MT HAMILL NEWS

History of Mt Hamill Presbyterian Church

~ The following was transcribed from an unknown local newspaper circa 1967.

 Article was found among  family scrapbook items gathered by Mrs. J.M. Newby, 1882-1964; and loose family papers of Mrs. Mary B. (Newby) Trueblood 1911- 1998. This was transcribed for Lee county Iowa genealogy purposes. ~ L.K. Newby.

History of Mt. Hamill Presbyterian Church

Several Concord Cumberland Presbyterians came from Western Pennsylvania and settled in the northern part of Lee County about the year 1850.

In the year of 1858, Lebbins and Samuel Clark attended the fall meeting of Iowa Presbytery and requested Presbytery to send some one to preach for them and if practical organize a church.

Rev. William Legum was appointed shortly thereafter and a congregation was organized on March 21, 1859 with a total of 18 members.  Lebbins Clark, William C. Wolf and William Greer were chosen Ruling Elders.

The organization took place in school house No. 8 in Cedar Township before the village of Mt. Hamill existed. Rev. Legum supplied the congregation with preaching for two years. 

In the spring of 1867 Rev. L.L. Learinor came and in the fall of that year the congregation secured a house of worship and placed it on a lot 7 miles south of Salem and 4 miles east of Big Mound.

On May 10 1878, there were reported 58 communicants, which was the largest membership of the church at any time during its existence. 

On March 23, 1885, the congregation met in the village of Mt. Hamill at the school house, and decided to build a new church house under the moderation of Rev. William F. Baird.  The dedication was on September 30, 1888 and all indebtedness on the building had been made before the opening ceremony. 

In 1899 and 1900 Rev. L. R. Nichols served the Mt. Hamill and Donnellson Church circuit.

At a meeting in September of 1902 plans were made to join with Sharon and employ a minister.  Progression of the church continued at a slow pace, until finally no preaching services were held for about seven years. In the Spring meeting of the Presbytery, 1920 the church was dissolved by order of the General Assembly.  During those seven years, a Sunday school was maintained through the untiring efforts of Mrs. Maria T. Reid.

On the night of January 17, 1922, a congregation assembled for the purpose of organizing a Community Presbyterian Church.  The moderator was Rev. Horace O. Bethel, pastor at large assisted by Rev. William Cook.  George W. Refior, Riley Glendenning and Dwight Kennedy were elected Ruling Elders, with E.A. Magerkurth, Carl Hopkirk and Robert Dodsworth, deacons.  Twenty-four members joined the church roll. 

A Homecoming Picnic was held on September 5, 1937 that was attended by 181 current and removed residents that signed the registration list and countless others that did not. It was soon decided to make it an annual affair to be held the Sunday before Labor Day. *

In 1959 the Presbyterian churches at West Point, Sharon, and Mt. Hamill were served by Rev. Marvin Janssen and later by Rev. Ernest Gutha.  In January, 1967, Kenneth Harden was called to serve the parish until the nearly 100 year old building was closed in 1982.

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Mt Hamill Homecoming Picnic

The information about the Home-Coming is from the Sept. 9, 1937 Hawk-Eye Gazette.

Article was found among  family scrapbook items gathered by Mrs. J.M. Newby, 1882-1964; and loose family papers of Mrs. Mary B. (Newby) Trueblood 1911- 1998. This was transcribed for Lee county Iowa genealogy purposes. ~ L.K. Newby.


*Homecoming Picnic 1937—Officers serving the past year were re-elected—

 Mrs. Ina Cook Smith, president; Mrs. Leah Clark Schrivel, secretary; and Miss Emma Paschal, treasurer. 

These officers appointed a program committee to make arrangements for next year’s home-coming; Chairman, Clyde Bell; toastmaster, Albert DeRosear; publicity, Minnie C. Refior; devotional, George W. Refior; grounds and seating, Bert Holland and Herman Schrepfer; registration; Mrs. Ina Cook Smith, Mrs. Leah Clark Schriver, Mrs. Mabel Smith Sneburg and Gilbert Bell;  Mrs. Josephine Reid, treasurer; Mrs. Ina Holland, assistant secretary.

The Family Surnames that attended were:  BARBER, BARNES, BAUGHER, BELL, BENTZINGER, BURNETT, CLARK, COOK COULTER, CROSBIE, DEROSEAR, DICK, DICKENS, ELKINS, EYRE, FAIRWEATHER, FISHER, GAIBEL, GLENDENNING, HAMPTON, HOLLAND, HOWES, HOYER, KLEBER,  LEAZER, LEDBETTER, LEWIS, MCDOWELL, MICKEY, MOON NEWBY, OVERTON, PAISLEY, PARISH, PASCHAL, PICKARD, PONTE, POWELL, REFIOR, REID, RODEL, Schrepfer, schrivel, SCHRIVER, SEYB, SHAMPONI, SHELBURG, SHETTS, SMITH, sneburg, STILL, THOMPSON, TRAUT, VEGALIUS, WAHRER, WEBER, WELCHER, WINTERS.