Church: Pine Valley - Zion Am. Lutheran (75th Ann. - 1977)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Witte, Fisher, Beyer, Thoma, Puttkamer, Dux, Wegner, Goldamer, Ha as, Reiff, Buth, Domke, Jacklin, Beninga, Dieck, Eggen, Engelstad, Sischo, Karnitz, Henning, Kalsow, Gress, Durst

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/14/1977

Zion American Lutheran Church/ Pine Valley (75th Anniversary – 17 July 1977)

Zion American Lutheran Church, Township Pine Valley, rural Neillsville will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the congregation on July 17.

The Rev. Marvin Beninga, presently serving St. John’s Lutheran, Preston, Ia. , and pastor here from 1956-1960, will preach at the 10:30 a.m. service. The Rev. Evan Dieck, presently serving Zion Lutheran, Manawa, and pastor here from 1960-1971, will preach at the 2:30 p.m. service.

Church services for this congregation began as early as 1871 when meeting were held in the school house. At that time services were held every three weeks. The pastor came by horse power from Granton. He would arrive at the William Beyer home Saturday night, and one of the Beyer boys would hurry out to care for the horse. He was paid $150 a year.

The first pastor to serve this parish was Pastor J. H. Witte. He came in 1871 and left in 1876. Pastor Fisher was installed July 5, 1877. He served the congregation for 17 years.

The charter of the Pine Valley Lutheran Zion congregation was written with the help and guidance of Pastor P.H. Haas in the beginning of his service here in the year of 1901. Charter members were William Beyer, August Beyer, W.C. Thoma, Frederick Puttkamer, August Dux, William Dux, Frederick Wegner and Julius Goldamer.

In 1901, Wilhelm Beyer and his wife, Tena, donated an acre of land on which the church should be built. The congregation then another half-acre from the Wilhelm Beyer land. The basement was built in 1901, and the church was built in 1902. The church which is in use today is the one that was built in 1902.

Pastors who have served this congregation are: Rev. P.H. Haas, 1902-1906; Rev. J.P. Reiff, 1906-1926; Rev. J.D. Buth, 1926-1944; Rev. L.A. Domke, 1944-1952; Rev. John H. Jacklin, 1952-1956; Rev. Marvin Beninga, 1956-1960; Rev. Evan Dieck, 1960-1971; Rev. Richard Eggen, 1971-1974; and Rev. Stephen N. Engelstad, 1974-present.

There are now 115 baptized members, and 94 confirmed members. Presently serving as president of the congregation is Terry Sischo. Other church council members are Kenneth Karnitz, Ronald Henning, Robert Kalsow, DeVere Sischo, Robert Gress, Arno Durst and Art Dux.