Rückenau M.B. Church
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Great-great-grandfather Gerhard Epp was the mayor (Schulze) of the village of Rückenau in the 1870s.  According to P.M. Friesen, he was greatly distressed over growing drunkenness centered around the village tavern.  The Mennonite Brethren Church had recently formed and was looking for a place to form a congregation, and Gerhard was delighted when they purchased the tavern.  Shortly thereafter, he converted to the M. B. Church.

In the early 1880s, Gerhard was given the responsibility of organizing the construction of a church building, and in 1883 it was constructed.  Old photos show a beautiful building with a hipped roof and masonry fence.  The church has been converted to a sunflower oil press.
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The Rückenau M. B. Church today.  The roof has been substantially changed.
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The windows still bear evidence of the care that had been given to the design and construction of the first M. B. church building.