LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA

Pg 208
CROSS ROADS CHAPEL
Wapello Township, Louisa County, Iowa

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, September 23, 2016

        At the beginning of the 20th Century (about 1900-06) there were two Methodist congregations about 5 miles northwest of Wapello. One was the English speaking Methodist Church which stood north of Long Creek Cemetery on the north side of the road (105th St.) on the west side of Long Creek and the other was Sand Prairie, a German speaking Methodist Church which stood on a point of land formed by the Rock Island Railroad right of way and the county road in front of the Henry Weber farm (110th St.)

        In 1907 families of these two congregations explored consolidating the two churches and building a new church on the Henry Otto farm. Families involved in this merger were (alphabetically) Adamsons, Balls, Bennetts, Eversmeyers, Gerdners, Gerths, Grouwinkels, Heins, Korns, Ottos, Stokes, Vollmers, Webers, Winters, Wykerts and Zimmermans, (et al). John Otto, Sr. and/or his son Henry Otto donated ground for the new church at the intersection of county roads 100th St. and M Ave. The church was on the NE corner of the intersection. Herman Vollmer hauled the rock for the foundation. John Wykert and Jim Bennett were the main carpenters.

        The Rev. F. J. Sernberg, Pastor from the German Methodist Church in Wapello from 1907-1910, served the church for Sunday afternoon services. Mabel Otto Swan was organist. Services were in English. Mrs. Volmer was the Sunday School superintendent, Pete Otto, uncle of John Otto, taught all the young people. Rev. Froeshley served as pastor from 1910-1916.

        People traveled to church by horse and buggy. In the winter they traveled in a wagon box on a sled. In 1926, when automobiles became popular, the Wapello Church said the people of Cross Roads Chapel had to come to Wapello if they wanted a preacher. There were some hard feelings over this, but in time most of the church people attended the German Methodist Church in Wapello.

        The Cross Roads Chapel building was later sold to Dan Barrick, who with the help of Ray Samuels and others, tore the church down and used it in the construction of his home. Later it was moved from the Barrick farm to a site on top of the hill at the end of the 5 mile lane (G-62).

        The organ of the church, a gift of John Otto, was moved to the Grace M.E. Church at Wapello, and used in the basement of the church.

        Benjamin Schwartz, who later became a minister of the gospel, graduated from the 8th grade of Sweet Home School, the graduation exercise being held in Cross Roads Chapel in 1910.

        This information was taken in part from Springer’s History and from information provided by residents of the community where Cross Roads Chapel stood.

Picture: Cross Roads Chapel

Picture: Sunday School Members at Cross Roads Chapel.
Back row L-R: Elizabeth Grouwinkel, Ruth Ball, Margaret Gerth, Bernice Grouwinkel, ____ Gerth.
Front row L-R: Vera Grouwinkel, Glen Ball, Effie Grouwinkel.