#1 Martin Luther’s House in Verona: A History of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in the Town of Verona, NY

PART ONE

By Jeff Blanchard, Town Historian of Verona, NY Copyright ©2026. All rights reserved by the author.

Lutheran Rose and Cross

Introduction

A motorist traveling northbound on State Route 365 in the Town of Verona, NY, will notice various sights. One sight in particular stands out among the rest. Not too far north of where Oneida Road intersects Route 365 is a massive structure. This structure, situated near the east-facing shoulder of Route 365’s northbound lane, appears to stand more than two stories tall. Ornately colored stained-glass windows adorn the west-facing side of the structure, which is clad in beige siding. The roof slopes downward at an extreme pitch, giving the structure a triangular appearance. Brown-colored shingles cover the roof, complementing the beige siding and brick façade of the south and west-facing walls. A lit sign greets north and southbound motorists with words of encouragement drawn from Christian thought and scripture. An ornate garden made of black mulch features flowers and a white decorative cross. A tower composed of four individual columns, forming a frame that appears to stretch from the ground to the sky, bears a massive bell. Of all the sights on Route 365, this one seems to capture the attention of passersby, drawing out a curious desire to investigate this peculiar structure further. It could be said that this is the purpose of the structure: to draw those from the outside into its vast interior to meet with those who occupy it.

This structure is not an unnamed private dwelling but a named house dedicated to the worship of the divine: Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church. Saint Peter’s, both as a church structure and congregation of Lutheran worshippers, has a long and lively history. Although the history of the church structure, being the most visible aspect of Saint Peter’s, is important, the history of the people who have gathered in it for generations is the main focus of this story. The story of Saint Peter’s congregants is one of a people focused on carrying the message contained within the Christian Bible to the community at large. In carrying out this task, congregants, pastors, and lay people have faced numerous internal and external challenges. The strongest of these challenges were those that revolved around how Saint Peter’s would contend with the ever-changing patterns of culture and society at large. One of the most prominent cultural and societal changes that Saint Peter’s contended with was whether to cease using German in church services and adopt the dominant English spoken by most Americans at the time. A second cultural and societal trend that Saint Peter’s had to come to grips with was whether or not the congregation would permit same-sex marriages to occur within the church when such marriages were made legally permissible by secular government authorities. Additional challenges included how Saint Peter’s would respond to the institutional changes of the Lutheran Church. A global crisis also affected how the congregation of Saint Peter’s would adapt to the dramatically altered conduct of church life it created. These challenges coexisted with Saint Peter’s efforts to engage the local community with the message of the Gospel. These changing patterns caused conflict to erupt at times, while at other times drawing the church body together in embrace or with quiet tension in the background. The worshippers of Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church were able to contend with most challenges and conflicts posed by changing times by engaging in corporate debate, following the example set by pastoral leaders and seeking out the consensus of the Lutheran Church. Such actions led to changes in church practices, a pattern that continues to the present.^[1]

General History

Just as an onion is composed of numerous layers, one formed over another, the history of Saint Peter’s is multilayered, with each historical episode and period built on the one before. Additionally, as an onion itself starts out as a small seed that grows into a sizeable, complex plant, Saint Peter’s developed from a humble beginning into the firmly established local institution it is today. As such, an overarching historical overview of Saint Peter’s needs to be examined in order to understand how each layer of the church body’s history, as well as its growth from a small, humble group into a large, visible institution, reveals how the congregation contended with the changing patterns of the society and culture around them.

