St Paul Lutheran Church Celebrating 125th Anniversary

Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas

St. Paul Lutheran celebrating ‘125th’

First Lutherans settling in area traced to 1881

Rockdale Reporter - December 4, 2014

THORNDALE — On Dec. 21, St. Paul Lutheran Church will begin a year-long celebration to

mark 125 years of service in the community.

How did St. Paul begin in this small community?

In 1881, August Polnick moved his family from Lee County and became the first Germans and

first Lutherans to settle in Thorndale. Mr. Polnick’s former pastor at Fedor, Pastor G.

Birkmann, paid a family visit in 1883. Soon other Lee County families began to settle in

the area and Pastgort Birkmann made calls to the area for five years joining with the

Noack (Hochkirch) community to form a single parish. Services alternated between

Thorndale and Noack in private homes in those early years.

In 1890, Karl Michalk donated 10 acres of land for a church and school. On Dec. 21, 1890,

a charter was signed by Otto J. E. Urban, Karl Michalk, Peter Urban, Herman Moerbe, John

Moerbe, Mathes Heintze, Andrew Urban and John Winter creating St. Paul Lutheran Church.

At this meeting a decision was made to build a 24x36-foot church and school building at a

cost of $229.58.

In the fall of 1891, Pastor E.P. Gesterling was called to serve Thorndale, Noack, Taylor

and Austin. He served this big area based in Thorndale where he was pastor and teacher

for two years. On Sept. 10, 1893, the congregation voted to reduce the size of pastoral

responsibility to Thorndale and Noack.

At this time St. Paul Lutheran Church became self-sustaining with Noack contributing $100

a year toward the pastor’s salary A.W. Kramer was called to St. Paul and he began his

ministry in March of 1894. The congregation had grown to 114, with 51 communicants and 17

voters. St. Paul joined the Missouri Synod in 1895. Having outgrown the worship

facilities, a resolution was passed in 1899 to build a 40x60-foot building with an

extension for the altar. The contract was awarded to Andrew Urban for $2,400, not

including the altar and pews. On Jan. 1, 1900, a 1,000-pound bell was installed in the

steeple. Lighting was from a chandelier in the center of the church fitted with eight

kerosene lamps. Urban also built the altar for $65 and 20 pews for $105. This beautiful

new building was dedicated on July 8, 1900, with morning and evening services in German

and an afternoon service in English. The membership had grown to over 600 members and 95

voters.

St. Paul Lutheran Church celebrated 25 years in 1915 and Pastor Kramer noted that the

church had grown to 654 members, with 287 confirmations in German and two in English and

had 98 voting members, which were the men in the congregation.

In addition to his pastoral duties of a growing congregation, Pastor Kramer was also the

teacher for six years. In 1918, he became ill and was forced to resign in January of

1919.

Since a beginning of a few souls in a rural area to a growing congregation in its first

25 years, St. Paul Lutheran has continued to serve the Thorndale area with faithful

servants and a dedicated congregation.

(Look for future articles during the year-long 125th anniversary celebration.)

Submitted by Darleen Tucker

All Credit for this article
goes to Mike Brown,
Rockdale Reporter and
Darleen Tucker