St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Knoke, Iowa

From the Pomeroy Herald, Pomeroy, Iowa, Thurs., Aug 30, 1945, p.1
"25th Anniversary of The Lutheran Church At Knoke"

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Knoke, 5 miles west of Pomeroy, will hold jubilee services Sunday, Sept. 2, 1945, in observance of the twenty-fifth anniversary of founding of the congregation.  Rev. Virgil P. Heine, the pastor, is in charge of plans.  A service will be held at 10:30 a.m. in which Rev. A. W. Matthias, of Sac City, a former pastor, will be the speaker. 
Church Founded 1920
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church was founded Sept. 5, 1920, by a group of Lutheran’s previously affiliated with the church at Pomeroy. Pastor C. Hesse was called as the first pastor.  Rev. Hesse was resident pastor at Sac City at that time, but filled both pulpits until he accepted a call to Clinton, Iowa.  Rev. A. W. Matthias succeeded Rev. Hesse as pastor of the congregation, also serving both at Sac City and Knoke.  In 1937 the congregation called its first resident pastor, Rev. Arnold Boehnke.  The present church building was erected in 1924, and dedicated in 1925 during the pastorate of Rev. Hesse. Charter members of the church were: Michael Mack Sr., and still living, Wm. Mack, George Mack and Michael Mack Jr.  Others who became affiliated with the church soon after included Wm. Knoke and E. C. Alpers.
Other Ministers Listed
Other ministers of the church were Rev. Norman Gienapp, who was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. Virgil P. Heine.  Teachers of the Christian day school were Paul Heitman, W. G. Stallman, W. G. Wendt, A. Rehder, A. Gottberg, D. Weiss, N. Gienapp and the present pastor. Serving on the church council are Luther E. Ollenburg, president; Michael Mack, Walter Alpers, and Ernest Mack; elders, W. F. Langenwalter, treasurer; John Bruns, secretary; and Erich Holtorf and Harry Smith, school board.

History of the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church compiled from the Knoke Diamond Jubilee 1901-1976, Knoke, Iowa, 1976

On August 22, 1920 the first gathering of residents near Knoke, Iowa met in a school house one mile west and two miles south of Knoke. The people present were Michael Mack Sr., William Mack, Michael Mack Jr. & wife, George M. Mack & wife, Karl Krieser & wife. They asked Rev. Hesse near Sac City to accept the call to form a church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Knoke and asked him to draft a constitution. They met again September 5, discussed all parts of the constitution and signed their names. The first officers were: Rev. Hesse, chairman, M. Mack Sr., secretary, M. Mack Jr., treasurer and elder, and George Mack as elder and trustee. At first they met in the Baedke school house one mile west of Knoke. In the spring of 1921 John Knoke offered the upstairs of his store to be used. In 1924 John Mack donated land for the church, 28 X 50 with a basement, The church was dedicated in the spring of 1925, however Rev. Hesse was soon called to serve in Clinton, Iowa and Rev. Edward L. Wittkopp served until Rev. A. W. Matthias accepted the call. In 1929 the members voted to buy the Hout school house northwest of Knoke for a parochial school. After the school was moved to the church grounds the school was dedicated in September 1929. A parsonage was begun on September 11, 1940 and dedicated February 1941. In 1945, at their 25th anniversary, with 84 members, they decided to set aside money for the rebuilding of the church. Improvements to the school were made in 1946. In 1958 the school was closed and the congregation purchased a school bus to transport the children to Immanuel Church in Pomeroy. In 1961 the parsonage was sold as it was no longer needed. In 1968 the school was closed from lack of children. The final service in the church was Sunday, January 6, 1974, the end of 54 years of service in the community. The church was town down in the fall of 1975.

