USA > Illinois > Church of the Brethren in southern Illinois > Part 5
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CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
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LA PLACE CHURCH
L. F. Turner. Elders who have had oversight of the Okaw church were: John Metzger, Jacob Waggoner, Jacob Ulrey, John Arnold, George Miller, W. T. Heckman and Roy Teach. One student pastor, Jacob Dick, and four full-time pastors have served this church: Wayne Carr, L. M. Baldwin, Ira Hiatt, and Eldo Henricks, the present pastor.
The aid society was organized about 1894, and as the women's work, with the different departments, in 1939. They have done much sewing and canning for relief. The young people have weekly meetings with programs and social ac- tivities.
A farm of one hundred fifty acres was donated by Brother George Ulrey to the General Mission Board. The men's organization of the Okaw church have farmed it since 1946. The farm of Lester Beery is a collecting center for heifers for relief.
Two missionaries from the Okaw church have served on the India field: Nora Arnold Lichty and J. Elmer Wag- oner.
The church changed its name to La Place in 1946.
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CONGREGATIONS
SHELBY COUNTY (1866)
Of a church at Shelbyville in Shelby County we have but meager records. Brother J. W. Beer lived at Shelby- ville and held regular services there in 1865, 1866, and 1867. He reported the following in the Christian Family Compan- ion, May 1, 1866:
Please send back numbers of the "Companion" to brother Benja- min Brickles, Shelbyville, Shelby county, Illinois. Brother Brickles is a colored man. He was a slave in Tennessee . . . . A little over a year ago he became interested in our meetings and attended regu- larly .... On Sunday, May 28th, 1865, he was baptized by your humble servant in the Okaw river at Shelbyville.
The Shelby County branch was represented at the dis- trict meeting of 1866 by Thomas Graham, who brought four queries. One of the interesting queries considered by that district meeting was concerning the attitude of visiting members toward a colored brother. This query in all proba- bility came from Shelby County.
The interest of J. W. Beer in the work of the church is shown by his articles written for the Companion and by his home mission tour among a number of churches in Illi- nois and Missouri. Of this tour he wrote: ". . . I left home on the 11th of January to visit some of the churches in the Northwest, and I reached home safely again on the 12th of February. .. . " He had preached in Christian, Caldwell and Clinton counties in Missouri, and in Adams and Pike counties in Illinois.
LA MOTTE PRAIRIE (1868-)
Several Brethren moved to Crawford County, Illinois, from Darke and Montgomery counties in Ohio in the year 1865, followed a year or two later by others from these
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same counties. In the autumn of 1868 Elders John Fitz and James R. Gish, appointed by the district meeting, met with the members in the Moore schoolhouse and effected a church organization. The charter members, all having certificates of membership, were: Jacob Swinger and wife, Henry Stoner and wife, J. P. Horning and wife, John Martin (deacon) and wife, and Absolom Hyre (a minister in the second degree) and wife. In that same year J. P. Horning was elected to the ministry and Isaac Horning was elected deacon. In a barn of the locality the first love feast was held in 1868.
Regular meetings were held in the Moore schoolhouse until 1871, when the Oak Grove church was built on ground donated to the community for church purposes, and all denominations were invited to use it. The Brethren alter- nated with other denominations and with others held a union Sunday school for many years.
The selection of leaders is related in an early account of the La Motte Prairie church written by H. R. King for the Primitive Christian, April 4, 1876: "At our love feast in 1873, a choice was held for one minister and two deacons. The lot fell upon Brother Jacob Swinger for the ministry, and Brothers Daniel and Henry Stoner, deacons; yet our ministerial force is not adequate."
In the Pilgrim, March 2, 1874, Elder J. H. Moore gave an account of his visit to the La Motte Prairie church:
At this place we found forty members, the most of them living close together. There are something like twenty-four members liv- ing in a square of not over two miles square . The ministers here are doing good work, but they need help .... The whole plain lies in sight of the Wabash river, and has an abundance of timber on either side .... We would like to describe the beautiful sight we saw after we crossed the Wabash and stood on the elevation nearly two hundred feet above the valley below, and took a long look over La Motte Prairie, where we could see nearly every house where the members live, although several miles away.
