Timeline

* Also in 1911 the congregation named a man to represent the congregation in a dispute over damages caused by two youths in an automobile. Evidently they had frightened several horses in a funeral procession. No other details are given.

Apr 1912

* Teacher Bunjes accepted the call to Frankenmuth, Michigan.

29 Dec 1912

* Albert Meyer became the new teacher.

1913

* Teacher Albert Meyer was permitted an electric light in the teacherage.

11 Apr 1915

* Pastor Peter Hansen retires.

Details

11 Jul 1915

* Pastor Herman C. Kothe, was installed.

Details

1915

* Signs of growth, addition is added to the school, introduction of the envelope system, parsonage built, and church wired for electricity.

Details

1915

* Teacher Miss Clara Kleinhans is first teacher hired to teach grades one to four.

1916

* The congregation was further organized for growth with the first annual election of a chairman.

1916

* The church is insured for the first time.

1918

* The first insurance claim was to be filed, and it was followed by a redecoration of the church. This could have been the result of the first church fire.

May 1918

* A painful sign of growth was the change from German to English.

Details

Jun 1918

* Mr. Samuel Merz was ill or became too old to function as custodian, for in June of that year the trustees were instructed to find a janitor.

1919

* Teacher Albert Meyer accepted a call to Fort Wayne.

Details

1919

* Miss Clara Kleinhans leaves Trinity.

1919

* Miss Irma Kothe is hired to teach grade one to four.

1919

* In the 1919-20 school year German instruction was again resumed.

28 Sep 1919

* 25th Anniversary of the church building.

Details

1920

* English Bible class and English Communion.

Details

15 Aug 1920

* Principal and Teacher A. C. Neuman was installed.

1920

* A campaign for an electric blower for the organ was begun.

1921

* At the advice of a steeplejack, it was decided to remove the steeple. $40.00 was charged for the job!

1922

* At later meetings several plans were considered to rebuild the steeple but the tower was merely rebuilt for $605.00.

1922

* The ladies aid offered $100.00 toward a proposed addition to the confirmation room. They decided to increase it to $150.00 with additional costs.

1923

* A committee was elected to make plans for a new teacherage. But because of low contributions the plan was given up. teacherage committee was elected and at their recommendation it was decided to remodel and add on to the existing house.

1924

* Meetings in German and English were the next consideration. First the minutes were kept in both languages intermittently.

12 Apr 1925

* The entire church meeting was conducted in both German and English.

18 Jun 1925

* More remodeling came including a furnace costing $4351.00.

Trinity Lutheran Church was formed - 1877

Lutherans from St. Paul's, New Gehlenbeck (now Hamel), living in and around Worden, formed the nucleus of Trinity Lutheran Church and Day School in 1877.

Early settlers in Omphghent Township, where Worden is located, were from St. Louis, Missouri; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Virginia; and from the countries of England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany and Prussia. Early members of Trinity were made up of immigrants from Westphalia, Prussia; Braunschweig, Hanover and Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany; and from Switzerland. (See History of Madison County, Illinois, 1882, reprinted in 1973, pages 570-71. Besides Madison County history that is sketchy, information for this report came from records of voters meetings, past celebrations, other church and school records, and notes of early residents.)

It is not clear when the Worden congregation joined the Synod. It is also not clear when the congregation officially parted from the Hamel congregation. Although the preamble to the Worden constitution speaks of "having been given a peaceful release in 1877," the Hamel centennial book of 1956 indicates these Worden members were not officially transferred until 1881.

Return to time-line

Church, School, and Parsonage Built - 1877

In 1876 or 1877 these twenty-five families built the first structure that housed church, school and parsonage, costing approximately $3,000.00. At this time it is the first and second grade classroom of the Trinity Center of Trinity-St. Paul Lutheran School.

Return to time-line

Founding Members - 06 May 1877

The first constitution was signed Sunday, May 6, 1877 by these twenty-five:
Gottlieb Lüker Ludwig Lüker Heinrich Neuhaus Anton Lüker Herman W. Roffrnan Hartwig Heinrich Lüker Ludolph Roffman F. Sutemeier	F. Schmidt Heinrich Nobbe Herman Gerdom Heinrich Pieper Heinrich Behrhorst T.F. Vogt H.W. Lüker Jac. Dornseif	Christian Rudolph H. Deeding Augusta Floemer Heinrich Mautz Sam Merz Herman Roffman H. Lohmeier Diedrich Tino Heinrich