. Herbert Rinderknecht in March 1938. The Seventieth
Anniversary of the founding of the church came that same year and was observed
with appropriate festive services in the morning and afternoon, with guest
speakers Professor C. E. Schneider, Professor of Church History, Eden Seminary,
and the Rev. H. J. Damm, Superintendent of Caroline
Mission. A dinner was served by the Ladies Aid Society at noon and a
period of fellowship followed.
Rev.
Rinderknecht worked hard and patiently and the
congregation grew in size and devotion. In 1941 a Teacher's Training
Class was formed, the main body being the Adult Class of the Church School, and
others who were interested. During his pastorate, the "Daily
Vacation Bible School" was also started in August 1942. The
departure of Rev. Rinderknecht in October 1942 was
felt keenly by the congregation.
Rev.
Herbert Wernecke served as supply pastor from
November 1, 1942 to March 24, 1943. Pastor Wernecke
helped to plan the remodeling of the parsonage.
The
congregation called the Rev. Herbert P. Baur in
March, 1943. With the coming of Rev. Baur, the
congregation was busy remodeling the parsonage. At that time, the country
was in the grips of World War II. It was very difficult to get many new
materials for building; so much of the old lumber was used. The cost for all
new materials and labor was $5,000. During 1943 St. Martin celebrated the
Diamond Jubilee Anniversary, along with the dedication of the new parsonage.
In
the beginning, the church had three men as "Kirchenvorsteher"
meaning "men who stand before the church, " or who were the head of
the church. By the 1930's the number of men serving on the church board
as elder or trustee had increased to six. In 1945 the members saw the
need for electing three more men to the church board, increasing the total
number to nine, "so as to have six members on the church council who were
familiar with the work".
In
1947 Rev. Baur introduced the serving of pew
communion to the congregation with everyone communing together as one body.
Before that time, Communion was served only at the altar. Altar
Communion is still celebrated at St. Martin but only on special occasions.
At
about that time, the Sunday School began to have an annual family picnic in
conjunction with the Brotherhood. This picnic was held at Delbruegge's Grove at the conclusion of the Daily Vacation
Bible School. The picnic began with a Church Service at the Grove, which
was immediately followed by a basket dinner, with games and entertainment for
all in the afternoon. This picnic has continued to this day as the
"All Parish Picnic" with some minor changes to fit the needs of the
parish, but there is still lots of food and fun for everyone.
Rev.
Baur spiritually guided the congregation through
years of World War II. After the war, the community grew and the church grew,
making necessary additional room for Sunday School facilities. Beginning
in 1945, the congregation studied many plans and proposals. However, when
Rev. Baur concluded his ministry at St. Martin in
September of 1951, the committee and Council agreed to postpone the decision
concerning the building program until a new minister could be called.
In
the meantime The Rev. F. W. Fischer came as supply pastor. Rev. Fischer
is fondly remembered by many, and at the conclusion of his serving St. Martin
said, "My services at St. Martin were a blessing for me and a
pleasure."
In
February 1952 The Rev. Ralph Huber was called to serve St. Martin. In
1953 St. Martin celebrated its 85th anniversary with many special services and
programs, and with three of the former pastors, Rev. Rinderknecht,
Rev. Baur, and Rev. Fischer taking part. The
year 1954 saw the actual construction of the long-awaited basement educational
addition. It was dedicated in January 1955. The cost of this
building program was about $10,050.
Somewhat
later it was felt that it would be desirable to build a Mausoleum in
conjunction with the cemetery. A 42-crypt Mausoleum was completed in 1957
with places for 84 interments.
As
the church grew, it became necessary for the church council to meet monthly
instead of quarterly. At the same time quarterly congregational meetings
were changed to two meetings a year.
We
are proud to have been a part of the merger of the Evangelical and Reformed
Church and the Congregational Christian Churches in 1957, forming the United
Church of Christ.
St.
Martin Church recognized its 90th anniversary in 1958 by printing a Birthday
Calendar for the parishioners.
By
1961, St. Martin Church School had really outgrown the church facilities, every
possible space being used for classrooms, and with several classes even meeting
in the parsonage. A Building Committee was appointed to devise a plan to
complete the basement addition constructed in 1954. They presented a proposal
with preliminary approval, but it was later rejected because the congregation
felt that this addition would not provide adequate space for future growth.
In
June 1962 the Rev. Ralph Huber, concluded his ministry at St. Martin.
Because of his work in the Boy Scout program, his departure was also
keenly felt by Scouts and their families throughout the community.
In
January 1963 the Annual Congregational Meeting suggested the drilling of a
well. By May 1963, a new well was drilled to the depth of 590 feet.
In
July 1963 the congregation appointed a special "Building Study
Committee" to study the growth of St. Martin and to make recommendations
for meeting all present and future needs from Church School classrooms to
parking facilities. A Building Committee was then appointed and much more
study was done. It was not until the fall of 1964 that the congregation
accepted the proposed program of the Building' Committee. A successful
financial campaign followed immediately.
