The first church was built from timber hewn in the virgin forest near Marion, and was dedicated in March, 1889. The ladies took part in the construction of the church by furnishing food for the workmen, most of whom voluntarily gave their services. From this group of ladies the “Frauenverein” was founded.
The church was founded with twenty original members. Records of the early congregation are incomplete, and only nineteen of these members’ names could be found. They were; John Kaesar, Sr., Emil Feurer, F. Reese, Henry Wickert, A. D. Weber, F. William Vogt, Ernest Lang, Sr., John Heyde, Fred Wolf, Charles Kuntze, Louis Fosse, Charles Weinholz, Rudolph Noetzelman, Fred Seidenstricker, Jacob Kobler, Sr., August Funck, Henry Snyder, George Frick, Sr., and Richard Spitnass. Associated with them were Mrs. Katherine Becker, Jacob and Lewis Biehl, Anthony Oeth, and Mrs. John Huck.
When the twentieth anniversary was celebrated in 1908, a new bell tower and steeple and a new bell were dedicated. At that time, Rev. August Jennerich reported that the congregation numbered forty-six members.
After nine years with Zion, eighteen members from Lake Creek foresaw the need of a church in their community. With the aid of Rev. G. Press, the church was organized in 1898. They met in a German Methodist Church until their church, St. Paul’s, was built in 1901 while Rev. C. E. Miche’ was pastor. Ground for the church was given by Peter Washer.
On June 18, 1918, an attempt was made to burn the church. War feeling was running high. Service flags in our church represented the men of the congregation who served our country at the time. Damage was slight, and the Children’s Day Services were held the next morning as planned.
July 7, 1918, the congregation unanimously voted to repair the damage done by fire, and “to discontinue all services in the German language as long as our land was involved in war.” Rev. C.A. Mysch’s closing prayer was “Our wish and prayer is that God may look down from Heaven with His grace, and bring His peace to all nations.” After the war was over, the congregation decided in January, 1919, that services again should alternate between the two languages.
On July 13, 1924, a beautiful brick church of semi-gothic architecture was dedicated. The laying of the cornerstone and the dedication were by the pastor, Rev. F. W. Budy, assisted by the Ministerial Alliance and various service clubs of Marion.
Through today, Zion is committed to the work of not only its own parish, but that of the community where its pastors have held offices and worked in the Alliance. Rev. Harvey Zuern was president during his time at Zion in the 1940s, as was Rev. W. Everett Lynch, who after 40 years as minister and pastor emeritus, died on October 19, 1989. Zion minister Rev. Rudolf Cruenke served as president in the late 1980s.
On August 10, 1943, J. B. Heyde, the last charter member, died at almost 84 years of age.
Mrs. Zuem was elected president of the Egyptian Regional Women’s Guild for the bienniumin in 1944, and much of the beauty of Zion church was planned by the Zuerns. A new look developed inside and outside the church property.
By 1960, the constitution and by-laws were adopted for the merging of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, becoming the United Church of Christ.
When Rev. W. E. Lynch arrived in Marion in 1949, he began hearing of a dream held by at least a small group that someday we might have a new educational building. In 1951, a “building fund” was established (later called “expansion fund”). Soon the Bob Stevens property to the west on Vicksburg Street was purchased for Sunday school space. When the corner lot to the west became available, we were not in a position to purchase it. One of our members, Lawrence Wohlwend, purchased it and held it until the church could buy it.
The Educational Building to the west of the sanctuary was dedicated on June 28, 1958; the Ashley house to the west was purchased to enlarge the parking lot, shared by Zion Church and Marion Memorial Hospital.
Under the leadership of Rev. Lynch, Dedication Sunday, November 21, 1971, marked the completion of the expansion program that the congregation had adopted approximately twenty-two years previously, the expansion of the church itself.
Rev. Lynch said at the time, “It would seem that from this point on, our emphasis will not be so much on the physical plant, as on the developing of a program to deepen our commitment to Christ and His way and to become more involved in those areas that are, according to the Scriptures, of deep concern to our Lord, such as justice, equality, freedom, human dignity, peace, and reconciling love.”
On September 10, 1989, the members of Zion met another milestone upon the dedication of a new wing to the east of the sanctuary housing additional classrooms, a newly-enlarged kitchen, new offices and baths, and an elevator to serve the handicapped and those with medical needs.
It was ironic that the elevator was used for the first funeral at the death of Rev. W. Everett Lynch, one of the main forces behind the expansion project.
During this same September, in observance of the 50th anniversary of Rev. Lynch’s Ordination to the ministry, a special plaque was presented which read: “In appreciation for their many years of service to the church and community, the Everett and Otilia Lynch Scholarship Fund has been established by Zion United Church of Christ of Marion, St Paul United Church of Christ, Johnston City, and other friends.”
This scholarship fund is to be an on-going benefit for young people of the community and will be administered by a committee of Zion Church.
To view our past without dreams for the future would be to deny a great challenge. In a world torn apart by so many disturbing influences, primary of which is man’s willfulness as opposed to the Divine Will, the church stands for truth, love, justice, and stability. We join our Master, Jesus Christ, in building the kind of world in which men and women’s hearts are joined to God, and their lives are merged in sympathy with their fellow men and women.” —-Submitted by Flora Aikman for the Sesquicentennial History in 1989
In 1993, the congregation voted to purchase the property immediately to the east, keeping in mind future expansion.
In 1998, the congregation voted to purchase the property south of the church and a new parking area was built there. It is our aim to commit ourselves to a deeper involvement of our congregation to Christ and His way, and to open our hearts more fully to bring others to the deep concerns and love of our Lord.
(Historic photos and main article written by Flora Aikman extracted from Sesquicentennial History and Zion Church Website; current photos by Sam Lattuca)