The Methodist Church of Tingley had its beginning as a Sabbath School in the old Center schoolhouse which was located across the road north of the present [1983] Charles CASE home in northeast Tingley.

The Rev. Charles Hiram BURLEIGH organized the first class in the spring of 1877. At that time he was stationed at Hopeville and preached at Oliver, Rice, Cornwall, and Tingley schoolhouses, and also at High Point Church. Rev BURLEIGH was one of the first "circuit riders," making his journeys by horseback. There was no town of Tingley here at that time.

The class composed of the following persons:

Messrs. and Mesdames E. ATWOOD, Mordecai SMITH, J. W. STAFFORD, W. W. WILLEY, Mesdames A. POLLOCK and Lucy FOSTER, Miss Mary SMITH, Messrs. J. E. and J. J. ATWOOD, Link SMITH and Link WILLEY.

The Methodists wanted their own church. On November 18, 1881, they secured a lot by donation from the Town Site Company. Acutal construction of the building did not begin until the fall of 1882. By this time, the Shenandoah & Humeston Railroad was in operation, and the town was growing. When the construction of the church started, one of the first tasks was to kill the rattlesnakes which infested the ground. John BLAUER was one of the children who helped the women pick up the dead snakes with forked sticks to throw them on the bonfire.

The new Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated May 2, 1886. Enough money was raised that day to pay the $1,600 cost.

People were very faithful in attending services, coming to church by team and wagon or buggy, or a double sleigh in the winter. During the heavy farming season when the people felt the horses needed their Sunday rest, all of the families walked to town.

Minnie IBBOTSON'S family, the TAPPS, were one of these families. The people who lived in town would invite the country families to stay for dinner. Then the country families would walk home. Sometimes there would be 30 people walking on one road.

In 1889, Rev. Fred SHELDON and his wife organized the first Tingley Methodist Ladies Aid Society. Mrs. SHELDON was elected president; Mrs. Hugh BRECKENRIDGE, vice-president; Mrs. C. C. BOSWORTH, treasurer; and Mrs. George SWAIN, secretary. The following is a price list of the charges for the society's work:

  One of the first efforts of the group was to earn money to pay for the church organ and a bell. They purchased a "ruff corn carpet" to put in the pulpit area of the church for $9.80, a pulpit for $27.12, and a lamp for the organ for 40-cents.

Rev. SHELDON helped organized the Epworth League, a religious organization of the young people of the church. This name carried through until the 1940's when it was changed to Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF). Rev. SHELDON also helped form a Junior League for children 9 through 12 years of age.

Rev. TALLEY served the church in 1906. In later years their daughter, Helen S. PYLE, recalled, "I can still see the beautiful Christmas tree at the church lighted with many candles, and that would be considered quite dangerous today."

In 1907, the population of Tingley was around 600. The Methodist Episcopal Church enrollment had grown to around 180 members. The present building was no longer large enough to accommodate the congregation. On May 31, 1908, memorial services were held in the old church, and workmen began tearing it down the next day.

H. H. DUFTY was employed to superintend the construction of a new church. One of the first jobs was the excavation of the basement using teams of horses. Some days the farmers removed as many as 137 wagon loads of earth.

Before the new church was completed, Rev. John G. DULING was assigned to be the minister. He and his family came into town by train. John BLAUER and some of the other church men brought teams and wagons to move the minister's furniture from the depot to the parsonage. Rev. DULING also brought along two sows and a milk cow. From the train, Rev. DULING led the cow up the street and sang, "Glory, Glory, Halleluiah!" People came from the stores, clapping and yelling a welcome to the new minister.

Work on the construction of the church continued. In six month's time, the old church had been torn down and the new one completed, with most of the work done by church members. The first subscriptions of $3,300 had been collected. Every group in the church had held many kinds of socials to raise money.

On dedication day, December 13, 1908, Dr. D. W. PARR of Indiana gave the introductory service, then the great business of the day was taken up - that of raising the money needed to pay off the indebtedness, that the building might be dedicated free from debt. Solicitors worked all day on the audience, raising $4,300. Eldon and Lena RICHARDS were just newly married and attended the dedication services. Uncle Sam RICHARDS came to them and asked if they would make a donation that day. Mrs. David ALLEN'S mother, Etta McMINN IRVING from High Point Church, was the guest pianist at the service. The church that was dedicated that day will be 75 years old on the date of Tingley's Centennial.

September 23, 1928, was a record breaking day for attendance at the Methodist Episcopal Church with 196 persons present for Sunday School, Rev. C. L. THOMAS was the pastor.

In February of 1936, Tingley had a terrible snowstorm. 12-18 inches deep on the level. There were no chuch services. Rev. A. C. STARK requested church members to read as many chapters of the Bible they could while shut in with the weather. They read 6,202 chapters.

In 1940, the Ladies Aid Society was merged with the Women's Foreign Missionary Society and the name was changed to the Name of Women's Society of Christian Service (W.S.C.S.). The name was again changed later to United Methodist Women (U.M.W.).

In 1942, Josephine EIGHME painted a cross and crown with an open Bible on the ceiling above the altar of the church. Painted above the cross were cupid heads. The painting was done in oil and and textile paints. This was no easy task as it had to be done from a high scaffolding, and Jo was somewhat afraid of high places. This painting remained on the ceiling until the remodleing work forced it to be covered with ceiling blocks in 1958.

November 27, 1977, was an extra special day, as it was the date of the centennial of Methodism at Tingley. The celebration began with the morning worship by Pastor Les CALHOUN, followed by a church family dinner served to 75 persons. The afternoon continued with a program atteded by approximately 140 persons. A reception followed in the basement of the church.

At the present writing (1982), the Methodist charge is composed of Tingley, Wishard Chapel, and Ellston, alternating church services at 9, 10, and 11 a.m. The membership of the Tingley Methodist Church is 97.

Margaret EIGHME has presided at the piano since her high school years, intermittently at times with other pianists during the earlier years and for the last three years, but for the most part the responsibility was solely hers, including evening services when they were in vogue. Her many years of faithfulness and service to the church are most appreciated. Ava OVERHOLTZER is another long-time member of this church, 65 years.

Followng are ministers who have served the Tingley Methodist Church and the year which each started his pastorate:

  * Rev. Arthur R. WEED served the church longer than any other minister ~ 10 years.

NOTE: The Town of Tingley: Historical Review stated that the Tingley Methodist Church was formerly called Cornwall Chapel. My understanding from the Tingley Centennial book, they were separate churches. ~ SRB.

Tingley's United Methodist Church, built in 1908, was located on the corner of North Jefferson and Third Streets.

Demolition

The Tingley Methodist church was demolished August 8, 2020. The building was in need of numerous repairs and funding was not suffecient to make the repairs with less than a dozen regular attendees meeting each Sunday. Services were held in the parsonage to the south for many months before final demolition and continued there after the demolition.

SOURCES: The Town of Tingley: Historical Review 1976

Tingley, Iowa Centennial: 1883 - 1983. Pp. 64-65. PSI, Inc. Belmond IA. 1983.
Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, September of 2011

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2009; updated May of 2010; updated September of 2011