Brief History of Trinity
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was established in 1866 by Pastor Philip Von Rohr. Pastor Rohr, who also served St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Winona, traveled from Winona to conduct services for German immigrants living in the area.
The Trinity congregation used to meet under the German name, “Evangelische Lutheranische Dreifatigkeits Kirche.” All that’s left of Wenk’s home where the congregation first met is the foundation and the cemetery where Wenk’s four children are buried. Where the current parking lot of the church is, there used to be a road down into Wiscoy Valley on which Wenk used to travel.
The first church was built in 1870. With even more growth, the current church was built in 1914; the brick church features a classic altar and stained glass windows. , which is still being used.
In 2010, a new addition was added to the back of the church, including an elevator and stained glass windows made by Cathedral Crafts.
Trinity has always remained true to the teachings of the Bible. It was affiliated with WELS from 1879 until it officially became a member of WELS in 1975. From 1913 to 1946, the pastors also served the congregation of Grace at Ridgeway, Minn. Now, once again, current Pastor Jason Threlkeld serves both the Trinity and Grace congregations with dedication to faithfully proclaiming God’s Word.
At the outset, Trinity served the German immigrants in the countryside, offering services conducted in German. From 1935, English and German were alternated on Sundays. In 1946, German services were discontinued.
Trinity Lutheran has 2 cemeteries. The original cemetery was behind the church. They had problems with flooding and space. There are a few stones left behind the church. They have been laid down flush with the ground. The granite sign stands in the middle of the church cemetery. It shows the number of original burials.
In 1898 a new Trinity Lutheran Cemetery was established about 3/4 mile down the road. The church is in the background and the old cemetery is right behind the church. The graves were moved to this “new” cemetery which is still in use today.
In 2016 a special service was held to celebrate the 150th anniversary. Former congregation member, Pastor Steve Oldre, was a guest speaker, and there was a meal and a reenactment to look back at the church’s history entitled “Voices of the Past.” Several individuals played the parts of congregation members from 150 years ago.
Today Trinity welcomes all; along with weekly church services, a wide gamut of other spiritual growth opportunities are offered including children’s sermons, Ladies’ Aid, Sunday School, catechism classes, youth group, Pioneer’s, and bible studies are available.
We look forward to your visit to Trinity.
Below is a slide show of our history, when you click on an image a brief description will appear.
