USA > Michigan > The history of the Church of the Brethren in Michigan > Part 8
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One time when Lyman Wilcox and Daniel Kniesley were sawing wood they were talking about the Scriptures, and suddenly one said, "Let's be baptized!" The other one said, "Shake hands on it!" The following Sunday they were baptized in Lake Michigan near Brother Cosner's farm. A large boulder marks the place where they knelt for prayer. Lyman Wilcox later served as deacon. Daniel Kniesley was elected to the ministry. He was a great Bible student. He and Isaac Hufford often talked on the scrip- tural truths until two o'clock in the morning.
There are no members living in this particular section now.
LONG LAKE
It was in the spring of 1909 that Daniel Landis and fam- ily moved from Indiana to Manistee, Michigan. The follow- ing spring D. E. Sower and family of southern Michigan, Z. L. Bussear and family, and William Landis and his wife of Ohio moved into the vicinity of Manistee. These people had not been previously acquainted, but were soon fast friends. They started a Sunday school and preaching serv- ice in the Lasell schoolhouse, with the permission of the
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LONG LAKE
school board. Brother D. E. Sower was the minister. In June the first convert was baptized in Long Lake.
During the holiday season, Brother J. E. Ulery held a ten-day Bible class, which closed January 1, 1911. On the same day three young people were baptized in Long Lake. On April 8, 1911, the members met in the home of Brother Sower to organize a church body; the acting chairman and the clerk were Elders John Lair of Sugar Ridge and J. E. Ulery of Onekama. They chose Long Lake, which was the name of the lake in which the four had been baptized, for the church name. The chosen officers were: elder, J. E. Ulery; pastor, D. E. Sower; deacons, William Landis and Z. L. Bussear; clerk, John Landis; treasurer, Z. L. Bussear. There were fifteen charter members, thirteen of whom are still living.
D. E. Sower was advanced to the eldership on August 26, 1911, at the home of William Landis. Elders John Lair and J. E. Ulery were the officiating ministers. In October 1912 D. E. Sower was chosen to act as elder-in-charge.
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The first series of meetings was held in August 1913, fol- lowing the district meeting. The district tent was used, and Brother Charles Deardorff of Harlan, Michigan, was the evangelist. About that time there was some objection to the group using the schoolhouse for church services. Then, too, they were needing more classrooms and more comfortable seating facilities. This all led to the consider- ation of a church building. After much discussion and prayer, they mobilized their strength, both physical and financial, to the task. The three who served on the solicit- ing committee were D. E. Sower, John Landis and Dollie Shepherd. All the work was donated by members and friends, except nine dollars paid out for mason work on the flue. Under the capable and amiable leadership of Brother David Sower the building was completed with a debt of only one hundred dollars. This amount was raised at the dedication on September 6, 1914. Brother J. E. Ulery preached the dedicatory sermon. For about four years Brother Sower preached twice each Sunday, morning and evening. Services were also held at the Hyde schoolhouse, three miles east, and at Pelton's schoolhouse, seven miles south of the church. Brother Sower alternated his time at these places by making a trip of twenty miles one Sunday and thirty miles the next. That was in the horse- and-buggy days, but they were good days for the people enjoyed the church work.
In September 1915 another revival was held at Freesoil (again using the district tent), under the leadership of D. E. Sower and J. E. Ulery. Brother Ulery was the evan- gelist, and Sister Alma Wise was the chorister. These meetings were well attended and much appreciated. The series of meetings and the Bible classes resulted in bringing many into the church in those days.
Brother Z. L. Bussear was chosen to the ministry; later
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he went with the Dunkard Brethren. Brother D. E. Sower served as pastor and elder from October 1912 to April 1919, with the assistance of Z. L. Bussear and M. F. Rozell. The Rozell family then moved to Ohio. Brother L. U. Kreider was elder from 1919 to 1922; when he moved from the state he was succeeded by Brother Granville Nevinger of Onek- ama, who served as elder from 1922 to 1924. Brother J. J. Hamm of Sugar Ridge was elder from 1924 to 1930. Brother J. E. Ulery moved back to Onekama from North Manches- ter, Indiana, and has served as elder from 1930 to the present time. In March 1923 Harvey Landis and family moved to Manistee from Johnsville, Ohio, and served as pastor from 1923 to 1929, then moved back to Ohio. Brother and Sister J. E. Joseph of Onekama served as summer pastors from 1930 to 1932. Brother and Sister F. E. Mallott served during the summer of 1933. The church was with- out a regular pastor in 1934 and 1935. Brother and Sister L. S. Brumbaugh were summer pastors in 1936 and 1937. They had no pastor in 1938. Since this time Brother H. H. Helman of North Manchester, Indiana, has given a consider- able amount of ministerial help to this church.
