LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Pg 161
BETHEL CHURCH
Union Township, Louisa Co., Iowa

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, September 18, 2016

        The Bethel Church was started sometime in the 1840’s or 1850’s when the most immigrants came to the area.

        Bethel probably ceased to have services about the time Gladwin started. Riley Carr took a petition around in the 20’s to have the building saved for a Township Hall. It soon deteriorated too much to be usable. Rachel, Riley’s wife, had been buried in Bethel Cemetery, adjoining the Church in 1904 and Riley was the last person buried there in 1933.

        The Bethel building was sold to Howard Stewart and demolished in the 1930’s.

        Mention of Bethel Church in the Journals of Paradine Alfred and Mellie Coon. Researched by Raymond Coon, a great-grandson of Paradine Alfred.

1870

Oct. 23, 1870 – No meeting today, Brothers & Sisters gone to the dedication down to Somer’s (Site not mentioned, but probably Bethel. (R.C.)

1871

May 7, 1871 – Sunday, John O’Loughlin preached (Don’t say where, but probably Bethel. R.C.)

June 4, 1871 – Prayer meeting at 11, John Loflas (O’Loughlin) preached at 4.

Sept. 10, 1871 – We all went to church to hear Uncle Jimmie. (No last name was given.)

Sept. 17, 1871 – Sunday, A Universalist preaching on the creek – A perfect failure.

Nov. 12, 8171 – Sunday, We had no prayer meeting, Bobland’s meeting going on at Bethel.

NOTE:--Round Grove group held meetings in Round Grove schoolhouse.

No. 16, 1871 – We went down to Toflans meeting. (O’Loughlin)

Nov. 19, 1871—Sunday Boblands meeting broke. We stayed home.

1872

Jan. 13, 1872 – Brother Stone came (Church of God preacher) Our meeting started at the church (Bethel only one close, Salem wasn’t built until 1877)

Jan. 20, 1872 – House full on Sunday evening, Jan. 21, meetings held every night and Paradine visited Raymonds and Crims who lived close to Bethel.

Jan. 26, 1982 – Meeting broke tonight, too cold in the church. Jan. 28th – coldest this winter.

1875

Jan. 10, 1875 – Sunday, John Leffler here, Veny went with him down to the church.

Jan. 17, 1875 – I went down to the church to hear Uncle Sam preach. (Sam Thomas, Paradine’s uncle)

Feb. 21, 1875 – Sunday, We went down to the church to hear Fordice preach. Awful bad order there.

Feb. 28, 1875 – Sunday, At night we went down to the church to Bosier’s meeting. I went with Crim’s. (They lived on the Colton place at that time.)

March 23, 1875 – Bro. John O’Loughlin holding meeting on the creek.

March 25, 1875 – An ordinance meeting at the church tonight. Veny went.

March 26, 1875 – Bro. Boosier had meeting at the church.

April 4, 1875 – We went down to the church to hear Bro. Murray preach (Church of God preacher) – first one at Salem in 1877 when it was built.

April 17, 1875 – Sunday, Went to the church tonight, Fry preached.

April 25, 1876 – Bro. Murray at the church at 11.

June 6, 1875 – Pap & Mother went down to the church. (Isaac & Susan Hawkins, her parents)

June 20, 1875 – Sunday, rainy. The boys went down to the church to hear Foredice. Moderate congregation account the rain.

July 4, 1875 – Sunday, Basket meeting on the creek – all went but Lila and me. Big turnout there (NOTE – Lila (Mag Harrison) not yet 3)

July 18, 1875 – Sunday, Thornton went down to the church and Foredice came home with him for dinner.

Aug. 8, 1875—Sunday, We went down to the church to hear Murray preach at 11.

Aug. 29, 1875 – Sunday, We went to the church to her Bro. Murray, then to the school house at 3, Sunday School & preaching at 4. Murray gave us a farewell address. He got a hundred dollars for this year.

Nov. 21, 1875 – Sunday, Bosier had meeting at Bethel – Wilcox & Pepe’s wife joined.

Dec. 5, 1875 – Sunday, Vene went down to the church tonight to meeting.

Dec. 8, 1875 – Vene to church tonight.

Dec. 12, 1875 – Sunday, John Leffler and Vene went down to the church to hear O’Loughlin. (Note: John Leffler later married Elizabeth O’Loughlin, John’s daughter.)

Dec. 19, 1875 – Sunday, We went to church to hear Bosier. He preached a good sermon.

1876

Jan. 5, 1876 – John and Doll Thoma down to church to meeting.

Jan. 10, 1876 – We went to meeting. It broke.

