Trinity Lutheran Church
502 Main Street
Drake, McHenry County, North Dakota 58736
502 Main Street
Drake, McHenry County, North Dakota 58736
75th Anniversary
July 3-4, 1977
Drake, North Dakota
City of Drake founded by Mr. Herman Drake in the year 1902. We, in Drake are proud of our rural heritage. We are especially proud of our fine religious institutions and educational facilities and fine business establishments.
Celebrating our 75th Anniversary of the city of Drake and 60th Anniversary of the Drake Alumni.
Info from - back of the 75th Anniversary July 3-4, 1977, Drake, North Dakota plate
July 3-4, 1977
Drake, North Dakota
City of Drake founded by Mr. Herman Drake in the year 1902. We, in Drake are proud of our rural heritage. We are especially proud of our fine religious institutions and educational facilities and fine business establishments.
Celebrating our 75th Anniversary of the city of Drake and 60th Anniversary of the Drake Alumni.
Info from - back of the 75th Anniversary July 3-4, 1977, Drake, North Dakota plate
Trinity Lutheran Church
It seems whenever a church is found in rural North Dakota, it has a history that includes several other churches that once existed but have long since merged together to form a more viable congregation.
The history of Trinity Lutheran Church is no exception to this rule.
Trinity's history includes such churches as St. Peter's Lutheran Church which was located south of Drake; Zion Lutheran Church at what was Norfolk; Zion Lutheran Church at Guthrie; St. John's Lutheran Church of Funston; Drake Evangelical Lutheran Church; and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Drake.
At one time these many churches were necessary to the early settlers. In the early settlement days when the farms were smaller and the rural population greater these churches easily maintained an effective ministry.
However, with larger farms, declining population, and better opportunities many of these smaller churches were forced to close their doors and merge with those centrally located in town.
There is of course the name of many pastors appearing in the church records of these early churches. These men, undoubtedly, had an effect on the ministry these churches provided.
Some of the German pastors over the years were as follows: K. Haerle, A. Affeld, E. Lehne, L. Oberammer, P. Wamer, K. Wulff, A. Killian, O.F. Herder, F.J. Kordewich and W. Borchardt. These pastors served St. Paul's, Zion of Norfolk and Zion of Guthrie, St. Peter's and St. John's of Funston.
The Drake Evangelical Church was formed in 1928 and was served until 1951 by the following pastors: H. Hanson, J.M. Mason, O. Haugen, A. Sellid and K. Xavier.
It is during the pastorates of Rev. Borchardt and Rev. Xavier that Trinity Lutheran Church was formed.
For several years Drake had supported two Lutheran congregations; one predominantly German and the other Norwegian. Both St. Paul's and Drake E.L.C. had resident pastors and church property, but neither church was able to handle their respective programs adequately. This was
generally recognized and according to the dedication booklet "wiser heads advocated a merger for many years without making an impact."
In the early 1950's the talk of merger was received once again. Pastors Xavier and Borchardt endorsed such a move and each of them volunteered to resign so that both congregations could be closed and a new church formed with a new pastor to serve it.
On December 16, 1951, a group of members from both churches met at the Drake school and Trinity Lutheran Church was organized. A new constitution was prepared articles of incorporation were adopted, a charter was applied for and received on March 25, 1952, and a
committee was elected to contact an architect to draw up plans for a new church building.
The first church council elected on Dec. 16, 1951, included Henning Rossebo, President; Walter Krueger, Secretary; Peter Bruner, Treasurer; Owen Refling, Financial Secretary; Christ Merbach, Verdie Shink, Ed Merbach, Deacons; and Arnold Olson, Sieg Krueger, O.A. Refling, Trustees.
According to records, the soliciting of donations for the new building was rather slow at first. There was a wait and attitude as to whether the new organization would function.
However, more courageous members persisted and after selling the property of the Drake E.L.C. and moving St. Pau’s church building, excavation work began on the new building on March 27, 1954.
On April 25, 1954, the church was dedicated with former pastors Borchardt, Xavier, Hanson and Herder present. Also present was Dr. George Landgrebe, the president of the Dakota district of the former American Lutheran Church of which Trinity was a member.
