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As much as can be
determined from the meager church records of the
congregation, in the forthcoming August of this year it
will be 40 years since Lutherans of Shawano and vicinity
were provided by Lutheran pastors with Word and
Sacrament.
The first pastor to assume spiritual responsibility
for local Lutherans was Pastor P.H. Dicke, who,
according to a church record book of that time, here
performed the first child baptism August 18, 1867. He
continued to serve Lutheran families of this area for
the
following ten years, in addition to his many other small
congregations and preaching places. His successor was
Pastor Stute, who served local Lutherans three years,
1877 – 1880.
Pastor C. F. Ebert, who already served Belle Plaine
and Bonduel, now took over the pastoral duties for the
Shawano Lutherans, and served them faithfully for 8
years, from 1880 – 1888. Thereupon the congregation
decided to call its own resident pastor. This they did
by calling candidate Pastor Theo. Nickel directly from
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. The congregation, at the
time of the call had a voting membership of 24. Three
years later, in 1891, the voting membership had grown to
51, in addition to 9 nonvoters and 17 women
(independent).
Up to now the pastors had given the children
rudimentary religious instruction and Christian
training, particularly preparing them for confirmation,
but Pastor Nickel, who had started a parochial school in
1889 and taught it for ten years, prevailed on the
congregation to call a regular Christian day-school
teacher. Accordingly, Herman Gehner, who had just
graduated from Addison Teachers College, was called as
the first regular teacher of St. Jakobi Congregation,
and installed into office by Pastor Nickel on January 2,
1898. Teacher Gehner opened school January 10 with an
attendance of 59 pupils.
Pastor Nickel served the local congregation for 13
years, from 1888 – 1901, when he received a call from
the Lutheran congregation in Eudenda, Australia, which
he accepted.
Pastor E. Hanow, who had left the Eudenda
congregation and returned to the United States for
health reasons, was called to be Pastor Nickel’s
successor. Pastor E. Hanow served St. Jakobi up to New
Year’s Day, 1906, a period of 5 years (1901 – 1905)
St. Jakobi congregation now sent a call to Pastor
Fr. F. Selle, Instructor at the Lutheran Academy,
Wittenberg, Wisconsin, which he accepted. He was
installed by Pastor Carpinsky of Belle Plaine on
Pentecost Sunday in June, 1906.
The current statistics of the congregation are
as follows:
Pastor: Fr. F. Selle
Teachers: Herman Gehner; Frieda Mueller. School
attendance = 96
Church Elders : Alb. Gustmann, Carl Dallmann, Gust.
Handt
School Board: Wm. Steinberg, Franz Jaeckel, Carl
Ramlow
Trustees: Aug. Mayer, Wm. Schenk, Wm. Trapp
Treasurer: Herman Krause
Collection of Offerings: Ramlow, Boettcher,
Schoenrock
Church Janitor: Alb. Gustmann
Secretary: Wm. Regling
Voting Membership of the congregation
| 1.
Alb. Beversdorf |
26.
John Ludwig |
51.
Fred Steinke |
76.
Martin Baumann |
| 2.
Fr. Berndt |
27.
Emil Lauersdorf |
52.
Wm. Staub |
77.
Herman Buth |
| 3.
Carl Dallmann |
28.
Aug. Meyer |
53.
Carl Schoenrock |
78.
Ferd. Boettcher |
| 4.
H. Debban |
29.
Aug. Mielke |
54.
Carl Stach |
79.
Jul. Beversdorf |
| 5.
Alb. Dobbs |
30.
Frank Mielke |
55.
John Schreiber |
80.
Wm. Beversdorf |
| 6.
Wm. Dobbs |
31.
W.H.G. Mueller |
56.
Fried. Strausz |
81.
Aug. Littmann |
| 7.
Aug. Dobbs |
32.
Chas. Mehlhorn |
57.
John Steffrie |
82.
Bern. Nikolaus |
| 8.
Carl Golleir |
33.
Otto Moede |
58.
Herm. Schroeder |
83.
Alb. Kuhn |
| 9.
Alb. Gustmann |
34.
Herm. Marotz |
59.
Alb. Sommers |
84.
Fred Ollmann |
| 10.
Wm. Hacker |
35.
Carl Pahl |
60.
Gust Seloeneck |
85.
Otto Ollmann |
| 11.
Julius Hahn |
36.
Aug. Peters |
61.
Lewis Schultz |
86.Fritz Umland |
| 12.
John Horn |
37.
Carl Peters |
62.
John Spohn |
87.
Aug. Beyer |
| 13.
Wm. Horn |
38.
Herm. Raddant |
63.
Chas. Schultz |
88.
Lorenz Schenk |
| 14.
Wm. Hermann |
39.
C.G. Raddant |
64.
Wm. Schmidt |
89.Wm. Schenk |
| 15.
H. Haut |
40.
Wm. Raddant |
65.
Emil Schmeisser |
90.
Aug. Forsch |
| 16.
Anton Hartmann |
41.
Wm. Regling |
66.
Julius Schultz |
91.
Otto Forsch |
| 17.
F.A. Jaeckel |
42.
Otto Regling |
67.
Wm. Trapp |
92.
Ed. Zingler |
| 18.
Geo. Klebesadel |
43.
Carl Ramlow |
68.
Carl Trippel |
93.
Jul Zingler |
| 19.
C. Klems |
44.
Wm. Reichel |
69.
John Tiemer |
94.
Gust Zingler |
| 20.
Herm. Krause |
45.
Carl Runge |
70.
Carl Wenzel |
95.
Wm. Zahn |
| 21.
Rud. Krause |
46.
R.P. Rohloff |
71.
Wm. Wenzel |
96.
H.F. Zernicke |
| 22.
Carl Krause |
47.
C.A. Raisler |
72.
