Post date: Feb 4, 2018 9:03:20 PM
“EITZEN CHURCH BURNS TO THE GROUND!” Headline from the Caledonia Journal, June 23, 1917.
Our previous St. Luke’s church building was not a structure or architectural beauty. Built in 1874, it was the
original “one room “with a high steeple in front or on the South end, with the pulpit on the North. To this had
been added an addition on each side so that there was a good sized seating capacity, all within good hearing
and viewing range from the pulpit.
Concerning its outside appearance, Rev, Karl Koch, St. Paul, once remarked to our Pastor, Rev. Klein “It
reminds me of a big white mother hen with her wings spread on each side to cover her brood and with her
beak pointing to the sky. God in His mercy saw fit to remove it. He will help you now to build a better one!”
Just prior to June 23rd, carpenters had removed the lightening rod from the tower so that they could make
repairs more easily. This of course was a highly contributory factor to lightning setting the tower ablaze.
About midnight on the 23rd, Mrs. Herman (Lena) Haar, living about a quarter mile west, was sitting in her
kitchen during the severe electrical storm and actually saw the lightning bolt strike the tower. Soon she saw a
small flame which increased rapidly, and she quickly called Eitzen telephone “central” to give the alarm.
The first on at the scene was Walter Fruechte, who came on horseback in a matter of less than ten minutes.
By that time the fire had already dropped to the balcony below. Nothing could be done except to remove
some of the contents and fixtures. Suddenly he remembered his sister Elsie begging to him through tears as
he left, “All my music is on the organ bench. Oh, save it if you possibly can!” She was the organist at the
time. Many will remember her as Mrs. Rev. Erich Bizer. Walter recalls getting the music out the first thing
and taking it to a corner in one of the horse-stalls.
Despite the sever electrical storm, there were soon quite a large number of men gathered trying to salvage
whatever possible. However, the heat inside became unbearable. The old Eitzen (hand-operated) fire pump
and equipment drawn by horses arrived. It took 6 to 8 men, or s many as could get to it. It was credited in
saving the old school building adjacent to the east. It is of interest to note that this same old pump ended up in
the Albert Lea Historical Museum. In 1976 it was loaned to Eitzen to be part of the bicentennial 4th of July
parade.
As the building was of pine and tinder-dry, it quickly burned to the ground, giving terrific heat and
illumination. Mrs. Louis Becker told me that she held out a newspaper from their house ad could make out
the print from the firelight nearly one half mile from the church.
Mrs. Herman Kruse, the janitor’s wife, even though their house was less than 100 feet away from the church,
did not see the initial strike, but noticed that their lawn bench carrying the name “John W. Potter” could be
read continually. Her husband hearing this felt uneasy. He parted the window curtains and then saw the
flame in the tower.
Some of the articles rescued were: the clock, altar lamps, a few hymnals including a few copies of “Lieder-
Kranz” and some of the “Gottes Beuttel” which were used as collection plates, or purses, which hung on a
rather long wooden handle, having a tassel hanging down under it. These were used by the councilmen to reach between the pews for the offering. Also saved was the Captain's chair used by the custodial.
Quite a few of the old benches were carried out during the fire. Some are still used on the balcony, but most
are or were stored in the storage shed in the park. In a recent Messenger, Marie Mahle of the Historical
Committee wrote an interesting article about the “notched benches” so I will not be repetitive except, as I
learned in Germany it was an old church custom dating back to the Middle Ages and even beyond.
Many spectators came the next morning to look at the ruins. Some picked up fragments of the molten bell for
a souvenir. Neat the north end the chimney was still standing, like a lonely sentinel of the past. We watched
August Wiemerslage (of Eitzen) climbing a ladder and tying the end of a long rope to the chimney so it could
be pulled down because it might fall by itself and people could be seriously hurt or even killed.
On the south end was a high cement step on the end of the sidewalk was still intact. It was a relic of the horse
and buggy era, for as the buggy seats were high it was difficult to slight, especially for the ladies with their
long skirts, but here on this step they could dismount in all modesty while their husbands or brothers held the
sometimes unruly horses.
The pipe organ was a sad loss also; it had beautiful tones and plenty of volume for the size of the building.
Mrs. Bizer wrote that is was a “Kilgen” organ, the same make as purchased for the new church. The
manufacturer and builder was “Kilgen Organ Co.”, St. Louis, MO.
NOTE: there was $400 (some say $600) insurance in the organ and $1400 on the building.
About the date: Herbert Fruechte remembers that the bolt struck a little before 12:00 June 22, and the ensuing
fire was on the 23rd.
No doubt but that more details, anecdotes and some corrections could be added to this article; however, our
historical perspective might be clouded by too much detail.
In summation, this was a traumatic experience for the congregation. Here had been their Spiritual home for
many years. Here their children had been baptized, confirmed and married. Here held the final services, the
last requiem sounded with the promise of Life Eternal.
Silently we returned to our homes, stunned and sad, perhaps, but the resolve to build anew was already born
within us.
In retrospect we are thankful that Rev. Koch’s words came true. God took away – but He gave again.
Our present building, despite its short-comings, is a far cry from the one that burned in 1917. Today, with all
our economic problems we could never replace the Romanesque architecture, the artistic marble-finished
columns nor the splendid Reuter organ.
BY Erwin Rober, Member of the Historical Committee, October 1981 Messenger