As they had promised, Pastors Xavier and Brochardt resigned, and a new pastor was called to serve the new congregation. He was Rev. Karl F. Weltner who came to Trinity in July of 1952 and continued to be Trinity's pastor until his retirement in October 1957.
In November 1957 Pastor Chris Ottmar was installed as pastor of Trinity. Toward the end of his pastorate in October 1960 St. John's of Funston closed and its members assumed membership at Trinity. Until that time the pastors at Trinity had served St. John's.
The third pastor of Trinity Lutheran was William Fink who assumed his position on Nov. 30, 1960. During the period of time that Mr. Fink was at Trinity the debt on the building was retired, in 1961. Pastor Fink left on Jan. 11,1966, to serve a parish in Nebraska.
Pastor Joel Hemes, who had previously served in Bottineau, was then called to Trinity's pastorate. He began his ministry on March 9, 1966, and served until Dec. 10, 1969.
He was succeeded by a graduate of the Lutheran Seminary in Columbus; Ohio, Rev. Oscar Kraft who arrived in October 1970. Pastor Kraft, the first seminarian to serve as pastor of Trinity, resigned his position on February 1973.
The second seminarian called to the pastorate and the present pastor is Rev. Galen Strand, who arrived to assume his position on July 1, 1973.
Throughout the 25 years· of its existence Trinity has had active women’s groups which have met regularly" for Bible Study, as well as also making many improvements on the church and parsonage.
The Luther League has also functioned for most of the 25 years with ministry done for and by the youth of the church. The Sunday" School has also been in existence for all of the church's 25 years. It is considerably smaller than it was years ago due to the fact that the church membership as a whole is smaller, and the family size is smaller.
The present council includes Lyle Bakken, Gerald Krueger, Don Pattis, Shelley Haugen, Bob Marvin, Dan Dockter, Larry Ziegler, Dwayne Blumhagen, Albert Ehrman and Alvin Smith.
The officers of the Trinity Lutheran Church Women are Ella Blumhagen, Laura · Hanenberg, Orpha Stance, Maren Bakken, Regina Krueger and Suzanne Strand.
Since the settlement of the Drake area, Trinity Lutheran, and its antecedent churches, has served both the people of the community and God by ministry provided in the community and the world at large. Other histories written before had made note that Trinity has had its "ups and downs" but through them the church has done a job that is faithful to Christ's Gospel and has filled a need to provide ministry and healing to a broken world.
-Galen Strand, Lyle Bakken
Info from - Prairie Patchwork: A Collection of Anecdotes from Drake, North Dakota (pages 98 through 100)
It seems whenever a church is found in rural North Dakota, it has a history that includes several other churches that once existed but have long since merged together to form a more viable congregation.
The history of Trinity Lutheran Church is no exception to this rule.
Trinity's history includes such churches as St. Peter's Lutheran Church which was located south of Drake; Zion Lutheran Church at what was Norfolk; Zion Lutheran Church at Guthrie; St. John's Lutheran Church of Funston; Drake Evangelical Lutheran Church; and St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Drake.
At one time these many churches were necessary to the early settlers. In the early settlement days when the farms were smaller and the rural population greater these churches easily maintained an effective ministry.
However, with larger farms, declining population, and better opportunities many of these smaller churches were forced to close their doors and merge with those centrally located in town.
There is of course the name of many pastors appearing in the church records of these early churches. These men, undoubtedly, had an effect on the ministry these churches provided.
Some of the German pastors over the years were as follows: K. Haerle, A. Affeld, E. Lehne, L. Oberammer, P. Wamer, K. Wulff, A. Killian, O.F. Herder, F.J. Kordewich and W. Borchardt. These pastors served St. Paul's, Zion of Norfolk and Zion of Guthrie, St. Peter's and St. John's of Funston.
The Drake Evangelical Church was formed in 1928 and was served until 1951 by the following pastors: H. Hanson, J.M. Mason, O. Haugen, A. Sellid and K. Xavier.
It is during the pastorates of Rev. Borchardt and Rev. Xavier that Trinity Lutheran Church was formed.
