Guide to the St. John's Lutheran Church Of Potter Records,
1841-1921.

Collection Number: 6086

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3530
Fax: (607) 255-9524
rareref@cornell.edu
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:
W.D.
S.L.
Date completed:
June 1980
EAD encoding:
Andrea Hektor, Aug. 2004

© 2003 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
St. John's Lutheran Church of Potter records, 1841-1921
Collection Number:
6086
Creator:
St. John's Lutheran Church of Potter (Potter, N.Y.)
Quantity:
1 reel microfilm.
Forms of Material:
Microfilm.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
One volume register listing baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages, members and deaths and one volume of congregational meeting minutes which document the temporal affairs of the church.
Language:
Collection material in English

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

Between 1828 and 1850 German Lutheran residents of Potter worshipped together in private homes or at the Boak Methodist Church in a group founded by Dr. Frederic Dutch, Jacob Shuman and Nicholas Heisler. In 1849 a meeting was held to plan building a church which was called Christ Church when completed in 1850. In 1856 the church changed its name to the Elsasser Congregation (a majority of its members being from Alsace) and in 1861 a committee was appointed to build a parsonage and a school room. In 1866 a new constitution was adopted and the church incorporated as the Evangelisch Lutherische Gemeinde. In 1919 the corporate name was changed to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Potter and Vicinity. A list of pastors and additional details are found in the accession folder.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Contains a one volume register listing baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages, members and deaths (1841-1888) and one volume of congregational meeting minutes (1849-1921) which deal with the temporal affairs of the church. Records are primarily in German until 1912 when a constitutional change allowed services in both languages. Thereafter most records are in English.
SUBJECTS

Names:
St. John's Lutheran Church of Potter (Potter, N.Y.)
Christ Church (Potter, N.Y.)
Elsasser Congregation (Potter, N.Y.)
Evangelisch Lutherische Gemeinde (Potter, N.Y.)

Subjects:
Lutheran Church--New York (State)--Potter.
Church records and registers--New York (State)--Potter.
Lutherans, German--New York (State)--Potter.

Places:
Yates County (N.Y.)--Religious life and customs.
Potter (N.Y.)--Religious life and customs.

Form and Genre Terms:
Baptismal certificates.
Minutes.
INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:
St. John's Lutheran Church of Potter records, #6086. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
CONTAINER LIST

Description
Container
Church Record Book No. 1 1841-1846
 Item 1
Contains baptismal records (1841-1888), communion records (1844-1881), confirmations (1845-1887), marriages (1856-1888), deaths (1844, 51-87), and miscellaneous notes and comments. Occasional late entries are in English.
Baptisms
Usually include names of parents, names of children, date of baptisms and birth, and names of witnesses, by pastor.
Page 3-34, January 1842 - 1861
Page 35-71, Date of birth not given. 1861-1879
Page 164-177, 1879-1885
Page 232-233, 1885 (single page tucked into volume)
Page 235-251, 1885-88 (mixed with other records)
Page 252, 1880
Confirmations
Includes name and pastors.
Page 72-84, 1858-1881
Page 133-134, 1845-1853
Page 238, 1866 (for 7 people)
Page 244, 1887 (for 8 people)
Page 261, 1855, 1857
Communicants
Communion usually held twice yearly.
Page 87-132, 1845-1867
Page 135-149, 1869-1881
Page 150-151, 1844
Page 152-163, 1882-1885
Marriages
Page 178-197, 1856-1885
Page 245, 1888
Page 259-260, 1846-1850
Deaths
Name and date of death age in years, months and days.
Page 198-231, 1844-1887
Page 242, 1887 death notice
Page 253, 1888 - death of Georg Koehler with narrative concerning his poisining
Page 254-258, Members - list made 1882. Later, notes
Page 262-266, were made as to the disposition of the individual
Other
Page 268-271, n.d.
Pages 39-42 from a printed book giving the rules of organization for churches in the Evangelical ministry of N.Y. state.
Church Record Book No. 2 1849-1921
 Item 2
"The record of the Alsace congregation in the Town of Potter, County of Yates ..." Volume 2 contains minutes of congregational meetings (1849-1921) on the temporal affairs of the church. Minutes regularly include the results of trustee elections and financial reports. Most entries are in German until the 1880's, when they gradually switched to English. Items of note:
Page 3, December 1, 1849
Members agree to build a church. Land offered for church and cemetary.
Page 4, October 21, 1850
Record of the church's incorporation.
Page 6, October 1868
Minutes out of order.
Page 11-21, April 25, 1857
Articles of organization are included, including that only German shall be used in services, who can vote, trustees' responsibilities, officers, procedure to be followed in getting a new pastor, how one becomes a member, etc. Signed by 26 members.
Page 35, March 1869
Mention of support for German immigrants to Buffalo and the Warlburg, Iowa seminary.
Page 52-68, 1885-1888
Pastorate of Heinrich T. Duensing, who makes comments on the state of the church.
Page 77, July 29, 1894
Constitutional changes made.
Page 77, January 2, 1918
Women given the privilege of voting in church meeting
Page 77, 1918
Funds raised for Wagner College.
Page 77, April 6, 1919
Name anglicised.