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August Polnick
and his family moved from Lee County to Thorndale in 1881. The family were
the first recorded germans and also the first Lutherans in this area.
Their former pastor, G. Birkmann, made ministerial visits to Thorndale
over the next five years. A congregation gradually formed with Thorndale
residents and Lutherans in the nearby Hochkirche (Noack) community. By
1890 the combined parish recorded 69 communicants, with services held
exclusively in German.
Later in 1890, Karl Michalk
donated ten acres of land for a church, school and cemetery. The church
building was dedicated in 1891. The first burial in the cemetery was that
of the infant son of Ida Schultz in 1891. A. W. Kramer was called as St.
Paul's first full-time pastor in November 1893. He arrived in March 1894
and also assumed the role of teacher for the school.
As the economy rise in
Thorndale, Lutherans continued to arrive. By 1899 St. Paul's had 208
members, and in 1900 the church congregation moved into a new building.
The first full-time schoolteacher, J. Jaeckel, was called in 1900 to
improve the school and its facilities.
Church membership reached
654 by 1911; the parish boasted 830 members in 1939. A tornado damaged the
church building beyond repair in July 1940 and a new one was erected later
that year. Sunday school began in 1948. Services were held in both English
and German beginning in World War I. By 1952, there was one German service
each year. Women became voting members of the congregation in the 1950s.
Always involved in community development, both church and school remained
active at the close of the 20th century. |
