Our history

Our Story

It was in 1876 that a number of members belonging to the congregation known as the Mud-Creek (St. John) Lutheran Church decided to sever their connections with the congregation and assembled to organize a new congregation.
1877: The new St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized by the Rev. Leonard George Feistner on Wednesday, January 30, 1877, with the following charter members: Christian Zabel, Franz Moerer Sr., Hermann Utecht, August Lunzmann, J. Christoph Freitag Jr., J. Freidrich Freitag, Dietrich Oestmann, Fritz Oestmann Sr., Claus Mangels, Wilhelm Hoops, Michael Feistner, Dietrich Neddenriep, and John Fintel.
According to reports from various record books, the following men were also considered to be among the original founders: F.H. Stutheit, Fred Stutheit Jr., Fritz Fintel, John H. Lunzmann, Samuel Helmer, Carl Gutzmer, and Henry Reinke.
The first church services were held in the Franz Moerer Sr. schoolhouse, which was located 2 miles west of the current church site.

It was decided in September that the church services would be held alternately in the Franz Moerer and the Dietrich Oestmann schoolhouses. This arrangement continued until the fall of 1878. (The Dietrich Oestmann schoolhouse was located ½ mile east and ½ mile south of the current church site.)
The Rev. Heinrich Rehwoldt was called to serve as the first official pastor of the congregation on April 3, 1877. The group immediately launched into organizing the church, as the first constitution was written, and then officially adopted and signed on October 17, 1877.
Why the name Hickory Grove? One source of information stated that a grove of hickory trees was near the building site. Another source stated that there was a large hickory tree in the middle of the road a mile or so east of the church site. Instead of cutting down the tree, people drove around it.
The building of a church and parsonage was also utmost in the minds of the young congregation. A centralized location was agreed upon and the land, consisting of 4 5/8 acres, was purchased from Dietrich Oestmann and Fritz Oestmann Sr. for $40.
Since a home was needed for the pastor, work began immediately on the parsonage. Records show that it was completed by August at a cost of $775. It was approximately 20 feet by 36 feet, a one-and-one-half story house built by George Poppe.

1878: The first Confirmation Class—Franz and Sophia Zabel, Maria Feistner, Ida Harms, and Clara Rehwoldt—was confirmed on Palm Sunday, April 3, 1878. The first burial, a stillborn daughter of Fredrich and Anna Freytag, was conducted on April 13, and the first marriage—Heinrich Gebers and Marie Garbers—was performed on July 3.
On June 10, the congregation voted to build the church. It would be 24 feet by 46 feet by 14 feet, with a tower strong enough to carry a bell weighing between 250 and 300 pounds. George Poppe built the church building. On July 4, the cornerstone was laid, and by September, the church was completed at a cost of $1,365. The Dedication Service took place October 17.
1879-1880: Many firsts were recorded for the new church during these years: first baptism, first marriage, first confirmation, first collection for mission, and first church library. Pastor Rehwoldt accepted a call to Byron, Nebraska, and moved from Hickory Grove at the end of December 1880.

1881-1886: On January 17, 1881, the District President of the Western District of the Synod of Iowa was present to extend a letter of call to Pastor Henry Nau of Oregon City, Oregon. He received a salary of $400.
On June 9, 1881, it was decided to build a schoolhouse south of the church building. It was to be a separate 20-foot by 24-foot building, which was completed in September.
Money to pay for the schoolhouse was slow to be received. Members were asked for another payment in the building fund. It was noted that a new family joining the church in April 1882 was to pay $8 to the schoolhouse fund and $10 as membership dues.
Of interest was a decision made at a congregational meeting that if a member refused to pay additional money for the building fund, their membership would be discontinued.
In April 1882, a janitor was hired to clean the church. He was to receive $1.50 each time the church was cleaned. It was also decided to have all church property insured.
The pastor’s salary was raised to $500 in 1883.
Confirmation instruction was extended to two years in 1885. In 1886, it was decided to conduct a school for small children before the main church worship service during the summer months.
Pastor Nau, after serving the congregation for six years, left in May 1887.
1887-1889: Pastor Johannes Wittig of Metropolis, Illinois, accepted the call and arrived early in September. He was installed on September 18, 1887. Under his leadership, the congregation grew in membership and a new spiritual life was experienced.
It was decided to renovate the small parsonage, add an addition, and build a summer kitchen. The cost of this project was $280.
In December 1889, a new Estey organ was purchased for $115.
1891: During the night of February 26, the schoolhouse was destroyed by fire. The congregation was now faced with the question of whether to build a new schoolhouse or a new church.
At the seventh congregational meeting of the year on June 14, it was resolved to build a new church, measuring 36 feet by 60 feet by 18 feet, with a 10-foot choir loft, north of the cemetery. Total cost was $4,330.89.

