REMEMBERING THE PAST . . .

History should have a mission--memory gives hope.  God calls you back to where you are and Whose you are!

1885    Pastor Vollmar gave spiritual ministry and care, but he was a fulltime Pastor at Penn Lutheran and his responsibilities there made it necessary for him to discontinue this service.   After a lengthy interruption, Pastor Frey from the Lutheran Church in Moltke consented to continue the task that Pastor Vollmar had started, offering Sunday afternoon services every third Sunday.  These services were held in the public school house near our church.

1887    Pastor Mueller, from Penn, took over the ministry, conducting services every two weeks, Sunday afternoons and supplying the spiritual needs of this little group.  They chose the name of "Evangelical Lutheran St. Matthews Congregation of Town Round Grove.  On the basis of 1 Cor. 14:40 and in harmony with the confessions of our Church, they prepared and adopted a constitution.

1888   Pastor Ehwaldt accepted a call to be a full time Pastor. Services were conducted in the German language.  The building of a church was postponed until the spring of 1888.

1889  The congregation voted to build a parsonage .

1890  Pastor Ehwaldt found it difficult to adapt to rural circumstances and the congregation granted him a peaceful release. During the vacancy the congregation was served by Pastor Schreiner of Bismark.  Six months later Pastor Wuebben of Armstrong, Minnesota, accepted the call and began his ministry in November.  Shortly thereafter the congregation increased his annual salary from $300 to $350 a year, provide the necessary fuel for the parsonage and feed for the horse and obligated each member to deliver a given amount of wheat.

1895  Prof. W Schmidt, who was the official consultant of the St. Paul Conference of the Ohio Synod declared that Pastor Wuebben could no longer continue to work in blessing in this congregation.  He had been charged with various accusation about his offensive way of life.  During his active ministry the congregation had grown from 26 to 50 members.  Pastor Gehrke of Clintonville, Wisconsin was extended the call at this time and started in March of that year. A organ was purchased in this year in time for the Christmas festival services. 

1897  It was voted to enlarge the parsonage, but was postponed until 1898.  Pastor Gehrke asked for his release from this congregation and moved to Bigwoods, Minnesota.

1899  Pastor Schlagdenhaufen came from Woodville, Wisconsin to serve this congregation.  Attendance was quite poor and when the pastor would ask why this was the usual excuse, "So often one has to be ready, for lack of seating room, either to stand during the service or to return home."

1901 The congregation voted to build a new church in the spring of 1902.  According to specifications the church was to be a brick structure 36 X 56 feet, not including the dimensions of sanctuary and tower.  Including tower and sanctuary areas the over-all dimensions were to be 75 feet in length.  Mr. Webster of Winthrop received the building contract and the cornerstone of the church was laid on June 22, 1902.  Congregation membership is 61 families. The cost of the church was $10,000.

1906  During a severe thunderstorm, the roof of the church was struck by a lightning bolt which did some damage.

1907  The steeple of the church was struck by lightning and the damage amounted to $245.

1908  Pastor Schlagdenhaufen informed the congregation that because for reasons of health he would tender his resignation and accept the position of house-father at St. Paul Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.  Pastor Chr. Langholz of Good Thunder, Minnesota was called.

1914  Pastor Langholz left and Rev K Haerle of Anamoose, North Dakota was installed. 

1915  The present pipe organ was purchased at a cost of $785 from the Hinners firm in Pekin, Ill.

1917  In the spring the congregation sold the two acres of land east of the church for $300 to N.O. Burke and bought from John Stockmann the present 7 acres of land at a cost of $125 per acre.

1927 Pastor Adolph Rink of Albert City, Iowa was installed.  The present parsonage was built under the pastorate of Pastor Rink.

1935 It was decided to have English services once a month, namely the last Sunday in the month. The 50th anniversary of the congregation was observed in this year also.

1936 Rev G Bents of Almena, Wisconsin was called as the next pastor.

1937 Electric lights were installed and the church was redecorated.

1943  Rev Fred Lehne of Glenwood City, Wisconsin was installed.  Now services are conducted every Sunday in the German and English languages.  The Sunday School is conducted between the two services. The Luther League was organized to keep the young people of the congregation together. 