A
ground-breaking ceremony was held on a windy day in March 1965. The
Chairman of the Building Committee, Kenneth Ellis; Superintendent of the Church
School, George Hart; President of the Church, Charles Schulze; and the Pastor,
Fred Wehrenberg, participated. The members of
the Church School and the congregation were present.
Construction
was started immediately. This included moving the parsonage to its
present location and the construction of a two-story educational building 68' x
53', plus the remodeling of the old educational facilities and the improvement
of the parking facilities.
The
dedication of the new building was on a beautifully warm Sunday, November 21,
1965. Those who participated in the service were the Rev. Dr. Eugene Wehrli, Professor of New Testament, Eden Seminary; The Rev.
Ray Bizer, Conference Minister for Christian
Education for the Missouri Conference; and the Rev. Fred Wehrenberg,
Pastor of St. Martin. The building program was concluded in 1967 with the
building of a new retaining wall and steps and the completion of improvements
to grounds and parking facilities. The proposed program cost over
$136,000.
A
new church constitution, which was patterned after the United Church of Christ
constitution, was written in 1965. Previous constitution had been
approved in 1874, 1904, 1934, and 1955. Revisions of parts of the
constitution had been approved in 1924.
A
notable feature of St. Martin's life during the last few years has been a
growing spirit of cooperation and ecumenicity. Several times each year,
the church at High Ridge sponsors special services or group meetings together
with the St. Martin Church of Dittmer. Several couples from each of these
two churches, together with the pastors, have also participated in inter-faith
retreats at the St. Pius X Monastery at Pevely, Missouri. More recently
still, St. Martin has participated in inter-faith services of worship in the
High Ridge-House Springs community.
CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION AT ST. MARTIN
Our first constitution shows that one of the major concerns of the founding
forefathers was for education and Christian instruction.
There
is much to be said in this area. The first educational instruction
consisted of a school held at the church and taught by the minister of the
church. There seems to be no set pattern of how long the sessions of the
school were. Apparently there were many conditions involved, such as how
many students there were and if there was a pastor to teach the school.
In
the 1860's, there were no laws which required children to attend school for a
certain number of years. Many attended for only three or four years,
feeling they received all the education they needed.
St.
Martin had what was variously called "The German School,'' "The
Parochial School," or the "Confirmation School." At the
beginning, they were all the same thing. Some of the students got all of
their formal education from St. Martin. They were taught the academic
subjects - all in German - and given the religious instruction for confirmation
which included the catechism, Bible stories, and hymns.
In
a few years, by about 1881, the practice changed. The students then
attended the regular public school, attending St. Martin only for confirmation
instruction. The student missed one year of public school and during that
year went to confirmation school five days a week; later it was four days a
week. Still later, in 1885, with the coming of Pastor Woelfle the school was to be held one day a week, on
Monday. The catechism, Bible stories, and hymns were taught, and, if time
was available, some arithmetic or geography. Lessons were taught in
German because of the children knowing only German from the environment in
their homes. Later confirmation instruction was taught in English to
those students who didn't know German or whose parents desired they be taught
in English. Since it would have been impossible for the children of the
Cedar Hill area to travel every day to and from High Ridge, these children
would board in the homes of some of the members of the church at High Ridge.
If there was a larger group in the confirmation class at Cedar Hill, the
High Ridge children boarded at Cedar Hill that year for confirmation.
The
weekday school was abolished in 1924. The sessions were then held on
Saturdays for the children desiring to be confirmed.
In
the beginning those who were confirmed were confirmed into the faith, but they
did not automatically become members of the church at St. Martin. Only
men who were the heads of households or men who were of age were members with a
right to vote. The wives and confirmed children were members only by
virtue of their husbands and fathers and they had no voice or vote.
It
was not until 1922 that the women were allowed to become members with voice and
vote. In 1926 the confirmands became members,
but didn't have a vote until they reached 21 years of age. The Rite of
Confirmation was not recognized as the acceptance of full membership with voice
and vote until sometime in the 1940's.
Now
St. Martin congregation is following in the footsteps of its forefathers.
In 1962 the members recognized the need for the young people to receive a
more thorough religious instruction in confirmation, and established a two-year
session, in which they must attend two years of Saturday classes to be
confirmed.
Another
branch of religious education at St. Martin is the Sunday School or Church
School.
According
to the earliest records a religious class was held on Sunday afternoons twice a
month during the summer, taught by the pastor.
While
we have no records of the following, many remember hearing that a Sunday School
was conducted by and in the home of Mrs. Mary Caroline Brimmer,
the daughter of an Evangelical minister. Mrs. Brimmer's
home was located at the foot of Antire Hill.
She received her education in Germany. This Sunday School was
supposedly held before St. Martin was organized and apparently continued even
after the church was organized.
The
first Synod record of a "Sunday School" at St. Martin is from records
of the Synod for the years 1891-1893 which reveal that 20 persons attended.
By
1910 there were 32 Sunday School members with 4 teachers. It was during
this time that Mr. Henry Boehling was in charge of
the Sunday School on the Sundays the pastor went to Cedar Hill to preach.
Also
during this time Pastor Goebel and his brother held a "Sunday School"
class on Saturdays at House Springs. Some say it was held in an old hall,
others over a grocery store. Many children living in the House Springs
area can recall attending, no matter what Protestant faith they were.