The tower was 85 feet high to the bar of the cross and anchor. For many years, the bell was rung at 8 in the morning and at sunset as a call to prayer. It was also run at the death of a member, as well as at every worship service. This second bell is still in use in the new church, which was built in 1959.
On November 8, 1891, the new church was dedicated. This was a day of great joy!
The first church served as a place of worship from October 17, 1878 to November 8, 1891. The it was used as a congregational schoolhouse until 1959.
1892-93: In the fall of 1892, Pastor Wittig became ill and passed from this life to the next. Four-and-a-half months later, Mrs. Wittig followed him. Their earthly remains lie at rest in our cemetery.
1892-1899: In April, Pastor Theodore Streng Sr. of Arapahoe, Nebraska, was called to serve the congregation. He accepted the call and was installed on June 25, 1893. At that time, the church had 53 voting members (men) and 70 children of school age.
Pastor Streng was granted a three-month leave of absence that he might travel to Germany and there be married. He brought his bride, Adolphine, back to Auburn on August 1, 1894. Mrs. Streng, who had attended a music school in Germany, served this congregation as organist for 40 years.
Pastor Streng served the congregation from June 1893 until his death in 1934. During his 41 years of service, many important improvements were made. Points of interest may include the planting of the evergreen trees between the church and schoolhouse and the ash trees on the north side of the cemetery in 1897.
The first Mission Festival was conducted in September 1899 and has been held annually since then.
1904: A new eight-room parsonage was built at a cost of $1,500.
1907: The schoolhouse was renovated and a new Gothic altar placed in the church.
To avoid having lengthy congregational meetings after church services, it was decided to have semi-annual meetings on the first Sunday of July.

1908-1920: The Western District of the Iowa Synod held its district convention at Hickory Grove.
In 1910, 200 copies of the church constitution were printed at a cost of $10.50. Christmas candy was distributed for the first time that year. It cost the congregation $5.
A large kitchen was added to the northeast corner of the already spacious parsonage in 1920/
1927: The Western District of the Iowa Synod held its district convention at Hickory Grove in August.
On October 2, the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary with thankful hearts. Prior to this festive event, extensive renovations were made. A new Philharmonic reed organ was purchased and a sacristy added to the church. Heating stoves were replaced by a furnace.
During all these years, St. Paul Church had contributed greatly to benevolence. The amount given was $43,351.52.

1933-1934: In 1933, Pastor Streng suffered a heart attack, which limited his activities. Pastor Streng died July 27, 1934. Both he and his wife are buried in the congregation’s cemetery, where they await the glorious resurrection morning.
1935-1946: Pastor Benjamin C. Wiebke succeeded Pastor Streng. He left his first parish at Lodgepole, Nebraska, and was installed in February 1935. He served until October 1946, when he moved to the St. Paul rural church at DeWitt, Nebraska.
Under his pastorate, numbers of changes took place; whereas, until then, the German language had been used exclusively in church and school, it was then decided that services should also be conducted in the English language. We note that in 1936 the congregation voted to install electricity.
A Sunday School (March 17, 1935), Luther League (June 1935) and Women’s Missionary Society (October 16, 1935) were organized. The women’s group joined the Women’s Missionary Federation in 1944. In May 1945, Junior Lutherans were started also.
1947-1950: The next pastor to serve Hickory Grove was the Rev. Walter A. Hummel, who came in March 1947 from St. John Church of Ramona, South Dakota, and stayed until May 1950.
The third parsonage was built in 1948 at a cost of $18,000.
In September 1949, the church was once again renovated with new floors, pews, painting and redecorating. A new Baldwin electric organ was installed. Notice that there is now a center aisle. The pulpit is still on the left side.
In 1950, the Brotherhood (Men of the Church) was organized with seven charter members. Pastor Hummel left for Tripp, South Dakota, in March 1950.

