St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church
Cuero, DeWitt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of first Texas congregations, organized 1851 by pastor Christoph Adam Sager, a German missionary. First had built a log church, 1849-50. Laid cornerstone of this native stone Gothic structure, 1866. Dedicated this church, May 1867. Rededicated in 1896. Last service was held here May 1921. Structure condemned 1951. Later restored, and dedicated as Shrine-Memorial to the Glory of God, Oct. 26, 1958. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1851 by German missionary Christoph Adam Sager, St. John was among the earliest Lutheran congregations in Texas, worshipping first in a log church. In 1866 the members laid the cornerstone of this native-stone Gothic sanctuary, dedicated the following spring. Long after regular services ended, the building was restored and rededicated in 1958 as a shrine-memorial.
Why it matters
The little stone church testifies to the wave of German immigrants who carried their faith and craftsmanship into nineteenth-century Texas, planting communities that endure today.
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Related people
- · Christoph Adam Sager
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
Meyersville, TX
Pastor Christoph Adam Sager established this Lutheran church and cemetery in 1851, founding the first Lutheran congregation in DeWitt County and one of the oldest in Texas. The burial ground began on a single acre donated by Christoph and Johanna Thieme and grew with land added in 1880; its earliest documented grave, from 1854, belongs to Amalia Eckert. Many unmarked graves lie among the markers that German immigrant families still tend today.
Meyersville
Meyersville, TX
Meyersville grew from an 1843 settlement opened by Peter Bluntzer, who drew fellow immigrants from the French border region of Alsace to the DeWitt County prairie. Named for early arrival Adolph Meyer, whose home hosted the post office from 1851, the community anchored itself with Lutheran and Catholic congregations and, in time, a public school. It became known for its turkey farms and reached its height around 1923.
Peter Bluntzer
Meyersville, TX
Peter Bluntzer, an Alsatian immigrant, reached Texas around 1843 and settled at Coleto—present-day Meyersville—after his wagon overturned and injured his wife en route to Castroville. Devoted to his new home, he made two return trips to Alsace to recruit families to join him, and in 1859 he donated land for Sts. Peter and Paul Church, the first Catholic church in DeWitt County. The marker also recalls how his young daughter, taken by Indians, was found unharmed months later.
Site of the Home of Robert Justus Kleberg
Meyersville, TX
Robert Justus Kleberg, born in Germany in 1803, came to Texas in 1834 and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto in Captain Moseley Baker's company during the Texas Revolution. He went on to serve in the state legislature as a senator and lived in the Meyersville area until his death at Yorktown, Texas, in 1888. A Texas county was later named in his honor.