Allamakee co. IAGenWeb - Church Records

The New Albin Society of Methodists was organized in January, 1874, by Rev. H.W. Houghton with W.H. Tuthill being appointed leader. From this time until 1895, Lansing and New Albin were one charge.

Reverend Houghton carried on the pastoral work until 1878 without any salary. He was succeeded by Dr. R.C. Ambler, who supplied for the year ending October, 1879, his salary being $75.

Rev. A.M. Sanford, the next pastor, remained three years at a more respectable salary. Rev. L.N. Green was appointed as his successor, also remaining three years.

The ensuing year, there was no pastor. The Sunday School work was kept up by A.P. Petrehn.

The next year, Rev. E.G. Hearty was appointed. He supplied both New Albin and Lansing from May until conference time, when H.J. Bowder took up the pastoral work and carried it for three years. J.B. Wyatt, the next pastor, remained two years, and his successor, W.A. Allen, one year.

In 1894, it was decided that the work was too heavy for one man and Squire Heath was appointed assistant to the Lansing pastor, E.D. Hall. This arrangement lasted one year, after which Mr. Heath assumed full control and New Albin became an independent charge. Mr. Heath remained two years with an annual salary of $600.

Rev. R.L. Finney was appointed his successor and remained for one year, until the 1897 conference, when W.G. Crowder became pastor for only one year. A.A. Hallett succeeded him in 1899. B.C. Barnes followed and stayed two years, ending with the 1901 conference when H.E. Kester was appointed and remained through 1904; W. Lease, 1905-1906, C.C. Casper, 1907-1909; Henry Allshouse, 1910-1911; E.T. Gaugh, 1912-1913.

Quarterly conference roll was: W.O. Bock, C.J. Travis, Ed Bock, R.C. May, H. Riser, Wm. Thompson, R.G. May, C.M. Steele, Mrs. Wm. Thompson, Mrs. J.E. Goble, Cora Thomson, and Mrs. O.C. Tartt.

The church sustained a flourishing Sunday School of which W.O. Bock was superintendent.

In the year 1902, the church built a parsonage at a cost of $2,500 which remained the parsonage until 1971 when it was sold.

The women of the church have two organizations which meet monthly--the Ladies Aid and the Women's Foreign Missionary Society.

In 1913-1914, W.T. Smith was pastor, followed by C.R. Disney. During Rev. Disney's time, 1914-1916, the decision to build a new church was made by the officers who included: C.M. Steele, R.C. May, Wm. Schultz and August Hausman. The stewards of the church were C.M. Steele, C.J. Travis, Ed Bock, Mrs. John Sires, Mrs. James Goble and Wm. Schultz. The President of the Aid Society was Mrs. James Goble and the secretary, Miss Daisy Robinson. The Epworth League, a young people's organization, had Nina Goble as president and Eva Bellows as secretary. This church was dedicated on Sunday, August 27, 1916, and is the present structure.

Following Rev. Disney was Rev. John Gammons who remained two years. After that, Rev. Walter Piper was minister and remained six years. Mrs. Piper passed away in 1973 at the age of 106.

At this time, the congregation was much larger and at the Christmas program, we filled all of the seats and used additional chairs.

Rev. Piper was succeeded by Rev. E.I. Seldon from 1923-1925, then by William H. Smith, 1925-1928.

After that, Rev. Allen Gable came and stayed two years, 1928-1930. He was followed by Rev. J.H. Barr, 19301933.

Rev. Elso Sarchett came in 1933. That year, the French Creek Methodist Church combined with the New Albin Methodist Church as they had no minister. This combination lasted several years.

Rev. Howard Palmer came in 1934 and stayed for two years until 1936. Later, in the 1960's, Rev. Palmer was District Superintendent for four years.

In 1936, Rev. H.H. Fletcher was minister for one year, then Rev. Merton McKinnley who also stayed only one year.

Rev. Bernard Kemper was here from 1938-1940. During this time, the Women's Missionary Society and the Ladies' Aid were united into one organization known as the Women's Society of Christian Service. The charter members were Mrs. Ruth Tufts, Daisy Robinson, Mrs. Ruth Wilson, Mrs. Frank Easton, Mrs. Herman Krzbietke, Mrs. Esther Tabatt, Mrs. Carol Kemper, Annabell Fitchen, Mrs. J.H. Reiser, Mrs. Margretta Mendenhall, Mrs. Clara Darling, Mrs. Florence Irons, and Anna Wuennecke. The officers elected were President - Esther Tabatt, General Vice President - Mrs. Eric Jordan, who had been Missionary President, Secretary - Margretta Mendenhall, Treasurer - Florence Irons, Vice President of Missionary Education and Services - Mrs. Tufts, Vice President of Local Work - Myrl Mead, who resigned and Ruth Wilson was elected. After the first meeting, the membership grew to 53 in a short time.

