USA > Pennsylvania > Two centuries of the Church of the Brethren in western Pennsylvania, 1751-1950 > Part 28
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
Brother and Sister Quincy A. Holsopple came in September 1937 and served until August 1941. Some years before, they had served in the India mission field for eleven years. Their experi- ences were interesting and helpful to the church membership. For several years he served jointly with the Mount Pleasant
Mount Joy Church Bus and Vacation School Pupils (Largest Load, 87)
congregation. A junior church service was held each Sunday at the same time as the adult preaching service.
Charles W. Blough was pastor from December 1941 to May 1945. During his entire pastorate the nation was in the midst of World War II. The church gave generously and regularly to the Brethren service fund. The women's work was active in sewing and quilting for the CPS camps and European relief. Many improvements on the church property were made and the church debt was liquidated. Along with his many responsibil- ities at Mount Joy, Brother Blough preached at Southerwood and Pennsville. He was greatly handicapped by illness during the last year of his work, and the congregation was very sorry to accept his resignation.
Russel K. Showalter has been our pastor since 1945. During his pastorate one hundred thirty members have been added to the church. Three acres of ground were bought to enlarge the cemetery, and several hundred pine trees and shrubs were planted to beautify the grounds. Two heifers given by two members were sent overseas. One is known to have arrived in Italy. The church is continuing its program of relief.
A fifty-five-passenger bus was purchased in the fall of 1949. During vacation Bible school the bus makes daily trips carrying fifty-six to eighty-seven pupils per trip. The bus is operated each Sunday on a regular route bringing people to Mrs. R. K. Showalter and Brother Showalter Operating the Addressograph Sunday school and church. The attendance at revival services was greatly increased by the nightly use of the bus.
On March 27, 1950, the offi- cial board authorized the pastor to purchase a new Addressograph costing two hundred forty dollars, which was put into operation on April 5. The pastor prints two hundred fifty church bulletins each week. One half of them are used at the church services and the other half are folded, ad-
O
329
Part Two: Congregational Histories
dressed on the new Addressograph, and mailed to those members who do not get to the church services. This keeps the members well informed about the church, with its program and activities.
-A. Brooks Horner
CHAPTER 36. THE MOUNT PLEASANT CHURCH
Sunday school organized, May 19, 1918 Congregation incorporated, May 14, 1924 Present church membership, 150
The Mount Pleasant church is an outgrowth of the Mount Joy (formerly Jacobs Creek) congregation, the latter having been organized early in the nineteenth century.
It was during the pastorate of B. B. Ludwick of Mount Joy that the Mount Pleasant mission Sunday school was organized, on May 19, 1918. Fifty-seven people were present for the first Sunday-school session in a small, dingy vacant room near the Pennsylvania Railroad depot.
Brother Ludwick preached his first sermon at the mission on January 19, 1919. He closed his pastorate on September 1, 1919, but the mission was continued, largely through the un- tiring zeal and encouragement radiated by Sister David Metz.
In the winter of 1921-1922 the mission moved into the Shupe Street Methodist mission building, formerly a schoolhouse. In
Mount Pleasant Church
330
Part Two: Congregational Histories
March 1922 the following locating committee was selected: M. I. Barnhart, Ezra Summy, Bert Strohm, Fred Metz, and Norman Neiderhiser. The lot on which the present church stands was purchased for eight hundred dollars. On May 20, 1922, the mission became a separate congregation.
Pastors following Brother Ludwick were R. T. Hull, J. C. Beahm, and A. J. Beeghly. To Brother Beeghly is due much of the success and prosperity of the church in its beginning. During his pastorate forty-three persons united with the church. In the spring of 1924 there were one hundred twenty-six at the love feast tables, and it was evident that a larger building was needed.
On July 30, 1923, a building committee was elected: A. J. Beeghly, W. Scott Neiderhiser, Alfred S. Berg, George McDermatt, George King, Clarence Wetzel, David Metz, Milton Barnhart, John Metz, Robert Fenton, Joseph Shaffer, and Norman Nedrow.
The foundation and the exterior of this building as they now stand, including the slate roof, were erected, but only the basement was equipped for use. The size is sixty-eight by seventy-six feet. On May 14, 1924, the congregation was duly incorporated, with one hundred thirty-six members.
Nothing more was done to the church for a period of fourteen years following Brother Beeghly's pastorate. Ministers and pastors serving for longer or shorter periods included Harry Meredith, M. G. Wilson, D. P. Hoover, Wilmer Kensinger, Irwin R. Pletcher, Remo Pletcher, W. K. Kulp, Quincy A. Holsopple, F. A. Myers, William Beals, and W. C. Sell, who came on May 20, 1942.