Karl Goebel played the violin while the children sang the hymns.
Pastor Goebel also conducted confirmation classes at the same time.
The confirmands then came to the church to be
confirmed with the confirmands of the High Ridge
area.
By
1919, the Sunday School had grown to an attendance of 53. Later the
Sunday School became an organization of the church, having its own officers.
As
stated before, the Daily Vacation Bible School was started in 1942 with one
week of morning sessions. It has continued each year, later being two
weeks long and now called the Vacation Church School.
By
1945 the enrollment of the Sunday School had reached 98. And by 1953 had
reached 162. The Sunday School quickly filled the additional classrooms
provided by the new basement addition of 1954. It continued to grow even under
crowded conditions until the new educational addition was completed in 1965.
The present enrollment is over 350.
Down
through the years many people played an important role in our Church School,
although the Church School didn't keep many records to fall back on for
information. We can only say that without those faithful dedicated
persons, our walls would not be built as strong and tall as they are.
In
1963 the Board of Christian Education was established, consisting of the
Superintendent of the Church School, two members of the congregation, and the
lead teachers in the Church School. This board oversees all aspects of
Christian Education within St. Martin. The Superintendent of the Church
School is elected by the congregation.
St.
Martin Church has seen many forms and variations of Christian education.
Each program being built around the need it was to serve. As the
need changed, the program changed. St. Martin is indeed proud of its
century of Christian education for children and adults alike.
Now
history is repeating itself. Most recently the need was seen for a
regular weekday kindergarten, designed to prepare the five-year old to enter
regular school.
St.
Martin Kindergarten is in its first year of operation, with a full enrollment
of 24 children in its morning class. We also now have two German classes
which meet on Saturdays to teach the German language to both children and
adults.
THE
WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS
How impossible it is to describe the manifold variety of tasks the women of St.
Martin have accomplished over this past one hundred years, whether known as
"The Ladies of the Church" in the earlier days, the "Ladies
Aid" when organized, or still later as the "Women's Guild",
"Mary-Martha Circle" or the "Women's Fellowship".
When
the Ladies Aid Society was organized in October, 1922, the first officers were
Mrs. Chris Werner, President; Mrs. Henry Kreienheder,
Vice-President; and Mrs. Fred Boemler, Secretary-Treasurer.
Their first meetings were held in the parsonage. Their giving of
self and substance have made life a bit better for someone else - be it in the
parish or in the world.
After
the Evangelical Church merged with the Reformed Church, the women's group name
changed to the "Women's Guild". As times changed, the ladies
felt and saw a need for some of their members to meet in the evenings.
Now we have the "Mary Martha Circle" meeting every first
Thursday during the day and the "Women's Fellowship" meeting every
first Thursday in the evening.
One
of the special activities the Women's Groups sponsor is the Calendar Dinner for
the families of the church. At one time this was held in October to
celebrate the birthday of the Ladies Aid. It has now been changed to
September to open the new program of the coming year. The officers of all
the organizations of the church are installed at this time. In the
Spring, every lady looks forward to the Mother and Daughter Banquet.
The
Women's Fellowship meets for programs of relevance and interest to women of all
ages, to plan and execute service projects, and to carry out business relating
to fellowship dinners, etc. The aim of this organization is to help women
grow in their understanding of the Christian Faith and to provide meaningful
opportunities for fellowship and service.
The
Mary Martha Circle meets with a Bible Study, business meeting, and then a
sewing project, with a lot of "just good getting together.
YOUTH
FELLOWSHIP
The Young People's Society of the Evangelical Church of High Ridge was
organized May 20, 1917. The officers were: President, Pastor S. P.
Goebel; Vice-President, Hulda Werner; Secretary,
Ethel Brimmer; and Treasurer, Fred Kreienheder.
The
Society, or League as it was later called, met twice a month - one meeting
being the business meeting, the other the social meeting. At that time
there were few activities in the community for young people; therefore, the
League served a very social function. All the meetings opened with a
spiritual devotion and topic to discuss, followed by fellowship. Many of
the social meetings were held in the homes of the members, sometimes with weiner roasts, watermelon socials, and just good Christian
fellowship.
Reviewing
the records of the Young People's League, we learn that the league presented an
"American Flag" and a "Service Flag" to the congregation of
St. Martin on May 12, 1918. The flag was given as a token of remembrance
for the boys who left to serve our country. Those that they listed at that
time were Harry Miller, Walter Bonacker, George
Werner, Will Delbruegge, Ed Selter,
and Henry Boemler.
When
the League was organized, the constitution was written to read that the Pastor
of the church would be President of the League. After the death of Pastor
Goebel, a member of the league was elected President, and the constitution was
revised. The first officers under the revised constitution were George
Werner, President; Mrs. Lena Weidner, Vice-President; Walter Wolgast, Secretary; Miss Clara Boehling,
Corresponding Secretary; and William Nollman,
Treasurer.
In
1923 the Youth League purchased a lighting plant at a cost of $225. This was
composed of a gasoline motor, a generator, and storage batteries to produce
electric lights for the church.
For
many years the young people have been responsible for trimming the Christmas
tree in the church sanctuary. They still decorate the church at
Christmas. Another activity of the Youth League, now named the Youth
Fellowship, is caroling at the Christmas season. For many years they
tried to carol at every church member's home plus other homes. The
donations they received were given to the Evangelical Children's Home, the
Inner-City Missions, and other charitable organizations. As the congregation
grew, it was impossible to visit every home. Now the Fellowship carols
under the sponsorship of the Jefferson County Caroling Association for the
benefit of the retarded children of the community.
The
Fellowship has served the Christmas Breakfast after the Candlelight Service and
the Easter Breakfast after the Sunrise Service for many years.
At
one time, they sponsored an "Easter-Egg Hunt" for the little children
of the church. In 1933 the League organized a basketball team which
played its games in competition with other teams at Brackman's
Hall. The Youth League gave many plays for the entertainment of the
church and also the community.
The
Youth Fellowship serves to keep in touch with the youth of St. Martin in their
busy years of growing up, and willing adults always come forward to help them
plan programs for growth spiritually and socially.
CHURCHMEN'S
FELLOWSHIP
The Evangelical Brotherhood was organized on September 25, 1933, under the
guidance of Rev. Petzoldt with 13 charter members.
The first men to serve as officers were President, Merman Kreienheder; Vice-President, August Nollman;
Recording Secretary, William H. Wolgast; Financial
Secretary, August Kreienheder; and Treasurer, Amos
Miller.
The
Brotherhood took an active part in the work of the parish and the projects set
up by the Federation, contributing labor and funds wherever needed.
They
purchased the mimeograph machine for the church and financed the publishing of
the church paper for many years. At one time, the Brotherhood sponsored a
Boy Scout Troop in the High Ridge area and helped sponsor many other projects
throughout the church. One project beginning in 1946 was to purchase
Bibles for the Primary children going into the Junior Department.
Their meeting together, and their worshipping and studying together has
broadened the minds of many of the men of the Fellowship. They also held
family outings, were guests of other Brotherhoods, played dart ball, and
attended federation meetings, conferences, and retreats.
With
the merger in 1957 of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the
Congregational Christian Church, the Brotherhood changed its name to the
Churchmen's Fellowship.
The
Fellowship sponsors the Pancake Supper held on Maundy Thursday and the Father
and Son Banquet which is held in the fall.
MUSIC
AT ST. MARTIN
The first organ was purchased by St. Martin June 22, 1869, at a cost of $120.
Gustaf Baumbach was
one of the first organists. During the ministry of Pastor S. Peter
Goebel, his brother Karl was the organist. A new organ was purchased when
the frame church was constructed from the Hinners
Organ Company of Pekin, Illinois at a price of $199.
This organ is still in the community at the home of Mrs. Adele Schulze.
Some
of the organists that followed were: Mrs. Clara Boemler,
Miss Loretta Weber, Mrs. Irma Weber, and Mrs. Gertrude Kreienheder.
During these times there were choirs. Mrs. Boemler
recalls having a young people's choir, organized and with officers.
When
our present church was constructed, a beautiful Wicks Pipe Organ was installed
at a cost of $1,400.
While
Rev. Baur served St. Martin, his wife. Dorothy was
organist. Mrs. Baur is well remembered at St.
Martin for her wonderful choirs, both adult and youth. With the leaving of Rev, and Mrs. Baur,
Mrs. Virginia Horrell became organist and the choirs
continued under the able direction of her and Mrs.
Gertrude Kreienheder. The Youth Choir even
presented a play entitled "The Minister's Aunt".
The
other organists were Mrs. Rose Meininger and Mrs.
Marilyn Ellis. The faithful parishioners who substituted while regular
organists were ill or on vacation are many, and one is loathe to name them for
fear of leaving someone out. Good records for all years are not
available.
At
the present time, we have Mrs. Ruth Hart as director of music and head
organist, and Mrs. Jeanne Smith, Mrs. Thelma Fischer, and Mrs. Virginia Horrell as assistant organists. Mrs. Hart also
directs the Junior and Youth Fellowship Choirs. At special seasons of the
year special choirs are formed.
For
a number of years, various persons and committees studied the possibilities of
rebuilding the original organ or of purchasing a new one. In 1962, Miss
Bertha Bilgram of Westchester, Pa., a cousin of one
of our member families, the Herbert Bilgrams,
generously offered to donate the electronic organ which had belonged to her
deceased brother who had been a professional musician. The organ was
shipped to St. Louis and installed in St. Martin Church. On the afternoon
of May 26, 1963, a special dedication service was held with Professor Walter
Krebs of Eden Seminary presiding at the organ and demonstrating the beautiful
qualities of the new instrument. The organ was made by the Allen Company
of Allenton, Pa., and is equipped with two manuals a 32 note pedalboard, percussion, two gyrophonic
projectors, and a set of Deacon chimes. It is the equivalent of 18 ranks
of pipes.
