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MONROE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Monroe Presbyterian Church was located at Monroe, Nebraska.

EARLY HISTORY

The first meeting for the organization of this church was held October 31, 1890, at Monroe, Nebraska.

At that meeting E. A. Gerrard was elected to the office of clerk, and William J. Strother, Martin A. Voorhees and John M. Kelly were elected trustees.

UNION CHURCH OF MONROE

The Union Church is located in Monroe, Nebraska.

EARLY HISTORY

In 1921 several of the Monroe churches united to form the Union Church. At a meeting held on October 4, the church was incorporated and those present signed the agreement. Dated: October 4, 1921 Signed

Filed for record: October 19, 1921, Platte County Court House.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The First Presbyterian Church of Creston was located in Creston Township in the town of Creston, Nebraska.

EARLY HISTORY

The Presbyterian Church Congregation of Creston, Nebraska, was organized on July 5, 1878. It began as a country society of eleven members, and was completed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Drake, the grandparents of the late Mrs. R. C. Moran. R. C. Moran was appointed on the first church board, with three other members, John Drake, W. B. Williams, and Arthur. Miles.

The first church building was erected the same year as the church organization was effected, in 1878. It was located on the southeast corner of the W. C. Jackson farm, southeast of what is now the village of Creston No town existed at that time.

Some of the organizers and donors were: Doctor John Scudder, W. C. Jackson, Ezra Drake, R. C. Moran, W. H. Dean, Belden Williams, E. A. Sage, and Arthur Miles. .

In 1894, this church was moved into Creston, and in 1914, a new church building was built.

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

By appointment of the committee of church organization of the Presbytery of Omaha, Reverend William McCandlish and Reverend Joseph Wilson visited Creston on the Sabbath, February 3, 1878, and proceeded to organize a church known as the Presbyterian Church of Creston. The following persons were enrolled as members: John Drake, Rachel Drake, Arthur Miles, Maria J. Miles, Margaret A. Miles, Eliza Williams, W. B. Williams, N. McCandlish, F. McCandlish, Mary Steel, and. Margaret Steel.

Filed for record February 22, 1878.

The congregation of this church met on July 5, 1878, at the home of John Drake. The following persons were elected to the Board of Trustees: W. B. Williams, R. C. Moran, and Arthur Miles was elected clerk.

Filed for record August 16, 1878 at the Platte County Court House.

OLDEST CHURCH IN CRESTON

The Presbyterian Church is the oldest church in Creston. The first meeting was held in February, 1878, in a rural school house. Reverend Joseph M. Wilson was the first pastor. Other early pastors were Reverend Kimball, Reverend Pangborn, Reverend Warner, Reverend Freye, and Reverend Whetzel. The ruling elders in 1878 were W. B. Williams, W. N. McCandlish, and Arthur Miles. John Drake was also an early elder. The lumber for the first small frame church was hauled from Columbus and the work was all donated.

In 1913, it was decided to build a new church. The cornerstone was laid on July 14, 1914, and dedicated on January 24, 1915.

In May, 1921, the Methodist Congregation, of Creston, which had been successfully cooperating with the Presbyterian Congregation for twenty months, decided to unite with them. Almost the entire membership was received into the Presbyterian Church at the time.

The Missionary Auxiliary is the oldest society of the church. It was organized by Mrs. John Drake, who was a charter member of the congregation, back in 1890. It was reorganized in 1924 by the late Mrs. E. W. Graham.

SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED IN 1938

On June 12, 1938, the Presbyterian Church at Creston celebrated its sixtieth anniversary. Reverend Samuel N. Horton was the pastor at the time of the sixtieth anniversary.

CHURCH OFFICERS IN 1948

The officers were: Elders, T. F. Plageman, Arthur Anson, John Barrett, J. W. Larson, and T. D. Wagner; Trustees, E. K. Luedtke, Henry Koch, James Barrett, Leonard Barrett, and Harry Palmateer.

The church in the 1940's was served as a Mission and the pastor was the Reverend M. Schenck of Madison, Nebraska.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF TRACY VALLEY

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

The Presbyterian Church of Tracy Valley was incorporated when a meeting of this congregation was held at the District 19 School house of Section 8, Humphrey Township, on September 26, 1875. The following were elected to the Board of Trustees: L. C. LaBarre, L. B. Leach and Walter Mead.

Filed for record October II, 1875.

OCONEE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Oconee Presbyterian Church was first established as the Presbyterian Church of Lost Creek, Nebraska and incorporated at a meeting of the congregation held at the Lost Creek school house on October 7, 1883.