1950-1962: The Rev. Henry A. Kolm of Stover, Missouri, was installed as pastor in June 1950.
The congregation decided to have a bulletin printed every Sunday. The Adult Bible Class was organized. This was also the year in which the boys of the Confirmation class began to serve as acolytes. The congregation celebrated its 75th anniversary on October 12, 1952.
The growing needs of the congregation and its organizations made it evident that a building project would have to be launched. A committee of five was elected to study a building program and make recommendations. However, no definite decisions were made toward the building program for the next three years. At a special meeting on September 4, 1957, a motion carried to build a new church.
1957-1959: The Building Fund continued to grow as members contributed and special offerings were received. In November 1957, an architect was employed for building a new church. This was also the year in which the church was incorporated in order that it may borrow money, if needed, for the new church. It should also be noted that the congregation voted to discontinue using German at their Sunday services.
In April 1958, the Priscilla Circle was organized. In May 1958, the architect’s plans for the new church were approved.
Groundbreaking for the new church was held July 19, 1959. On November 1, a cornerstone was laid for our present church building. The following were placed in the cornerstone: one Bible, one Catechism, one copy of the constitution, one copy of the 75th anniversary booklet, one history of the congregation, and one membership list. They are placed in a copper box.

1960: The new church was dedicated on June 26, 1960. The building has an overall length east to west of 117 feet, with an overall width north to south of 127 feet. The total cost of the building including furnishings, equipment, landscaping, and architects’ fees came to $145,000.
The Women’s Missionary Society voted to have the new organization of the American Lutheran Church, which would be called The Women of the Church, in 1961. The W.M.S. (afternoon group) changed their name to the Ruth-Naomi Circle. On January 1, 1962, the new Service Book and Hymnal (red in color) was introduced into the worship of the congregation. On October 28, 1962, Pastor Kolm was called to his eternal rest.
1963-1974: The congregation decided to wait until William Jurgens had completed his studies at Wartburg Seminary before calling their new pastor. On September 15, 1963, newly ordained William Jurgens was installed as the pastor.

In 1964, the envelope system for offerings for all funds was started. In September, the Young Married Class was organized. In 1966, the outdoor sign board was erected.
In 1967, the congregation celebrated its 90th anniversary, and they retired the building debt. Two years later, in 1969, the church loaned to a mission church in Omaha, The Church of the Master, money so that they could build their church. Air conditioning was installed in the church office and the parsonage. On February 10, 1972, the congregation voted to purchase a Rogers electric organ.
Pastor Jurgens’ last service at Hickory Grove was November 3, 1974. He accepted a call to Zion Lutheran Church in Pickrell, Nebraska.
1975-1979: Pastor James Samuel Robson from Clinton, Oklahoma, accepted the call and was installed on February 9, 1975.
The Parish Education Committee and the Altar Guild were organized. In the spring of 1975, the congregation took part in the United Mission Appeal–$35,405 was raised by the members for World and Home Missions of the American Lutheran Church. Also in 1975, the Junior Choir was organized in September and the ALCW celebrated its 40th anniversary in October.
In July 1976, a new ceiling was installed in the nave of the church as well as in the fellowship hall. Because of this work, church services and Sunday School were conducted on the church lawn for two Sundays.
Pew cushions and the Lutheran Book of Worship were ordered. Two furnaces and air conditioners were installed in the rest of the church, Pastor’s office having been done seven years prior.
The Centennial (1877-1977) was celebrated, and the offering of $4,663.34 was given to a Mission Church in Bassett, Kansas.
Pastor Robson moved to Smith Center, Kansas, to serve the American Lutheran Church in February 1979. The interim pastor was Pastor Reinhard Beckmann from March 2, 1979, to February 9, 1980.
Pastor Robson died on January 3, 1985. Services were held at the American Lutheran Church in Smith Center, Kansas, on January 7, and funeral services and burial were held on January 8, 1985, at St. Paul Hickory Grove.

