USA > Indiana > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Indiana: its people, industries and institutions > Part 25
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Since its organization the church has received more than four hundred persons into membership and now has a congregation of two hundred. It has an excellent Sunday school and a flourishing Ladies' Aid Society.
Following are ministers who have been regularly installed by the con- gregation of this church: N. A. Walker, Isaac Tomlinson, Charles Salis- bury, Walter S. Smith, Charles Riley, Z. M. Kenady, V. G. Carmichael, Alphonso Burns, Cloyd Goodnight, James Conner, J. L. Roberts, Perry Case, E. W. Stairs, R. H. Webb, A. Burns, Clarence Reidenbach, Stanley Selleck and George E. Beatty. The latter took charge of the church in February, 1914, but was compelled to resign in December of the same year, on account of ill health. The Sunday school, under the superintendency of Ora Pearce, has an average attendance of forty-five. Mrs. Courtney Kanouse is president of the Ladies' Aid Society.
DISCONTINUED CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
Four churches of this denomination, founded in Decatur county during the past four decades, have passed out of existence. Antioch church, founded by John B. New in 1840, disbanded in 1875. Union Chapel, ten miles south of Greensburg, went down in 1880 after an existence of thirty years. A church started at Mechanicsburg in 1865 lasted fifteen years. The Clifty church, founded about 1840, ended its career in 1875.
UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST.
The United Brethren in Christ came into existence at Lancaster, Penn- sylvania, in the year Washington was inaugurated President. In that year William Otterbein and Martin Boehm, German ministers of the Reformed and Mennonite churches, respectively, first used the term United Brethren in Christ and the church may be said to have started that year. In this event- ful year there was a great religious awakening in Pennsylvania and large union services were held at various places. One night, in the barn of one Thomas Newcomer, in Lancaster, Martin Boehm preached a powerful
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sermon and, as soon as he was through. William Otterbein, who had never heard him preach before, and. in fact, had never seen him before this par- ticular night, walked up to him and greeted him thus: "We ought to be 'United Brethren in Christ,' for the doctrine which you have just preached is also my firm belief." Thus did the church come into existence. The first annual conference was held in 1800 and from that day forward the church has enjoyed a steady growth. The stronghold of the church is in the state of Ohio. There are five churches of the denomination in Decatur county at the present time : St. Omer. Fredonia, Mapleton. Lower Union and Sardinia.
FREDONIA CHURCH.
The Fredonia church is located a mile and a half south of Westport and dates its beginning from the early forties. The early records of the church are not available, but from one of the oldest residents of the com- munity the following facts have been gleaned. Felix Boicourt and his two children, Catherine and Absalom, started the church and for many years the meetings were held in their home. A school house later was used until such a time as the little congregation was able to build a log church. Later a frame house of worship was erected, which, with improvements from time to time, is still in use. H. W. White is the present pastor and has a flour- ishing congregation of one hundred and thirty members. The Sunday school, under the superintendency of R. E. Mattix, has an average attend- ance of forty. Mrs. Elsie Mattix is president of the Christian Endeavor : Mrs. Reuben Ford is at the head of the Ladies' Alid Society, while Mrs. H. W. White is the directing spirit of the Woman's Missionary Society.
MAPLETON CHURCH.
The Mapleton United Brethren church, which dates from about 1850, is situated two and a half miles northeast of Westport. The Boicourt family -David Boicourt and wife and George Boicourt and wife-were charter members. Like its sister church at Fredonia. it first worshipped in private homes until such a time as it was in a position to erect a separate house of worship. For many years the church was locally known as the Horse Shoe Bend church. The present pastor is H. W. White. The heads of the differ- ent auxiliaries of the church are as follow: Sunday school, L. E. Jessup : Ladies' Aid Society, Mrs. Emma Skinner. There are now one hundred and ten active members.
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LOWER UNION CHURCH.
The United Brethren church known as Lower Union is located about three and three-fourths miles southeast of Westport. The congregation existed for many years before the present church was erected, in 1862, and had for some time worshipped in a log building across the road from the present church. The church of 1862 was built by the united efforts of the Baptists and United Brethren, and probably other denominations, and is still a union church. The two denominations use it alternately and both have their separate Sunday schools. The only auxiliary organization main- tained by the United Brethren is the Sunday school, which, under the lead- ership of Elmer Smith, is doing good work with the forty who attend regu- larly. Rev. H. W. White is the pastor.