1944 The Ladies Aid was organized with 23 charter members.

1945  The congregation joined the pension fund of the American Lutheran Church.  The American Lutheran Hymnal was also introduced. The same year the church basement was remodeled and finished with kitchen, rest rooms and other arrangements to make for convenient use for the organizations and meetings of the congregation. A new heating system was installed and water and sewer system laid.

1947  An oil burner was installed in the church furnace and the parsonage was painted.

1948  New offering plates were purchased and an acre of land next to the present cemetery to be used for future cemetery purpose.

1950  Improvements were made to the present church at a cost of $14,1783.00. Present membership was 240.

1952  Celebrated the 50th anniversary of the present church building.

1954  A hot air furnace was installed, replacing the coal furnace.

1961  Curb and gutter was constructed around the church and cemetery.

1963  Rev Lehne accepted a call to Wells, Minn and Rev B.J. Engskow from Belgrade, Mn. arrived. The parsonage was remodeled.

1967 The new red humnals were purchased.

1969 The congregation decided to sell the old schoolhouse and have it removed from the property.  The church interior was painted and stenciled that year.

1971 The old furnace exploded and a new furnace was purchased.

1973 Pastor Engskow retired and Rev Clarence Muskie from Mapleton, Mn. was called. The parsonage was insulated that year, new storm windows and screens were purchased and the kitchen windows were replaced.

1977  It became necessary to do some work on the exterior of the church building, the bricks were tuck pointed, the wood trim painted, the steeple repaired, and the church roof was insulated.

1978 The wood trim on the church was replaced and the barn roof was shingled.  To encourage contributions to the perpetual cemetery care fund, a plaque was purchased so that the names of all who donated $100 or more could be listed on the plaque.

1979 Pastor Muske retired and Pastor Tim Malland, a seminary graduate, was called to serve us. The green hymnals were purchased and the ecumenical Vacation Bible School was started.

1980 The realign of the cemetery stones and repairing of the first and oldest section of the cemetery was started at a cost of $3000.

1981 The first edition of the Fernando Favorites Cookbook is published under the direction of Velda Quandt.

1982 Rev Malland accepted a call to Hutchinson, Mn. Pastor Mark Gilderhus then accepted the call.

1984 Pastor Gilderhus left to go to Redwood Falls, Mn and we were once again without a pastor. The centennial committee began it's work planning for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the church and had a kick-off hog roast, potluck dinner, bake sale, and an auction - the proceeds of which enabled the congregation to continue its work.

1985 During the interim the congregation was served by Seminary graduate, Martha Halls.  The call committee then extended the call to Pastor Martha Halls for a two thirds position.  She was the first woman pastor of St. Matthew's and one of the first women pastors in the Southwestern Minnesota Synod. She lived in Winthrop with her husband the Rev Marcus Kunz who was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, therefore the parsonage sat empty being used for Sunday School, small group meetings and the Pastor's study. On September 15, 1985 was the Centennial Sunday. There were 60 pupils in Vacation Bible School that year and 35 in Sunday School. 

1989 Pastor Halls resigned and Pastor Bob Miner served as the interim Pastor.

1990 Pastor Elizabeth Strenge who continued to live with her husband, Rev Larry Strenge of Brownton, Mn., accepted a call to serve this congregation on a partime basis.  Under her leadership the youth started attending the National Youth Conventions.

1994 Pastor Elizabeth Strenge left to serve a mission church in Sartell, Minnesota which St. Matthew's helped with a part of the funding.  Rev Doug Lokken accepted the call and moved into the parsonage.  The first family to move back in since 1985.

1997 Pastor Lokken left the congregation and Pastors Andrea Olson, Jim Meyer, Steve Josephson, and J David Nelson served as interims.

2000 Pastor Janet Carlson began her duties as Pastor of a two point perish between St. John's of Bismark and St. Matthew's.  Pastor Janet chose to live in the parsonage of St. John's. The second edition of the Fernando Favorites Cookbook is published under the direction of Jane Gehrke.

2002 Pastor Janet Carlson married and moved to California.  Rev Bob Johnson became the interim Pastor and continues to serve both congregations at the present time.  He lives in Chanhassen, Mn.

St. Matthew's continues the work of caring for its community and for the world, all the while hoping against hope that there will continue to be a place for small rural churches and that more people will learn about the joys of working and living on the land that God gave us.