In the fall of that year a parsonage was built into the west end of the church building. In December 1943 a building com- mittee secured C. H. Deardorff, Brotherhood church building counselor and architect, to design the finishing of the interior of the church building. Charles W. Blough was the contact man between the District Mission Board and the General Mission Board and the local church. Much of the success of the present building was due to the building committee, especially the purchasing agent, Alfred Berg, and the pastor, W. C. Sell, plus the co-operation of the sisters and brethren of the church, who gave approximately one thousand five hundred hours of free labor. The completed edifice was dedicated on Sunday, April 8, 1945. The sermon was preached by H. L. Hartsough; the dedi- cation of the church was conducted by J. A. Robinson; the prayer of dedication was offered by M. J. Brougher.
331
Part Two: Congregational Histories
The present pastor, William B. Gauntz, came in September 1948. Under his leadership, and with the loyal co-operation of the membership, the future of the Mount Pleasant church looks encouraging.
-Some data taken from the Dedication Booklet
CHAPTER 37. THE NANTY GLO CHURCH
Mission church organized, 1922 Church house dedicated, 1924 Present church membership, 100
The District Mission Board had employed their fieldworker to make surveys in a number of towns, not adequately churched, where we had a nucleus of loyal members. The report of one such visit is given here:
First impressions are lasting. I will not soon forget my own feelings on first visiting a town of 7,000 population in the bituminous coal fields of Western Pennsylvania, called Nanty Glo ("Valley-of Coal"). I arrived after dark on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning inquired for a Protestant church and Sunday school. They informed me that there were only two Sunday schools in the town, -one in the forenoon and one in the afternoon,-so I attended both.
The church with the morning services was housed in a little old, unpainted, smoke-blackened building, which had a part of the paper-roof torn off. As it stood between a large new up-to-date brick garage on the one side and a nice residence on the other it is needless to say that it suffered much in comparison. The interior was little more inviting for the fifty-two discouraged looking folk who composed the audience.
The church with the afternoon Sunday school was some larger, displayed a little paint, and had 100 in attendance. But neither congregation had a Schaffer Hall resident pastor.1
This visit resulted in the establishing of a Church of the Brethren Sunday school in Schaffer's Hall. Ministers from Johnstown and vicinity conducted preaching services
Here, on the second floor, the Nanty Glo Sunday school began.
1 From Reaching the World Through America, by W. J. Hamilton (1926).
332
Part Two: Congregational Histories
until an organization was effected on the evening of March 6, 1922. The little group of devout Christians met at the home of C. R. Dilling, under the leadership of S. P. Early and E. M. Det- wiler, and organized the Nanty Glo church into a separate con- gregation.
Ten members were present at that historic meeting: Sisters James Cornelius and Nellie Lewis, Brothers and Sisters Grant Davis, William Harrison, John Dilling, and Chalmer Dilling. The following officers were elected: Grant Davis, clerk; William Harrison, treasurer; C. R. Dilling, Grant Davis, and William Harrison, trustees; Brother Davis, chorister; Sister Cornelius, assistant. Brethren Chalmer and John Dilling were elected and installed into the office of deacon.
During the summer of 1922 Kenneth Bechtel served as pastor, being followed in September by Stanley Noffsinger, who taught in the local school and served the church on a part-time basis.
From the very inception of the work, the place of meeting was both unsatisfactory and inadequate. As a result of these conditions and a desire to have a place solely dedicated to the worship of God, it was determined to build a sanctuary. The building committee was C. R. Dilling, W. Grant Davis, W. C. Harrison, J. H. Dilling, and Foster Burkey. Excavation and
Nanty Glo Church (Before Dedication)
333
Part Two: Congregational Histories
work on the walls was begun in the fall of 1923, and our house of worship was dedicated on April 27, 1924. Brethren M. G. Brumbaugh and C. C. Ellis of Juniata College were the prin- cipal speakers.
For a number of years after the dedication, largely because of a shifting population, the church did not grow rapidly as the founding fathers had envisioned. What seemed to be a hopeless indebtedness of $12,000.00 had a depressing effect on the work and progress of the church. However, in the fall of 1935 new life was injected into the church when the Mission Board re- duced the indebtedness to $5,500.00, to be paid without interest. With a possible goal in sight, bit by bit this debt was paid off until it was possible to burn the mortgage at a twenty-fifth anniversary service, May 15, 1949. Dr. C. C. Ellis was the speaker again.
