Nazareth Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Records

Record Group

Identifier: Collection ID-1524

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Official Acts Volume 1

Baptisms 1895-1921
Confirmations 1896-1921
Marriages 1895-1920
Deaths 1895-1921

Church Record Volume 2

Baptisms 1922-1949
Confirmations 1922-1949
Marriages 1922-1949
Burials 1922-1949

The Practical Church Record

Baptisms 1950-1994
Confirmations 1950-1994
Marriages 1950-1993
Deaths 1950-1994

Meeting Minutes

Voters' 1895-2004
Council 1950s, 1983-1993
LWML and Ruth Guild 1895-1955
Young Ladies'ociety 1895-1923
Men's Club 1937-1964

This collection also consists of historical information, including milestone anniversaries, building / blueprints / legal, Constitutions and By-Laws, Annual Reports 1906-1960, Financials 1956-1998, Marriage Licenses / Certificates 1910-2003, Member Records, including Transfers, Photographs, Meeting minutes in both English and German, print blocks, Der Bote-bound 1923-1930, Nazareth-Bethel Lutheran School information.

Dates

Creation: 1895 - 2004

Biographical / Historical

Nazareth Lutheran Church was founded on May 8, 1895, with 79 former members from the mother-church, Zion. The old church was a wooden-frame combination church / school structure, with the church on the main floor. The Christian day school was begun in 1894, a year before the formal organization of the congregation. On February 14, 1909, a new brick church building was dedicated. The original church building became the parish hall and school. In 1915, Nazareth Lutheran School consolidated with Bethel congregation of the Wisconsin Synod. Neither congregation was able to take on accreditation alone. In 1940, the 25th anniversary of Nazareth-Bethel was celebrated. In 1943, as a goal for the 50th Anniversary, the congregation decided to cancel the outstanding debt of 22,871,00. This goal was reached on April 1, 1945, Easter Sunday. The church was extremely renovated and rededicated in 1949. In 1967, the Milwaukee County Expressway Commission notified the congregation that the church and school property would be required for the Park Freeway right of way; therefore, the Park Freeway would run through the site of the present church. In 1969, a new site was discussed at an open meeting of the congregation. The new site was acquired in November 1969, and construction took place in 1970. Nazareth's 75th anniversary was celebrated in 1970. On May 24, 1970, a confirmation reunion service was held. In June 1970, an order was received to close the school serving 120 pupils from kindergarten through eighth grade. This ended 76 years of Christian education at Nazareth. The new church building was dedicated on October 24, 1971. In 1977, the congregation voted to have one worship service. By 1992, the services were increased to two. The 100th anniversary was celebrated in 1995. Materials indicate that this congregation possibly closed in 2004.