First Baptist Church of Climbing

First Baptist Church of Climbing Hill, Iowa

Genealogy for Woodbury County, Iowa, USA. Click here for the HOME page.

The Climbing Hill Baptist Church was organized in December, 1899 under Rev E B Johnson. Charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. Frank Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. Babcock, Mr. and Mrs. John Drake, Mr. John Berger, Mabel Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Slyter, Mrs. Mary Malcom, Orrin Jones, Mrs. Platt Vermilyea, and Mrs. and Mrs. M H Gesaman.

John Berger was elected deacon over the south territory and Frank Spencer and Mr. Babcock were over the north. Mrs. Hill was elected clerk, Mrs. Vermilyea was treasurer, and Mr. Hill, Mr. Drake, and Mr. Gesaman were trustees. Services were held in a one-room schoolhouse.

First members to be baptized in the church were: Platt Vermilyea, Ed McClaran, Sam McSparan, and Mrs. Will Hanner.

John Harrison donated the land for a new church building, which was dedicated as the First Baptist Church on February 15, 1903. Rev Wilcox, state secretary, conducted the service.

Will Goodrich designed, made, and presented the church pulpit. The black walnut used in it was grown on the Gesaman farm which was twenty-five miles northwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was brought to Climbing Hill when the Gesamans came.

On June 4, 1903, the church was received into the Baptist association as a regular Baptist church. Rev William Hoar of Vermillion, South Dakota, was the pastor at that time.

Rev R S Wallace was the first resident pastor, serving in 1905-06. He was ordained while serving here.

On November 29, 1906, Thanksgiving Day, the Ladies Aid Society presented the church a 38-inch ‘Blymer’ bell. A.E. Palmer made the presentation.

The nearby Camp Creek Church was torn down in 1925 and the lumber was used to build an addition on the Climbing Hill church. The remodeled building was dedicated on February 21, 1926. Rev Caul read the dedication and Rev Pickett gave address. The Church was free of any debts.

The pastors have been E B Johnson 1899, Alex Surgeon (supply Pastor) 1902, Wm Hoar 1903, C B Carey (supply pastor) 1904, R S Wallace 1905, Rex Alexander 1907, Rev Reese 1909, Wm Todd 1914, J L Pickett 1920, Kenneth Pedersen 1941, Virgil E Peterson 1947, Richard Person 1953, Carlton Beardsley 1957, Victor Funderburk 1958, John Gabrielson 1960, Steve Snyder 1963, Charles Dutton 1964, and Edrie Regier 1970. Supply Pastors were used from 1924 to 1941.

The Ladies Aid has always been an active group and has had an influence in running the church, spiritually as well as financial in the early years. One of the first gifts to the church from the Ladies Aid was an organ, purchased from Mrs. Charles Malcom.

Woodbury County Coordinator