SARDINIA CHURCH.
The United Brethren church at Sardinia is less than a year old, being organized November 19, 1914, and owes its existence to the faithful efforts of Rev. S. S. Turley, who established it and still remains as its pastor. Dur- ing the winter of 1914-15 he held a revival in Sardinia and when he proposed the establishment of a United Brethren church he found sixty-two people who were ready to become charter members. Among the charter members were John and Goldie Gross, Mrs. Lizzie Ammerman, Mrs. Bertha Von- blaricum and Mrs. Jennie Foist. On February 22, 1915. the congregation bought the Presbyterian church and are now expending five hundred dollars in improving it, the original cost being two hundred dollars. Services are held by the pastor every Sunday evening and a mid-week prayer meeting has been attended with most gratifying results. The class leader is Thomas Talkington : James Cann is superintendent of the Sunday school; Miss E. Rose Meredith is president of the Christian Endeavor Union. Reverend White also serves charges at Grammer and Mt. Calvary in Bartholomew county.
PENTECOST CHUCH, GREENSBURG.
In 1902 Greensburg was visited by several persons of the Pentecost faith. They were unable to find a place of worship according to their own faith, and held services in an old house on East North street. These meet- ings were well attended and the house in which they were holding their serv- ices at that time did not furnish ample room to accommodate the worship-
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pers. George Little, seeing the disadvantage under which they labored, came forward with this proposition: That if fifty of the members would con- tribute five cents per week, making a guarantee of ten dollars per month, he would provide them with a house of worship. In addition to this, a contract imust be made to keep the house for three years, at which time he would turn it over to them as the rent for this length of time would pay for the building. Mr. Littell also agreed to donate the lot and give one hundred dollars in cash on the completion of such building.
This proposition was immediately accepted and Mr. Littell began mak- ing plans for their house of worship. He purchased the old Antioch church, located on the Madison road, from Alexander Hillis, who had been one of the deacons in that church. Mr. Hillis asked permission to keep the old church Bible. Mr. Littell immediately complied with this request and asked Mr. Hillis to bring it to the dedication of the new church and also give some public utterance at the services, all of which he did.
The old church building, which was in a good state of preservation, was moved to a beautiful lot in the eastern part of Greensburg and fitted up for services. But before the building had reached completion there arose a turmoil among the Pentecost brothers and they failed to comply with their part of the agreement. Consequently, Mr. Littell was left with the house of worship on his hands, as no one came to worship.
This state of affairs lasted until April 10, 1902, when it was dedicated by a Mr. Mounts under the Pentecost leadership. This lasted for some time and finally the interest began to wane. This church at present is the property of the trustees of the Second Christians, but the historian, with his present knowledge of theology, is unable to distinguish this faith. The services are now conducted by Rev. Jacob Cruiser.
GERMAN LUTHIERAN CIIURCII.
German Lutherans held services for a time in the city hall, Greensburg, beginning about 1870, but never mustered sufficient strength to erect a church of their own. Never more than twenty families attended the sery- ices, which were discontinued after a few years. One of the ministers who preached to this congregation was Karl Jacobs.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
For thirteen years ( 1898-1911) Episcopalians held regular services in their own church in Greensburg, and then the denomination, weakened by
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the death of a prominent member, closed the doors of the building, which is still standing on Hendricks street. For two years prior to the erection of the church in 1900 services were held in the city hall. When the church was erected there were twenty-one persons in the parish. The following rectors, among others, conducted services in Greensburg until the church was closed in 1911: Revs. Willis D. Engle, John Neady, James W. Com- fort and George Gallup.
CHURCH OF GOD.
There is another abandoned church in Greensburg and it stands at West North and Anderson streets. It is the Church of God and was built in 1887, following a wonderful revival and evangelistic service held in the opera house by Mrs. Maria Woodworth, evangelist of the cult.
Mammoth crowds attended the services. People went into trances and walked the floor in a frenzy or seemingly lost consciousness and became stiff and rigid. The utmost excitement prevailed. Before conducting services in Greensburg, Mrs. Woodworth had preached at Muncie, Indiana, with simi- lar results.
