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.

The Maroon Athletic Club, 1927

For many years, Lloyd V. Tuttle contributed historic photos and information to the Defiance Crescent-News for his column: "A Backward Glance."  This article appeared in the newspaper on Tuesday, September 17, 1963.

"One of the winning football teams in the history of Defiance athletics was the Maroon Athletic Club. 

The picture, which was loaned by S. D. Sproul, 1959 Colwell Drive, was taken in 1927, but the club had been playing winning games several years before that.  They played all over northwestern Ohio and parts of Indiana and turned in victories often.

Pictured are, from left, front row:
S. D. Sproul, Floyd Plumb, Paul Kern, Cy Marrihugh, Don Slough, John Ellsworth, Unidentified, Eugene Smith, John Stonebraker, Elmer Merz.
Middle Row: Ike Maddocks, Roy Michenfelder, Rudy Wilhelm, Fritz Schmitt, Frank McKellips, John Yeager, 'Buck' Krill, Orland Yeager; and back row, Ralph Imber, Unidentified, Byron Sproul, Bill Wirick, Everitt Roehrig, Miller, and Albert Hurtt."

Going Off to College in 1895

"WILL ATTEND COLLEGE.

Where Defiance Young People Will go to Learn.

The following is a partial list of the Defiance young people who will attend colleges to secure a higher education this winter:

Miss Nellie Kettenring, Delaware, O.

Miss Bessie Switzer, Delaware, O.

Miss Emma Lewis, Glendale, O.

Miss Francis Wilhelm, Washington, D. C.

Clinton Seither, Ann Arbor, Mich.

R. T. Holgate, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Ab. Rummell, Chicago School of Pharmacy

George Farrell, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Richard Sutphen, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Fred Wood, Cornell University

Roy Coombs, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Miss Minnie Davis, Oxford, O.

Earl E. Enos, Ohio State University

(Defiance Democrat, September 1895)

 

Defiance College graduating class of 1895 (Defiance College, Pilgrim Library Archives)