Over one hundred years ago on January 2nd, 1879, these words, "O give thanks unto the Lord," must have been foremost in the minds of the four men and their families who organized the Lutheran congregation in the rural area between Wellsville and Middletown, Missouri.  Reverend A. G. Grimm, Lutheran pastor at Washington, MO., was advisor and spiritual guide to the new congregation which was named "Trinity", expressing the faith of our fathers in the Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  By the end of January, eight families were added to the roster.  On its first anniversary the congregation numbered fourteen families, a total of 85 souls.  The four charter members were C. Luehwesmann, William Flottmann, George Young, and Fredrick Freie with their respective families.  Other families soon joining the new congregation were those of Fredrick Vedder, John Gronewald, Martin Klingelhoefer, Fredrick Bentfeld, Edwin Burkhalter, Matthias Tanner, John Rieper, William Schramm, Jacob Clay, and John Schwendker.  There have been over 521 baptisms, 379 confirmations, 138 marriages, and 184 burials to date.

LCMS                      

    On October 13, 1886 the Synodical Convention of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod accepted the Trinity Lutheran Congregation as a member congregation.   

Our Home  

The tract of land on which Trinity Lutheran is located was donated by William Schramm.  In 1889, his widow, Wilhemina Schramm deeded the land to the congregation for as long as the congregation existed.  In the event that Trinity congregation would be discontinued the property would return to the Schramm heirs.  However, Julia Schramm Berg, only surviving heir of the Schramms, and her husband, Martin A. Berg, gave Trinity a General Warranty Deed, on May 25th 1934, that terminated the stipulation in the 1889 deed and gave the congregation sole right of ownership to the five acres of church property.   Early meetings of church voter's developed plans for building a church and calling a pastor.  The first pastor's salary was set at $250 per year plus a free house, firewood, and donations of foodstuffs by congregational members, known as "love donations."  Although the time of building and the location of the church and parsonage are not recorded in these early minutes, there is considerable detail on obtaining rock to line the well, purchasing a lathe for construction of the first church, being made of logs.  The first services of the church were held at private residences until the completion of the log church.  In1884, the congregation built a new frame church.  According to the front page of the Montgomery Standard, April 10, 1885; "The new German Lutheran Church about eight miles northeast of Montgomery City  will be dedicated on Sunday, April 26, 1885.  German services at nine o'clock in the forenoon, English services at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and German services again in the evening at half past seven o'clock.  All are invited to attend."  This church building served the congregation until April 1, 1945, when it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.  After the church burned, the congregation divided.  Some of the members formed the Grace Lutheran Church Congregation in the town of Wellsville, while others remained and rebuilt at the original site of Trinity.  The rebuilding committee was Fredrick Nagel, C.H. Wortmann, and Albert Kliensorge.  The present church building of red brick construction was dedicated during the regular morning service on Sunday, August 21, 1949, by the pastor, Reverend Julius Schabacker.  In 1951, a new Wurlit organ was purchased for the church.  This organ was used until 1972 when a Hammond organ was purchased.  The pews now in use were purchased in 1956 to replace the cumbersome ones put in when the church was built in 1949.     

A Final Resting Place

    As part of the land donated by the Schramm family a part of the acreage donated to the congregation was set aside for burial.  In 1973, congregational voters resolved to have an endowment fund for care of the cemetery.  The Trinity Lutheran Cemetery Association was founding in 1976 to better administer the cemetery.     

Today

    Today after over one hundred and twenty-eight years of God's Grace the congregation lives on.