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The next year, 1875, Elder J. H. Moore returned to the La Motte Prairie church and held a series of meetings.1 Elders John Metzger and Joseph Hendricks were there at the time of the love feast, which was held in a large new barn filled with attentive people; yet, quite a number could not get in and crowded about the door to hear. Three were baptized at that time.2
At a council meeting of the church held on September 24, 1881, it was decided to erect a church building. Jacob Swinger donated one acre from his farm and "Grand-pap" Stoner donated the lumber from his timberland. All the men and boys of the community helped with the building, under the direction of M. S. Seymore, carpenter. On Janu- ary 28, 1882, the church was dedicated, the services being conducted by Elder David Troxel of Cerro Gordo. Follow- ing the dedication, eight were baptized.
In the Brethren at Work, May 2, 1882, the organiza- tion of a Sunday school was reported by Henry Winger:
At our council meeting, we all agreed to organize a Sunday School .... Accordingly, we met on the 9th [of April] at 3 P.M., seventy-five in number . . . then elected the writer superintendent; J. J. Smith, assistant; Brother W. W. Horning, secretary; Brother J. F. Bookwalter, assistant; Brother A. F. Mentz, treasurer. Today we had a good school, numbering eighty-six. We meet every Thurs- day night in Bible School
From the beginning of its organization, this was an "ever- green" Sunday school and there have been but few Sundays when Sunday school and preaching services have not been held.
The work of the La Motte Prairie church has been far reaching and a power for good in its community. Al- though the membership has been limited in numbers, the church had a peak membership of sixty in 1895; the pres- ent membership is between forty and fifty.
1 The Pilgrim, February 9, 1875
2 Brethren at Work, June 4, 1877
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CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
LA MOTTE PRAIRIE CHURCH
The women's work was organized about 1910 and has continued active in relief work and local projects. They have mission study at aid meetings. The men organized in 1947, farmed a field of corn and bought a furnace for the church. The young people have regular Sunday evening meetings.
Ministers elected in this congregation have been: J. P. Horning, 1868; Jacob Swinger, 1873; H. H. Wenger, 1879; J. C. Stoner, 1883; C. W. Metz, 1894; William Swinger, 1896; Oliver Dearing, 1932; Ausby Swinger, 1933.
The following elders have had charge of the church: Absalom Hyre, 1868-1878; Joseph Hendricks, 1878-1881; Da- vid Troxel, 1881-1893; J. C. Stoner, 1893-1924; W. T. Heck- man, 1924-1935; Dolar C. Ritchey, 1935-1944; Dow A. Ridgely, 1944-1947; and Glenn Carr, 1947-1949.
Most of the preaching and pastoral work has been done by the elders-in-charge. Durwood Hayes, of Allison Prairie, is the present pastor.
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CONGREGATIONS
VERMILLION-CORNELL (1868-1904)
The Vermillion church, located in Livingston County, was organized in the fall of 1868, as reported by S. W. Swi- hart in the Primitive Christian, July 25, 1876, and was listed among the churches of Southern Illinois in the district meet- ing minutes of 1869. In 1874 George Gish of Roanoke held three meetings in a schoolhouse near Chenoa and mentioned only a few scattered members living in that vicinity, as the main body of the congregation was located some twelve miles north of Chenoa, on the Vermillion River. In the Pil- grim, February 7, 1874, Brother G. W. Gish wrote of one deacon in this church, Brother Climsman, who, some twenty years before that time, had migrated from Germany to Pennsylvania, where he and his wife were baptized by the Brethren. G. W. Gish preached at three other places: in the Georgetown schoolhouse; at the place four miles north of Cornell; and at the home of John Garver, twelve miles north of Cornell.
The Vermillion church was in a prosperous condition, working in harmony, in 1876, when J. W. Swihart held meet- ings at the Baker Run schoolhouse near Cornell. At that place the Vermillion church held a council meeting. An account written by J. W. Gephart appeared in the Primitive Christian and Pilgrim of July 24, 1877; it said: "At this time we number forty-seven. We have two ministers and three deacons. Between April 1st, 1876 and April 1st, 1877 we baptized six." Nine were added to the church in June 1877; on July 15 four more were baptized. In the Brethren at Work, February 7, 1878, Ella Heckman reported: "Our church is in a prosperous condition at present. We have about sixty members . . " Elder John Metzger preached a series of meetings in the Vermillion church, ending April 12, 1878; then Mobry and Holsinger of Will County, Illinois,
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stayed one week longer in meetings with three additions to the church. Because the membership was living so scat- tered, the Vermillion territory was divided in 1878; the south part was called the Pike Creek church and the north part retained the name, Vermillion.
