History

A History of Peace Lutheran Church

125 years ago, a small group of German-speaking families in the Friedensau area northeast of Deshler began meeting together for worship at the Friedensau public school building.  These families had withdrawn from Trinity Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod at Friedensau in order to form a new Lutheran congregation.

Pastor C. Buechler came to Thayer County in 1883 as a missionary of the Ohio Synod.  He settled in Carleton and began organizing and serving several congregations throughout the area, including Zion in Carleton (1883), St. Paul’s at Spring Creek (1883), and Trinity in Bruning (1884).

In August 1883 Pastor Buechler met with ten men to begin the organization of a new congregation in Freidensau.  On November 13, 1883, “The German Evangelical Lutheran Friedens (or Peace) Congregation, Unaltered Augsburg Confession, at Friedensau, Thayer County, Nebraska” was officially incorporated.

Pastor Buechler served Peace for three and one half years as one of his circuit of congregations.   Lutheran education has always been important to Peace, and so in its second year, Peace organized its own Lutheran school.  Together with St. Paul’s at Spring Creek, Peace called a teacher to teach 8 months at Peace and 4 months at St. Paul.  When the teacher resigned a few years later, Peace joined with St. Paul’s to call a pastor who would serve as both pastor and school teacher for the two congregations.

On February 20, 1887, Pastor Buechler installed Pastor Heinrich W. Kahre as pastor and teacher of Peace and St. Paul Lutheran Churches.  Pastor Kahre was 21 years old at the time.  That year Peace also constructed its first house of worship, not in Friedensau, but in Deshler, the new town forming on the branch line of the Rock Island Railroad.  Pastor Buechler and Pastor Kahre dedicated the new house of worship on August 14, 1887.  The next year Mr. L. Virus donated ground for Peace Lutheran Cemetery.

In 1889, Pastor Kahre resigned from St. Paul’s to become the full-time pastor of Peace.  Pastor Kahre married his wife Antonia, and Peace built its first parsonage for the young couple.  Pastor Kahre had been living in a room added on to the church building.  From 1891 to 1893, the Kahres had three sets of twins.  In 1893 Peace put an addition on the parsonage.

Also in 1893 Pastor Kahre helped to organize Zion Lutheran Church southwest of Deshler which he served along with Peace until he accepted a call in late 1896 to Des Moines, Iowa.  Pastor Kahre served Peace for almost ten years.

Early in 1897, the congregation called Pastor John Schwerin, who had been serving as an assistant pastor in Illinois.  That same year his bride arrived from Germany, and John and Bertha Schwerin were married at Peace.

The next year Peace built a new and much larger house of worship for the growing congregation.  Worship space was almost doubled with a sanctuary 60 feet by 34 feet.  A 90-foot high steeple with a 1400 pound bell became a landmark in Deshler.  The new house of worship was dedicated on the Sunday before Christmas in 1898.  It served the congregation for 55 years.  The bell still rings in our bell tower today.

Pastor Schwerin also taught the congregation’s school which met in the original church building.  In 1904 the congregation called C. Witt as teacher, organist, and choir leader.  Mr. Witt was remembered for forming a brass band.  In 1906 Peace built its first teacher’s residence.  But that same year, Mr. Witt resigned and Pastor Schwerin taught school again for a few years.

But the congregation was growing and building.  In 1907 Pastor Schwerin organized St. Paul Lutheran Church at Stoddard.  In 1910, the first parsonage was replaced by the present parsonage.  Also in 1910, Peace was involved in the founding of the Hebron Academy.

In 1912, the congregation called P.W. Dinkel as teacher, and from that time on the pastor no longer served as school teacher.  In 1913 the Peace Ladies’ Society was organized.  In 1915 a pipe organ replaced the little reed organ.

In 1920, the congregation called Mr. Philip Scharmann who served as school teacher for 27 years.  He also served as organist, choir director, secretary, and custodian.  In 1922 a Luther League was organized for the young people of the congregation.  And in 1923 a Sunday School for children was begun, meeting one hour before Sunday morning worship.

A major change in 1923 was the introduction of English in worship one Sunday a month.  English had been used during World War I, but now the difficult transition to English really began.  By 1930 the congregation was worshipping in English every other Sunday.  A regular German service continued for some time.

