The Seventh Day Adventists of Sioux Rapids organized themselves into a church society on the 20th day of August, in the year 1902; and at that time twenty persons signed for membership in the organization.  L. S. Scott was elected the first elder, C. W. Hollingsworth, deacon; Mrs. C. H. Tyrrell, clerk; Mr. C. H. Tyrrell, secretary and treasurer; and Mrs. C. W. Hollingsworth, missionary secretary.

Their first building was a portable tabernacle, a steel frame building with corrugated iron roof, which was erected immediately following the organization of the society.  This continued to be their meeting place until the summer of 1907, when it was taken down and replaced by their present wooden frame building, twenty-two by thirty-eight, including the pulpit addition.

There have been sixty-one members taken into the church, of whom thirty-nine are still active resident members.  L. S. Scott is the present elder for the society, and I. T. Hollingsworth and Henry Hanson compose the deacons; the clerk is Mrs. C. H. Tyrrell; secretary and treasurer, Henry Hanson; missionary secretary, Mrs. C. Davis.

The Sabbath school is composed of forty-eight members; Mrs. C. H. Tyrrell is superintendent, and Mrs. C. W. Boynton, secretary.

The Young People's Society of the Seventh Day Adventist church consists of between fifteen and twenty members with A. R. Smouse, president, and Elmer Hanson, secretary.

In connection with the church, the society also conducts a general school, along the lines of the public school, with the elimination of those features which do not conform to their religious ideals.  The school holds its sessions in a rented building situated at the edge of town.  This school was instituted about six years ago, but they have not held sessions every consecutive year since that time; the second term was held about four years ago, the third one being the present term.  The first teacher was Miss Edna Schee, the second Mable Naggle, and the third and present teacher is A. R. Smouse, with his wife as assistant at times.  There is an enrollment of about sixteen pupils; the school holds sessions the same as other schools, except that the length of the term this year (1908-09) is seven months.

C. W. Boynton, who lives in Sioux Rapids, is one of the four state directors of the church in Iowa.  He has in his district fifteen churches under his supervision.

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Extracted from:  Wegerslev, C. H. and Thomas Walpole.  "Sioux Rapids."  Past and Present of Buena Vista County, Iowa.  Chicago:  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909, p. 182-83.