During the years from 1911 to 1933 the membership ex- ceeded the one-hundred mark. Some of these members were received by letter, and more by baptism. Only a few families remain to carry on the work, but they are earnest workers doing what they can to advance the cause of Christ.
MARILLA
The earliest members in this area held their membership in the Lake View and Harlan churches. For this reason the formation of a Brethren group at Marilla was retarded.
Brother Hezekiah Grossnickle brought his family from Indiana in 1901. They located first at Brethren and later at
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Marilla. Brother Simon Eby also lived at Brethren and later located here. Both of these brethren served as deacons in the Marilla church.
All the religious activities in this section were carried on by the Baptist people prior to the organization of our church. The church building was erected in 1897 by mem- bers of the First Baptist church of Cleon and Marilla. The work was done under the leadership of Rev. George Crook
MARILLA
of Bear Lake, then the pastor in charge. The membership of the Baptist church at that time included the pioneer families of Marilla. We shall mention the following: Ed- ward Williams, George Patterson, F. P. Winters, Emerson Snyder, H. W. Studley, Ira Howes, Irving Clark, L. T. Hall, George Brimmer, and Reuben Nicols. Brother George Brim- mer was the church clerk for the Baptist organization. He is now the oldest living member of our church. The build- ing committee was composed of H. W. Studley, Reuben Nicols and Irving Clark. Much credit is due the untiring
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efforts of George Brimmer and Reuben Nicols in the com- pletion of the building. It was dedicated to God's work and use on May 26, 1899. A. F. Choate and George Crook, former pastors, were in charge of the service.
The church work was carried on by the Baptist people until March 1904, when the building was leased to Hezekiah Grossnickle and J. Edson Ulery, both trustees of the Lake View Brethren church, for a term of five years. Sunday- school services were conducted on a union and community basis for a number of years with members of both church organizations participating. This set-up continued from 1904 until January 1, 1913. The building was purchased from the Baptist organization on February 7, 1919. The property was then deeded to the Marilla congregation of the Church of the Brethren, which has functioned ever since.
The church building has been open at all times for any religious activity regardless of faith or creed. Memorial services and temperance meetings have been held here many times. Funeral rites for a large per cent of the burials in the Marilla cemetery have been conducted from this church. In view of this fact, a community movement was started to make repairs and improvements which were much needed. A fine spirit of co-operation and Christian service prevailed in accomplishing the work.
There was no regular pastor when the church was first organized. The pulpit was filled regularly by Brother J. Edson Ulery and others of the Lake View congregation. Brother Ulery then lived about midway between the Lake View and the Marilla church. He saw there was opportu- nity and need in the Marilla community, and he gave his personal assistance to the group of Brethren families there. He often encountered many hazards in making the trip to preach for them. The forest road to Marilla could easily
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be blocked by wind-fallen trees. Brother Ulery prepared for such circumstances by loading an ax, a saw, a log chain, and a cant hook into the buggy before he started on Sunday morning to conduct the services at Marilla. By his repeated use of these implements this road "through the choppins" became plainly marked and frequently used by others. Finally, in the early part of 1930, the workmen in the Ci- vilian Conservation Corps gave this road sufficient con- struction work to bring it on a par with other roads. They followed very nearly the course that Brother and Sister Ulery cleared and marked in their road-clearing trips to the Marilla church.