There is an account in the Brethren at Work, February 20, 1879, of five meetings held by Kalen Heckman, at which three requested baptism. ". .. After services we went to the waterside . . . the brethren having cut the ice open, which was about fifteen inches thick, and three persons were buried with Christ in baptism . .. . "
At a council meeting held on March 21, 1879, "the church set apart one brother for the word and one for dea- con." A. Groom was the minister chosen and D. Heckman the deacon, according to the report in the Brethren at Work, April 10, 1879. In that same year the Vermillion church bought a suitable site for building a meetinghouse and through the Primitive Christian and Pilgrim made an ap- peal to the brotherhood for building funds. A few years later they had secured help to the amount of two hundred dollars and, in 1883, a church house was built in the town of Cornell. This new church was dedicated on Decem- ber 2, 1883; Elder M. J. McClure of Morrisonville preached, assisted by George Gish and Thomas Keiser of Woodford County. On that occasion the new building, which could seat three hundred, was entirely filled and many could not find room inside.
This was a growing organization with additions to the church at a number of different times in 1884; also, a Sun- day school was organized during that year. But they had dif- ficulties, too. In 1887 P. W. Stuckman wrote in the Gospel Messenger of October 25: "I began a series of meetings, which appeared to me like midnight at the brook Jabbok, but the day broke and nine souls were added to the church."
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CONGREGATIONS
In 1888 the Vermillion church had one minister, forty-five members, eight baptized, and an average attendance of forty- five at Sunday school. The last appearance of the name, Vermillion, with the list of churches in Southern Illinois was in the district meeting minutes of 1890, with Elder D. Mast in charge at that time. It seems that the name of the Vermillion church was changed to Cornell about that time, for the name, Cornell, is listed in 1892 with D. Mast as elder, followed by Menno Stauffer as elder after 1893. A love feast was held on September 26, 1895, "the first meeting of the kind ever held in the little village of Cornell," when about forty-five communed and Brethren Lyon, C. S. Holsinger and W. T. Keiser were present.1 In 1894 the number of members listed for the Cornell church was forty-five. The last report, in 1904, indicated a disorganization at about that date, for M. Flory and J. C. Stoner were sent to the Cornell church as a committee by the district meeting of that year.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY (1869-1889)
We are certain that there were Brethren settlers in Cumberland County, Illinois, before 1865, as David Roth- rock wrote for the Christian Family Companion of August 22, 1865, and announced the appointment of a love feast with the Brethren in Cumberland County on the first Sunday of October, to be held two miles north of Hazel Dell and six miles west of Casey. A number of times, through cor- respondence in the Companion, the Pilgrim, and the Primi- tive Christian, David Rothrock and others presented the needs of the members living in Cumberland County, who were for many years without a minister. One such appeal appeared in the Christian Family Companion, February 26, 1867:
1 The Gospel Messenger, October 13, 1885
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. We learn that many brethren have moved to the far west . and are without a shepherd; we can say the same. We live in Illinois; our main speakers live about forty-five miles from here; we have had no meetings since August. There are only five members in our country near us; there are three about fifteen miles from here. Though few in number, we would like a speaker. There is a wide field here for labor . ... We wish you could through the Compan- ion induce some speaker, in the English language, to settle among us. As added inducements for more Brethren settlers, men- tion is made of the "good country," a convenient railroad and a second under contemplation.
Mention of the Cumberland County church first ap- peared in the district meeting minutes of 1869, but without representation. Several years following (1870, 1874, 1875 and 1879), the church was represented by letter; but only once, in 1880, was a personal delegate sent; he was D. Roth- rock.
From the meager available accounts of the Cumberland County church the following information is gleaned: A meeting was held in 1871 by Michael Forney of Richland County; a member from the Cumberland County church attended the Annual Meeting of 1874 and lamented the lack of Brethren services at Hazel Dell; also the visit of Ananias Hensel, of Indiana, in the spring of 1876, when he preached six sermons at three different places in the county. In August of 1876, a two-day love feast was appointed to be held in the home of Brother James McBride.
During the years 1875-1878 the small group of members was diminished by the loss of five of their older members by death, including their elder, Absalom Hyre, who was re- garded as a father by those under his care. This small iso- lated congregation nevertheless showed a growth in num- bers, from five in 1867 to twelve in 1875, and the census report of members records a total membership of thirty- one in 1881. The name of the Cumberland County church appears on the district meeting minutes until 1889.
