________________ Leonardville UMC Centennial Booklet (This is the text taken from the Centennial booklet in 1980.) Leonardville United Methodist Church History The history of the Leonardville United Methodist Church begins with Methodist preaching outside the town itself. It dates from 1871 when the Timber Creek Circuit was separated from the Clay Center Circuit and became part of Manhattan District and ultimately of Kansas East Conference. The Timber Creek and Sumner school houses were in the direction of Bala, and in 1871 a parsonage was built so that there could be a resident pastor. A new parsonage was bought in Bala in 1880 and the preaching appointments were served from there. Following the Civil War, settlers from eastern states and European countries took advantage of the Homestead Law and came to Kansas to establish homes and communities. School houses were built and used for church services and Sunday School as well as for general education. The droughts, poor crops, and "The grasshopper invasion of 1874" made it exceedingly difficult for church groups to meet financial obligations. When Leonardville became a reality in 1881, with the coming of the railroad, a school house was built across west from the present water tower, and services were held there and a class organized. The townsite was surveyed and platted in September of that year. Church Begins in a Home In the early days of the community, residents of the area took their wheat to Winkler's Mill to be ground into flour. It was in the early spring of 1880 that Christian Hoch, who had homesteaded one-fourth mile east and two miles south of Leonardville, met the Rev. Wm. Heiser who was then pastor of the Big Blue Circuit of the Evangelical Association, living at Swede Creek. He invited the pastor to his home to baptize two of the Hoch children. The Rev. Mr. Heiser accepted the invitation, and when he arrived, he found the house full of people. He preached the first sermon in the Hoch home, and this ministry led to the formation of the Evangelical Church in Leonardville. Later, when the Rev. Mr. Heiser returned to preach a second time, arrangements had been made to hold the service in Fairview school house. This resulted in regular meetings every two weeks plus prayer meetings in various homes in the community. The Leonardville Evangelical congregation was organized in 1880, and the following winter the Rev. Heiser led in a great revival in which more than 30 persons were converted. A year later, the Swede Creek Church held a revival which continued five weeks, and many from this community were converted. During the year of 1883, the Evangelical people conducted nightly revival services in the Erpelding Hall under the ministry of the Rev. J.F. Schreiber (who succeeded Rev. Heiser on Big Blue Circuit). Through his sincere spiritual leadership, many more were added to the church. Rev. Heiser's Accidental Death Rev. Heiser returned to this pastorate in 1884, and on March 5 of that year a meeting was held in the G.R. Nanninga home with the district superintendent presiding. At this meeting it was decided to build a church building. The sum of $700 was secured immediately, trustees were elected, a lot was purchased, and very soon a building 28 by 44 feet in size was erected at a cost of $2,121. It was dedicated as the Zion Church of the Evangelical Association. During the time the building was under construction, the Rev. Mr. Heiser (father of Mrs. G.J. Harbes) met with a horse-buggy runaway accident which ended his life. The pews in the 1884 building were built with a shoulder-high partition through the middle of each, dividing the congregation, the men sitting to the left and the women to the right of this partition. Occasionally, a young man would be brave enough to sit on the women's side in order to be near his best girl, but this took more courage than most of them possessed. Those not so bold would sit next to the partition, as near to their girl as that allowed. This plan worked best when the girls cooperated by sitting next to the partition on their side. The 1908 building did not have this "fence" but curved pews instead. All in the German Language at First The services were continued entirely in the German Language until about 1914. As a result of demands made by the younger generation, the evening services were altered first, and later a short English sermon was included in the morning. There were heavy pressures against anything German during World War I. All German preaching was discontinued about 1927, but at least one German Sunday School class met until in the '40s. The Methodist congregation built a parsonage in Leonardville in 1882 and by this time the name was Leonardville Circuit. Sumner school services had been discontinued and the members attended the meetings of the class using the Union school house. The first Ladies Aid Society was organized in 1883, and about that time a class was formed at Grandview; it continued in its own building until 1935. Mill Creek Church, 1885-1921 The Mill Creek class was organized about 1885, holding its first meetings in the Sherman school house. An Evangelical church building was erected in 1903 five and one-half miles east and a mile south of Leonardville. This building stood until 1921 when it was torn down to become part of the enlarged church in Leonardville. Also in 1885, Leonardville was detached from Big Blue Circuit and made an appointment of its own. In May of 1889, ground was broken for the Methodist church building in Leonardville. It was completed in 1890, and a carpet and an organ were added in 1891, as well as a bell for the belfry. During the last decade of the nineteenth century, the Leonardville