A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRINITY EVANGELICAL

LUTHERAN CHURCH

Casper, Wyoming

As our Nation moved westward, the early 1900s saw many Protestant and other faiths establishing churches in the plains and Rocky Mountain areas. Missouri Synod Lutheran churches began appearing in western Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. An immigrant from Switzerland, Ernest Gerber, offered to have services in his Casper home before World War I. A traveling minister, Rev. Martin Leimer, is said to have been the first ordained pastor to conduct services for what was to become Trinity at the Gerber home. He traveled to Casper once monthly from his home in Keeline, WY—some 120 miles– to officiate. Mr. Gerber and other faithful Lutherans held services on the other Sundays.

The first organized meeting of Trinity was by its voters in April 1917. Another pastor, Walter Dannenfeldt, was recorded as serving the congregation as early as 1911. The corner of Fourth and Park Street, in the central area of the Town, was the location of the first church constructed by the Trinity congregation. That location, with an additional building constructed in 1951, was the location of the church until 1990, when the present building was purchased from the Highland Park Community Church. The Park Street site, when plans were developed for a larger building, was given a solid boost by church pillar, William A. Hilliar. His strong monetary support and guidance aided the church significantly, then and until his death in 1971.

Trinity's early pastors were instrumental in providing worship services to Christians in Riverton, Glenrock, Midwest, Douglas, and at times other central Wyoming communities without pastors.

The church provided a parsonage next to the Fourth and Park Street property until the need to convert the parsonage to Sunday School use arose, at which time another parsonage was acquired in east Casper. Casper's growth in the early 1960s brought about need for a second Missouri Synod church, and Mt Hope Lutheran Church was formed to serve the western part of the community. In all, 110 communicants transferred to the Mt Hope congregation. The congregation's longest serving pastor, Rev. A. G. Johnson, instrumental in substantial growth of the Lord's kingdom in the 1960s, decided to retire in 1971, after serving the church as its pastor since 1944.

Trinity faced a time of numerous vacancies and interim pastors in the period of the early 1970s and later in that same decade as well. Pastor Barclay Brown of Mt Hope aided the congregation for an extended period of time. Rev. Lavern Bellemy served from about 1972-74.  In 1974 Trinity called Rev. John Lutze to serve, and he was presented with a series of challenges during his ministry, including a fire at the church that nearly burned the sanctuary in its entirety. A wiring short in a kitchen refrigerator caused the fire, which resulted in extensive damage.

Pastor Reeb served the congregation as a vacancy pastor.  Then in 1978 Pastor George Black was called to the Trinity congregation, and his tenure saw significant growth of the church.  In 1983, Rev. Smuda joined Pastor Black as Associate Pastor.  Pastor Smuda was the sole Pastor from 1984-85.  

The congregation  moved to the present building around 1990. Rev. David A. Boehnke, was instrumental in advocating the purchase of the facility. Many able church leaders gave strong support as well, and the Lord's blessing and guidance brought about a needed increase in space, a more modern facility, and renewed enthusiasm among members. The congregation considered purchase of the present building early in the 1980s but it wasn't until the end of the decade that the church had the financial capability to buy it. This was made possible, in part, by the Highland Park congregation lowering its asking price. Trinity has enjoyed the building and benefited greatly from it in the years since its purchase. The mortgage was paid off several years ago, and Trinity is free of any building indebtedness.

Rev. Boehnke served Trinity most admirably over a period of 15 years and in May of 2001 left Casper in response to a call to St John Lutheran Church in Wheaton, MN.  With his departure he left many friends behind and his mark on Trinity and its congregation will shine in the memories of all of those he touched with his deeply, caring administering of God’s Word for many, many years.  A vacancy period of just over one year ensued after Pastor Boehnke’s departure.  During that time the Rev. John Hill assisted by the Rev. Richard Gaub ably served the needs of the Trinity congregation.  Their achievement in Trinity’s behalf during this protracted period is all the more significant when you consider they also served their home church, Mt Hope Lutheran Church, and for much of that period Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Glenrock, WY and Zion Lutheran Church in Douglas, WY.  During that period a lengthy call process was conducted, and in the late Spring of 2002 the Lord blessed Trinity when the Rev. Daniel G. Holthus, Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Rock Springs, WY, accepted its call.  He was installed as Trinity’s Pastor on 2 June 2002.

Pastor Holthus has brought to Trinity boundless energy, outstanding pastoral skills and the fullest commitment to doing God’s work in the Casper community.  With his superb leadership every facet of church operations has seen marked improvement and church membership and attendance are  at  all-time highs.  In the Summer of 2003 installation of a new organ and pipes was completed with a dedication on 29 June 2003.  An organ recital to celebrate that noteworthy event was presented on 19 October 2003 by Mr. Paul Otte, Minister of Music at Peace Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, MN.  During this same period Trinity began providing signing of its services in an outreach to the deaf within the Casper area.  In late 2003 Trinity decided to resume providing vicarage opportunities, and on 4 July 2004 Vicar David Doellinger was inducted during a Trinity service.  Vicar Doellinger has brought many talents to his Trinity vicarage and has demonstrated strong potential for a most effective career as a Lutheran pastor.

As one looks back over the history of Trinity it becomes abundantly clear that the Lord has blessed the congregation with outstanding messengers of His Word. From the pioneering days of Mr. Gerber and Rev. Leimer through the growth years of Pastors Johnson and Black, then the long and especially productive period of Rev. Boehnke's leadership, and now under its current leader, Pastor Holthus, the Trinity congregation has received the spiritual stewardship and caring of truly outstanding men of God. For that we are most thankful, and as we now look forward to the future, it is with unwavering faith and trust in God that we move on to a new era in the history of Trinity.

-Compiled by Warren "Bounce" Carlson and Howard Law.    Edited by Howard Law.