The Rev. S. Suess of Melvin had been a former missionary in India. His first official act in Buckley was performed on April 14, 1873. The congregation extended a call to him; he came to the community with his familly in the autumn of the same year. Under his leadership a constitution conformable to Lutheran principles was adopted in a meeting held on January 5, 1874.

The Rev. Suess accepted a call to New Schulenberg, Texas, in the autumn of 1876. During the vacancy the Rev. G. Schuessler of Bonfield and the Rev. G. A. Mueller of Kankakee helped and guided the congregation. (It is thought by some that "missing" records of St. John's might be found at these congregations as it was the practice of a visiting minister to carry the record of acts he performed, such as marriages, baptisms, funerals, in a log book which was his own property.)

The congregation directed a call to the Concordia Theological Seminary at Springfield, Illinois. Candidate George Blanken was assigned the call. He was ordained and installed by the Rev. F. Lindemann on April 3, 1877. During his ministry of thirty years in Buckley the welfare of the congregation was furthered in every respect.

During his pastorate the congregation continued to grow to such an extent that the first church could no longer accomodate the members. A larger building was purchased; it was the "Town Hall" located on the corner of Oak and South First Streets; this building no longer stands. The hall was rebuilt for worship purposes and a church tower was added. A heavy bell, weighing 1,700 pounds, now in the present church tower, was also installed. The cost of the building was $1,800. It was dedicated in December, 1885.

After more than thirty years of consecrated service in the Kingdom, the Lord called Pastor Blanken to eternal rest in June, 1907. The comment of Mr. Gross concerning the sainted Pastor Blanken is apropos: "His self-denial, his sympathetic interest in the well-being of fellow-man, the steadfast fidelity to his trust, the complete and undivided devotion of all his faculties to his work, stand out boldly as endearing features of his life's work at this place."

At the close of the year of 1906 the congregation numbered 640 souls, 401 communicants, and 97 voting members. There were 117 children attending the Christian Day School. A pastorate full of blessings had come to a close.

The Rev. George Blanken was born December 7, 1850, in Hannover, Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Illinois, in 1877. He married Lydia Rabe February 27, 1878. He died in June, 1907.

He, his wife and two daughters are buried in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Buckley, Illinois, the daughters being buried in the very first defined plot, at what is now considered to be the "back" of the cemetery, The Plot is Section A, Row 24A, Plot 1A. The pastor and his wife are in Section A, Row 23A, Plot 18, which is directly in front of the daughters. This narrow point of the section includes one other grave, that for Delbert Hinrichs who died in 1970. Most likely the family asked the trustees to locate a single vacant plot for the burial and one was discovered back in this point.

The congregation extended its call to the Rev. Christian Braeunig, then stationed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Chenoa, Illinois. He was installed on September 22, 1907, by the Rev. R. Seils of Woodworth. Under his wise direction and prayerful persistence the congregation was prevented from distressing schisms and an era of great blessing followed.

The outstanding event in the history of the congregation during the pastorate of Rev. Chr. Braeunig was the erection of the present beautiful church.

The active ministry of Pastor Braeunig was brought to a sudden halt when he suffered a light stroke on February 28, 1942. He was able to resume his work for a time; but it became evident to him that he could not continue to bear the burdens of the ministry any longer. He continued to serve the congregation until a successor was called.

He brought to a close a most successful ministry. He had been permitted to serve the Lord in His vineyard for forty years, thirty-five of which were spent in Buckley. In the year when he retired the congregation numberd 1,025 souls, 744 communicants and 208 voting members. These statistics are indicative of the manifest blessings of the Lord upon his ministry in Buckley.

Pastor Braeunig was mission minded. It was largely through his efforts and work that a mission congregation was organized in the neighboring village of Cissna Park in 1928. He also served the Church at large, holding offices in the Central Illinois District of the Missouri Synod. He made full proof of his ministry.

The Rev. Mr. Christian Braeunig was born February 24, 1873, in Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Illinois, in June, 1902. He was ordained and installed at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Chenoa, Illinois, August 4, 1902 and installed at Buckley on September 22, 1907. He retired from the active ministry on July 26, 1942. He died in 1948.

He married Lydia Linse on February 19, 1903. Mrs. Braeunig was born in 1881 and died in 1958. (In 1956 she still was hale enough to attend my confirmation dinner.)

Pastor and Mrs. Braeunig are buried in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Section A, Row 8, Plot 76. Buried with them is Martin Braeunig, 1906-1921.

The Rev. E. M. Goltermann, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cissna Park, Illinois, was called to succeed Pastor Braeunig. He was installed by Pastor Braeunig on August 2, 1942. The Rev. J. G. Kaiser, the Visitor of the Champaign-Danville Circuit, delivered the sermon. A reception was held in the basement of the church.

Rev. Goltermann was still the pastor of the congregation in 1945 when this material was produced for the 75th anniversary of the congregation.

The Rev. E. M. Goltermann was born February 5, 1911, at Forest Park, Illinois. He attended Concordia College (this would have been Concordia Junior College), Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Concordia College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, in June, 1937. He supplied at Our Receemer Lutheran Church, Quincy, Illinois, 1937-1939 and was ordained and installed at Trinity Lutheran Church, Cissna Park, Illinois on March 12, 1939. He was installed at Buckley on August 2, 1942.

He was married to Paula Schmidt on April 22, 1939.