USA > Ohio > Church of the Brethren in southern Ohio > Part 10
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new, very modern parsonage, this church joins the large number of churches of the district who can be proud of their recently erected parsonages. And Eversole is doing splendidly in other lines of church work also.
FLAT CREEK
Credit for establishing work at Flat Creek, Kentucky, eighteen miles southeast of Manchester, in the southeastern part of the state, belongs to Elder Manly Deeter of Northern Indiana. In 1942 he came down into this territory and established a mission, entirely on his own. It proved to be a splendid venture in Kingdom work, and he remained until the work was firmly established.
In 1943 the General Mission Board asked the District of Southern Ohio to assume supervision of the work here with F. C. Rohrer in charge of the local program. The members were organized into the Flat Creek Church of the Brethren on October 31, 1943, with Brother Deeter elder-in-charge and F. C. Rohrer pastor. Each continued in this capacity until 1949.
The erection of a house of worship was begun in May of 1944. The building was dedicated on May 6, 1945, since which time regular services have been held here besides this church becoming the center from which other points of interest were developed in the area. These include Elisha's Creek, where a Sunday school was opened in January of 1944 and where a building was purchased and dedicated in May of 1948. Also, Spring Creek, with a school opened in 1943, and Middle Flat Creek, where a Sunday school was begun in the summer of 1944. In 1949 meetings were held at Mud Lick, six miles away. In May of 1949 the community about Mud Lick requested that a church structure be erected. Land was purchased and a building was constructed, so designed that it could first be used as a dwelling for the workers there. It was completed in November and a Sunday school of some twenty-two pupils was organized. In 1952 the building at Elisha's Creek was remodeled with the help of local people and
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of volunteers from the district. Brother G. M. Sizemore was placed in charge of the preaching. The work was only fairly under way at Flat Creek when in June of 1947 a flash flood
The Flat Creek Church
hit the community and destroyed several homes and a school building. A truckload of clothing and food was brought in from the Brethren Service Commission and the Men's Work of Northern Indiana for relief of the unfortunate. Volunteer workers also came in to help rebuild some of the residences.
Brother and Sister F. C. Rohrer closed their work here as of September 1, 1951, and Brother and Sister Allen Weldy of Elkhart, Indiana, were called to take over. They continue their efficient leadership as this is being written. By this time the membership had grown to a total of eighty-six, the outposts included-Elisha's Creek, Middle Flat Creek, Mud Lick, Spring Creek, and Sugar Creek. The farthest outpost, Mud Lick, is about six miles from the center church. F. C. Rohrer, who moved into Tennessee, was retained as elder of the church.
The Elisha's Creek Church
The Mud Lick Church
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For a while Harlan and Joan Sizemore had charge of the Mud Creek work, until they moved to Indiana in May of 1952. Then Brother and Sister Butler Sizemore took over on a part-time basis. He had been elected to the ministry in 1951 while attending Bethany Biblical Seminary. The average Sunday-school attendance at the five points is about one hundred fifty and the total church membership is ninety-nine. In the period since beginning the work here a total of twelve different Brethren Volunteer Service workers have aided in the mission. In 1952 a move was begun to erect a building at Mud Lick; this was completed and dedicated the next year. Five or six vacation Bible schools are held each year in the community. Weekday Bible teaching is also featured in from four to six public schools each year.
F. C. Rohrer was succeeded as elder by C. G. Erbaugh, of New Lebanon, Ohio, who is in charge at present at the request of the Commission on Ministry, Missions and Church Extension of the district.
Installations as of record include: F. C. Rohrer installed into the full ministry in 1949; Hiram and Clara Bowling in- stalled as permanent deacons in 1948; Harlan Sizemore licensed to preach in 1947 and 1948; Walter and Dealie Garrison, Forest and Evelyn Bowling; and Bernard and Docia Sizemore in- stalled as permanent deacons in 1952.
The record of Sunday-school superintendents at the dif- ferent points reveals the following: Flat Creek-F. C. Rohrer, 1943-45; H. S. Bowling, 1945-46; G. M. Sizemore, 1946-48; Forest Bowling, 1948-49; Bernard Sizemore, 1949-50; Forest Bowling, 1950-51; Jeanette Bowling, 1951 -; Elisha's Creek-Mareta Shrider and Ethel Adams, 1944-45; Mareta Shrider, 1945-48; Dealie Garrison, 1948 -; Middle Flat Creek-Mareta Shrider, 1946-47; Iva Frantz, 1947-48; Mareta Shrider, 1948 -; Spring Creek-F. C. Rohrer, 1943-47; Mrs. F. C. Rohrer, 1947-48; Walter Mullins, 1948 -.