The following persons were chosen as trustees: Robert Pinson, James Wood, and Isaac Kenyon. The Articles of Incorporation were filed for record at the Platte County Court House on October 12, 1883.

In 1896, this church petitioned for a change of name.

The letter read as follows:

Oconee, Nebraska
February 17, 1896

E. Pohl
County Clerk, Columbus, Nebraska
Dear Sir:

We, the officers of the Lost Creek Presbyterian Church respectfully ask you to change the name of the above church to the Oconee Presbyterian Church and have it recorded as such.

Filed for record February 29, 1896.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
OF HUMPHREY

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

A meeting was held in the store of C. H. Graham, at Humphrey, Nebraska, on September 17, 1883, to form a Presbyterian Society. The object of the society was to promote "Pure and undefiled religion" among all classes of people who will consent to be benefited by its influence.

Trustees elected were: D. T. Dickinson, James H. Sloan, and T. D. Robinson. F. H. Baker was elected Moderator and Reverend D. K. Pangborn was elected Treasurer.

Filed for record September 28, 1885, at the Platte County Court House.

(This church is no longer in existence.)

ZION GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

The Zion Grace* Presbyterian Church was organized on April 1, 1894. At the initial meeting Joel Warner was chosen clerk. The following persons were elected to the board of trustees: William Adamson, Charles McTaggert, and William J. Irwin. Thomas L. Sexton was the superintendent of missions.

Filed for record April 2, 1894, at the Platte County Court House.

AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

West Hill, Nebraska
September 2, 1894**

At a meeting of the members of the Zion Grace Presbyterian Church, the following action was taken:

F. W. Williams was made chairman and P. A. Burrows was made secretary.

On the motion of William Adamson, it was passed that the name of the church be changed to the West Hill Presbyterian Church.

Filed for record September 18, 1894, at the Platte County Court House.

---

* Appears under name Zion Grove Presbyterian Church.
** Also dated September 2, 1891.

THE METHODIST CHURCH

The beginning of Methodism in Columbus dates back to 1858, when the first religious sermon of any denomination to be preached here was delivered by the Reverend Jacob Adriance on May 16, 1858, in the dining room of the old American Hotel. Twenty-four people attended the service.

Reverend Adriance, a pioneer in the Methodist missionary field of early Nebraska, traveled about his circuit on horseback. Columbus, then on the circuit, had a population of about one hundred settlers, the majority of whom were Germans.

The welcoming committee, made up of John P. Becker, Judge C. A. Speice, and Judge Patterson, saw Reverend Adriance approaching along the dusty road and went to meet him. The missionary carried a pair of saddle bags behind him which contained his Bible, hymn book, and other necessary articles. For many years the Reverend Jacob Adriance, the Methodist missionary of 1858, and the Reverend Walter H. Jackson, Methodist minister in Columbus in 1948, had been close friends and associates in church work.

Reverend Adriance was born in Cayuga County, New York, on October 22, 1836. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret Adriance, natives of New York state. At the early age of sixteen, Jacob Adriance decided that he wanted to preach in the mission field. His academic preparation for his life work was a common school education and a brief course at Wilson Collegiate Institute.

In 1857, he came west to Nebraska, settling first in DeSota. In the spring of 1858, he moved to Fremont, Nebraska, where he assumed charge of the Platte Valley Methodist Missionary Circuit. This circuit was composed of twelve different points requiring three hundred miles of travel, and a period of one month to cover. It included Fremont, Columbus, Monroe, and all the other settlements in the Platte Valley. There was little organization --- Reverend Adriance just came in and preached. He also possessed a fine singing voice, and was greatly in demand as a song leader.

After serving the circuit for one year as pastor, Reverend Adriance was moved to the Pike's Peak, Colorado, circuit, to minister to the miners in the "gold" country, and thus he became the first resident minister in that territory. He remained there four years, whereupon the Provincial Colorado Government chose him to serve as chaplain of the lower house of legislature. While in Denver, Reverend Adriance organized the first Methodist church there.

Reverend Adriance was married April 25, 1860, to Fannie A. Rogers of New York state. He returned to Nebraska in 1862 and served the Methodist Church until 1878, when he lost his hearing. He died December 18, 1922, in Fremont, Nebraska.

It is probable that other Methodist missionaries besides Reverend Adriance made unrecorded visits to Columbus in the years before 1867.

ORGANIZATION OF METHODIST SOCIETY

The records show that a Methodist Society was organized in town on June 15, 1867, when a formal meeting was held with Reverend T. B. Lemon of Omaha, presiding elder of this district, as chairman.

