Riesel, Falls County
The first Lutheran worship service in this area of Falls County was conducted in 1882 by a traveling missionary, The Rev. John J. Trinklein. Speaking to a largely German congregation, he encouraged the organization of a Lutheran church. By June 1883 Trinity Lutheran Church was established, and the members had purchased four acres of land and had erected a chapel. Within ten years, growth in membership at the church near Riesel necessitated the construction of a new sanctuary. The building was completed in 1891, only to be destroyed by a tornado the following year. A new church building was dedicated in June 1893. The fellowship now worships in a sanctuary completed in 1937 during the pastorate of the Rev. E. A. Heckmann. Trinity Lutheran Church has been served by numerous pastors, including the Rev. F. Wunderlich, who founded a Christian day school that was operated by the church for more than 80 years. The Rev. H. Studtman served this fellowship form 1904 until 1926, when he was appointed first president of Concordia Lutheran College in Austin. The Rev. Louis Boriack translated the church's constitution from the original German and rewrote it in English during his 1951-56 pastorate. Elements of the church's German heritage are still visible today.