This article was recently found in the files at Concordia Historical Institute in St Louis, MO. It is believed to have been intended for publication along with other articles that Arthur Repp wrote for the CHI Quarterly but never was. The extensive bibliography found at the end of the article is believed to have been the bibliography for all of his writings about the churches and schools at Serbin, Fedor, and Warda.



The schools played an important role in the history of the Wendish congregations in and around Serbin. This is natural since they were an integral part of the congregational life of most of the Lutheran churches of the Missouri Synod of that period, reflecting the common background of conservative Old World Lutheranism. When a congregation could not support a teacher, it was assumed that the pastor would teach the children. In such cases, school was usually conducted only four days out of the week.

The standards of the Lutheran parish schools fell short of present day standards, but compared with the school systems of the day they were surprisingly high. 'The few public schools in the neighborhood had difficulty in getting competent teachers. Many of them had not even finished high school, while Lutheran teachers had at least a junior college training and the pastors had completed five years of college, although limited chiefly to the study of theology. In one respect, however, the parish schools were below the public schools of their day, and that was in the teaching of English. In most cases this subject was merely tolerated in the classroom, though the congregation realized that it was their responsibility to teach it. Occasionally when the new teacher was considered, the knowledge of English was set down as a requirement. When the congregation at Serbin had trouble with the encroaching public school they stipulated that the second teacher must be able to teach through the medium of the English language. Mr. H. Werner was chosen because he could meet this requirement. Even under such circumstances English was not stressed as one might expect. This was quite natural considering that German, or perhaps Wendish, was the only language spoken in the community. The Rev. Hermann Schmidt, present pastor at Serbin who attended St Paul's as a child relates that hardly anyone got beyond the “Dird” Reader. Even today the children have a distinctively heavy accent.

After all, the primary concern of the Lutheran congregations was not to supply a secular training. They would not have gone to the expense of maintaining their own schools if that had been their chief objective. They were interested first of all in the spiritual training of their youth, and for this their teachers had received a good education. Men like Leubner, G. Kilian, Werner, Schleier and the others were real theologians and they had the aptitude to instill a humble, Christian, God-fearing faith into the hearts of their pupils. This accounts for the doctrinal solidarity of these churches down to the present generation. On the other hand, these congregations were also concerned that others maintained such schools. In 1895 Buchschacher organized a congregation at Greens Creek and an appeal was made to St Paul's at Serbin to help in the erection of a church. This plea was turned down because Greens Creek was satisfied with a public school and had made no provisions for a school of its own.(1) When this was later changed by organizing a school, a collection was raised and given to the new church at Greens Greek.(2)

School attendance was frequently very irregular as already noted. There were many interruptions, especially in Fedor with its frequent changes in teachers. At such times when the pastor taught, sessions were often dropped to allow him to visit a sick or a dying parishioner at some distant point. Even where there were regular teachers, a death in the congregation meant that school had to be dropped, not only because many of the pupils would be among the mourners in the interrelated communities but because the teacher was required to play the organ during the funeral service. At other times a siege of bad weather or the demands on the farm disrupted any attempt at a regular schedule. Malaria was another factor in disturbing the school routine.

The school term did not begin in the fall as now, but immediately after Easter. Since confirmation and graduation were almost synonymous, children began school immediately after Easter after the confirmation class had graduated. Instead of the usual written examinations at the end of a term, public oral examination was held the week before Palm Sunday. On the day before the examination, cedar boughs and evergreens were collected and hung over the doors and around the school room to give the event a festive air. Where there were two rooms, one room was dismissed while the other had its examination, the parents and the school board were sure to be present to hear the recitations of the children. During the years this practice lost its original purpose and became a “show-off” day for the teachers and pupils, and so in time it was done away with.

The majority of the teachers were greatly concerned over the irregular attendance of their pupils especially G. Kilian of Serbin. It was his practice to jump on his horse after the school day and visit the home of the absentees. Kilian was a conscientious teacher in many other respects too. He spent hours with deficient pupils both before and after school. The entire lesson in religion had to be recited to him before school so that he might be assured that no one had been overlooked. Kilian may be characterized as a strict disciplinarian who was master of the situation at all times, energetic, modest, and tireless in his duty. He was hard to become acquainted with, however, and thus was often misunderstood.(3)

There were many happy hours in these frontier schools. During the dinner hour the boys frequently wandered off to hunt and fish in the nearby woods and streams. Sitting on the banks waiting for a “bite,” the boys leisurely ate their lunch which consisted chiefly of a few cucumbers, always a welcome treat for a Wendish youngster. On the way home from school they enjoyed some of the forbidden pleasures, such as racing their donkeys, even swimming, and occasionally visiting the neighbor’s sugar cane or watermelon patch.

