In 1887, a call was sent to Pastor Fred Hefner by our congregation. Having completed his theological education in Germany, this young man decided to come to America. Answering the call from Immanuel’s congregation, Pastor Hefner was still unfamiliar with the English language. This caused him many diffi cult and embarrassing moments. Rev. Hefner, like the former pastors, lived in Coleridge and walked to Lawn Ridge to conduct worship services in the schoolhouse. Members of Immanuel were beginning to have hopes and dreams of having their own church for worship and their own parsonage close to the church.
In 1888 Rev. Hefner and Miss Babette Loebel were married. The couple was blessed with nine children, four sons and fi ve daughters.
The hopes and dreams of Immanuel came true in 1891. The congregation contracted with John Heck, a pioneer carpenter, to build a church of simple, but substantial architecture on a ten-acre tract three miles northeast of Coleridge. A parsonage was also built. Then Pastor Hefner could live by his church and the congregation could worship in its own dedicated building, of which they were very proud.
The congregation grew both outwardly and inwardly until it became one of the largest churches in the district. Pastor Hefner was tireless in his efforts to bring the Word of God and His Sacraments to the scattered
Lutherans in this territory. He organized congregations in Laurel, Dixon, Hartington and Randolph, besides several preaching places. On August 28, 1912, Immanuel celebrated the Silver Jubilee of Rev. Hefner’s continuous pastorate of this congregation.
After a successful pastorate of almost thirty years, Pastor Hefner was very suddenly called to his rest on May 10, 1916.