St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Otoe, Neb.) [RG4020.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG4020.AM:  St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Otoe, Neb.)



Records:  1878-1956

Otoe, Otoe County, Neb.:  Evangelical Lutheran church

Size:  1 reel of microfilm



HISTORICAL NOTE



St. Luke’s Lutheran Church had its beginning in informal services held in settler’s homes during the late 1850s. By the late 1860s, St. Luke’s was formally organized and services were held in the District 4 school house, Otoe County. The church operated under the auspices of the Alleghany Synod of the Old German Synod and was served by traveling ministers including H.W. Kuhn of Omaha and John Groenmiller of Rockport, Missouri. In 1867 Rev. Eli Huber of Nebraska City began serving St. Luke’s on a regular basis.



From 1876-1880 St. Luke’s was affiliated with the old Nebraska Synod. The church was served by two pastors during these years: Rev. Peshau, 1876-1878; and Rev. Dietrich, 1878-1979. In 1880 St. Luke’s received a new pastor, Rev. Spriegel, who would remain until 1912. The Congregation erected its church building in 1882-1883, a meeting-house style structure with bell tower, and pane-glass windows. This structure seated 150 and served 50-60 families.



In 1902 some of the members left St. Luke’s to form the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Otoe. The two congregations became one parish in 1913, served by a single pastor, the Rev. Mikkelson. In 1914 St. Luke’s began shifting from German to English services, and by 1930, only one service each month was in the German language. By 1936 all services were in English.



In 1926 the church requested the Rev. Bold of the Delaware Lutheran Church to take over their parish, which brought the church into the Iowa Synod. In 1931 the Iowa Synod joined the Buffalo Synod to form the American Lutheran Church. In 1956 St. Luke’s was closed and soon after, the building was demolished.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of one volume, a church register, 1878-1956, of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Otoe, Nebraska. The volume is contained on one reel of microfilm. Included in the register are records of baptisms, marriages, deaths, communicants, confirmations, and collections.



DESCRIPTION



Reel 1

Volume




    1. Church register, 1878-1956 including:



      Baptisms, pp. 2-56

      Marriages, pp. 60-63 and pp. 300-303

      Deaths, pp. 90-119 and pp. 260-166

      Communicants, pp. 120-252

      Confirmations, pp. 278-290

      Collections, pp. 340-354



 



ADDED ENTRIES:



German Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nebraska

Lutheran Church in Nebraska

Otoe (Neb.) — Churches

Otoe County (Neb.) — Churches

St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Otoe, Neb.)



 



Revised 06-12-2009   TMM

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

How Eliza Grayson escaped Nebraska slavery

How Eliza Grayson escaped Nebraska slavery

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

Omaha’s Shocking Nineteenth-Century Art

Omaha’s Shocking Nineteenth-Century Art

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.