For several years Drake had supported two Lutheran congregations; one predominantly German and the other Norwegian. Both St. Paul's and Drake E.L.C. had resident pastors and church property, but neither church was able to handle their respective programs adequately. This was
generally recognized and according to the dedication booklet "wiser heads advocated a merger for many years without making an impact."
In the early 1950's the talk of merger was received once again. Pastors Xavier and Borchardt endorsed such a move and each of them volunteered to resign so that both congregations could be closed and a new church formed with a new pastor to serve it.
On December 16, 1951, a group of members from both churches met at the Drake school and Trinity Lutheran Church was organized. A new constitution was prepared articles of incorporation were adopted, a charter was applied for and received on March 25, 1952, and a
committee was elected to contact an architect to draw up plans for a new church building.
The first church council elected on Dec. 16, 1951, included Henning Rossebo, President; Walter Krueger, Secretary; Peter Bruner, Treasurer; Owen Refling, Financial Secretary; Christ Merbach, Verdie Shink, Ed Merbach, Deacons; and Arnold Olson, Sieg Krueger, O.A. Refling, Trustees.
According to records, the soliciting of donations for the new building was rather slow at first. There was a wait and attitude as to whether the new organization would function.
However, more courageous members persisted and after selling the property of the Drake E.L.C. and moving St. Pau’s church building, excavation work began on the new building on March 27, 1954.
On April 25, 1954, the church was dedicated with former pastors Borchardt, Xavier, Hanson and Herder present. Also present was Dr. George Landgrebe, the president of the Dakota district of the former American Lutheran Church of which Trinity was a member.
As they had promised, Pastors Xavier and Brochardt resigned, and a new pastor was called to serve the new congregation. He was Rev. Karl F. Weltner who came to Trinity in July of 1952 and continued to be Trinity's pastor until his retirement in October 1957.
In November 1957 Pastor Chris Ottmar was installed as pastor of Trinity. Toward the end of his pastorate in October 1960 St. John's of Funston closed and its members assumed membership at Trinity. Until that time the pastors at Trinity had served St. John's.
The third pastor of Trinity Lutheran was William Fink who assumed his position on Nov. 30, 1960. During the period of time that Mr. Fink was at Trinity the debt on the building was retired, in 1961. Pastor Fink left on Jan. 11,1966, to serve a parish in Nebraska.
Pastor Joel Hemes, who had previously served in Bottineau, was then called to Trinity's pastorate. He began his ministry on March 9, 1966, and served until Dec. 10, 1969.
He was succeeded by a graduate of the Lutheran Seminary in Columbus; Ohio, Rev. Oscar Kraft who arrived in October 1970. Pastor Kraft, the first seminarian to serve as pastor of Trinity, resigned his position on February 1973.
The second seminarian called to the pastorate and the present pastor is Rev. Galen Strand, who arrived to assume his position on July 1, 1973.
Throughout the 25 years· of its existence Trinity has had active women’s groups which have met regularly" for Bible Study, as well as also making many improvements on the church and parsonage.
The Luther League has also functioned for most of the 25 years with ministry done for and by the youth of the church. The Sunday" School has also been in existence for all of the church's 25 years. It is considerably smaller than it was years ago due to the fact that the church membership as a whole is smaller, and the family size is smaller.
The present council includes Lyle Bakken, Gerald Krueger, Don Pattis, Shelley Haugen, Bob Marvin, Dan Dockter, Larry Ziegler, Dwayne Blumhagen, Albert Ehrman and Alvin Smith.
The officers of the Trinity Lutheran Church Women are Ella Blumhagen, Laura · Hanenberg, Orpha Stance, Maren Bakken, Regina Krueger and Suzanne Strand.
Since the settlement of the Drake area, Trinity Lutheran, and its antecedent churches, has served both the people of the community and God by ministry provided in the community and the world at large. Other histories written before had made note that Trinity has had its "ups and downs" but through them the church has done a job that is faithful to Christ's Gospel and has filled a need to provide ministry and healing to a broken world.
-Galen Strand, Lyle Bakken
Info from - Prairie Patchwork: A Collection of Anecdotes from Drake, North Dakota (pages 98 through 100)