Feature Article on Anna church. Topic: PIONEERS
Written by Lew and Pat Diehl in July, 2000
GONE, BUT NOT ENTIRELY |
| The Lutheran church that served the
Anna community 100 years ago still stands, not as a church, but as a still functioning
barn east of the village within sight of Interstate 75. Above is the old frame church, the St. Jacob
Lutheran Church, sometime before June 25, 1906. The window in the gable still exists in
Anna. The church stood at the intersection of County Road 25-A and Ohio 119. Photo
courtesy of Paulette Wobus Rapp.
|
| One Church, Two
Congregations In 1832, the first Lutheran pioneers arrived in the territory north of Sidney, Ohio to found their homes. While dealing with the hardships of beginning a new living in the wilderness, they combined efforts with a few of the Reformed faith for establishment of regular congregational work. The earliest records of these pioneers include names of Bey, Moothart, Altermatt, Schlosser, Gump, Staley, and Schwander. This group with two distinct sections was necessary because of fewness in numbers, and the poverty and difficulties with which they had to contend. It was named the St. Jacob’s Congregation. The Schwander family moved to the area in 1833 to build their log cabin as "deer and wolves still roved through the forests," according to one writer. That year found the Lutherans busy at building a parsonage for their pastor. Rev. John Henry Ferdinand Joesting took possession of the one-room rough log house, which was also used as a school and a church. It stood on the east side of what is now County Road 25A, across from the old cemetery that is still identified there. That fall more names were added to the Lutheran ranks, names that in today’s spelling are Hagelberger, Fogt, Finkenbine, Zimpfer, Schafer, and Knasel. Then in 1835, the Lutherans and Reformed, now numbering about 18 families in each group, joined hands in erecting their first church. It was a 36 by 24-foot dressed log building, situated on a piece of land donated by David Schwander, which is now the old Lutheran cemetery. The confirmation of the first Lutheran class of catechumens took place there in May of 1836. Descendants of David Schwander, later spelled Swander, still live on the farm that hosted the old Lutheran cemetery. Rev. Joesting served the congregation for seven years, while clearing land to raise crops, traveling the wilderness on foot, and establishing a second congregation in Auglaize county, to where he eventually moved. He was replaced by Rev. George Klapp, who resided in St. Paris, and from there served a number of scattered congregations. [ Back ] [ Next ] [ Up ] [ New Search ] |