Pastors:

Rev. C. Hesse 1920-1925
Rev. Edward L. Wittkopp, vacancy pastor 1925
Rev. A. W. Matthias 1925-1937
Rev. Arnold Boehnke 1937-1941
Prof. Norman Gienapp 1941-1944
Rev. E. Lehne, vacancy pastor 1944
Rev. Virgil P. Heine 1944-1946
Rev. Kenneth Schueler, vacancy pastor 1946
Rev. R. F. Kloehn 1946-1949
Rev. Paul Lemke 1949-1954
Rev. A. F. Boehnke, vacancy pastor 1954
Rev. A. Rehder 1954-1956
Rev. John Tew 1956-1958
Rev. O. Sylvester, vacancy pastor 1958
Rev. Victor H. Mesenbring 1958-1961
Rev. Charles Bell 1961-1965
Rev. M. Brandt, vacancy pastor 1966
Rev. Luther Herman 1967-1973

Confirmed in the Faith 1929-1967

1929: Floyd Dettmann, Opal Dettmann, Lewis Tiede
1930: Felix Hall, Harold Hall, Beulah Hall, Wayne Hall, Mildred Dettmann
1931: Alfred Johnson, Lester Johnson, Walter Mack, Martin Mack, Delmar Hall, Louis Arndt, Eldon Knoke, W. F. Langenwalter, Orville Langenwalter, Leon A. Langenwalter, Rosella Snyder
1932: Erwin Boese, Herman Mack, Raymond Snyder, Carlos Johnson, Elsie Eaton, Ruth Mack, Victoria Mack, Marie Mack
1933: George Prange, Cleo Heller, Franklin Larson, Eugene Combs, Gladys Paap, Ila Combs, Ruth Langenwalter
1934: Russel Ringgenberg, Elmer Mack
1935: Lester Arndt, Paul Mack, Lloyd Steele
1936: Dora Mack
1937: Norman Mack, Emma Ausborn, Mildred Langenwalter
1938: Harry Smith, Eva Belle Smith, Raymond W. Spiess, Esther Spiess, Dorothy Hinrichs, Lucille Hout, Lester Hout, Marvin Mack, Calvin Alpers, Marshall Dettmann
1939: Marjorie Schofield, Delores Arndt, Mrs. Charles Combs, Hazel Hout, Ivar Snow, Mrs. Ivar Snow, Marjorie Ashbrook, Sophia Ringgenberg, Floyd Combs
1940: William Hout, Elsie Hout, Henry Hout, Dorris Loots, James Mack, George A. Mack, Mildred Johnson, Lavon Schofield
1941: Mrs. William Boehm, Mrs. Otto Subbert, Michael Vernon Mack, Theodore Mack, Wayne Hansen, Delores Subbert, Norman Subbert, Donald Wolf, Charles Combs
1942: Arlin Alpers, Mildred Mack, Lois Mack
1943: Anton Hardyk, Donald Johnson, Eloise Johnson
1944: none
1945: Ruth Hardyk, Donald Ausburn, Mavis Holtorf, Donald Schofield, JoAnn Mack
1946: Iris Alpers, Margaret Wells
1947: Delores Johnson, James Ashbrook
1948: Morley Alpers, Dorothy Hardyk, Darlene Johnson, Dale Schramm
1949: Duane Nehman, Deloris Spiess, Mrs. Betty Hout
1950: Mary Jean Alpers, Duane Schofield, Laverne Langenwalter
1951: Lenus Schramm, Leroy Langenwalter
1952: none
1953: Duane Johnson, Mavis Johnson
1954: Darrel Peyton, Larry Langenwalter, Darvin Nehman, Janice Knoke
1955: James Ollenburg, Hila Hehman
1956: Dale Bruns, Dennis Bruns, Darrell Johnson, Sandra Spiess, Carol Crandall, Janet Ollenburg, Ralph Schramm
1957-1958: none
1959: Robert Phelps, Clarence Black, Caroline Black, Sharon Langenwalter
1960: Richard Alpers, Carol Greene, Leon Schramm
1961: Robert Alpers, Keith Crandall, Dean Johnson, Jane Langenwalter, Donita Nehman
1962: none
1963: Leland Wiedeman
1964: Joleen Ausborn, Dennis Schaffer
1965: Donald Greene, Dennis Johnson
1966: Dennis Ausborn
1967: Orlen Greene, Diana Johnson, Steven Schaffer, Marlin Spiess
Confirmed at Coon Valley and transferred to Knoke: Eileen Mack, Ruben Bereuter, Carl Mack
Confirmed at Immanuel and transferred to Knoke: Hulda Mack, Ida Mack, Bernice Mack, Mildred Small, Patricia Nehman