1959 Emmanual Lutheran Church

This page is part of the Reardan History 1959 booklet that was written by the Washington State History class of 1958-1959.

Emmanual’s church records go back only to 1890, but her story begins earlier. The first white people in the Reardan country were fur traders traveling between the Spokane House and the Okanogan Trading Posts. This was about from 1810-1850. They found a country roamed by deer, wild sheep and goats and an occasional buffalo. Their main interest was to exploit the country rather than to improve it. Protestant and Jesuit missionaries from the east ministered to spiritual needs.

When Washington Territory was created from the old Oregon Country in 1853, military expeditions were sent out to find a route for a transcontinental railroad. Many settlers came after them to take over the newly opened lands. The Indians rebelled at this invasion and so for a few years, the majority of whites here were troops moving up and down the Indian trails against the Indians. The first settlers did not remain here long, but abandoned or sold their lands to a sturdier type of pioneer settler. This second group of immigrants came from the midwestern states and the old settlers our church came into being.

These settlers, most of them young people, came from the midwest, from Iowa, from Minnesota, an especially Wisconsin. From continental Europe they also came to escape from the militarism and crowded conditions of Europe or, filled with the “lust” of adventure, to reap a harvest in the land of gold, free land and abundant opportunities.

They found the land as it is today, but then unfenced and windswept. Countless wild flowers covered the countryside during the long springs, but the hot summers changed the landscape into a scene of gray drabness. Indian trails were the road of that day. The chickens, rabbits and fish were plentiful. Fine stands of fir and tamarack yield them fuel and logs for fencing and cabins. They learned the menace of both the rattlesnake and the cougar. Almost all of the first homes were one-room log cabins, later a second room or even a lean-to were added. Rooms and beds for guest were scarce.

These pioneers cleared the soil and harvested by hand whipping out the full heads of wheat with flails. The mills were always several days journey away. The first settlers went 150 miles to Walla Walla for their supplies, later 60 miles to Colfax and finally to Deep Creek or Spokane Falls. Great was the excitement when they returned. The route their wagons traveled was Indian trail, military road, stage coach route and “highway” all in one.

Perhaps the first of these settlers around Reardan and also one of our church founders was Henry Harder who came from California with his wife and four children in 1878. Following him cam August Lutzoft and Fred Mahrt, from Wisconsin and after them, Tom Stevenson, Peter Tramm, Peter Hack, John Mahrt, Frank Schalock, Peter Wiese, Henry Mahrt and others.

By farming, cattle raising and log cutting, these early comers built a busy, thrifty settlement. Some even built houses of lumber instead of whole logs. The most elaborate house is described as “two stories high, plastered and possessing green blinds.”

Reardan was at that time called “Fairweather.” She took this name from a prominent official of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The town, located in what is now east Reardan, had five houses; namely, a blacksmith shop, a store, a saloon which was never used as such, an unfinished residence and the schoolhouse located on the west side of the present road to the cemetery. Fairweather town lived a short life of but five years. The Northwest Tribune, pioneer newspaper of Cheney tells of its beginning and demise thus: > Messers, J. W. Still, Esq., of Cheney and W. F. Hooker, a capitalist lately of Georgia, have purchased a quarter section of land on the headwaters of the Crab, Deep and Spring Creeks, ten miles west of Deep Creek Falls and sixteen miles east of Cottonwood (now Davenport), and have laid out a townsite. The new town is well situated as to be sure that one or more railroads. Well informed parties estimate that within ten miles of Fairweather, there are more than 500 ranches opened up and occupied.

This article appeared September 1, 1882. Five years later, in the June 23, 1887, issue of the same paper, a Big Bend visitor writes, “Fairweather was once prosperous, but is now defunct. This is the dullest town that we have yet struck. Out of the five houses in town, the only one that is occupied is the schoolhouse.”

But the railroad, planned more than 35 years before, finally came in 1888-1889 and brought new life to this community. The Northern Pacific officials decided to begin a new town and so in 1889 laid out its site directly west of Fairweather. It was named “Reardan” in honor of the engineer in charge of building the railroad. The settlers at once adopted the new town and name, although Reardan was not officially incorporated until 1903. Today only a garage remains of Fairweather. Reardan was a healthy growing “baby” from the beginning. First the Northern Pacific elevator went up, then the depot, a residence, a store building, a drug store and Mr. Lutzoft’s implement house. All these went up in 1889. In the next year came two general stores, a harness shop, a barber shop, a furniture store, and two hotels; in fact, nothing seemed lacking to make a modern city except a movie theater. These were the years when Reardan threatened to become the metropolis of eastern Washington. Thus Reardan’s civic life developed swiftly.

The religious life kept up with the civic. Circuit riding missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant had preaching places throughout the Northwest. The minister arrived on horseback. His stop was at the home of some family of his following. Here on Sunday morning, a strictly confessional service would be held. In the evening a community service would be held in the schoolhouse. The schoolhouse served as town meeting hall, church, playhouse and dance hall, besides its original purposes.

Our church founders were religious men. Their faith meant much to the and they desired to have their children brought up in it. Therefore, they welcomed the Lutheran traveling missionaries.

Until 1889 the preaching place for Lutherans was the Henry Harder farmhouse which was well located on the “main thorough-fare” and the only one at that with an extra lean-to for accommodating guests. Here our people first sang, prayed listened to the Word, held Baptisms and celebrated Holy Communion. The missionary who came here most frequently was Rev. Henry Rieke of who it was said: “As a pastor, missionary and circuit rider, he knew the Northwest as no other.”

Our church founders also had definite ideas about their faith. They yearned for the right to hear and teach their youth what they had learned of the Christian faith and life. The refused to forever tolerate the lax, compromising or often errant teachings fostered by Unionism. Therefore, early in 1890, following the lead of a Baptist group which had organized and built its church, they sought the advice of Rev. Paul Hein, pastor of the German Lutheran Church in Spokane, concerning the organizing of a Lutheran church at Reardan. The meeting was held in the home of Mr. August Lutzhoft, where the services had been conducted since Reardan’s origin. Here on June 11, 1890, the constitution was adopted. Four days later the first church council was elected. It consisted of August Lutzhoft, Martinus Olson, and Henry Mahrt as trustees; Henry Harder as deacon; John Hanson as elder; Henry Mahrt as secretary; and Mr. M. Olson also as treasurer. Ten days later, on June 25, it was decided to build a church. The church was to be 50 feet long, 28 feet wide and 16 feet high. The total cost of the building came well over $1300. Our first members were not wealthy and built the church and called a pastor during a period of extremely hard times which began in 1889 and lasted until 1897. The sacrifices they made to worship in the faith of their fathers was tremendous, but they willingly curtained their necessities and desires in order to do it. The community also recognized the importance of the step being taken and showed its desire that it be successful in a material way as the long list of non-member donors indicates.

In this list of more than fifty names were that of John Wickham, S. Hard, J. R. Davidson, E. W. Childs, O. Swanson, John Hughs, J. A Bentley, S. B. Landreth, Garbers, and Humphreys.

It was a proud and happy people that dedicated Emanuel’s first house of worship to the glory of the Triune God on Sunday, July 19, 1891, with both morning and evening services. Dr. Paul Hein gave the dedicatory address. Now that it was organized and had a building in which to worship, the congregation instructed Dr. Hein to extend a call for a minister to serve it.

Rev. Hein appealed to the board of Missions of the former Joint Synod of Ohio for such a man. The call was received and accepted by Rev. S. H. Mollenaur. He was to work as missionary in the Big Bend, and in particular at Reardan and Fort Spokane. The arrival of its first pastor and his installation on September 26, 1891, again gave the small congregation much over which to rejoice. Dr. Hein install Rev. Mollenaur. The latter’s first sermon here was presented October 3, 1891.

Rev. Mollenaur did not hold his residence in Reardan. Since Davenport was located almost halfway between Reardan and Fort Spokane, he lived at Davenport. (The first resident pastor of this community was probably as Evangelical Minister because we find one serving as police-judge on the first city council in 1903. Like the Lutherans, the Catholics also were served from the beginning by non-resident spiritual advisors. When the first services began for them in the upstairs of the Empire Hotel in 1889, they were conducted by Jesuit missionaries.) The fact that Rev. Mollenaur lived at Davenport enabled him within a short time to found the Davenport Lutheran Church.

