Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Washington Township, Defiance County, Ohio

 As one travels north of Ney on Route 15 just past Beerbower Road, on the left, a cemetery will come into view.  Once a church sat there, founded by early immigrant settlers in about 1864.  According to a history of the church, the founders of this congregation were:

O. Fieldner - J. C. Vollmer - J. G. Vollmer - Jacob Goller - John Goller, Sr. - G. Goller - J. Armbruster - J. G. Renz - John Goller - J. Spieth - F. Straehle - J. Schmidt -A. Haase - G. Straehle - G. Guenther - C. Schwarzbek - F. Wilhelm - C. Dreher and F. Ihmelmann

 

On photo: Ev. Luth. Immanuels Kirche - Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Ney, Ohio

This church building was erected here in 1875 by Chr. Bergman, contractor, for $1,500, with the dedication on December 5, 1875.  In 1879, the congregation joined the Evangelical Synod.  In 1912, the church was remodeled with a new addition added, along with some stained glass windows.

Parishioners of the church in about 1902, with photo from the collection of John and Luella Weller.

Row 1 (l to r): John Billow, Ferman Haase, Fay Moog, Elmer Schwartzbek, Carl Schwarzbek, Dale Vollmer, Esther Bruner, Alma Haase Weller, Lydia Vollmer Billow, William Weller, Ernest Smith

Row 2: Court Schwarzbek, Julius Moog, Frank Vollmer, William Vollmer, Amand Weber?, Harry Billow, Otis Moog, Laura Wilhelm, Emma Fieldner Goller, Florence Vollmer Moog, Ida Haase Harmon, Martha Kaltenback Fieldner, Frieda Smith Mulligan

Row 3: Gusta Moog Vollmer, Wilhelmina Bergman, Charles Smith, Carl Fieldner, George Vollmer, Willie Billow, Tillie Vollmer, Emma Bruner?, Stella Haase, ? , Rosa Bergman, Martha Koeppe, ?Burgbacher, Rose Fieldner Goller, Ethel Harmon Fieldner, Grandma Vollmer, Grandpa Vollmer, Rev. Frederick Hinkleman

Row 4: Dorothea Vollmer, Christian Vollmer, Lisetta Vollmer, Clara Burgbacher, Herman Burgbacher, Emanuel Vollmer, Theodore Schwarzbek, William Koeppe, Louisa Vollmer, William Bergman, Stella Goller, Oscar Bergman, Carrie Burgbacher, Own Burgbacher, Bertha Koeppe Goller, Gottlieb (John) Weller, Hulda Vollmer Koeppe, Leo Bergman, Sophia Weller, Selina Weller Lampl, Oney Goller, Amelia Smith Elser, Emma Moog, Otto Koeppe, Anna Vollmer, Albert Haase Jr. , John Bergman, Clara Vollmer, Otto Fieldner, Sherm Bruner, Ernest Vollmer, Wilma Vollmer    

In the 1930s, this church and St. Paul Lutheran in Bryan merged with Trinity Lutheran Church in Bryan.  Eventually, in 1947, the Emanuel church building was purchased and moved to Williams Center.

                                                   Bryan Press, December 10, 1947

The church was officially formed in 1864, and birth and baptismal records are available from 1865-1931; marriage records from 1879, confirmation records fro 1869 on to 1931.  Records may be at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bryan, but BGSU has also microfilmed all the records.

This church also had its own burying grounds behind and eventually to the sides of the church building.  Next blog - the cemetery at Emmanuel.

Thank you for all the research contributions, Deb Dietrich Conley.