community grew, and other churches were built to accommodate other denominations; the Swedish Lutheran, the Swedish Baptist, the Catholic, and the Evangelical Mission. The Methodist congregation was early in losing its building by fire. In the summer of 1912, lightning struck and burned it. The members all set to work with faith and the edifice which still stands was built and dedicated in March 1913. The Church Lays Out a Cemetery The Evangelical congregation very early laid out a cemetery a half mile east and a half mile south of the town. In the '30s it was enlarged and fenced with a chain link fence. In the '40s it was made part of a cemetery district by which it receives its regular good care. While most of the burials are still church-related, the cemetery district organization requires that anyone wishing to purchase interment space may do so. Partly because so many ministers went out from this church, the number of ministers buried there is greater than usual for this size burial plot. The first musical instruments used in Leonardville church were reed organs. One of the larger of these had a wheel at one end turned by a crank which worked the bellows, thus relieving the organist of the task of pumping with her feet. The use of a reed organ in the sanctuary was changed to that of a piano in the early '20s. Original Church Building Outgrown By 1908 the Zion congregation had grown sufficiently to require enlarging the building from the one room erected in 1884. A square building, 44 feet by 44 feet in size, with corner entrance, pulpit platform in the opposite corner, and curved pews was erected on the corner of the lot, using the rear 18 feet of the 1884 building as an attached room commonly called the "class room," and used primarily for prayer meetings, business meetings, and the children's department of the Sunday School. Beautiful stained glass windows (all memorials to pioneer members) were a part of this new structure. The cost of this building (besides much donated labor) was $5,550. Through the medium of effective prayer meetings, revival meetings, camp meetings (in several groves of large trees in the community and later in the tabernacle which was built in 1917) a decided influence for good was exerted in the lives of individuals and families. The Nanninga grove, consisting of several tree-covered acres west of the present Merlin Potts home, was one such camp meeting place. Church Builds Open-Air Tabernacle The tabernacle, referred to above, was essentially a large single roof, 40 by 60 feet in size, standing on telephone poles, and fitted out with a platform and choir space in the middle of the east side and with home made benches, with backs, eight feet long, for the congregational seating. The tabernacle stood in a north-south direction at approximately the place where the basketball goal is now, made use of a straw floor, and was first lighted with a Delco 32-volt electric system. It came the nearest to being air-conditioned of any public building in our town at the time. While being a big open-air shed, the tabernacle was reasonably nice because it was all made of bright new materials. Erected especially for the annual "tabernacle meeting" held each August with morning, afternoon, and night evangelistic meetings across about five days, this open-air assembly place was also used for Sunday night services in summer and for the annual Sunday School picnic. The tabernacle was removed about 1950 when it was needing new shingles, and when its comforts were no longer so much appreciated as earlier, and when its removal as a fire hazard (straw floor, remember) was a concern to more people. Catechismal work (first as a class instructed by pastors, later in connection with the Sunday School, and more recently through the Confirmation classes) has had a marked effect on many people, especially in training youth in the Christian life. Strong Youth Emphasis Zion Church had a strong youth group from its beginning, though that Young People's Alliance (later, Evangelical League of Christian Endeavor, and now Youth Fellowship) included persons to thirty years of age, some of them married. Important in the youth program were the summer conventions held annually at Atchison, in North Topeka, and at Lawrence before the purchase of Forest Park, Topeka, by the Evangelical Church in 1922. Thereafter, the Leonardville congregation soon built a 24 by 36 foot two-story house to serve as a dormitory (1925) which still provides for persons from here attending Assembly. By 1920 there was a rising interest in effective organizational work with children. The 1921 addition to the church building permitted better departmentalizing than the "classroom" had provided for. There was a Junior League of Christian Endeavor. The Woman's Missionary Society provided the Mission Band (for teaching the mission work of the church to Juniors and Junior High) and Little Heralds with like purpose for Kindergarten and Primary ages. Persons who were close to what the church was trying to do for boys and girls in those days regret that the program of the United Methodist Church has neglected much of this. The Present Parsonage Was Built in 1943 The original parsonage for Zion Church was purchased in 1888. It was located one block west of the present parsonage and was remodeled and modernized in several parsonage projects. In 1943, during the pastorate of the Rev. Jacob Nelson, the new, modern parsonage was built at a cost of $6,400, exclusive of several thousand dollars worth of donated labor. With lumber very scarce in World War II, provision of the materials began with buying and tearing down the general store in Bala. In three of the years of its history, the