Fund Raising story History of Glenarm U.M. Women
In the year, 1869, members of the Oak Ridge Community, 1.5 miles southeast of Glenarm, built the structure that housed their Oak Ridge Methodist Church and our Glenarm United Methodist Church. Mr. Hiner donated the land on the north side of the road just west of Brush Creek. Si Lard, Mr. Ford, and Mc McGrady each donated $100.00. This $300.00 purchased the material for the church building. Samuel Davidson furnished the rock for the foundation from his farm. He hauled it in a big horse drawn wagon to the spot where the church was to stand.
Reverend J.B. Wolfe was pastor of the Oak Ridge Methodist Church. He served for a number of years and officiated at the wedding of Manford and Effie Clayton on October 25th, 1893. There was a pond near the Oak Ridge Church that served as a baptism place.
Etta Davidson was the organist at Oak Ridge and in Halbert Albright's notes he says, "I am sure her brother, Jeff, sang in the choir if his fox hounds cam home from the chase the night before." Albright used to fox hunt with Jeff. Each week Etta would receive a postcard from the minister telling her what songs they would sing the following Sunday.
Bessie Jordan Derry wrote a letter to Harry Clayton reminiscing about the years prior to 1922. She told of her father, Marion Jordan, driving a matched team of horses to a "surrey with the fringe on top" to church each Sunday regardless of high wind or weather. One Sunday he went alone in a blizzard. He was the only one at church that morning but he prayed, sang a song, gave his testimony, took up a collection and wrote the minutes in the record book. The following Sunday the regular secretary read the minutes aloud, noting the collection of five cents. Bessie's uncles Martin and Bill Jordan -- were both ministers and frequently were guest ministers at Oak Ridge.
It was the practice in those days of late 1800's and early 1900's to have a team and buggy for Sunday and separate horses for work as we now use our cars and truck and tractors.
Bessie remembered a Reverend Hobart who came from Auburn every two weeks to preach at Oak Ridge and Laura Lard and Bessie's mother, Elsie Lard Jackson Jordan, would house and feed him. Church services would be at 2:00pm on Sundays. (Elsie Jordan was a half-sister to Jake Lard, husband of Stella Lard. Jake and Stella are the grandparents of Jake Shepherd.)
George P. Weber and T. B. Shepherd were two of the early Sunday School superintendents. There was always a large crowd at Sunday School and church. Both services were held in the morning hours.
About a mile north and little west of Glenarm was the O'Neal farm. On the east side of the road, just south of a small branch that flowed into Sugar Creek, stood a grade school, O'Neal School. Mr. O'Neal gave ground across the road -- on the west side -- for a church to be built. Tradition has it that a minister named McMurray held a revival there and the church was named McMurray Chapel in his honor. The pulpit bible now in the Glenarm United Methodist Church bears the inscription "Presented to McMurray Chapel by W.S. McMurray." This bible was printed by the American Bible Society in 1848.
McMurray Chapel had a large Sunday School. Many of the people who lived in Glenarm walked to McMurray Chapel on Sundays. Mrs. Charley Stradley told Halbert Albright of doing this. The children walked to O'Neal School as there were no buses in those days. I'm sure many remember Henry Burtle's short stature. I was told it was due to a burn injury to his neck when he was wearing a Santa Claus suit at a Christmas celebration held at the O'Neal School when he was a boy. The collar caught on fire when he stood too close to the lighted candles on the Christmas tree. Alta Estill doused the flames on his suit. The burn was deep enough to effect his growth.
Names of early families associated with these two churches were Scott, McGready, Hiner, Connel, Shepherd, Davidson, Matthew, Pulliam, Headley.
Another church located in the northeast corner of Glenarm was a Southern Methodist. Names of some of the ministers who served there were William Black, Reverend Millikin and Charles Heneley. Bessie Jordan Derry reported her father's funeral was in this church. The bell in our present Glenarm United Methodist Church cam from the Southern Methodist Church.
As time passed roads were improved, new families moved into the community, interests broadened due to increased ease of travel and congregations grew smaller.
In early 1900, Reverend T.F. Hartman was pastor at McMurray Chapel. He lived in Chatham and served the Chatham, McMurray and Zion churches. Services at Zion were held in the afternoon hours of Sunday. Reverend Hartman either drove a horse and buggy or rode horseback to his churches.
Reverend Hartman was instrumental in combining these three churches, Oak Ridge, McMurray, and Southern Methodist. The Oak Ridge Church building was the best structure so it was decided to move it to Glenarm -- a central location in the area to be served.