The early days were difficult ones for our young church. The pastor had been promised a salary of $500 a year and the greater part of the burden of paying it fell upon our people since they formed the largest of the congregations in the parish. In 1891 wheat sold at 12½¢ per bushel which was less than it cost to cut, thrash, and sack it. All one had when the harvest was over was a few dollars, if any, and the straw. Many congregations were able to continue operating only by falling back on the emergency mission funds from the synod. But the leaders of Emmanuel’s refused to resort to this debt. The storm was weathered. It was at that time that the congregation also voted to remain independent instead of affiliating with any synod. This was due to the fact that our people came from so many different synod bodies.

A story of conditions experienced by both people and pastor in those first years cannot but be interesting.

Upon arriving, Pastor Mollenaur found a large group of young people ready for confirmation instruction and on April 17, 1892, a class of 12 was examined and confirmed before a well filled church. Today he reminisces: “It surely was a blessed time! On Good Friday I preached German at Davenport in the fore noon and English in the afternoon; then drove to Reardan and preached in the evening. On Saturday we had the final instruction in the class and on Easter morning the confirmation. In the evening we held English services. Then on Monday, second Easterday, we had services with confession and holy communion. Many had never seen or heard of our confirmation. We could not build up fast as there were but few people in the country, and of course, not all Lutherans–but there were many infidels. There was enough work for three missionaries. At one time I was serving five organized congregations and two mission stations. This took me into three counties, about 100 miles east and west and 20 north and south.”

Our first pastor tells also of the dangers experienced in driving from one charge to another–once recalls being forced to drive through a rainstorm for ten miles in darkness so deep that he could not see his horse. Again he tells of his horse falling, going lame, or of ponies kicking through the traces and of run-a-ways. There were times when disabling of one horse meant abandoning it and continuing alone on the other to arrive on time to conduct services. Once, while driving in the dark, his horses ran on either side of a steer that that had lain down in the center of the road. “Luckily,” he comments, “the beast had his head turned the same way I was going; else…” Again in 1893 at a funeral scheduled at Fort Spokane for ten o’clock in the morning, a snowstorm blew up and hindered the funeral cortege from arriving there at the grave until four in the afternoon. And after arriving there, the pastor had become so cold that he could no longer open his book for the committal service.

During Rev. Mollenaur’s pastorate the congregation came to see the need of securing a plot of ground for a cemetery. A committee was delegated to buy some land. It selected the site of the present cemetery fittingly situated on a slight knoll directly southeast of town. But Peter Hack, owner of the property and member of Emmanuel’s, generously donated most of the ground for Lutherans for their cemetery. The first person to be laid to rest in it was Mrs. Tom Stevenson, wife of one of Emmanuel’s founders.

After four years of service here, Rev. Mollenaur was called to the First English Church in Spokane. He served from 1891 to 1895.

The interval before the next regularly called pastor arrived lasted three years. During this time an itinerant pastor of Lutheran persuasion held occasional services here. He was Rev. Gumpenburg. After Rev. Gumpenburg, Rev. Wendt worked as pastor for a shot time. Dissatisfied with the meager work that was being don, the congregation called upon Rev. Paul Groschupf of Spokane to extend a call to a pastor who could render it more substantial service. Rev. Groschupf, who often helped this congregation in those early days of stress, came out on his faithful horse “Flora” and conducted the call meeting. The call was extended to Rev. George Koehler, then pastor of Davenport, Egypt, and Wilbur congregations.

But this union of so many congregations under one pastor could not give as many Sunday services as were desired by individual congregations, and so the parish was divided, Medical Lake and Reardan joining to form the eastern one. A call was extended to Rev. E. J. Mack as pastor. Rev. Mack accepted the call and was installed March 9, 1902. Rev. Koehler served Reardan four years from 1898 to 1902.

From time to time the congregation had seriously considered buying or building a parsonage in order to maintain a resident pastor. The disadvantages of not having a pastor in the field had shown themselves. Encouraged by better times that had come with the “bumper crop” of 1897, the congregation was determined to carry out their plan. The result was the purchase of the house directly south of the church, from Mr. Peter Tramm for the sum of $1300. Again Rev. Paul Groschupf, paternal adviser of the congregation, was called upon to do what he could to have Emmanuel’s pastor take residence here. His efforts succeeded and Rev. Mack became Reardan’s first resident pastor. But before he cold become well situated in the local parsonage, he accepted a call to another field. He served here from 1902 to 1904.