During the ten-year period, 1867-1877, the local Methodist Society was served by ministers from this circuit. At each point on the circuit, a society was organized, and the work carried on under a leader with occasional visits from the Methodist missionary in charge of the circuit.

PASTORS OF CIRCUIT

The pastors who served the local society were: Reverend J. W. Warren, 1867; Reverend S. P. Van Doozer, 1869-1870; Reverend L. F. Whitehead, 1871-1872; Reverend C. C. McCune, 1873; Reverend King, 1874; Reverend Drahms and Reverend John Armstrong, 1875; Reverend B. S. Taylor, 1875-1876.

ORGANIZATION OF METHODIST EPISCOPAL

CONGREGATION

In 1876, the organization of the first Methodist Episcopal Church of Columbus was effected at a meeting held on February 24. At this meeting, the following trustees were elected: P. W. Jackson Echols, William Conewell, S. A. Bonesteel, W. B. Kendricks, and J. W. Lentz. Phillip Whitehead Jackson Echols, the father of Jackson C. Echols of Columbus, was elected temporary chairman of this meeting; and B. S. Taylor was elected clerk. The articles of incorporation were filed for record on March 23, 1876, at the Platte County Court House.

EARLY CHURCH RECORDS

The first records of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbus were left by the Reverend J. Q. A. Fleharty who reorganized the church in the autumn of 1877. This record reads:

"The First Methodist Church of Columbus was reorganized in the fall of 1877. The society had been left' without a pastor for nearly nine months, and was greatly discouraged and, in fact, wholly disbanded. I found the church records, after several days' search, in Butler County. We had only a few who were willing to be called Methodists. Sister Lizzie Davis who had been here some time was doing what she could for the cause. Brother Francis Kerr, A. C. Tignor and Martha and Caroline Kennedy came to the rescue and soon started a little prayer meeting. A class was organized and the old ship of Zion was launched amid the prayers and tears of the devoted little band. The first year we had appointments Butler County, and also up near Genoa. But the two last years, Columbus has been a station, her spiritual growth has perhaps been 'slow but sure' marching steadily onward, gaining in strength and influence all the time ... to God be all glory."

The membership rolls of the church from October, 1877, to October, 1884, included: 1877, Martha and Caroline Kennedy, and Francis Kerr; 1878, A. C. Tignor, Thomas Sanders, and Doctor William Armstrong; 1879, Joseph Loshbaugh, Elizabeth Davis, C. W. Webster, and John Reynolds; 1880, Nathaniel Rice, William

R. Knapp, and Rose Rickly; 1881, Mary Davis; 1883, John Swartsley and C. W. Kingston; 1884, W. D. Campbell.

Two marriages are recorded in 1878: namely, Orlando Thomson and Elizabeth Davis on February 21, and William R. Thomas and Mary E. Leggett on March 23.

Ten baptisms are recorded in the years 1877 to 1884: December 23, 1877, Mercy Maria Hoopes, adult; July 6, 1878, Flora Brainard Lawson, infant daughter of John and Mrs. Lawson; July 23, 1878, Mandania Evelyn Burley, adult, daughter of Joseph and Margaret Burley; August 10, 1879, Julia May Moore; October 5, 1879, Josie Callison, adult, daughter of J. and Lizzie Callison; November 1, 1882, William J. Rickly, infant son of William and Mary Rickly; Ruby R. Rickly, infant daughter of William and Mary Rickly; E. B. Clother, infant son of George and Hannah Clother; George W. Clother, infant son of George Washington Clother; January 27, 1883, Clarence W. Webster, infant son of C. S. Webster.

After three years' absence, Reverend J. Q. A. Fleharty was returned by conference to Columbus, Nebraska. In 1884, he wrote: "I find that no historical record has been kept either by Reverend Bristol or Wilson who were my successors. I came here on October 3, 1884, in accordance with a petition sent down to the Annual Conference for my return to this place. I found that they had been without prayer and class meetings for six months. We commenced them again, and kept them up during the entire year. Our members are few and I have labored under many difficulties. It was my cherished desire to clear the church of debt, therefore I went to conference and for this purpose I urged the holding of Festivals and Sociables. We held a few but have had none for the last three months, for some reason or other. What we want here is work, unceasing earnest work, and faith that will bring the victory."

