Staunton Star - Times - Published in the Interest of the Staunton Community for Over 143 Years

Thursday, October 6, 1966 --

HAMEL CHURCH TO MARK ANNIVERSARY -- St. Paul Lutheran church, Hamel, Illinois, will celebrate its 110th anniversary Sunday with special services. Rev. August G. Deichmann, former pastor, now residing in Edwardsville, will speak at the 7:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. services/ Rev. Richard L. Bolen, present pastor, will be the liturgist. The church is located two miles north of Hamel on the frontage road along Highway 66 or Interstate 55.

In 1854 a number of Lutherans settled in this area, with some of the group coming from Pleasant Ridge near Collinsville. The Rev. C.H. Schliepsick, pastor at Pleasant Ridge preached to the people in the home of Henry Brase, located between Hamel's crossing and the Carpenter station, in the fall of 1854 and during 1855.

On May 18, 1856, a meeting was held by the group in which they decided to build a combination church, school and parsonage. This was built and dedicated in 1856. Charter members were Henry Brase, Christian Brase, William Bettmann, Ludwig Lueker, Karl Mueller, Henry Pieper, Fredrich Proett, Ludwig Schlechte and Henry Stainmann.

The congregation grew so rapidly that a new church was built to seat over 300 persons, and was dedicated on July 7, 1861.

A Christian day school was also established in 1856 and conducted in the parsonage. Around 1878 a new school and teachers home was built. In 1873 a school was opened in Hamel as a second school but was closed in 1907. The congregation has its school today near the present church with an enrollment of 87 children in grades one through eight. The area in which St. Paul church is located was known as Ridge Prairie and later known as New Gehlenbeck, because many members came from the village of Gehlenbeck, Germany. St. Paul church continued to grow and during the years members were released to organize churches in Carpenter and South Staunton. In 1881 twenty-five members who lived in the area organized Trinity Lutheran church in Worden.

In 1931 the congregation erected a new church which was dedicated on October 18, 1931. This beautiful church still serves the congregation which has grown to 600 souls.

In 1940 a new two-room school was built. Because of increased enrollment a third room addition to the school was built in 1950. In 1960 the congregation resolved to have three teachers in the school.

The first baptism recorded was that of Anna Bettman on October 26, 1856. The first confirmation class was confirmed on April 5, 1857. Members of the class were Friedrich Proett, F.W. Schlechte, Carl Finke, Henry Schul, Herman Ranch, and Anna Vinke. The first marriage ceremony took place March 12, 1859 between Ludwig Tegeler and Wilhelmine Moehle.

The church built in 1931 was renovated and redecorated in 1956. A new organ and chimes were also installed. In 1956 the congregation celebrated its centennial.

In 1954 a new teacherage was built. In 1957 the parsonage was built. This year a new water line was laid from the church to Hamel for city water.

In 1946 the congregation numbered 437 souls with 337 communicants. In 1966 the congregation numbered 600 souls with 433 communicants. 175 are enrolled in Sunday School and Bible Classes, which was started ten years ago.

Pastors of the congregation in the past 110 years were Revs. C.H.G. Schliepsick, J.M.M. Moll, W. Heinemann, G.A. Schleferdicker, F.S. Buenger, Ernst Flach, William J. Schmidt, H.H. Hansen, J.W. Hennig, and August G. Deichmann, Rev. Richard L. Bolin has been pastor since June 18, 1961.

The congregation is a member of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, sponsor of The Lutheran Hour, TV's This Is The Life, and a world-wide mission outreach.

Since the organization of the congregation the following official acts have been performed: baptized, 1724; confirmed, 1118; married 446; and buried 652.

HOMECOMING PLAY AND QUEEN CORONATION SATURDAY, OCT. 15 -- The annual homecoming play and coronation of the queen will be held at the Staunton high school auditorium on Saturday evening, Oct. 15, curtain time being 7:30 o'clock. The title of the play is "Home Sweet Homicide," and will be presenting under direction of Mrs. Barbara Yakos, high school speech instructor. This is a highly interesting comedy in three acts, which deals with a murder, and three teen-agers residing next door trying to solve the crime, and at the same time attempting to create a romantic affair between their mother and the detective.

Those involved with the play are: Pam Streeb, Ruth Ann Diel, Joyce Pieper, Susan Hribernik, Mary Jo Fortuna, Janice Beyer, Beverly Schuette, Donna Tsupros, Debbie Courtney, Drennan Cloyd, Jim Gay, Ed Paulich, John Ubben, Kirk Kramer, David Hall, Bob Barnhart, Dennis Sherfy, Mark Wenner, Larry Tieze, Kent Kramer. Sherry Hutchins will serve as prompter and the stage crew will include Mike Minkanic, Ed Felchner, Dave Larcker and Craig Hart.

The coronation ceremony for the homecoming queen will be held immediately after the play also under the direction of Mrs. Yakos. The narrator will be Susan Bickley and Phoebe Cloyd.

The retiring queen, Kathy Intihar, will place the crown on the new queen's head and will be escorted by Bill Braasch. Candidates for the 1966-67 queen are Pam Streeb with Ed Hilmes as escort, and Susan Hribernik and Tom Goldasich as attendants; Vara Best, escorted by Dave Link, with Jill Schumacher and Brian Kinnikin as attendants; Mary Lou Bird, escorted by Tom Monschein, with Karen Brown and Steve Huhsman as attendants; Barbara DeGuire, escorted by Jack McDole, with Cheryl Windisch and Bob Boettcher as attendants.

The scenery and posters are in charge of the speech classes; the program cover by Alan Culp; the program by Gaylene Zuber; faculty assistants, Mrs. Davis, Miss Long and Mrs. Rotsch; tickets, Alan Culp and Mark Skertich; organist, Mrs. Cloyd; ushers, Jackie Link, Faye Schumacker, Debbie Hibbeler, Darlene Hunecke, Terry Taft, Judy Franke, Linda Goehe and Janice Culp.

The high school dance band under direction of Mr. Cloyd will furnish music and include Larry Tietze, Sherry Hutchins, Donna Tsupros, Dave Larcker, Carol Farris, Ed Paulich, Drennan Cloyd, Dennis Sherfy, Kirk Kramer, Dennis Bird, Terry Best, Jim Gay, Kent Kramer, Ruth Ann Diel, Maribeth Oltman and Janice Drury.