History of the Church (from St. Peter Lutheran Church 100 Years)

With the surge of immigration from Europe in the 1800’s, came a group of German-speaking Lutherans to settle in the farming valley situated mid-way between the towns of Plum and West Point in the area known as Prairie Valley. Although this area never became a town, it had a church, school, lodge, and cotton gin. These establishments became the hub of the area’s activities.

As these immigrants bought farms and began their lives in this raw, new land, they also realized the need to establish a place of worship in their midst. There is no doubt that the hardships of immigration and settlement strengthened the faith of all of them.

In 1896, sixteen men, Edward Flath, Emil Flath, Johann Freudenberg, Georg Harbers, Heinrich Harbers, Johann Kirchhofer, Fritz Marquart, Frederich Oltmann, Johann Schroeder, Heinrich Schroeder, Karl Tramp, Wilhelm Tramp, Frederich Ullmann, Bruno Viewig, Georg Wessels, and Hermann Wessels secured the services of Rev. R. Osthoff of Trinity Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod of the Trinity Hill community to preach one Sunday per month.

Since October 11, 1896, Pastor R. Osthoff held worship services every 4 weeks at the schoolhouse at Plum. On January, 1901, the congregation which Pastor Osthoff served, asked for dissolving the same. This was granted and done in a peaceful manner. As soon as the organization was dissolved, a new one was formed which named themselves the St. Petri Congregation near Plum, Fayette County, Texas.

There being no church building, services were held in the building occupied by the Plum Grove Knights of Honor Lodge which was located on the site of the present-day Hermann Sons Lodge building.

After four years had passed, and the area continued to grow and prosper, these founding fathers saw the need to secure land and make plans to build a church building. On approximately 2 acres of land donated by Hermann Wessels, across the road from the lodge building, the construction of the church began in 1900. Upon its completion in 1901, a dedication was held on February 24, 1901.

Construction on the building began in 1900 with volunteer labor from men of the congregation with Heinrich and Georg Harbers as contractors. The expertise of Wilhelm Janssen, Sr. was secured to put the steeple on since he had just done so successfully on St. John’s church in Rutersville the year before.

The furnishings of the church were simple. The pews, which were hand-made, were used from the beginning of the building until Christmas of 1938 at which time the present pews were dedicated. They were the generous gift of Emil and Katherine Flath. The cushions for the pew were added in 1993.

In the fall of 1913, the bell was dedicated. Its clear tone has pealed over the valley for more than a century calling the faithful to worship. In the early years, before telephones and automobiles, the bell was also the messenger of death. When anyone in the congregation passed away, the janitor was notified and he would immediately go to the church and ring the death bell. The bell, which is hung in the steeple, has two ropes. One rope, when pulled, produces a clear ring which is tolled at the beginning and ending of every worship service. The other rope, when pulled, creates a muffled tone of sadness and death. At funerals, it was customary to toll the death bell the number of times equaled to the age of thee deceased person as the body is carried to its final resting place in the cemetery.

History of the Prairie Valley Cemetery (from St. Peter Lutheran Church 100 Years)

Along with the founding of the church, also came the establishment of the cemetery. As these early settlers rejoiced in births and marriages, so too, did they experience the tears of sorrow in death. The lack of modern medicines and the unavailability of doctors and hospitalization will reveal a large number of infants, children, and young people interred in any early cemetery as is the case at St. Peter’s cemetery.

The first funeral in the church was Heinrich Georg Wessels. He died on October 22, 1900 and was laid to rest on October 23, 1900. It was told that even though the land for the cemetery had been given by Hermann Wessels earlier that year, he still had a crop of cotton growing on the site. Therefore, when the death occurred, a few rows of cotton had to be quickly harvested to prepare a place for the burial.

At a meeting on April 28, 1907, the congregation voted to separate the cemetery from the church property and form a proposed Cemetery Association. This organization apparently failed or never became a reality because on January 8, 1928, the cemetery property was transferred back to the church. For the next forty plus years, the church council maintained the cemetery affairs selling lots, securing grave diggers, and making improvements when necessary.

Pastor Albert Flathmann was instrumental once again in initiating the steps to form a cemetery association with perpetual care. Through the efforts of John L. Giese and Attorney E. A. Amim of Flatonia, the Prairie Valley Cemetery Association was formed 1978.

This is the church before the addition of the Parish Hall in 1912.

Church and cemetery with snow in the early 1930s.

Church and Parking Lot in the 1920s