In the Beginning. . .1830 to 1845

What was to become Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Verona began in a humble, well-intentioned manner. In 1830, Alsatians, from the historical Alsace region of France,^[2] settled in the Town of Verona, NY, bringing with them a zeal to see the Gospel of the Christian faith preached in their new homeland.^[3] During the summer of 1830, Pastor P.W. Domeier from Canajoharie, NY, started a small Lutheran congregation in Verona, preaching to its members in private homes and schoolhouses.^[4] It could be presumed that the members of the initial congregation were Alsatian settlers. Pastor Domeier may have used the nearby Erie Canal to travel to the various places his congregation met, with his work effectively ceasing in winter due to travel difficulties posed by winter conditions and the seasonal inability to travel by boat on the canal's frozen waters.^[5] Pastor Domeier carried on his itinerant preaching until 1831, at which time the congregation entered a new chapter.^[6]

In 1831, Pastor Andreas Wetzel, from Wurttemberg, Germany, had been traveling to Ohio on a mission tour when he first arrived in Verona.^[7] It was during Pastor Wetzel’s stay in Verona that he first encountered Pastor Domeier's congregation, seeing much potential in the parish as a vehicle for his personal ministerial endeavors.^[8] For that reason, Pastor Wetzel elected to discontinue his journey to Ohio and to stay in Verona, eventually purchasing a home in the area where the first church structure would be built.^[9] With the mantle of leadership transferred to Pastor Wetzel, the once loosely organized Lutheran congregation took on form and established a new identity in 1831 as the Evangelical-Lutheran and German Reformed Saint Peter’s Congregation of Verona, Oneida County, NY.^[10] Saint Peter’s establishment in 1831 marks it as the oldest Lutheran Church in Oneida County, NY.^[11]

After the provisional organization of Saint Peter’s, Pastor Wetzel established mission stations, which were places of missionary residence from which missionary activities were to be carried out.^[12] The first of these mission stations was established in West Leyden and Coonrod Settlement in 1831, followed by Greens Corners (in 1834), Rome (in 1834), and finally in Utica (in 1835).^[13] Pastor Wetzel engaged in his ministry work at the mission stations in alternating turns, with his preaching taking place in private homes, barns, and even outdoor venues.^[14] In comparison to Pastor Domeier’s travels on the Erie Canal, Pastor Wetzel journeyed to each of the mission stations on foot on a thirty-five-mile circuit through the wilderness.^[15] Pastor Wetzel’s complex treks through the wilderness would eventually be supplanted as Saint Peter’s presence in Verona grew firmer.

Saint Peter’s entered a new phase in 1836 when a man named Peter Hauck cleared and donated land to the congregation for the construction of a dedicated church.^[16] The structure was built off of Verona Mills Road^[17] in the four corners area of Verona known as Churchville, a location that was well-suited to enabling congregants to travel more easily to the church for services in an era when transportation across any distance was more challenging.^[18] By 1840, construction of the church was complete, with a ceremony dedicating the new permanent home of Saint Peter’s on June 15 of that year.^[19] In 1841, a year after the new church structure was dedicated, Saint Peter’s reached a new milestone: the congregation was formally organized and incorporated, ten years after its original founding.^[20] Pastor Wetzel continued to serve as the minister of Saint Peter’s in the years after its incorporation while also serving a congregation in Utica.^[21] The pastorate of Andreas Wetzel at Saint Peter’s came to an end in 1845, when he accepted a call to serve as the primary minister of the Lutheran congregation in Utica.^[22] As the numerous years of Pastor Wetzel’s familiar leadership came to an end, the church embarked on yet another new chapter in its history.

Revolving Leadership and Growing Pains. . .1846 to 1899

The departure of Pastor Wetzel ushered in a new era for Saint Peter’s, one that was characterized by a dizzying number of pastorates. In 1846, a year after Pastor Wetzel left, Pastor Johann Bernhard Porner received a call to become Saint Peter’s pastor, as he was the only reformed minister in Verona at the time.^[23] Pastor Bernhard Porner’s service lasted only one year, ending in 1847.^[24] The church then experienced a brief period of revolving pastorates, with two pastors arriving and departing between 1848 and 1851, with this period reaching a hiatus in 1852 as a semblance of pastoral permanency arrived.^[25]

