The History of Saint Peter Lutheran Church of Pearsall, Texas
This church began in 1929 in the home of the Ernest Weiser, Sr. family at Schattel, Texas. It was begun by families that had moved from Trinity Lutheran Church in Fedor, Lee County, Texas. Meeting with the Weiser family were the families of: Louis Krueger, Herbert Neumann and Henry Weiser. Soon after, others joined the small congregation. They were the families of :Reinhold Graf, Paul Graf, Martin Graf, Alvin Graf, Otto Melcher, August Hornbostel, Bill Hornbostel and Alvin Hornbostel. As the congregation outgrew the home, they moved to the nearby Schattel school house in late 1931 or early 1932.
They asked the Texas District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod to provide them with pastoral care. The first Pastor to serve them was the Rev. E.A.Falsken of St Paul in San Antonio. Services were held by Pastor Falsken or various other pastors on every second Sunday of each month. On the remaining Sundays, reading services were led by Gottfried Weiser and Gustav Fischer Jr. in German and later by Martin Graf Sr. in English.
Shortly after moving to the Schattel school house, the first wedding was held. The marriage of Dora Weiser and Gustav Fischer Jr. took place on March 22, 1932. The ceremony was performed by Pastor Luecken.*[1]
In 1936, the congregation was officially organized. It desired to join the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and was accepted on June 17, 1942 at the Texas District convention. Charter members were Louis Krueger, Ernest Weiser Sr., Henry Weiser, Gottfried Weiser, Fred Weiser, Ludwig Weiser, Ernest Weiser Jr., Bill Hornbostel, Paul Graf and sons Gerhardt, Martin and Alvin, Otto Melcher, Gustav Fischer Jr. and Mrs. Ottillie Neumann and family.
Pastors that served at various times at Schattel included: the Revs. A.O. Rast, John Rische, Norman V. Abbott, Gerhardt T. Naumann and John Elser.
On June 23, 1955 the congregation moved to Pearsall, where services were held in the Presbyterian Church building. Rev. Gerhardt T. Naumann of Messiah Lutheran, San Antonio, served St Peter congregation until he accepted a call to Manheim, Lee County, Texas. On August 5, 1956, Rev. Eugene Rall was installed as the first resident pastor.
On Sept. 9, 1956, the first building committee was appointed to study the feasibility of a new church building. The committee consisted of Martin Graf Sr., Bill Hornbostel, Warren Blood and Martin Neumann, Sr. At this time, the congregation applied for a loan in the amount of $14,000.00 from the Texas District Mission Board, with the payback to be spread out over 13 years. The new church building was dedicated on March 15, 1959; the Rev. A. O. Rast preached the sermon.
Fifty years after the original church and classroom building was dedicated, construction began on a parish hall. On March 29, 2009, ground was broken on a 1,300 square foot addition. Included in this new construction was the renovation of much of the original building. The pastor’s study was opened up to become the new narthex. The large windows in the back of the church were removed and replaced by a solid wall, with doors and a window leading to the new parish hall. A generous kitchen was set on one end of the new room, and a large storage room was tucked behind it. A new study for the pastor was also part of the new building. Except for the church proper, all the walls were painted and new tile covered the floors. A closet for the ushers and Altar Guild was added to one corner, and a raised booth for the sound system was built into the other back corner of the church. On October 11, 2009, the parish hall was dedicated to the glory of God.
[1] as taken from her book, “As I Remember” by Dora Weiser Fischer.
The Pastors called to serve St Peter Lutheran Church
They asked the Texas District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod to provide them with pastoral care. The first Pastor to serve them was the Rev. E.A.Falsken of St Paul in San Antonio. Services were held by Pastor Falsken or various other pastors on every second Sunday of each month. On the remaining Sundays, reading services were led by Gottfried Weiser and Gustav Fischer Jr. in German and later by Martin Graf Sr. in English.
Shortly after moving to the Schattel school house, the first wedding was held. The marriage of Dora Weiser and Gustav Fischer Jr. took place on March 22, 1932. The ceremony was performed by Pastor Luecken.*[1]
In 1936, the congregation was officially organized. It desired to join the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and was accepted on June 17, 1942 at the Texas District convention. Charter members were Louis Krueger, Ernest Weiser Sr., Henry Weiser, Gottfried Weiser, Fred Weiser, Ludwig Weiser, Ernest Weiser Jr., Bill Hornbostel, Paul Graf and sons Gerhardt, Martin and Alvin, Otto Melcher, Gustav Fischer Jr. and Mrs. Ottillie Neumann and family.
Pastors that served at various times at Schattel included: the Revs. A.O. Rast, John Rische, Norman V. Abbott, Gerhardt T. Naumann and John Elser.
On June 23, 1955 the congregation moved to Pearsall, where services were held in the Presbyterian Church building. Rev. Gerhardt T. Naumann of Messiah Lutheran, San Antonio, served St Peter congregation until he accepted a call to Manheim, Lee County, Texas. On August 5, 1956, Rev. Eugene Rall was installed as the first resident pastor.
On Sept. 9, 1956, the first building committee was appointed to study the feasibility of a new church building. The committee consisted of Martin Graf Sr., Bill Hornbostel, Warren Blood and Martin Neumann, Sr. At this time, the congregation applied for a loan in the amount of $14,000.00 from the Texas District Mission Board, with the payback to be spread out over 13 years. The new church building was dedicated on March 15, 1959; the Rev. A. O. Rast preached the sermon.
Fifty years after the original church and classroom building was dedicated, construction began on a parish hall. On March 29, 2009, ground was broken on a 1,300 square foot addition. Included in this new construction was the renovation of much of the original building. The pastor’s study was opened up to become the new narthex. The large windows in the back of the church were removed and replaced by a solid wall, with doors and a window leading to the new parish hall. A generous kitchen was set on one end of the new room, and a large storage room was tucked behind it. A new study for the pastor was also part of the new building. Except for the church proper, all the walls were painted and new tile covered the floors. A closet for the ushers and Altar Guild was added to one corner, and a raised booth for the sound system was built into the other back corner of the church. On October 11, 2009, the parish hall was dedicated to the glory of God.
[1] as taken from her book, “As I Remember” by Dora Weiser Fischer.
The Pastors called to serve St Peter Lutheran Church
|
Eugene Rall
Gerhardt T. Naumann Edwin T. Brown Reinhold J. Mueller Arthur E. Lyons Theodore H. Vogel Bruce Drees Robert E. Gentet Thomas Wm. Winter |
August 5, 1956
August 11, 1957 November 14, 1965 May 31, 1970 September 29, 1974 June 14, 1981 September 1, 1988 November 17, 1996 March 25, 2007 |
to February 24, 1957
to April 5, to November 23, 1969 to June 30, 1974 to November 25, 1979 to January 31, 1987 to May 31, 1993 to May 29, 2005 to present |
Some of the other men who have served the people of St Peter during pastoral vacancies include:
the Revs. Arthur Schultz, Eldor Mickan, Louis Oetting, Louis Redmon, and Harold Schroeter.
Vicar Danny Chambers served for a year in 2005 & 2006.
the Revs. Arthur Schultz, Eldor Mickan, Louis Oetting, Louis Redmon, and Harold Schroeter.
Vicar Danny Chambers served for a year in 2005 & 2006.
