BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL RECORD OF
Lewis Pub. Co. Chicago. 1887 |
| The BAPTIST CHURCH first held services four miles southeast of Leon,
some years before the war. The meeting place was shortly removed to
town. Among the members were MR. and MRS. BURNS, MRS. HAMMER, SAMUEL C.
THOMPSON, ROBERT E. DYE and wife. REV. JOHN WOODARD preached for the
little congregation for some years just before the war, and then the
organization went down. About 1867 REV. CAKE preached for one year.
Afterward came REV. MORTON and REV. TILLBURY, but between these there
was an interim of inactivity. The present organization dates from Nov.
1, 1879, and REV. FREELAND EDWARDS has been in charge all the time.
Among the members who aided in the re-organization were ROBERT E. DYE
and wife, MRS. HAMMER, MR. and MRS. BURNS, WARREN COLE and wife, N.P.
BULLOCK and wife, C.M. MURRY and S.P. NOTT and wife. The society rented
a hall over Bowman's harness shop until it built its church in 1883, on
the second block east of the square. It is a frame structure and cost,
with furnishings, $3,500. Services are now held every Sunday, formerly
every two weeks. For four years the church received $100 annually from
the Home Mission Society, but now it is self-supporting. The membership
at present writing is eighty-four. LEANDER BECHTOL is superintendent of
the Sunday-school, which is attended by from eighty to ninety pupils.
The deacons of the church are ROBERT E. DYE, JONATHAN HAMILTON and LEVI
MITCHELL; clerk, C.M. MURRY; treasurer, LEANDER BECHTOL; trustees,
ROBERT E. DYE, JONATHAN HAMILTON and N.P. BULLOCK. Copied by Nancee (McMurtrey) Seifert |
 |
| The oldest Church building in Leon was erected
as the First Baptist Church in 1883. Photograph Courtesy of Decatur County Historical Society Museum |
| Baptist Church Reorganized |
| The Leon Reporter Leon, Decatur County, Iowa Thursday, November 03, 1910, Page 1 A new Baptist church was organized last Saturday taking the place of the old Baptist organization of Leon which recently disbanded. The officers elected by the new church were as follows: Deacons, Albert Dale and Uriah Acton. Trustees, W. H. Jenkins. Clerk, Mrs. Anna Benefiel. A Sunday school will be organized next Sunday morning. All who are not now in Sunday school are invited to come into the new school. Preaching morning and evening by Rev. Chas. W. Reeder. You are invited to attend. Strangers in the city will be made to feel at home. Note: On March 6, 1921, the Baptist Church building was purchased by the members of the Church of Christ. Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2015 |
| Church Index * Decatur County IAGenWeb |