During its brief history of twenty-eight years, the Nanty Glo church has had five regular pastors: Stanley Noffsinger, 1922-1924; Grant E. Weaver, 1925-1928; Homer C. Hess, 1928-1933; Chalmer C. Dilling, 1935- 1947; and the present pastor, John W. Brumbaugh, who began his work April 1, 1947. Kenneth Bechtel and Paul Robinson served as summer pastors.
This church has contributed to the work of the Kingdom by calling five of her brethren to the ministry: Thomas Hopkins and his brother, John Hopkins; David Emerson; George and Chalmer Dilling.
Space does not permit the naming of the many faithful brethren and sisters who, together with the ministers, had much to do with the life and growth of the church. J. A. Robinson served as our elder seven- teen years. C. E. Leatherman, one of the early deacons, was the Sunday- school superintendent a number of years. Sister Earl Lantzy, together with her children, was active in many official capacities. Sister C. R. Dilling, though inconspicuous herself, as a charter member proved her faithfulness to God and the church by contributing two sons to the ministry and four daughters who were active in the work of the Sunday school and church.
It is our prayer that the Nanty Glo church may continue to fulfill her God-appointed mission and that He may continue to supply all of her needs through the riches of love that are in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Chalmer C. Dilling
334
Part Two: Congregational Histories
CHAPTER 38. THE NATRONA HEIGHTS CHURCH
Sunday school organized, June 1, 1919 Church house erected, 1930 Present church membership, 182
The records of the Natrona Heights congregation are not complete, especially those of its early history. From available records we find that a Sunday school was organized on June 1, 1919, with the help of C. W. Warstler, pastor of the Pittsburgh congregation. A few families of that congregation lived in this community (then called Birdville) and were interested in estab- lishing a church here. The Pittsburgh congregation helped extensively in the early years and the District Mission Board has given us financial aid through the years.
Sunday school was first held in the home of Sister Effie Hetrick, who was the leading spirit in the beginning of the work here. Then the Sunday school was organized in a vacant church building about a mile from the town. Later that year a store room was rented in the town in which to hold the services. After some time the mission was moved to a vacant school building, and continued there until the present church building was erected in 1930. New pews and windows and an addition to the building are now planned.
The Birdville mission was organized into a congregation on June 22, 1930, and was named the Allegheny Valley Church of the Brethren. Later the name was changed to the Natrona Heights church, since the new town had absorbed the village of Birdville. The first officials were: Galen B. Royer, elder; C. D. Brendlinger, pastor; Grace Hughes, clerk; Rosetta Rowan, treasurer; D. H. McClain, Homer Rowan, and Effie Hetrick, trustees.
Natrona Heights Church (1950) Before Remodeling of Front and Interior
335
Part Two: Congregational Histories
Sunday-school superintendents have been as follows: John Oster- wise, Effie Hetrick, Daryl Hetrick, Cecil Swartzwelter, Earl Pence, Leonard Hughes, Harry Hetrick, Joseph Scholl, Leota Pfeffer, George Barr, Lucien Bouchat, and George Stivenson, Jr. Some of these served several terms.
Ministers who have served us, including resident pastors, include: D. K. Clapper, once a month in 1919 and 1920; A. C. Shue, each Sunday for a part of 1921, receiving "his expenses which were $6.06 every five weeks." Brother Broadwater, who began in September 1921; A. Jay Replogle, who served as a summer pastor; Homer Hess, about a year; Emanuel Neiderhiser, about a year; John Osterwise, who came as a deacon from Greensburg, was licensed to the ministry by this congrega- tion on December 1, 1933, and served as pastor, resigning in 1936; S. K. Bowser, in 1936-1937 and again from 1940 to 1943; J. V. Ankrum, from 1938 to 1940; Wilmer Kensinger, who served this church and East Mc- Keesport from 1944 to 1946; the present pastor, Arthur L. Rummel, who came on July 1, 1947.
In the office of deacon, in addition to John Osterwise, who trans- ferred by letter, we elected Henry Shick and Edward Kalmeyer on September 23, 1947, and Lucien Bouchat on January 19, 1949. Betty Rowan is serving a year in Brethren volunteer service in the Flat Creek church in Kentucky.
The congregation has grown from twelve members in 1919, when the Birdville mission was organized, to about one hundred seventy-five. A number of these are inactive at the present time. There have been a ladies' aid, a prayer meeting, a youth fellowship, and a Sunday school continuously since the church's beginning in 1919. The ladies' aid has changed its organizational pattern to that of the women's work of the denomination.
