Birmingham Presbyterian Church Anniversary

BARKER, BOCK, BONNETT, BROWER, DILLE, HOPE, MCKEE, MILLER, RICHARDS, SHEROD, TOPPING

Posted By: Volunteer Paul French
Date: 10/6/2006 at 13:54:30

ANNIVERSARY SERVICES AT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Two large congregations, including many former members from a distance attended the anniversary services at the Presbyterian church last Sunday. The Van Buren County Women’s Chorus sang at both services.

The main address of the morning was delivered by Rev. Peter Bock of Earlham, Iowa, who was pastor at Birmingham when the present church was dedicated 26 years ago.

Greetings were extended from the Presbytery of Iowa by Rev. Hugh Brower of Fairfield, the stated clerk of Presbytery; from the Mt. Zion church by Mrs. H. C. Miller and from the neighbor churches by Rev. R. T. Richards, pastor of the Methodist church of Birmingham.

A letter of greeting from Mr. and Mrs. Hope of Garden City, Kansas, was read during the afternoon service. John McKee of Fairfield and Mrs. Bock also brought greetings.

Several brick from the original site of the church at Winchester were on exhibition, together with complete membership rolls and baptismal records.

Five grandchildren of Joseph Barker, the first elder, were present, all being members of either the Mt. Zion or Birmingham congregations. The senior member present, Mrs. Jesse Bonnett, was introduced and spoke a few words of greeting. Several were present who were in the fourth generation of membership in this church.

However, a search of old records after the meeting brought out the fact that one member of the church represents the fifth generation in succession. Isaac Barker, brother of the first elder, and his wife, Sarah, were charter members. Their daughter Elizabeth, was married to William Sherod. Their daughter, Sena is the wife of S. A. Topping, now one of the elders at Birmingham. Their daughter, Gertrude, is the wife of Clyde Dille; and their son, Lloyd, had a part in the day’s services, acting as pianist at the opening of the Sunday School session.

Source: undated newspaper clipping with no source cited contained in “Family History” of the Barker, Sherod, and Forbes families and descendants compiled by Bernadine Forbes Clark, December 1980.