Church: Spencer - Methodist Parsonage Burns (17 Feb 1881)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Greer, Sanford

----Source: Spencer Advance (Spencer, Marathon Co., Wis.) 24 Feb 1881

Fire! Fire! - was the startling cry at about eight o’clock last Thursday evening. A meeting was in progress in the Methodist Church at the time, and Rev. J. P. Greer was just getting into the merits of his discourse, when the alarm was given. The congregation, as with a single impulse sprang to their feet and rushed to the door, leaving the preacher standing alone in the desk. On reaching the outside of the house, no light could be seen, and many came to the conclusion that it was a false alarm, perhaps intended to break up the meeting. But an ominous dark clouse rising in the northern part of the village, that is, northern from the church, directed attention that way, and presently word came that the parsonage was on fire, and the preacher hurried from the pulpit to see his home in flames. The fire originated somewhere in the upper story, from the stove pipe, but just how it started is not known. Unfortunately, the most of their building, and Mr. Greer’s library, worth two hundred and fifty dollars, was in the upper story, from which nothing was saved; but all that was in the lower part of the house was recovered from the devouring element. There was no insurance on the building or household goods, which makes the loss very severe, both on the church and Mr. Greer’s family. It is very creditable to our citizens that before the light of the burning building had gone out, a subscription was started for relief of the parson and his family, and after a pretty thorough canvas of the place, which was done mostly by S. C. Sanford, with some assistance, about $65 in cash was raised, considerable bedding, clothing, etc., with some unpaid subscriptions.

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Mr. and Mrs. Greer requests us to tender their sincere thanks to the people of Spencer and vicinity for the substantial tokens of sympathy and kindness show them in the loss sustained by the destruction of their household goods by the burning of the parsonage last Thursday evening. May the reward of the generous donors be a hundred fold in this world, and in the world to come may life everlasting be theirs’.

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Church: Methodist Parsonage Being Rebuilt (May 1881)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Greer

Source: Spencer Advance (Spencer, Wis.) 19 May 1881

Work on the Methodist Parsonage is being rushed as rapidly as possible, and we hop before many weeks to see the worthy pastor and family under its shelter. Mr. Greer is entitled to much credit for pushing the work along as rapidly as he has.