Following the Wends.......

It wasn't long before the Wends discovered the original land they had purchased in Lee County was not the best farmland to be had.  And so it was for this reason they began to move further north.  These churches further north are the ones we visited today.  We began with Zion in Walburg, TX. 
As to the land issue, it was obvious even to a couple of non-farmers that these northern farms were far more productive.

This beautiful new church in Walburg, TX, also had its roots with the Wendish settlers in 1882.  The present church complex includes the church, a large school and an auditorium/gymnasium.  I might mention here that all of these Wendish congregations had the foresight to set aside large tracts of land for their churches which also included cemetaries.

St. Paul Lutheran, Thorndale, TX, established 1890.
The original church was lost in a tornado and was replaced.  This beautiful new building contains stained glass windows as well as the altar from the original church.  This church also supports a large parochial school.  The school was an important part of the Wendish tradition just as it is with the LCMS in general.  As a matter of information, the LCMS boasts over 1,000 elementary schools.

Trinity Lutheran, Fedor, TX, established 1870, sitting proudly atop a hill above the deserted town, proclaiming the Gospel message to all who pass by.  We were both so taken with the beauty of this simple white clapboard church, a church that is not considered one of the "painted churches" of Texas, but as you can see from the pictures, it certainly qualifies.  We spent considerable time exploring this little church, the former school house, the cemetary and even the bell tower.  Up in the bell tower I found the construction to be quite interesting, including cross-bracing held together with oak pegs.  As we drove away we looked at that beautiful little church until it disappeared from our view.  A huge benefit to us was Elder Steven and his two daughters who so warmly greeted us and shared the history with us.



St. John, Lincoln, TX, established 1886, is another tornado victim and this new church was built in the 50's.

We have one more Wendish church to find in a town that is not on the map.


And, here are some fun photos from our drive today: