Clark County Press, Neillsville, WI

 October 28, 1993, Page 32

 Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.

Index of "Good Old Days" Articles 

 

 

Good Old Days  

 

By Dee Zimmerman

 

Immanuel Lutheran Church, at Globe, continues to serve the worship needs of its members living in that area, as it has for over 100 years.

 

On June 24, 1882, eleven men founded the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation.  They were Ludwig Hemp, William Kuhl, Julius Hagedorn, William Scheel, William Kalsow, Ferdinand Grap, Sr., Ludwig Schultz, William Bunkow, Fred Kalsow, Albert Klueckmann, and William Schlinkert.

 

Some time between 1882-1886, Hemp obtained five acres of land on the corner of what are now Highways “O”, “G”, and “H”, to be used for the site of a log church and a cemetery.  The transaction of sale recorded in a Warranty Deed stated “the Christliche Evangelicale Lutherische Gemeinde purchased five acres of land from Wm and Bertha Kuhl,” recorded July 2, 1886.

 

The log church (26’x 20’) had four windows, an entrance, a gable and was one story high.  The altar was in the southeast corner of the building, near the entrance.

 

At6 the time of building the log church, the nearest saw mill was on Wedges Creek at Hewettville (later to be the Snyder Dam site).  The hauling of lumber was done with oxen and wagon, quite a haul back to Globe.  An oxen team was the means of conveyance when the Globe people went to Neillsville for supplies.  It was an all-days trip, when even with proper encouragement the oxen could set a pace at a rate that would keep a man hurrying.  The only boards used in the building were for the flooring and some finishing.  Members furnished the logs needed, and helped with the building as their farm work allowed.

 

The altar, pulpit and seats were handmade by Rudolph Spranger.  All furnishings were crudely made and painted gray around the pulpit.  The total cost of building the log church, purchasing a bell, a heating stove and a stove pipe was $34.89.

 

Conducting church services in a log building wasn’t looked upon as a hardship at that time.  After all, the men building the church and the members attending the services lived in log houses, too.

 

The old log church didn’t have an organ.  They simply didn’t have the money to buy an organ.  William Brunkow, who was regarded as the singer of the congregation, led the hymn singing.  On some churches, of the 1880’s, having an organ accompaniment for worship services was considered a worldly extravagance.  This, however, wasn’t the viewpoint at Globe, as they did purchase an organ when their funds allowed. 

 

The first burial at the church cemetery was that of Mrs. August Bahr.  Being gravely ill, she was concerned about her burial site.  So men of the neighborhood went to the wooded plot intended for the cemetery, cut down some trees, making a clearing in readiness for her burial.

 

Circuit pastors came through the community, conducting services in the homes, prior to the log church.  The first pastor to serve the church was Rev. Eppling, starting in 1888.  He was pastor of St. John’s Church in Neillsville, traveled to the Globe Church every four weeks to conduct services.  The holidays were celebrated the second day of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, in afternoons.

 

It took two hours to travel from Neillsville to Globe, with a fast horse and buggy.

 

The congregation assembled on June 30, 1889, for the purpose of accepting a congregational constitution.

 

In 1894, a barn was built on the property, to be used for housing the horses while members attended services.  More land was acquired in 1898, from Wm Scheel, for the purpose of building a new church edifice.  The log church was then used for a schoolhouse.  The old church benches were remodeled for school benches.

 

So the children could receive their Christian education, they walked to Neillsville and boarded at homes so they could attend school and be confirmed at St. John’s Church.  After the log church was remodeled into a school, traveling to Neillsville wasn’t necessary.  Starting in 1900, Summer School, all day classes were held for six weeks.  German was taught and spoken in the Summer School, which began a week after the public (or English) school ended.  A new school-house was built in 1906.

 

In 1899, a contract was drawn up, with a cost of $400, to build a new church.  The lumber was sawed at Merkles Sawmill.  The saw mill and a small store were located on the Carl Wegner farm, across the road from the present Henry Thoma farm.

 

A building committee was designated to formulate the plans, made up of four members: Fred Steinberg, Wm Kuhl, W. B. Thoma and Fred Kalsow.  There were 37 members at that time.

 

Dairy farming was beginning in that area.  Main income was made by working with logging and turnpiking the roads.