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CONGREGATIONS
SALEM (1869-1917)
The first Brethren in Marion County came from Ohio in about 1867 and with their families settled about five miles east of Salem. Meetings were held in the homes of members and in 1868 a communion meeting was held in the barn owned by Henry Harshberger. There is record of another communion one year later. The organization of the Salem church was fully effected by William Elam and John Shive- ly in 1869. Elder Joseph Cripe was given charge of the church. The following were charter members: Elder Joseph Cripe and wife, Henry Harshberger and wife, David Shana- felt and wife, Elizabeth Cripe, A. C. Shanafelt, Daniel Neher and wife, and Andrew Neher and wife. Other members among the very early settlers in this community were: Elder Jacob Ulrey and wife, Jacob D. Ulrey, wife and fam- ily of three, Daniel Foutz and wife, Mrs. Daniel Wagner and family, and the Blickenstaffs. At the time of organization, Henry Harshberger and Andrew Neher were elected min- isters.
In 1872 there were thirty-six members, and regular meetings were held in schoolhouses and at other points. A report in the Pilgrim, September 22, 1874, lists two elders, Jacob Neher and Jacob Ulrey; two ministers, Henry Harsh- berger and Andrew Neher; and two deacons, David Shana- felt and John F. Neher. Nine had been added to the church during that year, making a total of some forty members.
A union Sunday school was organized in the Huff school- house in the summer of 1875, but after a church building was erected and Sunday school conducted in the church, only church members were elected as officers. As reported by J. F. Neher in the Brethren at Work, January 24, 1878, a meetinghouse was built in 1877 at a location five miles
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southeast of Salem: "All work was done by brethren and others, free of charge."
John Metzger wrote in the Brethren at Work, January 15, 1878:
They [the members] raised what money they were obliged to have to get the material, and brought it all together on the ground. Two of the brethren laid off the frame and all the rest would go and work day by day until the house was finished. They built that house in the shortest time and with less money than any house I have known built by the brethren.
About that time meetings were held by Joseph Hend- ricks. Robert Atchison was then a minister in the Salem congregation. Two more ministers were elected in 1881: J. F. Neher and Daniel Ulrey; Leonard Wolfe was elected in 1882. Elder John Metzger, in correspondence appearing in the Gospel Messenger of November 4, 1884, wrote that Daniel Ulrey was advanced in the ministry and three dea- cons were elected: David Cripps, Daniel Pippinger, and Jacob Ulrey. Prayer meetings were held in the church about 1885; also they were held in homes, as the members were scattered and it was inconvenient for all to come to one place.
About 1892 the members living west of Salem called for a division of territory, as they wished to build a meet- inghouse in that section. Accordingly, a division was made. The west part, with a membership of about twenty-five, retained the original name; the east part was called Romine, although they retained the original church building, which was located in their section of the territory. As all of the official board resided in the Romine territory, an election was conducted in the Salem congregation by Elders Menno Stauffer and M. J. McClure. Elder Stauffer was chosen overseer.
A meetinghouse was built west of Salem and dedi- cated by D. B. Gibson on February 19, 1893. Following
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CONGREGATIONS
Menno Stauffer, elders-in-charge of this congregation were: John Harshberger, Michael Flory, J. H. Baker, J. W. Harsh- berger, George Miller, and Henry Lilligh. The membership numbered twenty-five and carried on until 1917. Then, diminished in numbers and with transportation no longer so great a problem, they petitioned district meeting for disorganization. Henry Lilligh and Dow Ridgely, as the district meeting committee, met with the members on No- vember 22, 1917, to effect the disorganization, and nine let- ters of transfer were granted to the members. A month later the house and fixtures were sold at public auction.
BEAR CREEK, Christian County (1870-1912)
The Bear Creek church, Christian County, formerly a part of the Otter Creek church, was organized on September 24, 1870, under the direction of Elders Isaac Neff and John Crist. There were twelve members-six brethren and six sisters. On the day of organization Abraham S. Leer was elected to the ministry and A. D. Stutsman to the office of deacon; John Crist was given oversight of the church.