The struggle for a resident pastor had been won; at least, in part. The improvement in the work of the congregation after this step proved its value. The next pastor, Rev. J. B. Cronek, lived here and occupied the parsonage. Paster Cronek came to Reardan from Wilbur bearing the stamp of a fluent pastor both in the English and German language. This was to our advantage for fluent bilingual pastors were a rarity in the Inland Empire. He came on Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1905 accompanied by his bride of a day. There was much to do and the young pastor immediately went to work. First a suitable schedule was worked out for holding both German and English services. While here Rev. Cronek also conducted a German school for the purpose of training the young. This Saturday school he opened to the entire community. Such a school he also conducted at Medical Lake. During these days the two congregations worked harmoniously together as a parish.

In the local congregation Rev. Cronek found the people eager to cooperate with him who was in reality their first resident pastor. The improvement in the work that followed in the congregation indicated how valuable a resident pastor can be. And there was much to do. In 1907 the church building was renovated both within and without. More seats were added. A faithful church choir was built up to beautify the services with its singing. It was composed of young and old, and in regard to the latter, boasted one tenor singer, Mr. Hanson, who was more than 70 years old. As scattered members were being gathered in, the lukewarm revived and the young people interested, few, if any, empty pews wee seen at the services.

No doubt some of the older members will recall the stir it made among Emmanuel’s worshipers when one Sunday morning, just as the pastor was ready to step to the alter, a well-dressed Indian Chief, followed by five well-groomed Indian bucks came up the aisle and took the seat in the front row and evidenced a lively interest in the service. They were Indians from the Coeur d’Alene tribe and had come because the pastor had rendered a slight service to an aged squaw of the tribe. The tribe had delegated these men to ask the pastor to fill the pulpit in the church on their reservation. Since the tribe was then being served by the Presbyterian church, Rev. Cronek declined.

As both the Reardan and Medical Lake congregations prospered during his pastorate, it was deemed wise to give Medical Lake a resident pastor also. The call came to Rev. Cronek, and so, in the late summer of 1910, he moved to Medical Lake. He served here from 1905 to 1910.

However, the time did not yet seem ripe for Reardan to support its own pastor and so a reunion with Wilbur was brought about. Again Counselor Groschupf came to Reardan for a “call” meeting. This time the call went to a student about to a student about to be graduated from the seminary. The recipient was Wm. Schoeler. The call was accepted by him and he arrived in the field in the summer of 1911.

Pastor Schoeler worked with the zest of youth walking hundreds of miles or covering the countryside on bicycle, stomping across fields and vaulting fences to see his people at home. The Sunday School and choir were reorganized and a vigorous and successful youth program launched. The language question was settled permanently.

After living here for five years, the urgent request of the other half of the parish at Wilbur to have the pastor reside there was reluctantly heeded and pastor Schoeler took up his residence at Wilbur in 1916, serving Reardan from there. The loss of their resident pastor was an incentive to the congregation to seriously consider calling its own full-time pastor, but the matter was finally tabled.

In 1913 a movement to build a new church was initiated and a fund started for that purpose. The matter was dropped in 1915, but two years later interest was revived and grew. The result was the erection of a handsome, well-appointed church building at an expense of more than $6000. The architect spoke highly of the committee that worked with him stating that he had never worked with a more congenial group of men. The original committee consisted of Mr. John Brommer [23], Mr. Otto Mahrt [21], Mr. Otto Wegner [30], and Rev. Schoeler as advisory member. It was due to the excellent teamwork of this committee and fine spirit of friends and members of the Emmanuel’s that the church could be dedicated free of debt. A three-day celebration marked the dedication ceremonies. Many will remember those stirring days.

During the days of the war, members of Emmanuel’s were not negligent of their duties to their country, for from her midst came those who served and gave faithfully both at home and across the sea. 1920 saw the parsonage extensively remodeled, and 1921 witnessed the giving of the right to vote at congregational meetings to women church members.

Ill health caused Rev. Schoeler to resign in January 1922 in order to take over a charge at Aurora, Oregon. His pastorate lasted longer than anyone else. He served from 1911 to 1922.

Emmanuel then called Rev. John Groschupf who was serving his first charge at Baker, Oregon. Pastor Groschupf’s ministry here was short, but effective. Under his guidance a $2,364 parsonage remodeling project was successfully undertaken. Work with the young people, and in particular those of college age was stressed. His pastorate here was terminated December 7, 1924 when he accepted a call to succeed his father at Emmanuel Lutheran church in Spokane. His time of service here was from 1922 to 1924.