Up
until 1909, members of the congregation were expected to bring their own
hymnals with them to church. In that year, however, the congregation
purchased enough copies of ''The Evangelical Hymnal" for all members and
these were to be left in the church. There were many other hymnals and
song books purchased throughout the years, for use in church services and
Sunday school. In 1947 the congregation purchased the new Evangelical and
Reformed Hymnals. These were replaced in 1965 because the old ones were
beyond repair.
Something
must be said about our bell at St. Martin. It was purchased in 1911 from
the Henry Stuckstede Bell Foundry of St. Louis at the
cost of $231. It weighs 830 pounds. The inscription on the bell includes
the company's name, the date, 1911, and "Ehre sei Gott in der
Hoche" - "Glory to God in the
Highest".
The
bell can be tolled for funerals or rung out gladly to signal celebrations, and
to call the worshipers to church on Sunday. The tolling of the bell
during the quiet hour on Good Friday echoes in one's ears to be silenced only
by the joyful ringing of Easter Morning.
Many
can recall Karl Goebel ringing the bell each Saturday evening at 6:00 P.M. to
announce or remind the community that the next day was Sunday. Sunday morning
he rang the bell again at 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 A.M. He also rang in the
New Year.
STAINED
GLASS WINDOWS
As one enters the church sanctuary, he is awed by the beautiful stained glass
windows. The first window which appears is the window over the altar area
entitled "The Good Shepherd". The side windows each depict a
particular incident in the life of the Christ. Beginning on the South
side at the chancel end of the church, they are "The Birth of
Christ", "The Boy Christ in the Temple", "Christ Saving
Peter", and "Christ Raising Lazarus". On the North side,
beginning at the chancel end, they are "Christ Blessing the Little
Children", "Christ with Mary and Martha", "Christ Forgiving
Mary Magdalene", and "Christ in Gethsemane".
The
last window in the balcony contains the symbol "Agnus
Del, the Lamb of God" bearing the banner of victory.
The
windows are made of leaded antique cathedral glass. The total cost at the
time they were purchased was $1,060.50. Now they would probably exceed
ten times that amount.
ST.
MARTIN'S OUTREACH TO THE WORLD
Throughout the entire first century of its life the St. Martin Congregation has
made a significant contribution toward meeting the needs of the High
Ridge-House Springs Community and the world at large.
From
the very early years, a missionary concern was made manifest through the
holding of "Mission Fests" and the giving of literally hundreds of
offerings to benevolent purposes too numerous to mention.
Until
1937 St. Martin Church was the only Protestant Church in the High Ridge area
and faithfully sought to minister to the needs of persons in difficulty or
crisis regardless of denominational affiliation. Many persons have come
into the fellowship of St. Martin from other denominations, and because of this
we have become a truly ecumenical church. From the beginning St. Martin
Church also maintained a cemetery which was always available to any persons
living in the community.
St.
Martin's greatest impact on the community, however, has come not so much by the
direct action of the congregation as by its continually motivating each of its
members to offer faithful individual service to the community. Throughout
the past century and into this present time, members of St. Martin Church have
been found in leadership positions of almost every civic endeavor from serving
as officers in the government of Jefferson County to serving as members of the
school board, and organizers of such things as the High Ridge Civic Club, the
Volunteer Fire Department, various P. T.A.'s, service clubs, and extension
groups.
For
many years the ladies of the church have sewn cancer bandages for the Cancer
Society and have sponsored the Jessica McKeeman
Memorial Loan Closet. This latter is a collection of various items of
sick room furniture and supplies which are made available for use free of
charge to anyone in the community. In addition, they have also collected
thousands upon thousands of pounds of good used clothing for Church World
Service and the Inner-City Missions of our denomination.
The
Youth Fellowship has gladly served as callers for the Mental Health
Association, and the Senior High Church School Class has been active in
supporting a refugee child in Hong Kong. A committee of interested
persons regularly calls on the sick and shut-in, and the Confirmation Classes
sing carols and bring gifts to them at Christmas time.
Again
and again in its history St. Martin Church has opened its benevolent fund to
the needs of persons in the community who were jobless, poverty stricken,
burned out or ill. Many have thus been enabled to keep going until things
changed.
From
time to time St. Martin Church has opened its facilities for use by various
civic organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Well Baby Clinic,
the Little League, the Baton Twirling Club, the T.O.P.S. organization, the
Office of Economic Opportunity Committee and currently classes operated by the
German School Association.
We
have sought to carry out the promise which our denomination holds for the
ecumenical movement by leading the way in several new inter-faith ventures
including pulpit exchanges, panel discussions, and retreats. We have also
invited groups other churches to meet with us from time to time.
St.
Martin's pastors have always been active in serving the larger community and in
representing the church on various civic committees and boards.
In
recent years the St. Martin congregation has regularly given a third of its
regular budget to the benevolent outreach of its denomination. Finally, it was
primarily to meet the needs of the ever-increasing number of children in this
area that St. Martin Church built its new educational building.
