History of Trinity Lutheran Church

History of Trinity Lutheran Church
of Carthage, Illinois

The 125th Anniversary of Trinity Lutheran Church is surely a remarkable achievement t= hat a church should not only survive but indeed has grown and flourished over s= uch a long period of history. When one looks back at the many changes and events that have taken place in our world from the late 1800's to the modern day 1990's, the stability of the church is even more evident. It is a testament= to the integral and important role that religion holds in its members' lives t= hat Trinity church still stands proudly on its original site 125 years after its first beginnings.

Beg= inning of the Lutheran Church in Hancock County

Before 1845, there were only a f= ew Lutheran families in Hancock County. During the late 1840's, however, a heavy migration of Germans and Swiss into the area brought many more Lutherans to this area. Many of the first immigr= ants settled along the river at War= saw and Nauvoo, with later arrivals spread= ing throughout the county. The first Lutheran congregation of Hancock County was established in 1851 in Nauvoo by Reverend Christian Vietz, who had been sent by the Basel Missionary Society of Switzerland. This church was the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Nauvoo, now known as Christ Lutheran Church.

By the year 1858, several German families of the Lutheran faith had settled in= Carthage and the surrounding area and wished to have a church of their own. Although there w= as no formally recognized congregation or church building. Pastor F. W. Eisenach of Nauvoo began preaching in a building on the south side of the <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Carthage square.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> On January 26, 1861, the Evangelic= al Lutheran Church of Zion was organized.= This was the beginning of the church we commonly refer to as Zion Lutheran. Late= r, services were held in the old frame Methodist church building on Wabash avenue, but with a goal for a permanent buildi= ng to cost about $900 being planned.

On August 11,1864, Zion Lutheran Church acquired land for a new c= hurch on a lot near Main and Madison= streets at a cost of $250. This is the site of the present day V.F.W. hall. Construction began in September= of that year, with church members furnishing most of the labor needed for building. They baked their own brick and hauled stone from the ruins of the= Mormon Temple in Nauvoo to Carthage with ox-teams. Jacob Reinoehl, an expe= rt stone cutter, made from those stone fragments the sills and lintels for the doors and windows, and the corner stone, which was laid September 28, 1864. (This corner stone would later be brought to Trinity Lutheran Church in 1921,= and set into the basement wall in 1941. Th= is stone, carved "1864", can still be seen today in the basem= ent of our church.) Dedication ceremonies for the new church took place on Septemb= er 17, 1864, and included sermons in both German and English. The service was led by the Reverend Conrad Kuhl of Perry, Illinois, and the Reverend Botscher of Keokuk Junction (now Golden, Illinois.) Reverend Kuhl would= be called as pastor to Zion four years later in 1868. Church services were held in German, and would co= ntinue to be for many years to come. It is important to touch upon Zion's history, since Trinity's early members wo= uld come from this congregation.

The Founding of Carthage College

Another important event that would play a role in Trinity's beginnings was the foun= ding of Carthage <= st1:PlaceType w:st=3D"on">College. At this time the only Lutheran college in the Middle West was Illinois= University at Springfield. However, the college was in severe financial distress and in 1868 the trustees voted to close the institution and dispose of the property in order to liquidate its indebtedn= ess. This left a void in the Midwest of a Lut= heran institution of higher learning, and many church leaders hoped that a new college could be established once again. In June 1869, the newly formed Cen= tral Illinois Synod, of which Reverend Conrad Kuhl was president, met and propos= ed a convention of the four Midwest synods: Northern Illinois, Central Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Iowa. This convention took place at Dixon, Illinois, in September of 1869, and a board of three commissioners from each synod was elected. Their purpose was to study the feasibility of a new Lutheran colle= ge and a possible location. Citing its central location, Carthage was chosen as the site for the commissioners' first meeting.

When the Reverend Kuhl informed Carthage= 's newspaper editor, J. M. Davidson, of the me= eting at Zion church and its purpose of establishing a Lu= theran college in the Middle West, Mr. Davidson asked, "Why not locate the college in Cart= hage?" Calling for a meeting of citizens at the cour= thouse, Davidson gathered support for a presentation to the commissioners in hopes = that Carthage would be chosen as the site for their Lutheran college. After several meetings, t= he citizens agreed to furnish grounds and one building at a cost of $35,000 for the establishment of Cart= hage College. In ret= urn, the four previously named Midwest synods= would furnish the college endowments.

Construction soon began on = the new college and on May 10, 1871, the cornerstone of the main building of the college was laid. Dedication exercises were attended by several thousand pe= ople (quite an impressive number when the entire population of Carthage at that time was below 1500 pe= ople). Early in 1872, David L. Tressler of Lena, Illinois, was elected professor and moved with his = family to Carthage in August. Another minister from Lena, Pastor D.= G. Smith, also came to Carthage shortly thereafter. Then in 1873, the school was organized as a four-year college with Dr. Tressler being named president.

The Beginn= ing of Trinity Lutheran Church

With the e= arly history touched upon, we now arrive at the beginning of Trinity Lutheran Church. There are differing opinions on exactly why the first members of Trinity fo= rmed a new church. Some believe that it was from a need for an English speaking Lutheran church, since Zion conducted its services in the German language. Others would put more weight that with a new college, and its concurrent increased population, that a se= cond church was needed to handle the additional members yet to come. For whatever reason it may have been, we do know that on May 7, 1873, seventeen members withdrew from Zion congregation to organiz= e Trinity English Evangelical Lutheran Church. This is= the date we now consider the founding of our church. As listed in the church records, the first seventeen members were: David L. Tressler and his wife A= da J. Tressler, David Smith and his wife Catherine Smith, Martin L. Tressler, = Levi F.= M. Easterday, Hannah M. Easterday, George W. Frazer, James M. Cromer, Joseph Nace and his wife, Jacob B. Reinoehl and his wife Amanda Reinoeh= l, Ellen Reinoehl, George H. Allbright,<= /span> Daniel H. Allbright, and Clemmie Kuhl. These members came from various walks of life with college professors, students, teachers, and merchants be= ing represented.

