SRHS
Steamboat Rock Historical Society
AFTER THE WAR
CHURCHES
The work of remodeling the present Presbyterian church building was delayed by World War II due to a lack of building material. The work was finally started in 1946 and completed and occupied in 1947. The building was dedicated in November of that year. Needless to say the German Language was discontinued and the Synod of the West (German) became part of the Synod of Iowa. The Synod of Iowa has since become part of the Synod of the Lakes and Prairies.
A “Sunday School” was started soon after meetings started and there have been several youth fellowship groups.
Women’s’ s groups have worked throughout the years to aid the work of the church in many ways such as helping with decorating and equipping the basement for meeting and serving. The name of the Women’s Association has changed from Frauen Verein to Ladies Aid to PWO which was Presbyterian Women’s Organization to UPW which is United Presbyterian Women.
Later a group for younger women was organized called “Alpha and Omega.”
The church was served some of the time by ordained ministers, some of the time by student supplies, some of them for two years or more until it seemed as if Steamboat Rock’s Presbyterian Church was a training ground for young ministers.
The church was served for a period of two years (1948-1949) by student pastor Randell A. Davis, followed by student supply Duane E. Farris, (1950-1951). He was followed by student Dick Harberts, in 1952 who was ordained and installed as full time pastor of the church in June 1954. Rev Harberts left later in 1954, after a fruitful ministry.
Howard Johnson had served the Baptist Church through the war years and continued until April of 1951.
Prior to Howard Johnson Rev. H. Palfenier was pastor. During his time as pastor, an incident happened that was somewhat comical. A former town constable told the story this way. “A lady (Lena Santon Freese) complained that somebody had shot through her sister’s (Lizzy Santon) porch window. When I went to the house, I found a spent small-caliber bullet on the floor.”
Rev. Palfenier
“I also noticed that the missile had made a dent in the arm of a rocking chair that was on the porch. Sighting from the chair through the hole in the window, the bullet seemed to have come from the direction of the Baptist Church. I drove over there and the man who was then the pastor (Rev. Palfenier) of the church was standing outside his house. I asked him whether he had noticed any boys playing with rifles. I said I had a complaint about someone shooting through a porch window. The man said “That was probably me. I’ll go right over there.”
“A sparrow had been molesting a wren building a nest in a birdhouse so he had taken the rifle and shot at the sparrow. Evidently, the bullet had glanced, off the birdhouse and ricocheted in a different direction.”
“I heard that at the Sunday night services someone (Robert Frerichs) requested the hymn, His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”
The church continued to go forward in every way. 74 souls were added through baptism, bringing the membership to nearly 200. A new electric organ and new piano were installed in the church auditorium, and improvements were made in the parsonage. The name of the church was changed from the German Baptist Church to the First Baptist Church of Steamboat Rock.
The church was served during most of 1951 by Rev. Louis Johnson, a son of the church and a grandson of former pastor Rev. E.C. Janzen.