USA > Iowa > A history of the Church of the Brethren in southern Iowa > Part 7
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Bro. Gable labored ten years as bishop in the Middle Creek church, and lived nine years in the South Keokuk church, having had the over- sight of the church some years previously. In many ways Bro. Gable manifested his love for the church and her associations. He attended many Annual Meetings and the District Meetings when possible, and of- ten was a wel- come visitor in the surrounding Elder John Gable and Wife congrega - tional love feasts. He did considerable preaching in filling appointments, often having three preaching services on one Lord's day, traveling as far as thirty miles to reach
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them. He was a man of kind and gentle disposition and always attracted the attention of those with whom he had business relations.
As a preacher he was not emotional, nor were his sermons noted for forceful argument, yet they were filled with good, fatherly advice, and his consistent life and con- duct gave them a force which nothing else could. In his ruling he was kind and gentle, yet he was not easily swerved from his idea of right. He considered it a great joy to be in the service of Christ and the church, and loved to see the members work in love and union.
The following lines were composed by his companion, who survived him almost nineteen years :
To the Memory of My Dear Husband, John Gable Born Nov. 5, 1826; died May 31, 1903
It was the last of lovely May, Death took my dearest friend away .; The trees were all in fullest bloom, My heart was filled with awful gloom.
As I at his bed did stand, He gave to me his parting hand. " Death is working at my heart, And now, dear wife, we must part."
Then I thought my heart would break, It was so full the words he spake; "Oh," thought I, " if I could but die, How gladly with him I would fly."
" But as you see it is God's will, That you must stay below here still, Remember me where'er you go, We'll never meet again below.
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" A little past fifty-one short years We were called to shed our parting tears ; Do God's will and then we'll meet above, Where all is joy and peace and love." Adapted by Elizabeth Gable.
June 24, 1903.
Biography of Chas. Wonderlich
Bro. Chas. Wonderlich was born in Germany March 11, 1825. He came with his parents to Adams County, Pa., when he was ten years old. Soon after this his father and brother walked to Richland County, Ohio, while he remained with his mother. A year later the family fol- lowed. Here they pursued the occupation of farming, and here Charles grew until he reached his majority.
Bro. Charles was permitted to attend school while in Ger- many, but since moving to the States, the family being poor and the edu- cational advantages meager, he attended school but little. In his boyhood and young manhood he secured whatever work he could find. When he was 21 years of age, in 1846, he emigrated to the south- ern part of Keokuk Charles Wonderlich County, Iowa, where he had since resided. In the same year he was united in matri-
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mony to Miss Mary Long, who was a member of the church. To this union were born seven children. His wife dying, he was married to Sister Mary Bales, a widow with five children, who at this writing is still living.
In 1858 Bro. Wonderlich, with a number of others, united with the Church of the Brethren, to which he re- mained a faithful member. In 1859 he was set apart for the ministry and served faithfully and acceptably in that office for several years. He was ordained to the full min- istry in 1874. He was the bishop of the church until about 1888, when he, with the other minister, was relieved of his office. We understand the unpleasant relations which culminated as stated, were not primarily his fault, as he had been heard to say that he could not give satisfactory service in the ministry under the present conditions. We find that he was one of the committee to present a request to the District Meeting at the Crooked Creek church in 1892, for ministerial help, the result of which is told in the history of the South Keokuk church.
In his ministry he was a strong leader and an enter- taining and forceful speaker. He is still living, and his sympathy is with the church for which he has given so many years of service. Although over ninety years old he attends services when he is able.
Later, Uncle Charlie grew weaker in body until April 9, 1922, when God took him, just as the sun was sinking in the west. Toward the last of his life he did not observe very much of what was going on around him, but he could converse about the work of the church fifty and sixty years ago as one who knew whereof he spake.
CHAPTER VIII
Middle Creek Church
Some members living in the northern part of Mahaska County, Iowa, and comprising the west part of English River church, were organized into a new church and named Middle Creek church, in 1860. This territory comprised Mahaska County. They were under the care of Eld. Jacob Brower before 1879, and under the care of Samuel Flory from 1879 to 1884, when Eld. John Gable moved into this church and was their elder until 1893. After this they had Elder Abraham Wolf, Hiram Berkman, John Follis, C. M. Brower, and Peter Brower as elder in charge, but I think these few years of Bro. Gable's eldership were the only time they had a resident elder.
