Trinity Lutheran to mark 125th year in Endicott

Since 1887, the Lutheran community of Endicott has been married, baptized, confirmed and worshiped with Trinity Lutheran Church.

The church is celebrating its 125th anniversary this Sunday with a special service inside the purple nave and a potluck birthday party.

According to a history of the church compiled by Marilyn Bafus, Sharon Storment and former Pastor Stan Jacobson, the congregation was organized in 1887 by Pastor H. Rieke.

“For the Lord is good; his loving kindness endureth forever, and his faithfulness until all generations,” Pastor Rieke read from Psalm 100:5 at the church’s dedication ceremony.

Germans from the Volga River region of Russia emigrated to the area to escape the Czarist rule of Alexander II, partly in search of a place they could practice their religion without restrictions.

Pastor Rieke helped organize the church, commuting from his home in Spokane to help guide the new Endicott congregation. When he couldn’t make the trip, members of the congregation read sermons he had prepared.

The church, which held services in German, first met in the Litzenberger School House north of Endicott.

Adam Lust and Katherine Scheuerman were the first couple to be married as part of the church, though the ceremony was held above Wakefield’s store. The child of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Ruhl was the first to be baptized in the Trinity church.

In 1902, members of the church volunteered their labor to build Trinity’s first church building.

All services were conducted exclusively in German until Pastor A.K. Bethman took over pastor duties in 1923. Trinity continued to hold separate services in German until 1973, according to the history. To this day, members of the congregation sing hymns in German during the Christmas Eve service.

Pastor Fred Schnaible was Trinity’s longest-serving pastor. He arrived in 1948, just as plans were being developed to build the current church building, and served until 1975. The cornerstone for the current building was laid in September of 1949 and Pastor Schnaible married Dale Smick and Loarraine Helm in the new building Sept. 14, 1950.

Sue Bafus, Endicott Town Clerk and a long-time member of Trinity Lutheran, said Ellen Schnaible is planning to sing at Sunday’s 125th anniversary.

In all, 19 pastors have served the congregation at Trinity Lutheran.

Sunday’s anniversary service begins at 10 a.m. A potluck brunch will follow, along with special songs, a video and many, many pictures from the church’s long history.

For a birthday present to the church, the congregation has purchased and hung a new purple drape to replace the sun-faded drape behind the altar.