Three days later. Dr. William = H.D. Noyes deeded to Dr. Tressler an 85 foo= t lot at the comer of Main and Washington Streets in Carthage. Plans for a church building t= o cost around $12,000 were adopted. Work began on the building of the church as so= on as contracts could be let. The house on the site was moved to the north hal= f of the lot and sold to Reverend D.G. Smith the next year. The church building = was designed by A. Lourie of Keokuk, Iowa, from plans prepared by Dr. Tressler. By June 4, Pastor Smith had raised $20= 00 of the needed funds from local citizens. Much of the work was under the supervision of McColm and Payne, local contractors. The walls of the c= hurch were of Quincy brick while the roof was constructed of slate. Stone for the foundation was hauled from a quarry northeast of Carthage. The members themselves provided a great deal of labor in the building, to s= uch an extent that even the Carthage newspaper commented on the sight of college professors working side by side with the carpenters and bricklayers.

In September, eleven more m= embers were received into the church, bringing Trinity's total membership to 28. Ten of these members were received= by letter of transfer but the eleventh, John E.<= /span> Fair, was by confirmation. This would make him the first confirmand of Trinity.

Work on the building progre= ssed rapidly and the cornerstone of the church was laid on September 13, 1878, in the presence of a large number of citizens. The cornerstone was dedicated w= ith a service held in the Methodist church, with a sermon by the Reverend W.A. Lipe of Sterling, Illinois. The audience then moved to the church site, where President Tressler deposi= ted a box in the cornerstone (assumed to still be there today), and with three hammer blows dedicated the stone in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The membership remained at = 28 throughout the next year as work on the church building progressed. Although the church was yet uncompleted, the first service was held in the church building on November 1, 1874. With no pews installed in the church, chairs = had to be used for seating. However, records show that the beautiful stained gl= ass windows were in place for this first service. These windows are still intac= t to this day and are thought to have been imported from = Europe. They were placed in the church as memorials to members contributing to the = construction of the church as well as to respected members of the Lutheran church. It is believed that the magnificent rose window in the south wall (entrance side)= of the church was patterned after the window of a cathedral in France.=

On Octob= er 24, 1875, Trinity= Lutheran Church was finally dedicated with worship services being conducted in the morning, afternoon, and evening. These services were attended by over 700 people, including members from Zion Lutheran a= s well as nearly 125 people from Keokuk Junct= ion (now Golden, Illinois). Guest speakers were Doctor F.W. Conrad, editor of the Lutheran Observer, of Philadelp= hia, and Reverend E.B. Rhodes of St. Louis. Doctor Conrad preached in En= glish in the morning and in German in the afternoon with Pastor Rhodes giving the sermon in the evening. Doctor Tressler presented a report on the church with its total construction cost at that t= ime being $12,500. Contributions from local and distant friends of the congrega= tion had raised most of the money needed, but there still remained a debt of $35= 00. On that single day of dedication, $2500 was raised to go towards that debt.=

The basic design and archit= ecture of the church nave, chancel, and east room remains substantially the same t= oday as it was at the time of its dedication those many years ago. The church pe= ws were built from white walnut with the trim of black walnut and designed so = that they could be cushioned. The casing and arches of the nave were grained in imitation of oak and white walnut. Painting and frescoing of the interior w= as done mostly by local craftsmen. The church was finished so nicely that in a newspaper article of the dedication the Carthage Republican was quite extravagant in its praise of the building's beauty. Accompaniment for the church music was provided in part by a small reed organ. The lighting in the church was greatly improved in 1877 when two chandeliers, each containing s= ix brackets with kerosene lamps, were added to supplement the 24 bronze lamps already in use. These chandeliers had to be filled with fuel and the flues polished before every service. This is quite a contrast to today when a sim= ple flick of a light switch brings us the light needed for our service.

= ;

Trinity's = Early Years

One of the highlights of Trinity's early years was the hosting of the biennial session= of the General Synod, which was held at Carthage from May 30 to June 7, 1877. At that time the General Synod consisted of twenty-four synods made up of 1296 congregations, and extended from New York to Nebraska. Since its organization in 1821, only five of the Synod's sessions had been = held outside of the eastern half of the country, and it was truly an honor for s= uch a young church to host this event. Over 150 delegates traveled to Carthage to atten= d the week-long meeting. One of the items of business the General Synod had appro= ved at this meeting was the formation of women's societies within the church. A= s a result, in December, 1877, the Women's Missionary Society (an early predece= ssor to today's WELCA) was organized in Trinity Lutheran Church.

In 1879, the present spire = was added to the east tower of the church. Late in the same year a church bell = was purchased for the church's west tower at a cost of $400. The bell weighed in excess of 1500 pounds and is still used to call its members to worship 119 years late= r. The bell was dedicated at a special watch service on New Year's Eve of 1879, and at midnight was rung to usher in the new year and a new decade. The ser= vice was conducted by Dr. Tressler and during his sermon he remarked on the new = bell and asked, "For whom of us shall this bell toll the funeral knell?&quo= t; This would seem to be a strange comment for a celebration and dedication, b= ut it is stranger still to learn that the funeral at which the bell first toll= ed was Dr. Tressler's own, less than two = months later.

= ;

Sorrow and= Strife

On Februar= y 1, 1880, Doctor Tressler traveled to West Point, Illinois, to preach at St. Luke's Church. The weather was quite cold and damp and hav= ing made the trip on horseback he developed a severe cold that soon turned into pneumonia. Nearly three weeks later, the sickness caused his death on Febru= ary 20. The loss of Doctor Tressler, Trinity's first pastor of seven years, was= a great shock to the church, the college, and the community. However, the you= ng church was able to overcome this shock (as Trinity has weathered other stor= ms in its history) and continue on serving its members.

Professors J. W. Richard and Professor Easterday served in the pulpit for a time, w= ith Professor Richard being listed as pastor of Trinity for 1880 to 1881. The church continued to reduce its debt as reports from the congregational meet= ing of January, 1881, showed that the debt was reduced to $300, with $100 in the treasury and $75 pledged. There appears to have been a vacancy in the posit= ion of pastor until 1883 when J.S. Detweiler served as Trinity's minister throu= gh the following year. He was followed by E.F. Bartholomew from 1884 to 1886. The short stay of these pastors can be attributed to the fact that the job of Trinity's pastor was not a full time position, as well as events that were happening concurrently at Carthage College.

Despite the bright hopes and expectations when it was founded, Carthage College was pla= gued with troubles in its early days. The exact nature of these troubles is uncl= ear, but it is known that in July, 1883, President Kunkelman and the entire college faculty resigned their positions. In August, Reveren= d J. S. Detweiler (also pastor for Trinity)= was elected president of Carthage College. Howeve= r, six months later in February, he followed his predecessor's footsteps and resig= ned from the school. The newly hired faculty also followed him in resigning the= ir positions. With two complete turnovers of personnel in less than a year, it= was believed that the college would soon close for good. Reverend Kuhl (of Zion Church) speaks in his memoirs = of "mutiny and treason being rife" among the faculty. This is hardly= the stately atmosphere often associated with a college campus.

The college's spring commen= cement exercises of 1884 were held at Trinity. The church was filled to capacity, = since many citizens believed the college would soon close its doors, and wished to see this "final" commencement. True to expectations. President Detweiler announced during the p= rogram that Carthage= College would be discontinued.= However, in a moment of drama. Doctor E. F. B= artholomew immediately stood up from his seat in the church and announced that the col= lege board had voted to continue operations with himself as the new college president. He stated that new classes would begin in September and asked ag= ain for support from the community.

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Growing To= wards the New Century

From this = point on, both the church and college began to grow and improve. In July, 1886, t= he church purchased from Mrs. Helen Draper the lot east of the church for the = site of a future parsonage. Up to this time, the position of pastor had been onl= y a part time one; but by the fall of 1887 it was felt necessary to call a full time pastor for the church. The Reverend E.W.= Souders of Mendon, Illinois, was called in November of that year and became Trinity's first full time pastor. He served for the next one and a half years until his resignation in April, 1889.

The first parsonage was bui= lt in the autumn of 1890 at a cost of about $2000 and it was located just to the = east of the church building. The first pastor to live in the parsonage was the Reverend C.E. Wirick of Tippecanoe, Ohio, who was called in September of 1890. Reverend Wirick would serve as pastor = for eight years. During his tenure, the decision was made for the church to bec= ome self-supporting again. Previously, Trinity had been a beneficiary of the Bo= ard of Home Missions for several years, receiving assistance and aid.

During this time period unt= il the turn of the century, there were many active groups within the church. One g= roup was called the Young People's Society for Christian Endeavor, and a picture= of the group in 1895 shows thirty-five members. One of the group's endeavors w= as sponsoring a missionary in Africa (a for= mer member of Trinity) with a gift of $50 annually. There is no record of when Sunday School was actually begun at Trinity, but by the year 1900, it was certainly quite active with 150 students listed on the roll. The Women's Missionary Society was considered one of the most active in the Synod, and = there was also a Ladies' Aid Society. A church record from 1900 states that twent= y-one members were added to the church that year, bringing the church membership = to a total of 135 members.

Pastor Wirick left in March= , 1898, to answer a call to Winfrid, South Dakota. The next church pastor was Reverend F. L. Sigmund but he also resigned little more tha= n a year later in September, 1900, to accept the position as president of Carthage College. In March of 1901, the Reverend C.W. Sifferd of Newark, Ohio, was called as pastor, = and he arrived in April. He would serve through the next three years until his resignation to accept a call from a Kansas church.

The next few years in the n= ew century saw considerable progress, especially in property improvements. In = 1902 a room was added to the north of the annex and a small kitchen was also bui= lt to the west of the annex (this was removed in later years). These, however, were not the only improvements. At the annual congregational meeting in 190= 3, it was reported that during the past year 200 feet of sidewalk had been lai= d, new carpet installed in the nave, the woodwork and towers had been painted,= and electric lights installed in the church. All improvements were paid for, and the congregation was free of debt. In 1904, a new Lyon and Healy pipe organ was installed, an= d was dedicated on April 22 by Professor Matlock of Chicago. An altar of Flemish oak to match the organ was made by William Bartels.

With the addition of a new = organ, interest grew in the musical setting of the worship services. On December 2= 1, 1904, the choir presented the cantata, "The Nativity," and carols= were sung by the congregation. This was the beginning of the traditional Christm= as carol service which continues to this day. An Easter cantata was also prese= nted in the spring of 1905.

Reverend Jacob Yutzy of Peoria answered the= call to be Trinity's pastor in March of 1905. While pastor, he also served as professor of Biblical history and languages at <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Carthage College from 1908 to 1911. Pastor Yutzy resigned on January 22, 1911, to take up missionary work for the General Council in Portland, Oregon. Professor Sanford Carpenter, who was teaching English in the college, was called next to serve as pastor. He was installed on October 28, 1911. The first Luther League of the church was organized under his leadership in 1912. This organization was started to gi= ve the youth of the congregation a church group of their own.

Great changes were also hap= pening in church improvements during this time. In 1912, the chancel of the church= was remodeled. The original pulpit was moved over to serve as lectern and a new pulpit was made out of Flemish oak. This new pulpit was placed on the right side of the chancel and the altar was moved to the center of the chancel, an arrangement that was more suitable for Lutheran worship. A new furnace and steam radiators were installed to heat the church and new hardwood floors w= ere laid as part of the church's complete redecor= ation. One problem did arise at the dedication of these new improvements. During t= he dedication service on September 8, 1912, the church's pipe organ stopped working. The original reed organ used from the church's beginning 35 years before was called into use to provide the musical accompaniment until the needed repairs could be made.

After answering a call to <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in October, 1913, Pastor Carpenter was succeeded by Reverend Charles Edward= Derr, a college professor. He began in June = of 1914, but only served five months until he too accepted a call to another church. The Reverend Jacob Adolph Diehl, of Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, came to Trinit= y in March, 1915, and remained as pastor until 1922.

War and Persecution

In April, 1917, the United States entered World War I, which had been raging in Europe= for nearly three years. While the actual battlefields were in Europe, our own area also had its share of cruelty and persecution. With Germany in direct conflict with America= , a wave of anti-German sentiment swept through the country. Schools across America= quit offering courses in German language and literature. Many people of German descent were viewed with distrust and accused of disloyalty by "loyal Americans." This is surely not a proud point in the history of our are= a, but nevertheless, Lutherans of German descent were often looked upon with suspicion, especially when the German language was spoken. Our sister congregations, Zion Lutheran and Immanuel Lutheran, both suffered far more th= an Trinity did largely because they conducted their church service in German. In fact, they were forced to completely stop using the German language in their chur= ch services under threat of violence. There is little record left of these tim= es of persecution, but it should not be forgotten as a reminder of just how fragile our right to free speech and religion really is.