Other ministers who lived in this church were Taz- well Gray, Alfred Ogle, S. P. Miller, Lemuel Hillery, Charles Hillery, John Nehr and Jerry Stout. Some of the deacons were Peter Pfoutz, Jacob Trager, Henry Mc- Main, George Pfoutz, Frank Gillim and Oscar Clements.
This started out to be a live church. For many years they had an interesting Sunday-school, and numbers came into the church. They built a very nice, commodious churchhouse in 1878. Prior to this time communions had been held in barns or other available places, but after this they were held regularly in the church. But many did not believe in the plainness of the Gospel, as we understand it, hence did not join our number. Emigration and death took their number and others proved unfaithful, until in 1914 Bro. H. C. N. Coffman and Bro. D. P. Miller were sent
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here as a committee and the church was disorganized, some placing their letters in the English River and some in the Monroe County church. Strong efforts had been made, however, to revive the work, but to no avail. The church- house had been disposed of before this, and the proceeds were placed in the endowment fund for mission work in the District. . A. H. B.
CHAPTER IX
Crooked Creek Church
In the early years of the English River church her ministers traveled over considerable territory, preaching the Gospel and baptizing those who accepted Christ. Some members also came in from the East. Some of these mem- bers were in different parts of Washington County, Iowa, and some in the Southern part of Johnson County, Iowa. Bro. John Thomas, a minister, came from Virginia in 1862 and settled in the western part of Washington County. The membership grew so that in 1864 the Crooked Creek church was organized with forty members living in the above-named counties.
' Eld. David Rittenhouse moved from Illinois into this church in 1865 and Bro. John Thomas was ordained to the eldership about this time, or possibly earlier. Up to this time the elders from English River likely had charge of this new church. From 1865 to 1869 John Thomas had charge of the south part and David Rittenhouse the north part, which was known as Johnson County. Yet we do not know as this was ever a separate organization, but the two worked together. In 1869 Eld. Rittenhouse moved back to Illinois, leaving Bro. Thomas alone in the elder- ship. He continued as elder until his death in 1891.
Soon after the death of Bro. Thomas, Bro. Samuel Flory was chosen as elder, and later C. M. Brower, he serving until his death in 1906, when H. C. N. Coffman was chosen, serving to this date, March 4, 1920. Other ministers who served in this church were Stephen Yoder,
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Jacob Erb, John Funk, Abraham Wolf, and Anthony Seng- er. The following brethren served this church as deacons : John Fesler, Michael Cline, David Cline, Henry Etter, Valentine Wimer, David Rittenhouse, Jr., Benjamin Miller, D. P. Miller, Samuel Burger, and Edwin Smith.
About 1880, according to "Record of the Faithful," there were seventy-seven members in this church. A ce- ment block churchhouse was built in the north part of this church, which stood for many years. A frame church- house was built in the Washington County part in 1876, which was recently sold to the holder of the farm from which the church lot was purchased. The part of this church being in Johnson County was organized as the Oak Grove church in 1889, thus becoming a church of the Middle District of Iowa, they being located in that District. This took twenty-eight members from Crooked Creek church, and death and emigration took a number of our members.
Many of the neighbors in this community never showed much interest in any religious services, and about 1904 Bro. Anthony Senger moved from this church, he being the last resident minister. The English River breth- ren kept up the appointments until 1911. Since that time no religious services have been held here. For some time there had been an interesting Sunday-school here, and a number of interesting series of meetings and love feasts were held, but owing to the strong emigration and other hindering causes the number has diminished until only four members remain. A. H. Brower.
Eld. John Thomas
John Thomas was born in Virginia Jan. 28, 1826. We
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are led to believe that he had Christian parents who were, perhaps, of the Brethren faith. His early training for use- fulness was limited, as his father died when he was but a lad, he being the youngest boy of the family. He had often related to his children how he had to stay at home from school to help his mother wash, and not wishing to miss his spelling recitation his mother would let him go to school long enough to recite it. Like many another pioneer, he obtained a large fund of information through observa-
Elder John Thomas and Wife
tion, experience and reading that made him the man of power and influence which he afterward became.
Bro. Thomas was married to Susanna Sanger May 25, 1847, and in 1849 he with his wife was baptized into the
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Church of the Brethren. He was called in 1857 to the ministry, which office he filled with credit to the time of his death. In the spring of 1862 he moved to Washington County, Iowa, and was here, some years later, ordained to the full ministry.
