St. John's Church, Andrew
WOLFE, ROEDER, WAGENER, IEKEL, MAUER, KLOTT, MEYERHOFER, FROMMELT, JAEGER, HENDRICKS, SCHMITZ
Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 6/23/2008 at 18:46:48
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE,
Rev. M. M. Hoffmann, 1938ST. JOHN’S CHURCH, ANDREW
St. John’s Church is located in the town of Andrew, Jackson County, in the very center of the county.
St. John’s Church was a mission church till 1931 when a resident pastor was appointed and Baldwin, formerly a mission to Maquoketa, was attached to St. John’s
When St. John’s Church was built it was in charge of the Rev. John M. Wolfe, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Maquoketa, 1913-1916. In 1916 it became a mission to Springbrook and was cared for by the assistants to Father Knapstein till 1931 when the first resident pastor was appointed.
The present church which was the first Catholic Church in Andrew was built under the direction of Father John M. Wolfe. The work was begun in the autumn of 1914 and the church was dedicated October 1, 1915.
Before the church was built Father Wolfe celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass, in 1914, in the Hansen Hall, now known as the Creamery Hall. This was originally the second floor of the Jackson County Court House, first located in Andrew.
The first person baptized after the parish was organized was Michael Kenneth Roeder, son of Frank Roeder and Margaret Wagener, born December 14, 1914, and baptized December 20, 1914.
After the church was built Mass was celebrated every Sunday until 1916 by Father Wolfe. After that by the Rev. Fathers L. C. Iekel, from Springbrook, 1916-August 10, 1918; Stephen Mauer, August 10, 1918-1920; Joseph Klott, 1920-September 10, 1921; Mathias J. Meyerhofer, September 10, 1921-1926; Bertram Frommelt, 1926-November 3, 1928; Leo Jaeger, November 8, 1928-October, 1930; Henry A. Hendricks, October, 1930-August, 1931. The Rev. J. G. Schmitz, the present pastor, is the first resident pastor and came to Andrew in October, 1931. A residence was immediately bought by the parish.
About two-thirds of the families of the Andrew Catholic community are of German descent and the other third of Irish and English descent. The German speaking families came originally from Springbrook, Bellevue, and LaMotte parishes and the others from Maquoketa and Otter Creek parishes.
The number of families increased from sixteen in 1914, to twenty-nine in 1926, and to fifty-four in 1936. As yet there is no Catholic school. The instructions were given by the pastor until the number of children increased so much that help was needed. There are now four lay teachers helping the pastor during the year and Sisters help during Vacation School. During the last Vacation School there were sixty-three children present.
Until August, 1933, there was no Catholic cemetery at Andrew. On August 25, 1933, half an acre was bought east of the Iowa Andrew cemetery for Christian burial purposes.
iowagravestones.org
Jackson Documents maintained by Lynn McCleary.
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