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Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word, created by Cathy Carlson Reynolds, 6 November 2012 Description is in English 2013-11-21 Converted to schema conforming EAD by dtd2schema.vh.xsl. A Guide to the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Records, 1800-1935, Undated A Collection in Special Collections, Kegley Library 1968.4 Cathy Carlson Reynolds

Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College 2011 Cathy Carlson Reynolds Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College Descriptive Summary Special Collections, Kegley Library St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Records 1800-1935, Undated 8 folders. English Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Records, Mss. Collection 1968.4, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA

Acquisition Information

Donated by the estate of Frederick Bittle Kegley in 1968.

Historical Information

German settlers near Wytheville, Virginia founded St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1798. Daniel Etter and Mary Etter deeded one acre for twenty-five dollars for the construction of a church building. Members donated funds totaling $201.50 and in 1800 celebrated services in a new church. In 1816 the congregation contributed $430 for the purchase of a pipe organ.

St. John's first pastor, Rev. George Daniel Flohr, and his congregation established the church as a guiding force in the growth of Lutheran churches throughout Southwest Virginia. Indeed, St. John's Church served as a mother church to Lebanon (1851), Holy Trinity (1876), St. Luke's (1888), St. Mark (1891), Poplar Grove (1897), and Holy Advent (1915) churches. As the population shifted toward towns and the railroads, St. John's Church lost members. In 1924, the congregation merged with that of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wytheville. Part of the merger agreement provided for the establishment of an endowment fund to maintain the historic building and cemetery of the mother church.

In 1977, the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission designated St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church as a Historic Virginia Landmark. A homecoming is held annually.

 Scope and Content

The collection includes four volumes of original church records, a volume of photostats and transcripts, two typed transcripts, and miscellaneous documents. Record Book 1 (Folder 1; 1800-1892) contains a constitution, baptismal records (1804-1892), a list of subscribers for the building of the first church (1800), and a list of subscribers for purchase of an organ (1816). Record Book 2 (Folder 1; 1880-1924) contains information about church members including date of birth, marriage, and death as well as minutes for the church congregational, council, and committee meetings.

A ledger book (Folder 3; 1875-1908) for the St. John's Church Christian Association and Women's Missionary Society includes minutes, lists of members, and financial records. A record book (Folder 4; 1896-1900) for another church organization, The Augsburg League of Christian Endeavor, contains minutes for business, committee, and social functions of the group.

The Rev. William J. Finck transcribed and translated from German into English Record Book 1. He also produced photostats which he combined with transcriptions and drawings into Records, 1804-1892: St. John's Lutheran Church (Folder 5). Finck sent a copy to the Library of Virginia and two sets to Frederick Bittle Kegley, a member of St. John's Lutheran Church. Interspersed in the pages of this volume are pen and ink drawings by Elizabeth Waller Wilkins of church buildings, ministers, wives, and birth announcements. Finck also produced two typed transcripts of records from Record Book 1 from 1800-1836 (Folder 6, Folder 7).

The final folder (Folder 8; 1869-1935, Undated) contains miscellaneous documents including a transcript (1869) of the 1804 constitution, letters regarding the endowment fund for maintenance of St. John's Church and Cemetery (1924-1925), and notes by Frederick Bittle Kegley.

 Contents List Folder 1. Record Book 1 1800-1892. 1 item; p. i-vi, 1-154, numbered in pencil; 8 1/4" x 13" cloth bound.

Record book of St. John's Evangelical Church, Wytheville, Virginia. Transcript by Rev. W. J. Finck in Folders 5, 6, 7.

 Church Regulations for the Congregation of the New St. John's Church. 22 May 1814. P. i-vi.

Signed by Elders, Caspar Rother, Johannes Herrcherother; Deacons, Andreas Brau, Henrich Bien. Signed by Elder Jacob Brunner and Deacon Michel Braun, on the part of the Reformed.

 Baptismal Register from the First of August, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Four, George Flohr. 1804-1892. P. 1-85, 88-96.

Includes names of children, date of birth, names of parents, date of baptism, names of sponsors.

Death Record. 1862-1964. P. 87.

Includes listings for Lt. Joseph Rufus Brown, son of Henry Brown, and John Kegley, son of Martin Kegley, who were killed at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain, on 9 May 1864.

A Record of the Members of St. John's Ev. Lut. Church in Actual Conversion at this Date. 1 March 1862. P. 122. At a Communion Held in St. John's Church the Following Members Communed. 9 September 1837. P. 124. Names of the Members of St. John's Church, Wythe County, Va. 1830-1880, Undated. P. 127-141, 144-146.

First segment is undated.

Succession of Vestermen. Undated. P. 142-143.

Vestrymen list.

List of Subscribers for the Organ of St. John's Church. April 1816. P. 148-149.

List of subscribers, giving amount of donation. The organ was installed during the first and second week of April 1816, and was played for the first time on Good Friday. The cost was $400, and freight was $30.

List of Subscribers for the Building of St. John's Church in the Year 1800. 1800. P. 150-151. Folder 2. Record Book 2. 1880-1924. 1 item; leather bound; p. 1-361; 8 3/4" x 13." The Constitution of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. 5 January 1879; 17 December 1893. P. 1-7, 8.

Adopted 5 January 1879, amendments adopted 17 December 1893.