He was not very well situated financially when he came to Iowa, but he acquired a competence so that he was not strained for a livelihood in his old days. In his battle for bread he never neglected the church work. He al- ways went when he was called if he was able, and some- times when he was not able. We will insert two incidents sent in by his daughter:
" One time, especially, I recall that Bro. A. Wolf had started a series of meetings in the neighborhood where he lived, which was ten or twelve miles away, and he sent for father to assist, as they had quite an interest aroused. Father was sick, and he sent them to South English, to see if some of the brethren there would not go. They did not go, so on the return of the messengers father arose from his bed and went. At another time some one from Louisa County wrote to him to come and preach for them. He went and was asked why he did not apply to the Mission Board for his expenses. Because he had not applied to the board before making his trip, and because he knew that they would accuse him of being after the money, he did not make the venture."
We are not able to tell much of his life and preaching. He was a friend of education and all true progress in the church. He was considered by many as one of the ablest ministers in the District. He had a strong voice and ex- erted it above his strength, so that in the last few years of his life he lost the use of his voice, and he had to quit preaching almost altogether. He was not a man of many
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gestures. His favorite position in the pulpit was standing with his hand in his left pantaloons pocket, and when he opened his mouth the words would roll forth as liquid from an overfull vessel, he being filled with spirit and power. He was never known to refuse a call for preach- ing, and never, except once, received any compensation from the Mission Board. At one time he had an appoint- ment for once a month, twenty-five miles from home, going this distance on horseback or in a lumber wagon.
He was the father of three daughters, who are work- ers in the Church of the Brethren. He passed away Jan. 13, 1891, aged 65 years, lacking fifteen days.
CHAPTER X
Osceola Church
In 1870 there were a few members living on Grand River, Union County, Iowa, namely, William Groesbeck, Michael Myers, Henry Groesbeck and wife, Bro. Johnson
Osceola Church
and wife; Sister Sally Black, lived in Madison County ; John Fields and wife and William Smith and wife, in Clarke County ; and Joseph Schutt, I. J. Thomas and wife, and Elizabeth Keffer, in Warren County. These members were scattered over an area of about thirty miles in diameter.
By request of Eld. C. Harader, of Adams County, the members met and organized, electing William Groesbeck minister and John Fields deacon. They appointed regular
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meetings at Grand River and Prairie Grove. At the latter place their first communion meeting was held Sept. 28, 1872; and at a meeting May 17, 1874, I. J. Thomas was advanced to the second degree of the ministry.
Eld. M. J. Thomas and wife moved to New Virginia, and Aug. 12, 1876, he was received and accepted as shep- herd of the flock. Aug. 31, the same year, Samuel Keffer was elected deacon. June 2, 1877, Michael Myers was elected to the ministry. At this time the congregation was divided into two organizations, the eastern part being known as the Irish Grove church.
In the Prairie Grove congregation, June 13, 1878, W. W. Folger was elected deacon; and Sept. 27, 1879, I. J. Thomas was ordained elder, and John Reither and Har- rison Shutt were elected deacons; May 1, 1880, W. W. Fol- ger was elected minister, and Jacob Keffer deacon.
Aug. 2, 1877, the church met by order of a com- mittee sent by Annual Meeting, namely, S. S. Mohler, B. F. Flora, and Michael Sisler. At this time the church con-
Bro. Jacob Keffer and Wife
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sisted of two elders, M. J. Thomas, elder in charge, and I. J. Thomas ; one minister in the first degree, W. W. Fol- ger, four deacons, Samuel Keffer, Jacob Keffer, John Reith- er and Harrison Shutt; and about fifty lay members. The result of the work of the committee was the withdrawal of M. J. and I. J. Thomas, elders ; John Reither and Har- rison Shutt, deacons, and about thirty-one of the laity. W. W. Folger, minister, Jacob and Samuel Keffer, dea- cons; and thirteen of the laity remained and organized, electing Bro. Jonathan Beard, of the Marion County church, as elder, he serving until he died, Oct. 23, 1889. Up until 1890 the few members were held together by the preaching of Bro. W. W. Folger.
