By Tammy Kilby

For the Times

WIOTA/GRATIOT — The West Wiota Lutheran Church once stood atop the hillside, located at 7053 West Church Rd., Gratiot. All that remains of the church is the charred bell, now on display at the entrance of the cemetery where the church once stood.

The West Wiota Lutheran Church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground on Dec. 15, 1987. During the early morning hours, a blizzard, which featured thunder and lightening, raged through Lafayette County. Severe weather conditions hampered all efforts to save the West Wiota Lutheran Church. 

The original church was completed and dedicated in 1889. It was later updated in the late 1950s. The West Wiota Lutheran Church contained cathedral ceilings, stained glass windows, a cry room, cloak room and a full basement. The original structure was the result of the work and vision of the West Wiota Ladies Aid. 

On July 1, 1889, the church bell, weighing 807 pounds, was ordered from the McShane Company, and created in the McShane Bell Foundary in Baltimore. The scars of ash are still embedded on the church bell that once hung within the West Wiota Lutheran Church.