EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
The Congregational Church
by Bela Foster
Continuing . . .
The Congregational Church
The Congregational Church, which was organized in the northeast corner of Town 25 in the early sixties held services in the homes of the settlers at first, then in the Martson School House. After the G. C. & S. R. R. was built and Thawville was laid out the members of the church, with the aid of church friends, erected a church building and parsonage in the northwest corner of Thawville. I do not remember the year but it must have been about 1873. The people who lived in sections one, two, eleven, and twelve of Lyman, mostly attended the Thawville Church. The Congregationalists who lived south and west of those sections organized a Congregational Church in Roberts, in 1875.
The first members of this organization were Frank Butler, W. S. Larkin, Elizabeth Larkin, Lucy Larkin, Olive Larkin, John Hummel and Sarah M. Hummel. The Roberts and Thawville churches united in selecting Rev. J. J. Weage for their first minister. Services were first held in the school house and in the town hall. Rev. F. J. Brobst followed Rev. J. J. Weage. While he was pastor here the first church building was erected in 1879, dedicated in 1880. Many accessions were received during the first few years of the organization. Rev. J. B. Johnston followed Rev. Brobst. He was a noble man and had a fine family. His was the first minister's family I became acquainted with, by attending church.
The Congregational Church at Roberts and Thawville had revival services while Mr. Johnston was here. Many members were added to each church. He was here two years. He also preached at the Smith school house Sunday afternoons part of the time. (He returned here about thirty years ago and delivered some lectures. He then lived in Colorado. He preached here in 1881 and 1882.)
Rev. W. Wilson, a brother of Mrs. Robert Currie, followed Rev. Johnston. He was then a small man but full of energy. I remember one blustery mid-winter day, snow banks many feet deep in places, when he walked from Thawville to Roberts in the morning and back in the afternoon. He stopped at the Woodward home to preach a funeral sermon at two o'clock. Teams could not reach the cemetery. It took men all day the next day to get to the cemetery and back.
Several years afterward he was preaching in the Northwest. He was an itinerant preacher in Wyoming, I believe. He made long journeys in all kinds of weather. He was covered by a snow slide and although diligent searches were made, his body was not found until the avalanche was melted in the spring. Sometimes it takes courage to battle the elements as it does to battle sin which is so prevalent at the present time.
Rev. William Kettle was the next minister. He was a young scotchman and was much loved by his congregations. He was the last of the union preachers. The first year he lived at Thawville. The next year at Roberts. He was a friend of young and old. Churches were well filled in those days.
Rev. Kettle was in the East the last I heard of him. He is no longer young.
Rev. W. E. Silence preached here in 1889 and 1890. Rev. Elbert J. Collins from 1890 to 1892. He was the minister here when we moved to town. He had a nice family of children. Two of his boys visited friends here a short time ago. It was a pleasure to see them. They are such nice clean men. Rev. E. J. Collins is deceased.
Rev. D. H. Snowden was the next pastor (1892-1893). He was a portly man. He had served in the U. S. army during the war of the Rebellion. Mrs. Snowden was of great help to the church. Then followed Rev. W. D. Trover (1893-1894). He was the father of Mrs. E. J. Collins. Mrs. Trover was much like her daughter. She was an excellent Sunday School teacher. They had one daughter yet at home. She was full of kindness to all.
Rev. F. H. Richards (1894-1895) was a young man from Webster City, Iowa. He had not finished school. He said he saw "G.P.C." and thought it meant, "Go Preach Christ." His critics said it might have meant, "Go Plant Corn." He became a very successful preacher. Rev. William C. North (1895-1896). It began to look like the Congregational preachers were becoming annuals.
Then came Rev. J. H. Runnalls (1896-1900). He was here four years. He had three sons and two daughters. Rev. and Mrs. Runnalls are deceased. His sons and daughters live in Illinois, Colorado, and California. The membership of this church is about 100. The attendance is small, about what the weekly prayer meeting was in the former days.
--Roberts Herald. 23 October 1935. Bela Foster.
The first members of this organization were Frank Butler, W. S. Larkin, Elizabeth Larkin, Lucy Larkin, Olive Larkin, John Hummel and Sarah M. Hummel. The Roberts and Thawville churches united in selecting Rev. J. J. Weage for their first minister. Services were first held in the school house and in the town hall. Rev. F. J. Brobst followed Rev. J. J. Weage. While he was pastor here the first church building was erected in 1879, dedicated in 1880. Many accessions were received during the first few years of the organization. Rev. J. B. Johnston followed Rev. Brobst. He was a noble man and had a fine family. His was the first minister's family I became acquainted with, by attending church.
The Congregational Church at Roberts and Thawville had revival services while Mr. Johnston was here. Many members were added to each church. He was here two years. He also preached at the Smith school house Sunday afternoons part of the time. (He returned here about thirty years ago and delivered some lectures. He then lived in Colorado. He preached here in 1881 and 1882.)
Rev. W. Wilson, a brother of Mrs. Robert Currie, followed Rev. Johnston. He was then a small man but full of energy. I remember one blustery mid-winter day, snow banks many feet deep in places, when he walked from Thawville to Roberts in the morning and back in the afternoon. He stopped at the Woodward home to preach a funeral sermon at two o'clock. Teams could not reach the cemetery. It took men all day the next day to get to the cemetery and back.
Several years afterward he was preaching in the Northwest. He was an itinerant preacher in Wyoming, I believe. He made long journeys in all kinds of weather. He was covered by a snow slide and although diligent searches were made, his body was not found until the avalanche was melted in the spring. Sometimes it takes courage to battle the elements as it does to battle sin which is so prevalent at the present time.
Rev. William Kettle was the next minister. He was a young scotchman and was much loved by his congregations. He was the last of the union preachers. The first year he lived at Thawville. The next year at Roberts. He was a friend of young and old. Churches were well filled in those days.
Rev. Kettle was in the East the last I heard of him. He is no longer young.
Rev. W. E. Silence preached here in 1889 and 1890. Rev. Elbert J. Collins from 1890 to 1892. He was the minister here when we moved to town. He had a nice family of children. Two of his boys visited friends here a short time ago. It was a pleasure to see them. They are such nice clean men. Rev. E. J. Collins is deceased.
Rev. D. H. Snowden was the next pastor (1892-1893). He was a portly man. He had served in the U. S. army during the war of the Rebellion. Mrs. Snowden was of great help to the church. Then followed Rev. W. D. Trover (1893-1894). He was the father of Mrs. E. J. Collins. Mrs. Trover was much like her daughter. She was an excellent Sunday School teacher. They had one daughter yet at home. She was full of kindness to all.
Rev. F. H. Richards (1894-1895) was a young man from Webster City, Iowa. He had not finished school. He said he saw "G.P.C." and thought it meant, "Go Preach Christ." His critics said it might have meant, "Go Plant Corn." He became a very successful preacher. Rev. William C. North (1895-1896). It began to look like the Congregational preachers were becoming annuals.
Then came Rev. J. H. Runnalls (1896-1900). He was here four years. He had three sons and two daughters. Rev. and Mrs. Runnalls are deceased. His sons and daughters live in Illinois, Colorado, and California. The membership of this church is about 100. The attendance is small, about what the weekly prayer meeting was in the former days.
--Roberts Herald. 23 October 1935. Bela Foster.
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