Philipp Krug, president of Saint Peter’s congregation at that time, received the unanimous call to become the next pastor in 1852.^[26] Pastor Krug had a positive influence on the church, introducing Christian education opportunities to the congregation during his eleven-year pastorate.^[27] Among the educational opportunities introduced by Pastor Krug were the organization of a Sunday School program, which lasted for many years, and the establishment of a Lutheran parochial school that operated until 1878.^[28] Although evidence of the parochial school’s establishment is lacking, a 1852 map revealed the existence of a schoolhouse distinct from other district schoolhouses near Saint Peter’s church, suggesting it may have been the parochial school established by Pastor Krug.^[29] Saint Peter’s also acquired a parsonage near the church in 1852, with an addition built later for choir practice and confirmation instruction.^[30] It is notable that the recorded achievements of other Saint Peter’s ministers in later years were those that improved the physical church building, whereas Pastor Krug’s achievements were those that improved the impartation of Christian beliefs and doctrine to multiple generations of congregants. After the departure of Pastor Krug in 1863, the church was in its “most flourishing condition.”^[31] Many years after his pastorate, Philipp Krug was remembered as “the faithful old pastor [that] still lives in the hearts of the people.”^[32] Despite the condition Pastor Krug left Saint Peter’s in, the remainder of the Nineteenth Century witnessed turnover and turmoil in the church.

From 1864 to 1899, Saint Peter’s once again experienced a steady stream of pastors coming and going. In a span of twenty-one years alone, from 1864 to 1885, nine pastors served at Saint Peter’s.^[33] Reasons for such a high turnover rate were not readily revealed in the historical records and sources of Saint Peter’s. The high turnover of pastors in the last half of the Nineteenth Century was not as controversial, though, as the conflict of 1870.

Saint Peter’s experienced a divisive congregational split in 1870 over differences regarding the conduct of church services in German.^[34] A group of congregants felt so strongly about this debate that they left Saint Peter’s and started a church of their own, known as Zion Lutheran Church, erecting their own church structure across the road from Saint Peter’s.^[35] According to Saint Peter’s records, Zion Lutheran Church did not flourish, with its members later choosing to reconcile and reintegrate with Saint Peter’s congregation.^[36] As the church split ended, along with the Nineteenth Century, Saint Peter’s entered the Twentieth Century as a unified body, able to bring about significant improvements to its church structure.

An Era of Improvement and Milestone. . .1907 to 1941

The first half of the Twentieth Century primarily involved physical improvements to Saint Peter’s church structure. Many of these physical improvements stand as recorded achievements during the pastorates of particular Reverends. Additionally, some improvements reflect Saint Peter’s transition into the modern era, including new technologies. Examples of major physical improvements include the construction of a Sunday School room in 1907 (during Reverend Conrad Wilker’s pastorate), the construction of a parsonage (during Reverend J.C. Reichert’s pastorate), the installation of electric lights and running water in 1922 (during Reverend H. J. Stellejes pastorate), the installation of a new pipe organ in 1931 (during Reverend Erwin L. Tucker’s pastorate) and the installation of an updated heating plant and complete kitchen in 1936.^[37] By 1938, the church's property value had doubled, from approximately $10,000.00 to $20,000.00.^[38] The physical improvements did not, however, overshadow the commencement of an important milestone anniversary for Saint Peter’s.

On September 14, 1941, Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church celebrated the 110^th Anniversary of its founding as a congregation.^[39] The congregation marked the occasion with a special pamphlet that highlighted the church's history up to 1941 and memorialized various pastors who had served the congregation. The most enduring memorialization of the church’s milestone anniversary was the donation of the first and only church bell that Saint Peter’s ever had.^[40] By the time of its 110^th Anniversary, Saint Peter’s had changed dramatically from a loosely organized congregation that met in various locations to a firmly organized, visible, and enduring institution that had withstood various internal and external trials. The post-World War II era the church entered was just as ever-changing as the previous era.

