Thorndale, Milam County
Although members began meeting in January 1902, St. John Lutheran Church formally organized December 26, 1903, under the leadership of the Rev. Carl Roth. The congregation was part of a three-church parish. In 1915, members built a sanctuary in the agricultural community of Detmold (2.5 mi. N), the home of many German immigrants. In 1933, they enlarged the building and, in 1949, built a parsonage. The congregation remained in Detmold until 1963. That year, it constructed a sanctuary and education building at this site. Detmold declined in population and activity, but St. John Lutheran cemetery remains there as a link to the early settlers and the congregation, which still serves its members and community. (2003)