1980-1982: Pastor Reid Neve was serving two parishes; namely, St. Olivet Lutheran Church at Perry, Iowa, and St. Paul Lutheran in Bouton, Iowa, when he was called to serve this congregation. Pastor Neve was installed on February 3, 1980.
Private telephone lines for the church and parsonage, and new kitchen cabinets were installed in the parsonage. The July semi-annual meeting was eliminated; the usual annual meeting in January was continued.
Pastor Neve left July 25, 1982, and moved to Omaha. Serving for six months as interim pastor was Pastor Reinhard Beckmann.
1983-1990: Pastor Stephen Nierman from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Millard, Nebraska, was installed on February 26, 1983.
It was decided that all parsonage utilities except long-distance phone calls will be paid by the congregation.
A monetary gift for our Mission Partner church, Beautiful Savior Lutheran at Palmyra, Nebraska, was given. We purchased a new bulletin board for the church and gave the old one to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.
In 1985 our congregation co-signed a $50,000 note for the Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska.
Devotional messages by local church pastors were aired on KAUB radio. Sunday services were taped to share with the sick and shut-ins and services were aired on the radio alternating with local churches for a cost of $25 per Sunday.
Pine trees planted along the east side of the church property became diseased, so they were replaced in 1986 with 25 blue spruce trees.
The lighted cross (neon) on the church tower was dedicated on March 27, 1988. A photocopier, TV/VCR, and cabinet were purchased. The church service was changed to Thanksgiving Eve from Thanksgiving Day.
In 1989 it became the practice to usher members down the center church aisle for Communion and leave the table by the outside aisles. Monetary support to build a new church was given to Hosanna Lutheran Church at Plattsmouth, Nebraska. The statue of Christ from the Gothic altar in the second church was moved to the northeast corner of the Nave.
Pastor Nierman left on June 3, 1990, to serve Rutherford Lutheran Church in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

The interim pastors, Pastor James E. Josephson of Zion Lutheran (Johnson) and Pastor James Miller of St. Paul Lutheran Church (Auburn) served from August 1990 to March 1991.
On November 4, 1990, Kathryn Kay Johnson Gerking was ordained at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Hickory Grove. She joins nine other daughters and sons of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Hickory Grove.
1991-1995: Pastor Norman Sulaica, ordained on February 17, 1991, at St. John Lutheran Church of San Antonio, Texas, was installed as the pastor on March 17, 1991.
It was decided that Communion services would be held on the fourth Sunday of the month and on all special holidays. A church sign was placed along Highway 136 at Rohrs Corner.
The congregation voted in 1991 that all memorials shall be in the form of a deposit to a common undesignated fund and will be used at the discretion of the Church Council. Items purchased with the money from the Memorial Fund will not be associated with a specific person or family.
Habitat for Humanity became a project for our congregation. A candlelight service followed the Christmas Eve program.
We had monetary drives for Camp Carol Joy Holling and for flood relief for a church in Craig, Mo.
In 1992 Pastor Sulaica was asked by the Synod to go to Argentina for the Synod’s Global Mission Project. This created a good relationship with the Lutheran Church in Argentina.
A monetary gift was given to Zion Lutheran Church in Franklin, Nebraska, when fire destroyed the church.
Also in 1992, the congregation voted to have Sunday services scheduled year-round at 9 a.m. for Sunday School and 10 a.m. for worship. Sixth grade or catechical students are to receive Bibles from the congregation. The congregation voted to continue using both the common and individual cups at all Communion services.
The Nave ceiling was insulated and redone, ceiling fans were added, the floor was carpeted, and pews were refinished in 1993.
Easter services were set for 8 a.m., followed by a breakfast. Also, in 1994, only one Christmas tree was to be placed in the sanctuary instead of two.