The Return of Peace

The end of the war officially occurred on November 11, 1918, with the signing of the armistice. During this time, however, an influenza epidemic was breaking out across the country. Thousands of people died from this epidemic, and a sense of panic pervaded America. All public meetings were banned, including church services, and schools clo= sed their doors as well. No Christmas services were held at any of the churches= in Carthage. By the beginning of the new year in 1919, life had begun to return to normal. The outbreak of influenza had seemed to have run its course and the ban on publ= ic meetings was lifted in January. Church services at Trinity were held once again. Pastor Diehl returned from his = army service, having served as chaplain at Camp Custer, Michigan, during the war. He resumed his duties as pastor for the church and also began teaching in the college. Twilight vesper services on Saturday evenings were begun in the sp= ring of 1919, with the church choir being aided by music students from Carthage College. Later, in 1922, a set of chimes was added to the organ to further the music= al accompaniment of the church.

During the end of the decad= e, following the war, several changes were taking place in the Lutheran Church as a whole in Americ= a. At the time of the armistice, delegates from three large Lutheran bodies of churches were meeting in New Y= ork City. The three groups represented were the General Synod (of which Trinity was a member), the General Council, and the United Synod of the South. On November 15, 1918, they merged to form the United Lutheran Church in America. This was the beginning of the first nation-wide Lutheran church assembly. <= /p>
Another church merger which= would affect Trinity took place in 1920. The four separate Illinois synods (Chicago, Northern Illinois, Central Illinois, and Southern Illinois) met at Carthage from June 8 to 11 in 1920. After holding individual meetings, the delegates gathered for one joint meeting and voted to officially merge and become the= new Illinois Lutheran Synod. A communion service was held in Old Trinity follow= ing the assembly. No doubt it was considered quite the honor for Trinity and Carthage College to have been chosen as the site for such an important meeting.

In direct contrast to the g= rowth of Trinity, the membership of Zion church had dec= lined to the point where it was deemed impractical to continue services any longe= r. Reverend Rosenstengel, Zion's pastor for twenty-one years, preached his= last sermon the Sunday before Christmas in the year 1920. On April 3, 1921, Zion held its las= t congregational meeting at which the congregation authorized the sale of the church propert= y to A.J. Booth for $2500. Pastor Rosensten= gel died the following October. An invitation to join Trinity was extended to t= he remaining members of Zion's congregation and those persons were welcomed into our church. The cornersto= ne from Zion church was brought to Trinity in 1921 to symbolize the common ties of origin shared by both congregations. Twenty years later, in 1941, when the basemen= t of the church was excavated and built, this stone would be placed in the new basement's north wall. Carved with the year &= quot;1864", this stone remains visible to this d= ay.

Progress I= n The Twenties

As Trinity= entered the 1920's, the church experienced increased growth and greater service. Reverend Diehl resigned on June 1, 1922, to return to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. He= was succeeded by Reverend D. Bruce Young, from Polo, Illinois, who came to Trinity in Septe= mber. A young girls' missionary society was organized in 1924 and named for Doctor Anna Kugler, a famous missionary worki= ng in India. Membership continued to rise to such an extent that it was decided in 1925 = to change the form of congregational leadership. Previously, Trinity had used = an 8 person governing body to lead the church with 4 members serving as Deacons = and 4 members serving as Elders. This 8 person "council" was changed = into a Church Council comprised of 12 members, a form which is still in use at t= he present time. Two separate adult Sunday School classes were also begun at this time, one for men and the other (called the Trinity Guild) for women. 1925 also s= aw the first presentation of the Yule candle at the Christmas carol service. T= his candle was given to a member or family who had contributed great service to= the church and the practice was continued until the mid-1980's. Pastor Young tendered his resignation on November 23, 1925, to answer a call to a church= in Shelby, Ohio. Doctor S.G. Heffelbower and Reverend Morgan Webb served in the pulpit during the next year until the arrival of a new pastor.

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Through De= pression and Recovery

In the spr= ing of 1927, a new women's missionary society, the Annie Sanford Guild, was organized with seventeen charter members. Later that same year, Trinity installed Reverend Charles Alton Piel= , of Duluth, Minnesota, as it's new pastor on October 7, 1927. One of Pastor Piel's first innovations was to limit the length= of the Sunday evening services to 30 minutes. The years of Pastor Piel's pastorate covered the Great Depressio= n of the 1930's, when corn prices dropped to 16 cents a bushel, farm mortgages w= ere being foreclosed, and many people lost their life savings in bank failures. During these tough financial times, not much was done in the way of material improvements or in benevolence givi= ng. The extent of property improvements consisted of the house north of the chu= rch being torn down after it was damaged in a storm in 1932. The lot was seeded back to grass to allow space for outdo= or Bible classes or church picnics. However, the church continued to progress spiritually and in depth of fellowship= as people turned to their church and religion to sustain them through the hard times.

Several cl= ubs were organized within Trinity in the early 1930's. A Monday Mission Study Club was started and sponsored b= y the Women's Missionary Society. The first Luther League (originally known as th= e Sunday Afternoon Club) was begun for the you= ng people of the congregation in September, 1932. For the college student; Pas= tor Piel held a series of Sunday evening meetings known as the Student's Fireside Forum, which met at the parsonage. This gro= up was later called the Lutheran Students Association Forum, when a chapter of that organization was formed on the lo= cal campus. Pastor Piel resigned in October, 1936, to accept a position in Elk Horn, Wisconsin. Reverend Charles Landwere was the next pastor to answer Trinity's call and was installed on November 28, 1937. Pas= tor Landwere was <= /span>the first Carthage College graduate to be called = to the pastorship of Trinity. In January, 1938, the Women's Guild was organized as= a ladies' auxiliary to the church and the following year the Men's Brotherhood was organized. A new baptismal font was dedicated for the church in January, 1940.

