________________ Leonardville M.E. Church Dedication Dedication Service held Sunday, December 7, 1890 The new Methodist Episcopal Church in Leonardville was completed in the Fall of 1890. Following here is the story from The Leonardville Monitor about the Dedication service held on December 7, 1890. The Methodist Episcopal Church, commonly referred to as the M.E. Church, was the development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. The church split over the question of slavery in 1844 with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South being formed in southern states. In 1939, the northern and southern branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church re-united to form The Methodist Church. In 1968 the Methodist Church united with the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) church, created by German-speaking Methodists, to form the United Methodist Church. ________________ (Taken from The Leonardville Monitor, Thursday, December 11, 1890) Preston S. Loofbourrow, editor DEDICATED. Last Sunday being the day appointed for the dedication of the new M. E. Church it was essential that everything should be in readiness by Saturday night, and it became necessary to crowd a vast amount of work into the last days, and even the last hours of the last day. When Saturday night came it was found there were still many things to be attended to. But willing hearts and ready hands made it possible to complete the preparations in due time, and the beautiful temple was made ready for the solemn service of dedication to the Master's use. The church is a frame structure, 32x50 feet, built after the modern style of Architecture, cathedral glass windows, bell tower or steeple, etc. It is divided into two apartments, the main audience room and a class room, the latter being eleven feet by about twenty-four feet, with vestibule entrance opening into both rooms. The partition is provided with sliding doors by which both rooms may be thrown in to one to accommodate a large audience, or either room can be used separately. The audience room is seated with patent church chairs set in semi-circles, with broad center aisle and narrower side aisles. The chairs are provided with modern conveniences such as hat racks, book racks, envelop holders, etc. The rostrum and space within the altar are tastefully carpeted, the pulpit, or desk is of black walnut tastefully and appropriately trimmed, and three very nice upholstered, easy chairs are provided for the use of the minister and those who may chance to occupy the rostrum with him. The walls of the church are plastered, and wainscoted to the window sills, and the ceiling is of hard pine finished in oil, divided tastefully into panels by borders of black walnut finish. The windows are of cathedral glass of a variety of colors and the entire edifice, in side and out, is a model of neatness and taste, and a credit to the society to which it belongs, and a monument to the enterprise and public spirit of those who have worked so faithfully and contributed so liberally to secure its erection. Bishop Ninde arrived from Topeka on the afternoon train Saturday, and had a conference with the trustees in the evening. It was found that it would be necessary to raise about $700 to clear the church of debt, and a general plan was mapped out for the accomplishment of the work. Sunday morning dawned the coldest of the season, and it was readily apparent that visitors from a distance would not be numerous. But when the hour for service arrived the house was well filled up, and by the time the services were fairly under way there were but few seats that were vacant. Music was furnished by the choir and was excellent. Rev. Young, of Riley, and Rev. Grey, pastor, occupied the pulpit with the Bishop. Rev. Young offered the opening Prayer. Bishop Ninde took for his text the words "Awake, Awake, put on thy strength, O Zion!" being a part of the first verse of the fifty second chapter of Isaiah. His sermon was one of great force and power, yet was delivered in a style so simple and unostentatious that a child could understand and be interested in the beautiful thoughts advanced. In breadth and depth of thought and beauty and simplicity of expression his sermons, both morning and evening, were among the finest we have ever had the pleasure of hearing; and we believe the impression made upon the people here was deep and will prove to be lasting. At the conclusion of the sermon, Mr. P.J. Stafford, treasurer of the board of trustees, read a statement which was as follows: Treasurer's Statement Cost of edifice including seats and pulpit furniture $2,263.00 Am't paid out $1,423.81 Am't donated in labor, materials, etc. 100.00 Am't Subscriptions paid 116.00 Total Indebtedness 623.19 ---------- $2,263.00 Incidental