County of church: Cooper County
Location of church: Hwy U & Ellis Davis Rd., 6 miles S. of I-70, Clark's Fork Township
Phone: 660) 882-6253
Pastor: Luther Herman
As early as 1857 services were conducted in this community by pastor Henry Juengel of Pleasant Grove. At first, the people met for worship in homes, later in the Washington School. It is probable that John Koeneke, who later changed his name to King, assisted in making arrangements for such services. He encouraged a number of people, especially young men to emigrate from German and settle in this territory.
"The first church was erected on a plot of ground formerly owned by Fred Fricke, and the carpenter was Louis Lebbing. The first church was dedicated on April 19, 1868, the first Sunday after Easter. Between the years 1883 and 1895, school and a teacherage were built.
"On Dec 27, 1896, members of the congregation living in the vicinity of Lone Elm, were released by the mother congregation in order to organize a daughter congregation, known as Zion Lutheran Church, Lone Elm. On June 20, 1897, Pastor Schaefer, then serving Clark's Fork Trinity, was
called by the Lone Elm congregation to serve as its first pastor.
A new church building was dedicated on Nov. 29, 1908. In 1917, a tornado demolished the steeple of the church. For many years, the congregation maintained a parish school for its children. With
the exception of the years 1883 to 1896 when the congregation for financially able to call trained teachers, the instructors were the pastors. In January 1923, the Sunday School was organized." ~ History of Cooper County Missouri, by W. F. Johnson, 1919
"As early as 1857 services were conducted in this community by Pastor Henry Juengel at Immanuel Lutheran Church of Pleasant Grove. At first the people met for worship in homes, later in the Washington School. It is probable that John Koeneke, who later changed his name to King, assisted in making arrangements for such services. He encouraged a number of people, especially young men, to emigrate from Germany and settle in this territory.
"In 1860 the formal organization of a congregation was effected. The charter members were the following families: ...
"The first church was dedicated on April 19, 1868, the first Sunday after Easter. Pastor Fr. Wesemann of Pleasant Grove preached the dedicatory sermon on Acts 24:14-16. The church was erected on a plot of ground formerly owned by Fred Fricke, and the carpenter was Louis Lebbing. The cost of construction was $2,500. At the same time a parsonage was erected.
"Other pastors who have served the congregation were: J.H. Rupprecht, installed on August 8, 1897; J. Hoeness, installed in winter, 1902. On January 2, 1905 the matter of building a new church was discussed for the first time. After a lengthy debate in a special meeting on April 29, 1905, a committee composed of William Meyer, Henry Fricke, Sr., and Herman Schnack was chosen to look at other churches and secure information regarding erection of a new church. It was not until
April 5, 1908, that a resolution was made to tear down the old church immediately after Easter. The present church building was dedicated on November 29, 1908. ... The lumber for the, building was donated by Dietrich Alpers and the bell by Henry Fricke,
Sr. Herman Schnack, a Boonville businessman and a member of the congregation before the establishment of a Lutheran Church in Boonville, donated the altar and pulpit. The Schnacks regularly attended the services, making the trip by horse and buggy. The cost of construction was about $6,000.
"K.F. Lohrmann was installed on January 7,1912. And on April 22, 1917 John Pflantz was installed.
On June 5, 1917 a tornado demolished the steeple of the church. The cross on the steeple was blown down and the walls of the building were cracked by the force of the wind. A new barn at the rear of the parsonage was completely demolished. A school building, just south of the church edifice was blown from its foundation, and a number of monuments in the cemetery were blown down."
" ... The church
had grown with the vicinity which has changed from one of German immigrants to one of American citizens who used the English language in preference to that of their ancestors. Dr. F.A. Baepler
was installed on February 9, 1941 and remained until the fall of 1955. In 1952 a new parsonage was erected, with a full basement for use by church organizations and gatherings." ~ Cooper MoGenWeb