There is an active women's work organization, as well as a CBYF and an active club of intermediate girls.
The improvement of the properties has been rather extensive, including re-siding, wiring, planting an orchard, fencing, and constructing additional rooms. What appears to
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need to be done soon finds its realization, for the members have a mind to work-together. The construction of a guest house is the next venture.
FORT MCKINLEY
Lower Stillwater, one of the four congregations formed out of Lower Miami by the "Virginia Committee," was parent to Fort Mckinley. It seems that a house had been built in about 1857 (not on the present location) which burned down before the first service could be held in it. It was then that a new location was sought, which was that of the present Fort Mckinley church. The date of dedication is obscure. The deed for the property is dated April 17, 1860. This was known as the "lower house" of Lower Stillwater, the "upper house" being where the Happy Corner church now stands.
Worship was conducted here by the parent church until 1911, when a separate organization was formed, to be known as Fort McKinley. The number of charter members is not recorded. Alfred Klepinger became the first elder-in-charge.
Two years after the organization of the Fort McKinley church the original structure was razed and a large brick church erected in its place. The cost was $14,000. This, with changes and improvements, is the present house of worship.
We note that as the former history closed the church had one hundred forty-five members and an average Sunday- school attendance of eighty-four. D. M. Garver was in charge as elder.
In 1922 H. W. Holler was made elder of the church; he presided until 1925. Then E. S. Petry was elder for a year. D. R. Murray, the pastor then, served a few months. The District Ministerial Board directed until 1929, N. B. Wine acting for the board part of the time. C. F. McKee was the elder from 1930 until 1945. When Brother McKee became ill, Daniel Weimer was put in charge and was made regular elder- in-charge, beginning in October 1945, after Brother McKee's death. He is still in charge.
Fort McKinley began with a regular pastor in 1923, when
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The Fort McKinley Church
D. R. Murray was called. He served the church until June 1928. C. F. McKee, of Covington, was called in September 1929, and pastored the church continuously until 1945. In September 1945 Philip Lauver of Bethany Seminary was called; he remained until he answered the call to Greenville in 1952. Fort McKinley then called Walter Bowman, of Illinois, to be its pastor beginning September 1, 1952. He is the present pastor.
Other ministers who have resided in this congregation include: John Hershey, who moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania, in 1937; Obed Hovatter, who moved to Troy in 1926; R. E. Helstern, who was licensed here in 1934, installed in 1935, and moved to Brookville in 1942; H. E. Helstern, who was licensed at Fort McKinley in 1933, installed in 1936, and moved to West Milton in 1937; E. S. Petry, who was ordained an elder in 1925 and later moved to Hamilton. W. J. Keller also was ordained an elder in 1925. Ivan Eikenberry was licensed here, moving to Eaton and later becoming a missionary to Nigeria. Morris Beeghley was ordained a minister in August 1953; he is at present a student in Bethany Seminary. D. C. Stuts- man was an elder in this church but in 1928 transferred his
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membership to the Baptist denomination. H. W. Holler was ordained an elder in 1921, D. R. Murray in 1926, and Dan Weimer in 1934.
Aaron Warner and Andrew Smith were installed as deacons in 1921; C. A. Beeghley and H. E. Helstern in 1924; Ira Inman, E. R. Bowman, and Chester G. Cox in 1937; T. S. Eikenberry and Arthur Myers in 1948. Leonard Landis and Galen Paul were elected in 1949. W. C. Baker, Hubert Mohler, Homer L. Royer, and Harold Ullery also lived here as deacons for a while, later moving away. Samuel Bowser, a deacon also, died in 1953.
The Sunday-school superintendents in succession have been H. W. Holler, W. C. Baker, H. E. Helstern, T. S. Eiken- berry, W. C. Baker, T. S. Eikenberry, W. C. Baker, T. S. Eikenberry, Dan Weimer, Homer L. Royer, Dan Weimer, and Leonard Landis.
In 1947 the basement of the church was remodeled, pro- viding worship space and classrooms for the primary depart- ment, and a nursery room. Further expansion is in the plan- ning stage.
The church has been host to various district gatherings, including Women's Work meetings and ministerial meetings.
W. C. Baker, while living here, was the district treasurer for several years. Mrs. T. S. Eikenberry was on the District Cabinet of Women's Work. Lois Paul was an assistant in Camp Sugar Grove. Mildred Etter was the director of children's work for the district and is now the administrative assistant in the office of the Christian Education Commission of the General Brotherhood Board, Elgin, Illinois. Robert Duvall has been active in District Men's Work. Philip Lauver was the district secretary for several years while pastor here. The pastor, Walter Bowman, is a member of the District Board.