 

Pastors at St. John’s Church of Neillsville supplied the Globe Church until the congregation was able to provide a parsonage in 1916.  An acre of land was purchased from Robert Mitte, the site for the brick parsonage, built by members of the congregation under the direction of Albert Kalsow, the carpenter.  A small barn was added on the property for the milk cow, chickens and horses.  Reverend Wm Parisius at Naugart, Wisconsin, accepted the call to become its first pastor.  Pastor, Mrs. Parisius and their 10 children moved into the new home.

 

The pastors who served St. John’s Church and supplied the Globe Church’s pastoral needs were:

 

F. J. Eppling, 1887 to 1890, Christian Doehler, 1890-1892, F. Thrun, 1892-1904, Herman Brandt, 1904-1916.

 

Resident Pastors serving as of 1916:

 

Wm Parisius, 1916-1927, Walter Motzkus, 1927-1939, Adolph Schumann, 1939-1957, Robert Schlicht, 1957-1959, Justis Ruege, 1960-1963, David Witte, 1963-1968, Robert Bitter, 1968-1973, Ralph Stuebs, 1974-1985, Paul Reede, 1985 and presently serving.

 

The members of Globe Church in 1899 were as follows:

 

Wm Kuhl, G. E. Grap, Wm Scheel, Julius Hagedorn, Louis Quast, Fred Glasow, Sr., Ludwig Schultz, Ferdinand Grap, Sr., Rudolph Spranger, Albert Lueck, Erick Schoenherr, Sr., Carl Schroeder, Wm Mitte, Robert Mitte, Wm Brunkow, Fred Steinberg, Fred Kalsow, Albert Klueckman, Andrew Krisling, Wm. Schlinkert, W. B. Thoma, David Boyer, August Worchel, Albert Manthey, Wm Kuehnkel, Henry Nemitz, Herman Hoffman, August Dudei and August Meihack.

 

The first child baptized was Wm Kuhl.  The first church wedding was that of Ferdinand Grap to Martha Kalsow.  The first church funeral was for Wm Brunkow in January 1900.  In 1900, the first church organ was purchased.

 

Immanuel Ladies Aid was organized in 1919 with ten charter members.

 

On the church’s 50th anniversary, the board of elders were; Arthur Wegner, president; Henry Stiemke, secretary; and Louis Dux, treasurer.  The school board consisted of Leo Henchen, Ed Kalsow and Fred Marg.

 

Harold Hagedorn, of the congregation, was ordained into the ministry in 1970.

 

The first English service was conducted in November, 1924.  Gradually the English services were brought in to phase out the German services.

 

Mission Festivals were great events for the ancestors, c.1920-1930.  It was a day of special services, held in the fall season, with guest speakers.  Other area Lutheran churches celebrated Mission Fest, as well.  A morning and afternoon worship service was held.  Globe Immanuel held their services in the picnic grove, east of the church and cemetery.  Long wooden tables and benches were set up.  Two large wood stoves were set up under the trees, to remain year around for Mission Fest and Children’s Day.  The food was cooked or kept warm, and coffee made in a wash boiler on the stoves.  It was a day of worship and fellowship, enjoyed and relished by the entire congregation.

 

Through the years, at various times, there has been remodeling and additions made to the church building.

 

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, as of June 1972.  Pastor Reede also serves St. John’s Lutheran Church of Christie.

 

There are some other rural churches represented in our county: North and South Green Grove Lutheran; York Methodist Church, Immanuel Zion United Church of Christ (rural Greenwood), Emmanuel Lutheran (Longwood), Christie United Methodist Church, Zion Lutheran Church (Pine Valley) and Zion American Lutheran Church, (south of Granton).

 

Reviewing the Globe Lutheran Church’s background reveals the determination, struggles and sacrifices the member made to keep their place of worship.  The quote, “Never be lacking in zeal…” exemplifies their actions.  Reading names of its early congregation, there are many of those family names still present in the church, possibly, fifth and sixth generation.  The bond of community and faith had kept the congregation worshipping at the same site for over 100 years.  It is a place to share in worship/fellowship, a place of support during joyous times and sad times.  The reason rural churches are still there.

 

The Globe Church, built in 1899, succeeded the first log structure

 

Ferdinand Grap and Martha Kalsow, the first couple to be married at the new Globe Church,

October 12, 1899.  The photo was taken by Juve Studio, Neillsville.

 

Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Grap were married in 1890 at the old log church which he helped to build.

 

A 1987 view of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church at Globe

 

(Thanks to Doris (Wegner) Struble, Joan (Grap) Ruzic and Pastor Reede for providing photographs and historical data in this article.)

 

(Correction in last weeks 25 years ago, note – the wayside is west of Neillsville, not east as stated.)

 

 


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