As the church and community recovered from the Depression, it was now possible to look at filling the n= eed for more room for Sunday School fellowship activities. Work was begun in 1937 to enlarge the church basement to provide this space. The area underneath the = east room was excavated by hand to become the new church kitchen. The church's first indoor bathrooms were also installed in the basement at this time. To have adequate meeting space, fur= ther excavation of the whole basement under the nave began in January, 1941. Originally, only the north furnace roo= m was tall enough to stand up in, with the rest of today's basement existing only= as a crawl space. Church members dug the basement deeper by hand using only shovels and picks. The dirt was hauled by wheelbarrow to a conveyor belt set up through a window on the west wall. The existing foundation was buttressed with additional concrete, (the "led= ge" around the basement wall) and a new floor was also poured. With mostly volu= nteer labor, the basement meeting hall was completed and dedicated on October 20, 1941. This gave Trinity the addition= al meeting space they had so long needed.= Two hundred feet of new sidewalk and curbing were also laid that year.

The Women's Guild became th= e Women of the Church in 1941. With the extra = room in the basement meeting hall, it was n= ow possible for the Women of the Church and the Men's Brotherhood to have their meetings on the same evening. The Young Women's Missionary Society changed its name to Lilliana Bartholomew, in honor of a young missionary to Liberia. Membership of the congregation had increased at this time to 334 confirmed members and 237 co= mmuning members.

The Second= World War

All this h= ad just been accomplished when America was plunged into war once again with the attack on P= earl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The whole country mobilized to help with the war effort and 39 men from Trinity served in the armed forces. Sad= ly, 4 men of these 39 would give their liv= es defending their country. Unlike World War I, however, there was much less anti-German hysteria and little or no persecution of people of German origi= n. Even during those troubled times of war for our nation. Trinity continued to grow and provide spiritual comfort and service to its members. On October 21, 1942. the newly remodeled east room was dedicated and named the Anna Reyer Room in honor of Miss Reyer, who had been superintendent of the prim= ary department for twenty years. An intermediate Luther League was organized that year for children younger than high school age. Pastor Landwere resigned in January, 1943.to accept a call to <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Freeport, Illinois. He was followed in the Trinity pastorate by Reverend Paul T. Hersch, from Brookfield, Illinois. He was installed on May 23, 1943.

During Pastor Hersch's tenure, some new church organizatio= ns were formed. In 1943, Children of the Church was begun for the younger chil= dren of the church. This was a branch of the official children's organization of= the United Lutheran Church of America. A new young adult Sunday School class be= gan in 1944 and a Children's Choir and an Angel Choir were also organized to ad= d to the church's music.

After World War II ended in= 1945, Carthage College experienced a drastic increase in its enrollment. Due to the increased numb= er of students. Trinity began to conduct = two church services at Trinity on Sunday mornings, one an early service at 8:00= am and the other held later in the morning. Restrictions on building materials that had been in effect during the war were now lifted, and it was now poss= ible to proceed with remodeling of the chancel. Throughout the early part of 194= 8, the chancel was remodeled in preparation for the church's 75th Anniversary.= Coincidentally, 50 years later in 1998, the = church would also undertake a major interior remodeling in preparation for its 125= th Anniversary.

75 Years of Service

Trinity Lutheran Church celebrated its 75th Anniversary throughout the month of May, 1948. Beginnin= g on May 2, former Pastor Bruce Young preac= hed at the worship service, followed by a church pot= luck dinner. That evening an Anniversary dinner was served at the Presbyterian Church with an evening church service led by Pastor Morgan Webb. On May 9, Trinity's former Pastor Char= les F. Landwere preached at the worship service. The Confirmation Anniversary Class was confirmed on the following Sunday and on May 23 the church celebrated the A= nniversary communion service.

A new M.P. Moller pipe organ was installed in Dec= ember, 1948, to replace the one that had been in use for the previous 40 years. A = new heating furnace was also purchased and installed in the church around this time. On January 22, 1949, Pastor Hersch organized a Chancel Guild composed of twelve women who would care for the c= hancel and altar. The ladies of the Chancel Guild sewed a new set of paraments in all the liturgical colors and a= lso made new altar and communion linens. The Chancel Guild still exists today (now k= nown as the Altar Guild) with the additional duty of preparation of the elements= for Communion services.

In the summer of 1951, the = first Lutheran Daily Vacation Bible School for the = youth of Trinity was held. Before that year. Trinity had joined with other churches of Carthage for a Union Vacation Bible School. Despite the dates and times of the school having changed over the years, Trinity's Vacation Bible School has continued to this day thanks to the efforts of its volunteer teachers a= nd helpers. Also in 1951, a Children's League was organized to meet the same evening as= the Women of the Church and the Men's Brotherhood. Trinity's membership at the = end of 1951 stood at 293 communing members.

For the church improvements= made from 1947 to 1952 the church had incurred expenses of over $20,000. By 1952, however, this debt was reduced to just $2000, and this final amount was paid off later that year leaving the church free of debt. Beginning in 1953, The Lutheran magazine, the official news magazine of the United Lutheran Church= of America, was mailed to every family in the church. This magazine (still published tod= ay) brings to its subscribers news and stories of the Lutheran church organizat= ion from around the country and the world. New carpet was laid in the nave duri= ng this time and the church purchased a new Baldwin piano to replace the grand piano which was on loan from Carthage College. The church pews were reconditioned and refini= shed with new pew pads being installed. The pads were covered with Dupont Fabrilite and were purchased at a cost of $955. Envelope holders were p= laced on the church pews the following year in 1954. The need for more room for parish education was becoming more pressing as the church's Sunday School enrollment grew and discussion was begun on the possibility of a new educational building.

Pastor Hersch resigned on August 21, 1955, to accept a call to St. = Paul's Church in Hillsboro, Illinois. In De= cember of that year, the Women's Missionary Society changed their name to United Lutheran Church Women. This was done following a decree issued at the ULCA convention to combine all women's organizations in the church under one name. In January, 1956, Pastor Richar= d E. Boye= was installed as pastor of Trinity.

In 1960, the church began u= sing a new hymnal for its worship service. The New Service Book and Hymnal, with i= ts bright red cover, replaced the former Common Service Book with Hymnal (published with both dark blue and black covers) that had been in use by Trinity for over 40 years. Pastor Boye resigned in April of that year to ac= cept a call to South Hampton, Pennsylvania. Trinity's next pastor was Pastor William H. Swarbrick, who was installed on November 11, 1960. Desiring a= new parsonage, the church purchased a house located at 202 Parkway Drive in the southern part of Carthage to be used by the Swarbrick's and Trin= ity's future pastors. The former parsonage (located directly east of the church building) was converted to use s a parish education building.