July 9, 1876 – Sunday, Thornton and Vene to basket meeting. Rest of us at home.

Sept. 10, 1876 – Pap and Mother down to the church. O’Loughlin there.

1877

Early 1877 – An intense neighborhood revival—daily meetings held in homes, school house and in Bethel Church. 20 baptized in Goose Creek on January 20. 35 added to the Church (later known as Salem).

Dec. 25, 1877 – Christmas; the new Salem Church was dedicated a mile west of Bethel.

1878

Jan. 22, 1878 – We went down to Bosier’s meeting at Bethel.

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1881

Jan. 11, 1881 – Bosier has meeting at Bethel this week, 31 below yesterday.

Jan. 17, 1881 – First meeting on the creek this week. Lots of snow.

Jan. 19, 1881 – Bowser at Bethel. Steady cold.

Jan. 22, 1881 – We went down to Mosier’s meeting.

June 12, 1881 – Sunday; The children went down to Bosier’s meeting.

July 3, 1881 – Pap and Mother went down to the church to the meeting.

1883

Jan. 27, 1883 – Susie and Ellie went to singing school down on the creek. (Note: Ellie, later, Mrs. Azor Raymond, grandmother of Raymond Coon)

May 28, 1883 – Sue went to hear Bosier this evening.

June 3, 1883 – Sunday--, Sam Drake had meeting at Bethel, Christian Minister that lived nearby. His wife was a sister to Azor Raymond.

Sept. 2, 1883 – Sunday, Sue went to hear Bosier this evening at Bethel. (Note: The family usually attended Salem in the daytime. R.C.)

1888

Quarterly meeting on the creek (Bethel). Bad weather for it.

Nov. 4, 1888 – Sunday School convention at Bethel.

Dec. 11, 1888 – Meetings on the Creek (Bethel).

1890

A Rev. Smith preaching at Bethel. (First name not given)

June 1, 1890 – The girls and Thornty (12) went to Children’s day on the creek.

June 8, 1890 – Conference at Bethel.

Oct. 5, 1890 – The girls went down to the creek to hear Smith.

Dec. 11, 1890 – None of us went to meeting tonight. They have been having trouble with the boys. The meeting broke.

1895

Feb. 18, 1895 – Thorn, Eva Reese (School teacher) and Mag (Also called Lila) went down to the new church (Elm Grove)

Mar. 2, 1895 – They are having a big revival.

Mar. 11, 1895 – They are having a ____, good many converted. (No mention of minister’s name. This church was a mile east and some north of the Boston school and cemetery)

Aug. 19, 1895 – Aunt Kit (Mrs. Joseph) Foster’s funeral at Bethel. Fouse preached. Burial in Foster (Union) Cemetery.

Oct. 2, 1895 – Meeting on the creek this week.

Oct. 6, 1895 – They seem to have a good meeting but boys act terrible.

Oct. 15, 1895 – Meeting broke up. It did no good. Mag and Thornt there.

1897

Oct. 13, 1897 – Thornt goes to meeting on the creek every night.

Oct. 17, 1897 – Ellie Foster’s funeral a Bethel. Fouse preached. Burial in Foster.

1900

Mar. 2, 1900 – United Brethren came and was here for dinner and supper. (not named)

1906

December 1, 1906 – Lenora Luckey’s funeral and burial at Bethel. Rev. Vance preached.

1910

--We went to church at Bethel. Rev. Violet preached. (from Millie Coon’s journal)

June 5, 1910 – Sue, Edith, Minnie and Sam Leffler went down to Bethel this afternoon and Sam pitched onto Rev. Gibbs and they had a time, (after the meeting) Doctrinal differences—Sam was radical. (Paradine, “I was glad I was not there”.

June 26, 1910 – Meeting began in Gladwin in a tent by Rev. Gibbs. (Mellie’s diary)

August 11, 1910 – An ice cream supper at Bethel. Edith and Charles Neff went.

1911

Feb. 12, 1911 – Sunday, we went to Gladwin. Rev. Smith dedicated the new church. (Mellie Coon’s journal) Note: built by the Devore brothers.

1917

April 19, 1917 – Louisa Crim’s funeral at Bethel. (Paradine Alfred’s journal)

        W. Riley Carr circulated a petition in the 1920’s to have the township buy the Bethel building for a township hall, which was done.

        Riley Carr was the last one buried in Bethel Cemetery. He was buried there beside his wife (Rachel Crim) – died on January 15, 1933.

        The Bethel Church was located in Union Township.

Picture: Bethel U.B. Sunday School picnic, August 19, 1894.