expenses, such as stoves, chairs, lamps, etc., will amount to about $75; so that we will need about $700. P.J. Stafford, Treas. Messrs. A.M. Story and Lyman Harford were then called up by Bishop Ninde to act as secretaries, and Dr. F.M. Thomas, J.H. Klein, P.J. Stafford and P.S. Loofbourrow were designated to receive subscriptions in the audience and report to the secretary. The people responded liberally and promptly as the following list will show: Dedication Day Subscriptions. Ladies Aid Society $100.00 P J Stafford 50.00 B T Davis 50.00 Epworth League 50.00 Dr. J Crans 25.00 E Sparks 25.00 Unknown 25.00 A E Maxwell 25.00 C E Moffett 25.00 W H Sikes 25.00 Union M E Sabbath School 25.00 Sil Thompson 25.00 Frank Erpelding 15.00 Wm Ford 15.00 J W Hall 10.00 Story & Raiden 10.00 John Coltharp 10.00 B L Bredberg 10.00 Mrs. Nancy Lee 10.00 Mrs. Moffett 10.00 Mrs. S M Loofbourrow 10.00 A W Newman 10.00 John Nelson 10.00 Chas Phelps 10.00 Rev. Knipe 10.00 Mrs. Dr. Crans 5.00 Mrs. L S Sikes 5.00 Chas Davis 5.00 Chas Chinberg 5.00 Mrs. Dr. Thomas 5.00 J Lawson 5.00 G L Schriber 5.00 Mrs. Stadel 5.00 Mrs. N Day 5.00 L Harford 5.00 Mrs. Wm Uhlenhop 5.00 Mrs. Talkington 5.00 Ms. Neild 5.00 Mrs. Warren 5.00 John Sumners 5.00 Miss Minta Mabry 5.00 Mrs. D Worley 5.00 Mrs. J H Klein 5.00 Mrs. Wm Donnel 5.00 Miss Laura Livings 5.00 Geo Coltharp 5.00 P H McCord 5.00 A Friend 5.00 Mrs. Klein's Sunday School Class 8.50 L H Klein 5.00 Am't Sub'd to paper of Edith Stafford 8.00 Fred Miller 2.50 Wm Connell 2.00 Wm Knostrom (Manhattan) 2.00 Geo Coltharp 2.00 Arthur Childs 2.00 Bertie Stafford 2.00 Thos Moffett 2.50 Henry Jahnke 1.00 Mira Donnell 1.00 Daisy Crans 1.00 Fanny Moffett 1.00 Alice Cox 1.00 Miss Kilbourne 1.00 Wm Blachley 1.00 A M Thorp 1.00 C A Peirson 1.00 A Tobias 1.00 Mamie & Ruth Beard 1.00 Geo Mabry 1.00 Cash Collected 9.00 ------ $772.60 $35.00 of the above had been previously given in and accounted for in treasurer's report as unpaid subscription, so it reduced the actual am't raised on day of Dedication to $737.60 (Continued in the right column.) ________________ | ________________  The New M.E. Church The above cut came too late for last week's issue, so we give it this week in order that those who cannot come and see the church itself can see a complete representation of it. It is something to be proud of and the people of Leonardville are disposed to indulge a feeling of modest pride in the new acquisition. (Taken from the Leonardville Monitor, Thursday, December 18, 1890.) Preston S. Loofbourrow, editor Webmaster's note: Actual pictures in the newspapers were quite rare and costly. The above was a sketch or drawing of the new church building. A printing press "cut" of a drawing or picture could not be made locally. It had to be sent to Topeka to be made. _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________ (Continued from the left column.) After the work of soliciting had been completed and the result announced, Bishop Ninde proceeded with the beautiful and impressive ceremony of dedication, after which the benediction was pronounced and the congregation dispersed. In the evening the Bishop preached another powerful discourse, after which he administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. It is hardly fair to single out individual names for special mention in connection with a work in which so many have acquitted themselves so noble, but we cannot retrain from mentioning those of Misses Edith Stafford, Edith Thomas and May Klein of the people's building association, Mrs. Stafford, Mrs. Klein and Mrs. Thomas of the Ladies Auxiliary Society, and Messrs. Stafford and Klein of the Board of Trustees. Their work has been thorough, persistent and tireless. Original Subscriptions. We also append the following list of original subscribers to the church building fund, which includes all subscriptions of five dollars and upward. Ladies Auxiliary Society $320.00 Church Extension 250.00 Young People's Building Association 150.00 P J Stafford 100.00 T B Davis 50.00 Erpelding Bros 50.00 Ford Bros 50.00 Dr. J Crans 25.00 Rowland David 25.00 A G Cress 25.00 P D Smith 25.00 P S Loofbourrow 25.00 Dr. F M Thomas 25.00 A E Smith 20.00 J N Talkington 20.00 Mrs. Moffett 15.00 Geo W Peterson 15.00 F E Colt 15.00 James Anderson 10.00 W H Sikes 10.00 Joseph Mason 10.00 A A Sumners 10.00 R T Nanninga 10.00 J W Blachley 10.00 R Burk 10.00 Mrs Klein 5.00 L F Carver 5.00 C L Caley 5.00 Peter Skow 5.00 Ambrose Tharp 5.00 Moses Tharp 5.00 Wales Wisner 5.00 B L Bredburg 5.00 H E Wilcox 5.00 Jacob D Benninga 5.00 G Nanninga 5.00 John Lawson 5.00 W J Burtis 5.00 J J Meyers 5.00 A J Swingle 5.00 R A Dakens 5.00 S Davidson 5.00 Wm Wagenrot 5.00 John Arents 5.00 Rev. L E Sikes 5.00 John Bohnenblust 5.00 and other smaller subscriptions. ________________ |