RESIDENT
PASTORS
Julius
Fehlhaber
George Geisser
Rettig Zollman
August Kitterer
Christian Molthan
Arnold Fismer
R.E.B. Beyer
Johann Joseph Daiss
Friedrich Woelfle
Hermann Walz
Ernst Hugo
Otto Albrecht
S. Peter Goebel
George Low
T. Amacker
Addie S. Petzoldt
H. F. Rinderknecht
H.P. Baur
R.E. Huber
F. W. Wehrenberg
February 9, 1869
February 13, 1870
April 13, 1873
April 1, 1874
September 1, 1876
May, 1876
July 1, 1879
October 1, 1883
October 1, 1885
December 1, 1887
April 29, 1890
June 22, 1895
March 24, 1901
August, 1922
October 24, 1927
June 25, 1933
March 15, 1938
March 24, 1943
February 4, 1952
August 21, 1962
1870
April, 1871
July, 1873
May, 1876
April, 1877
April, 1879
June, 1881
August, 1885
November, 1887
November, 1889
March, 1895
April, 1900
July 14, 1921
April, 1926
May 14, 1933
November 1, 1937
October 25, 1942
September 9, 1951
June 4, 1962
BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES OF OUR PASTORS
AUGUST
KITTERER
Pastor Kitterer was born in Stuttgart, Germany, in
1831. He was educated by the Basel Mission Society in Germany and came to
America in 1854. He had six children. After leaving St. Martin he
went to Hanover, Indiana. He died at the age of 74.
ARNOLD
FISMIER
Pastor Fismer was born August 30, 1817, in
Westphalia, Prussia. His father died when he was six months old. He
was raised by his grandfather, who was a minister. In 1848 Pastor Fismer came to America and married Verena
Zimmermann, sister of John Zimmermann, who served as President of the German
Evangelical Synod of North America. The Fismer's
had seven children. Pastor Fismer died in 1892
at Washington, Missouri.
FRIEDRICH
WOELFLE
Before Pastor Woelfle came to High Ridge, he had
served in Huntington County, Indiana. The Woelfle's
had one child, Johanna, who was baptized in our church. After leaving St.
Martin, Pastor Woelfle went to Spencer County,
Indiana.
HERMAN
WALZ
When Pastor Walz came to St. Martin, he had been
married only a short time. The Walzes had one
child, Anna Marie, who was baptized at St. Martin. Pastor Walz was minister at St. Paul's Church in Oakville when he
was invited back for St. Martin's third church dedication.
ERNST
HUGO
Pastor Hugo was born in Westphalia in 1855. He came to America in 1872.
He was ordained at the Marthasville Seminary in 1883 and was also married
the same year. The Hugo's had eight children. Two were baptized at
St. Martin. One of the sons became a Presbyterian minister. After
leaving St. Martin, Pastor Hugo went to Billings, Missouri. He died in
1916.
OTTO
ALBRECHT
The Albrecht's had three children. The two sons were baptized at St.
Martin. One son, Samuel, became a minister, and the other, Martin, a
missionary to India. His daughter married a minister.
S.
PETER GOEBEL
Pastor Goebel was born at St. Charles, Missouri, in 1862, while his father was
pastor of Frieden's Church. He graduated from Eden
Seminary in 1889. His first charge was at Cottelville,
Missouri from 1889 to 1901 when St. Martin called him as pastor. Pastor
Goebel served St. Martin congregation longer than any other pastor in its
history. He died in July, 1921 and was laid to rest in Friedens Church
Cemetery at St. Charles, Missouri.
GEORGE
LOW
Pastor Low graduated from Elmhurst College in 1916 and from Eden Seminary in
1919. His first charge was in Boston. He then came to St. Martin.
After leaving St. Martin, he went to Sigourney, Iowa; Duluth, Minnesota,
and then LeSueur, Minnesota. He had three sons.
Pastor Low died in June, 1944.
T.
AMACKER
Pastor Amacker had served a church in Burksville, Illinois, before coming to St. Martin. He
and his wife had no children.
ADDIE
S. PETZOLDT
Pastor Petzoldt grew up in Jackson, Missouri.
While at St. Martin the Petzoldt's had two
children. He left St. Martin to minister to a church in Quincy, Illinois.
HERBERT
F. RINDERKNECHT
The Rev. Herbert F. Rinderknecht was born February
27, 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended St. Louis public elementary
school. Later he attended Elmhurst Academy and Elmhurst College, and was
graduated from Eden Theological Seminary in 1934. Rev. Rinderknecht's first charge was in Iowa. He then came
to St. Martin for four and one-half years. Since then he has served the
following churches in the Illinois South Conference: Brighton, Dupo, Pana and his present charge, St. Paul's at Staunton,
Illinois.
Pastor
Rinderknecht married Loraine Scheffel
at Brighton, Illinois, in January of 1944. The Rinderknecht's
have two children; Diane (Mrs. Charles Presnell)
whose husband is in the Navy and stationed at Norfolk, Virginia and a son,
Kenneth, a sophomore at Washington University.
HERBERT
P. BAUR
The Rev. Herbert P. Baur was born November 11, 1910 in
Normandy, Missouri, at the old Eden Seniinary on St.
Charles Rock Road, where his father served on the teaching staff. Mr. Baur attended school in the Normandy School District for
eleven years, but finished his high school in Fredericksberg,
Texas in 1928. He attended college at Washington University, St. Louis,
Missouri; graduated from Eden Theological Seminary in 1935; and was ordained
into the Christian ministry at Christ E. &. R. Church, Maplewood, Missouri.
