St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Curtice, Ohio)

In the fall of 1898, a group of immigrant German farmers requested the Reverend EJK Schmidt, pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Grasser Street, Oregon Township, to start a mission church in Jerusalem Township in addition to the services at St. Mark's. His faithful administration of Word and Sacrament were blessed to the extent that on March 1, 1903 the congregation of St. Luke's Lutheran Church of Yondota* was officially organized. The two churches would be co-served by pastors until 1939.

The first services were held in Bailey School and later Yondota School. In 1905 Otto Loboschefski, a member of the congregation, gave the congregation a permanent lease on land "to be used for church purposes." That same year the congregation constructed its first building made of concrete block with predominantly volunteer labor. The Reverend Schmidt constructed the beautiful and intricate altar, pulpit, baptismal font, and hymn board entirely with hand tools. These works of art can still be viewed at the Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society Museum in Oregon, Ohio.

In 1958, after 50+ years and 4 additions to the original building, the congregation began to search for property to build a new sanctuary. After several attempts to secure other pieces of property, the congregation purchased 5 acres of land on the corner of Yondota and Seaman Roads. A new parsonage was erected there in 1963. Six acres of adjacent property were purchased and in the fall of 1977 a new building was begun. The multi-use sanctuary and educational unit was completed and dedicated to the Glory of God on July 23, 1978. The building site also hosts a multi-season shelter house with meeting room for the Boy Scouts and a 3/4 acre recreational pond.

Clear deed was obtained for the original property, the building was torn down, and the land was sold to the township. The Jerusalem Township Fire Station, township offices, and Lucas County sheriff's sub-station now occupy the former site of St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Yondota.

This history was prepared by Sheron Baumgartner.

*Yondota - a small community in Jerusalem Township that consisted of a post office--general store-saloon, the church, and later, the Jerusalem community hall and fire station.