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St John Lutheran School Germantown |
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St John Lutheran School Germantown |
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Country School
St. John's Church was organized by Lutherans who came to O'Brien County in 1878 from Cook County, Illinois, when Caledonia township was unbroken prairie. The charter members of St. John's church had been brought up in the Lutheran church and had been thoroughly indoctrinated in the Christian Day School conducted by the church. To them it was a matter of fact that their children should enjoy the same advantage. A public school was erected one mile west of Germantown and the congregation received permission to use it for divine services. According to records, Mr. John Hoyer arrived in in the spring of 1879. In 1881 on the present site of ten acres donated by Henry Richter, the congregation erected its first building. This building served as church, school and parsonage.
When a resident pastor was called, it was requested he take charge of the school until able to support a trained teacher. The call was assigned to Rev. Ernest Zuerrer, a graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Ill. On July 25, 1880, he was ordained and from 1892 to 1910, he was pastor at St. John. He later moved to Fort Dodge. In 1883 a man trained in one of the two Normal schools of the Missouri Synod was in charge of the school. In 1896, the number of students had increased enough that one man could no longer do the job and a lady teacher was employed to assist him,and a two room school was erected. When a teacher was called, a new parsonage was erected on the site next to the church and school. In time the first building, which served many purposes, was converted into a comfortable dwelling occupied by one of the teachers. The present church was built in 1888.
Since 1899 two normal school graduates were in charge of the school. Teachers in 1933 were F.W. Rochlitz, who had the four upper grades since 1923, and R.B. Knuth, who came to Germantown in 1899. They both resigned in 1935. Reinhold B. Knuth was born in Wisconsin in 1878 and married Anna Meyer in 1904. R.B. passed away in 1953.
In 1923 92 students were enrolled taught by 3 teachers. Mr. F.W. Rochlitz taught the upper grades, R.B. Knuth taught middle grades, and Miss Anna Nietig taught the primary grades.
In 1932 R.B. Knuth was principal assisted by Mr. F.W. Rochlitz .
In 1933 Mr. Rochlitz had 10 years. RB had 34 years.
From Paullina Times August 17, 1933
In 1945 N.H. Behrens moved to Germantown and became Principal.
In 1946 teaching staff were N.H. Behrens, Principal and teacher of grades 5 to 8
and Miss Cornelia Huebschmann taught Kindergarten and grades 1 to 4.
Miss Huebschmann was from Evanston, Indiana.
Mr. Behrens moved to Paullina in 1962 where he taught in Paullina Community School. He retired in 1978.
From Paullina Times August 22, 1946
In 1947 Ruth Krumm taught Grades K through 4 Principal Behrens taught the upper grades.
In 1948 N.H. Behrens was Principal and taught upper grades. Ruth Krumm taught lower grades.
In 1949 Ruth Krumm married Vernon Baumgarted at Adair. She had taught for two years
From Paullina Times Thursday. August 9, 1951
Sunday morning the pastor of St. John Lutheran church, the Rev. G.B.Eschenacher
will speak the words of dedication of the new elementary school at Germantown. There will be three worship services as a part o the day of dedication, at 10:00 am, 2;30 and 8 pm. The school building to be dedicated is a completely fireproof building 107 x 72 feet, constructed of brick with hedite block being interior. The cost of the building will be $75,000.00. The hedite block being used, adds to the acoustic qualities of the rooms. The main entrance is on the south side with others on the east and west. To the left of the main entrance is an office. The Ladies Aid society of the church is equipping the office with desk, files, wardrobe cabinet and chairs. The office has a private lavatory.
There will be a separate kindergarten room painted a pastel green. The lower grades which include pupils in grades one to four has a large wall cabinet providing the room for separate drawers in which each student can store his play and work material. The built in teacher's unit includes work table, file and storage spaces. The room is painted a rose color. The upper grades room for pupils from the fifth to eighth grades is painted a pastel green, has portable desks for the pupils, cabinets for storage and a lavatory. Each grade room has a piano for music training. The library-confirmation room, in addition to housing the school library, will be used for religious instruction. It is painted a soft blue to make reading easy. The Rev. G.B. Eschenbacher, pastor of the church and superintendent of the school is the instructor in religious education.
Room lighting throughout of the building is florescent. Considerable glass block is used to bring in more light and ribbon windows are at eye-level for the pupils occupying the room. Chalk boards in the classrooms are green and will be used with yellow chalk, all considered as lessening eye strain. Above each chalk board is a 20 inch wide cork strip for displaying posters. The combination auditorium-gymnasium is 64 x 32 and has a 28 x 14 stage at its west end. A balcony will provide 104 seats and temporary bleachers under the balcony will seat another 150. Plans are to keep the gymnasium open four nights each week with a special committee in charge. It will provide recreation for both adults and children.
An area 106 x 12 has been set aside for future use as a double lane bowling alley. The stage has been provided with indirect lighting in the flood. A room 28 x 32 in the basement will later be equipped for a kitchen and dining room. It will then be used for serving of hot lunches. The lavatories for boys and girls include shower rooms. Corridor walls are of ceramic tile the first four feet from the floor, with hadite block above that. Floors are of rubber tile. In fact all floors are of tile except the gymnasium floor. In the corridor is space for children's lockers.
The school heating system is semi-radiant in design.
Wanderscheer Mfg. Co. of Sioux Center installed the system.
The T.J. Raines Construction co. of St. Louis was in charge of the building.
Ground was broken for the school at a special ceremony on April 21, 1950.
By July 16, the construction had progressed to the point that the cornerstone laying ceremony could be held.
Building Committee
Back Row: Orville Rohlfsen, Fred Grosshauser, Rev. G.B. Eschenbacher, Lorenz Stoever
Front Row: Theodore Mueller, N.H. Behrens, C.J. Dobbertin, Arthur Fegebank, J.W. Kruse, H.J. Hattermann.
School elders Lorenz Stoever and Fred Grosshauser, and Rev. Eschenbacher and N.H. Behrens made up the school board.
In 1951 Rev. G.B. Eschenbacher was Superintendent, N.H. Behrens, was Principal for the Sixth Year and taught higher grades; and Viola Milbrath was on her third year and taught the lower grades.In 1952 Viola Married Hillard Mueller. Viola passed away in 2015 in Fulton, Missouri.
In 1952 Kindergarten was taught by Mrs. Hilliard Mueller (Viola Milbarth), Miss Winterhoff taught grades 1-4, Principal N.H Behrens taught grades 5-8 Rev. G.B. Eschenbacher taught religion.
In 1953 N.H. Behrens was principal and taught the upper grades, Deloris Winterhoef taught the lower grade sand Mrs. Hilliard Mueller taught kindergarten.
In 1955 N.H Behrens was Principal and taught grades 5-8, Marian Janssen taught grades 2-4 and Jeanine Lange taught kindergarten-1
1956 Myrna Buchholz started teaching Kindergarten and 1 and part of 2, Marian Jannsen taught part of 2 and 3 and 4 and Principal N.H. Behrens taught 5-8.
In 1957 N.H. Behrens was principal and taught upper grades, Myrna Buchholz taught lower grades and Marlene Buchholz taught middle grades.
Marlene replaced Marian Janssen.
The Buchholz sisters were from Storm Lake.
In 1962 N.H. Behrens started teaching Sixth grade in Paullina.
In 1958 Carl Everts became principal and taught 5-8. Myrna Buchholz taught K-1, Marlene Buchholz taught 2-4.
Carl Everts went to Austin, Texas
In 1959 Duane Harmening became Principal and taught 6-8 , Myrna Buchholz taught K-1, Marlene Buchholz taught 2-3, New teacher Jeanette Schmidt taught 4-5. In 1960 Marlene Buchholz married Delbert Mertens in Storm Lake.
In 1960 Miss Joyce Lucht replaced Mrs. Delbert Mertens (Marlene Buchholz) Duane Harmening, Principal taught grades 6-8, Jeannette Schmidt taught grades 3-5, Myrna Buchholz kindergarten 1-2. Jeannette Schmidt married David Jorgensen in 1961 at Lakefield, Minn.
In 1961 Myrna Buchholz taught K-1, Miss Joyce Lucht taught 2-3, Patricia Drefke taught 4-5. Duane Harmening was Principal and taught 6-8.
