CHURCH HISTORY 1912-1969

GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH

NORTHWOOD, ca. 1917

Zion Lutheran congregation of Northwood was organized in January of 1912, with the first meeting recorded in the official minutes dated Jan. 12. Elected as members of the first church council were: Friedrich Lau, chm.; Herman Lau, Will Mielke, and Carl Siebrecht, deacons; Otto Buth, Fred Weber, Carl Nieman and Edward Lau, trustees. Otto Buth was the first treasurer and served 25 years; Siebrecht was first secretary and served for 24 years. The organization was known locally as the German Lutheran or American Lutheran.

Zion’s place of worship has an interesting history. The building was the first church building erected in Northwood and the second church in the county. It was originally built in 1872 by James Smith as a Presbyterian church at a cost of approximately $2,500. It was sold to the Norwegian Lutherans in 1886. Zion Lutheran purchased the property in 1912 at a cost of $2,000 which included the bell, furnace, pulpit, altar and pews. An additional $450 was spent for repairs on the building and $200 for a new reed organ.

First pastor was J.O. Staehling, pastor of the Bethlehem Lutheran and Myrtle, Minn. He served until 1918. Pastors to follow were Johan Landdeck, Carl Landdeck, H.A. Diers, F.C. Lutz, E.W. Kraemer, William Tiede and Otto Staehling, who served from 1946 until the consolidation of the church with First Lutheran in September of 1969, the building and all the furnishings being transferred to First Lutheran.

During the early years of the church services were held in both German and English, but as time went on only English services were held. A new parsonage was erected across the street west of the church in 1925 and the debt was liquidated in 1935. The Luther League was organized in 1927 and reorganized in 1933, later consolidated with the League at Bethlehem Lutheran. During the early 1940s the church was raised and a basement added along with other improvements. During the pastorate of Otto C. Staehling new chancel furnishings, a new organ and new pews were installed.

The church celebrated their fiftieth anniversary on Sept. 16, 1962, with two former pastors as guest speakers, Herman Diers and Edgar Kraemer.

Since the consolidation the building has been used for Sunday school classes, other church activities and the preparation of meals for the Meals-on-Wheels and Senior Citizen consolidated dinners.

The following update is written in 2009. Eventually First Lutheran Church sold the church building to a newly organized Baptist congregation who needed a church home. Extensive repairs including repair of the steeple were made and the church has been in use as a Baptist Church ever since.

Another note regarding the organization of the church in 1912 is added here. The German Lutherans’ who organized Zion Lutheran in 1912 had previously attended Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Myrtle, MN, and many of their family members were buried at Pilgrims’ Rest Cemetery in Shell Rock twp, Freeborn Co, MN.

Source: This history was taken from the county history entitled, Worth County Heritage, 1853 - 1976.

Transcribed by Sharlene Stoddard 4/25/2009

The picture is from the History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa, 1918, Vol. I, page 388