| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA |  |
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| LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA | |
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Wapello, Iowa
Transcribed by Sharon Elijah, September 20, 2016
The Columbus Junction, Iowa Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was officially established on November 1, 1962 by the acceptance of its application for congregation status by the Governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Brooklyn, New York. This culminated a period of domestic missionary activity in Louisa County by two young married couples. In the spring of 1961 Gary and Barbara Cuccia from California moved to Wapello to access the potential for a congregation in the county. They assisted new members from Columbus Junction, Jimmie and Margaret Utterback, and a long-time member from Wapello, Martha (Mrs. Harvey) Hedges. In September of 1961 the Cuccias were summoned to Carroll County, Iowa and Ronald and Patricia Ehrman were asked to replace them. They were from Fort Wayne, Indiana and were primarily doing their missionary work with the deaf, yet they moved to Wapello to make an effort to establish a congregation. The following year the congregations’ charter specified Ronald Ehrman as the presiding minister and he was assisted by two elders from Columbus Junction, Charles W. Sellers and Jimmie L. Utterback. Thirty years after the congregation’s formulation two of the original elders still maintain their leadership roles. Jimmie Utterback continues as an elder and teacher in the original congregation and Ron Ehrman oversees the congregation’s sponsorship of an American Sign Language group for southeastern Iowa. The latter group appears to be nearing congregation status also.
The first meeting place for the small group was the Pleasant View schoolhouse on the paved road east of Columbus City. It was converted into a “Kingdom Hall”, the common name for all meeting places of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. The early members still talk gratefully about the kindly gesture of the owner, Mr. Woodrow Shearer of Columbus Jct., who only charged $5.00 a month rent for the building for the 6 years we used it from 1961 to 1967. That schoolhouse was eventually moved to Louisa County Fairgrounds and is a museum and historical site.
In 1966 property on Highway 61, north of the Iowa River Bridge was purchased from Leroy Tillmann. With the assistance of tradesmen from congregations in a 100 mile radius the congregation was able to construct a Kingdom Hall to seat 75 persons. It was dedicated on June 8, 1968, and the name of the congregation was changed to the Wapello Congregation. That building was in use until 1977. A new bridge constructed for the Iowa River required the congregation’s property for right-of-way and the state of Iowa purchased the property. In November 1977 the congregation bought prop- . . .
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. . . erty in the Summy Addition on Seventh Street in Wapello. The new brick building was constructed with volunteer labor. It is 3105 square feet with an auditorium style floor sloping to a corner stage. It seats 130 and has a library and book room. It was dedicated on May 3, 1980.
The Wapello Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses begins 1993 under the oversight of five elders. Randall Tiffany of Wapello is the “presiding elder” charge with overall arrangements and chairmanship of the body of elders. Arthur Dodd of Wapello is Secretary for the elders and teaches the weekly Ministry School. Jimmie Utterback of Columbus Junction teaches the weekly Watchtower Study. Richard Asplund of Wapello teaches special classes on Bible topics. Ronald Ehrman of Wapello oversees the efforts to organize a new congregation for the deaf of southeastern Iowa, proposed to be the Sign Language Congregation of Iowa City. This body of elders has enjoyed overseeing the missionary effort into the deaf field as they reminisce that similar efforts three decades ago were responsible for the existence of the current “Wapello Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses”.
Picture: Kingdom Hall 1958-1977, located on Hwy 61 North of Iowa River Bridge
Picture: Kingdom Hall, Wapello, Iowa