Following the meeting in the opera house, a church was organized and meetings were held for a time in a tent. Then the church building was erected, at a cost of about one thousand dollars. Then interest in the move- ment seemed to die, and, save only when Mrs. Woodworth made periodical visits to the city, the attendance was very small. At last the doors were locked and the church stands empty, vacant reminder of an emotional storin that once shook a city.
CHRISTIAN (NEW LIGHT ) CHURCII.
While there have been many members of the New Light division of the Christian church, there has been, as far as has been discovered, only one church built by this denomination. Strictly speaking, it was erected by one man of the denomination. Several years before the Civil War, a Ken- tuckian by the name of Jacob Sidner, a stanch member of the New Lights. built on one corner of his farm a substantial brick house of worship for his church. It was in Washington township on the Moscow road, about two and a half miles northwest of Greensburg. The building, which was later used for a school house, is still standing, a tribute to the religious zeal of this one man. Before he built his church, Sidner used to send to Kentucky once a year for the best New Light preacher he could get and have him conduct a
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sort of a camp meeting in a grove near his home in Washington township. He prepared seats in the grove, paid all the expenses and reveled in one good New Light service annually. Eventually, he felt justified in erecting a church for his people, but there does not appear to have been a very flourishing con- gregation at any time during its career. Who the preachers were, who the members were, or the date when the church was abandoned have been lost in the flight of time. The only person who has a definite recollection of the man and his church is the Rev. J. B. Lathrop, of Greensburg, who gave the above facts.
GERMAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The only German Methodist church in Decatur county is located in Salt Creek township, a mile and a half south of Smith's Crossing. The church dates its beginning from the time the first Germans of this denomi- nation located in this part of the county. They worshipped in private houses and school houses for a time and in 1864-65 built the church, which is still in use. In the summer of 1915 extensive improvements were made in the way of new roof and painting on the exterior and redecorating the interior. Sunday school is maintained and regular preaching services are held every two weeks by the pastor, Rev. William Wiegen, of Batesville. A well-kept cemetery adjoins the church.
GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH.
The German Lutherans have one congregation in the county. This is situated in Salt Creek township, two miles west of New Pennington and only one mile south of the one German Methodist church in the county. This church, known as St. Paul's, was established shortly before the opening of the Civil War and the present building was erected in 1861. The pastor in 1915 is Rev. William Schirmer, who lives in the parsonage adjoining the church.
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SOCIETY OF GREENSBURG.
The beginning of all societies and churches of the Christian Science denomination may often be traced to some knowledge of the healing of ills "that flesh is heir to."
The Christian Science Society of Greensburg, Indiana, is not an ex- ception to this rule. Mrs. Mary J. G. Griswold and Edith S. Griswold, motlier
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and daughter, are the first known people in the county seat to benefit by Christian Science treatment. As a result they opened their home, at No. 128 West Hendricks street, for services in 1902.
In 1911, loyal students of Indianapolis and Chicago presented the little band with a public meeting place in the Woodfill building, at the northwest corner of the public square, maintaining the gift for a period of twelve months. Services are still held in this building on every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.
The Sunday services of this denomination, the world over, are con- ducted by a first and second reader, who read the same lesson-sermon from the Christian Science quarterly Bible lessons, prepared by an authorized com- mittee of the mother church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts. The scriptural texts are from the King James' version; their correlative passages are from the denominational text-book "Science and Health, With Key to the Scriptures," by Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy, dis- coverer and founder of Christian Science.
The reading for the Wednesday evening meetings is from these two books, which are the only preachers of the denomination. This is followed with testimonies, experiences, and remarks on Christian Science. The democratic form of government obtains in the society, the majority rule being recognized. The customary reading room is open in Greensburg on Tuesday and on Saturday afternoon of each week. The present membership of the Greensburg Christian Science Society numbers twelve.
UNITED BRETHREN.
The first United Brethren preaching in the county was at the house of John Khorer, who came from Clermont county, Ohio, in 1824, and settled on the banks of Clifty. Khorer was one of the wealthiest citizens in the county and built one of the most elegant houses in this part of the state. His house was open to all preachers for many years, and here was organ- ized the first United Brethren class, some time before the forties. About 1840 a frame house of worship was built on Khorer's farm in Jackson township.
There were three so-called "war churches" built in Jackson township during the war, which were to eschew all mention of politics, and, so some said. they not only had no politics, but also no religion. Be that as it may, they died soon after the war closed. They were strictly a war by-product and, with the struggle over, there was no further excuse for their existence.