Loss of the College

In 1962, a= nother merger at the national level of the Lutheran Church took place. Meeting in Detroit, Michigan, the United Lutheran Church of America, th= e Augustana Synod, the = American Evangelica= l Lutheran Church, and the Suomi Synod merged to become o= ne church body named the Lutheran Church of America. Trinity voted in a new constitution following that merger. The LCA would introduce a new Sunday School curriculum in September, 1964, and trai= ning courses were held during the preceding year for Trinity's teachers and staf= f.

During the late 1950's and = early 1960's, there was increasing anxiety among the members of Trinity and the p= eople of Carthage about the possible loss of Carthage College. A building= site had been purchased in 1957 at Kenosha, Wisconsin, with the intent to open a branch campus of Carthage College. This second campus was built and officially opened at its new site on the <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">shore of Lake Michigan in 1962. For the nex= t two years both campuses were in operation. However, in 1964, the LCA and the college board decided to move all of Carthage College's operations and classes= to the new site in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The official reasons for th= is move were the impracticality of runnin= g two campuses as well as LCA policy to have only one church college per synod ar= ea. The Illinois Synod was already served by Augusta= na College in Rock Island, Illinois, while Wisconsin had no other Lutheran college besides the= new campus at Kenosha.

Despite the many pleas and = protests from both Trinity and the city of Carthage= , the LCA stood firm by its decision and closed the Carthage campus. The grounds were sold = and all aspects of Carthage College were transferred to its new home in Wisconsin, where= it continues to operate to the present day. After more than 90 years of coexistence, the loss of the college was a severe blow to both church and c= ity. Trinity's membership declined by 15% with the loss of students and faculty. Many people felt abandoned and betrayed by the LCA for its quick removal of= the college that had grown up alongside our congregation. However, Trinity over= came this new challenge as it had other ones in the past: by moving forward with= its mission of spreading the Gospel and serving its members' spiritual needs.

Building For The Future

Once the debt on the parsonage had been retired in 1965, the congregation began = to make specific plans for the long anticipated parish education building. Holland and Steed Architects from Chicago were chosen to draw up a new ma= ster blueprint for the building. A great deal of input had come from a congregational planning council that had studied the needs to be filled by = the new hall. This was the first definite step on the road to the new parish ha= ll, but it would be another three years before construction would begin.

In the meanwhile, the churc= h was making other changes as well. Beginning in 1966, the catechetical course for the church youth was extended to three years, followed by confirmation after completing 9th grade. The women's organizations were streamlined into just two groups under the Lutheran Church Women heading. T= he Dorcas Circle<= /st1:Street> was formed from two of the previous women's circles and would hold their meetings in the afternoon. The Esther Circle was crea= ted out of the church's two women's clubs and their meetings took place in the evenings. In the area of property improvements, the church purchased the Mi= ller and Egbers lots north of the church gr= ounds to be used for more parking space. The Miller property was bought for $8500 with the Egbers property priced at $9000. Over the next two years, the hous= es on those lots were torn down by volunteer labor from the church members. Du= ring this time, the congregation also decided to redecorate the nave and annex of the church building. Outside the church, both church towers were roofed over with copper for weatherproofing. These= two projects were completed at a cost of $6500. The parsonage also received painting and minor repairs with members' labor.

Pastor Swarbrick resigned his post in August, 1968, to accept a call to St. Paul's church in <= span style=3D'color:#007F00'>Dixon, Illinois. A call was extend= ed in September to Pastor Roswell E. Aden of Medford, Wisconsin, who was then installed on October 27, 1968.

Two weeks prior to Pastor A= den's installation, on October 13, the church had conducted a ground breaking ceremony for the new parish hall. Reverend Donald Johnson of Keokuk, Iowa, was serving as Trinity's interim pastor and led the service with the first shovel of dirt turned up by Ted Geissler. The old parsonage was torn down, its basement filled in, and the concrete f= loor poured for the new hall before winter set in that year. Don Welch was hired= as general contractor for the construction of the new building. Hoffman Electric Service handled the electri= cal installation with Russell Bettisworth = being contracted for the installation of the hall's plumbing and heating.

The completed building stoo= d 133 feet long by 54 feet wide and was built at a cost of $86,596.11. This cost = was considerably below the original estimate from the architect, due in large p= art to savings realized from using local contractors in addition to a great dea= l of volunteer labor from the congregation members. The parish hall's rooms incl= uded a church office, pastor's study, library and lounge, audio-visual room, kitchen, rest rooms, and a storage/furnace room. For educational use the ha= ll contained a nursery, kindergarten, superintendent's supply room, and a large fellowship hall which could partitioned off into seven separate classrooms.=

The new fellowship building= was dedicated for use on May 3, 1970. The new Parish Hall provided a greatly enhanced setting for Sunday School classes and Vacation Bible School, organizatio= nal and fellowship meetings, Lenten services, and other social events such as o= pen houses, receptions, and soup suppers. The Parish Hall has become a very integral part of our church, being used for a wide variety of functions both within the church and for community events as well.

A change in communion pract= ices was enacted by the church in 1972. Upon recommendation by the LCA, the congregation voted to give communio= n to baptized children who had completed the fifth grade of Sunday School and had received instruction in the sacrament of Holy Communion. The length of catechetical classes remained at three years, with confirmation into the ch= urch as a full member following successful completion of the course.

A N= ew Century of Service

Trinity Lutheran Church achieved a m= ajor milestone in 1973. 100 years had passed since the church was first began by= the original 17 members. The church began its centennial celebration on May 6, 1973, with an Anniversary Banquet and Program. Held at the Robert Morris College Dining Hall, the congregation enjoyed a banquet and music-filled service with Trinity's former Pastor Hersch as the featured speaker. Throughout the rest of May, the church was honored= to have three more of its former pastors address the congregation. Pastors Boye, Swarbrick, and Landwere preached the sermons on the following Sundays. The celebration conti= nued on during the year with Confirmation of the anniversary year class in June = and a Confirmation Reunion in September. A booklet commemorating the centennial celebration was published for congregation members. This booklet contained a history of the church as well as many photographs from both the past and fr= om the year of the centennial.

