This Manitowoc County church closed in 2022 after more than a century of service. Here’s its story.

After 105 years of service, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Two Creeks closed on Nov. 20, 2022.

The country church witnessed countless baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals, worship and prayer services, religion classes, council meetings and other community activities during many years of use by its faithful members.

The St. John congregation was organized in 1867 after German and other settlers came to the rural area in northeastern Manitowoc County. The members first worshiped in a building 2 miles west of Two Creeks on the C. Maack farm at the northwest corner of Saxonburg and Two Creeks roads, town of Mishicot.

Land for a cemetery (donated by the Maack family) on Saxonburg Road (one-quarter mile north of the church) served as a final resting place for members of the congregation. The small rural cemetery is still used today.

In 1873, when the Evangelical Lutheran St. John Church of the Town of Gibson on County Q was organized, the two congregations were served by the Rev. Carl Jaeger. The arrangement of a dual parish led by the same resident pastor continued until the recent closing of the Two Creeks church.

The Maack Church was used until a new church was built one block east of State 42 at Two Creeks during the pastorate of the Rev. Herbert Kirchner in 1917. The building committee consisted of Frederick Messman, Herman Engelbrecht and William Lehrmann. Members of the congregation did much of the work on the new frame church. The old Maack Church was torn down the following year.

Church records indicate English services were begun on two Sundays each month in January 1918. Prior to this, services were held in German. By 1933, English services were increased to three per month. In 1937, the church was wired to utilize the newly available power of rural electricity.

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Fortunately, St. John Lutheran Church was not affected by a disastrous fire that destroyed nine buildings in the thriving port of East Two Creeks on Oct. 5, 1918. The fire destroyed a blacksmith shop, general store, dance hall and tavern, hotel and other nearby structures.

In 1919, the St. John congregation joined the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. In 1957, the church became a member of the Manitowoc Lutheran High School Federation.

Prior to the congregation’s 100th anniversary in 1967, the church at 5424 Two Creeks Road was extensively remodeled with new lighting and carpeting and other improvements. Special centennial anniversary services were held on Sunday, Sept. 17, 1967. Prof. Roger Fleming of Lake Mills was the guest speaker at the 10 a.m. service. During the afternoon, the 50th anniversary of the church building was observed with the Rev. John Mattek delivering the sermon.

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In 1979, a new entrance with a narthex and basement fellowship hall were constructed. Dedication of the new addition was held on Sunday, Nov. 4, 1979. The speaker for the afternoon service was the Rev. Floyd Mattek of Ann Arbor, Michigan, a son of the Two Creeks congregation. A lunch served to guests followed the service.

St. John’s 125th anniversary was observed with two services of thanksgiving and a noon dinner at the Two Creeks Town Hall on Sunday, Sept. 20, 1992. Former pastors Percy Damrow and Roger Fleming were guest speakers.

Pastors of St. John Lutheran Church have included the Revs. Carl Jaeger, H. Proehl, H. Bruss, Henry Mueller, Fred C. Uetzmann, Richard Siegler, John Reuschel, Herbert Kirchner, Otto Gruendemann, Walter Kleinke, Henry Pussehl, John Mattek, Kenneth Seim, Ralph Unke, Roger Fleming, Gerhardt Geiger, Percy Damrow, Maurice Hoppe and Donald Freilitz. The Rev. James Heffner, the last pastor, now leads Lutheran congregations at Gibson, Rockwood, Denmark and Carlton.

New owners of the church are Kevin Heraly and Therese Gretzinger-Heraly, who operate The Greatest Gift religious store, adjacent to the church property. Some functions have been held in the former church building, but its future use has yet to be decided.

Bob Fay is a historian and former executive director of the Manitowoc County Historical Society.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church closes in Manitowoc County