Witajcže K’nam
In the region of Schleife, which consists of the villages of Schleife (Slepo), Rohne (Rowno), Mulkwitz (Mulkecy), Mühlrose (Miloraz), Trebendorf (Trjebin), Halbendorf (Brězowka), and Groß Düben (Dźewin), the Advent season tradition of the gift-giving Christkind (dźěćetko) is kept alive. According to the tradition, a young woman who will...
The early names for the Fedor community were Bluff Creek, Moab, and West Yegua (YEHwah). Yegua is the Spanish name for mare and became the name for a creek. The name change to Fedor began when August Polnick, an early Wendish settler, decided to move to Thorndale, and...
Following is the text of Rev. Johann Kilian’s Call to serve as pastor for the group of Wends that emigrated on the Ben Nevis in 1854. The original document is located in the archives of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Serbin, Texas and a typed copy is included with...
The Wendish road to Thorndale first led to Hochkirch, or Noack, as it is called today. The distance separating the two communities is about 9 miles. On September 21, 1871, 7 years before Thorndale even existed, Peter Zieschang purchased 440 acres of land on Brushy Creek in southern...
Johann Kilian (1811-1884) & Maria Groeschel (1823-1881) Portrait Family Tree
The early Wendish Lutherans in Texas have left an interesting history of Lutheranism in North America. One can discern the classic factors which may effect the outward unity of a church, though in a microcosm, even among these faithful Lutherans. Religious identity, national identity, pastoral leadership, language, personality,...
The beginnings of Holy Cross lie in the dissensions within the Serbin congregation. After Ernst Leuber, teacher at St. Paul’s, Serbin, and his party left to organize St. Peter’s Church, it did not take long for Karl Teinert, one of the other dissenters, to air his grievances against Pastor Kilian. He used his influence to persuade a number of farmers near the Rabbs Creek section that their interests would be best served if they should separate from the two Serbin congregations and organize their own parish.
During the late sixties of the past century a number of Wends and Germans settled about twenty miles north of Serbin along the Yegua creeks, particularly near the West Yegua. At first these settlers, especially the Wends, traveled the long distance to Serbin for their spiritual needs. As the number increased, it became evident that a separate congregation with its own pastor and school would be more practical. Gradually the sentiment became strong enough to make an attempt to obtain a minister who might teach and preach to the settlements scattered in the vicinity.
(Part Five, continued from the July, 1943, issue) A new matter arose in 1874, not so much between the congregations as between Kilian and his fellow pastors: doctrinal differences were coming to the fore. Again the isolation during the Civil War period and before was beginning to manifest...
(Part Four, continued from the April, 1943, issue) Now came the struggle for possession of the church and its property. An effort had been made to take the school. In fact, the minority actually wanted to keep the entire property, and for a time it seemed that there...
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February 17, 2025
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December 24, 2024
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Coffee Cake Baking Class at the Museum on November 23
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