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Audubon County |
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CHAPTER XV.CHURCHES AND RELIGION. (CONT'D)From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
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CHRISTIAN CHURCH, EXIRA.In 1876 a permanent organization was effected, with twenty-two members, and Elder J. M. Crocker became the first regular pastor. Melvin Nichols also preached there occasionally. In 1877 a church edifice was erected, thirty-eight by fifty-four feet in size, at a cost of one thousand four hundred dollars. Elders Crocker and Nichols contributed their personal labors to the enterprise. This building was destroyed by fire in June, 1910, and a more pretentious and modern building was erected the same year upon the same ground. The present membership is about one hundred. There have been as elders, Joseph Clure, William R. Botts, James P. Lair, W. C. Mitchell, Charles W. Johnson, Joseph H. Bell, Fred Anderson, Oscar Hunt; deacons, Joseph H. Bell, Jesse E. Miller, Burt Anderson, Charles Clure, Samuel D. Ham, Charles McCord, Nels H. Johnson, Okey Hendrickson, George Milliman, W. W. Hammer, John Stoner, Ola Christensen, Roxy Huyck, N. P. Christensen, Charles E. Hawk, John Porter, Hans Nelson, George Gore, Hugh Smith, P. Frederick, Elmer Heath, P. I. Whitted; pastors, James Wilson, J. M. Crocker, G. W. Hamilton, J. A. Walten, Charles A. Lockhart, J. C. McQuarry, L. H. Humphreys, E. C. Whittaker, G. E. Nichols, H. A. Pallister, C. A. Poulson, T. A. Manley, S. M. Smith, Charles S. Linkletter. CHURCH OF CHRIST.These have served as pastors: Elders C. A. Lockhart, W. B. Clemens, R. V. Leeson, J. H. McSparran, A. A. Holmes, H. C. Littleton, W. H. McCormick, H. Wilson, I. E. Carney, P. J. Pond, Frank Maples, C. A. Vonnay, J. J. Ruppert, F. E. Glendenning, William P. Hauser. A Young People's Society and a flourishing Sunday school are maintained. Carl Neilsen is the present superintendent. The following have been elders: J. C. Keith, W. H. Aldrich, T. H. Beason and C. Gates; deacons, J. W. Landerman, Carl Neilsen, James Hollenbeck and James Gray. Mrs. D. C. Ross is president of the Ladies' Aid Society; Miss Mabel Keith is clerk. Rev. D. W. Bryant, from Iuka, Illinois, has recently taken charge of the church as pastor, and now devotes half his time to this pastorate and the other half to Manning. Mrs. Lois G. Stuart also bequeathed this church one thousand dollars. FISCUS CHURCH OF CHRIST.Other members were added from time to time, until a large congregation was built up, with a good Sunday school, and regular preaching services were held for a number of years. This was the only organized Church of Christ in that part of the county, and its membership finally included almost the entire community, people coming a long distance in their farm wagons to attend these services. Protracted meetings were held from time to time, when great crowds would fill the school house at night to overflow. All the spring-seats from the wagons would be carried in to to hear the preached word. All-day basket-meetings were often held at some grove near by (a church building was never erected), and always drew large crowds of people, who were welcome and well fed, for the friendship and hospitality of the people was unlimited and their faithfulness and loyalty never questioned. Brother A. C. Fiscus served this congregation for a number of years as pastor and, as the membership were of rather limited means he depended largely upon his farm for support of himself and family. Later, came Brother W. N. Littell, who served for some time, and who also started the first store and the postoffice at Fiscus. Then came Brother Tibbitts, of Botna, Iowa, followed by Brother D. H. Reagan, of Indiana, and Brother F. A. Sheets, of Manning, who was followed by Brother C. A. Lockhart, of Exira. During all these years, death called the members one by one, to cease their labors and answer the call to the Great Beyond, and, like other country churches, there was great loss by removals. Thus the membership of what was once a prosperous church gradually weakened until it was difficult for the few struggling members to keep the work going, so that all efforts finally ceased, and the organization was abandoned. Of the charter members, there are but four now living, and only three now reside in Audubon county. Elias Fiscus, one of them, also one of the elders, now has his home with his daughter, Mrs. Speas, in Lincoln township, who kindly furnished many of the facts for this little history of this church and who knows the history of the county almost from the beginning, he being one of the first settlers in that part of the county; also, Mrs. Ruth Duling (now Mrs. Hilsabeck) still lives in Douglass [sic Douglas] township, and Mrs. Eliza Rinhart, who lives in Audubon. Those of this congregation who still survive and have found homes elsewhere, no doubt still remember the joys and sorrows and the struggles of the organization that sprang up, bore its fruit, brought souls into the kingdom, nurtured the children into manhood and womanhood, saw lover and sweetheart made one, saw father and mother pass to the Great Beyond, held friends and neighbors together in love and friendship, made the community better for its influence, and finally, after having lived its life, to slowly fade away and pass into history. But the great good that it accomplished and the influence that it shed abroad in the world, eternity alone can tell. |
