PASTOR GRESENS 1894

REV. LOUIS GRESENS May 1894- Sept. 1915

While Student Meyer taught the school, a call was extended to the Rev. Salmann of Kentucky, to Rev. E. Schroeder of Nebraska, and then to the Rev. Louis Gresens of Germantown, Nebraska. On the first Sunday after Trinity, May 21, 1894, Pastor Gresens was installed in Sterling by the Rev. Em. Meyer of Hopkins. He continued to serve this congregation 21 years, until he followed a call to West Chicago, Illinois, in September 1915. Pastor Gresens was an excellent teacher and a very faithful pastor. He was, however, completely dedicated to the German language. Callers at the parsonage could not miss a sign reading: "Hier wird nur deutsch gesprochen." (Only German may be spoken here.) Pastor Mueller verified this repeatedly with older members early in his ministry.

In 1894 there were 142 communicant members in this congregation, a soul membership of 267. For the next ten years this figure varied a little both ways and then settled down again to 137 communicant members, 221 souls the year the red brick church was built on Second Avenue.

An assortment of interesting facts from this period may give one a better picture of how slowly progress was registered in those days.

Just before Pastor Gresens arrived the congregation was faced with the problem of a neighbor who had the bad habit of piling his corn stalks on the church line. Yes, the church property was still surrounded by cornfield and pasture even later than 1893. The congregation's fiscal year ended in June those days and the treasurer's report in 1895 showed that the total receipts for the previous year amounted to $518.49. But those Christians really had a heart for the needy. Though the members had to borrow money at 6% interest that year in order to shingle the church and build a kitchen on the parsonage, yet they raised a special collection for the needy in Nebraska that same year and a little later came to the assistance of a sister congregation in Peoria which had suffered the complete loss of church and school by fire.

In 1897 it was determined to build a porch on the parsonage and two years later the trustees were instructed to build a barn at a cost of $150.00-$200.00. It was not reported what this building actually cost. No doubt this is the same structure the church sold again in 1940 at $100.00 in order to build a double garage. In 1900 the man who heated the church still received only $5.00 for his trouble. The 25th anniversary of the congregation was marked by special church services, but no details of it have been discovered. Two years later the congregation got around to installing cement sidewalk in front of the church and the parsonage. The project had been under discussion for years. And in 1903 several shade trees were planted in front of the church. Apparently these were the giant soft maples which were removed about 1947 when they became hazardous. How fortunate they were not standing yet during the hurricane of 1948, which would have sent them toppling on the church and the parsonage.