Friedens Lutheran Church (1905 Map)

Center North of Section 7, Unity Twp., Clark Co., Wisconsin

 

 

Friedens Gemeinde Church

According to Halbert ‘Bud’ Hardrath, Herman Hardrath Sr. and his wife, Emma (Molle) Hardrath, with two neighbors, Gust Klessig and Louis Boettcher, in 1892, organized the Friedens Gemeinde Church, now known as St. John’s Lutheran Church-Riplinger. The first church was an empty store building (previously known as Fritz' Corner Store) they'd purchased from lumberman and **mill owner, Peter Fritz who resided in Section 1.  Peter built many of the first structures in the Unity, Wisconsin area in the early 1900s, prior to his move to Saskatchewan, Canada in 1911.  The Friedens Gemeinde building was located on County Trunk K, where it crosses the railroad and the Poplar River and was located between the river and the now (2013) existing town road going west on K. (Pine Lane).  The Fritz saw mill was located just to the north, right across the road.

 

How often they met is somewhat vague (two times a month). The pastor received $87.75 for the first year salary, plus oats and hay for the horse. The loose offering (Klingbeutel Geld) was $8.47.  One of the members built a pulpit in one corner and gave it a nice coat of red paint. When the peacher put his hands on the lower rim, he had a nice smear on them.  Julius Luchterhand was the first president on record. Chairs (still in use today) were bought at the furniture store in Unity.

 

In 1907 the congregation moved to a new church a couple of miles to the east.

 

The following pastors served: Pastor William Reul, 1890, from Loyal, Wis. Pastor Emil F. Eske, 1922 - 1927.

 

Then, in 1923 the building and the congregation moved to Riplinger and became St. John’s Lutheran Church of Riplinger, Wisconsin.

 

*Some of the former members of this church are buried in the Beaver Township Cemetery.

 

**Fritz' mill was later known as the A. Perschke Mill.