“It all began one evening in October, the 27th to be exact, in the year 1942. Nineteen special people gathered on the corner of First Avenue and Fourth Street SE in Le Mars. Guiding and directing this meeting was Pastor H. D. Stahmer of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hinton, the church that was eventually to be called the mother church of Grace. Those present that evening with Pastor Stahmer included Mr. and Mrs. Ed Beck, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Eilts, Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Beck, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Heimgartner, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lang, Alvina Lang, Lydia Lang, Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Schulz and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Waring.”
October 27, 1942 – People meet and decide to start Grace Lutheran Church. Charter members are: Ed Beck, R. H. Eilts, Gustav Johnson, Walter Heimgartner, Kenneth Beck, Gustav Schulz, Fred Lang, Don Waring, George Bunjes and Pastor H. D. Stahmer.
November 7, 1942 – The first church service is held at St. George's Episcopal Church in Le Mars with rent at $3.00 per service and 32 souls in attendance. Sunday school has seven students (Bonnie Beck, Phyliss Schulz, lford and Darvin Petersen, Donald Paul Waring, Cletus Eilts and Robert Heimgartner) and four teachers (Mrs. Fred Lang, Mrs. R. H. Eilts, Miss Alvina Lang and Miss Lydia Lang.)December 6, 1942 – First baptism (Joan Pfaffle)
December 28, 1942 – Grace signs Articles of Incorporation and becomes an organized congregation.
January 14, 1943 – Ladies Aid is formed. Mrs. Arthur Petersen (President), Miss Alvina Lang (Vice President), Mrs. Don Waring (Secretary), Mrs. Fred Lang (Treasurer), Mrs. Ed Beck, Mrs. Kenneth Beck, Mrs. Walter Heimgartner, Mrs. Anna Muecke, Mrs. G. C. Schulz and Mrs. H. D. Stahmer.
May 2, 1943 – Pastor Harry H. Meyer installed as first resident pastor
August 23, 1943 – Grace becomes member of Iowa District West of the Missouri Synod
September 1, 1943 – First funeral (Walter Heimgartner)
April 2, 1944 – First confirmation class: Howard Goettsch, Gerald Krull, Wanda Mulder, Mona Swasand, Marguerite Phyllis Schulz, Wayne Kenowith, Clyde Pelton, Eugene Reich, Helen Reich, Irvin Reich, Lawrence Reich and Lois Spies.
September 20, 1944 – First wedding (Wayne Kenowith and Helen H. Reich)
November 1944 – Services move to new location, Old Union Hotel Annex for $50 per month.
November 1944 – Purchase property at 2nd Ave and 3rd St SE for $1,500.
1945 – Blueprints accepted for new church from architect, William Beuttler, A.I.A. Of Sioux City, IA. District Convention approves a $16,000 loan from Church Extension Fund. Building committee members – R. H. Eilts, Gustav Johnson, William Henrich, Ed Beck and Pastor H. H. Meyer
1946 – Congregation contracts with:
Nemmers Brothers for general contract
Francis Nemmer Plumbing Company for heating and plumbing
Wright Company for wiring
Ossit Church Furniture Company for 33 oak pews
St. Joseph's Art Glass Company
Total cost = $47,002
1946 – First Walther League established (young peoples organization). Members are Emmet Baack, Darwin Mulder, Wanda Mulder, Harold Heimgartner, Robert Heimgartner and Mona Swasand
April 12, 1946 – Ground breaking
July 7, 1946 – Cornerstone laying
September 21, 1947 – First church service held in basement
1947 – New pipe organ ($3,579) from M. P. Moller, Inc., Hagerstown, Maryland installed when church completed -- Lydia (Lang) Ladentin organist for almost 50 years
May 2, 1948 – Dedication Service
Chancel furniture designed and made by George Bunjes and son, Heino
October 1951 – Lot one block north of church purchased to build a parsonage
March 1952 – Parsonage completed by members
November 16, 1952 – Dedication of parsonage