Rev. Kemper was followed by Rev. Park Anderson from September of 1940-1942, and then Rev. Milton Northdurft from 1942-1944.

In 1944, Rev. DeWitt Clinton came, staying one year. Following him was Rev. Emmett M. Goettschuis from 1945-1950. He was a great gardener. He was followed by Rev. EW. Cass from 1950-1954, then Rev. Roy L. Cawley, 1954-1956.

During this time, due to road conditions caused by construction of a new road from Waukon to Dorchester, French Creek Church combined with Waukon, and Dorchester Methodist Church combined with New Albin until 1971. Mrs. Cawley directed the choir.

Rev. C.E. Isaacson came next and remained four years, 1961-1963.

The next minister was Rev. Ernest Neilson from 1963-1967. They had two adopted boys, Walter and Danny, 8 years and 6 years old. Six-week old twins, Heidi and Andy, were then adopted from the Dubuque Hillcrest Home. The Neilsons had a boy of their own after leaving the church. The summer of 1973, Mrs. Neilson passed away of a heart attack after an attack of the flu.

On August 12, 1965, the Women's Society of Christian Service celebrated its 25th anniversary by having other churches as its guests. A nice program was presented, followed by lunch.

The next minister was a Japanese, Rev. H. Tanaka, from 1967-1970. He was here a year before his wife and little daughter, Kasume, came from Japan. A year later, they had a baby boy. Mrs. Tanaka and Kasume could not speak English when they came to New Albin but, in time, learned.

Rev. Tanaka was followed by a young man, Rev. Calvin Tiffany, who stayed one year, 1970-1971. It was unknown at that point whether we would then have another minister due to the shortage of ministers and being located in the comer of the state by ourselves as Dorchester was going to again have the Waukon minister.

Rev. C.K. Wever, hearing that Grace Methodist did not have a minister, volunteered to also serve this church along with two other country churches, St. John's United Church of Christ and Mt. Hope Presbyterian Church. This was when the parsonage was sold, as Rev. Wever lived at St. John's parsonage.

Several years ago, the church had a male quartet that consisted of C.J. Travis, Ed Bock, Charles Kumpf and James Sires which was well known and sang for many churches and community affairs in the county and surrounding territory, besides singing for church every Sunday.

C.J. Travis was organist for the church for 68 years. Mrs. John Mendenhall also accompanied him on the piano and after his retirement, she became pianist and organist. Then her daughter, Phyliss, played the organ while Margretta played the piano.

There are many who served the church throughout the years with their prayers and work that has kept the church open when times seemed very gray. Besides the first officers, there are Mrs. Frank Wilson, Cora Thomson, Gladys Dresselhaus, Annabell Fitchen, Nettie Sires, Marjorie Bina, Esther Dee, Margretta Mendenhall, Mattie Lenz, Gladys Danningbring and Mariam Weymiller, who have been officers in the W.S.C.S. for over fifteen years.

In the Sunday School, C.J. Travis, James Sires, Mrs. James Sires, John and Margretta Mendenhall, Mary Lou Welper, Phyliss Mendenhall and Harris Fink have been faithful officers or teachers.

John Mendenhall, who came to New Albin in 1927, and Margretta, a few years later, have been a great help to the church, John being treasurer for forty years.

Grace Methodist has a nice choir with Rev. Wever and Gary Thomas in charge.

The church has had a carpet laid upstairs which was started by a donation of $200 from the Alvin Jordan family of Chicago about fifteen years ago. The ladies held bazaars, food sales, candy sales and suppers to pay the balance. Next, the panelling was done and the downstairs was carpeted. In the fall of 1973, the big colored glass windows were re-paned and the storm windows put on.

The church was also painted twice on the outside with the congregation doing most of the work, and the paint being donated by the Alvin Jordans.

In 1975, Pastor Jones served the church; in 1976, Pastor John Hall, and from 1977 to present, Pastor Tom Mattson.

~source, unless otherwise noted: 'The First 100 Years of New Albin', 1994
~contributed by Errin Wilker