| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA |  |
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| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA | |
Pg 142
Morning Sun, Iowa
Transcribed by Beverly Gerdts, August 20, 2016
In 1873 even though the Sharon Reformed Church was only four miles from Morning Sun, transportation for several members was a problem. Many people who lacked vehicles of their own were required to ride with friends or neighbor. At this time 46 Sharon members petitioned the Iowa Presbytery for a separate organization in town. After first denying the request it was reconsidered and the authorities granted permission for a separate congregation. The Presbytery commission, Rev. C. D. Trumbull and elders J. P. Kilpatrick and William Lindsay met with those asking for the transfer of membership and thus the Morning Sun Reformed Presbyterian Congregation was formed on July 9, 1873.
At the time of the semi-centennial in 1923 there were still three of the original charter members active in the church: W. J. Cubit, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Cavin, also Mrs. Alma McCaughnan Pearson was living in Indiana. Descendants of the charter members still active are: David R. Cummings, Mrs. Esther Cummings Royer, Mrs. Velma Hensleigh, granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Stormont, Mrs. Latha McElhinney, granddaughter of Mr. Thomas Garvin who passed on many great books of minutes of early congregational business meetings, and Mrs. E. A. Baird, daughter of W. J. Cubit.
The congregation has had many elderly persons on its membership rolls, including many widows and the following couples had celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries: Mr. and Mrs. George Cunningham, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McClintock, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Marshall, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Elliott, Mr. and Mrs. James R. Willson, Mr. and Mrs. S. E. McElhinney, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Cavin, Mr. and Mrs. James Henderson, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Hensleigh, Mr. and Mrs. Shapen Royer.
The largest membership occurred in 1903 at 165, 140 in 1903, 1963 in 1917 and at the time of the 75th anniversary celebration there were about 100 members.
Mr. A. W. Cavin and Mr. James McCaughan were the first elders elected to the congregation. Since that time the list of elders who have served include: Stephen Bayles, Thomas Reid, John McIntire, George Cunningham, S. E. McElhinney, James Bell, J. W. Cavin, A. M. M. Armstrong, D. Kilpatrick, Richard Elliott, W. J. Marshall, R.S. McElhinney, Thomas McClement, James Henderson, J. A. Reid, J. T. Hensleigh and E. A. Baird. The session members in 1948 were: S. O. Willson, David Cummings, Zenas McMurtry, J. Ralph Wilson, Merritt McElhinney, Raymond Cummings, Maurice Hutcheson with Dr. H. G. Patterson as moderator.
The original Board of Deacons were: W. J. Cubit, William F. Cook, and James Montgomery. Some of the people who served as deacons in later years were: J.T. Hensleigh, T. M. Edgar, J. C. Elliott, J.D. Boal, E. A. Baird, E. H. Hensleigh, Robert Dickson, Thomas Huston, Merritt McElhinney, Curtis Royer, James Honeyman, James Dunn and Hoyt Cummings. Over the first 75 years the amount of money raised totaled $235,085.00 which included a special appeal in 1921 for the French Carithers Memorial Fund and in 1947 another special drive received $1,000.00 for a school building project in Larnaca, Cyprus.
At the first congregational meeting on July 14, 1873, the chief business was the building of a church. The two lots that were used for the church were offered by Samuel Hamilton and Elias Marshall. These were accepted and the deacons were authorized to ask for subscriptions to build a church 30 ft.x50 ft with an 18 foot ceiling and a vestibule and belfry. By August 2nd,$1876.00 had been pledge. Some residents from outside the congregation subscribed liberally to the project if a bell would be installed in the belfry, since no other church in town had a bell. A foreman and some workmen were hired plus volunteer help from the membership. The building was finished in the spring of 1874 and lights were installed in the fall of that year but there is no record of a formal dedication.
The church grew too small and in 1895 a choir loft and pulpit were built on the north side and a Sunday School room added on the south side. At this time new circular seats and stained glass windows were also added. In 1939 acoustical material was installed on the walls and ceiling.
The parsonage was built in 1874 by Dr. Trumbull. This was considered a minor miracle since his salary at the time was about $700.00 to $800.00 per year. After Dr. Trumbull death the congregation purchased the property from his family.
The congregation put great emphasis on their praise services. Three of the original leaders were W. J. Cubit, J. W. Cavin and Joseph Cavin. Other presenters with many long years of service were: Mrs. L. M. Samson, Mrs. Curtis Royer, Mrs. Dickson, Mrs. McMurtry, Mrs.Raymond Cummings, Mrs. J. Ralph Wilson, Ralph Baird, Maurice Hutcheson, James Honeyman and Zenas McMurtry
Only two weeks after the installation of the first pastor, Dr. Trumbull, the Sabbath school was organized. A. W. Cavin was the first superintendent. In 1948 this office was held by Curtis Royer, with Mrs. J. Ralph Wilson as Junior Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Margaret Todd, Secretary, Irene Samson and Treasurer, Merritt McElhinney. Average attendance at this time was 50.