congregation was host to the annual session of the Kansas Conference: March 16-20, 1899, during the pastorate of the Rev. M. Manshardt; March 20-24, 1913, while the Rev. W.H. Wolthausen was pastor; and May 15-19, 1935, during the pastorate of the Rev. G. Schrenk. The Trauma of Language Changeover Transition from the German to the English language was a very heavy experience for some; their emotions were strongly attached to their language. Some German people are supposed to have believed (They didn't live at Leonardville, surely.) that God was Himself German. Did not their Bibles say so? They could open them to Genesis 1:3 and read: "Und Gott Sprach: Es werde Licht. Und es ward Licht." ("And God said, Let there be light. And there was light.") It required a wise pastor to lead the people through this traumatic experience, but the Rev. C.E. Platz (1920-1927) accomplished the task. To review some of the steps in the change-over becomes a study in psychology. The English comments in the middle of the service were at first partly a welcome to those who did not understand German but included some encouragement for Christian dedication and Christian living. This much had been done for several years before 1920, but the new pastor gradually lengthened the English part while still closing the hour in German. Then came the time for two benedictions -- one after the English message and another in German at the end of the hour. The "hour" was not closely kept in those days, and as the English sermon lengthened to what would be full length in our time, the German extended far past 12 o'clock. With the introduction of a benediction after the English sermon, more and more people felt at liberty to leave then, and the German group was soon down to about 30 after a morning attendance of 200 to 250. This brought complaints that the German part was too short, and the pastor responded with an hour-long German sermon (which reached to 1 o'clock). That brought complaints, too, so the time was again shortened. Bi-lingual pastors were becoming fewer in Kansas Conference, so it was important to prepare the congregation for the time when there would be no more German sermons. This came in 1927, but both a men's German Sunday School class and a women's German class continued for some time, then combined, and finally discontinued in the early '40s. A Congregation Known for Its Good Music The Leonardville congregation has had a strong music program through almost all its history -- at least beginning with Charlie Schreiber's choir from 1895. A men's chorus (rather unique for churches) was active in the '20s and '30s and included from 10 to 20 men inspiring the evening congregations with their well-balanced four-part harmonies on many of the gospel hymns and songs. Charles R. Platz was director of the men's chorus and of the Sunday morning choir in the early '20s; he was followed by H.E. Adell in 1925. During Prof. Adell's time, some of the most difficult anthems written for choirs were used, not only in the home church but as they were invited to other nearby churches for conventions and rallies. This choir sang cantatas or other programs on Radio Station KFBI, Milford, on three occasions. Naomi Uhlenhop became choir director in 1954 and has continued leading a fine group of singers in a continued ministry in the church to the present time. Smaller groups had their part, too: male quartets, ladies' quartets, trios, duets, and solos. More Space Added Twice The church was enlarged in 1921 by the addition of 24 feet along the 44-foot east side of the building. A full basement was put under the new part, along with 10 feet of excavation under the previous church. Part of the material came from the Mill Creek building which was torn down at the same time that the Mill Creek people were welcomed as a part of the Leonardville congregation. (Continued in the right column.) | ________________
 ____________________________________________________ (Continued from the left column.) There
was another enlargement project in 1923 which filled in a room to the
back of the pulpit platform. This area also had basement under it, and
at this time the space under the "classroom" was excavated and
additional furnace and fuel space provided under the sanctuary. The new
basement space permitted two children's departments in the Sunday
School and also provided some kitchen area. In the program of the church, the weekly prayer meeting has been one of the big factors in the spiritual life of the congregation. In the early days, prayer meetings were held in the homes of members. The congregation was divided geographically into four classes for the Wednesday evening meetings: East Class, Town Class, South Class, and West Class, each with a Class Leader selected from the group. The classes met in the homes of members in rotation (except that the Town class met in the "classroom") and the meetings were times of rich blessing, inspiration, and fellowship. Many children learned to offer their first public prayers in these groups, as time was always given for prayers by the youth as well as the older ones. The first meetings were in German, but that changed with time. About 1945, the four classes merged into one group and met at the church. Ministers Recommended by This Congregation