Going back to the Past and Institutional Changes. . .1952 to 1982

Saint Peter’s entered the Cold War era as a large, flourishing church, boasting a membership of four hundred people by 1952, making it the largest Lutheran congregation in the Central Conference of the United Lutheran Synod of New York.^[41] As in the first half of the Twentieth Century, Saint Peter’s parishioners embarked on physical changes to the church structure, including a new vestibule (in 1958), the addition of parking facilities (in 1961), and improvements to the parsonage (between 1970 and 1972).^[42] This era was also characterized by pursuits that harkened back to some of Saint Peter’s nineteenth-century endeavors. In a repeat of Pastor Wetzel’s mission station planting, Saint Peter’s, through the efforts of Pastor George Kenyon, established a mission congregation at the Lake Delta Fire House in 1959.^[43] The mission congregation at Lake Delta eventually incorporated as the Ascension Lutheran Church and called its own pastor.^[44] In another move, comparable to Pastor Krug’s establishment of a parochial school, Saint Peter’s started a community nursery school in 1982.^[45] The most significant changes of the last half of the Twentieth Century pertained to Saint Peter’s membership in Lutheran Church denominational organizations. Saint Peter’s had originally been a member of the United Lutheran Church in America, but this organization, along with other Lutheran Church organizations, consolidated to form the Lutheran Church in America in 1962, and Saint Peter’s subsequently transferred its affiliation to the Lutheran Church in America that same year.^[46] Further changes in Lutheran Church organizational affiliation occurred in 1966, when the New York Synod split into two synods, the Metropolitan Synod and the Upper New York Synod, with Saint Peter’s becoming a member congregation of the Upper New York Synod.^[47] Saint Peter’s willingness in the 1960s to conform with changes in Lutheran Church denominational organizations would influence how the congregation and its leadership would contend with changing cultural and societal patterns in the Twenty-first Century. As the Cold War era came to a close, Saint Peter’s faced new challenges that would test the congregation's ability to maintain cohesion.

Building a new Home. . .1988 to 1996

In 1988, towards the end of the Cold War, the condition of Saint Peter’s physical church structure was in crisis. The foundation of the building was crumbling, utilities were outdated, and handicapped-accessible features mandated by law were nonexistent.^[48] A study comparing the cost of renovating the building versus building a new structure was conducted, revealing that constructing a new building at $350,000.00 would be far more economical than renovating at $500,000.00.^[49] Additionally, weekly attendance was at a low of forty-five to fifty people a week,^[50] possibly due to a lack of the church’s prominence in Verona because the church structure was in an out-of-the-way location, which raised concerns as to whether or not Saint Peter’s would exist as a church body after ten years' time.^[51] After being presented with the figures from the cost study, the congregation elected to build a new house of worship, embarking on a three-year process to relocate the church.^[52] The faith of Saint Peters’ congregants played an important role in their decision to construct a new building as Deacon Dick Warner commented that “God led our decision. . .We insisted that the entire project would start with prayer. We figured if God’s not for it, then it won’t happen.”^[53] A building committee was assembled to organize fundraising for the project and to determine the design and location of the new church structure.^[54] After a year of searching, which included rejecting several locations considered just as “landlocked” as the previous church site, a site was chosen on Old Oneida Road.^[55] The site was selected for its prominence and visibility from nearby State Route 365, a factor that building committee members believed would attract passers-by and local residents, thereby increasing both congregation membership and weekly attendance.^[56] Saint Peter’s members also believed that the new church structure, with increased building space and in an ideal location, would facilitate community outreach.^[57]

The congregation’s feelings over the decision to relocate were mixed at best. Some members understood the reason for the decision but were conflicted by it, as congregant Marion Tallman expressed^, “We’re doing this for reasons not out of heart but of mind, and it's hard.”^[58] Other members, such as Kathy Haldenwang, accepted the decision as she reported that “it is just a building. We will be taking all of our memories and our whole church family with us, and that’s what’s important.”^[59] Still other members were staunch in their opposition to the decision as member Beverly Gerwig railed that “This church has been in existence since 1831. . .People move out, and people move in. You can’t depend on people coming from the base or the casino. They’re not the ones who are going to be here forever.”^[60] Despite mixed feelings among some congregants, the groundbreaking at the Old Oneida Road site commenced on July 19, 1995, with Reverend Jack Wilder leading the ceremony by turning over the first spade of dirt.^[61]

