2/14/16

2605 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

(Google Images)

St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"The present St. Lucas Church building at 2605 S. Kinnickinnic Ave. was erected in 1888. The steeple is 145′ high. In October of 1988, the church building received Landmark Designation by the Bay View Historical Society." (Link 4)

Organ (Link 3.)

"In the late 1800s, a group of German Lutherans gather to found Saint Lucas. They call it the Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische St. Lucas Germeinde zu Bay View, which means the German Evangelical Lutheran St. Lucas Congregation of Bay View.

"On Oct. 6, 1872, the founders dedicate Saint Lucas’ first building on land donated by the Milwaukee Iron Company at the corner of Kinnickinnic Avenue and Russell Street. The front of this building serves as church and school, and the rear portion is the pastor’s home. The cost of the building was $1,600.

"Saint Lucas’ congregation purchases a parcel located at 2605 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue in 1877, and the church and school move to this site. In 1879, Bay View incorporates as a village, becoming Milwaukee’s first suburb.

                                              Chancel, (Facebook Keith Schmidt)

"In 1887, Bay View’s residents vote to join the city of Milwaukee. The neighborhood becomes the 17th ward. 

"Saint Lucas purchases land and builds a four-room school at 648 E. Dover Street in 1891.

"In 1919, the congregation adds a large auditorium/gymnasium to the school building and installs four bowling alleys in the basement.

                                                            School 1961 (Link 2.)

"In 1961, Saint Lucas’ 70-year-old school is razed, except for the gymnasium and bowling alleys.

                                                       New School 1962 (Link 1)

"A 10-room school opens in 1962.

"In January of 1998, construction begins on a new school building.  Saint Lucas dedicates the current building in 1999." (Link 1.)

                                  St. Lucas Lutheran Church on Kinnickinnic Ave.
                                                     (Milwaukee Public Library)

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Thank You: To Jan at the Milwaukee Public Library Photography Librarian for the street shot of St. Lucas Lutheran Church.

Link 1: http://saintlucasbayview.org/history

Link 2: http://www.saintlucas.org/church/home

Link 3:http://www.sipeorgan.com/2005/10/2005-st-lucas-lutheran-church-milwaukee.html

Link 4: http://www.doorsopenmilwaukee.org/buildings/st-lucas-evangelical-lutheran/

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                                                                            6/3/12

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

1023 East Russell Avenue

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1023 Russell Ave. Entrance to church prior to 1959

(Published on Bay View Heritage Facebook)

According to the "1970 Photo Directory" of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, it was founded and dedicated in 1870.  The "1970 Photo Directory" which included the history of the church was published to commemorate its 100th anniversary.  The original entrance to the church was at 1023 Russell Avenue in the heart of the Bay View area on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The high vaulted ceiling of the sanctuary gave it the look of a cathedral.

Sanctuary Stained Glass Window

Later additions to the church included the stained glass windows.  The primary window faces east and the church's school building.  The other five major windows depict the "Mysteries of the Rosary".  A new entrance, in the photo above,  on Kinnickinnic Avenue the main commercial street of Bay View, was built in 1959.  It features four Greek columns.  Sometime after 1959 the most spectacular feature of the church building was added.  This was the 2 1/2 storey high mosaic mural behind the front altar of the sanctuary.  It depicts the family tree of Jesus from Adam and Eve to Mary and Joseph.

Mosaic Mural behind the Front Altar

Today 500 families  are registered as member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.  The Pastor is Rev. Ronald E. Kotecki. 

Thank You: To Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Youth Minister Bob Boehm for the information references from the "1970 Photo Directory" regarding the history of the church.  .

Photos: Exterior photo taken in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2006  by SW. Interior photos taken by Myron Thomsen 2012.

Link:  http://icbayview.wordpress.com/

Note: Suzanne Wilson grew up on Logan Avenue (See Blog Post August 4, 2010.) two blocks from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, (or "IC" as the neighbors called it). 

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

349 North Main Street

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Seymour, Wisconsin

Emmanual Lutheran Church at 349 North Main Street in Seymour, Wisconsin was built in 1915. The red brick building with white Bedford stone trim around the trinity front doors features double square steeples with stained glass windows. The larger of the steeples contains a bell tower and clocks on each of its sides. A trinity stained glass window is above the front doors. The sides of the church also feature trinity stained glass windows. The church is on the corner of North Main Street and County Road G. If you travel further down North Main Street you come to the Outagamie Fair Grounds.

Sanctuary (Link 3.)

