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Trinity Lutheran Church, Lake Mills (formerly St. Paul’s of Milford)

Trinity Lutheran Church,

Lake Mills,

Dedicated on Sunday

Watertown Daily Times, October 1952 [article includes pic]

-Lake Mills-

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lake Mills’ newest church, was dedicated on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. The Rev. Carl Becker, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Madison, was guest speaker. Rev. Becker is the son of the original founder when the church was located at Milford, three miles northeast of this city.

Organized as St. Paul’s Church, the name of the re-located church was changed to Trinity in honor of Trinity Lutheran at Hanover, which was dissolved and the assets given to the Lake Mills Church.

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lake Mills (formerly St. Paul’s of Milford)

Dates to 1899

The history of the congregation dates to 1899 when a request for a baptism revealed the need and possibilities of a church at Milford. The Rev. John Becker, then of Johnson Creek, was the first pastor. Pastors from the latter village have jointly served the two parishes until November, 1951, when the Rev. John Keiser, was named first full time pastor of the Lake Mills church under the board of American Missions.

The Milford church served the community well until modern transportation and migration during World War II caused a decline in membership. Except for a short period when the Milford Church was served from Watertown, it was always a part of the Johnson Creek parish. The original church was 26 feet by 36 feet, built in 1890 at a cost of $917. Because of prospects for growth and continuation of the congregation, it was decided to move it here.

Hall in Library

Preaching services here started in the Library Hall Jan. 12, 1947, and the building was moved here in October, 1951. More than 7,500 hours of labor have been donated by the members in remodeling the church, building a new and modern basement and kitchen, with 12 feet added to the front of the structure to serve as a narthex. The seating capacity has been enlarged to 160 members. A parsonage was purchased here in October, 1951, which was also dedicated Sunday.

The present property of the church is valued at $50,000 with an indebtedness of less than $9,520, said the Rev. Keiser. The morning service was held at 10:30 o’clock. The special dedicatory service was held at 2:30 p.m. Representation from about 26 area Lutheran churches attended. This date happened to fall on the same day that the original church was dedicated in 1899.