The membership rolls of the church from 1885 to 1895 included: 1889, F. T. Worley, Gilbert Worley, and Jessie H. Worley; 1890, Bertha Zinnecker, and Lidia Zinnecker; 1891, C. B. Whitmoyer, Henry Zinnecker, Curtis Whitney, and William Arthur Worley; 1892, B. V. Brodfuehrer, J. Thomas and Sophie J. Boyd, Laura B. Leedom, and Edwin Farmer; 1893, C. A. and Mrs. Linstrum and Sue E. Leedom; 1894, Elizabeth Brindley, Maggie Wheeler, and Muzetta Wheeler; 1895, Florence Elliot.

Two marriages were recorded: namely, Thomas F. Marshall and Mary B. Bennett on October 31, 1891, and William Meays and LiIlie A. Tannahill on February 10, 1892.

Fifteen baptisms were recorded: March, 1885, Jennie, John H. and Eliza Bruen, children of P. L. and Jennie Bruen; March, 1885, Sarah Jane Tignor, child of M. E. Tignor; April, 1885, Clara and Maude E. Wilson, children of Edith and James Wilson; April, 1885, Annie M. Grimes, child of George Grimes; March 15, 1891, Martha M. and Mary M. Turner, adults; July 19, 1891, Ellen W., George, Grace, Myrtle, and Hudson Knapp, children of Frank R. Knapp; July 23, 1891, L. J. Baker, adult.

The list of church officers recorded September 27, 1889, included: Trustees, William Meays, Harry Thomas, H. Spoerry, and John Swartsley, leader; Sunday-school Superintendent, Mrs. F. C. Green; Sunday. school Secretary, Eva Amburger; Sunday-school Teachers, Blanch Morrison and Charity Smith; Steward, Lizzie Davis; Organist, Mary Turner.

CHURCH IN TWO LOCATIONS

In 1879, the first Methodist Church was built for worship north of the present site of Fricke's Drug Store at 1362 Twenty-fifth Avenue. The church occupied this site for seven years. In 1879, the Congregational Church was located on the front of the next lot west of the Methodist Church at 2504 Thirteenth Street.

In May, 1886, construction was started on the present Methodist Church located at the northwest corner of Fourteenth Street and Twenty-seventh Avenue. On Sunday, October 10, 1886, the church was dedicated by Reverend J. W. Phelps, presiding elder of the Omaha District. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by Reverend J. W. Shank, presiding elder of the Grand Island District. The building was of frame construction, thirty feet by fifty feet, with a vestibule ten feet square and a twenty-four-foot ceiling. The tower of the church was sixty-four feet high. The property was valued at thirty-five hundred dollars.

In 1907, the church was extensively remodeled, and since then, at different periods, has undergone minor alterations without changing the general style of architecture.

PASTORS 1877 To 1948

The assignment of the pastors corresponds to the church year which runs from October of one year to October of the next. The pastors during these seventy years were: Reverend J. Q. A. Fleharty, 1877-1880; Reverend M. B. V. Bristol, 1880-1881 ; Reverend R. B. Wilson, 1881-1883; Reverend J. Q. A. Fleharty, 1883-1884; Reverend E. J. Robinson, 1884-1885; Reverend J. L. St. Clair, 1885-1887; Reverend H. L. Powers, 1887-1889; Reverend Wm. N. Worley, 1889-1891; Reverend J. B. Leedom, 1891-1893; Reverend F. W. Bross, 1893.1895; Reverend John E. Moore, 1895-1896; Reverend A. L. Mickel, 1896-1899; Reverend G. W. Carey, 1899-1900; Reverend G. A. Luce, 1900-1904; Reverend L. R. DeWolf, 1904-1908; Reverend D. L. Roush,

1908-1910; Reverend Charles W. Ray, 1910-1913; Reverend D. A. Leeper, 1913-1914; Reverend Harry F. Huntington, 1914-1918; Reverend William A. Albright, 1918-1923; Reverend E. Lamont Geissinger, 19231928; Reverend Frank A. Carmony, 1928-1932; Reverend George W. Snyder, 1932-1934; Reverend A. F. McFarland, 1934-1938; Reverend William M. Parker, 1938-1940; Reverend Walter H, Jackson, 1940-1948; Reverend John P. Brooks, 1948

ORGANIZATION IN STATE

The first class of Methodists in Nebraska was organized at Nebraska City in the autumn of 1855. As early as 1857, there was some organization of the Methodist annual conference in Nebraska. However, in 1936, Nebraska City newspapers carried an account of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the First Methodist Church in the state, built in 1861, and also an account of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Methodist Annual Conference organization in Nebraska.

CHANGE OF NAME

In the spring of 1939, a union conference was held when the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and the Methodist Protestant Church united under the name of Methodist Church. In 1940, the Methodist Church in Columbus was changed from Methodist Episcopal to the First Methodist Church.