A report from Bear Creek in the Pilgrim of September 22, 1874, tells of the congregation of forty-seven members, three speakers and three deacons, two recent additions to the church, and preaching every Lord's Day which was generally well attended. The church decided to hold a love feast, planning a two-day meeting to be held at the home of Brother Amos Stutsman, three and a half miles east of Morrisonville, on the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh of September.
The following year, William Brunk in a lengthy cor- respondence to the Pilgrim of November 1875, wrote of twenty-four members added to the church by baptism dur-
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ing the autumn. He added a detailed report of strong ser- mons by Brother J. W. Stein, preached to crowds in two different schoolhouses in the vicinity of Morrisonville and in the town. Several families moved out about this time, including that of Brother Henry Brubaker, an able min- ister. This left the ministry unable to fill all the calls for preaching.
Two series of meetings were held in 1877, one in Janu- ary by B. B. Whitmer in the Evergreen schoolhouse and the other in the autumn by Brethren John Metzger and Joseph Hendricks. The result was the addition of thirty- nine during the year. The church keenly felt the loss of Brother Nicholas Brubaker, an able minister, who died in March 1878; however, five additions were reported for the year, bringing the membership to a total of eighty-two. Plans were made for purchasing a meetinghouse from the Campbellites-plans which were realized in 1879. En- couraged by having a place of worship in the town of Palm- er on the T. W. & W. Railroad, the church invited vis- iting ministers to stop there and preach. In the Primi- tive Christian and Pilgrim, January 7, 1879, A. S. Leer wrote:
In number forty-five of the present volume, page 712, you say you are informed that the Bear Creek church in Illinois has identi- fied itself with the Congregational Brethren, with the view of prac- ticing the word of the Lord more closely. And as I have been writ- ten to in regard to it, by brethren wanting to know whether it is correct, I make this explanation: Bear Creek church of Christian County, Illinois stands identified with the Church of the Brethren as it always did.
In 1883 M. J. McClure wrote in the Brethren at Work of March 27 that the Bear Creek church had been having reverses in the loss of nearly half of her members by emi- gration, and of the presiding elder, A. S. Leer, by death.
The name, Bear Creek, appears in the minutes of dis- trict meeting until 1911, when the church requested dis-
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CONGREGATIONS
organization. The committee sent by district meeting met in the home of Eli Coy in Morrisonville on September 20, 1912, when the church was disorganized and letters of trans- fer were granted to the membership.
Elders who had charge of the Bear Creek church were: John Crist, John Metzger, Abram Peters, A. S. Leer, Owen Peters, M. J. McClure, M. Flory, S. S. Miller, S. W. Garber, W. H. Shull and B. F. Filbrun.
EDGAR COUNTY (1871-1877)
A number of Brethren families from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, moved near Paris, Illinois, in Edgar County. These members were organized as a church in 1871. The first official body was composed of Jacob Miller, a minister, and J. C. Demy, a deacon. John Metzger was chosen elder- in-charge.
Brother George Long, in an article entitled "A Visit to Edgar County, Illinois," written for the Christian Family Companion, July 18, 1871, reported three families of Breth- ren living near Paris, where he held meetings in a school- house. A part of his report follows:
Brother William Hartzler's appeal in the Christian Family Com- panion caused us to make a trip to find those brethren who moved from Pennsylvania and settled in Edgar County, Ill. So we left home on Monday morning, June 12th, took the cars at Lima for Fort Wayne, thence on the Wabash Valley Railroad for Danville, Illinois . . . . Arrived at Danville at 11 o'clock. To our great disappointment the new railroad south for Paris was only staked out, instead of cars running; so we took a good safe old way for it-on foot thirty- six miles to Paris; arrived there on Wednesday, about 11 o'clock. Went to the postoffice and made inquiry for Philip Siders and George Hess. I was told that Philip Siders lived eleven miles northeast and Hess some nine miles .... Going to different places, we met a woman in a store who told us that as soon as her husband came in, they would start with a team and could take us to Kline's who could tell us where to find them
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Got to Brother Kline's about 3 o'clock and talked a few minutes; then he started out to have meeting that evening, and to our surprise gathered nearly a school house full. We spoke to these people the best we could ... also the next evening .. . .
Then Brother Long urged any Brethren in that locality to visit these members, and especially urged traveling min- isters to stop and preach for them. He added directions: "George Hess lives seven miles nearly due south of Vermil- lion station, west of Terre Haute; Philip Siders, four miles north and one mile east of Paris-both in Edgar County."
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