BRAUN SETTLEMENT REFORMED
CONGREGATION 50 YEARS OLD
Transcribed by Stan Schwarze
Rev. Schmalz First Pastor of Church Organized by Lutherans
Greenwood ; The Salem Reformed Church of Braun Settlement, Town of Longwood, of which the Rev. B. M. Fresenborg is pastor, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of church with appropriate services Sunday, Sept. 12, 1943.
The Rev. O. Saewert of Plymouth, a former pastor of the congregation, and the Rev. P. H. Franzmeier, pastor of Immanuel Reformed Church of the West Side, were guest speakers. Services were held in the morning and afternoon.
Special numbers were sung during the services by the choirs of the West Side, Greenwood, and Braun Settlement Churches. Dinner was served at noon and a lunch was served following the afternoon service to more than 200 members and friends, many of them coming from a distance to attend.
About 65 years ago a group of people came from Sheboygan County to settle in the neighborhood which later became known as Braun Settlement. They had been affiliated with the Lutheran Church, but there were not Lutheran ministers enough to provide them with regular services, so they asked the Rev. John Schmalz, who was minister of the Immanuel Reformed Church, west of Greenwood, to preach afternoons on Sunday he conducted morning services at Calbaum’s Schoolhouse in the Town of Hixon.
The first of these service was held Aug. 23, 1891, in the home of Gotfried Braun. It was then agreed to hold preaching services and Sunday School in the nearby schoolhouse every four weeks on Sunday afternoons.
On Sept. 7, 1893, the Rev. Mr. Schmalz arranged for a meeting to be held in the home of Joachim Wilk for the purpose of drafting a constitution as the first step toward the organization of a congregation. A constitution was drafted, and a meeting was called Sept. 10, 1893, to enable the congregation to approve and adopt it.
The constitution was signed by eight men, heads of families, Robert Horn, W. E. Braun, G. F. Braun, Friedrich Braun, Frank Horn, Christian A. Braun, William Braun, and Joachim Wilk. The only living charter members are William Braun, Town of Longwood, and his sister, Mrs. Frank (Louise) Horn, Greenwood.
It was decided to join the Sheboygan classis of the Reformed Church in the United States. Gotfried Braun was elected elder and Frank Horn deacon.
In September 1903 the congregation decided to erect a church, the present church building being dedicated on Oct. 2, 1904.
Pastors who served this congregation include the Rev. John Schmalz, 1893 to 1908; The Rev. O. Saewert, 1908 to 1916; the Rev. F. Hall, 1916 to 1921; the Rev. G. Zenk, three months; the Rev. O. J. Vriesen, 1921 to 1926; the Rev. E. G Pfeiffer, 1926 to 1941; and the present pastor, the Rev. B. M. Fresenborg.
Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wis.) 09/21/1943