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J. A. Dillman, in the Standard of May 28, 1897, says of these three churches, "One has stood idle for many years, another was sold for a barn, and the third, after many changes, is still used as a church house."
CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN DECATUR COUNTY.
Greensburg Catholics, few in number before the Civil War, held servi- ces for a number of years in residences of members of that denomination. In 1855 Father E. Martinovic, who had charge of the mission, erected a small brick church and Rev. John Gilling became the first resident priest, ministering to the parish from 1863 to 1871. He was succeeded by Rev. John L. Brassard, who remained for a year or more. Then, save for an occasional mass, celebrated by a visiting priest, the parish was without guidance until 1874, in which year Rev. Daniel Curran came. At this time there were no more than twenty-five families residing in the parish.
The coming of Rev. Father Curran marked the beginning of a new epoch in the history of St. Mary's. During his three years of ministration in Greensburg, he built a new parish house, a parochial school with room for a hundred pupils and a teachers' residence. His health broke under the arduous labor and he was compelled to give up his work, dying a short time afterward. Rev. Henry Kessing was placed in charge in 1877 and remained until his death in 1882, by which time there were about seventy- five families in the parish, which was fast outgrowing the old brick church. Then came Rev. George Steigerwald, at that time one of the ablest men in the diocese. He took charge in 1883 and at once laid plans for the present church, which was completed a short time later at a cost of thirty-five thousand dollars.
Rev. George Steigerwald was a graduate of Heidelberg University and besides his scholarly attainments possessed unusual personal endowments. He was genial and affable in his relations with those outside his church and did much to break down prejudices existent before his coming. Upon his departure in 1897, he presented the parish with the present parish home, his personal property.
For the next seventeen years Rev. Lawrence Fichter was in charge of St. Mary's parish. This was a period of unusual growth, as Reverend Fichter induced a large number of substantial German Catholic families to settle in the vicinity of Greensburg.
The present priest. Rev. Father Fein, came to St. Mary's in 1913, from St. Joseph's parish in Vanderburg county. He has placed a new organ in
* اصحاب
ST. MAURICE'S CATHOLIC CIRURCH.
ST. OMER U. B. CHURCH. ADAMS TOWNSHIP.
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the church and plans the erection of a fifteen thousand-dollar parochial school. The present parish membership is more than eight hundred.
ST. MAURICE'S PARISH.
The village of St. Maurice was laid out in 1858 and was named in honor of Bishop Maurice De St. Oakaus. The Christian Brothers started a school the same year; but upon the death of their leader, Brother John Mary Weitman, the teachers returned to France. The Brothers had laid out the town upon forty acres of ground, of which nine and thirty-five hun- dredths acres belonged to the parish. A chapel was built in connection with the school which later served as a church for the parish. It was a frame structure, later converted into a school building, and is now a residence, owned by Frank Nienaber.
Among the first settlers in the village were: Martin Mauer, Stephan Brigler, Leonard Hemmerle, Magdalena Hemmerle, Herman Schroeder, John Altenan, Henry Oesterling, Edward Hellmich, Henry Groene and Henry Hopster.
The first mass was celebrated at St. Maurice by the Franciscan priest from Enochsburg. There were at that time sixteen families in the parish. The ten acres of ground and the first building cost the Brothers two thousand dollars. They raised one thousand dollars and borrowed the remainder. The first resident priest was Rev. Ferdinand Hundt, who was appointed in 1884. He was succeeded, in 1886, by Rev. Francis X. Seegmuller, who re- mained until 1891, when Rev. John B. Unverzagt took charge of the parish.
The present church was built in 1881-82 at a cost of ten thousand dol- lars. The interior was remodeled and redecorated in 1912, during the pas- torate of the Rev. Michael Wagner. St. Maurice is justly proud of its beautiful church. The rectory was built in 1855, at a cost of two thousand two hundred dollars, and the present school building, which cost approxi- . mately four thousand dollars, in addition to donated labor, was erected in 1907.
Since the departure of the Rev. Father Unverzagt the following clergy- men have had charge of the parish, Rev. Charles Schoeppner, O. F. M .; Rev. Alexander Koesters, Rev. Michael Wagner and the present pastor, Rev. Herman J. Gadlage. The church now has an enrollment of sixty-five fami- lies and an enrollment of three hundred and twenty-five souls.