There is a good group of workers here, though small, and we anticipate a growing church that will be self-supporting in the near future.
-Arthur L. Rummel
CHAPTER 39. THE OAKDALE CHURCH
Members lived here in 1814 Congregation organized, 1862 Present church membership, 96
The Cowanshannock congregation was divided into three parts in 1862: the part north of the Mahoning Creek was or- ganized into the Red Bank (Oakdale) congregation. The mem-
Oakdale Church and Parsonage, 1950
bership is principally in Mahoning Township. Some of the early settlers in this section were the Shumakers, who came from Virginia about the beginning of the nineteenth century. Philip Shumaker, a son of John Shumaker, of Westmoreland County, settled in 1814 on four hundred acres. He and his wife were among the first members. His uncle, George Shumaker, had moved into the same county about 1800. George Shumaker was the head of a large family, of whom a number were members of the Church of the Brethren; he himself also may have been a member. It is pretty certain that Levi Roberts and John Mineely, on some of their missionary tours, preached for these people. A little later George Rairigh and John Goodman also did a considerable amount of preaching here. Under the preach- ing of these faithful men the number of believers steadily increased, and in the course of time men from among their own number were called to the ministry.
Joseph Shumaker was probably the first one to be elected. One authority says he was elected in 1838, and another one says it was in 1841. As the former date is prior to Brother Shu- maker's marriage, Brother Blough was inclined to believe that the latter is the more nearly correct. Philip Shumaker, a brother of Joseph, was one of the early deacons.
Other Armstrong ministers assisted in the preaching, espe- cially after the death of Joseph Shumaker, which occurred December 17, 1860. Levi Wells and Lewis Kimmel were among these. The Hetrick family was another influential family in this congregation. Jesse P. Hetrick was elected to the ministry on June 30, 1865, and Joseph Hetrick to the deacon's office. Brother Hetrick became quite active in the ministry, having at one time charge of the Red Bank, Glade Run, and Cowanshannock con- gregations. He left the congregation to become the pastor of the Philadelphia church in 1874 (see his biography). John Wise moved to Oakland, the Red Bank congregation, in April 1866, and preached there several years. J. W. Beer also had the over-
sight a while. A great deal of the preaching was done by the traveling ministers in connection with the other northern congregations. In 1867, John Goodman, who was then located at Erie, Pennsyl- vania, stopped and preached at Red Bank, while Brother Wise was preaching at Plum Creek.
Dwelling Formerly Used as a Church
Services in the old Red Bank German Baptist church, now called the Oakdale church, were held in an old meetinghouse, built for a dwelling with large rooms that could be thrown open and church services held therein. This is now used as a farm house, owned by Charles Radaker, who lives in it. It is very old and the owner does not live in the rooms where church services were held, but uses them as storerooms. They are two large rooms with doors for partitions. The doors are still in place, three doors folded back to make one large room.
Previous to the building of the first church house, the congregation held their services in this home. The present church, Oakdale, is located on the same farm site, a short distance from the old house.
Three dates are given for the erection of the first church house, 1845, 1853, and 1857. (The reader can take his choice, as land records have not been traced to verify the correct one.) The present church replaced the first one in 1888, to which an addition was placed later. The cemetery is a little distance northwest of the church, one half of the ground being given by Philip Shumaker and the other half by Peter Shumaker.
During the division probably a score of members went with the Progressive Brethren. This weakened the cause consider- ably. About 1884 Jacob Elenard and in 1899 David A. Hetrick were called to the ministry. Brother Hetrick labored success- fully a number of years, but because of his time being needed on the farm he could not give the work the requisite attention.
To meet this needed pastoral care, L. R. Holsinger was se- cured in February 1911, being supported jointly by the congre- gation and the District Mission Board. During his three and a half years' stay a marked transformation took place in all lines of church work. The membership was about tripled. Delegates were sent to District and Annual Meetings.
Arthur Hetrick, Murray E. Shumaker, and Adam C. Shumaker were elected to the deacon's office in 1911. Peter Hetrick and Jacob Wells were also deacons, as well as E. Z. Shumaker, M. N. Hetrick, and George Bish.
A parsonage, costing $1,500.00, was erected in 1913, on a half-
338
Part Two: Congregational Histories
acre of land, but in August 1914 Elder Holsinger moved to Potts- town, Pennsylvania. In September of the same year, Herman B. Heisey became pastor. The membership continued to grow. Church attendance was excellent and nearly always surpassed the number of members enrolled. A strong home and foreign missionary spirit was created. A Front Line, wide-awake Sun- day school was maintained for several years, and a weekly teachers' meeting and Seal Course class was held. The record attendance at Sunday school was one hundred twenty-two, and it was said to be the best in the neighborhood. There was a sisters' aid society and a Christian Workers' society.
