Recipes for Living Madison Township

Rev. E. A. McKimm held a meeting the spring of 1912, and organized a class at Valley Forge School. He appointed a body of six Deacons. They were as follows: L.J. Camp, Ahart Simmerman, Frank Ortt, E. J. Camp, G.A. Simmeman and Charles Burgus.

On April 23, 1912, a meeting was held to elect a building committee to report on prices of material. The lowest price being $479.45 from the Truro Lumber Co.. The building committee was to proceed to build a church 26x36 feet.

The first trustees were: W.H. Turner, elected for 3 three years, H.S. Dixson, for 2 years; and Charles Burgus, for a period of 1 year.

June 13, 1912, the trustees met to measure the land for the building site. It was to be on the northeast corner at the crossroads, which was donated by G.A.Simmerman. On June 23, 1912, it was voted to call the church Madison Chapel.

One of the carpenters was William Woodall. Most of the work was donated by the men of the neighborhood.

From the Murray Centenniel Book — 1868-1968, it is reported that Samuel Saint purchased his first land in Madison Township in 1803, for $1.25 an acre, later acquiring several hundred acres. He owned and operated a general store about 1/2 mile southeast of what became the Union Cemetery.

Sometime around 1850, the exact date is unknown, a family crossing the country had a little girl who became ill and died in the Saint vicinity.There was no cemetery there at the time. Samuel Saint donated a plot of ground, and the little girl was buried there. This was the beginning of the Union Cemetery and is the north part of the present cemetery.

On August 22, 1868, land was purchased for the first church in Madison Township, the Union Church and cemetery. In 1891, the people decided they needed a new church building, The old church was torn down and a new one erected on that site. In 1900, there were three churches in the circuit — Union, Frame, and Fremont.

The Board of Deacons met and and L.J. Camp was elected Chairman, Charles Burgus Secretary and G.A. Simmerman, Treasurer. The other three were to be a committee to circulate papers to have people pledge money to build a church.
On April 23, 1912, a meeting was held to elect a building committee to report on prices of material. The lowest price being $479.45 from the Truro Lumber Co.. The building committee was to proceed to build a church 26x36 feet.
The first trustees were: W.H. Turner, elected for 3 three years, H.S. Dixson, for 2 years; and Charles Burgus, for a period of 1 year.

June 13, 1912, the trustees met to measure the land for the building site. It was to be on the northeast corner at the crossroads, which was donated by G.A.Simmerman. One of the carpenters was William Woodall. Most of the work was donated by the men of the neighborhood. On June 23, 1912, it was voted to call the church Madison Chapel. The church was dedicated January 26, 1913, by Rev. A.H. Haggard.

A basement was put under the church in 1922. The church was active for many years, then, like so many country churches, attendance decreased and the last services were held in 1956. In May 1966, the Southern Iowa Conference offered to sell to the Madison Township Trustees the Union Church building and ground for the sum of $10. The offer was accepted and the final setlement was made November 23, 1966, with the stipulation that the church building be removed and the ground become an addition to the Union Cemetery.

Second Union Church (1891-1966)

Union Cemetery (1968)