Reasnor Church Reaches Sixtieth Anniversary

ABRAM, ALLEN, BALES, CAVENDER, DENNISTON, DOAK, HAMMER, HEAVILAND, JANEWAY, JOHNSON, PARISH, REASNOR, REXROAT, WHEELER, WILLIAMS, WORT, ZIMMERMAN

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 3/21/2014 at 18:08:07

Reasnor Church Reaches Sixtieth Anniversary
Dr. L. P. Goodwin and the Rev. Moser Will Preach at All-Day Services
REASNOR, Ia. – Services marking the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the Reasnor Methodist Episcopal church will be held Sunday with Dr. L. P. Goodwin of Des Moines speaking at ‘rededicating” services in the morning and the Rev. Moser of Monroe preaching in the afternoon.
The morning services will begin at 10:30 o’clock and the afternoon services will begin at 2:30 o’clock. Families attending the services will bring basket dinners for a noon lunch.
Members of the church have prepared a history of the church which dates back to 1877.
In 1877, 24 men and women of Methodist belief came with others to the site of Reasnor and laid out the town. At first it was called Riverside and when these members of Methodism started a class meeting, T. N. Johnson became their leader.
Sunday school was begun and all services were held in the depot, a minister coming from the Newton circuit to preach during the week. Rev. S. Hestwood, whose name is woven into all the county history of Methodism in Jasper county, again guided a class into formal organization. Mrs. Johnson being Rev. Hestwood’s daughter, made it convenient for him, too, to come often, to Riverside.
First Church Built
In 1879 the first church was built through sacrifice and much donated labor of the people and once again education and the church went along together. There being no schoolhouse as yet, the first schoolmaster of Reasnor. Eugene Bean taught school during the week and the minister and members used the building evenings and Sundays. When the winter term closed March 12, 1880, the men and women of the community put the finishing touches on their church and dedicated it in formal services.
The following is a list of the charter members which included T. N. Johnson, F. A. Johnson, J. E. Cavender and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Abram Rexroat, Mr. and Mrs. George Parish, Mr. and Mrs. James Allen, Mr. and Mrs. Ira Hammer, John Wheeler, Ann Zimmerman, Alice Williams, Mary Wort, Elizabeth Doak, William Reasnor, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Janeway, Robert and Della Denniston, Samantha Heaviland, Mary Reasnor, with two probationers, Hattie Hammer and Sarah Bales.
After August, 1879, Reasnor had regular preaching, the Rev. Michener being the first who came regularly. About 1881 Reasnor was placed on the Otley circuit and so remained until in 1884 when the former Newton circuit was dissolved. The Reasnor circuit and the Killduff circuit were then created and are today the same except the Otley church is closed. Rev. James Clelow was the pastor under whose administration Reasnor, Galesburg and Tools Chapel were united.
In 1898 the present building was bought from the Union Evangelical people, for $150, by the following trustees: Riley Lust, Eugene Bean, J. W. Edwards, Oscar Efnor, G. E. Parish, Henry Wright, Robert Denniston. Through the years various changes have been made. A basement was placed under the building and the east room added.
1918 Services
In 1918 one of the outstanding points of church history for Reasnor was the Saylor meetings. Many people found God and many renewed their vows at His altars. Miss Myrtle Saylor was the Evangelist.
The pastors who have served the church: Rev. James Clelow; Rev. M. S. Striker, Rev. G. Younken, Rev. P. B. Davison, Rev. W. H. Gifford, Rev. William Hughes, Rev. E. E. Doud, Rev. D. S. Dunlavy, Rev. D. F. Stiles, Rev. W. H. Jones, Rev. W. L. Fry, Rev. H. C. Millice, Rev. F. H. Seeds, Rev. O. E. Fitzsimmons, Rev. Forrestt Moore, Rev. J. Moorman, Rev. J. Russel Arms, Rev. J. B. Prichard, Rev. H. U. Smith, Rev. R. E. Hodgson, Rev. W. W. Watson.
Source: Newton Daily News; Friday, November 5, 1937