Our Story
A Summary of our Early History The Evangelical Lutheran congregation held its first meeting at the William Rodekuhr home on January 27, 1915. Prior to that day, Deer Creek and Oak Valley were mission outposts, being served from Ottertail. Pastors August Mueller and William Eifert held services in the homes and above the Menge-Guinn building whenever possible. The Articles of Incorporation were registered on March 3, 1915. By 1917, there were 17 voting members and 70 souls. By March of that year, a call was extended to Reverend A.E. Agather to serve as Pastor for Oak Valley and Deer Creek. Reverend Agather accepted the call and was installed on August 19, 1917. At this time, the voters decided to pay Pastor Agather $200 a year. Services were held in the Methodist Church until February 1918. At a meeting on February 2, 1918, in the Otto Nelson home, it was decided to build a church. On July 21, 1918, the congregation and their friends gathered to dedicate the new building to the service of God. In 1932, the voters decided to alternate German and English services, rather than all German. The German services were discontinued in 1952 since not enough people had been attending.
Some Firsts:
February 10, 1915 - First marriage: Henry Horn and Margaretha Bettcher; August 23, 1915 - First baptism: Franz Heinrich Heiserman, son of John and Christine Heiserman; March 24, 1918 - First confirmation: Herman Buising, Emil Huhnke, Harold Mayer, Selma Mayer, Viola Mayer, Nora Menge, Ella and Mabel Rodekuhr; January 29, 1919 - First funeral: Arthur Mayer.
First building committee: John Menge, Otto Nelson, William Rodekuhr; First chairman of the congregation: Henry Bettcher; First secretary of the congregation: Otto Nelson; First treasurer of the congregation: John Heiserman; Additional charter members: John Menge, John Haase, William Rodekuhr, Emil Raumbaum, Bernhard Hartman and Robert Pfalsgraff.
Pastors Who Have Served Trinity Deer Creek
January 1915 - summer 1917: Pastors August Mueller and William Eifert August ;1917 - August 1920: Reverend A.E. Agather; October 1920 - July 1926: Reverend G. F. Nack; October 1926 - June 1941: Reverend E. T. Meichsner; August 1941 - June 1951: Pastor William Friedrich; June 1951 - July 1952: Pastor Karl Ansorge (vacancy Pastor); July 1952 - October 1957: Pastor Donald Knick October; 1957 - February 1958: Pastor Arthur Beck (vacancy Pastor); February 1958 - June 1965: Reverend George Raap; June 1965 - September 1965: Pastor Paul Friedrich (vacancy Pastor); September 1965 - January 1970: Reverend Robert Brueske; January 1970 - July 1971: Pastor Bernard Gorentz and Pastor Arnold Cloeter (vacancy Pastors); July 1971 - January 1976: Reverend Albert Bierlien; January 1976 - December 1978: Pastor Karl Lassanske (vacancy Pastor); December 1978 - September 1982: Pastor Paul McGhghy; September 1982 - June 1983: Pastor Donald Wilke; June 1983 - February 1986: Pastor Carl Noble; May 1986 -January 1991: Pastor Richard Schreiber; January 1991 - September 1991: Pastor Henry Buchholz (vacancy Pastor); September 1991 - June 1999: Pastor Gregory Tomhave; January 2000 - June 2009: Pastor Gunard Heikkila; July 2009 - June 2016: Pastor A. Paul Yearyean; June 2016 - February 2017: Pastor Ronald Jobe (vacancy pastor); February 2017 - Present: Pastor Donald Wagner