Patricia Drefke married Elmer Bergemann in Marcus in 1962. She passed away in 2004 in Marcus. Joyce Lucht married Martin Sump in 1962 at Jefferson.
In 1964 Duane Harmening was Principal and taught 6-8, newly married teachers Nathan Schulz taught grades 4-5. His wife Kay Munter Schulz taught grades 2-3 and Patricia Subbert taught K-1.
In 1965 Miss Diann Gehring for the 1st year taught K-1, Kay Schulz taught 2-3, Nathan Schulz taught 4-5, Principal Duane Harmening taught 6-8
In July 1966 Duane Harmening moved to Ferguson, Mo. He was Principal for 7 years
In 1966 Harold Russell was acting Principal. The other teachers were Nathan and Kay Schulz and Diane Gehring
In 1967 Robert Brandt had his first year as Principal and taught 6-8, Mary Lou Smith taught 3-5 and Diane Gehring taught K-2.
In the spring of 1967 Nathan Schulz was acting Principal. In 1967 Mr. and Mrs. Schulz moved to Yuma, AZ.
In 1968 Kindergarten 1 and 6 attended at Zion in Paullina and 3 and 4 from Zion attended at St. John. Mary Rueter taught 2-3, Robert Brandt, Principal, taught 7-8. Mary Lou Smith taught 4-5.
In June 1972 Robert Brandt moved to Atkens, Iowa
In 1972 Glenn Goeres became principal and taught 7-8
In 1973 Glenn Goeres was principal at St John . Donald Pipho was Principal at Zion. Phyllis Vander Sluis taught grades 5-6, Lela Hibbing grades 1-2, Delores Laue taught Kindergarten and Mrs. Rhonda Goeres taught grades 3-4. In 1974 the Goers family moved to Mt. Morris, Michigan. He taught for two years and his wife taught for one.
In 1974 James Duitsman became principal and taught 7-8 his wife Joyce Duitsman taught 3-4.
From Paullina Times Thursday, August 19, 1976
The Lutheran School students will be ending their summer vacation on Wednesday, August 25 as the school bells will ring, opening the 1976-1977 school year.
All students of the parochial school students will be attending classes at Zion Lutheran School in Paullina this year.
The St, John School in Germantown will be used for meetings and sports activities for the community.
Increased costs and a gradual decrease in enrollment cited as reasons for combining the two schools.
In 1979 the faculty at Zion-St. John: Don Pipho was Principal and taught 7-8;
Jim Duitsman taught 5-6; Sarah Kurth taught 3-4. She replaced Joyce Duitman who had resigned.
Lela Hibbing taught 1-2. Delores Laue taught kindergarten. Mrs. Margaret Reusch was aid for Kindergarten and 1-2.
In 1982 Jim Duitsman left.
He taught St. John for two years and Zion St John for six. They moved to Atchison, Kansas.
We also cannot forget to mention Mrs.Edwin (Hilda) Ebel who was school cook from 1952 until the school closed. She also acted as school nurse. Hilda passed away in 2005.
Her husband, Edwin, was school custodian for many years. He passed away in 1984.
Germantown School March 2014
Answers are still being sought in regard to an early morning gas leak and explosion in Germantown early on Friday morning.
Pastor Don Erickson of St. John Lutheran Church in Germantown says the explosion happened in their "community center" building, which used to house their St. John's Lutheran School. As far as he knows, it started as a gas leak in the furnace room.
He says the thought is that the gas built up overnight and when the furnace kicked in, it caused the explosion, which was discovered Friday morning. Both the Paullina and Granville Fire Departments responded about 11 a.m. Erickson says no one was in the building at the time of the explosion, but there was significant structural damage in the building, especially in the office, which is right above the furnace room. He says the floor in that room is buckled and there is a crack in the floor. Erickson tells us several windows were blown out of one of the Sunday school rooms, and light fixtures were damaged. Also, he says the south wall of the building was pushed out about two inches.
Pastor Erickson tells us that they will have to make other plans for Sunday school for a while as no one is allowed in the building for the time being. He says some families who had rented the building for Christmas celebrations will have to make other plans as well.
