This article by Alice Zoch first appeared in Fayette County: Past & Present.

The history of the St. Michael Evangelical Lutheran congregation dates back to the year of 1876. For one year, Pastor Simon Suess came to Winchester and served the Lutherans there. There are no correct records for the next eleven years. But it is known that Pastor Stiemke and later Pastor Buchschacher both came occasionally to preach to the small group in Winchester.

On St. Michael's Day, September 29, 1887, under the leadership of the Reverend G. Buchschacher, the group of Lutherans in Winchester got together and decided to choose a name for their church. It was decided to call it St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church. At the time of the organization, there were twenty members. The first elders of the new church were Fritz Poppelz, John Kieschnik, and Ernst Noack. A former saloon building on the comer (now the vacant lot belonging to Mrs. Eunice Karisch} was bought and arranged to serve as a house of worship and school. It was to continue in use for the next nineteen years. Later two rooms were added to the building to serve as a parsonage.

The Reverend Stark, beside serving the congregation as pastor, also taught school. All the people wanted their children to have a good education, both in secular knowledge and in Christian fundamentals. Pastor Stark's successor, the Reverend L. Gresens, also faithfully taught school beside all his pastoral duties. After doing this for seven years, Pastor Gresens was relieved of his teaching duties. St. Michael's called its first teacher for its Christian Day School, Mr. Karl Dube. He taught school there for six years. Even before this full-time teacher was called, Pastor Gresen had to have some assistance, because of the increasing number of students that were enrolled in the Christian Day School.

It has been said that the Reverend Buchschacher had been told not to spend too much effort on the small congregation in Winchester because it would never amount to anything. In 1893 St. Michael's had to expand, because its accommodations were too small. So fifteen acres of land were bought, the present church property. The land was to be used for a church and school. a parsonage and teacherage, and a cemetery.

In the early part of March 1906, the cornerstone of a new church was laid. On July 29, 1906, the new house of worship was dedicated, the same building that is being used today. During this same year, a new schoolhouse was started, part of which is still being used. The school was dedicated on October 21, 1906. Later the parsonage and teacherage were built. Because of the growth of the congregation, the school became too small, so it was remodeled and enlarged. Another teacherage was also soon built.

During the 87 years that St. Michael's has existed it has been served by thirteen pastors and several vacancy pastors, of which there is no record. Pastor Stark served the small group from December 9, 1888, to August 8, 1889. Pastor A. L. Gresens was there from June 5, 1891, to September 25, 1904. Then Pastor H. Hugo served from November 13, 1904, to October 10, 1909. Pastor F. W. Siebelitz was the pastor from February 13, 1910, to December 1, 1918. Pastor Alfred Bohot served from January, 1919 to April, 1926. One of the more well-known pastors was the Reverend Erich Moebus, who served from May 2, 1926, to March 4, 1934. Then Pastor Louis A. Trinklein was the pastor, from June 17, 1934, to February 23, 1939. Pastor Edward R. Rathgeber served the congregation from July 30, 1939, to August 24, 1947. On December 25, 1947, Pastor George W. Heinemeier became the pastor until April 22, 1951. Pastor Walter E. Streicher served the congregation from February 10, 1952, to December 4, 1960. Then Pastor W. B. Gummelt served from July 30, 1961, until his death on April 29, 1963. After being served by several vacancy pastors, Pastor R. M. Freiling became the pastor on May 31, 1964, and continued until June 30, 1969. The present pastor, Adolph Brand, came in June of 1970.

When the school was first started, Pastor Stark taught it. When the enrollment of the school reached 100, the one room school was too small, so a branch school was erected west of the Pin Oak Creek. This school existed for twenty-one years, and then bus transportation became available, and it was discontinued.

Some of the faithful teachers of the Winchester School were: Pastor Stark, Mr. Bernhard Kessel, Pastor Gresens, Miss Alma Peter, Student Karl Dube, Mr. W. Vogel. Pastor Hugo, Teacher Richard A. Siegel, Mr. Steglich, Teacher Theodore Preusser, Pastor Alfred Bohot, Miss Adeline Schulze, Miss Bertha Lehmann, Mr. Rudolf G. Boerger, Teacher Alwin O. Waiser, Teacher Erich G. Eifert, Teacher Elmer Dautenhahn, Teacher Martin Schuetze, Teacher Lydia Puder, Teacher Henry Wittmershaus, Miss Helen Proske, and Teacher Victor Wachsmann.

The teachers who served in the branch school were: Vicar Martin Oberndorfer, Vicar Max Kunde, Vicar Alex Guegart, Vicar Amo Scholz, Vicar Ed Hattstaedt, Miss Agnes Hielscher, Mr. Albert Gruetzner, Miss Martha Benediz, and Teacher Erich Eifert.

The school closed its doors for daily education at the end of the 1967-1968 school year, because it had too few children to continue its operations. The building is kept up and is used for meetings, Sunday School, and religion classes that are held on Saturdays.

St. Michael's organized its present Sunday School program in 1949. The youth of the congregation belong to Walther League and the ladies have organized the Lutheran Women's League.

In 1970 a new parsonage was built, on the same site as the old. The last teacherage has been sold. In 1974 the church was reworked to keep it in good condition.