Church: Neillsville - United Church of Christ (New Building - 1960)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Koch, Harcey, Larsen, Steiger, Grether, Mabie, Crissinger, Morley, Aspen, Huckstead, Ringstad, Holt, Welke, Bass, Kippenhan, Roberts, Vine, Hubing, Lauscher, Musil, Wall, Schoengarth, Filitz, Shaw

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) October 27, 1960

United Church of Christ (Drive for new Building - 1960)

Final plans were being completed this week for a one-day campaign by the United Church of Christ at Neillsville to secure finances for the construction of a proposed new church building.

A series of meetings of 42 canvass "teams" is being held under A. J. Koch of St. Louis, Mo., in preparation.  The drive will open Sunday afternoon and conclude with a "victory celebration" at 8:15 p.m. Sunday in the present church building.

The goal is $65,000 in pledges to be returned over a period of three years.  The estimated cost of the proposed church is $200,000.  The congregation has approximately $18,000 in a building fund at present.

All efforts of the congregation Sunday will be pointed to the pledge campaign.  Two services will be held Sunday morning, at 9 and 10:30 a.m., at which Mr. Koch, a member of the United Church finance advisory board, will speak.  Canvassers will be commissioned by the Rev. Frank B. Harcey, pastor of the congregation.

A dinner will be served by the United Women at 12:15 p.m. to members of the canvass committee and canvassers, with the canvassers scheduled to start on their round of calls on members of the congregation at 2.

Results of the canvass will be tabulated by the adult committee as canvass teams complete their work and these result will be announced at the 8:15 p.m. meeting, at which members are asked to be present.

For those helping with the work a baby-sitting service has been set up by the Senior Youth Fellowship. Those requiring the service may call Deon Larsen, at Sherwood 3-2496.

The canvass will be conducted under the direction of E. J. Steiger, committee vice chairman.  The Rev. Jack Grether and Milo R. Mabie are his divisional leaders.  Team captains are: B. H. Crissinger, Leonard Morley, Ole Aspen, Harold Huckstead, John Ringstad, James Holt, James Welke, Miss Josie Bass and Miss Louise Kippenhan.

Mrs. Dorothy Roberts is chairman of the canvass committee, which has laid the groundwork for the campaign with a colorful brochure which points up the need for a new church and how it is hoped to finance it; a broadside and has organized for the one-day financial push.

Other canvass committee chairmen are Faith Vine, publicity; Mrs. George Grether, Statistical; Mrs. Hazel Hubing, office; Ivan Lauscher, special gifts; Jas. A. Musil, auditing.

Members of the audit committee, who are responsible for the proposed plans, are: Harold Huckstead, chairman, Ellis Wall, vice chairman, Mrs. Virginia Schoengarth, Secretary, Helen Filitz, Mr. Crissinger and George Shaw.

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) November 3, 1960

A one day campaign raised $74,098.70 in pledges for the construction of a new church building here by the congregation of the United Church of Christ.

The prospect was expressed, as a result, that plans for the construction would be pushed to an early conclusion.  It was considered likely, also that the construction of the new church may be undertaken in 1961.

Thirty nine teams of canvassers visited members of the congregation (missing the rest of this article).