Zion Lutheran Church

Location

27005 Hwy 283
Trego Center
WaKeeney, KS 67672
Telephone: 785.743.6629

History

Zion Lutheran Church was organized in May 1905 by a group of Volga German families living in the area of what is called Trego Center, 9 miles south of WaKeeney on Highway 283.  The charter members were the families of: Christ Rohn, Friedrich Margheim, John Henry Deines, John J. Deines, John F. Deines, John J. Berschauer, Henry Schneider, Fred Dietz, George Deines, George A. Mai, Peter Mai, David Deines, Jacob Deines, J.J. Bauer, Adam Mai, and Henry Fabrizius.

The first church building was dedicated 3 May 1908.  A new and larger church building was dedicated on 13 June 1920 and that building remains in use.  Services at Zion were conducted in German until 1947 when some English-language services were begun.  English became the exclusive language during the 1955-1956 church year.  Annual German services have been held since 1962.

Zion was a member of the Iowa Synod until 1920.  Currently it is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

The church cemetery is located about 1/2 mile south of the church.

Pastors

The members of Zion Lutheran Church have been served by the following pastors:

Gerhardt Bunge (1905-1908)
A.H. Buddenhagen (1908-1911)
Fritz Thiel (1912-1914)
John Hagen (1914-1915)
Arthur Finkbeiner (1916-1920)
Fred Loeffler (1920-1923)
Leonard Hopp (1923-1931)
Otto Bergfelder (1932-1935)
Paul Waldschmidt (1935-1938)
William Zahlis (1939-1948)
Rodolph Moehring (1948-1954)
Max H. Geissler (1955-1961)
Uldis Cepure (1962-1968)
Franklyn Pekarek (1968-1976)
Robert T. Dealey (1977-1982)
Stanley Larson
Jon Anderson