The list of pastors for the first seventy-five years was two! On September 29, 1873 a subscription paper was circulated to determine how much money could be….
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… raised for preaching. Total pledges of $351.00 were promised. The deacons asked Presbytery for “preaching to that amount”. The first call was to Dr. Charles DeWitt Trumbull on March 9, 1874 and he was installed on April 10, 1874 and served until his death on January 21, 1914, at the age 77, only three months short of 40 years. Mrs. Trumbull had passed away in 1912 at the age of 72. His successor, Dr. Harvey G. Patterson, was installed as pastor of the congregation in November 1914 and served the congregation for over 35 years. The flu epidemic of 1918 occurred only a few years after the Pattersons’ arrival in Morning Sun and Mrs. Christena Patterson worked tirelessly in homes where this illness had invaded, not only in the homes of the members of their church but wherever there was a need. This missionary project endeared her in the hearts if the entire community. After Mrs. Patterson’s death in 1944 Dr. Patterson was married in 1949 to Mary Dickson, a native of this community. She continued in the leadership role that her predecessor had established. She enjoyed working with children and the Junior Society.
The Women’s Missionary Society was organized on January 25, 1879 with an original enrollment of 16 ladies. The total membership seldom exceeded 50 at any one time and the average attendance being about twenty per meeting. Their original stated objectives was “To glorify God by giving our means and using our skill and efforts to relieve the needy around us, and to encourage and help the missionaries of our church.” Monthly meetings were rarely cancelled and often there were extra work meetings. Carefully prepared papers on mission work were studied and after the forming of the Synodical there was a more uniform pattern of study.
Many important missionaries have been guests of the society, including, Dr. Easson, Dr. Metheny and Miss Mattie Wylie. In the middle years from our own group, Mrs. J. G. Reed, Minnie Wilson and Anna Patton gave first hand knowledge of the Southern Mission. Other visitors included Rev. Herbert Hays of Latakia, Syria; also sharing their experiences were Miss Jean Burr, R. N. Miss Rose Huston, Miss Lillian McCracken and Miss Ella Margaret Stewart. Also Dr. and Mrs. Jesse C. Stewart spoke of his work in China.
Because of the special interest by Miss Martha Cannon in Syria, the first sewing was done for the girls school there. Sewing was also done for the Apache Tribes. Many barrels of fruit were canned or dried for shipment to Indian boarding schools. Prior to World War II much sewing was done for the needy. At this time requets by the Red cross for skilled helpers was fulfilled. Skillful, consecrated fingers belonged to many who used them like Dorcas in making bedding and clothing for the needy. Some of the active workers were: Mrs. S. E, McElhinney, Mrs. Trumbull, Miss Mary E. Willson, Mrs. Martha Todd, Mrs. Mary Armstrong, Mrs. J. T. Hensleigh and Mrs. E. A. Baird. Some 70 years of meticulously kept minutes aided in the recording of the organization’s history.
From 1890 to 1930 there was always enough people in and or near town to have a good young people’s society. It was first organized in 1892 with Oliver Willson as the first president, James Mehaffey, vice president, Jennie Stormont, Treasurer and Minnie L Wilson, secretary.
The membership total fluctuated between 12 and 26. Many of the early members grew up to be officers of the church congregation. There were fifty of the young people of the church that had school teaching careers of varying lengths of time. Some of these were: Miss Mary Kilpatrick School of the Deaf, Zella Cavin, primary teacher, Vina Reid, department teacher in the Omaha schools, Elsie McElhinney, college of Home Economics in Huntsville, Texas, Kathryn Marshall, teacher of children with defective sight in Los Angles, Minnie L. Wilson, teacher and missionary in Selma, Helena Reid Griffiths, in Omaha and Robert Z Wilson and Milton Patterson were short term teachers in the Boys Academy at Larnaca, Cyprus. Delbert Elliott, Mack Robb, Bruce Wilson and Richard Hutcheson were Covenantor ministers. James and Milton Mehaffey were ministers in the Presbyterian denomination.
Serving in the Armed Forces during World War I were David Armstrong, Curtis Royer, Raymond Cummings, Ewart, John and Armour Wilson, Dwight and Ralph McElhinney and E. Raymond Wilson. During World war II the following were in the armed services: Wilmer Thompson, John and Raymond Hetherington, Philip and James Baird, Ralph Donald and Bruce Todd, Donald Honeyman, Lyle Royer, Faith Samson Smith, Rosetta Beuchat and Frances Royer.
The pastors that followed Dr. Patterson were: Rev. J. E. McElroy, Rev. James Pennington and Rev. Robert Morrow.
After 107 years on April 5, 1980 the congregation voted to merge with the congregation at Sharon.
Picture: Reformed Presbyterian Church Morning Sun, Ia.
Pg 144
Picture: Rev. C. D. Trumbull, D. D. , First Pastor 1874-1914
A Forty-year Pastorate
Picture: Reformed Presbyterian Manse