The McMurray Chapel was sold to Alvin Underwood, who moved it to his farm near Pawnee. The Southern Methodist Church building was bought by Bill and Tom Jackson. They later razed the church building and built a garage there to be known as Jackson and Jordan Garage. A grand opening was held on a Saturday night, June 10th, 192?. Ladies of the Glenarm Methodist Episcopal Church served a fried chicken supper as a money raising project at 6:00pm. Motion pictures were shown after supper. Ice cream and cake were served at an extra charge.
Not all of the members of McMurray Chapel went with the congregation of the Glenarm Methodist Episcopal Church. Some went to Chatham and some to New Harmony. After a time the New Harmony Church disbanded and the building was used by the Woodside Community Club.
In 1904 the Oak Ridge Methodist Church building was moved to Glenarm. Reverend Hartman supervised the moving. Roy Black, a young man at the time, tells of helping move the building.
The building was loaded onto large wooden beams which were placed on large wooden rollers. All this was drawn forward by a large rope around a capstan pulled by a horse. This capstan was anchored to a post set in the ground each rope length. Roy Black drove the horse, set the capstan, and carried the heavy planks for the wheels forward as the ground was soft and the wheels of the capstan needed solid footing.
When the church arrived in Glenarm, the basement was not finished and the church stood in the street for some time. Reverend Hartman would drive his horse and buggy from Chatham and work on the church as the farmers were busy with their crops. He stayed with Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Stradley (Charley), who lived across the street (one house east of the parsonage). The Bennington house was directly across from the church where the present parsonage stands. Benningtons were Elmer Frazee's great-grandparents. Their cow pasture was south of their house--where the church is located and the south part of Glenarm.
Helpers came with teams and slip scrapers to dig the basement. Among those helping were Irwin Kessler, Walter Drennan and Columbus Headley. Mr. Headley lived just north of the McMurray Chapel site. The old Sugar Creek Covered Bridge was known for years as the Headley Bridge. After the basement was completed, the building was placed on a brick foundation. Ernest Jones laid the foundation for the bell tower with Roy Black mixing the mortar for him.
Mr. Headley was a wonderful singer and the first Sunday School Superintendent at the Glenarm Methodist Episcopal Church and continued in this service until his death. Mrs. C.H. Stradley recalled his chair at church was draped in black crepe at this death.
Reverend Hartman would ride his horse from Chatham to Glenarm and then on to Zion. The first organists at Glenarm were Stella Lard and Alice Barbe.
Bessie Jordan Derry was married in the Glenarm Methodist Episcopal Church in 1913. Baptisms took place in Sugar Creek just south of the covered bridge. People sang "Shall We Gather at the River." Nine boys were baptized there one Sunday in 1911. The number of dips they took were decided by their families. Edward Clayton -- one dip backward; Stuart Cullimore, Halbert Albright, and Roscoe Vernon one dip forward. Since William Kessler's grandfather was a Dunkard minister; William, Chester, Arthur Kessler, and Albert and Chester Burt, were dipped three times forward. Reverend Wherman performed these baptisms.
O'Neal School held its eighth grade graduation exercises in the Glenarm Methodist Episcopal Church.
Some of the people who have served as Sunday School Superintendents are: C.H. Stradley, Frank Clayton, Irwin Kessler, Joeseph Frazee, Ed Daniels, J.E. Weber, William Kessler, Arthur Bale and Lee Curby.
Some of the ministers serving the Chatham-Glenarm charge were: T.F. Hartman, 1901-06; G.E. Burton, 1906-08; C.F. McGowin (who like to fish and smoke cigars), 1909-10; W.A. Philipi (who drove his horse and buggy from Chatham and stayed at the C.H. Stradley home), 1911; Charles Wherman, 1912-13; C.A. Ward, 1914-15; Wiley Johnson (who would walk from Chatham and did publish a church directory), 1916; C.M. Corrie (a tall man who drove a Model T Roadster), 1917-19.
In 1919 the Chatham congregation felt they could support a minister by themselves, so the decision was made to separate from Chatham and unite with the Divernon Methodist Episcopal Church.
Ministers serving this charge were: Reverend Wright, 1919-20; Walter J. Mitchell, 1920-23; George Fidler, 1923-25; Clive R.Underwood (during this time a kitchen ban was organized and fried chicken suppers were held in the Jackson Garage as the basement at that time was not suitable. The band performed at these suppers.), 1925-27; Harry R. Evans, 1927-30; Louis O. Unger, 1930-31; George H. Billings, 1931-40.
During Reverend Billings term of service at Gleanarm, some remodeling and renovation was done to the church building. Building was raised so the basement would be four bricks taller. "Little" John Lard and Roy Black helped lay these bricks and seal the basement. Entrance to the basement was moved from the northeast corner to the northwest corner of the building and the old coal furnace was replaced with posts. Hardwood flooring was procured from a closed dance hall that was at the Chicago World's Fair and was laid over the old floor. At the same time, the front steps were rebuilt.
