Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/454

 382 HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY services. November 16, 1901, the first English services were held. From this time on there have been regular evening services, every Sunday in the English language, except during the months of June, July and August. In 1906 the congregation deemed it expe- dient to call a teacher, and Alexander Jaeger was chosen. He was succeeded by A. C. F. Meinken, the present teacher, in 1908. Mr. Yaeger having accepted a similar position in Tomah, Wis. The school readily prospered and it became evident that the class-room had to be remodelled. The young people of the con- gregation collected funds and renovated the class-room in the summer of 1907 at an expense of $2,100. St. John's Evangelical German Lutheran Church of Fronte- nac is the outgrowth of the labors of the Rev. C. F. Heyer, 1860, who founded the church with the following membership : J. C. Bennewitz, John Thompson, William Miller, Jacob Schneider, John Raeper, John Luth, John Hennings and Fred Koehn. J. C. Bennewitz was the first president of the church, and superin- tendent of Sabbath School, which positions he held until 1875. In 1872 they built their present church edifice at a cost of $2,000. It is of wood, 36x50, and a very pretty house of worship. J. C. Bennewitz, Jacob Schneider and Win. Miller were the building committee. In 1898 a steeple was built to the church ; in 1900 a furnace was added; in 1903 the Ladies' Aid Society was organ- ized by Mrs. J. R. Baumann. The Ladies' Aid has contributed up to date $1,050 for the church and for benevolent purposes. The Ladies' Aid is now contemplating the purchase of a small pipe organ. The pastors of the congregation were Rev. C. F. Heyer, Rev. C. II. Blecken, Rev. Christian Bender, Rev. J. R. Baumann, the present pastor. The German Lutheran St. Peter's Church of Belvidere was built in 1873. The first pastor was Rev. Horst of Hay Creek. The present pastor is G. Ferber. The German Lutheran St. John's Church of Minneola was founded in 1875. The present pastor is Rev. 1). Metzger. The German Lutheran Christ Church of Zumbrota was founded in 1896 by Rev. P. Hinderer. The present pastor is Rev. D. Metzger. Grace Church, German Lutheran, of Goodhue. This church was organized in the spring of 1870 by Rev. Christian Bender. It had but eight members at that time. They were : A. Seeback, Gottlieb Seeback, R. Haas, Charles Zemke, Wm. Beteher, Herman Kempe and Peter Tipke. The church was built in 1878, but was de- stroyed by fire the following year. It was rebuilt at once at a cost of $2,500, a structure 36x50 ft. Rev. Christian Bender delivered the dedicatory service the last Sunday in August. It now has a membership of about sixty-five. A parochial school