After Brother Ulery located at Onekama, Brother Abram Hawbaker served as minister until his death. He had moved to Brethren in 1902 from North Dakota. A few years later he settled in the neighborhood of the Marilla church. Brother Hawbaker was an able evangelist and received frequent calls to hold meetings for other congre- gations. He was called upon to preach in almost all of the churches in Michigan. He passed to his reward while assisting the Bear Lake church, near Petoskey, in a re- vival meeting. He was stricken with appendicitis and died within two days. This was in December 1906. Thus the Marilla church lost a devoted and able leader.
Brother Loren Moss (now of the Dunkard Brethren Church) served as minister here for a time. Brother For- rest Weller, while living at Harlan, devoted some time in ministering to the Marilla people. Brother George Funder- burg also served the group as leader in the ministry. Breth- ren Russell Weller, Charles Forror and Max Hartsough have been pastors since 1919. Brother Galen E. Barkdoll and family moved to the pastorate in 1938 from Nebraska. He and Sister Barkdoll are filling their place of responsi- bility very nobly. They have won the favor and goodwill
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of the people in the community. They live in the farm parsonage which was donated to the district by Sister Cora Rau, a member of the Marilla church since 1913.
It was in 1938 that Sister Rau and the members of her family announced their desire to pro- vide a parsonage for the Marilla church. Their farm of one hun- dred twenty acres was trans- ferred to the district mission board on condition that it be used as a farm for the Maril- la pastor. A project of remod- eling the house and of making improvements to all the build- ings demanded the full co-oper- MRS. CORA RAU ation of the organizations of the church. The young people, women and men all worked together over two years in getting all the work accomplished that was planned. Over seventy persons were happily occupied indoors and out- doors on the day that the new barn was erected.
The church entered into another significant project in 1941. This was in preparation for the district conference which convened there in August. The church building was placed on a new foundation. Men and boys donated one thousand hours of labor during February in making cement blocks for the basement wall. Homer Peters, Lowell Wright, Lloyd Blickenstaff, Edward Lander and others who were in the community putting the Joseph farm in readi- ness to serve as the first government-approved Civilian Public Service camp added their muscle, wit, and good- will to both the parsonage and the church project through- out the duration of the camp farm at Marilla. By the time
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the conference convened, the church was ready to accom- modate the large number of people in attendance. The inspiration afforded by the entire conference was sufficient reward for the extra effort of remodeling the building. Five young people were received into the church on the Sunday preceding the district meeting, and the conference blessed the Marilla church and community in many ways. ยท Brother Hezekiah Grossnickle, a charter member who had attended thirty-three consecutive district meetings, did not live to enjoy this 1941 conference in his home church.
About 1925 the Marilla union Sunday school asked Rev- erend William Beers, a former pastor of the United Brethren church, to lead the school in the office of superintendent. He served the school and the community in this office for eighteen consecutive years. Through his years of experi- ence in pastoral work, his zeal in the temperance cause, and his skill as an energetic organ- izer, he has given the local school a very excellent type of counsel and help. His concern about civic affairs has been county- and state-wide. The contribution of his family to church life and community in- terests in Marilla has been an immeasurable influence for the Brethren church there.
The Marilla aid society has MARILLA PARSONAGE become one of the most pro- gressive units of the church. It was reorganized on a com- munity basis in 1931. This group has taken a very definite lead in planning and providing improvements for the church
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property. Through the aid society a spirit of community fellowship and goodwill has been created and cultivated.
Another illustration of the community goodwill unique in the Marilla field comes to light in the gradual growth of the community sale. This is sponsored by the men's group. The proceeds are for the benefit of the church treasury. A summary of the results of their fourth an- nual sale will show the type of co-operation and the groups contributing to its success. A canvass was made of the homes of the neighborhood. The date was November 17, 1944, and the place was the Marilla two-room school. The people pledged poultry, canned goods, grain, vegetables, etc., to be placed in the sale. The ladies' aid furnished sup- per in the basement of the school and displayed their year's achievement of needlework, rugs and comforts. The pro- ceeds from the supper went to the ladies' aid society, while the amount of the general sale went into the church treas- ury. The junior classes did their part in the sale, and what they had donated and sold amounted to forty dollars. This was designated for the new chimney.