Following Brother Heisey, J. L. Bowman became pastor. He also was a schoolteacher. The ladies' aid society was carried on very efficiently under Sister Bowman's leadership. A. C. Schue followed Brother Bowman, then Brother Bowman re- turned as pastor.
D. F. Warner followed Brother Bowman, and during his pastorate the church was remodeled, including enlarging the auditorium and adding Sunday-school rooms and a kitchen. A garage was built, and the ladies' aid bought the pastor a Ford automobile. In 1928 a class of four-Helen Snyder, Mrs. Mary Nelson, Ruth and Grace Nelson-graduated in leadership train- ing, which was the beginning of a school for religious education in Armstrong County. A daily vacation Bible school was begun during Brother Warner's pastorate. The children's department was organized, having their separate worship program, with Sister Warner as superintendent. Brother Warner moved away in 1929, and for a while the pastorate was vacant.
Fred Hollingshead served as summer pastor in 1931, and in the fall the Oakdale church formed a joint pastorate with the Plum Creek church. J. H. Wimmer of Virginia accepted a call from the two churches, coming in April 1932, and remained until 1941. In September 1933 the name was changed from the Red Bank to the Oakdale Church Painting Back of Oakdale's Pulpit of the Brethren.
Clarence H. Rosenberger became pastor in 1941. During his pastorate the church paid their final assessment to the Old Folks' Home, and also voted to participate in the Ministerial and Missionary Pension Fund. In 1945 Brother
339
Part Two: Congregational Histories
Rosenberger had the privilege of going to Europe on a cattle boat for Brethren service. He closed his pastorate that year.
With the coming of S. K. Bowser as pastor in January 1946 the joint pastorate was discontinued and Brother Bowser and family could give their entire time to our Oakdale church. At the time of this writing a number of projects have been under- taken to make the work more effective and serve our congre- gation better.
-Mrs. Virginia Hetrick Frazier
CHAPTER 40. THE PENN RUN CHURCH
Church house purchased, 1905 Separate organization, 1923 Present church membership, 58
More than a century ago the first members settled in this community, and in 1854 the first meetinghouse was erected about two miles southeast of (Greenville) Penn Run. This Penn Run Church old Manor church was remod- eled in 1886, and several years later the work at Manor was discontinued.
In 1905 the United Presby- terian building in Penn Run was purchased and repaired, but we still remained a part of the Manor congregation un- til 1923. D. K. Clapper and C. Walter Warstler were the eld- ers-in-charge of the organiza- tion. Harry A. Holsopple was elected church clerk and served from 1923 to 1938. He was succeeded by R. D. Fyock from 1938 to the present. Jo- seph A. Widdowson was the treasurer from 1923 to 1928, and R. D. Fyock since 1928.
340
Part Two: Congregational Histories
Mrs. J. M. Fyock was the president of the ladies' aid from 1923 to 1947, and Mrs. Charles Strong since 1948. Our member- ship record for the twenty-seven years reads:
Charter members 40 Removed by death 13
Received by letter 7 Moved away 49
Baptized
73 Present membership 58
TOTAL 120 TOTAL 120
The group picture (1950) indicates that the Penn Run church has a future. In behalf of the future church, we list the names of those shown in the picture.
Congregation at Penn Run, 1950
(Front row, left to right) Richard Brendlinger, Robert Duncan, Darlene Widdow- son, Maxine Conrath, Mrs. Glen Widdowson.
(Second row, L. to R.) Frederick Widdowson, Phyllis Widdowson, Dorothy Dun- can, Rebecca Fyock, Mrs. Robert Fyock.
(Third row, L. to R.) Mrs. Francis Duncan, Mary Carolyn Cramer, Phyllis Brendlinger, Iris Widdowson, Dale Widdowson, Ira Widdowson.
(Fourth row, L. to R.) Eugene Widdowson, Charles Strong, Janet Widdowson, Laura Brendlinger, Dorothy Strong, Marjorie Widdowson.
(Fifth row, L. to R.) Ronald Widdowson, Patricia Widdowson, Kathryn Widdow- son, Ruby Widdowson, Mary Widdowson, Wilda Widdowson.
(Sixth row, L. to R.) Max Widdowson, Mrs. Elizabeth Amond, Florence Dick, Mrs. Ida Widdowson, Annie Fyock.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.