The Christian influence has extended far beyond our own community, especially through the ministers who have been recommended by this congregation and licensed by the Kansas Conference. Women in full-time Christian work are Louise Hoerman Platz, Clara Schuerman, Anna Oberhelman Leavens, Naomi Bletscher Williamson, Phyllis Moody Asher, and Cindy Stadel Hicks. Men in full-time Christian work are A. Brunner, T.R. Nanninga, D. Swart, J.R. Nanninga, G.J. Harbes, John Hoerman, F.M. Manshardt, Gottlieb Layher, August Hoch, John R. Hoch, Andrew Hoerman, C.R. Platz, Davld Bletscher, Jacob Narnninga, Merton Zeisset, Robert Bletscher, Donald Blebcher, and Bob A. Chaffee. Women who became Pastor's wives are Johanna Janssen Hoerman, Lizzie Heiser Harbes, Leora Mugler Musser), Harriet Mugler Semke, Ramola Bletscher Knoepfle, and Barbara Trumpp Rundquist. Zion Congregation in Three Church Unions
The Leonardville Zion church experienced its second church union in 1946 when the Evangelical Church and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ became the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The union was consummated at Johnstown, Pa., in November of that year. A previous union occurred in 1922 when the Evangelical Association and the United Evangelical Church became The Evangelical Church. This union brought together the two branches of a fellowship which was broken in 1891 when disagreement among church leaders became so heated as to lead to a division. Participants in both church mergers felt that they lost something of what had become nostalgic to them, but the day of small denominational units was passing. There was duplication of effort, travel, administrative cost, publication cost, etc. which became harder and harder to justify. Denominational competition was simply not a commodity that could do the Lord's work well on the mission fields, and if not there, why the luxury of it in our own country? First Church Congregation in a Union, Too
The union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and the Methodist Protestant Church in 1939 affected the Leonardville people along with all other Methodists. Since the new name was The Methodist Church, that part wasn't so noticeable, but 1939 was the time when all women's organizations became part of the Women's Society of Christian Service. Other changes in organization and in publications were noticeable, sometimes invigorating, sometimes distressing. The dark blue hymnal came with this union. The Fire was a Terrific Blow
The Zion congregation suffered a terrible blow on the night of Nov. 17, 1958, when the church building and almost all the contents burned to the ground. It was the Monday night of a week of evangelistic meetings under the leadership of the Rev. L.B. Deedrick. Since it was about 7:10 when Pastor Tudor smelled smoke and discovered that the church was on fire, most of the congregation was witness to the tragedy because they were present for the evening meeting by the time the edifice was ablaze and the bell fell, giving its last toll. The home to the west and several to the south were severely threatened by the north wind, but firemen worked hard and saved all but the church. Most of the pastor's library was lost, along with some church records. The Methodist Church offered its building at once, and the evangelistic meetings were continued there on Tuesday night. Sunday night services were also held there that winter, and the Sunday morning meetings in the high school. In 1959 the former school building at the south edge of town, a building no longer used, was fitted out for temporary church use, and the congregation held all meetings there until the new building was ready in 1961. Pyle Construction Company Chosen
June 28, 1959 was Ground Breaking Sunday. The cornerstone was laid in the wall of the structure, already largely built, on July 24, 1960. Palm Sunday, March 26, 1961, was the day of dedication. The basic building contract was for $68,340, to which numerous items were added so that the total building cost came to $81,241.63. The cost of the lawn, parking lot, and bulletin board was $1,128.68; the furniture was $10,780.82; other equipment added $2,165.23; and there were miscellaneous items totaling $1,771.22. The total cost of all items came to $97,087.58. At that time it was still impossible to see what a blessing the fire turned out to be, for a fire resistant building was put in place of the former rambling wooden structure before the days of inflation had arrived. The building that burned was already rather costly in upkeep and would have become increasingly so, for the major part dated to 1908, and one wing even to 1884. Sharing the Pastor
Zion congregation has shared its pastor with other churches since 1958 when the Rev. W.G. Tudor was asked to supply the Green E.U.B. church also. This continued to 1965 when he was asked, instead, to serve Bethany - Hillside along with Leonardville. With the development of the Fort Riley Military Reservation to its present size, the Bethany and Hillside congregations were compelled to move and consequently became a part of the Countryside Church. Since 1970 our pastor has served the Randolph church along with our own. First Church also shared its pastor following the Rev. Ada Dickson's long pastorate, part of the time with Randolph and in the later years with Riley. Sunday School the Strongest Organization
The Sunday School was the strongest organization within each of our two congregations through the years, and attendance was higher than in worship until recently. The Zion church school enrollment was largest in the '20s, never reaching 400, but nearly, and with frequent attendances near 300. Henry Sand was the superintendent for more than 30 years and was followed by Henry Bletscher for about 12 years. Recently, the practice has been to limit all the officers to 3-year terms. The Methodist congregation's longest term of service was that of the Rev. Ada Dickson who was pastor for 24 years (1938-1962). Background of United Methodist Women
