1872 - 1926

THE PASTORATE of PASTOR WM. LOTHMANN

SOMETIMES it happens in the church that pastor and congregation grow up together so that you may almost identify the history of one with the other. Thus it was with the third pastor of Zion, Pastor William Lothmann who served Zion for more than a half century. Small wonder then that some people referred to Zion as "Lothmann's Church."

 Pastor Wm. Lothmann was born in Hanover, Germany, and came with his parents to Cleveland as a small child. He attended a parochial school and after his confirmation entered Concordia College, Ft. Wayne, Ind., where he was graduated in 1862, and from the Seminary at St. Louis four years later. His first charge was at Valley City, Ohio, however, in 1868 he accepted a call to Elyria and four years later to Zion at Akron. His wife was Miss Betty Husmann, daughter of one of the founders of our Synod. When they came' to Akron they had two little children. Akron was then a town of 10,000 people and conditions very prim­itive. The congregation too had some internal difficulties at the time to cope with.

 Under Pastor Lothmann's leadership things went forward. The small frame church building proved inade­quate and in 1876 the cornerstone of a new church was laid and in September 1877 the dedication of our present church building took place. The cost of the building at that time was $16,000. The speakers for the dedication were Pastor P. J. Buehl and Pastor J. H. Niemann, President of the Central District; the evening sermon was preached by the Rev. J. Schultze of Galion, Ohio.

 All the buildings that stand on Zion's property at the present time were erected during Pastor Lothmann's ministry, the church, the brick school of 1889, the addition to the school in 1915, the "old parsonage" Office Building. He was ready also to substitute for teachers in the school and began a mission in Kent, Ohio, which he served for many years.

 To offer some relief to Pastor Lothmann the congregation in 1891 called the Rev. Theo. Huegli of New Orleans to serve as "missionary in the English language" and as a teacher for the school He founded St. John's Lutheran Church, now affiliated with the American Lutheran Church. After two years Pastor Huegli accepted a call to Pittsburgh, Pa., and the Rev. Julius Nickel came to replace him. He remained until 1903 and transferred to Strassburg, Illinois. In 1904 St. John's Lutheran Church called a certain Pastor Miller and under his direction most of the English speaking members of Zion joined the Ohio Synod. The members who remained faithful to our Lutheran teachings, but who desired to be nurtured in the English. language left to-help found Concordia Lutheran Church which today is located as our sister congregation at Sumner and Voris Streets.

 The next helper who assisted the pastor and was missionary in the surrounding territory, especially in Cuy­ahoga Falls, was the Rev. Wm. Single, a son of the congregation, who succeeded in founding our sister congregation Redeemer in the Falls. In 1921 Zion felt that Pastor Lothmann should have permanent relief and assistance and therefore called Candidate C. W. Spiegel, graduate of Concordia Theological Semi­nary at St. Louis, and he became the Assistant Pastor.

 In the year 1922 the congregation celebrated the 50th anniversary of Pastor Lotbmann as a local pastor. The occasion was an unusual one and the first of its kind in the history of the city of Akron. Greetings arrived from all parts of the country also from President W. Harding. In 1926 his 60th anniversary as a pastor was observed. In 1926 Pastor Lothmann retired and preached his farewell sermon tome congregation. The sermon illustrated the deep humility and intense faith of Zion's beloved pastor. He passed away in faith in the Savior in 1931 after attaining the ripe age of 86 years. Requiescat in pace!

 Mrs. Lothmann had preceded her husband in death in 1909. She had been a faithful spouse and helpmate and the congregation mourned her passing. Afterwards, Mrs. Emma Buehl, daughter of Pastor and Mrs. Lotbmann aided her father greatly in his old age, assisting in many different ways, also acting as his chauf­feur. She was exceedingly active in all church affairs of Zion and had taught school for a number of years.