Aug. Soycke |
97.
Otto Gottschalk |
| 23.
Lewis Krueger |
48.
Gust Raasch |
73.
Gust Handt |
98.
Teacher Gehner |
| 24.
Gust Kleemann |
49.
Wm. Steinberg |
74.
Carl Gehrke |
99.
Pastor F. Selle |
| 25.
Herm. Krening |
50.
Fred Steinberg |
75.
John Glawe |
|
Non-voting
male members approx. 35; Female members approx. 30
Members of the Building Committee: C.A. Raisler, Fr.
Steinke, Geo. Klebesadel, G. Kleemann, Alb. Gustmann,
Herm Raddant, Aug. Beyer, Fr. F. Selle
Architect: C.C. Fritz Building Contractor: G.H.
Fleck
Laying of Foundation: Regling Bros.
The dimensions of the new church were 110 ft. by 52
ft., with an anticipated seating capacity of approx. 800
persons.
The New School
This year also saw the erection of a new two-story
Christian day school, 30 ft. by 54 ft. The members of
the building committee for this project were: F. Jaeckel,
Carl Schoenrock, Wm. Horn, Wm. Mueller, Aug. Beyer,
Gust. Handt, Herm. Marotz, Teacher Gehner and Pastor
Selle.
The building plans were designed by architect C.C.
Fritz and the building contractor was G.H. Fleck. The
masons for this project were William and John Horn.
Ladies Aid
St. Jakobi congregation has had a Ladies Aid for a
number of years. The following is its present
membership:
|
1. President: Miss
B.C. Raddant |
|
2. Vice President:
Mrs. Franz Jaeckel |
|
3. Treasurer: Mrs.
Teacher Gehner |
|
4. Secretary: Mrs.
Albert Gustmann |
| 5.
Mrs. Bertha Klebesadel |
18.
Mrs. Klostermann |
31.
Mrs. Pastor Selle |
| 6.
Mrs. Garbrecht |
19.
Mrs. Kleemann |
32.
Mrs. Bedeau |
| 7.
Mrs. Netzul |
20.
Mrs. Buth |
33.
Mrs. Kessler |
| 8.
Mrs. Sommers |
21.
Mrs. R.P. Rohloff |
34.
Mrs. Mittelstaedt |
| 9.
Mrs. Fried. Schwerrs |
22.
Mrs. Werbelow |
35.
Mrs. Mueller |
| 10.
Mrs. Reichel |
23.
Mrs. Lewis Kruueger |
36.
Mrs. Marotz |
| 11.
Mrs. John Horn |
24.
Mrs. C.H. Raddant |
37.
Mrs. Schewe |
| 12.
Mrs. Jul. Raddant |
25.
Mrs. Alb. Beyer |
38.
Mrs. Mahringer |
| 13.
Mrs. Staub |
26.
Mrs. Glawe |
39.
Mrs. R. Faushe |
| *14.
Miss Rubush |
27.
Mrs. Herm. Krause |
40.
Mrs. Wm. Raddant |
| 15.
Mrs. Wm. Horn |
28.
Mrs. Fr. Rohloff |
41.
Mrs. Ramlow |
| 16.
Mrs. Brenner |
29.
Mrs. Fr. Dengel |
42.
Mrs. Wm. Regling |
| 17.
Mrs. Weinig |
30.
Mrs. Hy. Dengel |
43.
Mrs. Glifford |
* #14 
are exchanged.
THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE LADIES AID
1. The name of this organization is: The Ladies (&
Jungfrauen) Society of the Evang. Luth. St. Jakobi
Congregation of Shawano, Shawano Co., Wis.
2. The aims and objectives of this organization are:
a. mutual encouragement in Christian living
b. group sharing of edifying, entertaining and
instructional experiences, and participating in
charitable endeavors.
3. Only women of the congregation, faithful in Word
and Sacrament, may be received as members.
4. Meetings take place the first Thursday of each
month. Sessions begin at 2 o’clock and close at 5. The
president is in charge of the opening and the closing of
sessions.
5. Dues are 10 cents per month.
6. Election of officers takes place in the first
meeting of a new year. The four officers to be elected
are: president, vice president, secretary and treasurer.
7. The president acts as chairperson during meetings;
the secretary keeps a record of the minutes of each
meeting; and the treasurer has charge of all monetary
assets of the organization and must give quarterly
reports. Money may be paid out only when countersigned
by the president.
8. A committee of 3 is elected every six months, who
may be contacted in cases of sickness.
Top Officials in the year 1907 were:
President of the U. S.: Theodor Roosevelt
Governor of Wisconsin: Davidson
Mayor of Shawano: Edward Sommers
The
foregoing report was written in the German language in
1907 by Pastor Fr. F. Selle to be enclosed in the
cornerstone of the new church.
They were translated in 1987 by Teacher Hilbert A.
Handrich for the occasion of the cornerstone laying of
the new narthex of the church.
This document was retyped and provided by Paul
Wollangk, archivist at St. James Lutheran Church and
teacher at the Christian Day School of the congregation.
N.B. Teachers Gehner, St. Jakobi. Shawano;
Mundinger, St. Paul, Bonduel; and Wm. Handrich, St.
Martin, Clintonville were
close, personal friends, dating back to their Addison
Teachers College years in the late 1890’s, and now the
three teachers
had their choirs participating in the festival church
dedication services. The translator of the foregoing
report, son of Teacher Wm. Handrich, was then a
2-year-old toddler, but very likely a very lively
participant in the festivities. H.A.H
N.B. The typist taught at St. James with H.A.
Handrich from 1968-1972 and knew him during his
retirement in Shawano celebrating his 90th birthday with
him and other faculty members as well as serving on a
committee with him for the 90th anniversary of the
school. P.W.
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