The Methodist Ladies Aid was organized in 1883 and was greatly depended on for the church's finances. This group became a Women's Society of Christian Service in 1939 with the union of the Methodist Episcopal Church; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and the Methodist Protestant Church to form The Methodist Church. The Evangelical Woman's Missionary Society was organized in 1886 and met monthly for study and teaching, becoming a Woman's Society of World Service in 1946 with the union of the Evangelical and United Brethren churches. Both these local societies became United Methodist Women units in 1968 with the union of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches to form the United Methodist Church. They became a single unit in January of 1976 with the union of the two United Methodist congregations in Leonardville. Now One United Methodist Church In Leonardville
The United Methodist union in 1968 did not automatically unite all local congregations, and so both congregations continued separately in Leonardville for 7 1/2 years -- until both church groups decided to unite. A Plan of Union was drawn up between the two churches setting out the way in which they would be joined, who the officers would be, and something of the church program of the future. Jan. 4, 1976 was the day of uniting. The day of uniting was a victorious day. Both congregations met in their respective buildings. In time for the 11 o'clock service, the First Church people headed for their new church home -- some walking, others riding. Wayne Haller and Duane Heikes, the lay leaders, cut the ribbon at the front door, and the former Methodist congregation walked in amid the warm welcome expressions of those already gathered there. The lay leaders were pictured in the official handshake of union before the district superintendent, Dr. Fred Achman, preached the sermon. A Christian Youth Center
Now that the two congregations have become one, the former First Church building is not needed for worship. It is being put to unusually good use as a Christian Youth Center known as The Cornerstone. The center is well equipped with games, comfortable chairs, piano, stereo, and other materials for constructive use of leisure and recreation time. Stairs linking upstairs and downstairs, rest room, carpet, and some additional wiring have been installed. Money for the equipment has come from donations, most of them from outside our congregation. John and Judy Olson were the people with vision who started The Cornerstone and did the work involved; Jean and Ed Johnson are the present leaders and supervisors there. The Center dates from New Year's Eve, 1976. A Community-Minded Congregation
Our church became more and more community-minded, and in the late '60s was the leader in the organization of the churches of the community to erect a Nursing Home. The congregations becoming a part of this effort were: Leonardville E.U.B., Leonardville Methodist, Randolph Methodist, Countryside E.U.B., Alert Mission Covenant, Fancy Creek E.U.B., Peach Grove E.U.B., Swede Creek E.U.B., and Walsburg Lutheran. This organization was not only effective in "selling the idea" and raising the money through bond sales, but is still the nucleus of the supporting churches whose women's groups come into the Home weekly for activities, birthday celebrations, etc., and whose pastors conduct the worship services each Sunday. The Home has provided excellent care for many of our citizens, and since it is a non-profit institution, it has done so at minimal cost. Mr. Sikes donated 13 acres of land at the west edge of Leonardville as the site for the Home, and the Leonardville Community Progressive Association backed the project by selling $250,000 worth of Industrial Revenue Bonds to finance it. The general building contract was for $195,000. There is room for 50 residents, and the first entered in the summer of 1967. Community Service is Generous
One of the characteristics of our congregation of which we may be justly proud is the generosity with which its facilities are lent to worthy organizations and groups in the community. The dining room and kitchen are in frequent demand for family reunions, Lions Club activities, 4-H meetings, interdenominational Bible classes, and the like. They are the most adequate rooms in the community and now nicely carpeted. Not only are rooms of various sizes asked for at times, but the parking lot is an easy meeting place for pooling rides to out-of-town events. You can often hear people say, "We'll meet at — o'clock in the church parking lot." The new church had never had a bell, but the First Church building had a bell, so in work completed in 1978, that bell was positioned in a stone setting beside the outdoor bulletin board. The costs of this positioning were paid with Memorial Funds which the First Church congregation had accumulated. The bell is rung each Sunday -- before Sunday School and before the worship service. The Centennial Year
In 1979 committees were chosen to lead in the celebration of 100 years of Christian life and service on this property, and the date of Oct. 12, 1980 was selected as the climax date. However, in some ways 1980 has been considered a Centennial Year, with many of the activities making reference to this fact. As a result, June 8, 1980, was celebrated as Children's Day, with emphasis on making it more like these special days of many years past. The days when Children's Day was held in Pfeffer's grove (perhaps on a Thursday) were recalled. Program before noon, basket dinner, and games and ice cream in the afternoon was the order of events then. The 1980 celebration was held in the sanctuary but with recollections of the past and program parts from materials as old as 1922. ________________ |