The new church structure was completed in 1996 after 10 months of construction, facing issues along the way, such as the stained-glass windows, which were not in sufficient condition to be installed^, and the church bell, which was too heavy to be hung in the building’s tower.^[62] The church bell was eventually installed in a dedicated outdoor bell tower in 2012.^[63] The transfer from the original Verona Mills Road church to the Old Oneida Road church was conducted cautiously, as church leaders were concerned that congregants would either withdraw their membership or be offended because of the changes brought on by the transfer.^[64] With those concerns in mind, Saint Peter’s leaders ensured that all items from the old church, such as pews, the altar, the pulpit, and the lectern, were restored in the new building to foster a sense of continuity among congregants.^[65] Once the transfer was completed, a dedication ceremony at the new church structure was held on May 5, 1996, to recognize the significance of the event.^[66]As members of Saint Peter’s gathered in their new house of worship, the church body embarked on a new chapter characterized by a flourishing congregation and increased involvement in the Verona community.

A Season of Plenty and Change. . .1997 to 2003   

The remainder of the 1990s and the first years of the Twenty-first Century represented a new chapter for Saint Peter’s congregation. The reason for this was not only the transfer to the new church structure but also due to a change in pastoral leadership that oriented the church body towards further community outreach.

Starting in 1996, Saint Peter’s awaited the call of a new permanent pastor while being served by an interim pastor.^[67] The call for a new pastor was answered in 1997 by Reverend Bradley “Pastor Brad” Hales.^[68] Pastor Hales, originally from Delta, OH, had felt a strong conviction in his youth to pursue ministerial work, expressing in an interview for a newspaper article that “God had called upon him to teach the words of the Gospel.”^[69] After receiving his higher education in comprehensive social studies and divinity, Pastor Hales was ordained at Providence Lutheran Church in Holland, OH, and then served as pastor at Saint John’s Lutheran Church in Phoenix, MD.^[70] Similar to the conviction he felt in his youth, Pastor Hales felt called to relocate to a rural area near his wife’s family, with the call of Saint Peter’s fulfilling both desires.^[71] Pastor Hales expressed excitement about taking on the pastorate of Saint Peter’s because of the programs and study groups that were developing at the time.^[72] In addition to expressing confidence that the new church building would facilitate community outreach, Pastor Hales’ goals for his pastorate at Saint Peter’s were to deliver services that would “be exciting, simple, and sermons.”^[73] Pastor Hales further reported that he was “ready to preach the goodness of Jesus Christ!”^[74] With Pastor Hales’ zeal for evangelistic community outreach, Saint Peter’s and its pastor would seek to make their presence more widely known in Verona.

Several years after Pastor Hales assumed leadership of Saint Peter’s, his evangelistic outreach was put on display. On May 4, 2000, Pastor Hales led a ceremony outside the Verona Town Offices in recognition of the National Day of Prayer, inviting community members present to join together in prayer for the state, county, local governments, and schools.^[75] Furthermore, Pastor Hales recited scripture from the Bible and held a moment of silence before asking community members to offer their own prayers.^[76] Pastor Hales offered prayers for elected officials at the state, county, and local levels, as well as saying a prayer that threats of violence would be taken away from schools in order for children to have safe places of learning.^[77] The essence and meaning of the ceremony were summed up by Pastor Hales himself, who remarked to those gathered that prayer “brings us into an intimate relationship with God and being in the presence of the Lord, we know the Lord hears our prayers-we are not alone, he is always with us.”^[78] In the years to come, Saint Peter’s congregants and subsequent pastors would follow the example of Pastor Hales by engaging the community with an evangelistic emphasis, albeit in ways different than that of Pastor Hales. Overall, Saint Peter’s experienced positive changes in the 2000s under Pastor Hales’ leadership, erasing the concerns raised during the 1990s.