Individual mailboxes for the congregation were made and placed in the Parish Hall in 1995.
Pastor Sulaica had his final service on Children’s Day, June 3, 1995, as he accepted a call to Coleridge, Nebraska. Interim Pastor Howard Tollefsrud from Omaha, Nebraska, served from July 1, 1995, to May 22, 1996.
The bell tower was redone, the inside resealed, and the cross (refinished and painted) was hung on the west side of the bell tower.
1996-2002: Pastor Edith Bickford graduated from the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. She was ordained and installed as the pastor of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church Hickory Grove on Sunday, August 25, 1996.
In 1996, new windows were installed in the Parish Hall, vertical blinds were hung in the Parish Hall and Overflow Room, and blue With One Voice hymnals were purchased.
Pastor Edi, one of several Lutheran volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, went to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for two weeks to help with redeveloping after the hurricane and flood damage in 1997.
Technology made its inroad into the church. A new computer, a printer, and a Yamaha clavinova (digital piano) with speakers were added.
A double-car garage was built south of the parsonage by church members. New Nave windows were installed.
Hickory trees were planted on the north side of the cemetery and on the west side of the church property.
An organizational meeting of area churches changed “conferences” to “small cluster groups.” Ours is the Rolling Hills Cluster.
In 1999, an offering was taken for the Turkey earthquake victims, the 125th Anniversary Committee was named, and the Annual Meeting in January was changed to Sunday afternoon from Wednesday evening.
In 2000, a cemetery roster was made, placed in a display case, and hung on the wall in the church entrance. Sixth grade Communion was approved in 2000 with the requirement that every student must have six weeks of instruction by the pastor.
Controversy has arisen upon the passage of the “Call to Common Mission” (CCM) agreement with the Episcopal Church. Our congregation voted at the annual meeting in January 2001 to join LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ) and to retain our membership in the ELCA.
In the year 2000, we entered our 125th float, “To God Alone Be Glory,” in both the Johnson and Nemaha County Fairs, winning first place in the latter county’s fair. In 2001, we re-entered the float in both counties, receiving first place honors in each. We also entered the float in the Richardson County Free Fair Parade and won fourth place.
Prayer services were held following the destruction of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. In November 2001, a parking area west of the church was cemented to make the church more accessible for wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices.
In the past few years, lay and outreach ministries have been developed in various ways. There has been training offered for Christian caregiving and grief ministry; the sick and the shut-ins have received many visits, from both lay persons and the pastor. In addition to other groups in this directory, there are Bible studies weekly and monthly here at church and in nursing and assisted-living homes. In the past few years there have also bee other Bible Study/Fellowship groups.
Christian outreach to our area has included Christian speakers such as Tom Osborne, Ron Brown, and others. We have also hosted an area meeting on prison ministry. Mission Festival was and is held yearly; therefore, presenting much information about mission in Lutheran Bible Translators, Argentina/Uruguay, Kenya, and Tanzania. Mission to our world has been a priority, for our Lord commanded in Matthew 28:18 “go and make disciples of nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ has led us these 125 years and will continue to lead us until the day the Lord returns. This history of our congregation seeks to include highlights from the years, but many treasured accomplishments are still missing, for so much of God’s work among us is invisible. We cannot point to all the souls saved or the hearts comforted, for only the Lord has this record. On this 125th anniversary we look back at what the Lord has done through this part of the body of Christ, and we look forward to what our Lord will do. Above all, we rejoice to say: “To God Alone Be Glory.”
Pastor Bickford left St. Paul Hickory Grove on June 13, 2004. Pastor Bruce Breggren of Martin Luther served as the interim pastor until Pastor Paul A. Lillenas was installed on Feb. 7, 2007, and served until his retirement in May 2025.

In 2025, the congregation voted to end its affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). We are continuing our affiliation with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC).