Submitted by barnard on
St. Paul's Lutheran Church traces its roots back to 1907 when a small group of German Lutherans gathered in Wild Rose for worship. On December 22, 1912, the congregation was officially established by Albert Melcher, Theodore Keppler, Charles Eserhut, Edward Handrich, August Radloff, and Pastor Otto Haestadt, with a constitution written in German and signed on January 19, 1913.
Worship services initially took place in homes, and later in the Baptist Church. In 1929, they accepted an offer from the Methodist Church to use their building for an annual fee. The congregation decided to build their own church in 1941, with Albert Eserhut, Leonard Hasserman, Ernest Knoke, John Steinke, and Carl Eggers forming the building committee. The church, constructed using white, red, and black oak, featured unique native butternut furnishings.
Throughout the years, St. Paul's Lutheran Church has seen various improvements and additions. In 1950, they purchased a Rieger Organ from Austria, and in 1956, they expanded the church property along Main St. A significant addition to the church was completed in 1964. The pipe organ was replaced with a Conn electric organ in 1967, and in 1975, changes to the church constitution allowed women to vote and hold various positions.
In 1989, the original chimes and recorder were replaced by a bell, and in 1996, an elevator was added to provide accessibility to all three levels of the church. The congregation's commitment to its heritage is reflected in the maintenance of rose beds created by Darrel Apps in 2009, representing Wild Rose's historical moniker as "the Village of Roses." St. Paul's Lutheran Church continues to serve its community, cherishing its history and embracing new opportunities for the future.