ALTENBURG, FROHNA OK MERGER

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Residents of two tiny towns in East Perry County voted Tuesday to become one slightly larger community, but that was the easy part.

Now approximately 500 people who live in Altenburg and Frohna must choose a new name.

"It's not going to be easy," said Thomas Meyr, mayor of Altenburg.

Voters approved the merger by margins of 78 to 40 in Altenburg and 81 to 20 in Frohna. More than 30 years ago, a similar initiative was put down because the majority of residents were more concerned about a name change than perceived economic benefits of a larger town.

On Tuesday, Thelma Schmidt was still afraid Altenburg could lose its identity.

"We have a lot of historical things," said Schmidt of Altenburg. "Our Trinity Lutheran Church was the first one in the area."

Altenburg and Frohna were two of five church parishes founded in the area by German settlers in 1839.

After the two towns' fire departments were united last year, aldermen, mayors and a new generation of residents met at Emmanuel Lutheran Church to reconsider consolidation.

"We chose Emmanuel because we have three Lutheran churches, and it is the one in the middle," said Marvin Scholl, mayor of Frohna.

Besides issues such as a larger tax base and more ability to get municipal project grants, the merger committee spent a year talking about new names.

The most popular name was Saxony, said committee member Kay Welker. But it wasn't the only suggestion. Twin City, Saxonville and Perry City were all ideas from the 1972 merger proposal that resurfaced, Scholl said.

A final name decision will come after volunteers take a door-to-door poll, Meyr said. After tabulating the top four choices, these would be narrowed again to two before a non-binding vote on the new name takes place.

"Now we'll give everyone a chance to vote again," Scholl said.

The name game, along with all the other legal decisions about how to run the new town, will be complete by the end of June, Meyr said. However, he said the work could extend into next fall.

How to eliminate positions for half of the eight aldermen serving in the two towns isn't as pressing a question for residents, and neither is the choice of a new mayor.

Meyr and Scholl both say they would step aside gracefully.

"We're certainly not in it for the pay," said Scholl, who makes $800 a year.