In 1890, at the Bonney schoolhouse, a Union Sunday- school was organized by the New Light Christians, at which time Bro. Jacob Keffer was elected as superintend- ent. Through the efforts of the Sunday-school and the preaching of Bro. W. W. Folger, Jan. 1, 1892, two sisters were received into the church by baptism, and Jan. 20 of the same year Bro. J. D. Haughtelin came and held a three weeks' series of meetings. During the same year Bro. Haughtelin was chosen elder and the members proceeded to build a churchhouse. The name was changed from " Irish Grove " to " South River," and the house was dedi- cated Nov. 24, 1892, the dedicatory sermon being preached by Isaac Barto, of the East Nodaway church. During Bro. Haughtelin's eldership about nine were added to the church. Bro. Haughtelin served as elder for a number of years, and Bro. J. P. Bailey was elected, May 31, 1902. Bro. Lewis Kob was chosen as assistant elder, and at the September and November council meetings Bro. Kob did the moderating in the absence of Bro. Bailey. In November, 1902, Bro. D. F. Sink held a revival meeting, at which time
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three young people were added to the church by baptism.
In 1903 Bro. Folger heard of Sister May Manners, living near Milo, Iowa. He sought her, spent the night with her and her parents, and the next morning she told him she wanted to do mission work. In August the same year he took the matter up with the Mission Board and C. E. Wolfe, pastor of the Ottumwa church. A few weeks later Sister Manners, by earnest invitation, came to South River to a communion service and was delighted to get with the church again. Bro. Jacob Keffer took her to De- catur County, and then to District Meeting at the Salem church. She was chosen as reading clerk, met the board and Bro. Wolfe, and arrangements were made and she began mission work at Ottumwa in October, laboring for thirteen months. During that time the church sent to her the money collected at the Sunday-school to help her in her work.
Brethren Bailey and Kob served as elders until Aug. 22, 1904, when Bro. D. F. Sink was elected, and on the above-named date Bro. Lee Fisher was elected deacon. From August, 1904, until February, 1907, there seems to have been a lull in the work, for during that time only one council meeting is reported each year. But Feb. 1, 1907, the church appears to have taken on new life, and was re- organized. The church name was changed from "South River " to " Osceola." Bro. D. F. Sink, of Lenox, was still the elder, and the following officers were elected : Clerk, Mettie Caskey; treasurer, Jacob Keffer (which of- fice he still holds) ; trustees, Jacob Keffer, Tom Rilea, Homer Caskey.
It was on the above-named date that the church de- cided to move their churchhouse from South River to Os- ceola, and Bro. Keffer hauled the old material to Osceola,
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where Bro. Homer Caskey did the carpenter work. Oct. 20, 1907, the church was dedicated, Bro. D. L. Miller preach- ing the dedicatory sermon. During the eldership of Bro. D. F. Sink several were added to the church and on the above- named date Bro. Homer Caskey was elected to the min- istry. The work was carried on between Brethren Folger and Caskey and in the absence of the elder one of the two would preside.
Aug. 20, 1910, Bro. Homer Caskey and wife were granted letters and moved away, and Sept. 30, 1910, Bro. Lee M. Fisher was called to the ministry and installed by Brethren Peter Brower and D. F. Sink. The same fall Brethren Lincoln Fisher and Ward Folger were elected to the deacon's office, and the work was carried on between Brethren Folger and Fisher.
In September, 1912, the District Meeting was held at the church. Jan. 11, 1913, letters of membership were granted Brother and Sister Wyman Folger, and they moved to Ankeny, Iowa. Thus Bro. Folger's closed their labors with the Osceola church, he having been elected to the ministry when the church was known as the "Prairie Grove " church, May 1, 1880, making thirty-three years of service in the congregation. Bro. Folger's moving away left Bro. Lee Fisher alone in the ministry. Bro. Sink served as elder until moving west, and Sept. 13, 1913, Bro. A. L. Sears, of the Franklin church, Decatur County, was elected in his stead.
During 1913 Bro. Lee Fisher and wife were urged to move to town and give more of their time to the serv- ice of the church, which they did, laboring under part sup- port. July 11, 1914, Bro. Chas. A. Colyn was elected to the ministry, and he and his wife were duly installed the fol- lowing day by Bro. Sears. Jan. 10, 1914, a committee of
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three sisters was appointed to solicit money with which to build a kitchen on the churchhouse, and by their un- tiring efforts they finally succeeded in having it built. Dur- ing the winter of 1915 Bro, O. C. Caskey and wife came from Chicago, the church employing them, and they went to work under part support.
