**This cache has been placed with permission from the church.**
Please be respectful of the property and only search for this cache during daylight hours, as the the Pastor and his family live in the parsonage that you pass on the way in. The cache is not located in the cemetery or near the house.
Welcome to Zion Lutheran Church, Hillsboro Missouri, one of the older churches in Jefferson County and has been serving Sandy Valley and the surrounding communities for over 160 years.
The church was chartered in October 1853, but members trace history back earlier, at least six years before then, when Pastor J. Michel Johannes arrived in the area on horseback and started holding services in the homes of the German settlers in the Sandy Valley. The land where the church is currently located was purchased in 1855. Church members decided to build a parsonage before a church building. The parsonage was designed with a large room that could be used temporarily for services and meetings. The church was dedicated on July 24, 1859, and a steeple was added in 1898. However, it was struck by lightning on June 16, 1912, and while it didn’t burn down, church officials determined the damage would be too expensive to repair. Services were then held in the School building that was built in 1903 that is to your left if you are facing the church. The current parsonage was built in 1961, and the original parsonage is now a private home. The current church that is still used today was built in 1913. Electricity was brought to the church in 1937, and the school continued to operate until the Spring of 1956. In 1993 the Educational wing was added to the church that includes class rooms, offices, and a fellowship hall. 20 years later the Old School Hall is remodeled to include a Youth Group room and Zion History Museum and is rededicated as the Grace Haus. In 2028 the Church will be celebrating 175 years!
(credit to zionhb.org and The Leader Publications)
