Directory 1908 - St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Arenzville, Illinois

     In January 1850, twenty-eight families of the Lutheran faith came together in the house of Fred LOVEKAMP and decided to build a house of worship. For this purpose they bought forty acres of land from Lovekamp. Through subscription, they soon got enough together to erect a building. In the month of April 1850 it was possible to lay the corner stone for their church and in June the church was dedicated. The building was 26 by 36 feet, for which 12 feet was partitioned for a parsonage. The cost was $900.00.
     The contractor was Mr. HEGENER of Beardstown. In September of that year, Rev. F. REISS was called as the first pastor.
     The membership increased so that the building was soon too small and in 1855 it was decided to remove the parsonage so as to make more room and a new parsonage was to be built. The size was 32 by 36 feet. The builder was Mr. WINKELHAK of Beardstown. It was completed the same year for a cost of $800.00.
     In a few years the church building was again too small although some members had moved away, it was decided to build another church in 1871, the size to be 75 by 35 feet (25 feet high inside). A tower was erected seventy five feet high. The contractor was H. KRUEGER of Jacksonville. The cost was $4,600.00. The corner stone was laid in April and the church was dedicated November 1871. Between 1871-1879 a large bell weighing 955 pounds and costing $327.00 was placed in the tower.
     Rev. REISS was replaced by Rev. SCHMOEMPERLEN (1872-1873), Rev. C. PLUMBECK (1873-1875), and Rev. H.H. HOLTGREVE (1875-1878), who died December 6, 1878 and is buried in the church cemetery. Since that time various pastors have served this church. A pipe organ was installed between 1879-1897 and a kitchen added to the parsonage as well as a barn.
NOTE: This booklet was purchased several years ago at the Pelker estate sale in Morgan Co. The church on the cover was destroyed by fire in March 1971. A new church in the same location was erected in 1972 and continues to the present time. - Source - The Cass County Historian, December 1997

The membership list in 1908 included the following: BOCKEMEIER, Mr. and Mrs. Ed
BEILSCHMIDT, Mr. and Mrs. W.
BALKE, H. and Lydia
CARLS, Mr. and Mrs. William , Mr. and Mrs. George and Nina
DAHMAN, Mr. and Mrs. John, Mr. and Mrs. Herman, Christ, Maria, Henry and Ida
DUFELMEIR, Mr. and Mrs. Henry, Mr. and Mrs. William Sr., Mr. and Mrs. William Jr., Lydia and Harry
FISHER, Mr. and Mrs. Henry, Adelaide, Irwin, Ray and Irena
HEGENER, Mrs. Charlotte and Eva
HUEFEMEIER, H.W.
HEIERMANN, Mrs. Henry, Mrs. Louise, Ines and Edna
HINNERS, Mrs. Peter, Mrs. Ed and Clara
HOLTMAN, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph, Amanda, Hulda and Ed
HAMMER, Mrs. F.D.
KLOKER, Mrs. Wilhelmine, Henry, Fred, Mr. and Mrs. Ed and Norma
KRUEGER, Mr. and Mrs. Christ. Sr., Christ Jr., Henry, Charlie, John and Ben
KNIPPENBERG, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sr., Henry Jr., Frank, Sophia, and Albert
KOPPLEMAN, Mrs. Anna
KRUSE, Mr. and Mrs. Adolph, Henry, Harry, Bessie and Lucy
LOVEKAMP, Mr. and Mrs. William, Della
LAUNER, Mr. and Mrs. Theoph. and Cora
MEYER, Mr. and Mrs. H.C., Lena, Carry, Will, Mr. and Mrs. H.H., Ed, Henry, Harvey, Irvin and Louise
MUHLERT, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
MUSCH, Mr. and Mrs. William
NEISTRADT, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sr., Louise, Anna, Herman, Mr. and Mrs. William, Anna, Harry, Mr. and Mrs. John, Arthur, Mr. and Mrs. Louis, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jr. and Virginia
NORDSICK, Mrs. Wilhelmine, Mr. and Mrs. Henry, Mr. and Mrs. John
NIEMANN, Mrs. H., Lilliam, Cora, Otto, Oscar, and Julius
OSTERHOLDT, Mr. and Mrs. William
PELKER, Mr. and Mrs. John, Nora, Frank, Mr. and Mrs. Herman
PHEIL, Mrs.
RING, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Sr., Carl Jr., Helena, Anna, Rose, William, and Lydia
SCHNAKE, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sr., Mr. and Mrs. David, Henry, Benjamin, Tillie, Lydia, Mr. and Mrs. H.W. and Fred
SCHUMANN, Mr. and Mrs. Adam, Mr. and Mrs. John, Mamie, Fred, Elmer and Myrtle
SCHWEER, Mr. and Mrs. John, Velma, Mr. and Mrs. George
STOCK, Mr. and Mrs.Christ., John and Melinda
SCHMIDT, Arthur E., Erna J., and Zella A.
TRAEGER, Mr. and Mrs. Herman, Emma, Lena, Elsie, Olga and Anna
TALKEMEIER, Mr. and Mrs. William, Mr. and Mrs. Henry, Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Harry
WEDEKING, Mrs. Marie
WALTER, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine and Walter

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