History

In October 2024, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church celebrates 110 years of service to the Park Ridge and neighboring communities.

When times are tough the members of St. Luke’s build for the future as they did in 1914, in 1928, 1972, and again in 2010.  German and Swedish families began to follow the railroad out to the suburbs north of the city. Louis F. Mueller and his family along with another family from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago were especially instrumental in establishing a Lutheran church in Park Ridge. They became charter members in 1914.

The sixteen charter members held their first service in the German Congregational Church and the second on November 1, 1914, in Clarks Hall over the storefronts on Prospect Avenue.

The Rev Walter D. Spangler accepted the call to be the first pastor on May 15, 1915.  He led the congregation when it met above the shops in Clarks Hall, and in the bungalow church, and when they broke the ground for the present church building in July of 1928. By 1930 the congregation was worshiping in their sanctuary at the corner of Prospect and Cedar. He served the St. Luke’s congregation until 1969.

Over the years the congregation grew; they made improvements and built additions to the original sanctuary in order to provide for the education of their children and to enhance their ministry in the community.  Come and grow with us!