Immanuel Lutheran was one of the first churches established in the region by German pioneers in the area surrounding Mayville, Wisconsin. It’s church books provide a valuable insight into these early settlers and their lineages. The earliest services were conducted in Friedrich Jagow’s house. The pastor has graciously provided us with permission to upload them online to help others with their family histories.

• Immanuel Lutheran River Church Family Register (English Duplicate)
• Immanuel Lutheran (1847-1865)
• Immanuel Lutheran (1847-1865) [English transcription]
• Hochheim (1865-1899)
• Hochheim (1899-1957)
• River Church (1864-1899)
• River Church (1899-1957)

During the early years of Immanuel Lutheran, the parish went through several splits in terms of theology before eventually separating into what was known as the “Hochheim” and the “River” churches. These two churches would eventually merge once again after a fire twice ravaged the Hochheim church: once in 1941 and once in 1957. The church has remained a part of the Missouri Lutheran Synod and a Christian day school was opened in 1855. A full history can be seen at the website for Immanuel Lutheran Church.

The church was founded by many Old Lutherans who immigrated to the United States in 1846. Of the two enclaves were immigrants who originated in Nahausen and the surrounding area (near Königsberg in Neumark) and those who came from Pommern–many specifically from the island of Wollin, Cammin, and the border of Naugard. Land claims reveal these people to be some of the earliest: Friedrich Jagow, Johann Friedrich Fellwock, Michael Sasse, Sr., Carl Jesse, Friedrich Schwann, Friedrich Kuehl, William Braasch, Gottlieb Braasch, Friedrich Christian, Carl Schwantes, Christlieb Schwantes, Michael Zimmermann, Michael Budahn, Wilhelm Milbrot, and Carl Bannenberg.

My personal interest in these records stem from my own family’s involvement in starting or participating in the early church, including members of the Woock, Zimmermann, Sasse, Kühl, and Milbrot families.

This collection has not been transcribed yet.

Help us make these records more accessible for researchers worldwide. If you can read old script, we would love your help to make the entries in these books searchable. Please consider donating your time, even if it's just for a few pages. (We also use Google Sheets so you can see where the last person left off and where the work needs to be continued!)

If you're interested, please send an email to [email protected].