Deanna and Jay DeBruin are currently (2010) working on the history of Emmanual Lutheran Church. Here are some of the highlights from the Lutheran Standard of March 4, 1939. Rev. Frederick H. Ohlrogge was minister during the erection of the $30,000 church that was dedicated on Jan. 9, 1916. The debt was paid off in five years. The church is 110 feet long and 45 feet wide. The tallest of the square towers is 75 feet high. The front doors are of heavy oak. The Gothic design of the interior features a wooden altar in a large semicircular niche twenty feet wide. A life sized figure of the Lord with arms outstretched stands in the center of the altar and in the lower part a plaque of the Last Supper. The organ is in the rear balcony that seats 100. The main floor seats about 500. Cark Reiman of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and a member of the Stained Glass Association of America 1912-1923 was the designer of the interior and the Neo-Gothic stained glass windows.

Note: Emmanual Lutheran was the church of Marie Juergenmeyer, Seymour Wisconsin, grandmother of Suzanne Marie Wilson, North Vancouver B.C., and great-great grandmother of Holly Marie Misner, Spokane Washington.

Suzanne remembers attending the church with her grandmother when she was a young child in the 1940's . It was there she learned the Apostle's Creed. The minister at that time was Rev. Theo Ohlrogge.

Note: See Blog  Demolition Mama, Post-February 20, 2010  for more about Seymour, Wisconsin.

Thank you: To Seymour Wisconsin residents: Deanna and Jay DeBruin, Ellen Piehl, and Mark Ellis.

Photo: Taken in 2006 by SW.

Link 1: http://seymourwi.com/
Link 2: https://seymourfaith.ctsmemberconnect.net/home-ctrl.do?view=0&grpId=35013
Link 3: https://seymourfaith.ctsmemberconnect.net/home-ctrl.do

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

Kaukauna, Wisconsin 

On April 15, 1877 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized with 22 charter members in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. The minister was Rev. Reinhold Pieper of Wrightstown and the services were conducted in German. The next year they built the small wooden church with the single steeple that (shown in the photo below) on the 800 block of Grignon Street. In 1885 the Rev. William Hinnerthan was installed as the first official pastor and in 1889 a charter was granted to the church. In 1917 the Rev. Paul Oehlert became pastor and the following year a Sunday School was started. The present red brick church with the two square steeples was dedicated in 1915. Starting in 1920 services were conducted in English as well as German. In 1965 the Rev. John Mattek became pastor and in 1969 the new front entrance was built onto the 1915 church. (Link. )(See photo above.)

1878 Small Wooden Church on right (Link.)

It is interesting to note that the 1915 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kaukauna, Wisconsin and the Emmanuel Lutheran Church (See March 21, 2010 blog post.) built in neighboring Seymour, Wisconsin in 1915 are of a similar style. Both are red brick and have two square steeples. The street that the Kaukauna church is on, Grignon Street, is named for Charles A. Grignon who obtained the first land deed in Wisconsin.

Sanctuary Altar (Link.)

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was the home church of Marie Juergenmeyer when she, her husband Martin, and daughter Hazel lived on Taylor Street in Kaukauna in the late 1920's and early 1930's. The family then moved to Seymour where she attended the similarly styled Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Following Martin's death in the 1950's she returned to live in the Taylor Street house in Kaukauna and again attended Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Marie and Martin Juergenmeyer were the grandparents and Hazel the mother of Suzanne Wilson.

For more information on Kaukauna, Wisconsin see Blog Post from Demolition Mama, April 3, 2010. 

Thank you: To Irene Luehring and Bill Roerig of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran  

               Church, Kaukauna, Wisconsin, for the information and the memories.

Photos: Colored taken in 2006 by SW.

               B and W probably taken shortly after 1915. See Link.

Link: http://www.trinitykaukauna.com/index.php?pg=pages%2ftrinity_history.htm

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Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                                                                      8/14/11

                                                              915 Oklahoma Avenue

Christ Church, UCC

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

UCC-"The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC. These two denominations, which were themselves the result of earlier unions, had their roots in Congregational, Christian, Evangelical, and Reformed denominations." (See Link 2.)

Christ Church is at 915 Oklahoma Ave. in the Bay View area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sanctuary (Link 1.)

"From our founding in 1895, we’ve embraced a new language and culture (from German to English); we envisioned a new building in the midst of the Depression, and expanded it in the late 1960’s to better serve our families.  Over the years, we’ve witnessed over 4,500 baptisms, 1,500 weddings, and been home to nearly 2,500 members as one of Bay View’s strongest congregations.  Our members have a growing track record of reaching beyond ourselves: through refugee resettlement, supporting organizations like Habitat for Humanity, providing food, clothing, school supplies and even computers for those learning job skills.  Here are a few of our highlights:

1895 - The first services were led by Rev. Henry Niefer.

1896 - The first church building was dedicated at Russell & Pine streets.

1921 - The first English services were conducted.

1922 - Women were granted voting rights
              in the church.                                                                        .
1940 - Groundbreaking took place for current church on Oklahoma Avenue.

1945 - Christ Church celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

1968 - Groundbreaking took place for the Christian Education addition.
1993 - The elevator was installed.

1995 - Christ Church celebrated its 100th Anniversary." (See Link 1.) 
                         

Original 1896 church at Russell and Pine St.

                                                                                             

Note: In the 1950's Suzanne Wilson attended Girl Scouts at Christ Church. 
            When she graduated from Bay View High School in June 1956 the whole
            class attended a Sunday special graduation worship service during 
            which Suzanne fainted.
Photos: Top photo taken in 2006 by SW.
                Middle and bottom photo from Link 1.
Link 1: http://www.christchurchbayview.org/history.html
Link 2:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_Christ

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Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)

HAPPY

100th

BIRTHDAY

Dear Sid,

Happy 100th birthday!  What a wonderful celebration for you, your family, and 100 years of friends.

We all thank God for those 100 years.  And we thank you for your friendship, guidance, and spiritual mentoring during the years we have been privileged to know you.

For me it began when you moved to Bay View and Trinity Methodist Church.  Your daughter became my dear friend and you were my MYF leader. Whenever we met since, your friendship and spiritual mentoring has continued.   Thank you for both.

Happy 100th birthday,

Suzanne (Frank) Wilson-Alan sends his congratulations, too.

Photo: Taken at Bay View United Methodist Church in 2006 by SW.

Note: For further congratulations see

            Blog http://www.churchesonsundays.blogspot.com/ post July 3, 2011.

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Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                                                                         7/3/11

2772 South Kinnickinnic Ave.

Bay View United Methodist Church

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

"The Methodist denomination organized the first church in Bay View. (An area on the south side of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.) It was a small wooden church built in 1868 by English immigrants on the land donated by the Milwaukee Iron Company at what today is 2471 and 2473 Wentworth Avenue. In 1887 the congregation moved to this (at 2772 South Kinnickinnic Avenue) Victorian Gothic cream city brick edifice designed by parishioner William Davelaar." (See Link 1.) 


On Sunday mornings in the 1940's and 50's the church bell door would be opened from the stair landing in the front hall and the rope would be pulled. The bell in the steeple would ring out signaling to the community that the church service at Trinity Methodist Church was beginning.

The inside of the church was unique. The sanctuary of dark wood was designed "in the round". The church chancel, altar, and communion rail were a semi-circle at the front of the sanctuary. A large array of tall organ pipes formed the backdrop for the altar.

1950's Trinity Methodist Church

Confirmation Class

(Note: Organ pipes and semi-circle wooden communion rail.)

The five aisles were arranged like spokes on a wheel. At Christmas the choirs with their candles filled these aisles, surrounding the congregation, as they sang Christmas carols. On the east side of the sanctuary tall two storey dark wood folding doors separated the sanctuary from the Sunday School area. This area also had a balcony. On special days the doors could be opened to facilitate a larger capacity in the sanctuary. Downstairs were two halls. One with a terrazzo floor and kitchen which could be used for church dinners. At Christmas in the 1950's all four choirs would sit around large rectangular tables and sing Christmas carols. Featured would be the singing of "Christmas is Coming" and the presentation of the "figgy pudding". The other room was not only used for rummage sales and square dances, but also had a stage for performances.


"After WWII, husband and wife Lillian and Willis Leenhouts designed an educational wing and remodeled the church interior, installing new stained glass windows." (See Link 2.)These renovations were completed in the early 1950's. The church sanctuary now had a traditional layout with the chancel and altar in the front backed by modern stained glass windows. The dark wood was replaced with light blond wood. A formal parlour in honor of Mabel Bullock and a small chapel were also established on the main floor of the church. Later the parlour was moved across from the doors leading to the sanctuary to facilitate morning coffee following the service. An addition was constructed on the front of the building to provide for a church office. An education wing was also added.


In 1968 the Bethel Evangelical Church congregation merged with the Trinity Methodist Church congregation to become Bay View United Methodist Church. Bethel Evangelical Church was built in 1897 at 2392 So. Woodward St. In 1968 it was sold to the Assembly of God for $40,000. That congregation outgrew the building and again sold it in 2001.

Photo: Top photo taken in 2006 by SW.

Link 1: http://www.bayviewumc.org/
Link 2: http://www.sois.uwm.edu/dl/2006/bvhs/walkingtours/tmw.pdf
Note: Suzanne Wilson attended this church as a child.

CONGRATULATIONS

TO

SID CARTER

ON

HIS

100 BIRTHDAY

Sid Carter
(Taken by SW in 2006 at Bay View United Methodist Church.)

Sid Carter has been a member of Trinity United Methodist Church for 60 years.

Today he will be celebrating his 100 birthday with family and friends in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Happy 100th Birthday, Sid!

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