By Ann Petersen, SBA Columnist | 9/18/25
(SBA) - The Community United Methodist Church celebrated its 170th Anniversary last Sunday. It was a joyous event which brought together new and old members of our church as well as friends throughout the community. As I bring together information to create a new history of our town and its first church, I feel as if I’m on a treasure hunt. In one binder last week, I found information about how our church celebrated its 100th anniversary. I also found a letter written by a minister, Rev. Jessie Cole, born in 1831, that I will include for you in another column. In the meantime, here is how our church celebrated its 100th anniversary..
A booklet marking the 100th Anniversary of the Church (1855-1955) includes the following “Historical Information for this booklet has been gathered by Mrs. Homer L. Woodford and Rev. Merlin C. Davies with the assistance of Mrs. Rudolph Olson, Mrs. Lon Beebe, Mrs. Albert Gay, Mrs. Lloyd Fymbo and many others. (Notice that the women are identified by their husbands’ first names.) Much Information has come from THE HISTORY OF WOODBURY AND PLYMOUTH COUNTIES, A, Warner and Co., 1890, HISTORY OF PIONEER VALLEY as compiled by Alliene Baker Lindgren, 1954, and from existing church records. Other accounts have come from a set of reminiscences by Mr. A.M. Holman, records of the North West Conference of the Methodist Church and from compilations of local records made by Rev. W. D. Bostrom. We are grateful to all these persons and sources and to the people who have lent us historical materials and made suggestions.” (back of front cover)
The photographs within the booklet were taken by Mrs. W.E. Sargent, Mrs. Homer L. Woodford, Don Woodford and Rev. Merlin Davies. The book was subsidized for publication by the Women’s Society of Christian Service and The Methodist Men. Rev. Merlin Davies edited the booklet and prepared it for printing.
The cover also includes “Thanks goes to those who are assisting in the Centennial Celebration itself--to the Women’s Society of Christian Service for help with the entertainment, to Aliene Baker Lindgren for advice and assistance in writing and producing our pageant and to all of those who are giving of time and energy to make our celebration a success. A final word. The records from which this history is compiled are often incomplete and sometimes inaccurate. Therefore, we have no doubt omitted some important events and some important people. For such omissions, we apologize and we ask your help in completing or correcting our records. We also apologize if we have failed to give credit where credit is due. We only ask your understanding of the magnitude of our task in preparing this booklet.” (back of front cover)
The Centennial Observance was held on May 1, 1955. The 100th Anniversary booklet contained “A History of Community Methodist Church” compiled by Mrs. Homer Woodford. Much of the early information has been covered in previous columns, but the information beginning in 1881 is interesting. “Two lots were purchased from Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Holman for the sum of $100 on June 27, 1881. The present brick church (now the Old Church Apartments on C Street) was erected under the leadership of Rev. William Thomas. The actual construction was done by a Mr. Currier…There was a church membership of 81 at that time. The building contained a balcony and classroom on the east side. The original building still houses our sanctuary… The present parsonage was built in 1891. The Rev. J.W. Mahood was pastor at the time and the construction was done by Mr. Gould. Rev. Mahood wrote at the time, “The greatest temporal victory has been the erection of our fine new parsonage which with its barn and lot is now worth $2,000.” The parsonage was repaired and remodeled a few times, with a bathroom added in 1910 and the kitchen modernized in 1942. During the Centennial year, the home was covered with asbestos cement shingles.
Under the pastorates of Rev. J.L. Nelson (1944-46) and Rev. R.F. Chapler (1946-49), the church was remodeled. The interior of the church was covered in nu-wood, the original windows were reset, and the chancel arrangements were changed. Gifts given by members included a gas conversion burner for the furnace, a brass altar set, pulpit and lectern, as well as American and Christian flags, two Bibles, pulpit and lectern scarves, altar cloths, a seven-light candelabra, chancel door lights and a chancel carpet. The redecorated sanctuary was dedicated on June 13, 1948. A new Hammond Electric Spinet Organ was given to the church in 1952 by Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Sawyer.
In 1954 the town of Sergeant Bluff observed its Centennial and the Methodist Church cooperated fully. The W.S.C.S served dinners on two days, the M.Y.F. had a lunch stand and the Church, the M.Y.F. and Sunday School all had floats in the parade. A photograph exists of the Church congregation on August 15, 1954, dressed in 1800s clothes to commemorate the founding of the town is included. (no page number) A note in the 100th Anniversary booklet says “This, in a sense, is a community church. By action of the official board, the Community Building was officially named (the City’s) Community center.
The following page includes “In 100 years of history, this church has been served by 52 pastors. During the first twenty years there was a new pastor nearly every year. Two pastors have stayed six years, one stayed five years, two have stayed four years and five have stayed three years.” The final pages of the booklet contain the names and years served by each pastor. (One pastor stayed only a single month.) “At the time of this writing, there are 261 members. Four of these, Mrs. Lida Baker, Mrs. Anna Rundle, Mr. Homer Wood ford and Mrs. Homer Woodford have been members for over fifty years, having been received in 1900…May God bless our undertakings and guide our future.” (no page) Thus ends the booklet.
