Our History
The Westphalia Lions Club was chartered on September 9, 1958 with twenty members. The charter members included: A. G. Fechtel, Inno Hilkemeyer, Vincent Huhn, Joseph Johannesmeyer, James Krone, Agathon Rehagen, Raymond Schmitz, Paul Sestak, Richard Woehr, James Crockett, Gerhard Hilkemeyer Jr., William Holterman, A.J. Johannesmeyer, Leonard Kremer, John Lueckenhoff, Joseph Reichart, Alphonse Schwartze, Anton Wilbers, and Adolph Neuner. Linn Lions Club was the sponsoring club.
For their first major project, these charter members set out to construct a ball field to serve the Westphalia Community. This ball field was constructed just southwest of town, near Highway 63, on land donated by the late Albert Hilkemeyer. The ball field, concession stand, storage shed and covered bleachers were completed in the early 1960’s. A second ball field and concession stand was added in the 1980’s. Scoreboards for these two fields were possible due to donations from FAB and the Angela Berhorst family.
During the late 1960’s the original portion of the Lions Den was constructed. Since then, several additions have been made. A complete kitchen facility and pavilion was added in 1978 and in 1984 an addition was made on the north side of the original structure, doubling the meeting room, reception area. In the 1990’s a separate kitchen facility was constructed for preparing food and outdoor bar-b-que. In 1997 a bar and storage room were added and in 2004 new restroom facilities were added. Most recently, in 2008, the club added a 3000 square ft. addition to the west side of the building. This project was made possible by a generous donation from the late charter member Alphonse J. Schwartze and was constructed on property donated by the late charter member Raymond Schmitz.
In addition to offering the community the use of the ball fields and reception facilities, each year the Westphalia Lions Club sponsors and funds the transportation of students to the Linn Lions Swim Program in Linn. Through this program, hundreds of area children have been transported to a site where they can learn the skills and safety rules of swimming. The club also makes annual donations to the Lion Eye Tissue Research and other Lions International civic projects.
To maintain the facilities and the commitment to various civic responsibilities, the Westphalia Lions Club hosts several annual fundraisers. Among these are the annual Farmers Tractor Pull every August, the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast every February and several baseball and softball tournaments every summer.
Today the club is able to provide the community with a reception facility for any occasion. With almost 7000 sq. ft. of conditioned interior, newly renovated bathroom facilities, newly renovated kitchen facilities, a covered pavilion, playground and separate bathroom and kitchen facilities, the Westphalia Lions Hall is the perfect site for wedding receptions, class reunions, anniversaries, family reunions and other types of social gatherings. The hall also serves as a meeting facility for not only the Lions Club but for the Westphalia Seniors Club and the Westphalia 4-H Club. Each summer the two ball field facilities serve the needs of dozens of youth and adult teams. These fields also serve as the home fields for the Fatima Comets baseball team and the Fatima Lady Comets softball team.
Over the course of the past 50 years, the Westphalia Lions Club has made many additions and improvements to the facilities that they offer to the community. None of this would have been possible without the support of the community and the commitment of the Westphalia Lions Club members. The generosity and support of one particular member deserves special recognition. The late Alphonse J. Schwartze was one of twenty charter members of the club. Many of the facilities and programs that the Westphalia Lions Club offers today were made possible through the generous donations received from Mr. Schwartze. As a token of appreciation, each year the Westphalia Lions Club recognizes one individual in the community through the annual Alfonse J. Schwartze Memorial Award. The award recognizes the individuals in the community who through their generosity and labor donations have shown the community spirit that embellishes the principles and civic responsibilities that the Westphalia Lions Club represents.
On the evening of September 9, 1958 the twenty charter members of the club made a pledge. “To Lionism and to our community, we pledge our best efforts toward making Lionism a living force for the betterment of our neighborhood, ourselves, and for the improvement of our community. Fifty plus years, and over one hundred members later, the vision, pledge and commitment of the Westphalia Lions Club to the community of Westphalia remains the same.
For their first major project, these charter members set out to construct a ball field to serve the Westphalia Community. This ball field was constructed just southwest of town, near Highway 63, on land donated by the late Albert Hilkemeyer. The ball field, concession stand, storage shed and covered bleachers were completed in the early 1960’s. A second ball field and concession stand was added in the 1980’s. Scoreboards for these two fields were possible due to donations from FAB and the Angela Berhorst family.
During the late 1960’s the original portion of the Lions Den was constructed. Since then, several additions have been made. A complete kitchen facility and pavilion was added in 1978 and in 1984 an addition was made on the north side of the original structure, doubling the meeting room, reception area. In the 1990’s a separate kitchen facility was constructed for preparing food and outdoor bar-b-que. In 1997 a bar and storage room were added and in 2004 new restroom facilities were added. Most recently, in 2008, the club added a 3000 square ft. addition to the west side of the building. This project was made possible by a generous donation from the late charter member Alphonse J. Schwartze and was constructed on property donated by the late charter member Raymond Schmitz.
In addition to offering the community the use of the ball fields and reception facilities, each year the Westphalia Lions Club sponsors and funds the transportation of students to the Linn Lions Swim Program in Linn. Through this program, hundreds of area children have been transported to a site where they can learn the skills and safety rules of swimming. The club also makes annual donations to the Lion Eye Tissue Research and other Lions International civic projects.
To maintain the facilities and the commitment to various civic responsibilities, the Westphalia Lions Club hosts several annual fundraisers. Among these are the annual Farmers Tractor Pull every August, the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast every February and several baseball and softball tournaments every summer.
Today the club is able to provide the community with a reception facility for any occasion. With almost 7000 sq. ft. of conditioned interior, newly renovated bathroom facilities, newly renovated kitchen facilities, a covered pavilion, playground and separate bathroom and kitchen facilities, the Westphalia Lions Hall is the perfect site for wedding receptions, class reunions, anniversaries, family reunions and other types of social gatherings. The hall also serves as a meeting facility for not only the Lions Club but for the Westphalia Seniors Club and the Westphalia 4-H Club. Each summer the two ball field facilities serve the needs of dozens of youth and adult teams. These fields also serve as the home fields for the Fatima Comets baseball team and the Fatima Lady Comets softball team.
Over the course of the past 50 years, the Westphalia Lions Club has made many additions and improvements to the facilities that they offer to the community. None of this would have been possible without the support of the community and the commitment of the Westphalia Lions Club members. The generosity and support of one particular member deserves special recognition. The late Alphonse J. Schwartze was one of twenty charter members of the club. Many of the facilities and programs that the Westphalia Lions Club offers today were made possible through the generous donations received from Mr. Schwartze. As a token of appreciation, each year the Westphalia Lions Club recognizes one individual in the community through the annual Alfonse J. Schwartze Memorial Award. The award recognizes the individuals in the community who through their generosity and labor donations have shown the community spirit that embellishes the principles and civic responsibilities that the Westphalia Lions Club represents.
On the evening of September 9, 1958 the twenty charter members of the club made a pledge. “To Lionism and to our community, we pledge our best efforts toward making Lionism a living force for the betterment of our neighborhood, ourselves, and for the improvement of our community. Fifty plus years, and over one hundred members later, the vision, pledge and commitment of the Westphalia Lions Club to the community of Westphalia remains the same.