By 2003, the congregation of Saint Peter’s was thriving in a manner that it had not experienced in the previous decade. The weekly attendance at services had increased, going from between forty-five and fifty, which was experienced before the new church structure’s construction, to approximately two hundred and thirty after the transition to the new church structure.^[79] Additionally, the church officially paid off its $225,000 twenty-year mortgage in seven years’ time.^[80] The leadership of Saint Peter’s acknowledged that the feat of paying off the mortgage in seven years would not have been possible “without a caring congregation.”^[81] As the 2000s ended, Saint Peter’s congregation and leaders would face new challenges and contend with the changing patterns of society and culture as the 2010s began.

Facing Challenges in a Changing World. . .2012 to 2019

Saint Peter’s experienced a brief period of revolving pastors after Pastor Hales departed in 2005, with three pastors serving from 2005 to 2011.^[82] A semblance of permanency in pastoral leadership was established in 2011 with the arrival of Pastor Katie Yahns, reminiscent of Pastor Krug's arrival in 1852 after the period of revolving pastorates in the late 1840s to early 1850s.^[83] The 2010s came to be characterized by challenge, innovation, and initiative as the congregation and leadership of Saint Peter’s embarked on a new chapter.

Many innovations and initiatives in the 2010s enhanced how the different hierarchies of Saint Peter’s communicated and resolved differences among themselves. In 2012, the mutual ministry team was established to deal with concerns that arose among the congregation, pastor, and staff.^[84]The mutual ministry team would facilitate confidential discussions on how to address concerns raised.^[85] Furthermore, in 2012, Saint Peter’s announced its commitment to becoming a safe haven for members of the congregation and newcomers, particularly those in the categories of young, vulnerable, and elderly, to keep them safe from all harm and abuse.^[86]The “Keep in Touch with Seniors” program, created in 2014, provided monthly over-the-phone welfare checks of senior citizen congregants unable to attend services in person, ensuring that seniors knew that the main church body still cared about them.^[87]

>> Continue to Part 2

Sources

^[1] The vast majority of primary and secondary sources related to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church are original works produced by members of the church, including Annual Reports, pamphlets related to anniversary events, etc. Other primary sources include the Rome Daily Sentinel and the Oneida Daily Dispatch. With the exception of Annual Reports from 2020, 2021, and 2022 (which were provided by Pastor Katie Yahns of St. Peter’s), all sources written by members of St. Peter’s and newspapers utilized by the author are held as records within the files of the Town Historian for the Town of Verona, NY. These sources can be accessed by visiting or sending a written correspondence to the Verona Town Historian at 6600 German Road, Durhamville, NY 13054. Electronic correspondence via email with the Verona Town Historian can be sent to historian@veronany.gov.

^[2] Britannica Editors, “Alsace, historical region and former region, France,” Britannica, November 6, 2025, accessed December 18, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Alsace.  

^[3] W.G. Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection, The Past, The History of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,” The Twelfth Annual Old Home Sunday and the 110^th Anniversary of the Congregation 1831-1841 St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Churchville, New York (Verona, NY: Saint Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1941), 1.

^[4] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 1.

^[5] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 1.

^[6] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 1.

^[7] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 1.

^[8] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 1.

^[9] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 1-2.

^[10] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[11] St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, “Church History,” St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Pictorial Church Directory (Verona, NY: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Date Unknown), 2.

^[12] “Mission Station,” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, no date, accessed December 18, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mission%20station.

^[13] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[14] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[15] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[16] Sheila Hoffman, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Verona, NY: Sheila Hoffman, Date Unknown), 3.

^[17] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 1.

^[18] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 3.

^[19] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[20] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[21] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[22] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[23] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[24] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 9.

^[25] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[26] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[27] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[28] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[29] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 4.