In 1949 Fort Mckinley purchased a property at 5509 Salem Avenue for a parsonage. It was dedicated for this purpose on September 25 with N. B. Wine as the speaker.
With one hundred forty-five members at the beginning of the period of this history, the Fort McKinley church now numbers two hundred sixty-nine members, a gain of over one hundred.
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GRATIS
The Upper Twin congregation, with rather undescribed boundaries, was known to have included, however, the Gratis territory. This really dates the Gratis history back into the early decades of the nineteenth century, when families of Brethren, who had moved in from far and near, held services in the home of Samuel Teal. This group was organized at the Twin church in 1809. The territory included most of Preble County. But in 1830 this church was divided into Upper Twin and Lower Twin, with irregular lines, as indicated above.
For several decades services were held in the homes of members. Then in 1860 a house was built at Sugar Hill, one-half mile east of West Alexandria. Another was erected at Wheatville in 1862. Still another went up at Beech Grove in 1870. Strangely enough, not one of these became a permanent meeting place. The 1920 history of Southern Ohio relates: "Upper Twin church has now one hundred and eighty members and an average attendance of thirty-nine at the Gratis Sunday school and forty-five at the Wheatville Sunday school."
Just when this Sunday school was organized at Gratis is not known. But in 1912 the Reformed church building in Gratis was purchased and remodeled, and was dedicated in June of that year. Charles L. Flory gave the dedicatory sermon. Wheatville, south of Gratis, seems to have been abandoned as Gratis became active.
Aaron Brubaker, who was born in Preble County in 1854, was elder of Twin Creek from 1913 on, and, of course, was thus elder of Gratis when it was organized. He had been ordained in 1905. He served until his death in 1934.
The minutes of the 1938 Southern Ohio district conference contain this request and answer:
We, the Upper Twin congregation, in council assembled, February 25, 1938, unanimously agreed to divide the congregation into two separate congregations, probably to be known as Eaton and Gratis. We therefore petition district conference of 1938 to approve the action of this church.
Joseph H. Lowman, clerk
Answer of District Meeting: Request granted.
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N. B. Wine was elder of Upper Twin and was in charge of both Eaton and Gratis, but was succeeded by William Deaton at Gratis in 1940. Brother Deaton was the elder until 1946. John Good became elder in that year and continued until 1950. Frank Eby was elected for 1951, and was fol- lowed by Lester Fike.
The Gratis Church
Ministers who have lived in the church, or served from their homes elsewhere, include A. G. Crosswhite, Ira Blocher, B. F. Petry, Chester Petry, Wilmer Petry, B. W. Timmons, Edgar Schooley, Otto Laursen, Clarence Priser, Henry Mankey, Russell Helstern, Lawrence Garst, John Garst, William Deaton, Robert Tully, John Hurst, and Frank Eby. Clarence Priser was part-time pastor until September 1954, when Leonard Lutz became the minister.
Deacons known to have served were: Wesley Suman, Harvey Brubaker, Cyrus Kiracofe, Joseph H. Lowman, Willard Shafer, M. L. Kiracofe, and Albert Kiracofe.
Sunday-school superintendents, in order, were Wesley
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Suman, Harvey Brubaker, M. L. Kiracofe, James H. Lohman, Cyrus Kiracofe, Willard Shafer, and Albert Kiracofe.
It is not on record how many charter members there were in the Gratis church. How the one hundred eighty members of Upper Twin were divided or assigned seems also not to be known. But the Gratis membership seemed to fluctuate greatly through the years. It may have reached one hundred fifty at times. There is at present a membership of one hundred ten. But the work shows promise and it is believed that the church will grow in size. The church now has a resident pastor, Brother Leonard Lutz, having purchased in 1948 a parsonage adjoining the church.
The church edifice was fully remodeled in 1928 into a most convenient house of worship. The rededication was in February 1929.
Kathryn Kiracofe, a member of the Gratis church, is in India as a missionary under the General Brotherhood Board.
In 1932 the one-hundredth anniversary of the Upper Twin church was observed.
The church has been host to the Women's Work conference and a Children's Workers' conference.
GREENVILLE
Members who had previously located in Greenville be- came interested in services in the city along in the eighties. In 1884 Landon West held a meeting in a "borrowed" church. Then they began to hold regular services in a schoolhouse. After an interim, more members having moved in, services were resumed, being held in a home.