On October 2, 1940, the Women's Society of Christian Service was organized at the First Methodist Church in Columbus. This new society was to take the place of the General Aid Society, the Circles of the Aid, the Women's Foreign Mission Society, and the Women's Home Mission Society in the local church. Mrs. J. R. Prest was elected first president of this group. The change was a result of the decree of the Union Conference held in 1939.

Mrs. R. C. Boyd, a member of the Ladies Aid of the local Methodist Church, was the oldest member in age and membership, and she was given the distinction of signing her name to the charter of the Women's Society of Christian Service. She became a member of the Ladies Aid in 1886.

MEMBERSHIP 1900-1949

On the membership rolls of the church through the years appear the names of families long prominent in this community, of whom many members are now deceased. They included: Jackson C. Echols, M. K. Turner, Miss Martha Turner, Craig Turner, J. H. Drinnin, Mrs. Henry Ragatz Sr., R. C. Boyd, D. D. D. Boyd, Judge I. L. Albert, F. S. Lecron, A. H. Backus, M. M. Taylor, J. T. Boyd, and C. A. Linstrum. The latter two were members for over fifty years.

Among the later members were: Doctor E. G. Brillhart, Wilbur Johnson, Howard Welch, and Winfred Jacobsen.

CHURCH OFFICIALS FOR 1946-1947

The list of church officials for 1946-1947 included: Trustees, George Johansen, Chairman; J. T. Boyd, R. R. McGee, J. A. Borg, L. L. Walker, G. H. Gray, Walter Burgess, E. G. Hadley, and Lovell Burley who moved to Norfolk in 1947. The parish council included: H. V. Clark, Chairman, G. H. Gray, L. L. Walker, Walter Burgess, Mrs. R. R. McGee, George Johansen, Tom Boyd, Ray Neutzman, M. D. Austin, Ken Mathis, S. L. Whitney, Mrs. A. H. Backus, E. P. Baruth, and Mrs. W. J. Jackson.

The church officers were: Lay Member Anniversary Conference, G. H. Gray; Reserve Lay Anniversary Conference, H. V. Clark; Charge Lay Leader, E. P. Baruth; Assistant District Leader, M. D. Austin; Financial Secretary, Walter Burgess; Treasurer, R. R. McGee; Church School Superintendent, S. L. Whitney; President Woman's Society, Mrs. R. R. McGee; President Youth Fellowship, Ray Neutzman.

The finance committee included: Walter Burgess, Lovell Burley, Lee Nauenburg, L. L. Walker, R. R. McGee, Mrs. A. H. Backus, M. Bonner, George Johansen, Mrs. I. L. Albert, O. H. Walters, Mrs. J. R. Prest, and H. V. Clark.

The stewards were: Lee Nauenburg, Chairman; Mrs. D. E. Maxwell, George Johansen Jr., Mrs. A. H. Backus, M. P. Scharnweber, Mrs. I. L. Albert, Mrs. J. R. Prest, M. D. Austin, O. H. Walters, S. L. Whitney, C. Quante, M. Bonner, R. Bachtel, L. Patterson, E. P. Baruth, A. G. Hickey, C. Kusant, H. V. Clark, Phil Whitney, Mrs. J. T. Boyd, deceased, and Lois Hickey Strombom, secretary.

THE CHURCH CHOIR

The 1947 choir was composed of approximately twenty-five voices. Mrs. Harry Clement was the choir leader, and Mrs. Howard Welch, the organist.

ST. PAUL METHODIST CHURCH

The St. Paul Methodist Church is located in Duncan, Nebraska, in Butler Township.

EARLY HISTORY

In the early 1880's, several years before the St. Paul German Methodist Church was incorporated, a few German and Swiss families from the Duncan vicinity, in Butler Township, met as a German Methodist Society. No records were left of the dates and places of worship; but descendants of this group assumed that they met in the homes of members, using much the same plan of organization as that used by small groups in the English Methodist Episcopal Church in Nebraska.

The members of this early German Methodist group from Butler Township included: John Ernst, John Eisenmann, Christ Wuethrich, Julius Rudat, and John Schmocker, together with their wives and families.

ORGANIZATION AT COLUMBUS

About this time, a Society of German Methodists was organized in Columbus under the leadership of Jacob Zinnecker. There were eight members in this group which included: Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Zinnecker, Mr. and Mrs. John Meyer, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Houser, and Mr. and Mrs. John Aden. The two societies held joint meetings for some time.

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