These people loved their children and did everything within their limited means to give them the best education.(4) Had they depended upon the state for this, they would have been without schools for many years. When the public schools tried to enter into these communities, the members were forbidden to send their children because the schools were considered “godless” not providing for the spiritual life of their children. We can well sympathize with these hardy people and the results of their efforts to obtain a religious training were quite apparent. Though not a perfect community, they represented a people where crime and immorality was never a serious problem and the misdemeanors and occasional strayings were carefully dealt with by the congregation.

Though engrossed in their congregational affairs there are frequent references in the minutes how they answered the call of some needy member whose barn or house had burned down or of some poor widow who needed support. Likewise when one of their members had a son to prepare for the Church the congregation took up a free-will offering to assist the parents. Even outside of the immediate parish calls for help were answered for a church that had burned down or for some struggling congregation that needed help to build a house of worship or to support its pastor. These relatively poor congregations were ready to share their bread with the needy.




(1) Minutes of St Paul’s, Serbin, Jan. 6, 1895.
(2) Minutes of St Paul’s, Serbin, Oct 27, 1895.
(3) Birkmann, G. D. V., Feb. 2, 1933.
(4) One man, according to Dr. Birkmann, had 18 children in two marriages. He paid school tuition over a period of forty years.
(5)The number 15 is based on report in congregational minutes but the figure 21 is the official number released to district. Very likely the discrepancy is due to the fact that they cover different time periods.
(6) Rev. Maisch’s report is for two schools very likely at one of his preaching stations and at home in Fedor.



AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH, Texas District, in the custody of Professor Wiederaenders, Texas Lutheran College, Seguin, Texas.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD OF MISSOURI, OHIO, AND OTHER STATES, Texas District, in the custody of Professor G. Viehweg, Lutheran Concordia College, Austin, Texas.

ST. PAUL’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, Serbin, Texas.

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, Fedor, Texas.




B1RKMAN, G., Ein Brief des alten Pastors G. Birkmann an einen Freund der Auskunft begehrte über die Anfangszeiten unserer Synode in Texas, MS. In archives of the Texas District, Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, Austin, Texas. Has also appeared in print in Der Texas Distriktsbote, XII (Feb and April, 1927).

BIRKMANN-MICHALK, Geschichte der Dreieinigkeits Gemeinde zu Fedor, Texas.

COLLECTION of letters, drafts of letters, private notes of Rev. J. Kilian and unofficial records of congregational meetings, and miscellaneous data in the possession of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Serbin, Texas.

COLLECTION of letters, pictures, and miscellaneous historical data, in the possession of the writer.

KASPER, L. O. Diary for the year 1901, in possession of Mr. L. 0. Kasper, Serbin, Texas.



FIRST EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYHOD OF TEXAS for 1869, 1860-62, 1865-67, 1874-75.

HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH, Warda, Texas.
1. Congregational meetings Nov 9, 1873 to Nov 13, 1887 in the possession of Mrs Teinert, Warda, Texas.
2. Congregational meetings, Jan 6, 1890 - 1904.
3. Kirchenordnung der Evangelich lutherischen Kreuz Gemeinde.

LEE AND FAYETTE COUNTY TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE, May 24, 1899 - June 6, 1900

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, Serbin, Texas.
1. Congregational meetings, 1877-1905.
2. Verzeichniss der von Pastor Johann Kilian eonfirmierten Kinder von Jahre 1856 an in Serbin, welches in der…das Low Pinoak Settlement genannt wurde.
3. Kirchen - Register.

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, Fedor, Texas.
1. Congregational Meetings, March 11, 1870 - July 18, 1886; June 8, 1902 to the end of 1905.



Dallas Morning News, Sept. 22, 1929.

Fayette County Record, La Grange, Century of Progress Edition, 1936, n. d.

Giddings Deutsches Volksblatt, 1931 - 1940 (incomplete).

Giddings News, Scattered copies of 1927, 1931-33.

La Grange Journal, c. Nov, 1927.



SYN0DICAL REPORTS, Verhandlungen der deutschen evang.-luth. Synode von Missouri, Ohio und anderen Staaten, Westlichen Districts, 1870-79, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.

SYNODICAL REPORTS, Verhandlungen der deutschen evang.-luth. Synode von Missouri, Ohio und anderen Staaten, des Südlichen Districts, 1882-1904, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.

SYNODICAL REPORTS, Verhandlungen der Allgemeine Deutschen Evangelisch-Lutherische Synode von Missouri, Ohio und anderen Staaten, 1847-1860, 2nd ed, of 1876, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.

STATISTICAL YEARBOOKS, Der Deutsche - Evangelisch - Lutherische Synode von Missouri, Ohio und anderen Staaten, 1890, 1898, 1902-04. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.