^[30] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[31] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[32] Dressler, “By Way of Retrospection,” 2.

^[33] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 9.

^[34] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 4.

^[35] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 4.

^[36] St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, “By Way of Retrospection, The Past, The History of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,” The Twelfth Annual Old Home Sunday and the 110^th Anniversary of the Congregation 1831-1841 St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Churchville, New York (Verona, NY: Saint Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1941), 3.

^[37] St. Peter’s, “By Way of Retrospection,” 3.

^[38] St. Peter’s, “By Way of Retrospection,” 3.

^[39] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 5.

^[40] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 5.

^[41] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 6.

^[42] St. Peter’s, “Church History,” 3.

^[43] St. Peter’s, “Church History,” 3.

^[44] St. Peter’s, “Church History,” 3.

^[45] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 7.

^[46] St. Peter’s, “Church History,” 3.

^[47] St. Peter’s, “Church History,” 3.

^[48] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 7.

^[49] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 8.

^[50] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 8.

^[51] Nicole A. Hawley, “Caring congregation thrives in Verona: St. Peter’s will burn mortgage Sunday,” Rome Daily Sentinel, June 20, 2003, Page Unknown.

^[52] Tracy Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares to build new church,” Oneida Daily Dispatch, June 16, 1995, Religion News, 5.

^[53] Hawley, “Caring congregation,” Page Unknown.

^[54] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[55] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[56] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[57] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[58] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[59] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[60] Vogel, “St. Peter’s prepares,” 5.

^[61] Author Unknown, “Church breaks ground on new site,” Oneida Daily Dispatch, July 21, 1995, Page Unknown.

^[62] Author Unknown, “St. Peter’s to dedicate its new church Sunday,” Oneida Daily Dispatch, May 3, 1996, Religion News, Page Unknown.

^[63] Pastor Katie Yahns, “Pastor’s Report to the Annual Meeting Reflecting on 2012 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Verona, NY,” St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 2012 Annual Report (Verona, NY: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 2012), 6.

^[64] Hawley, “Caring congregation,” Page Unknown.

^[65] Hawley, “Caring congregation,” Page Unknown.

^[66] Author Unknown, “St. Peter’s to dedicate,” Page Unknown.

^[67] Author Unknown, “St. Peter’s to dedicate,” Page Unknown.

^[68] D.M. Batchelor, “Pastor Brad feels at home in rural Verona,” Oneida Daily Dispatch, August 29, 1997, Page Unknown.

^[69] Batchelor, “Pastor Brad,” Page Unknown.

^[70] Batchelor, “Pastor Brad,” Page Unknown.

^[71] Batchelor, “Pastor Brad,” Page Unknown.

^[72] Batchelor, “Pastor Brad,” Page Unknown.

^[73] Batchelor, “Pastor Brad,” Page Unknown.

^[74] Batchelor, “Pastor Brad,” Page Unknown.

^[75] Kristen Buske, “Verona community comes together in prayer,” Oneida Daily Dispatch, May 5, 2000, Religion News, Page Unknown.

^[76] Buske, “Verona community,” Page Unknown.

^[77] Buske, “Verona community,” Page Unknown.

^[78] Buske, “Verona community,” Page Unknown.

^[79] Hawley, “Caring congregation,” Page Unknown.

^[80] Hawley, “Caring congregation,” Page Unknown.

^[81] Hawley, “Caring congregation,” Page Unknown.

^[82] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 9.

^[83] Hoffman, St. Peter’s, 9.

^[84] St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, “Mutual Ministry Team,” St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 2012 Annual Report (Verona, NY: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 2012), 12.

^[85] St. Peter’s, “Mutual Ministry Team,” 12.

^[86] St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, “The 'why' of Safe Haven,” St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 2012 Annual Report (Verona, NY: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 2012), 14.

^[87] St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, “Mutual Ministry Team,” St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 2014 Annual Report (Verona, NY: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 2014), 15.