Churches

The first services were held in the Bader schoolhouse, District No. 28 and in the Witt schoolhouse then located in the southwest corner of Section 20, Twp. 13, Rg. 8, Merrick County. The constitution was adopted an September 17, 1874 and the formal organization completed on September 20, 1874. The first church edifice was erected in 1878 and the present edifice in 1893. The first pastor was Rev. August Leuthaeuser from 1874 to 1876.

Succeeding pastors were:
Rev. F. H. Jahn         1876 to 1891     Rev. Wm. Ludwig         1908 to 1919
Rev. Deuver             1891 to 1895     Rev. Franz Frese        1919 to 1932
Rev. John D. Schroeder  1895 to 1903     Rev. H. Wm. Meyer       1933 to 1949
Rev. K. Jahn            1903 to 1908     Rev. A. F. Otto         1949 to 1958

Charter Members were:
     August Krause, John A. Ruff, August Wendt, Johann Miller, Herman Miller, Henry Wemken, Carl Engelke, J. Pohlman, H. Ahrens, Carl Krugel, Carl Gatzke, A. Dusterbeck, John Peters, Louis Bemer, Johannes Bader, Wilhelm Miller, Friedrich Witt, Lorenz Schmidt, Carl Siebert, Dietrich Rebbe, Wilhelm Krause, Friedrich Spathold, Wilhelm Guenther, Christopher Collman, Johannes E. Bemer, Herman Schipman, Leopold Buchfinck, Johannes C. Becker.

The church was organized prior to 1888 with services held in the frame schoolhouse in Merrick County school District No. 9. The church edifice was erected in 1888 and 1889. The first pastor was Rev. Wilson. Rev. J. Willis Srack is the present pastor. The first board of trustees were E. I. Gallogly, Cashes Thomas and William Easter.

Charter Members were:
     Mr. and Mrs. Geo. P. Fishburn, Mr. and Mrs. Ezra I. Gallogly, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew G. Buell, Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo Bellows, Mr. and Mrs. Cashes Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Beenblossom, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Wm, Easter, Mr. and Mrs. M. Osborn, Mrs. Samuel Easter, Mrs. Joseph Carey, Grandma Gallogly.

Organized on January 26, 1886. The first pastor was Rev. S. B. Hayes. The first church clerk was Mr. Alonzo Sutton. The church edifice was erected in 1886 and remodeled In 1925. The present pastor is Rev. William Pfau.

Charter Members were:
     James W. Teagarden, James J. Gallogly, Newton Lounsbery, John H. Sutton. James M. Ogden, Alonzo Sutton, Martha Sutton, Hannah Aurand, Enoch Aurand, Jane Omelia, Walter Bush, Sarah Bush, Ella Ogden.