Names of the Members of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wythe County, Virginia. Undated. P. 11-55, 92-93.

Includes name, how and when received into the church, time of death, and where buried. Other listings include name, time of birth, names of parents, time of baptism, names of sponsors, how and when received into the church, time of marriage, time of death, where buried, when removed, when excommunicated, when restored.

Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. 17 January 1886-24 March 1907. P. 58-90. Church Council Meeting Minutes. 6 November 1880-21 December 1924. P. 124-266. Constitution and By-Laws of the Merged Holy Trinity Evangelical Church, Wytheville, Virginia. 21 December 1924. P. 274-295. History by G. B. Repass, Secretary of Church Council. Undated. P. 300-301. Communion Roll by F. J. Lottich. 1924. P. 330-332. A List of Members of St. John's Church. 10 August 1906. P. 334-349. Roll of Members of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Time of Merger with Holy Trinity Evangelical Church. 21 December 1924. P. 350-352.

Compiled by Rev. F. J. Lottich, Pastor.

Amounts Paid at St. John's Church. 1880-1885. P. 356. Folder 3. Christian Association and Women's Missionary Society Record Book. 1875-1908. 1 item; cloth bound; p. 1-252; 8" x 12 1/4." Christian Association of St. John's Church Constitution. 1875. P. 1-3.

The Association was formed to assist the congregation in furthering its spiritual as well as temporal interests.

 List of Members. 1875. P. 4-5. Minutes. 30 May 1875-27 May 1877. P. 7-17. Money Received. Undated. P. 19. In Memoriam. Undated. P. 20; 34.

Newspaper clippings regarding death of Ellenora Brown Yonce, Rosanna Repass, Katherine Yonce Morehand, and Fannie A. Yonce.

Index: Organization of the Women's Missionary Society. 1882-1886. P. 22-69.

Includes constitution, members, money received, and exercises.

Minutes of the Women's Home and Foreign Missionary Society. 26 March 1887-28 July 1906. P. 49-226. Folder 4. Augsburg League of Christian Endeavor Minute Book. 1896-1900. 1-200 p; cloth bound; 8" x 9 7/8."

Organized January 1897.

Minutes. 27 December 1896-12 October 1900. P. 5-51. Business and Committee Meeting Minutes. December 1897-16 December 1900. P. 148-176. Social Meeting Minutes. 15 June 1897-13 November 1897. P. 190-192. List of Members. 1897-1899. P. 197-200. Folder 5. Church Records - Photostats and Translation by William J. Finck. 1804-1892. 1 item.; bound photostats and translation; title page loose.

Finck, Rev. William J. Records, 1804-1892: St. John's Lutheran Church. Includes records in German, 1804-1836, translated. Drawings by Elizabeth Waller Wilkins include pen and ink of church buildings, pen and ink and watercolor of the 1805 baptismal certificate of Katherine Umberger, and pen and ink portrait of Katherine Umberger Kegley, wife of John Kegley. Portraits by Wilkins of Sarah Baumgartner Harkrader Fisher, wife of Isaac Harkrader and Joseph Fisher Sr., Rufus Repass, Rev. James Andrew Brown, Eleanora Herbst Brown, wife of James Andrew Brown, and Welcome Baumgartner also included. Map of St. John's Church property, on onion skin, also included.

Folder 6. Typescript - Church Records. 1800-1836, 1935. 1 item; 64 typed p.; Copy 1.

Finck, Rev. William J. The Church Records of St. John's Evangelical Church, Wytheville, Virginia, 1800 to 1836, Typed and Translated. Includes constitution, baptismal records, and list of subscribers for new church building and organ.

Folder 7. Typescript - Church Records. 1800-1836. 1 item; 73 typed p.; Copy 2.

Finck, Rev. William J. The Church Records of St. John's Evangelical Church, Wytheville, Virginia, 1800 to 1836, Typed and Translated. Includes constitution, baptismal records, and list of subscribers for new church building and organ.

Folder 8. Miscellaneous. 1869-1935, Undated. 6 items. Rules for the Church of St. John's, Adopted September 1804. 26 November 1869. 8 p.; transcript, handwritten in pen.

Transcribed by Rudolph Tuesler, Wytheville, Virginia. Includes constitution, baptismal records, and list of subscribers for new church building and organ.

Letter. Endowment Committee to Dear Friend.11 November 1924. 1 p.

Endowment committee, comprised of G. B. Morehead, W. B. Cassell, F. B. Kegley, R. C> Patterson, N. B. Rhudy, Newt Umberger wrote regarding establishment of a fund to maintain the old St. John's Church building and cemetery.

Excerpts from the Constitution for the Merging of the St. John's and the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Congregations. 1924. 1 p.

Article III, Old St. John's. Regarding establishment of endowment fund to maintain property.

Circular. Old St. John's Church and Cemetery.1925. 1 p.

Regarding establishment of endowment fund for maintenance of property.

Letter. William J. Finck, Vice-President, The Historical Society of the United Lutheran Church in America, New Market, Virginia to Frederick Bittle Kegley, Wytheville, Virginia. 21 December 1935. 1 p.

Regarding his translation and typing of the church records for which he charged $12.07 for two sets.

Notes by Frederick Bittle Kegley. Undated. 1 p.; handwritten in pencil.

Re: officers of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church.