The parish societies are the following: St. Martin's Men's Society ; St. (18)
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Aloysius's Young Men's Society; St. Elizabeth's Married Ladies' Society and the Blessed Virgin Mary's Young Ladies' Society.
OLDEST PARISII IN COUNTY.
The church of the Immaculate Conception, at Millhousen, Rev. J. P. Gillig, pastor, was the first Catholic parish organized in the county of Decatur.
On June 20, 1840, Maximilian Schneider donated forty acres of land, in trust, to Rt. Rev. Celestine de la Hailandiere, bishop of Vincennes, for the benefit of the Catholics of Millhousen, and in the same year the congregation, consisting of thirteen families, decided to erect a house of worship. This was a plain log building, twenty by twenty-four feet, with a rough exterior, chinked and daubed with mud, and was constructed under the auspices of Rev. Joseph Ferneding. The flock was comprised of Germans, and among the foremost of these in promoting the interests of the congregation, as well as of the town, was Bernard Hardebeck. The first missionary priests, fol- lowing Father Ferneding, were Revs. Conrad Schneiderjans, M. O'Rourke and Ramon Weinzoepfel, who labored until 1843. From 1843 until 1854, Rev. Alphonse Munschina and Rev. Joseph Rudolf were the only two labor- ers in this field, and of these Father Rudolf, whose residence was at Olden- burg, performed prodigious labors, visiting Franklin, Dearborn, Ripley and Decatur counties.
The increase of Catholics at Millhousen was surprising; wherefore they determined to build, instead of the wooden church, a good-sized brick church, thirty-eight by sixty feet . This was completed in 1850, and dedicated as St. Boniface's church. As the Rev. Alphonse Munschina, who had charge of the church, resided at St. Ann's, in Jennings county, it was deemed expedient by the people to have a priest residing in their midst; at their request, Rev. Peter Kreusch built, in 1856, the present parish house, which at the time was the finest in the diocese. In 1857 he erected a large school house and now the congregation has two splendid brick school buildings, the schools being attended by one hundred and seventy pupils. The schools are in charge of the Franciscan Sisters of Oldenburg, assisted by a lay teacher for boys.
The erection of the church of the Immaculate Conception, fifty-five by one hundred and forty feet, forty-six and one-half feet in height, was com- menced under Rev. F. Hundt, the ceremonies of laying the corner stone oc- curring on May 24, 1867 : and the building was completed under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Hueser and dedicated on August 4. 1869. In 1893 a spire was built which reaches one hundred and seventy-five feet above the ground. On
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November 7, 1870, Rev. F. W. Pepersack took charge and was succeeded, on July 2, 1885, by Rev. Joseph Schuck, and he, in October, 1891, by the Rev. John P. Gillig. Father Gillig remained with the church until June 15, 1904, when he was succeeded by Rev. J. A. Urich, the present pastor. The con- gregation is now estimated to be at least two hundred and fifty families, or nearly two thousand souls. The great majority of these live in Decatur county, although there are several living in Ripley and Jennings counties.
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH AT ST. PAUL.
St. Paul's church dates its formal organization from September 21. 1858, when twelve Catholic families were given permission to build a church in the village of St. Paul. However, previous to that date services had been held irregularly in the homes of the members of the church. The lot for the new church was donated by John Paul and E. L. Floyd, non-Catholics, living in St. Paul. Immediately after permission had been granted for the erection of a church, steps were taken for the construction of the same and the work was pushed with loyal vigor by the devoted members of the con- gregation. The dedication of the church took place on July 31, 1859, and the same building, with many extensive improvements, is still in use today. Owing to the small number of members it has never been able to maintain a resident priest. For several years the church was attached to St. Mary's, at Greensburg, and was served by the pastors from that place. Since 1885 it has been a mission of St. Vincent's at Shelbyville. Among the priests from Greensburg who served St. Paul were Fathers John P. Gillig, J. L. Bras- scart, Daniel Curran, Henry Kessing and George Stiegerwald. The follow- ing priests from Shelbyville have ministered to the congregation: Revs. M. L. Guthneck, G. M. Ginnsz, F. Hundt, A. Danenhofer, Charles Strickler, Joseph T. Bauer and F. Ketter, the present pastor. The church now has a membership of seventy.
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