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1915 History

CHAPTER XV.

CHURCHES AND RELIGION. (CONT'D)

From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
by H. F. Andrews

ROSS M. E. CHURCH.

The Ross class of the Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1892 as a part of what was then Audubon circuit, the other points on the circuit being Bethel, Melville Center and Sunny Side. The charter members or Organizers were: J. J. Quimby and wife, Charles Kibler and wife, A. J. Eddy and wife, and others. The church building, which is twenty-four by thirty-six in size, with vestibule and spire, was erected in 1892 under the ministrations of Rev. A. V. Knepper and cost one thousand two hundred dollars. It was dedicated on June 4, 1892, by Rev. E. E. Ilgenfritz.

The following is a list of those who have served as pastors: Rev. A. V. Knepper, Rev. W. J. Richards, 1893; Rev. T. W. Tippet, 1894; Rev. I. H. Elliott, 1895; Rev. Samuel Krell, 1896-7; Rev. C. H. Miller, 1898; Rev. O. T. Nichols, 1899; Rev. M. F. Loomis, 1900; Rev. George Weyrauch, 1901-2; Rev. E. W. Bates, 1903; Rev. E. H. Moore, 1904; Rev. B. Shinn, 1905; Rev. M. L. Hill, 1906; Rev. E. B. Scoggen; Rev. C. S. Lyles, who is the present pastor. The class is now a part of the Manning charge. The present membership is fifteen.

GRAY M. E. CHURCH.

Fray [sic Gray] Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1885, as a part of the Manning charge, with seven charter members, J. M. Greenlee, Mary J. Greenlee, Russell A. Steere, Alice J. Steere and three others. The church edifice, thirty-two by forty feet in size, costing one thousand five hundred dollars, was built in 1886. The dedication sermon was preached by Rev. H. J. Everly.

Rev. I. H. Elliott was pastor from 1885 to 1887; Rev. J. S. Throckmorton, 1887 to 1888; Rev. J. W. Eckels, 1888-9; Rev. I. M. O'Flying, '89 to '91; Rev. S. O. Elliott, '94 to July, '95; Rev. W. B. Cox, July, '95, to September, '95 Rev. G. W. Wood, '95 to '98; Rev. S. T. Weaver, '98 to 1900; Rev. F. T. Stevenson, 1900 to 1901; Rev. A. A. Bennett, '01 to '04; Rev. J, N. McCurdy, '04 to '05; Rev. A. L. Golden, '05 to '08; Rev. R. E. Harvey, '08 to '10; Rev. J. A. Hosier, '10 to '11; Rev. E. B. Scoggen, '11 to '14. The present pastor is Rev. C. S. Lyles. The membership is thirty-four.

VIOLA CENTER M. E. CHURCH.

The Viola Center Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1880 and was connected with the Dedham charge, with which it has been identified since. The church building, which was erected in 1887, is a frame structure, thirty-two by sixty feet in size. The membership is not large, on account of its proximity to other churches. The ministers who served as pastors are: Rev. J. S. Morrow, 1882; Rev. S. Milligan, 1883; Rev. J. S. Hall, 1884; Rev. D. W. Henderson, 1884; Rev. W. Stevenson, 1885; Rev. Charles Brown, 1886; Rev. F. J. Brown, 1887; Rev. R. R. C. Grantham, 1888-9; Rev. A. Adair, 1890; Rev. F. M. Carpenter, 1891; Rev. I. M. O'Flying, 1892; Rev. R. E. Harvey, 1893-4-5-6 and 7; Rev. W. L. Cox, 1898-9; Rev. J. W. Lucas, 1900; Rev. W. H. Doyle, 1901-2; Rev. A. J. Mathews, 1903-4; Rev. W. T. Rink, 1905-6; Rev. W. E. Shugg, 1907-8-9; Rev. J. H. Prall, 1909-10; Rev. E. R. Stroud, 1911-12; Rev. C. S. Lyles, 1913. The present pastor is Rev. C. W. Peer.

HAMLIN M. E. CHURCH.

We have not the data as to the first organization of the Hamlin church. However, we find that in the early seventies, it was the center from which radiated the religious influence for the north nine townships in the county, but after the building of the town of Audubon that center was transferred, and by death and removal the membership in Hamlin became so weak that services for a time were almost, if not wholly, abandoned. In 1896 the class was reorganized with the following members and connected with the Exira charge: William L. Clark and wife, James McNutt and wife, Frank White and wife, George H. Morey and wife, R. J. Fullerton and wife, Emily Godwin and Frank Godwin.

In 1898, during the pastorate of Rev. O. T. Nichols, the present church edifice, a structure twenty-eight by thirty-six feet in size, was erected, at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars. The building committee was W. L. Clark, James McNutt and George Lafoy. Andrew Dove did the carpenter work and Lyman Kelley the mason work.

The following have served as pastors: Rev. L. H. Humphrey, O. T. Nichols, R. C. F. Chambers, J. E. Nichol, T. G. Aten, E. W. Bates, W. E. Harvey, John Harned, George A. Lawton and H. P. Grinyer, the present pastor. The present membership is about forty-five. A flourishing Sunday school is maintained under the superintendency of John H. Parnham.

GREELEY CENTER M. E. CHURCH.

