Calvary Rosemont Plans Celebration

(some information for this article were taken from a Hastings Tribune Article written in 1988 by Joel Lau )

ROSEMONT-Former Rosemont Pastor Paulsen will return to give the message for a 60th anniversary celebration at Calvary Rosemont Lutheran church. The congregation is celebrating 60 years since the dedication at this location Sunday March 13. Former members and friends are encouraged to attend the Sunday morning worship service which will begin at 10:30 a.m . A Pot luck dinner will follow in the church fellowship hall. (basement)

The church was reorganized 60 years ago when Zion Lutheran church and Salem Lutheran Church consolidated at a central location to become Calvary Lutheran church in Rosemont

The small Calvary Lutheran church congregation at Rosemont is presently served by Pastor Ronald Kuehner formerly of Red Cloud, who is semi retired and now lives in Blue Hill.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 8 miles south east of Rosemont or 6 1/2 miles south west of Lawrence had already experienced 62 years of history before it merged with Salem Lutheran Church of rural Rosemont in 1951. Salem had been founded in 1899 four miles southwest of Rosemont. Salem Lutheran Cemetery marks the spot where it once was located.

Zion’s relationship with Salem began in 1904 when Zion’s minister began serving its sister congregation.

Zion was established by seven families on August 12, 1888. It’s charter members included Friedrich, Louis, John and Carl Bangert; and Matthaeus and John Benker. Many decendents of these founding fathers, the Bangerts and the Benkers, still attend the Rosemont church.

“Not very big” said 103 year old Clara Kirchner,(in 1988) of Blue Hill, describing Zion’s first congregation. Kirchner was the oldest surviving member of Zion. Her father was John Bangert. Her son Kenneth and his family still attend the church in the Rosemont location. In 1888 the congregation built a combined church and parsonage on land donated by Friedrich Bangert. The land surrounding where the church once stood, and where the Zion Lutheran cemetery is located still belongs to decendants of Friedrich Bangert.

The building built by the congretation in 1888 was 20 by 32 feet and cost $620. The Congregation’s first minister, Rev. H Dannefeldt soon arrived and a year later the congregation joined the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The congregation’s growth required the construction of a new church building in 1891. By the middle 1890’s the church had over 170 members. The close-knit congregation shared in each other’s lives, according to Kirchner. When someone missed church the case was quickly investigated by other members. “It was an unwritten law that everyone go to church on Sunday.” she said. “ We were trained that way. We went to church every Sunday and there was no letup. We were a strong bunch.” Kirchner was active in the church and helped found the Ladies Aid in 1927. “As long as I could manage I went to church and ladies aid.” she said.
The Walther League (Youth group) was organized seven years earlier. Physical changes experienced by the Zion congregation between 1907 and 1912 included the building of a coal house, a buggy shed, a parsonage and the schoolhouse. The biggest change for the congregation may have been the transition from German to English. For many years all services at the church were conducted in German. “I couldn’t speak a word of American. I spoke German. My father was a strong German”, she said ”We had some in-laws that couldn’t speak German and (her father) insisted they talked German at least in his presence.” The transition to speaking the english language in church services was influenced by World War I and the intermarriage of the German members with English speaking families. “At first everyone insisted they have German services. Then they married into the American family, “ Kirchner said.
In 1917 Alma Knehans became the first student at Zion to be confirmed in the English language and by 1925 the English Constitution was adopted.
In 1904 the two congregations located just over four miles apart began to share a minister. The minister was required to conduct Sunday services and teach school for both congregations. The various ministers continued to teach at Zion’s school until 1920 when full time teachers taught until the school closed in 1950. It was just like any other one-room school” said Katherine Stroh, of Blue Hill, speaking in 1988. Her father was John Benker. After her marriage Katherine and her family attended church as the Salem location. She was 14 years old when she decided to attend the parochial school at Zion. Kirchner attended school at Zion until she was 13. As the 1930’s approached, economic depression and the area’s declining population forced the congregation to consider merging with Salem. Although the consolidation with Salem was officially discussed in August 1925 it wasn’t until January 1948 that the decision to merge was made. Calvary Lutheran Church in Rosemont was dedicated in Rosemont in March 1951. “They decided that Rosemont was sort of halfway between for people to come," Stroh said. Her late husband Harvey, was a member of Salem. The couple was married at Zion in 1919. When the merger was complete the parsonage at zion was moved to Rosemont, the church was destroyed and the school was sold. The Rosemont church was moved from the Salem location into Rosemont. Lumber was salvaged from the Zion church to add on to the building. Anniversary services commemorating Zion's Centennial were held August 21, 1988 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rosemont

Church History

taken from March 11, 1951, Dedication Book

Calvary Lutheran Church of Rosemont, Nebraska was organized in April 1950. The Rev. V. C. Frank, then Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Blue Hill, and vacancy pastor of Zion Lutheran Church of Guide Rock and Salem Lutheran Church at Rosemont , directed the organization. Though Calvary Lutheran Church is less than a year old, its anecedents congregations have existed for more than half a century. The members of Zion and the Salem congreatations amalgamated to form the new congregation . Thirty seven members have signed the constitution of Calvary and conprise its charter membership. The present parsonage of Calvary Lutheran Church is the former parsonage located at the site of Zion Lutheran Church near Guide Rock, from where it was moved, and has now been enlarged and completely renovated. The Church structure, which we are dedicating today, is a composite unit, part of the building being the former Salem Congregations house of worship which was moved to Rosemont, and the transverse section being added and built largely of material salvaged from the dismanteling of Zion congregations church building. The whole hearted support of the members of the Calvary congregation , their innumerable hours of labor , their love filled zeal has made this dream come true. May God bless this house and all who minister and worship here. To God alone be all the Glory.

Salem Lutheran Church was organized on June 25, 1899, under the leadership of Pastor P.P. Graf of the Iowa Synod. He was the resident Pastor of Salem Lutheran Church north of Smyrna. Charter members of Salem Lutheran Church were Carl Spilker, Fritz Hemsath, Carl Gestring, Henry Blobaum, Fred Blobaum, Henry Spilker, Minna Erfmann, Otto Myeller, and Herman Spirring.

Pastor Grael served Salem until 1902. Pastor Kiesow, also of the Smyrna Church, served Salem until January 1904 when he resigned because of the distance between congregations. Salem was served by Missouri Synod pastors after this time.

Within a year after Salem called a Missouri Synod pastor, a new Iowa Synod congregation was organiszed two miles to the south of Salelm. This new congregation, known as Emmanuel Luteran Church, was situated on four acres of land purchased in March 1905 from Carl and Loesa Scheiding. The church building was erected in 1906.