The school continued to expand and in 1925 the congregation purchased a house and three lots across the street from the church buildings.  The house was remodeled to serve as a classroom.  Peace called a second teacher, Mr. John Schwerin, son of Pastor John Schwerin, to teach the younger elementary grades.  Up to this point, grades 1 to 8 had been taught in one classroom.

In 1930, Pastor John Schwerin accepted a call to Immanuel Lutheran Church south of Wymore, Nebraska.  He had served Peace for 33 years.  The congregation then called Pastor John Schwerin’s son, Pastor Fred Schwerin, who was serving a congregation in Ohio.

The 1930’s were difficult years.  Sacrifices were made, but the congregation had to eliminate the lower grades in school and release John Schwerin as second teacher.  But by the 1940’s things were looking up.  The congregation redecorated the sanctuary and put a basement under the parsonage.  In 1948, Peace Lutheran Church joined with 18 other congregations in forming Blue Valley Lutheran Homes in Hebron.  In 1949, Peace called Marvin Engel to serve as teacher and organist.  He served Peace for 25 years.  Also in 1949, Peace welcomed members from the closing of Zion Lutheran Church southwest of Deshler.

Pastor Fred Schwerin served Peace for 20 years, through the Great Depression and the World War II years.  In 1950 he accepted a call to Portland, Oregon.  The congregation quickly called Pastor R.H. Riensche from Eustis, Nebraska.

In November 1950 the congregation completed and dedicated a new school and parish hall building.  The new building included three classrooms, a library, an office, a kitchen, a large parish hall with a stage, and indoor rest rooms.  A second teacher was again called in 1951.

In February 1951 the congregation adopted Articles of Incorporation which included women in the voting membership of the congregation.  The congregation also began to make plans to build a new and larger house of worship.  The new house of worship was completed at a cost of just over $122,000 and dedicated on June 20, 1954.  It included a main sanctuary of 80 by 38 feet, a 68 foot high steeple, and a pipe organ.

At the end of 1955, Pastor Riensche accepted a call to Colorado.  In 1956 Pastor Erwin Janssen was called, and he served Peace for ten years. The congregation began printing a Sunday morning worship bulletin.

In 1957, Peace welcomed members from the closing of St. Paul Lutheran Church northwest of Deshler.  In 1958 the congregation began using communion announcement cards instead of requiring people to announce for communion in person.  In 1959 the present teacherage was purchased.  The old teacherage continued to be used for Sunday School classes and a quilting room for several years.  In 1960 a third classroom teacher was added to the school.  In 1961 Peace adopted its current constitution.  In 1962 Peace welcomed members from the closing of St. John’s Lutheran Church, rural Byron.  In 1964 Peace made a sponsorship loan for a new Lutheran congregation in Evergreen, Colorado.

The early 1960s probably marked the high point of Peace’s growth as a congregation.  Average worship attendance was around 500.  For a while two Sunday morning worship services were held.

In 1966 after Pastor Janssen accepted a call to Colorado, Pastor Robert Wessels was called from Missouri.  He served Peace for 8 years.  In 1967 Peace welcomed members from the closing of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Stoddard.  In 1970 Peace entered the Bethel Bible Study program which became an important spiritual blessing for many members of Peace.

After Pastor Wessels accepted a call to Sibley, Iowa, the congregation called Pastor Delmar Klover who was installed in August, 1974.  In 1977, Peace dedicated a building addition which included new office for the pastor and rest rooms.  In 1979, Peace began using the Lutheran Book of Worship.

School principals during this time were Mark Rutter (1974 – 1978), Lewellyn Hille (1978 – 1980), and Donald Kruse (1980 – 1982).  At this time, the congregation recognized the need for expanding its staff.  In September 1979 Peace called Pastor Paul Kenyon from Minden to serve as part-time visitation pastor.  However, his sudden death the following year saddened the congregation.  In 1981 Kathy Kruse was called as a parish worker to do visitation, programming, and administration, but she moved to Colorado the following year.  In 1982 Pastor Paul Rennegarbe was called to serve as associate pastor, school principal, and 7th and 8th grade teacher.  He served Peace through 1985.

In 1979 and 1980, Peace sponsored two Laotian refugee families.  Many volunteers donated time, money, household items, and clothing to welcome them to their new country.  In 1980, the first woman was welcomed to serve on the Church Council.  In 1981 Peace gave generous gifts and pledges totaling over $43,000 to the Seminary Appeal Campaign.  In the early 1980’s Peace and St. Peter LCMS offered a joint Vacation Bible School.