There are fifteen families on the church list. The fifty- one listed members constitute farm wage-earners, teachers, and industrial workers. With all the factors that enter into such a rural community church, the Marilla members should be commended for their accomplishments through the years. The nearest adjoining church is seven miles away. This church deserves to be the center for which all the talent in the community can be utilized for the cause of righteous- ness.
MIDLAND
The history of the Midland church covers less than three decades. The first Brethren family to locate in this city was Brother Jesse M. Fradenburgh's. They moved from
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the Beaverton congregation about 1918. Activities in church work by our own people got under way about five years later. Since the distance to Beaverton was too great for them to attend there, because they had no means of travel, the Fradenburgh family attended a union Sunday school sponsored by the Methodist Church. He served as their superintendent. In 1923, during an evangelistic ef-
n
MIDLAND
fort by the Methodist church, a large number of the con- verts gave the Brethren church as their preference. These new members together with the seven others who were living in Midland got busy and organized a Sunday school of the Church of the Brethren. A schoolhouse no longer used for school purposes was rented, and the Sunday school was organized on January 10, 1924. There was a baptismal service held on March 16, 1924, for those who wished to unite with the church. The number had grown from nine, all old members except Brother Fradenburgh and wife, to about twenty-five.
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History of the Brethren in Michigan
After the organization was effected, they secured Brother Samuel Burger of Auburn, Indiana, to come and hold a series of meetings.
The old school building was purchased in June 1928. It was a crude affair, but it tended to centralize the efforts of the little group of members. It was not long until senti- ment and dire need caused them to seek a new location. The present site was purchased in 1933, and after much faith and hard labor, the new building was dedicated on June 28, 1936. Brother J. Edson Ulery of Onekama had charge of the service. An attendance of more than two hundred fifty people, coming from Beaverton, Shepherd, and other churches, enjoyed the fellowship.
In June 1926 Brother Harry Stern and Brother Jesse Fradenburgh were called to the office of deacon. Others who were elected to the deaconship are Brother and Sister Harry Ray, Brother and Sister Henry Fisher, and Brother and Sister James Rhinehart.
Brother John Van Meter moved into the congregation in 1926, and assumed most of the ministerial duties. The preaching was done by other ministers who happened to come that way or who were requested to come. Brother Jesse M. Fradenburgh was called to the ministry in March 1931. Brother Galen Ogden served as summer pastor in 1939, and Brother Olden Mitchell in 1940. Both of these ministers were from Bethany Biblical Seminary, Chicago.
Brother and Sister Boyd Dickey accepted the call of the church and entered the pastorate in September 1941. He was a graduate of Bethany. In his coming the church had the services of a full-time pastor for the first time. He remained with them one year, and left to serve a church in Pennsylvania.
Brother and Sister Walter J. Heisey of North Manchester,
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History of Congregations
Indiana, succeeded Brother Dickey as pastor. At the time of their coming the church decided to purchase a property at 1115 Mill Street for a parsonage at a cost of three thou- sand six hundred dollars. This new venture created ex- traordinary interest. Brother Heisey served them two years. He resigned his work here to accept the call of the Flint church to become their pastor. His services in the church and the community gave a new impetus to Brethren ideals.
After the Heiseys left, a call was given to Brother and Sister Lyle M. Klotz, who were serving the church at Minne- apolis, Minnesota. They accepted and entered the pastorate in September 1944. Under their leadership the work is pro- gressing with renewed interest.
The section of the city around the church has been built up considerably in the past few years. Church attendance and membership have been increasing. The church has been active in the work of the brotherhood. The women's work organization is very active and has helped in relief sewing, canning and other service activities. The men's work council is sponsoring the heifers-for-relief project. Four heifers have been donated already.
The church has also assumed more leadership in commu- nity church affairs in recent years. This has widened the influence of our own church. It has members on the City Council of Religious Education. Our last three ministers have served as secretary-treasurer of the Midland Minis- ters' Association.
At the present time the Midland church is contributing its influence and support in promoting church work in Sagi- naw, Michigan. The people are holding meetings with members in that city. The members there are hoping to establish a permanent organization. Brother and Sister Klotz are sharing their time in preaching and ministering
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to the group there. The Flint church is also participating in this church extension work. These churches are render- ing a service now that will doubtless result in the establish- ment of another church in Michigan.