The Greeley Center Methodist Episcopal church, located in section 22, Greeley township, was organized in 1886, with the following membership: John H. Reynolds, Lucy Reynolds, Fred Reynolds, Samuel W. Reynolds and Katie V. Reynolds. Services were held in the Greeley Center school house until in 1898, when the present church was built, its size being twenty-four by thirty-six feet, and cost one thousand eighty dollars. The present membership is twenty-six. A Sunday school and Epworth League are maintained a greater portion of the time.

The first pastor was Rev. Lewis Tabor, a local preacher; then followed Rev. F. B. Dunn, Rev. William Mercer, Rev. W. J. Richards, Rev. L. D. Bartley, Rev. M. T. Brown, Rev. J. F. Davis, Rev. T. G. Clark, Rev. G. E. Nichols, Rev. W. T. Rink, Rev. Elliott Voorhees, Rev. R. B. Hughes, Rev. T. G. Aten, Rev. P. A. Smith, Rev. L. D. Gager, Rev. F. C. Whtiney [sic Whitney], Rev. R. P. Roberts, Rev. Robert Swick, Rev. F. C. Taylor and the present pastor, Rev. H. T. Young. This church has always been associated with, and a part of, the North Branch circuit.

MELVILLE CENTER M. E. CHURCH.

The Melville Center class of the Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1892 as a part of the Audubon circuit and is located in section 22, Melville township. Among the early members were James Hunt, P. J. Keith and wife and A. B. Hunt and wife. The church building, twenty-four by thirty-six feet in size, with vestibule, was erected in 1892, at a cost of one thousand two hundred dollars.

Rev. A. V. Knepper was the first pastor and was largely instrumental in the building. He was followed by Rev. W. J. Richards, Rev. T. W. Tippett, Rev. I. H. Elliott, Rev. Samuel Krell, Rev. C. H. Miller, Rev. O. T. Nichols, Rev. M. F. Loomis, Rev. George Weyrauch, Rev. E. W. Bates, Rev. E. H, Moore, Rev. B. Shinn and Rev. M. L. Hill.

Owing to removals and other causes, the membership became reduced to two or three members, and not being able to support a pastor, no services were held for three or four years, but a Sunday school was maintained a portion of the time, until the spring of 1914, when, largely through the influence of Rev. J. H. Freedline, then pastor at Audubon, services were renewed and since that time has been supplied by the pastor in Audubon. During the fall of 1914 a revival was held by Rev. Jackson Giddins, and accessions were received until now the membership is twenty-two, with preaching every Sunday afternoon and a flourishing Sunday school, superintended by Mrs. W. A. Hollister.

BETHEL M. E. CHURCH.

Bethel Methodist Episcopal church is located in section 5, Melville township. It was organized in 1887 by the following members, a portion of whom came from Viola church, and others who resided at too great a distance to attend any church: C. H. Sampson and wife, W. W. Weston and wife, Charles J. Johnson and wife, Otis Morey and wife, L. M. Carper and wife, D. D. Sampson and wife, H. Byrd and wife, William Wilde and wife, Mrs. Olive Beason, Ella Beason and Lewis Beason.

A Sunday school was first organized, with C. H. Sampson as superintendent; afterward a class was organized and attached to the Audubon cirsuit [sic circuit]. Arrangements were made with Rev. F. M. Carpenter to supply the church until the annual conference convened in September, when Rev. William Mercer came as pastor, under whose pastorate, in 1888, a neat church building, twenty-eight by thirty-six feet in size, was erected, at a cost of one thousand five hundred dollars. The class continued as a part of the Audubon circuit until 1907, with the following pastors serving: Rev. F. B. Dunn, Rev. A. V. Knepper, Rev. W. J. Richards, Rev. T. W. Tippett, Rev. I. H. Elliott, Rev. Samuel Krell, Rev. C. H. Miller, Rev. M. F. Loomis, Rev. G. W. Weyrauch, Rev. E. W. Bates, Rev. E. H. Moore, Rev. B. Shinn, Rev. M. L. Hill.

In 1907 the class was detached from the Audubon circuit and annexed to the Dedham circuit, the following pastors serving: Rev. W. E. Shugg, two years; Rev. J. H. Prall, two years; Rev. E. R. Stroud, two years; Rev. C. S. Lyles, one year, and the present pastor, Rev. C. W. Peer. The present membership is about forty. The Sunday school has continued to do excellent work all these years, at times the membership running up to one hundred. Since C. H. Sampson's removal, D. D. Sampson has been superintendent.

SUNNYSIDE CLASS OF THE M. E. CHURCH.

About 1891 a class of the Methodist Episcopal church was organized at Sunny Side school house, Greeley township. Some of the leading persons in its organization were David Sheets, Col. E. G. White and wife, R. H. Garnett and wife, W. C. Rice and wife and Mrs. F. M. Rice. The first pastor was Rev. L. Tabor, a local preacher, who supplied for a time. Afterward the class was attached to the Audubon circuit and the following served as pastors: Rev. A. V. Knepper, Rev. W. J. Richards, Rev. T. W. Tippett, Rev. I. H. Elliott, Rev. Samuel Krell. By removals and death, this class became so weakened that services were abandoned in 1897, those remaining taking their membership elsewhere.

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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, November, 2018, from History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915), by H. F. Andrews, pp. 205-209.