St. Paul Luthern Church, School and Cemetery

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm just along for the ride. Now settle in, because this story starts with one family, one move, and one heck of a long road that ends with a whole community built from scratch in the Texas blackland prairie. August Polnick and his family pulled up stakes in Lee County and moved to Thorndale in 1881.

They were, by the record, the first Germans and the first Lutherans in that area. Just the one family, holding onto their faith in a place where nobody else shared it yet. Their former pastor, a man named G.

Birkmann, wasn't about to let that congregation of one family drift. He made ministerial visits to Thorndale over the next five years. Five years of riding out to check on his people.

That's commitment. And slowly, the way these things tend to go when someone keeps showing up, a congregation began to form. Thorndale residents joined in.

Lutherans from the nearby Hochkirche community, also known as Noack, came together with them. By 1890, that combined parish had sixty-nine communicants, and every single service was held in German. Then later that same year, a man named Karl Michalk did something that changed the shape of things permanently.

He donated ten acres of land for a church, a school, and a cemetery. Ten acres. The kind of gift that says: we are staying.

The church building itself was dedicated in 1891. And that same year, the cemetery received its first burial. It was the infant son of Ida Schultz.

That's a quiet, heartbreaking detail the marker does not let you look away from, and neither will I. In November of 1893, A. W.

Kramer was called as St. Paul's first full-time pastor. He arrived in March of 1894 and took on the role of teacher for the school as well.

One man, two jobs, one growing community. And that community kept growing. By 1899, St.

Paul's counted 208 members. The economy in Thorndale was rising, and Lutherans kept arriving. In 1900, the congregation moved into a new building, and that same year J.

Jaeckel was called as the first full-time schoolteacher, brought in specifically to improve the school and its facilities. Now here's where the numbers start doing the talking. Church membership hit 654 by 1911.

By 1939, the parish was boasting 830 members. Eight hundred and thirty souls under one roof, or close enough to it. And then July of 1940 arrived.

A tornado damaged the church building beyond repair. Beyond repair. But these were not people who folded easily.

A new building was erected later that very same year. Sunday School began in 1948. As for the language of worship, services had been held in both English and German beginning by World War One.

By 1952, there was just one German service held each year. And in the 1950s, women became voting members of the congregation. One family in 1881.

One pastor making visits. Ten donated acres. A cemetery that opened with an infant's burial.

A tornado that couldn't stop them. By the close of the twentieth century, both the church and the school were still active, still rooted in that Thorndale ground. August Polnick moved his family once.

Turns out, they weren't going anywhere after that.

What the marker says

August Polnick and his family moved from Lee County to Thorndale in 1881. The family were the first recorded Germans and also the first Lutherans in this area. Their former pastor, G. Birkmann, made ministerial visits to Thorndale over the next five years. A congregation gradually formed with Thorndale residents and Lutherans in the nearby Hochkirche (Noack) community. By 1890 the combined parish recorded 69 communicants, with services held exclusively in German. Later in 1890, Karl Michalk donated ten acres of land for a church, school, and cemetery. The church building was dedicated in 1891. The first burial in the cemetery was that of the infant son of Ida Schultz in 1891. A. W. Kramer was called as St. Paul's first full-time pastor in November 1893. He arrived in March 1894 and also assumed the role of teacher for the school. As the economy rose in Thorndale, Lutherans continued to arrive. By 1899 St. Paul's had 208 members and in 1900 the church congregation moved into a new building. The first full-time schoolteacher, J. Jaeckel, was called in 1900 to improve the school and the facilities. Church membership reached 654 by 1911; the parish boasted 830 members by 1939. A tornado damaged the church building beyond repair in July 1940, and a new one was erected later that year. Sunday School began in 1948. Services were held in both English and German beginning by World War l. By 1952, there was one German service each year. Women became voting members of the congregation in the 1950s. Always involved in community development, both church and school remained active at the close of the 20th century. (1999)