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In March of 1949, Rev. Joseph L. Autenrieth brought a message titled, "Sculpturing in Human Clay" to his small congregation. He asked that twelve people give him $5.00 without asking any questions.The next Sunday in April of 1949, 10,000 strawberry plants |
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were in the church foyer. Rev. Autenrieth secured one and a half acres of land. He also paid the Grimm's $15.00 to disc the land. The next week the church started planting strawberries. The total disbursements for the project came to $133.75. |
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Actual photo of Pastor Autenrieth working in the strawberry field. |
Some things have to be waited upon, and strawberries is one of them. One doesn't get a crop in the first year. A bumper crop was realized in the second and third year. The Church folks both bought and sold strawberries to people in south St. Louis. The profits raised |
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from the sale of these
strawberries were used to purchase the school's first
building on
Blaine Avenue, where we began with eight kindergarten students in
September of 1952.
Photo of church members in the strawberry field. |
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We wear the strawberry on our team uniforms to honor the sacrifice and hard work of that small group of people who made this vision a reality. |
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