Behnken, J. W., “The Missouri Synod in the South and Southwest,” in Ebenezer, Reviews of the Work of the Missouri Synod During Three Quarters of a Century, W. H. R. Dau, Editor, 2nd Edition, Concordia Publishing House, St, Louis, MO.

Biesele, Rudolph L., The History of the German Settlements In Texas, 1831-1861. Von Boeckmann-Jones Co, Austin, 1930.

Birkmann, G. “Aus der Pionierzeit eines alten Texas-pastors,” Die Missions-Taube, July, 1930, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.

Birkmann, G. “Outline of the History of the Texas District,” Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, VII (October, 1934 and January, 1935).

Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, I - XVIII. Official Organ of the Concordia Historical Institute, St, Louis, MO.

Drewes, C. F., “Unsere Pioniere in Texas,” in Die Missions-Taube, April - June, 1930. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.

Eifrig, C. W. G., “Henry Nehrling,” Lutheran School Journal, LXVI (Jan, 1931). Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.

Engerrand, George C., The So-Called Wends of Germany and Their Colonies in Texas and in Australia.” University of Texas Bulletin, No. 3417, May 1, 1954, Austin, TX.

Held, John A., Religion a Factor in Building Texas, Naylor Co. San Antonio, TX, 1940.

Kasper, L. 0., Autobiographical Sketch” in Graduates of Addison Seminary - Twenty Fifth Anniversary, 1907 - 1923, n. d., n. p.

Kilian, H. T. and Hermann Schmidt, Kurzgefaszter Aussug - aus der Geschichte der ev. luth. St. Pauls Gemeinde U. A. C. zu Serbin, Lee County, Texas, 1920, Giddings Deutsches Volksblatt, Giddings, TX.

Kretzman, P. E., “The Early History of the Wendic Lutheran Colony in the State of Texas,” Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, III (July, 1930)

Lotto, Fayette County, Her History and Her People, Schulenburg, TX, 1902.

Der Lutheraner, Official German periodical of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Incomplete.

Mgebroff, Johannes, Geschichte der Ersten Deutschen Evangelische Lutherischen Synod in Texas, Wartburg Publishing House, Dubuque, IA, 1902.

Moebus, A. E., “The Congregations of the Missouri Synod in Fayette Co., Texas,” Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, XII (Apr 11, 1939).

Hail, Olin W., editor of Texas Methodist Centennial Yearbook, The Story of Methodism During the Last One Hundred Years in Texas, Klein, TX, 1934.

Rasnick, Selma Metzenthun, “A Survey of German Literature in Texas,” Southwestern Historical Quarterly, XXXIII (October, 1920).

Spilman, G., Zum Gedächtniss des seligen Pastors A. L. Tlmotheus Stiemke, Gewidmet von der deutschen Ev. Luth. Immanuels Gemeinde, Baltimore, MD, n.d., n.p.

Southern District Bulletin, The, Bi-monthly official organ of the Southern District of the Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States, New Orleans, LA, 1953.

Stellhorn, A. C., “Carl Ludwig Geyer,” Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly, XII (April, 1939).

Der Texas Distriktsbote, Herausgegeben vom Texas Distrikt der Synode von Missouri, Ohio, und anderen Staaten. First quarterly and now monthly, I - XXIII (1915-1940).

The Texas Messenger, English organ of the Texas District Evang. Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States, Dallas and Giddings, TX.

Urbantke, C., Aus Meinen Lebensführungen, Cincinnati, Jennings and Pye, 1902.

Wegner, G. J., The Southern District, Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States, New Orleans, LA, 1938.



Biar, Hermann, of Giddings, Texas
Birkmann, Dr. Gottfried, of Giddings, Texas
Boehnke, Mrs. Emil, of Muldoon, Texas
Boehnke, Hermann, of Muldoon, Texas
Dube, Karl, of Houston, Texas
Dunk, Mrs. Henry, of Warda, Texas
Kasper, Louis O., of Serbin, Texas
Kuntze, Ernest, of Warda, Texas
Kurio, Andrew, of Serbin, Texas
Lange, August, of Warda, Texas
Menzel, Emil, of Serbin, Taxes
Michalk, Rev. Adolph, of Fedor, Texas
Michalk, John, of Bishop, Texas
Peter, Mrs. A. (Theresa Kilian), of Winchester, Texas
Rabe, Mrs. John A., of San Antonio, Texas
Reinhart, August, of Winchester, Texas
Schmidt, Rev. Hermann, of Serbin, Texas
Simmang, Mrs. of San Antonio, Texas
Teinert, Hermann, of Warda, Taxes
Werner, Rev. Louis, of Copperas Cove, Texas