In 1899 the Southern Ohio Mission Board made Green- ville a mission church. Services were held in the city hall and Sunday school was held in homes. The Mission Board put David Hollinger in charge of the work in 1900. Funds were raised and a church was built on Central Avenue; it was dedicated in 1901. There were now twenty members.
The congregation grew and in January 1906 the group was organized, the Mission Board giving the work over to the
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local members. Preaching was now done by the resident ministers. David Hollinger and A. H. Weimer did much of it. Revivals were held and the membership increased.
In 1911 the church was remodeled, providing Sunday- school rooms, a baptistry, and a gallery. Just before the close of the 1920 history, A. H. Weimer was elected pastor and B. F. Sharp was made presiding elder. The membership had increased to two hundred and the average Sunday-school attendance was one hundred seventeen.
A. H. Weimer remained as pastor until 1922; then B. F. Sharp followed, continuing until 1927. In September 1927 X. L. Coppock took charge, remaining until 1930. Paul E. Wingerd followed him in September of that year, serving two years. Then there was an interim without a pastor. Early in 1934 G. O. Stutsman was called; he was with the Greenville church until September 1939. Then there was another interim without pastoral leadership. In September 1940 G. L. Wine, of the Covington church, was called; he served as pastor until 1946. He was followed in September of that year by C. G. Hesse, from Bridgewater, Virginia. Brother Hesse resigned as of September 1, 1952, and was succeeded by Philip Lauver, who is the present pastor.
With B. F. Sharp presiding at the beginning of the period of this history, the elders-in-charge since then, in succession, have been X. L. Coppock, D. G. Berkebile, G. O. Stutsman, G. L. Wine, C. G. Hesse, and Ray O. Shank.
The church licensed James Renz in 1939 and installed him into the ministry in 1940. Darrell Fryman was licensed in 1941 and ordained a minister in 1946. Obed Hovatter was ordained into the full ministry in 1921.
Other ministers who resided in the congregation during this time include Catherine Hollinger, Abraham Brumbaugh, A. D. Coate, I. J. Rosenberger, Jonas Royer, Calvin Fryman, Willis Kreider, Glen Moyer, and I. G. Blocher. All these were elders except Catherine Hollinger and Jonas Royer. Willis Kreider and Calvin Fryman were ordained in 1925.
Since 1920 the Greenville church has elected deacons as follows: Kenneth Blocher, Russel Klepinger, Phares Fourman, and John Weimer in 1932; V. S. Cassel and John Oliver in
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1943; Ralph Vanderburg in 1947; Lavon Martin and Lowell Rife in 1951.
For Sunday-school superintendents the church has had John Weimer, Lucy Wandle, Kenneth Blocher, Russel Klep- inger, V. S. Cassel, Ira Mikesell, John Oliver, Ralph Vander- burg, Lowell Rife, and Emmert Bright, each serving from one to twelve years. The present superintendent is Ralph Van- derburg.
The Greenville Church
The church purchased a parsonage across the street from the church in 1940, but in 1948 sold this and purchased the David Hollinger home just north of the church.
In 1945 art glass windows were installed in the church and in 1951 an electric organ was purchased. The fiftieth anniversary was celebrated in 1951.
The church has given heifers for relief and has sent canned food, clothing, and other material aid for the distressed in Europe.
The church is in the process of being remodeled at the present time.
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Greenville was host to the midwinter youth conference of 1938-39.
Virgil Cassel is a member of the Brethren Home Board. John Oliver serves on the Southern Ohio Historical Com- mittee. Donald Stutsman, Paul Royer, Marjorie Blocher, and Phares Fourman all have been engaged in camp activities at Sugar Grove. Ira Blocher headed up the first Heifer Project Committee in Southern Ohio. The pastor, Philip Lauver, is the secretary of the District Board.
It should be noted that the Brethren Home is located within this congregation and workers in the Home have been active in the church while the church in turn has rendered great service to the Home through the years.
The present recorded membership of the Greenville church is three hundred ninety.
HAMILTON
The Hamilton church had its origin in the autumn of 1924, when Walter Hawke, who was then ministering to the Middletown church, knowing of a few members in Hamilton held a meeting in the home of Jesse Messmore on Fifth Street. At this service three Hamilton families, who were members, were present. The attendance totaled thirty.
A second meeting was held in this home, and the Odd Fellows hall, on Main Street, was used for a few weeks. Then the Church of God, on Heaton Street, was rented Sunday afternoons for Sunday school and preaching and Thursday evenings for a worship service.
The need being felt for a permanent place of worship, in July of 1925 a lot was secured on the corner of North E Street and Webster Avenue and a tabernacle, thirty-eight by fifty feet in size, was erected, seating two hundred fifty. It was dedicated August 9, 1925, Elder D. G. Berkebile giving the sermon. There were now twenty-seven members living in Hamilton. In a meeting following the dedication six more were received into the church.