One year earlier, on June 20, 1934, he was married to Miss Dorothy Axthelm of Webster Groves, Missouri. In July, 1935 he
was sent to his first charge, Zion Church, Clifton, Texas, and St. John's
Church near Valley Mills, Texas. In 1943 he was called to St. Martin
Church, High Ridge, Missouri, where he enjoyed a pastoral ministry of almost
nine years. In September of 1951 he left to serve St. Peter's Church, New
Bremen, Ohio, until December, 1957, when he came to his present charge in
Owensville, Missouri, serving St. Peter's and St. John's United Church of
Christ.
Rev.
and Mrs. Baur have two children, Robert, who is
pastor of the Godfrey Community Congregational Church in Godfrey, Illinois, and
Ronald, a pharmacist in St. Ann, Missouri.
Rev.
Baur has taken an active part in the organizational
work of the Synods and later in the Missouri Conference. He was active in
Camp Work and is serving presently on the Conference Camp Committee.
F.
W. FISCHER
The Rev. F.W. Fischer served St. Martin as supply pastor from September 1951
until the Rev. Ralph Huber was called to serve as Pastor.
The
Rev. Fischer, a native of Spier, Germany was born
January 21, 1881 and died February 1, 1964. After immigrating to the United
States in the early 1900's he graduated from Eden Seminary in 1908. His first
assignment was as a "home" missionary to a widely scattered
population of White Russian refugees in Manitoba, Canada, where he traveled on
horseback between his two parishes, 30 miles apart. He received a
teacher's degree at the University of Winnipeg and taught school near the
mission church to supplement his income.
Returning
to this country in 1912, the Rev. Fischer became a citizen. During World
War I, the government appointed him a citizenship teacher.
A
past member of the Evangelical and Reformed Home Missions Board, he has served
congregations in Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon and
Texas. The last church he served before retirement was Eden Church in
Affton, Missouri.
The Rev. Fischer married Elizabeth Kochheim, in 1909.
Three children were born to this marriage, Fred of High Ridge, Missouri,
Ernest of Lemay, Missouri and Gertrude Koenig of Memphis, Tennessee.
RALPH
E. HUBER
The Rev. Ralph E. Huber was born May 21, 1911 at Chillicothe, Ohio to John and
Elizabeth Huber. He has one brother of Chillicothe. He attended
Chillicothe Grade School and High School. He attended Elmhurst College
and graduated from Eden Theological Seminary in June 1941. He married Frances
Leonard Fankhauser of Des Plaines, Illinois on June
7, 1941. Mrs. Huber attended Des Plaines Grade School and graduated from
Des Plaines High School, attending Elmhurst College and Chicago Business
School. She later worked in her home church, First Congregational Church of Des
Plaines.
Rev.
Huber's first charge was the Union Charge of Baltimore, Ohio, serving three
churches - St. Peter's, St. Michael's, and St. Jacob's - for two and one-half
years. He was then called to Texas to the Beasley-Rosenberg Charge
serving for eight and one-half years, the two churches Friedens and St. John's.
While the I-Tuber's were in Texas, they adopted two children, Betty Jo
and Paul.
In
1952 Rev. Huber was called to serve St. Martin. While at St. Martin, Rev,
and Mrs. Huber attended three 2-week courses of study on "Town and Country
Church" at Michigan State University, Lansing. Rev. Huber also took an
active part in the Boy Scouts of High Ridge. In 1962 he concluded almost
ten and one-half years of ministry to St. Martin, and was called to his home
church, Salem, in Chillicothe, Ohio.
The
Huber's daughter Betty Jo is married to Don Rickenbaugh.
They have four children and are living in Evansville, Indiana. Paul
is married and living in Albany, Georgia.
FRED
W. WEHRENBERG
Pastor Fred Wehrenberg was born and grew up in St.
Louis, Missouri. He attended and graduated from Rose Fanning Elementary
School, Roosevelt High School, Harris Junior College, Washington University,
and Eden Theological Seminary. He holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts
and Bachelor of Divinity from the latter two institutions, respectively.
In
1955, he was married to the former Shirley M. Guckes
of St. Louis. They have three children, Deborah Christine (1957),
Jonathan Frederick (1962), and Susanna Joy (1967).
Pastor
Wehrenberg was ordained into the ministry of the
Evangelical and Reformed Church on June 8, 1958, at St. Andrew's Church in St.
Louis, the home church of both he and his wife.
From
1958 until 1962, he served the only three-point charge in the Missouri
Conference which included St. Paul's Church, Cooper Hill, St. John's Church, Woollam, and Zion Church, Bland. In 1962, he and his family
came to High Ridge and he has served as pastor of St. Martin Church from that
time until the present.
KIRCHENVORSTEHER,
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ELDERS OR CHURCH COUNCIL
THOSE
WHO HAVE SO FAITHFULLY SERVED ST. MARTIN AS OFFICERS THE PAST 100 YEARS
Henrick Hoffineister
Martin Hauser
Wilhelm Nollman
Jacob Schneeberger
John Issfeldt
Christian Werner, Sr.
