| |
1859 ~ Martin Luther Lutheran Church ~ 2009
150th Anniversary
“Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
In 1870 under the guidance of Rev. G. F. H. Meiser, a Christian Day School was organized and continued operation for 57 years until its closing in 1927. This was a phase of Lutheran religious life about which little is heard today, but for many years was a most vital part of the program of Martin Luther Church.
The below passage is prefaced with the acknowledgment for clarification: This text was transcribed verbatim from the Dedication Book of March 11, 1934. Notice the admonishment by the author concerning the school being referred to as “the German school”. The Martin Luther program committee must have felt very strongly about this subject to have such a straightforward article printed in the Dedication Book.
The Martin Luther School ~
Among all the accomplishments of Martin Luther congregation, not the least was the work done for the Christian education of her children. Realizing the necessity of training men in the Word of God, as well as in the secular branches, if they are to be the best and most useful citizens, a Christian day school was established by the Rev. Meiser and the first full time teacher called. For many years this school was maintained and its blessings are still in evidence. Teachers of this school were A.W. Linderman, Rev. H.P. Dannecker, Miss Doepkin, William Burger, Robert O. Kieling, John Barandun, Otto Klotz, Miss Caroline Walther, Miss Soennichsen, A.G. Linseman, C.G. Beck, C.F. Theiss, Phillip Gauff, Miss Boujock, Leo Blumenschein, W.A. Nischwitz, Richard A. Marth and Miss Gertrude Hess.
But the school also suffered on account of many difficulties. One was that people began moving farther away from the church and felt that the distances to the school were too great to send children; and with the increase of traffic by automobiles this difficulty became so serious that it could not be ignored. Another serious difficulty was that the school could not keep pace with the maintenance of facilities and conveniences as they were enjoyed by the children of the public schools. These schools, supported by public taxes, were able always to have the best buildings and play grounds, free books, specialized teachers and vocational training; and this attracted the parents as well as the children and made the day school seem to them more and more superfluous. And the language question likewise had its inning – that question which has played so much havoc with the peace of many congregations! If from the outset greater stress had been laid on the real purpose of the Christian day school, namely to teach men to be better Christians, instead of emphasizing always that the school was a “German” school; and if greater effort had been made earlier to teach its branches from the standpoint of Christian values, regardless of language, many a day school might have been preserved. That this was one of the errors committed that helped to terminate the existence of church schools, including our own, is proved by the fact that even now people speak of the school as “the German school”. So in June of 1927 the day school of Martin Luther was closed. We record this with much regret.
But one thing more deserves mention in connection with this item on our day school: the faithfulness of the teachers who served in the school. Most of them were underpaid, when comparing their salaries with those paid in secular professions; yet with unselfishness did these serve. May God reward them with heavenly treasures, and may we hold them in grateful memory.
Next Month: Martin Luther’s Seal
|