December 1, 1952 – Congregation becomes self supporting from district
May 10, 1959 – Mortgage on church and parsonage is retired
September 1959 – Purchase house west of church for Sunday School classes
1963 – Pastor Meyer receives call from Petoskey, Michigan and accepts
July 28, 1963 – Installation of Rev. Lowell Boettcher (second pastor of Grace serving eight years)
August 29, 1971 – Installation of Rev. James Rassbach (third pastor of Grace serving five years)
December 3, 1978 – Installation of Rev. H.H. Schauland (fourth pastor of Grace serving until September 27, 1987)
April 1979 – Congregation purchases a lot at 7th Avenue SE to build a new church
Five acres at a cost of $55,000
October 1979 – Congregation signs contract with Stienstra Construction Company of Hull, IA for construction of new church and education facility with estimated cost of $450,000
November 11, 1979 – Ground Breaking services held
New Building Committee members: Lee Hemmingson, Mark Hemmingson, Steve Hurt, Darwin Petersen, Orville Roggow and Luella Schiltz
Finance Committee members: Bernard Kline, John Boyd, Donna Kewley, Paul Kraatz, Herb Ladenthin, Jerry Meister and Arlie Pierson
Old Property Committee members: Elmer Athens, Rich Janssen, Henry Bader, Sylvia Chapman, Ken
Hettwer, Verle Matzdorff and Dennis Wachter
June 29, 1980 – Cornerstone from the old Grace Lutheran building is removed and laid in place at the new church
​January 18, 1981 – Moving day
February 1, 1981 – Sale of former church
April 12, 1981 – Dedication of new church
January 24, 1982 – First wedding in new church (Joel Hochwender and Cynthia Van Hoff)
January 25, 1982 – First worship service in new church
October 16, 1984 – Dedication of bell tower and church sign
September 1987 – Pastor Schauland retires
April 17, 1988 – Installation of Rev. Larry C. Fett
November 19, 1989 – Mortgage is burned
August 1991 – New parsonage built at 1531 3rd Ave SE
Building committee members: Rich Janssen, Wayne Toel, Henry Bader, Ted Witter, Gayle Conger, Helen
Ernst and Lois Ohlendorf
December 15, 1991 – Dedication of parsonage
1992 – 650 baptized members, 500 communicant members
1996-1997 – Discussion begins regarding expansion
December 1998 – Congregation decides to purchase land north of existing facility and plans were drawn up for an addition to the north
1999 – Congregation enters a program called “Children of Grace, sponsored by Pathways Ministries, to begin raising funds for this project
January 18, 2005 – Laborers for Christ
May 2005 – Okay plans with Laborers for Christ
June 11, 2005 – Groundbreaking
November 2005 – Laborers for Christ leave
May 7, 2006 – Cornerstone Laying and the Service of Dedication for a new addition
August 1, 2008 – Death of Pastor Fett (Funeral August 6, 2008)
August 2, 2009 – Installation of the Reverend Timothy Geitz
October 20, 2019 -- New Sanctuary Cross installed
December 20, 2020 -- 2nd Mortgage (For Educational Wing) Burned
Pastors…as of Spring 2020
H.D Stahmer 1942-1943 Deceased
Harry Meyer 1943-1963 Deceased
Lowell Boettcher 1963-1971 Deceased
James Rassbach 1971-1976 Deceased
H.H. Schauland 1978-1987 Deceased
Larry Fett 1988-2008 Deceased
Tim Geitz 2009-Current Le Mars, IA
Vicars…
Dan Ritter 1983-1984 Shakopee, MN
Wayne Krohe 1984-1985 Jackson, MO
Timothy Mueller 1985-1986 Nashville, IL
Donald Polege 1986-1987 Lindstrom, MN
Mark Abraham 1998-1999 Deceased
Greg Stuckwisch 1999-2000 Odell, NE
James Travis 2000-2001 Sioux City, IA
Michael Salemink 2001-2002 St. Louis, MO
Mark Birkholz 2002-2003 Oak Lawn, IL
Marcel Kohlmeyer 2003-2004 Orchard, NE
Douglas Evenson 2004-2005 Beardstown, IL
Edward J Killian 2005-2006 Los Angeles, CA
Robert Weinkauf 2006-2007 Basehor, KS
Stanton Temme 2007-2008 Evanson, IN
Edward Durand 2008-2009 Fort Dodge, IA
Director of Christian Education (DCE)…
James Dammann 1992-1996 unknown