Re. Groschupf’s successor was the Rev. H. I. Meyer of Davenport, Wash. Rev Meyer’s stay here was also brief being terminated by the complications of ill health which finally forced him to also leave the active ministry in order to take up a pursuit congenial to the regaining of his physical well-being. He served from 1925-1927.

For her new paster Reardan again went to the Seminary and this time called, in cooperation with the Wilbur congregation, Arthur R. M. Kettner. Although hampered by a large field which for some years included charges are Reardan, Wilbur, Medical Lake and Almira, pastor Kettner carried on a profitable ministry in the church. Under Rev. Kettner the congregation introduced the American Lutheran Hymnal. She also began and has continued to meet her “Fair Share” or benevolence quota of the American Lutheran Church, although she did not affiliate with the synod until this year [1959?]. A furnace too, was installed in the basement of the church, a heating and cooling system that has endowed this congregation with an “air-conditioned” church.

Early in 1938 Rev. Kettner was called to Tacoma, Wash. Again the congregation asked itself the question, “Is it time for a full-time pastor?” Finally with a will to attempt this important step, an affirmative answer was given and the present [1940?] pastor was called. Rev. Kettner served from 1928-1938.

[An editorial note. After Rev. Kettner moved to Tacoma, many members of the Reardan community, Lutheran and non-Lutheran, would call on Rev. Kettner to visit and stay when in the Tacoma area. This was especially true for people visiting Pacific Lutheran University in nearby Parkland.]

That a full-time pastor over against a part-time man means progress is self-evident for this or any congregation. That this congregation has progressed and at the same time also has been able to carry the greater load in these first two years is a fact. Naturally it has involved changes all along the line. Services are now held every Sunday morning instead of every other Sunday. If anyone feared this would bring about a decrease in attendance, records prove the opposite to be the case. The average Sunday morning attendance in 1939 was about 70. The change has brought an increase in financial contributions all along the line. A greater challenge for the time of the people has been made by services, meetings and organization functions. A stepped up program of religious education had called for more time for the children and young people. A Daily Vacation Bible School was held in 1939. The children’s course in confirmation now covers two instead of one year. But despite all these and other changes everywhere there has been shown a willingness to accept them and to do it with joy and faithfulness.

The present [1940? this should be Karl Ufer] pastor was installed July 10, 1938. To take over the work was not a particularly difficult task. The congregation possesses a fine property and is also debt free. After fifty years in the community, it has established itself as a group with sound teachings and practice and developing agency for men and women of high character. No discord broke the even tenor of its life. The task of taking up the work was made more pleasant by the fine reputation of leaders and men established in the community by preceding pastors of Emmanuel’s. He found men and women of the church eager to see and help its work go forward. Especially did he find a cooperative interest for work among the young people and children. The field also offered many opportunities for mission work, for in this community are also found some of those included among the 70,000,000 unchurched of America. Only one major problem met hem; that which is the problem of the entire church; the problem of rooting out sin and drawing closer to God through Christ Jesus by repentance and faith, by using the Word and Lord’s Supper and Baptism.

In solving this problem Emmanuel finds reason for existence. To this end her members would extend the Kingdom of God in their own hearts and the hearts of those around them. To this end they have supported the work of the church at large in higher education, charities, and mission both at home and abroad. Today Emmanuel numbers 179 baptized members and 128 communicant members. At the close of fifty years here books contain the following figures: Baptisms recorded, 271; weddings recorded, 89; confirmations recorded, 138; funerals recorded, 103.

The Golden Anniversary of our history has been reached and it is well that we hesitate and look back over this half century with gratitude in our hearts to God, who in spite of our failings and sin, through His blessed Word and sacraments has built and kept His Church among us. Let us really thank Him for the lives which have been built in His Church and for the work and faithfulness of His children. But let us not stand still. Life means growth and progress. On this occasion, by the grace of God, may we face the future encouraged by the victory of the past. A new day and new problems confront us as church and individuals…we shall conquer in a degree in which we move with God. May we move forward with Him here and into a golden eternity.

Lately the Emmanuel Lutheran Church has constructed an additional study and also has added a bigger capacity to the sanctuary. The present pastor is K. H. Daugs. The pastor[s] who preceded him were Rev. [Wagner and Rev. Robert Reitz].