At this time Farmersville asked to be united with the Glenarm-Divernon charge. Services were held at all three churches on Sunday morning calling for good driving in well-tuned cars by the ministers.
Ministers serving this three-point charge were: George H. Billings; D.H. Abott, 1940-42; Edward Mehl, 1942-47; O.R. Sprecklemeyer, 1947-50; Marshall Erwin, 1950-58.
During Reverend Mehl's years with us the balcony was added with Reverend Mehl, Joseph Frazee, and Roy Black doing most of the work. Paul Burt, Joseph Frazee and Reverend Mehl also put the blocks on the ceiling and walls of the sanctuary. Reverend Sprecklemeyer will be remembered for his love of coon hunting. He continued to coon hunt until his death, literally, as he died of a heart attack while coon hunting. One of the biggest building projects was carried out during Reverend Ervin's years with us. Everyone had been talking of our need for an addition for some time and during a meeting of the building committee (John Bale was the chairman) one night, about the only thing decided was the size and location of an addition. During the following week, the boss of the McCann construction crew, building an overhead highway bridge north of Glenarm, came to Ernie Darling and said, "We have an idle tractor today and have to pay the operator anyway so if you tell us where to dig, we will dig your basement free of charge." A quick consultation of the committee and the tractor and operator went to work and the hole was excavated by evening.
Since the hole was dug, the basement was started and the walls and floor constructed. Then the work stopped as funds were depleted. Suppers were served, and auction sale was held and gifts were solicited. And the work went on. Used lumber was bought and cleaned up to be used in the framing. Glenarm Grain gave us two large steel beams and more were purchased. John White welded them together and the work progressed rapidly. When all was done, the south addition enlarged the basement and provided and educational area south of the pulpit besides remodeling the pulpit area of the sanctuary. Reverend Ervin had drawn up the plans for the addition and the remodeling of the pulpit area. Fred Bains did most of the work on the communion rail, the pulpit and the wood trim. The old communion rail still serves in the United Methodist Church in Ozark, Missouri.
In 1958 Glenarm separated from the Divernon and Farmersville charge to unite with the New City Methodist Church and remains as a two-point charge with them.
During the 1950's Sunrise Services on Easter Sunday were started at Glenarm and immediately after, coffee and donuts were served. Some were concerned about this breakfast and with the cooperation of Anita Saldeen and Helen Jones, Mona Boston started fixing a breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, and juice besides coffee and donuts. This type of breakfast is still being served each Easter.
In 1958 it was necessary to furnish a parsonage for our minister as Chatham and Divernon had previously provided one. A house immediately south of the west side of the church building, on the street just south of the street the church faces, was purchased from the Davern estate. This home served as a parsonage until 1974. At that time it was decided a larger parsonage was needed. Two lots directly across the street north of the church building was purchased from Stanley Woodward who had purchased them from the Stradley estate. A building committee comprised of Calvin Atchison, Elmer Frazee, Halbert Albright, Lee Curby, William Clark, Ted Dowson was formed and work went forward. The crawl space was dug in mid-June, 1974 for a partially prefabricated house that come in sections on a truck. The framework was put up in mid-July, even though the temperature was 101, by a large number of church members and friends. An inch of rain halted work for a day or so but then work really progressed with twenty men working of the roof at one time. Siding was put on in early September and then work started on the inside. Four ladies were asked to coordinate the inside of the house. They were; Earlene Young, Mona Boston, Carolyn Halford, and Mary Ann Dickey. Some of the people who worked on the inside were: James Sisk (dry wall); Paul Mottar (electric and water line); William Dickey (inside plumbing) and Earlene Young made the drapes.
Total cost of the parsonage was $48,496.85 and when the dedication was held on September 21st, 1975, the parsonage was debt-free!
In 1965 the Cumberland Presbyterian Church voted to unite with the Glenarm United Methodist Chruch. Their congregation was less than fifty and did not feel they could financially exist as a separate church so the membership, property and finances united with the Glenarm United Methodist Church.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized April 15th, 1825 by Reverend John M. Berry. It was the first Presbyterian Church organized within the present limits of Sangamon county and consisted of four families -- Gilbert and Mary Dodds, William and Mary Drennan, Joseph and Matilda Dodds, and James and Alice Wallace. At first the congregation met in private homes. In 1835 a hewed-log house was built and used both as a church and school. In 1846 a frame church was built. This was enlarged in 1872 at a cost of $1,100.00. By 1906 this church became identified with the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
(Compiled by Mona Boston from the notes of Halbert Albright, Elmer Frazee and memories of various people.)
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