updated 09/28/2018
updated 09/28/2018
Fairview Church of
United Brethren in Christ
Mallory twp.
History 1854-1955
Fairview Church of United Brethren in Christ was
located on Section 20 on highway X3C about 3 miles North of
Colesburg, Mallory Twp. Clayton County, Iowa. It was organized in
1854 by Luther McVey, J.A. Slick and wife and others. The first
services of this denomination were held in Colesburg. Luther
McVey was the first pastor and served six months. Later J.A.
Slick became Linontiate, a position which he held for many years.
The house of worship was built in 1859. It was 26X36 feet in size
and cost about $500. J.A. Slick, James Ridenour, C. Wilte, H.
Hatfield and W. Long were trustees. In 1882 there were 140
members [From page 910 Clayton Co. History 1882]
At the time when early settlers were migrating westward, some
Brethren families settled near Garber, Iowa. There they organized
the Wayman Valey Church. Later they joined the Progressive
Brethren movement, and remained a part of it until the death of
their minister, Strother "Todd" Hansel. Then services
were discontinued and the community had no Brethren Church.
In June 1920, Roy E. Stern of Fredericksburg, Iowa was asked to
preach the funeral at Garber of Nancy Hansel, Todd Hansel's
sister-in-law who died at her daughter's home in New Hampton. Roy
Stern was called later to preach other funerals. On one of these
occasions Todd Hansel's son, Otto, asked for baptism. He had come
to Fredericksburg with four others to attend a service. There
they made their wants known and where baptized. Those who came
with him were his wife, Grace, his brother-in-law Jeff Harbaugh,
Jeff's son Leon and daughter Mrs. Jessie Elledge. When Roy Stern
was again asked to hold services in 1938 he took with him about
thirty of his parishioners and the services were held in the
Mound Schoolhouse (located on the corner of the Mallory farm). A
desire for further services led to contact with The District
Mission Board. As a result, district field Sec. J.H. Mathis and
Roy Stern investigated the advisability of opening mission work
there. The situation looked good, and the Board acted favorably.
They asked Roy Stern to hold a week of meeting and Myrtle Barley
to assist by leading singing and conducting a vacation Bible
School. Within the week attendance had increased from
twenty-seven to sixty at the evening meetings. Three were added
to the church by baptism and one by former baptism. Bible School
enrollment was seventeen.
Interest in the work continued and the mission board arranged for
Roy Stern to preach twice each month in the fall of 1939, and
once a month during the winter, and spring months. Then on
October 6, 1942 the Garber church was organized by the Mission
Board and Roy Stern. There were twenty-three charter members: Mr.
and Mrs. Otto Hansel, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Elledge, Mr. and Mrs.
Leon Harbaugh, Jeff Harbaugh, Mrs. Richard, Howard Harbaugh, Mrs.
Northrup, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Gull, Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Harbaugh, Mr.
and Mrs. Warren Hansel, Ishmael Hansel, June Eledge Hansel,
Lovotta Elledge Wiscus, Lowell Elledge, Bert Elledge Jr., Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley Elledge. They elected Roy E. Stern, elder; Grace
Hansel, clerk; Ishmael Hansel, treasurer; and Jeff Harbaugh, Otto
Hansel and Otto Gull as trustees.
In 1943 the trustees arranged to purchase from the United
Brethren the church property, including fixtures, and parsonage
at the cost of $800. The Mission Board made a loan of $600, which
was to be paid as the church treasurer received it. This property
was located on the Colesburg road, three miles north of Colesburg
and six miles southeast of Elkport on section 20. The parsonage
was located on a plot of ground about 1/4 miles from the church
on a gravel road near the now Vernon Moser farm.
First members received were Mrs. John Gull, and Mrs. Sam Smith on
a former baptism, Margaret Stern Hansel by letter, and Howard
Hansel, and Mrs. Lowell Elledge by baptism. Members were
scattered over a distance of twenty five miles, and found it
difficult to be regular attendants, especially with bad roads.
Sunday School was held each Sunday through the summer with a
class each for children, youth, and adults. In bad weather
services were held only when Elder Stern could get there. No
evening services were held. In this way the church carried on
until 1943 when Rev. Hartsugh came to be their Pastor. He
remained until September 1945.
Once again Roy Stern began holding services every other Sunday if
weather permitted until arrangements could be made to provide
summer pastors. Donald Stern came in 1949 to be followed by
others: Beryl McCann 1948-1949, Leonard Carlisle in 1950, and
Edward Lyons in 1951. During the winter months when no pastoral
was provided, Roy Stern looked after the church. To him must be
given much credit for serving the Fairview Church from the time
of its organization to his resignation in 1951.
In March 1955 at a special council meeting of fifteen people, and
by writing of other, the Fairview Church fellowship was
dissolved.
The District Board acting in the name of the District, sold the
Fairview parsonage for $200 to Donald Morley. The Donald Morely
family made it their home. Later years it was in need of repairs,
and was burned down. Members of the Wiscus family now live on
this property.
The church was sold to Kenneth Kuhlman for $675, and moved to
Colesburg, and is now located somewhat behind the Farmers Savings
Bank in Colesburg, and used for machinery storage.
~ source of original text is unknown, sent by an anonymous
contributor
~transcribed from the submitted scanned images by Sharyl Ferrall
~*~*~
Miscellaneous
1932
Fairview: The Annual business meeting of the Fairview church was held Jan. 10, 1932, with the following officers elected for the coming year:
Superintendent - Mr. Watson Gull
Ass't Sec. - Mrs. Lizzie Walters
Sec. - Miss Jessie Brown
Librarian - Miss Marguerite Hansel
Pianist - Miss Ruth Walters
Teachers - Mr. J. W. Hansel, Miss Dola Gull, Miss Geneva Brown and Mrs. Lizzie Walters
~Clayton County Register, Thur., 14 Jan. 1932 ~contributed by Reid R. Johnson