What has been written does not convey all the achieve- ments of the different organizations of the Midland church. This is a field where the Brethren people will have a large opportunity to promote the kingdom of God in the years that lie ahead.
MUSKEGON
The first church activity was begun at this place in July 1937, by organizing a Sunday school. Two elders, Brother Charles Forror and Brother Claude Trombley, were present to help effect the organization. (There is a possibility that meetings had been held here about twenty years earlier.) There were thirteen members living in Muskegon at the time the Sunday school started. However, there were other people living there whose Brethren background gave them the desire for a church home in Muskegon. F. O. Morrell was chosen Sunday-school superintendent.
Church services were soon held in addition to the Sunday school. Brother Trombley preached during August and the early part of September, and as a result baptized four. In October 1937 Brother L. W. Shafer became acquainted with the members and responded to the need by preaching for them on Wednesday evenings. Brother Elmer Leckrone assisted by preaching a few Sundays. On September 10 Brother Shafer baptized three, and about a week later Brother Leckrone baptized one. So the work began to grow.
About December 1, 1937, Brother L. W. Shafer began preaching regularly. He made the trip of one hundred forty-five miles nearly every week end. He held the first
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series of meetings there from January 30 to February 13, 1938. There were ten received into the church by baptism as a result of the meetings.
On March 19, 1938, the church was organized. The elders present were J. F. Sherrick and Charles Spencer. The meeting was held in the Muskegon Township hall on Ap- ple Avenue, which was the place of future meetings over a period of time. There were twenty-eight charter mem- bers. All were living in Muskegon at the time except one. L. W. Shafer of Durand was chosen as the elder and pastor, and continued serving them until 1942. Mrs. Shafer also accompanied her husband when she was able. She was in- terested in the women's work and helped the women to organize in February 1938. The group has been doing ex- cellent work ever since.
The first communion was held in the fall of 1938. Brother Fradenburgh of the Midland church was present to officiate. Brother E. S. Coffman, acting as brotherhood evangelist, held a one-week meeting, also in the fall of 1938. In the summer of 1940 Brother David O. Schechter was the sum- mer pastor. That same year Brother Cornelius Hagle came to help them. He was employed in Grand Haven then, but would come each Sunday and help out by playing the piano for the services. He was the only deacon in the congrega- tion. He would conduct the services in the infrequent ab- sence of the pastor, Brother Shafer.
The membership on May 1, 1940, was forty. Plans were soon made to raise money and to purchase a plot of ground on which the church could be built. When a Sunday school was first organized it was held in the homes. Then after a few Sundays a hall was rented. Those were trying years and trying times, but under the faithful and unselfish lead- ership of Brother Shafer, who came over from Pontiac where he was employed, the membership gradually in-
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creased. He was eager to bring the Word of God to the faithful few who worshipped there.
Business meetings were held semiannually. At the spring meeting in April 1941 plans were discussed and made for a church basement on the lots previously pur- chased on Catherine Avenue, three blocks south and one and
MUSKEGON
one-half block west of the township hall. On May 24, 1941, a few of the members met on the church lot to begin the foundation. Sister L. W. Shafer, the pastor's wife, had the honor of throwing the first shovelful of ground. On June 9, 1941, they began laying the blocks of the wall. The men of the church did all the work on the basement and added a flat temporary roof. It was in this basement that the first church services were held on July 6, 1941. The dedication was on Sunday, August 10, 1941. Brother Ben R. Cross of La Porte, Indiana, gave the sermon in the morning. It
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History of Congregations
was a day of delightful Christian fellowship for the people.
Services continued in the basement for almost four years. In the meantime, members were active, and they began to plan for the completion of the auditorium. The need was realized for such a building program. Building priorities and building funds held up the plans a great deal. A priority application was rejected, but they learned that additions to church buildings were possible, providing the total amount of material and labor did not exceed a set figure for one year. That meant they could purchase ma- terial and continue the work on the church. Labor was donated by the men. They were soon busy again, spending several hours a week on the project. This, of course, was in addition to their regular work at their respective places of employment.
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