Immanuel Lutheran Church, LCMS

Parish Register

• 1906 Register
• Baptism Register
• Confirmation Register
• Marriage Register

Anniversary Booklets

• 60th Anniversary
• 75th Anniversary

The Founding Fathers

The founding of Immanuel Lutheran is really the story of Joachim Lembke Sr. and his descendants.

Fred Ramthun, Fred Berner, and Frank Wendt arrived in Calhoun County in 1874. Fred Ramthun and Fred Berner married descendants of Joachim Lembke. Frank Wendt married a descendant of Johann Lembke, who was likely not related to Joachim Lembke (Frank's wife, according to church records, was born in a different part of Pommern).

These three brought Carl Bahls, Carl Berner, Joachim Lembke, Sr., Theodore Zierke, and John Wendt to Calhoun County in 1875. All these individuals (excluding Joachim himself) were married to descendants of Joachim Lembke.

These men, along with Joachim Lembke, Jr., Wm. Pohl, Wm. Kretlow, and Christ Gross founded Immanuel Lutheran Church outside Rockwell City in 1878. Wm. Pohl married a Lembke who was probably a niece of Joachim Lembke (according to church records, she was from the same area in Pommern as Joachim's family, born in the same town as some of Joachim's grandchildren, but her parents died when she was a child, making proving her relationship difficult) and Wm. Kretlow married a descendant of Joachim Lembke.

Assuming Wm. Pohl's wife is part of Joachim Lembke's family, this makes Frank Wendt and Christ Gross the only founders not part of the Joachim Lembke family (though 2 of Christ's children and a niece married into the family). Also, it is uncertain if Frank Wendt and John Wendt were related, though records show they were not brothers.

Joachim Lembke Sr. and his descendants
........Fred Lembke
................Caroline Lembke m. John Wendt
................Wilhelmine Lembke m. Fred Ramthun
................Caroline Lembke
................Marie Lembke m. William Kretlow
................Carl Lembke
................Reka Lembke m. Carl Hartwig
................Fred Lembke
................Edna Lembke
........Joachim Lembke Jr.
................Friedericka Lembke m. Theodore Zierke
........Augusta Lembke m. Carl Berner
........Friederike Lembke m. Carl Bahls
........Christena Lembke m. Fred Berner

* founders highlighted