During the 1990s I was on the Muskoka Heritage Foundation’s Built Heritage Committee. At the 1998 annual meeting and awards ceremony, Mrs. Elisabeth Steubing queried if her church in Germania could receive an award. Later I visited Mrs. Steubing at her home in Lewisham.

She had all the early records of the Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church, as it was then called, in suitcases. Many of these records were in German and difficult to read. Mrs. Steubing and other older members of the congregation were concerned about what would happen to these valuable records.

I contacted the Lutheran Archives at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo. In October 1999, Mrs. Dora Spiecher, Velda Gilbert and I met with Rev. Erich Schultz at the Archives and gave him the records. Mrs. Spiecher got the original land grant copied and took the original to the Archives and put a copy in the church.

During the summer of 1999, I wrote a history of the church which appeared in the Heritage Foundation’s column in the summer papers. In the article I asked for volunteer translators. Several people came forward but only two persevered. Those interested in the history of Muskoka and those of German and Swiss descent whose ancestors’ births, deaths and marriages are recorded in these books are indebted to these dedicated volunteers.

Book One, which contains Parish Records from 1873-1876 for Monk(sic), Ryde, Draper and Morrison including a register of the Church Council activities in the mission was translated by Anne Schwartz-Bunenemann who had an art studio outside Baysville. Book Three, which contains births, deaths, marriages and minutes of church business from 1887-1907 was translated by Gisela Hotje, Gravenhurst. She used her computer and considered the time consumed to be a “labour of love.”

Book Four contained the 1896 constitution and some financial records. I knew Ingrid Schulz, Fraserburg and she agreed to translate it with help from her neighbour, Helmut Oestreich and her daughter Valerie Gareau, Bracebridge.

I went to the Pines pool and now the sportsplex for therapy. In chatting with the instructor, Silvia Smith, I found that her father, Gunther Habicht, Beamsville, would be able to help. Mr. Habicht has just finished translating the first few pages of the Church Records of births, deaths and marriages from 1915-1999. Most of this book is in English. Mr. Habicht previously translated Book Two, which dates from April 13, 1880 to 1890. It contains aspects of church liturgy as well as births, deaths and marriages.

Copies of these records and the translations are at the Bracebridge and Gravenhurst public libraries. The originals and other articles, letters and the original land grant document are at the Lutheran Archives at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo.

The Nazareth Lutheran Church, as it is now called, is located in the southwest corner of Draper. It is politically part of the Town of Bracebridge but the area has Gravenhurst addresses and phone numbers. It can be reached by going out Doe Lake Road off Highway 11 to Germania Road.

In recent writings about the church, there have been three dates for the year of its construction: 1875, 1876 or 1877. The land was a Crown Grant given on Feb. 1, 1875, registered on Dec. 22, 1875, top the trustees: George Gilbert, Herman Weiszmuller and Nicholas Wettlaufer. The remaining land in lot 11, concession 3 was given by the Crown to George Lamont in 1874. He sells this land to William Gilbert in April 1875. In 1896 William Gilbert sells the land except for the Crown Reserve (the church) and 1/20 of an acre to Henry Gilbert. This 1/20 of an acre is part of the Gilbert Lutheran Cemetery, now maintained by the Town of Bracebridge.

I think the church was built in 1876. The letters and notes made by members of the congregation state that the church was built in that year. On Aug. 22, 1976 they celebrated their 100th anniversary according to an article in “The Lutheran Witness”. Premier Davis and prime minister Trudeau were invited but unable to attend. Alan Sander, mayor of Gravenhurst, and Stan Darling, MP, attended.

When the town celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2000, the Nazareth Lutheran Church also had a celebration and reception. The cake was decorated with the years 1876-2000 on it.

The Nazareth Lutheran Church has services during the summer months.

I would like to thank the paper for printing this letter, giving me the opportunity to recognize the volunteers and to let the descendants of Gilbert, Weismiller, Wettlaufer, Zehnder, Dietz, Goltz, Heidmann, Pilger, Wiser, Toeppner, Mueller, Seehaver, Rebman, Speicher, Walser, Cook (Kosh) among others know that these records are now available to them in English. These are a treasure in the history of Draper Township and the District of Muskoka.

Heather Coupland

Bracebridge