In November of 1874 Tobias Unruh and Ben Buller led a group of immigrants known as the Karolswalde to America.  Reverend Peter Becker brought one group about 6 miles west of Marion where they started a settlement.

In 1879 the first Mennonite Church in South Dakota was built by Rev. Peter P. Becker  (section 33 of Dolton Township).  It was called Grosse Kirche (meaning large church). The church was located on the west edge of the Wilhelm Deckert farm.  The first minister was Friedrich Schartner, who was ordained by Johann Schrag.  The congregation was made up of Mennonites from the Karolswalde and Molotschna colonies from Russia.

In 1889 a second church was built known as the Karolswalde Deutsch, also known as the Becker Schartner Church.  The church was located a mile west of the original church.  The Schartner Cemetery was built near the church.  Tobias A. Unruh (leader of the Karolswalde Church in Russia), was buried in the Schartner Cemetery in 1875.  The church closed in 1940.