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The Canoe German Methodist Church on rural Decorah’s Canoe Ridge Road will celebrate its 130-year anniversary Sunday, Sept. 24, during the annual Hymn Sing at the church.
German church services and Sunday school were conducted as early as 1875 in an old farmhouse just south of the present church building as well as in homes and a small log building on the Conrad Gremm farm.
The present church was built in 1893 as membership had grown and there was a need for a larger place to worship. Early German settlers donated their time and money to build the church on land donated by Henry Gremm which included a small lot for a cemetery. Later, additional land for a larger cemetery was donated by Henry Weber.
The first minister to preach at the present church was Rev. Henry J. Schmidt. Church services were conducted every other Sunday, as the pastors served several other churches. Church services and Sunday School were in the German language.
Following Rev. Schmidt were numerous ministers who traveled to the church by horse and buggy in the summertime and by sleigh in the winter. Rev. Hertel was the last German minister, as the church changed to the English Conference in the early 1940s. By this time, many of the older members had passed away and the younger ones married and moved away. Other members transferred their membership to Decorah.
In 1942 the doors of the little church were closed to regular services. An annual “Homecoming” event was started in 1948 by Mrs. Henry Voegeding and led by the members, followed by a lunch brought in by members and friends. Hymn Sings have been held in the fall every year since.
Members purchased the church from the English Conference and formed a Cemetery Association with officers elected to conduct their yearly business meetings. Ice cream socials were held to raise funds to pay the bills. In 1985, Mildred Landmeyer passed away and left her estate to the church which in turn sold the property and used proceeds for repairs and upkeep.
An annual business meeting is held the first Saturday in May and the Hymn Sing is always the last Sunday in September.
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