By Hazel Stauffacher

 

In 1909 a group of Swiss settlers in the Darlington area, who had been worshiping together since 1902, formulated the constitution of the congregation called the Deutsche Evangelishe Immanuel Germeinde.

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The men who signed the constitution on July 11, 1909 were Christian Hirsbrunner, Albert Mueller, John Gruenwald, Sr., John C Karlen, Ulrich Ruef, Jacob Tuescher, Sr., Gottlieb Kaempfer, Richard Blankenhorn, Fred Ubersox, Gottfried Niffenegger, Fred Schwarz, John Thoman, Nick Meyer, John Gruenwald, Jr., John Steiner, Peter Steger, Sr., Gottlieb Reber, Christian Ruf, Ernest Werner, Milton Zurfluh, and Adam Anschutz.

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Later signers of the constitution were Henry Elmer, Jacob Senn, Fred Leuenberger, Alex Rolli, Matt Weidman, Fred Jaggi, Fred Wenger, Frau and Gottlieb Zumbrunnen, Fred Siegenthaler, Mike Dahler, John Stauffacher, Fred Steiner, Rudolph Tuescher, Frank Scherman, Geroge Soeffurg, Ernest Kuenzi, John Eschler, John Barth, Sr., John Barth, Jr., Robert Herman, Fred Zimmerman, Fred Wagner, Nick Meyer, Jr., Henry Disch, Fred Hirsbrunner, Fritz Adler, Emil Adler, Peter Kaufman, August Ruesch, and Sam Leu.

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Church services were held in various locations around Darlington.  In 1916 the congregation decided to build a place of worship of their own.  A site was chosen at the corner of Ohio and Louisa Streets.  That lot, with a house on it, was purchased for $2,025.  The house was moved south of the church and later served as the parsonage from 1939 to 1951.

 

The new church was dedicated on May 5, 1918.  This service, like all of the others, was conducted by Rev. P.A. Schuh, who came by train from Monroe.  He served the church from its beginning until his death in 1938.  Rev Paul Kehle, who accepted the call to Monroe after Pastor Schuh’s death, also took on the responsibility of the Darlington church, but soon realized that Darlington was ready for a full time pastor.  In November, 1939, Rev. Hugo Weichelt and his wife started serving Immanuel.  Rev. Weichelt left because of poor health, and Rev. Fridolin Tshudy was resident pastor from 1941 to 1944.  Immanuel was now an established church with a full schedule of activities.

 

All services were in German until 1932.  From 1932 until 1935 there was one English service to two German.  In 1935 it became every other one, until the early 1940’s when all sermons were in English.

Another custom that changed in the 1940’s was that of the men sitting on one side of the church and the women and children on the other.  Families were now sitting together.

 

Students from Mission House Seminary at Plymouth, Wisconsin, conducted services from August, 1944 until June, 1945.  Rev. William Siemers was one of those students and following his graduation and ordination he began his pastoral duties on June 10, 1945.  The church indebtedness had been paid off so on August 26, 1945 there was a mortgage burning celebration.

 

In September 1946, the congregation voted to join the Evangelical and Reformed Church.  In 1957, we joined the United Church of Christ.

 

Building improvements to the church, during Rev. Siemers’ tenure, included a complete basement floor, a side entrance, and a new furnace.  In the fall of 1950 the stately colonial style parsonage was begun, but the Siemers family left without ever occupying the new parsonage.  Rev. Melvin Schroer and his family came to Darlington in May 1951, and the parsonage was dedicated on September 23, 1951.

 

Rev. John Baumann began his eleven year pastorate in September, 1956.  In February 1957 the parsonage mortgage was burned.  The 50th anniversary of the church was celebrated September 20, 1959 with Pastors Kehle, Schroer and Siemers participating in the service.

 

In 1960 the house on the corner of Ohio and Louisa Street, next to the parsonage, was purchased for $10,000.  It was called Immanuel House and provided much needed space for Sunday School.  In November 1966, the property west of the church was purchased for $9,200.  The house on that property was torn down and that is where Fellowship Hall now stands.  Immanuel House was also razed after completion of Fellowship Hall and made room for the parking lot.

 

Rev. Herbert Stemler served from June 1967 to December 1969.  During his tenure, the Schantz pipe organ, costing $15,000 was installed.  Rev. Donald Olski was pastor from September 1960 until June 1973.  In 1973 the congregation voted to set aside money for necessary remodeling in the church, including partitioning off the back of the sanctuary, redecorating, carpeting, and new pews.

 

When Rev. Wilson Finnery and family came in August 1973, the church redecorating was in progress.  As the property expansion was available, Rev. Finnery encouraged the consistory to go ahead with plans for a Fellowship Hall and new Sunday School facilities.  Work was started in May 1874, and the building dedication was held in September, 1975.  The total indebtedness was under $50,000.

 

Rev. Richard Hetzel and wife, Marion, came in February 1978.  By 1979 the Confirmation Picture Wall was in place.  In 1981 the Fellowship Hall mortgage was burned.  The 75th anniversary of the congregation (1984) was observed with a year of special activities.  Pastor Hetzel started the Theos group to help bereaved peopled.  In 1987 a set of four octave hand bells was purchased costing $5,000.  After serving twelve years, Pastor Hetzel retired in 1990.

 

Pastor Rich Pleva came in August, 1991 with his three sons, Robert, Paul, and Peter.  In November, Pastor Rich married Ruby McCauley.  Rich introduced a stewardship program and began exchange trips with a church in Germany.  Newell Krogman served as student pastor, under Rich, from 1993 to 1995.

 

Just out of seminary, Pastor Bill Kapp came in August 1997.  He and Jody Klein were married in October.  Under Pastor Bill, the youth groups continued to be active and went to work trips to South Dakota and the Back Bay Mission in Mississippi.  The congregation voted to raise an extra $45,000 in five years time for Forward In Faith.  The Kapps’ two sons, Jacob and Benjamin, were born while they were in Darlington.

 

Pastor Kristofer Avis-Rouse came to Immanuel in July 2006, directly from seminary, with his wife Nicole and sons Kristian and Casey.  Pastor Kris was very good about visiting with shut-ins.  Starting August, 2008, Pastor Kathleen Rinear, was at the helm. 

 

The Rev. Dr. Connie Peake served Immanuel from 2010 until 2015.

 

Through the years, Immanuel has had many interim pastors, too numerous to mention, but Pastor Sue Strickler served faithfully, both in 2006 and 2008.  Rev Larry Balleine served from 2015 through 2016.

 

Rev. Barbara Blakey accepted the call to be our pastor beginning in December of 2016.   See our schedule of events for current activities including choir, youth group, and confirmation.

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL AND CONFIRMATION

In the early years, women of the church held Sunday School after church services.  But it didn’t become well organized until there was a full time minister with regular Sunday services.  When the ‘baby boomers’ came along, space became a real issue and that is when Immanuel House solved the space problem.  At one time, with the minister as the teacher, the adult class met in the parsonage.

 

A highlight of every summer was the Sunday School picnic, which for many years was held at the swimming pool park in Shullsburg.  When Darlington built a swimming pool, the picnic was held at the  Darlington Swimming Pool Park.

 

Confirmation classes for the young people in the early years were held in Monroe at St. John’s.  After the Immanuel congregation was organized, the classes were held in various homes until the church was built.  The first class confirmed here was in 1909.  The confirmation wall has been a wonderful addition, with pictures of the confirmation class display