HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



and left in 1919. The present pastor, Rev. John Van Den Hoek, took charge
in
the fall of 1920.
   St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, of Sigel Township, was organized
in
April, 1871. Some of the early members, who had come to Sigel back in 1856,
and who attended church in Grand Rapids until they organized their own congre-
gation, were: Gottfried Pollnsky, Christian Mathius, Ludwig Ziemann, Sr.,
August
Battke, Sr., Gottlieb Gaulke, Christian Boettcher and Karl Goeks. These sturdy
pioneers hailed from Pommerania, Germany, and one cannot but admire their
pluck and courage in coming into the wilderness with but limited means. They
toiled patiently, enduring many hardships. When not occupied with clearing
their land of trees,- stones, brush and water, they were busy in the lumber
camps
or shingle mills to make a living for themselves and their families. In 1873
the
congregation, which had previously held its meetings at the homes of members,
erected its first church, built of hewn logs. Some years later a school was
built,
of which a Mr. P. C; Schaus was the first teacher. In 1874 the congregation
voted
to join the Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States, and has been
affili-
ated with that body to the present time. In 1866 the present church building
was
erected, the basement of which has been suitably arranged for a schoolroom
and
assembly hall. This hall serves as the meeting place also of the Young People's
Society, which became connected with the Walther League in 1921. St. John's
Church, though comparatively small as to numbers, is in a flourishing condition,
not having a cent of debt resting on its church property. As is the case
with many
country churches of today, many of St. John's young people go to the cities
and
are there absorbed by the city churches. Since 1871 the following mentioned
families have been actively connected with the work of the church: Henke,
Hafer-
mann, Hilses, Knuth, Fischer, Schultz, Garbrecht, Schroedel, Habeck, Bantz,
Krueger, Zager, Brehm, Haas, Stoeck, Steven, Klevene, Hackbarth, Suering,
Jaeger, Pagel, Ott, Ringer, Wittrock, and Luebeck. The Revs. Estel, Leyhe,
Knuf, Baese, Giesselmann and List have served as pastors in the order given.
   Trinity Lutheran Church, located in Cameron Township, and known as the
Klondike Congregation, was founded as a branch of Immanuel's Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Marshfield, about 1887, and has always been served from
that
church. The present edifice, since improved, was erected at that time and
is
located five miles south of Marshfield. The congregation numbers about 100
souls and has a Ladies' Aid Society of about 20 members.
   The Evangelical Lutheran Bethany Church in Sigel Township, eight miles
northwest of Wisconsin Rapids, was established in its present location in
1897.
Its beginning, however, dates back to a much earlier period, when a number
of
pioneers settled in the neighborhood five miles northwest of what is now
Wisconsin
Rapids, or three miles southeast of the present location of the church. The
coun-
try was then covered with timber, and as there were no roads, communication
with
the outside world was so difficult that it was not attempted except when
necessary.
As all or most of these settlers were men and women of religious training
and ex-
perience, they established, both as a duty and a necessity, what was known
as
the Evangelical Lutheran Bethesda Church, of which the first pastor was a
Rev.
Mr. Maxell, though the church was formally organized by Rev. M. C. Ransenn.
Among the earliest members of the congregation were Claes Johnson and wife,



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