Steeple knocked off by May storm returned to top of Altenburg church

The restored steeple is hoisted onto Trinity Lutheran Church Wednesday in Altenburg, Mo. (Fred Lynch) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- The newly repaired steeple that was placed atop the historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg on Wednesday afternoon has most of its original features but with one major difference.

A steel beam has replaced the centerpiece made of the timber used in the construction of the church in 1867. The wood centerpiece cracked when the steeple was ripped from the roof of the building during a violent thunderstorm in May.

Repair work to the steeple began in July, and cost between $160,000 and $170,000, Trinity Lutheran pastor Steven Dressler said. Denali Construction of Cape Girardeau handled the work.

As many of the original materials as possible were kept intact in repairing the steeple, but contractors used the steel beam because it is lighter and will be more resistant to damage, Dressler said.

The first Sunday service after the storm felled the structure in May, Trinity Lutheran held its worship service outside, near the damaged steeple lying on the grass. Now, Dressler said, he looks forward to this Sunday's worship services under the newly repaired steeple.

A crew with Denali Construction installs the cross on the restored steeple at Trinity Lutheran Church Wednesday in Altenburg, Mo. (Fred Lynch) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

"I think it should be a real joyful occasion," he said.

Nine-year-old Meta Schlimbert still remembers what it was like waiting in the basement of the local museum across the lane during the storm and hearing the racket outside as the steeple crashed to the ground.

"We heard a bunch of cracks and noises. When we came out we saw it on the ground," she said.

Anna Roth, a seventh-grader at Concordia Trinity Lutheran, said, "It kind of seemed freaky to have it off because it just seemed like a regular building."

Concordia Trinity Lutheran teacher Nelda Koebel said her students have had the opportunity to watch the steeple being returned to its place on top of the church.

In rural eastern Perry County, many of the children have parents who work construction jobs, farm or build things with their hands, so the process wasn't hard for them to relate to, especially since many of them saw damage to their own properties during the thunderstorms, Koebel said.

More than 60 students of the small private school gathered on the lawn across the street from the church to watch as workers hoisted the steeple in two pieces onto the roof of the historic building.

"Those children were all here the day the storm happened. It's kind of like a full circle to watch it go back up and know that God is good and everything is all right," Koebel said.

A handful of residents in the tiny German town of just over 300 turned out Wednesday to watch the Denali crew replace the steeple.

"The church is more or less a landmark of the town," said Gerard Fiehler, who closed his Altenburg garage for the morning while he waited for the steeple to be lifted onto the church roof.

Trinity Lutheran congregation was established in Altenburg in 1839 as one of seven communities settled by the Saxony Germans, Dressler said. The church was constructed 28 years later, from limestone granite hauled from nearby. The walls are about 36 inches thick, Dressler said.

"It's probably one of the most recognizable churches around," Fiehler said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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