St. Paul's United Church of Christ

In memorium of  Joann Shore Butler Lewis
1931 - 2000

ST. PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (ALSO CALLED CUB CREEK CHURCH) IS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTH AND 1/2 MILE EAST OF JANSEN, NEB. IT OBSERVED IT'S 90TH BIRTHDAY ON SEPT 10, 1972. IT WAS ORGANIZED AS ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN 1882 BY GERMAN IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR DESCENDENTS.
IN 1934 THE EVANGELICAL AND REFORMED CHURCHES IN THE USA MERGED AND IT BECAME KNOWN AS ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL REFORMED CHURCH.
IN 1956 ANOTHER NATIONAL MERGER TOOK PLACE UNITING THE EVANGELICAL REFORMED CHURCH WITH THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. IT IS NOW KNOWN AS ST. PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST.
THE BEGINNING OF ST. PAUL'S DATES BACK TO 1882. WHEN PASTOR PHILLIP TESTER AND A NUMBER OF GERMAN AND WEST PRUSSIAN IMMIGRANTS HELD A MEETING AT THE HOME OF FREDERICK HOPPE, IT WAS DECIDED TO ORGANIZE A CHURCH. THEREFORE, ON 4 SEPT 1882, THIS CONGREGATION WAS ORGANIZED BY PASTOR PHILLIP TESTER WITH 15 MEMBERS: GEORGE FILMORE, FREDERICK HOPPE, FERDINAND ACKMAN, HENRY DAMKROGER, HENRY SIEBE, WILHELM VORDERSTRASSE, FREDERICK GRUMMERT, CARL TINAPPLE, AUGUST MOHLING AND JOHN EGGERLING.
IT WAS DECIDED TO RECOGNIZE THE HOLY WRIT OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, CHILDREN TO BE BAPTIZED, USING THE AUGSBERG CONFESSION AND TO USE LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM AND THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM FOR INSTRUCTION OF THE YOUTH FOR THEIR CONFIRMATION.
GEORGE FILLMORE WHO LIVED IN A LOG CABIN ON THE LAND OF WHICH HE DONATED 5 ACRES ON WHICH THE CHURCH WAS TO BE BUILT. THE RECORDS SHOW HE DIED ON 22 DEC 1887, AT THE AGE OF 53 YEARS.
THEY BUILT THE CHURCH WITH A PARSONAGE ATTACHED.
ON 5 SEPT 1899 THE CONGREGATION DECIDED THEY NEEDED A LARGER CHURCH BLDG. FERINAND ACHMAN GAVE A PIECE OF LAND ON WHICH THE PRESENT BLDG NOW STANDS.
A BUILDING COMMITTEE WAS CHOSEN: FREDERICK BRAASCH, FRED FIENE, WILLIAM HOMANN AND FRED HOECKER AND PASTOR W. FISHER AS SUPERVISORS.
FRED HOECKER AND WILLIAM HOMANN WERE CHOSEN AS THE CARPENTERS. A BUILDING 40X26X12 FEET WITH A TOWER ATTACHED WAS DECIDED ON. THE MEMBERS HAULED THE LIME ROCK AND OTHER MATERIAL. AMONG NON-MEMBERS HELPING WAS THE LATE JOHN NIDER. HE ALSO GAVE A CONTRIBUTION OF $50.00. THE BLDG. WAS COMPLETED ON 20 MAY 1900 &THE NEW CHURCH WAS DEDICATED. THE COST WAS $1200.OO. ON 4 JUNE 1900 THEY DECIDED TO GET A BELL WHICH COST $175.00. IT WAS DEDICATED ON 12 AUG 1900. THEY BOUGHT THE BENCHES FOR $170.00. ORGAN $100.00 ALTER $80.00 CRUCIFIX AND CANDLE HOLDERS $50.00, A TOTAL OF $1775.00.
IN 1903 THE FORMER CHURCH AND PARSONAGE WAS REMODELED INTO A PARSONAGE. THE COST WAS $$800.00.
IN 1905 A BARN WAS BUILT FOR $150.00.
IN 1907 A WELL WAS DUG WHICH COST $148.75. THE WINDMILL AND TANK COST $74.00.
PASTOR W. FISHER SERVED THE CHURCH FROM 1896 TO 1914.HE RECEIVED $400.00 A YEAR.....LATER RAISED TO $500.00.
ON 26 JULY 1914 PASTOR A.D. RHAN GAVE A GUEST SERMON. HE WAS ELECTED TO SERVE THIS CHURCH. HE ARRIVED IN OCT 1914, HIS PAY WAS $600.00 A YEAR.
PASTOR RAHN RESIGNED IN AUG 1914.
IN THE SUMMER OF 1917 THE CHURCH WAS REDECORATED, THE LADINES DOING THIS WORK AND THEY ALSO PAID FOR IT.
AT THE CONGREGATIONAL MTG. ON 23 SEPT 1917 IT WAS DECIDED TO BUILD A SCHOOL HOUSE WHICH WAS FINISHED BY 11 NOV 1917 THE FOUR CHURCHES...JANSEN, WESTERN, PLYMOUTH AND GLADSTONE, JOINTLY CELEBRATED THE 400 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE REFORMATION IN A GROVE. THERE WERE ABOUT 600 PEOPLE PRESENT.
IN APRIL 1919 A NEW PLATFORM AND STEPS WERE MADE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH, AND A SIDEWALK FROM THE CHURCH TO THE PARSONAGE. IN 1920 CAR SHED WAS BUILT.
IN 1924 THE PASTOR'S WAGES WERE RAISED OT $1,050.00.
IN DEC 1925 PASTOR VOGT ORGANIZED THE FRAUEN VERIN. 27-31 1927, THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE MET HER AT ST PAUL CHURCH. THE FRUEN VEREIN SERVED THE MEALS, DINNER AND EVENING MEALS, UNDER A LARGE TENT, WHICH WAS PREPARED IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE. SLEEPING ROOMS AND BREAKFAST WERE FURNISHED AT THE HOMES OF MEMBERS.
IN 1929 A NEW YARD FENCE WAS MADE FOR THE PARSONAGE.
ON 8 JAN 1934 PASTOR EMIL VOGT ANNOUNCED THAT HIS PLANS WERE TO RETIRE FROM THE MINISTRY. ON 3 APRIL HE DELIVERED HIS FAREWELL SERMON. IT WAS DURING HIS LAST FEW YEARS THAT SERVICES WERE IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH DUE TO THE CHANGING TIMES.
PASTOR GEORGE RATH WAS CALLED TO SERVE ST PAUL CHURCH. THE FAMILY ARRIVED TO TAKE CHARGE ON 1 JULY 1934 FROM LAUREL MONTANA. HE ACCEPTED TO SERVE FOR $600 AND $50 FOR PLAYING THE ORGAN DURING THE SERVICES. IN 1938 THE CONGREGATION RAISED THE WAGES TO $800. FOR 4 YEARS HE GAVE TWO SERMONS EACH SUNDAY, ONE IN GERMAN AND ONE IN ENGLISH.
AT THE 90 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, THERE ARE 3 FAMILIES THAT HAVE CARRIED THEIR MEMBERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE 90 YEARS. ACKMAN, BRAASCH AND HOPPE.

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