Jan. 9, 1915, letters were granted to Brother and Sis- ter Lee Fisher, and they moved out of our midst, leaving Bro. Caskey as pastor and Bro. Colyn as a minister in the first degree. In the fall of 1915 a Bible Institute was con- ducted by Sister Nettie Senger, of Bethany Bible School.
Jan. 8, 1916, certificates of membership were granted Brother and Sister O. C. Caskey, and their moving away left Bro. Colyn alone in the ministry, and on the same day he and his wife were advanced to the second degree of the ministry. At the same time a committee was appointed to clean the churchhouse, and the following spring about two weeks' work was done on the walls, changing chimney, refinishing woodwork, seats, etc. During the winter of 1916 Bro. J. Q. Goughnour held a revival meeting and four were added to the church. In the summer of 1917 Bro. J. D. Brower, of South English, Iowa, conducted a revival meeting, with Sister Trude Mishler, of Pierceton, Ind., as song leader. Bro. Sears served as elder until Bro. Cover, of Mt. Etna, was elected, March 30, 1918. The summer of 1918 Bro. Harvey Snell, of Council Bluffs, lowa, conducted a revival meeting, with Sister Trude Mishler as song leader again. Bro. Cover served as elder until going away to school, and March 29, 1919, Bro. S. W. Garber, of Ottumwa, was chosen. He served until moving away, and Oct. 18, 1919, Bro. John Brower, of South English, Iowa, was elected. In November of the same year Bro. James F. Swallow, of Seavey, Minn., conducted a revival,
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with Bro. Paul Hoover of Middleton, Ind., as song leader. The result of the meeting was three accessions to the church.
Nora Colyn.
CHAPTER XI
Marion County Church
In an early day a church was organized in Marion County. Some of the members lived in the eastern part of the county and some in the western part; also some in the eastern part of Warren County. Some of the elders who had charge of this church were Jacob Brower, Jona- than Beard, Hiram Berkman, and S. M. Goughnour. Min- isters who resided in this congregation included Enoch Brower, Nathan Miller, Wm. Bacon, Jonathan Beard. Among the deacons were John Erb, Ben Erb, and Charlie Steman. As death and emigration had weakened this church it was disorganized in 1903 or 1904. Some of the members united with the South River church and some with the Prairie City church in the Middle District.
Nishney Valley
Nishney Valley was organized at least as early as some time in the seventies. This church was in the eastern part of Fremont County, near Farragut. Bro. B. F. Flory, a minister, moved to this church in 1878. At this time there were about twenty-five or thirty members, including one minister, Bro. S. Brown, but to our knowledge Bro. Brown never did any preaching. Bro. Flory was ordained to the eldership at this place. He remained here until 1883, when he moved farther west. During his stay a number were added to the church by baptism. Bro. George Stambaugh was chosen to the ministry about 1884.
The Brethren and Christian churches united in purchas-
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ing a churchhouse and had their meetings together, but on account of emigration and other causes our number be- came smaller, until 1908, when the church was disor- ganized. D. F. Sink and J. D. Brower, committee.
A. H. B.
Adair Church, Adair County, Iowa
Coon River church, Guthrie County, Iowa, was organ- ized in June, 1862. At this time J. D. Haughtelin was chosen to the ministry and J. W. Diehl to the deacon's office. Bro. Diehl was soon chosen to the ministry. These young brethren put forth a strong effort in spreading the Gospel, going into Adair County as well as into other ad- joining counties, and as early as 1879 they did some bap- tizing in this county. Others were added by letter and by baptism, until in the autumn of 1892, when the Adair church was organized with eighteen members. Michael Hermon, a minister in the second degree, was among the number, and Eld. J. D. Haughtelin was chosen as their elder. Services were held at the following schoolhouses : Needle, Walnut Center, Cominka, Quarry, and perhaps others. Love feasts were held as follows : One at the home of James Grosclose ; one at the home of Philip Noland; two at the Cominka schoolhouse; and two at the home of Michael Hermon. Perhaps there were others. This started out to be a prosperous church, but owing to emigration the number decreased. so greatly, that Dec. 12, 1897, they were disorganized, Bro. Herman and others placing their letters in the Coon River church. Others being more con- venient to the Mt. Etna church placed their letters there.
I am indebted to our dear departed brother, J. D. Haughtelin, for these few items and dates.
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