Oconto County WIGenWeb Project
Collected and posted by BILL
This site is exclusively for the free access of individual researchers.
* No profit may be made by any person, business or organization through publication, reproduction, presentation or links to this site.

OCONTO COUNTY
Wisconsin
HISTORIC OCONTO COUNTY CHURCHES
Wisconsin

---

ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
LITTLE SUAMICO
Oconto County, Wisconsin
Taken from the Dedication Booklet for the new church building, Nov. 16, 1975.
Contributed by Gerrie Foster.

.St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church.
CORNER OF COUNTY HIGHWAY J AND COUNTY HIGHWAY S
Little Suamico

photo 1975

GATHERING AT ST. JOHN'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH c: 1900 The original church structure in this picture was build in 1885. It was replaced by a modern building in 1975.

 

HISTORIC SKETCH

St. John's Congregation was organized by German settlers in 1873. For several years the congregation worshipped in the homes of members, and there was no full-time pastor. The first regular pastor was Rev. H. Block, who served from 1885 to 2886. During the 102 years of it's existence, St. John's had been associated with churches at Morgan, Chase, Kunesh, Abrams, Brookside and Oconto. Beginning in 1905 it was served by a pastor from the Wisconsin Synod, and in 1954 the church bcame part of the American Lutheran Church.

In addition to it's first pastor, Rev. Bock, St. John's has been served by at least 16 other pastor's (records are missing for the years 1897 to 1903). Among them were H. Ricke, 1886- 87; F. Proehl, 1887- 92; Allamshah, 1892-94; F. Ohlrogge, Sr., 1894- 97; William Heidke, 1903-07; William Ulrick, 1907-11; K. Geirer, 1911-15; Paul Eggert, 1915- 47; C. Krug, 1947- 49; Albrecht, 1949 - 51; W. Lindsey, 1951- 56; Evan Clarke, 1956- 62; Arthur Matzke, 1962- 63; Ronald Pechauer, 1963- 65; Rev. T. S. Hanson. In 1965 Rev. David Magnuson was called to serve the parish, and since November 1971 to the present (1975) the parish had been served by Rev. John C. Kilde.

There are presently 185 baptized members in the congregation (1975), which has a full program of Christian Education for children and adults. The parish has a full slate of services and special services, throughout the year. There are about 40 children and seven teachers in the Sunday School, and Vacation Church School is held each year.

For ninety years (1885) the church of our fathers, a typical structure of it's day, served the congregation for it's worship requirements. A few years ago a schoolhouse was puchased and remodeled into a parish hall and a small house for a parsonage was acquired. For many years, however, a sense of need for a new church facility was felt by a growing number in the congregation. A permant Future Planning Committee was elected some years ago  and in the spring of this year (1975) the congregation voted to build a new church.