In 1983 Peace Lutheran Church celebrated its centennial with a series of activities.  There were confirmation class reunions during the summer.  In September a Heritage Sunday was celebrated with old-fashioned dress, old-fashioned worship traditions, a potluck and an afternoon German service.  And finally on October 9th the congregation held a festival service of praise and thanksgiving followed by a parade, a pork barbecue, and an afternoon service of remembrance.  A special Centennial Offering of $30,500 was given, 80 percent of which supported mission work in Japan.

Two new educational programs began in 1984.  Peace Early Education Program is a preschool funded by tuition payments, but subsidized as an outreach of the congregation.  Search Bible Study involved many adults from the congregation in an in-depth small-group study of Scripture.

After serving Peace for 12 years, Pastor Klover accepted a call in 1986 to Cozad, Nebraska.  1986 to 1988 were difficult years at Peace Lutheran Church.  Peace experienced a 13-month interim served by Pastors Lenander, Gibbs, and Miller.  Peace faced two difficult decisions during this time.

Peace had originally affiliated with the Ohio Synod which merged into the American Lutheran Church in 1930 which merged into The American Lutheran Church in 1960.  Now The American Lutheran Church was merging with two other Lutheran bodies to become the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1988.  Conflict erupted over the issue of Scriptural authority in the new church.  Fears were raised over the future of the church.  But in the end, Peace Lutheran Church voted in favor of the unity of the Church and entered in bold faith into the new Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Adding to the tension of this time was the difficult decision to close Peace Lutheran Day School in 1987 after 103 years of providing a Lutheran education to hundreds of children.  But during this difficult time, the congregation continued to reach out to others.

Peace Early Education Program (preschool) was continued.  Colleen Kruse, Janet Kruse, and Chandra Hillman have served as teachers.  Peace After-School Christian Education was begun as a Wednesday afternoon ministry of Christian education for children of the community led by volunteers such as June Degner and Bill Mize.  Also during this time, members of the congregation were involved in Operation Hayride providing hay for farmers in the drought-stricken South.

In 1987, Pastor Harold Laursen accepted the call of the congregation.  The congregation began to develop the use of contemporary music in worship.  Peace made the decision to welcome children to Holy Communion beginning in the 5th grade.  In 1991 the congregation called a part-time Youth Ministry Coordinator.  In 1992 the congregation called Tim Koester as Youth Ministry Coordinator.  Barb Laursen, Dorothy Sorge, Connie Raess, and Tim Koester were trained to become Parish Ministry Associates.  Thanks to a generous bequest from Ed and Letha Smith, plans were made for the renovation of the Parish Hall which was finally completed in 1999.

After serving Peace for ten years, Pastor Laursen retired.  After a ten-month interim served by Pastors Jacobsen, Wilson, and Waterman, Peace installed the present pastor, Phil Nielsen, in August 1998.

In 2000, the congregation installed a $50,000 elevator to provide accessibility to both floors of the Parish Hall.  In 2002 a $145,000 roofing project put a new roof of Reinke shingles on the sanctuary and parish hall.  Peace also began an Endowment Fund to invite deferred gifts from bequests for the future ministry of the congregation.  Interest earned from the Endowment Fund supports the cemetery, the building fund, local outreach, and global mission.

2003 will long be remembered in Deshler as the year of the tornado.  Many families of the community were affected by the tornadoes in various ways.  Peace’s parish hall became the Red Cross feeding station as volunteer groups served meals for nearly three weeks for residents and volunteers.  Neighboring congregations came and fed hundreds of people and then helped us clean up the parish hall when it was all over.

In 2004 Peace began sponsoring a series of summer Christian outreach concerts in the community.  Peder Eide, Ken Medema, Mark Schultz, and Ken Davis have shared gifts of song and story with hundreds of people in our area.

In 2005 Tim Koester completed 12 years as our youth ministry coordinator.  Peace called Julie Deepe to be youth ministry coordinator.  Tim Koester began his seminary training at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.  Peace committed to paying $30,000 for his tuition expenses.  We look forward to his ordination in 2009.

In 2008 Peace Lutheran Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary.