in 1882, first using a room in his home, later the church building as a school room. Mrs. Caemmerer's sister, Mary Reinking, assisted the pastor as teacher. The first regularly called teacher, Martin G. Doering, came to assume his duties in 1886.

Due to failing health, Pastor Caemmerer was compelled to resign his ministry July 3, 1887. Pastor Jacob Hoffmann who had served the congregation as missionary and supply pastor at intermittent periods since 1887 was called and was installed September 28, 1887. He faithfully served the congregation until he passed away February 14, 1925.

In 1889, the congregation erected the old frame church building on the site which is now in part covered by the north extension of the parochial school. The cost of this building was $4,100.00 with fixtures and furnishings for a total of $5,000.00.

In 1894, the congregation installed a pipe organ in the church. The year of 1894 was the year of the great drought. Fred Tegeler later told that the congregation was so grateful for two carloads of grain, potatoes and other vegetables sent its members from fellow Lutherans in Missouri that they voted to install a new pipe organ in their church at a cost of $1,100.00. It is truly wonderful what Christians can accomplish when there is the will to do.

In 1915, the brick two room school was erected and the old church-school building razed. The new school building then cost about $15,000.00. In 1951, work on the present stone church building was started and was completed in the fall of 1952. Dedication took place October 12, 1952, with Pastor Victor Hoffmann, a son of our congregation and the sainted Pastor Hoffmann, delivered the sermon with St. John's pastor, Rev. O. C. Decker speaker at the last service held in the old church and the liturgist in the dedication of the new church building. Wm. C. Pozehl, teacher in the school, served as organist and choir director and Loren Doehrman, another teacher in the school served as organist in the last service in the old church. Cost of the new church building, furnishings, three manual pipe organ and art glass exceeded $200,000.00. When installation of the pipe organ was completed in 1953, a dedication service was held on March 22, 1953. Dr. Richard Caemmerer of St. Louis, a grandson of the first resident pastor of St. John's delivered this sermon.

In 1954, two class rooms, a confirmation classroom, principal's office, kitchen and an auditorium 40x80 was added to the school building at a cost of $70,000.00

Upon the passing of Pastor Hoffmann in 1925, the Rev. A. H. Schleef was called. He was installed on June 7, 1925 to serve until July 1939 when the congregation regretfully granted him a release to answer a call to First Lutheran at Fort Smith, Arkansas.

The Rev. Oscar C. Decker was then called and installed September 24, 1939. Pastor Decker asked for a release of his duties here to accept a call to a church in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was regretfully granted in July, 1955.

Then the congregation called Rev. Philip Unterschulz. He

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