Several significant changes= were enacted in the church during 1973. At the annual meeting that year, the congregation voted to have Holy Communion once every month, to be given on = the first Sunday of every month. = Before this vote, the sacrament of Holy Communion was celebrated only 4 or 5 times= a year. In another area, the church council also approved discontinuing the mailing of the weekly church bulletin to every family. Instead, this would = be replaced by a monthly newsletter, in order to save on rising postage costs.= A recommendation was brought before the council to utilize lay persons for reading the first and second lesson during the service. This was approved a= nd we still use congregation members as lay-readers today.

In 1974, the church shifted= from providing a parsonage to its pastor and instead would now pay the pastor an annual housing allowance. Following this decision, the former parsonage at = 202 Parkway Drive was sold to Pastor and Mrs. Aden. The year 1976 was full of celebrations for our nation's bicentennial anniversary. 1976 was also the f= irst year a woman was elected to serve on Trinity's church council. Evelyn Briley was installed as treasurer of the cou= ncil and was the first in a long line of women who have served jointly with their male counterparts on the council.

The following year saw the = north parking lot converted from gravel to a blacktop surface. The interior of the Parish Hall received a new coat of paint after the wall seams were retaped. In 1978, the church hymnal was supe= rseded once again. The Lutheran Book of Worship (with its dark green cover) was dedicated on October 29, 1978. With its new liturgies being unfamiliar to t= he congregation, "learning sessions" were held before the church services for several weeks before its dedication. This allowed the congrega= tion and choir some practice with the new hymnal before its actual introduction.=

Pastor Aden retired from the pastorate on January 1, 1982. The church conducted a search for a new pastor and in the following July, Pastor John D. Meyer was installed as Trinity's next pastor= . Also in 1982, the church had new blue carpeting laid in the church to replace the previous red carpet. 1983 saw Trinity celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's birth. The church became handicapped accessible in 1984 wit= h a new wheel chair ramp being installed on the east side of the church. Prior = to this, one had to climb at least some steps to come into the church sanctuar= y. The ramp has also been useful for funerals in bringing the casket into the = church. Ceiling fans were installed in the church sanctuary in 1984 to help with the air circulation as a means to improve both heating and cooling. Another project involved the churc= h's pipe organ in 1986. After the church's roof leaked, it was feared that water may have gotten into the organ pipes. Many church members helped to remove = and clean each individual pipe before its return to service.

The city of Carthage celebrated its 150th anniversa= ry in 1987. For the city's sesquicentennial. Trinity published a pamphlet on the history of the church. Trinity was also part of a tour of Carthage's significant landmarks. The historical brochure was provided to tour participants in addition to a copy being buried in <= st1:City w:st=3D"on">Carthage's time capsule (which is to be opened in the year 2037).

Continuing Progress

On a nation= al level, 1987 and 1988 saw the Lutheran Church in Ameri= ca combining with the American Lutheran Church and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches to form the new Evangelical Church in America. Trinity became part of the ELCA on Jan= uary 1, 1988. Pastor Meyer served as a dele= gate to the last LCA convention held as wel= l as attending the beginning convention of the ELCA.

About this time. Trinity was faced with a crossroads on whe= re to proceed with the building repairs that were coming to light on the church building. It was thought that major renovation would be needed for the choi= r room, East room, and restrooms as well as po= ssibly connecting the church to the Parish Hall. James Krewson was hired as architect to come up with possible plans for this work, but the project was tabled by congregational vote in 1991 when the submitted contra= ctor's bids were much higher in actual cost than the original estimates. The bids = (at $181,000 and $223,000) were so high that serious thought was given to constructing a new church building entirely. After much discussion, it was decided to shelve most of the renovation plans and to allocate funds for repairs to the original building as needed.

December 24, 1990, saw the beginning of Christmas Eve candlelight communion services. Previously, the = Sunday School Children's Christmas program had been held on Christmas Eve, but sin= ce then has taken place on the Sunday night before Christmas. One of our churc= h's most moving moments during the year comes on Christmas Eve with the singing= of the hymn Silent Night by candlelight.

Between 1991 and 1993, a co= mmittee of Trinity's members worked on designing a new constitution to more closely follow the standards of the ELCA. Guidelines for church committees and empl= oyee job descriptions and duties were also more clearly spelled out. The proposed constitution was printed in installments in the church newsletter for member review. At the annual meeting in January, 1993, the Trinity's members voted approval for the new constitution. On a sadder note reflecting the t= imes we live in, 1992 brought the council decision to lock the church building except during times of service. Vandals had entered the church and damaged = some of the interior of the church. To prevent future such events, and also for = the safety of members who had to work at the church, locks were installed on all doors of the church. Keys were issued to appropriate persons and the church would be locked as is the Parish Hall. For the first time in its history, t= he doors of Trinity would not be open at all times.

As the spring of 1993 arriv= ed, it brought with it some of the heaviest rains and flooding our region has know= n. Many Trinity members helped with the relief efforts along the river both directly and indirectly. From actual sandbagging to serving lunches for the workers at the Appanoose church to the= many other untold acts of good will, the church reached out to help meet the nee= ds of the communities around us. The willingness to "lend a helping hand&= quot; should come as no surprise when one looks at some of the other areas where = the church has helped people both local and far away.

Throughout its history. Trinity Lutheran Church has put its Christian mission into action and deeds with its many acts of benevolence. During the decades of the 1930's and the 1940's, the church annually collected home canned food from Trinity members to be donated to t= he Nachusa Home Orphanage. On "Harvest Festival" Sunday in the fall, the church would be decorated with all of the jars of donated home canned food before it was transported to the orphanage. Empty canning jars were then sent back to be refilled throughout= the next summer for the cycle to repeat. In 1954, the church participated in an All-Lutheran Food Appeal with seven other area Lutheran churches. Members f= rom each church donated either cash or bushels of ear corn to the appeal. Contributions of ear corn were shelled at Bentley, IL= , and sold to the elevator (corn was selling= for $1.40 a bushel at the time). The resulting money was then sent to the Luthe= ran world hunger relief. 1608 bushels of corn (over 90,000 pounds) were donated= by the seven churches to the effort.

