History of First Finley Methodist Church

Southwest corner of section 25, Jefferson Twp.
 
Photo courtesy of Jean Leeper, March 2004. 
Over a hundred years ago, a small church and community center was built in the southwest corner of section 25, Jefferson Twp., Henry County, Iowa. It was named Finley. Several versions of how it got its name can be entertained. Some think the little church was named after a missionary by the name of Finley. Others attribute it to the fact that the first doctor in Trenton was named Wm Finley. Trenton was the nearest town to the Finley neighborhood.

The Finley Methodist Church has survived over the years with little known about its first years. The Wayland Centennial Book states that the Finley Chapel was part of Marshall Mission Circuit from 1851 and that the first quarterly Conference was held November 19, 1856. The Rev. Thomas reported 230 members, 30 probationers, 3 Sunday Schools, 49 officers and teachers, 204 scholars and 750 volumes in libraries.

Definite records can only be traced back to 1856 through the Iowa Conference minutes. Dillon Paynes' History of Finley, states that the church was built in 1856. with meetings being held previously in the Maple Grove school and in the home of John R. Everts. The school building was a short distance west of Finley on the south side of the road.

A plain rectangular frame building with two doors spaced equally in front, three windows on the side and a chimney in the center in the middle of the sanctuary. A new church building was built in 1901 and the old one was sold and moved to a nearby farm.

A cookbook was put out by the Finley Chapel members was a shower gift to me in 1951. It was the first cookbook I owned as a newlywed and still rests among a full collection of cookbooks now. It has some of my favorite recipes in it. nfj 
 
Following is a list of members who attended services in the first building, 1854-1901:

A: Indace Adams; Francis Alter; Synthia Alter; M. J. Atwood; Manda Alters; Franklin Alters; Sue Alters; Robert Anderson; Mary Anderson; Julia Anderson; J. Anderson; Wm. W. Anderson; Ella Anderson

B: Daniel Barr; David Barr; John F. Barr; Maggie Barr; Ellen J. Birchall; John Birchall; A. K. Billingsly; Tamas Boyd; Louja Boyd; E. Boyd; Rebecca Boyd; C. A. Borders; Luisa Borders; James Borders; Emma Boshart; Amos Boshart; John Black; L. Bronett; R. B. Bronett; Edith Brotzer; Otto Brotzer; Maggie L. Brotzer; Andrew Bush; Ellen Bush; Wm. Burrows; Azuba Burrows; Calvin Burrows; E. Burrows; Frances Keith Burrows

C: R. M. Campbell; M. E. Campbell; Hugh Campbell; Geneva Everts Campbell; Effie Campbell; Elma Cantwell; Frances Cantwell; C. Cantwell; Louja Caldwell; W. H. Caywood; Effie Close; Fannie Conner; McEllen Coleman; John W. Cox; Mural Crookhus

D: L. R. Davis; Susan Davis; John Dill; Abigal Dill Florence Dill; Cora Dill; Anna Dill; John C. Davis; Mary Davis; Eliza Davis; Wm. Dunlap; Mary Dunlap; Wm. Dawson; Elizabeth Dawson; Julia Davis

E: John Elgar; Augusta Elgar; Albert Elgar; Lavina Eland; Lydin Everts; T. M. Everts; Margarett Everts; M. E. Everts; A. Everts; Ella Everts; Clara Everts; Kate Everts; Dossie Everts; Ann Evans; Eliza Evans; Charles Everhart

D: D. D. Flowers; Maggie A. Flowers; Calvin Flowers; Ralph Flowers; Carrie A. Flowers; Martha Flowers; Valintine Flowers; Elizabeth Fish

G: Jacob Grimes; C. Gardner; Rev. George Gardner; R. A. Gardner; J. Goodman; E. Goodman; Elizabeth Gillaspey

H: Thomas Havens; C. Havens; Mammie Harlan; Louisa Harlan; Emily Harlan; Merab Harlan; A. Harlan; Wm. Hartzler; Jane A. Harned

I: Orvilla Ives

J: Samuel James; Wesley James; Julia Jessup; Emma Jessup; Viola Jessup; Ada Jessup; Vetwa Johnson; A. Johnson

K: J. A. Keith; J. W. Keith; Susan E. Keith; Elvah N. Keith; Oruif H. Keith; Jessie Keith; Mammie Keith; Mary B. Keith; Anna Kerr; Abram Keller

L: Margaret Lee; Sarah A. Lee; Thomas Lee; Israelda Lee; Jennie Lynch; Kate Lynch; Charles F. Laird; Lula Long

M: Elizabeth McFerren; George McClure; Alice McClure; Arthur McClure; Julia McClure; Arlie McClure; Anna McClure; Mary McClure; Samanthia McClure; Emah McClure; Lillie McClure; Mathew Mallum; Kate Mallum; Zuba Mallum; E. F. Maynard; Rachel Martin; Michael Meads; N. Mead; James Miller; Julia F. Miller; W. M. Moran; M. Moran; W. T. Moran; Hestor Moran; Amanda Moran; Mary Morgan; Abner Meeker

N: Thomas Nickle; Isabell Nickle; Anderson Nickle

P: R. P. Payne; E. W. Payne; M. J. Payne; David Payne; H. N. Payne; Henry Payne; Mary E. Payne; Charles Payne; Florence F. Payne; Miles Payne; Arretta Payne; Mary E. Phillips

R: Jessie Ray; Elizabeth Rhodes; John Rider; Harriet Rider; G. Rider; Armanda Rider; Wm. Roberts; A. Roberts; Laura Roberts; Frank Robinson; Aliven Ross; Edwin A. Ross; Sophie Ross; John L. Ross; Bastian Rouse; Nettie Risser; Minnie Risser; Barbara Risser; Lizzie Risser; Jacob Risser; Emma Risser; Maria Richardson; W. W. Rhodes; C. E. Robb; M. A. Robb

S: J. C. Stansburg; Synthy Spring; Samuel Smith; Charles Smith; Merab Smith; J. D. Smith; J. M. Smith; Samuel Steel; Sarah Steel; Eliss Stubbs; E. Stubbs; Isabell Smith; N. Schooler

T: A. Tomelson

U: John Upton; Sarah Upton; Allie Upton;

V: Allen Vermen; D. Vermen

W: Deborah White; Samuel T. White; Drucilla White; S. L. White; D. E. White; Arletta Waugh; A. E. Waugh; Louis Williams; Ben Williams; Charles Walker; Pheno Wite
 
Contributed by various volunteers. Reformatted and updated 03 Mar 2023. 

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