Henrick Kreienheder
Wilhelm Delbruegge
Andreas Alt
H. Wilhelm Delbruegge
Hermann Nollman
Charles Heller
Dan Bonacker
Herman Vornberg
Henry Boehling
John Oetjen
William Heller
Wilhelm Wolgast
Martin Werner
William Barby
Gerhardt Wolgast
Jacob P. Miller
J. H. Kreienheder
Christian Werner, Jr.
August Nollman, Sr.
Johann Kreienheder
Edward Bonacker
August Delbruegge
H. P. G. Boemler
Fritz Oetjen
August Nollman, Jr.
Martin Scharp
Fred Boemler
Edward T. Werner
Herman Kreienheder
Ed. Schulze
Fred Vornberg
Charles Diehl
Conrad Bienmueller
A. J. Hunkler
John Szofran, Sr.
Walter Werner
William Nollman
E. Bonacker
George Bonacker
Ben Schrader
Amos Miller
Edwin Nollman
B. J. Snider
Roy Alt
Fred Delbruegge
Walter Boemler
August Kreienheder
Henry Weber
C. T. Bivens
Clarence Boemler
I. W. Dautenhahn
Fred Teubner
Herbert Boemler
Wilburn Ellis
A. C. Werner
Henry Zumsteg
George Werner
Gilbert Lony
Andrew Sauerhage
Valentine Heist
Gustave Loeffler
Mrs. George Gibson (Betty)
Lawrence Delbruegge
Kenneth Ellis
Al Fluetsch
Elmer Schroeder
Robert Aselman
Walter Ruengert
William Rabe
Lester Woerther
Elmer Zimmerman
Mrs. Clarence Boemler (Laura May)
Oliver Von Rohr
William Bohmie
Frank Szofran
Delbert Tiemann
Miles Wilhelm
Charles Schulze
Joseph Fassel
Joseph Brereton
Robert Low
Zillard Ingrum
Mrs. Ferdinand Lofinck (Lucille)
William Weber
Mrs. Glen Self (Syble)
Herbert Bilgram
George Hart
William Swann
Mrs. Richard Small (Mary Frances)
FROM
THE RECORD BOOK
Baptisms
- 1161
Confirmations - 1093
Weddings - 305
Funerals - 717
First Baptism - Karl August Kreienheder - April 11,
1869
First Confirmation - May 16, 1869
Johann George Werner
Henriette Louise; Emilie Delbruegge
Johanna Christine; Louise Bohling
Henriette Ema Brommelsick
First Wedding - May 26, 1869
August Friedrich Vornberg and Marie Scharff nee Hauser
First Death - A Kreienheder Child
INTERESTING
SIDELIGHTS
In
doing research one comes across many bits of humorous historical occurrences or
important facts that should not be lost to posterity. In the early days it
was not the custom or practice for weddings, baptisms, or funerals to be held
in the church. This was done in the home. One of our members recalls that
Grandma was upset because granddaughter was to be baptized in the church
instead of in the home. This was in the 1930's.
The
high infant mortality rate of the early days is indicated by the listing of 17
deaths the first five years, 12 of whom were infants or small children. The
first death was a child of the Kreienheder's.
The first fully recorded death was that of Frederick Wilhelm Stuerman, born August 18, 1849, in Hanover, Germany.
He
was kicked by a mule and injured internally. He lived 24 hours and died May 14,
1869 at the age of 20 years.
The
Telephone and Telegraph Company received permission for a right of way from the
St. Martin Congregation in the year 1895.
There
were work days held at the church during the first years just as there are now,
but they lasted from 7:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M. and if a member didn't show up
for the work day, he had to pay $1.00. One particular work day was devoted to
mowing grass, building a wood shed, fixing fence and clearing the graveyard.
In
the early days, each member paid membership dues to the church, plus his
contribution to the Pastor's Salary Fund and a General Up-Keep Fund. Then
special assessments were submitted for special projects. All of these funds
were paid to a council member who kept records of same. Then there was the
regular Sunday morning "collection." At one time, the first
Sunday of each month was Mission Sunday, the collection going to missions.
The
records for 1869-1873 show that St. Martin borrowed money at the rate of 9% and
10% interest.
In
1872 the congregation specified that the parsonage and church were to be
painted with "oil paint."
Some
members recall having Confirmation School in Pastor Goebel's kitchen so that
the church would not have to be heated and to save on fuel (wood).
In
1920, the salary of the janitor was $25 a year, which included the duties of
making a fire at 8:00 A.M., sweeping the church and dusting, ringing the bell,
hanging up numbers, taking care of the lights, and taking care of the song
books. For many years the janitors and organists were elected each year
by the congregation.
Mrs.
Lena Weidner (Mrs. Edwin Nollman) was the first woman
to be received into membership with voice and vote in 1922.
In
March 1929, a contribution of $100 was given to Union Electric Light to obtain
current for the church and parsonage.
Mrs.
Laura Weber is the only living child of a charter member who is still a member
of St. Martin. Mrs. Clara Hoffineister, Charles
Hauser and the former Anna and Louise Delbruegge are
the only other children of charter members who are still living as far as is
known.