Over the years, there have = been many other acts of mission and benevolence. The church has helped missionar= ies with prayers and financial support as well as donations to new churches just beginning their ministry. At one time, Trinity worked with the Hancock County Migrant Council to aid and as= sist migrant workers living near Lomax and = employed for the vegetable harvest. Our church members have helped with the community distribution of government commodities as well as the annual Christmas Club where food baskets are prepared and given to needy families. The Kitchen Committee has served numerous meals for church fellowship events, funerals,= and receptions. Each year, the churches of the area join together for Union Wor= ship services at Thanksgiving. Trinity members both pledge and walk for world hu= nger relief at the annual CROP walk. To list all of Trinity's acts of benevolence would be difficult at best, but suffice it to say our church has strived to fulfill its mission of spreading = God's love to others.

One long standing benevolent organization within Trinity is the Ladies' Sewing Group (although both wome= n and men work in the group). Originally started in the late 1930's, this group is still quite active and continues to contribute over 100 handmade comforts e= ach year to Lutheran World Relief. Some of the members still use a special "Hoelscher knot" to tack the comfo= rts together. This knot is named after the Hoelsc= her sisters who were founding members of the group back in the 1930's. While the majority of the comforts go overseas, some are donated to the Hancock County Back Closet for allocation to= needy families within our own local area. The group also collects clothing, soap,= and assembles kits with school supplies and sewing supplies for distribution through Lutheran World Relief.

Returning to the year 1993,= Trinity published its first pictorial directory of the church membership. Nearly 175 families and members took part in this endeavor to capture the church membership on film. While requiring a fair amount of work to set up the sch= eduling, this project was received with much enthusiasm and completed with success. = In the area of property, the church steeples became the focus of attention this year when wind damaged some of the tower ornaments. For safety's sake, it w= as decided to remove the remaining ornaments from the towers.

In 1994, Steven Meyer was ordained as a minister of th= e ELCA after completing his seminary classes a= nd internship. Steve is the son of Pastor and Millie Meyer and his ordination = into the office of Word and Sacrament Ministry of the Lutheran Church took place in Trinity on February 27, 1994. Many proud members of Steve's personal and church families attended the ceremony to wish him well in his future vocation to the Lord.

The church added to its pro= perty holdings in 1995 with the acquisition of the = Kline property. Located directly to the north of the church parking lot, it was purchased for $12,500. The house on the lot was torn down, the lot leveled,= and seeded back to grass. The church building itself also received attention wi= th two new restrooms being installed in t= he East room. This marked the first time when restrooms were available on the = main floor of the church. New carpeting was laid in the East room at the same ti= me. In September, the council approved the purchase of a new Yamaha baby grand piano for the church sanct= uary. This year also brought the use of beeswax candles to an end with the purcha= se of oil-filled candles for the altar. The new candles remain at the same hei= ght, never getting shorter, by burning oil for the flame without consuming the candle itself. New paraments in the co= lors of the church calendar were also acquired for the altar and lecterns. Also during 1995, in an effort to stop rain water from leaking into the church building, the church steeple towers were covered over with aluminum siding.=

In the autumn of 1996, Past= or Meyer tendered his resignation to the church effective January 31, 1997. Since his retirement, Trinity has been conducting a search for a new pastor. In the meantime. Pastor Christopher Hale, of = Quincy, IL, has been ably filling in as interim pastor= . Also during 1997, Trinity began using a new supplement to our hymnal for worship service. With One Voice has been added as part of our service, with = many new songs and liturgies to complement our current hymnal and settings. This supplement has certainly not gathered any dust, having been used quite often since its introduction.

Late in the year, the congr= egation voted to redecorate the interior of the church. New pews were purchased to replace the current seats, and the old pews were offered for sale to congregation members. Enough money was raised from these sales and from ple= dges to pay for the new pews. The walls and ceiling of the sanctuary were re-plastered and painted, the wainscoting removed from the side walls, the= roof arches bleached a new white color, and the area surrounding the altar also received the contractor's attention. After the old pews were removed, the w= ood floors were refinished and new green carpetin= g laid down to replace the previous blue material. Finally, the entryway between the church and the east roo= m was opened up for additional worship space. These improvements combined to give= the church a much brighter look and feeling. During the period of construction = from January to March, 1998, Trinity held worship services in the Parish Hall. A= lso during the spring of 1998, the church installed a Maase-Rowe Carillon to be played from the bell tower. The set of hammered chimes adds its melodic sound to complement the ringing of our regular bell.

125 Years Later

1998 begins= the 125th year of our congregation's existence. An Anniversary Committee was fo= rmed to plan and organize events throughout the year to celebrate this milestone= in our church's history. Events scheduled to take place in this coming year include a birthday party for the church, burial of a church time capsule, an Anniversary banquet, and a new pictorial directory with church history. The church will also celebrate on several Sundays with worship services being l= ed by different Pastors who have been affiliated with Trinity. These events wi= ll be a visible memorial of the pride we feel as a congregation to have reached this point in time.

This church history is inco= mplete; as any historical record will be. Not only are there facts that have faded = with time and been forgotten, but it also can never touch upon all of the people= who have helped shape Trinity. There are literally hundreds of persons who may = not have been mentioned by name, but nonetheless played vital roles in our chur= ch's history. Individual recognition must take a second place to the larger pict= ure of Trinity Lutheran Church and the values and beliefs it symbolizes. Simply because an event or person= was not mentioned here does nothing to lessen the contribution they gave to the= ir church and their God.

While it is the actual chur= ch building that comes to mind first when Trinity is spoken of, Trinity Lutheran Church is much more= than just a building we go to for worship. The church can be better likened to a family (albeit a large one). Trinity has provided not only spiritual comfor= t to its members, but also a sense of belonging. Like all families, there have b= een both good times and bad, with periods of harmony offset by times of disagreement. Yet, the church has continued to thrive and grow through all these years, remaining faithful to its mission to spread the word of God.

The changes that have occur= red in the world over the past 125 years are staggering. One of the original found= ers of the church would be quite amazed and shocked by our age of computers, automobiles, and cellular telephones. But, one thing they could relate to w= ould be the presence of Trinit= y Lutheran Church. It has remained a constant in the lives of its members for a century and a quarter, providing us with ties to the past, support for the present, and strength for the future. We can only speculate on what the future may hold = for Trinity Lutheran Church, but it would be safe to say that this 125th anniversary is not a conclusion, but merely a foundation laid down for the = years yet to come.

Compiled by William Fecht
Written by Robert M. Fecht
copyright 1998 Robert M. Fecht