The  First  German  Presbyterian  Church
of  Shelby  County  Indiana

The  Shelby  Republican
Friday's Edition
January 29, 1904.
Page 1  Columns 1-5
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Dedication  of  The  First  German  Presbyterian  Church
Will  Take  Place  Sunday,  January  31st,  1904.
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          On Sunday morning the didication of the new German Presbyterian church, situate at Broadwaay and Piek street, will occur, at which time the pastor and congregations of the other Protestant churches will unite with their German Friends at a service of song and prayer.
          The old chucrh has been sold and the money received from such sale has been applied to the cost of the new edifice.  The old church was founded in the year 1867, by  Mr. Mattias Schoelch  and  Mr. Henry Burkher, sr.,  both of whom are alive, hale and hearty and enthusiastic over the success of the completion of their new house.
          When the  Rev. William J. H. Boetcker  became the pastor of the church the membership numbered fifty-four persons.  The Sunday school showed an enrollment of about twenty  

men of the church gave substantial aid to every call for assistance, and the women responded with alacrity as they invariably do to all the demands made on them for help.
          In a comparatively short time the church became self-supporting a condition not in evidence previously for a period of thirty-five years.  The members gave liberally of their time and their money and the discovery was made in a little time that a larger percent of the men of the congregation were constant attendants that at any other church in the city.  And subscriptions per capita amounted to $10.00 per annum, a greater sum than any other congregation pays in this city.
          Today the membership is fifty-four and there are sixty-two applications for places among the faithful ones.  The Sunday school shows an average

Vogt,  John Rothlisbereger.
          Elders --- Prof. John H. Henke,  Henry Ferleman,  F. F. Hinschlaeger  and  Frank Schmidtt.
          Deacons --- Frank Buescher,  Henry Lammert,  C. F. H. Auman  and  Immanuel Heinrich.
          Sunday School Superintendent --- Prof. John H. Henke.
          Ladies Missionary Society --- fifty-four members --- President,  Mrs. William Neu, sr.;  Treasurer,  Mrs. Minnie DePrez;  Recording Secretary,  Mrs. Rothlisbereger;  Corresponding Secretary,  Mrs. Clark Williams.
          Pastor's Aid Society (young ladies)  Seventeen members --- President,  Miss Mary DePrez;  Secretary,  Miss Emma Rothlisbereger; Treasurer,  Miss Kate Beuscher.
          Brass Band,  Eleven members --- Led by pastor.
          Sewing Circle.
          Former pastors, the  Rev. Freidgen,  Eschmmeyer,  Herbert,  Waldecker  and  Nicksey.
Program  of  Exercises  to  be  Held  From
Sunday  Till Wednesday.
          The program of exercises Sunday to Wednesday
will be observed in the following manner:
Morning  Service  at  10  O'clock.
Orchestra,  Baptist Sunday school orchestra.
Doxology
Invocation,  Rev. A. K. Mattingly, of Lawrenceberg.
Choir song a new song  Unto the Lord,  Hymn No. 1.
Scripture reading,  Rev. H. H. Hulton,  First Baptist church.
Solo,  Mr. Theo. Eichelsdeerfer.
Prayer,  Rev. W. E. Price,  First Presbyterian church.
Hymn No. 2
Address,  Rev. A. K. Mattingly.
Quartette,  Lead Kindly Light.
Hymn No. 3.
Address,  Rev. Solomon Dickey,  D. D. Indianapolis.
Hymn No. 4.
Benediction.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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