Although
there was no shortage of Lutherans in the settling of Iowa, very
few came to Madison County in the early years except for enough to
sustain a church in Jefferson Township. Winterset had little
Lutheran activity until late 1940 when a group of people with
Lutheran backgrounds or leanings formed a Bible Club under the
guidance of Rev. E. W. Mueller of the Lutheran Church at
Martensdale. On December 1, 1940, the first Lutheran service was
held using the facilities of the First Presbyterian Church.
Services
continued in the Presbyterian church until June 1941 when the parishioners
purchased a house and re-purposed it as a church. Officers of the
Bible Club at inception were Herman H. Wipperman, Herbert J. Ehm,
Fern Sundell and Lena Addy.
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![](church_images/st_paul_old.jpg)
St
Paul Lutheran Church (Built in 1949)
Photo
courtesy of Linda Smith
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The
congregation grew to the point where these facilities were no
longer adequate and in 1947 a building fund was initiated. In 1949
application for a loan from the American Lutheran Church was
accepted in the amount of $21,000. Due to the fact that money was
not immediately available to begin building on schedule, private
loans were obtained from friends in Martensdale and Fontanelle.
The Winterset congregation contributed an additional $3,000. The
completed church was dedicated in January 1950.
On
May 8, 1956, the name was changed to the present St. Paul
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Winterset with the adoption of
revised articles of incorporation.
St.
Paul Lutheran is a member of the Iowa District of the American
Lutheran Church since the merger in 1960. Because of this merger
the congregation adopted a new constitution based on the model
suggested by the merged Church. The present Worship-Education
Service, initiated in March 1966, in which everyone is dismissed
to a class immediately following the Worship Service. The total
time planned for worship and classes is 1 1/2 hours.
In
March, 2000, the church purchased land along the Highway 169
bypass at 8th Avenue to build a new place of worship. The first
service was held there on March 7, 2004.
Pastors
(1941 - 1984)
E.E.
Muller, 1941-45 |
Edward
R. Zaiser, 1968-74 |
William
H. Klein, 1945-46 |
G.O. Wangberg
(Visitation Pastor), 1972-74 |
Robert
Langholz, 1946-50 |
G.W. Wangberg
(Interim Pastor), 1974-75 |
Theodore
E. Guetzlaff, 1951-56 |
Robert Toso,
1975-80 |
Fred
S. Boyce, 1956-60 |
John Hanzalik,
1980-83 |
Richard
L. Lehmann. 1960-63 |
Charles Miller,
1983- |
Marvin
E.D. Behrens, 1963-66 |
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__________________
Source
1. Lutherans Plan Divine Services in Winterset,
The Winterset Madisonian, Winterset, |
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Iowa,
November 27, 1940, Page 1 |
Source
2. History of Madison County, Iowa, 1846–1984, compiled by the
Madison County |
|
Genealogical Society,
Taylor Publishing Co., Dallas, Texas |
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