PLATTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH HISTORY

Zion Lutheran Church is located in Grand Prairie Township, four miles north and three miles east of Platte Center, Nebraska. The church is affiliated with the Lutheran Church of America and member of the Nebraska Synod.

In 1882 a few Swiss families and one German family banded together for the purpose of establishing a common place of worship. As no record was kept of the early religious activities of these early settlers, it is believed that the group was first organized as a mission church, and met at the Spoerry School House (the first building in Grand Prairie) which was located one mile east and one and one-half miles north of the present church. They were served by ministers available to the community on a sporadic basis.

In 1885 Rev. Schumann, the pastor at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sherman Township accepted the call to conduct services twice a month.

In 1891 a constitution was adopted. In June a group of Germans came from Illinois and formed a settlement west of the Spoerry School House in Grand Prairie Township. Soon the little mission congregation began to talk of inviting these neighbors to join them in their religious services.

The first congregational meeting was held and the following officers were elected: Fred Luchsinger, president; Otto Kallweit, secretary; and Ulrich Von Bergen, treasurer.

It was on Christmas Eve, during the services held around the Christmas tree in the Spoerry School House, that Mrs. Fred Luchsinger, the wife of one of the Swiss settlers, proposed that the group build a church of their own. The proposal met with a ready response from the group which included the Zumbrum family, the Maurers, the Luchsingers, the Schaffroths, the Von Bergens, the Hoselys and the Kallweits. Immediately they began to devise ways and means of carrying out the project. A cordial invitation was extended to the German families to join them in worship and in building the new church.

Otto Kallweit, the only German settler of the original group organized in 1882, donated three acres of land and $100.00 in cash to the building fund. Otto Kallweit's 6-year old son had died in the winter. He was buried in a snowdrift and in the spring was buried in Streeters Cemetery, a mile east of the current Zion Lutheran Church. Mrs. Kallweit wanted to "bring her son home" as it was customary to have a graveyard next to a church.

Other members made cash donations to the fund and thus plans were made to construct the building and its furnishings. After the church site was determined, the meeting place was changed from the Spoerry School House, where the group had met continuously for ten years, to the District No.28 school house, two miles west of the present church.

On October 8, 1892, the ground was broken for the new structure. The contract for the new building was let to Gustav Viergutz of Columbus and Anton Krafka of Creston. These two men built the church. Krafka skillfully designed and constructed the altar, pulpit and pews in a replica of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Platte Center which he had attended as a boy. To view a picture of the altar, click here.

1893 - Before the church was completed, Mrs. Fred Luchsinger, who was instrumental in the building of the new edifice, passed away at the age of 43. Her funeral service was held in the unfinished building on February 7, 1893. A short time later, the church was dedicated for worship by Pastor John Gutleben.

On September 1, 1893, Rev. Karl Gerathewohl was installed as the first resident pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, with salary of $250 a year, by Rev. John Gutleben and Rev. Frank of St. John's Lutheran Church of Ridgley, Scribner, Nebraska.

Charter members of the congregation at this time included the following: Fred Luchsinger, Jacob Maurer, Ulrich Von Bergen, Christ Zumbrum, Peter Zumbrum, Matthaus Zumbrum, John Zumbrum, Fred Croisant, Otto Kallweit, Phillip Goering, Frederich Kumpf, Frederich Schure, Franz Wendt, Samuel Gertsch, Frederich Mouden, John Von Bergen, Marcus Hosely, John Renner, Heinrich Gehring, Frederick Micklesen and Wilhelm Petsch.

There was always a deficit in the treasury. Money was continually being borrowed to pay the pastor, to repair, to build or improve. It was a hard life on the prairie.

Members were requested to furnish feed for the pastor's horse. One entry requested three bushels of grain per member. One pastor stressed the fact that he had "two small horses," possibly suggesting that they didn't eat more than a large horse.

In 1896 the pastor's salary increased to $300 a year. One time a special meeting was called and plans were made to sue a member for $10 which he owed for the pastor's salary.

The pastor was to be paid for special services rendered: baptism -$1.50, confirmation - $3, marriage - $5, funeral - $3. "Poor people didn't have to pay if they didn't have the money."

In 1897 each member was asked to donate "Not less than $5 to pay off the debt." Members were asked to give $1 a year for a reserve fund.

1899 - The first improvement to the church property was the installation of kerosene lights

In 1907 members voted to join the Evangelical Church and the pastor must wear the Evangelical robe and use Evangelical books. He also was asked to have seven mornings of summer school and three days a week for confirmation instruction.

Although money was always in short supply, the years from 1913 to 1916 showed donations to Tabitha Home, the German Seminary in Lincoln - Redress, and to an orphanage in Jerusalem. Also a very generous amount (for that time) $36 for a newspaper giving information of events in Europe. This was the time of World War I and since many members had emigrated from Germany, they no doubt were concerned about loved ones

Until 1926 all records were written in German. Since then they have been translated to English. Although the minutes are brief and sketchy, it gives one an insight into the struggles and hardships experienced by the settlers to establish a place of worship.

In 1926 a new organ was purchased; in 1927 a basement was put under the church and a furnace was installed; in 1931 the kerosene lamps were replaced with electric lights and the pulpit was lowered, having previously been built on a pedestal. Many other improvements and major renovations were made.

As time moved along, English was beginning to replace German as the spoken language for many. 1926 marked the first time the minutes were recorded in English, and in 1928 two dozen English song books were purchased. But those who favored the German services weren't giving up their language, so in 1932 twelve German song books were reordered. During this difficult time of transition, German and English services were held on alternating Sundays. By vote of the congregation in 1941, all German services were discontinued.

In 1943 women, twenty-one years old and older and in good standing, were given the right to vote at any congregational meeting.

In 1955 the church members voted to join the Midwest Synod. It was also decided the pastor would reside at the Zion Lutheran Church parsonage but would also serve the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church of Madison.

Many changes evolved through Zion's history. The first seating arrangement followed the custom brought by the German immigrants from their homeland whereby the men sat on the left side of the sanctuary and the women on the right. The girls from about school age until confirmation sat in the front pews on the so-called "ladies side" and the young boys on the opposite side. Families never sat together. When guests came they were confused and couldn't decide whether to "split up" and follow the custom or sit together and feel embarrassed and out of place.

Then there was a time when some of the boys decided to sit in the balcony. One morning the pastor was delivering the sermon when he stopped abruptly and his eyes were riveted towards the balcony. It became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Evidently there was something mischievous going on in the balcony. The boys soon became aware of the silence and the sermon continued. Not a word of correction was spoken, but the message was clear.

It was the German custom that the first time the young men were allowed to wear long pants was on their confirmation day. Times began to change and soon even pre-school boys began wearing long pants. The acceptable German pants were knickers, which were short pants, gathered to a band fasted with a button or buckle below the knee. Some of the older German parents were reluctant to give up the old custom. So boys in the confirmation class eagerly looked forward to that wonderful day when they could wear long pants.