Following the dedication of the tabernacle, services were held regularly every Sunday with a midweek service on
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Thursday. The Sunday school in 1925 averaged twenty-eight in attendance and by the close of that year the church mem- bership totaled forty-four. Walter Hawke did most of the preaching until the dedication of the tabernacle, after which Obed Hovatter, who had come here from Greenville, took over. Other ministers from the district assisted occasionally.
The Hamilton people were encouraged by special speakers, representing various Brotherhood interests: Elgin Moyer, from Bethany Seminary; J. M. Henry, from Virginia; and Frank Crumpacker, returned missionary to China.
The Hamilton Church
While Albert Smith, pastor at Cincinnati, was with the Hamilton people in a meeting in February 1926, interest in organizing the church came to a focus; this was accomplished on February 26. John W. Fidler was chosen presiding elder. He was followed in turn by Walter Hawke, C. H. Petry, Elmer Petry, J. H. Eidemiller, H. M. Coppock, Ray O. Shank, John H. Good, and George Phillips, the elder at present.
Pastors serving Hamilton have been, in order, Obed Hovatter, Henry Mankey, Wilmer Petry, Elmer Petry, H. M.
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Coppock, David Hollinger, E. S. Petry (four years), Walter Hawke (seven years), C. W. Warstler, Ira Oren, Orion Erbaugh (two years), H. Jesse Baker, Lloyd Stauffer (three years). Orion Erbaugh died suddenly in 1944, while pastor here, and his widow, Omy Erbaugh, carried on the work, with the assistance of nonresident ministers, until 1947. The Erbaughs were the first to occupy the parsonage at 706 Webster Avenue. In September 1952, Mckinley Coffman came from Maryland to serve the Hamilton and Middletown churches in a joint pastorate.
The tabernacle was replaced in 1937 with a new church building, which was dedicated on November 21, with C. D. Bonsack giving the dedicatory address. The district con- tributed $10,822.04 toward the construction. The actual cost was $10,567.04.
The records show that Howard Erbaugh was licensed by the church in 1947 and ordained to the ministry in 1948. Marion Petry was licensed in 1954. Deacons installed include Noah Martin in 1926, and Maurice Davis, Grover Stivers, Sr., and Lester Petry in 1950.
The Sunday-school superintendents have been in order, Charles Fox, Alonzo Watt, Hazel Hubbard, Alonzo Watt, Mrs. E. S. Petry, Edgar Schooley, Mrs. E. S. Petry, Wayne Maddox, Lester Petry, Kermit Foster, Floyd Maurer, Everett Hoy, and Paul Haddix.
The church now numbers ninety-one, and, Hamilton being a promising industrial center, it is expected that the church will continue to grow.
HAPPY CORNER
We must go back to 1811 for the earliest records of the Happy Corner (Lower Stillwater) church. In that year the "Virginia Committee" requested by the Lower Miami church divided its territory into four divisions: Lower Miami, Lower Stillwater, Bear Creek, and Wolf Creek. It originally included the territory north of the Dayton and Western Turnpike and east of the Union Road. Later the boundaries were changed
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with the Pennsylvania Railroad, Gettysburg Avenue, and the Miami River proscribing its territory.
The first meetinghouse, which was the first in the Miami Valley, was of logs. It was erected in 1818 on the Salem Pike,
The Happy Corner Church
east and north of the present structure, at the corner of the Union Road and the Salem Pike. Later a frame house was built about a mile east of the log building which served until 1857. Then a brick structure replaced this frame house, but it was never actually used for it burned before being com- pleted. In 1853 Jacob Spitler deeded three-fourths acre as a new site. A brick house of worship was erected here and dedicated probably about 1857. This brick church blew down in 1875 and a frame house (the present one) was built the same year. A basement was added in 1896, a balcony later, and a vestibule and a baptistry in 1937. In 1949 the basement was rebuilt, toilets provided, and a kitchen added. It is interesting to note that at first this building included rooms at one end which provided residence for a janitor and his family. Also two entrances, one for women and the other for men.
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The change of the name of the church from Lower Still- water to Happy Corner roots back into a tradition relating that a group of schoolgirls, in the schoolyard at this corner, greeted a passer-by with "This is a happy corner." Subse- quently, in a Dayton paper, news notes from this section were always headed "Happy Corner." Someone put that name on a horse trough standing along the road in front of the church. That was enough: "Happy Corner" it became, the name being officially adopted by authority of district con- ference in 1943.
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