New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-11-04
Al TWENTY 18TH MILE POST
Congregational Society Has Its
Silver Jubilee.
Church Now Enjoys Greatest Pros
perity in its History.

On Thursday and Friday of last
week the Congrega tional church socie-
ty OF this city celebrated the twenty
fifth or silver anniversary of its found
ing, the celebration beginning Thurs
day evening with a banquet given by
the members of the Mems club.
The ladiesaof the church prepared
this banquet and only past and pres
ent members of the congregation and
their families participated.
Prof. z. T. Critchett, president of
the Mems club, acted as postmaster
and in very happy manner an
nounced the various numbers on the
program. First came vocal sole by
Mrs. Mather and then a history of the
local church from 1881 to 1908 which
was read by Herman Held. Other
speakers were Mrs. Massapust who
talked on the Benefits of Church
Life Mrs. G. II. Ross of Minneapo-
lis who spoke of 'The First Sunday
School, s Alex Russell, whose subject
was "The Present Church, and Rev.
p. +. Wheeler, who discoursed inter-
estingly of ''The Future OF the
Church Brief talks were also made
by A. w. Bingham of New Ulm, Mrs.
Hubbard of Minneapolis, Mrs. Reid
OF Sleepy Eye, Mrs. Baxter of this
city, Mrs. Dittes of Beardsly, Mrs.
Frank L. Randall of ST. Cloud who
was the church's first organist, and
Q. II. Ross of Minneapolis, one of the
first trustees of the church, who sprung
a pleasant surprise on the assembled
members b. offering donation OF
nearly $500 or enough to entirely put
the congreg alton out of debt. Mr..
Ross generous offer was received with
round after round of applause.
OF much interest, too, were congrat-
ulatory letters from Rev. E., L. Won
Meske, Rev. johnson and Rev.
Morris, all former pastors, Dwight
Mowery, son OF the first pastor and now
divinity student at Harvard, Mrs.
Glass of Dundas, who was one Of tie
charter members, and others now
living at distant points but who were
at one time faithful members of the
congregation
Included in the musical numbers
were vocal solos by Mrs Critchett
and Miss Lucille Hubbard, the entil 8
affair being one of the most delights
full ever held in the church parlors.
In this connection it may not be.
amiss to briefly review the history of
the church. AS early as 1881 Rev.
Geo. Albrecht OF Davenport, Iowa,
organized the first English Sunday
school in New Ulm. The sessions
were held in the public park during
the pleasant weather and at other
times in the German Methodist church
and Attorney Kuhlman's Office over
the Brown County Bank.
Immediately after the cyclone the
small organization was granted the
use Of the old court house and from
that time on until October, 1883,
services were held there regularly.
In September of the same year in
which Rev. Albrecht founded the
school he returned to his .duties at
Davenport and his work here was
taken up by the ladies, Mrs. G. 81
Ross being the first superintendent.
In 1882 Rev. Mowery came to New.
Ulm and it was through his efforts a
year later that regular church con-
gregatlo was effected and building
erected, the funds therefor being raised
by voluntary contributions, 81, 400
from New Ulm friends and $1,000
from other sources.
In October of 1883 the church was
completed and in December it was
formally dedicated, Rev. Montgomery
Of Minneapolis delivering the dedica-
tory address. Since then the congre-
cation has had seven pastors as
follows: Rev. G. e. Mowery, Rev. L.
B. Nobis, Rev. F. L. Won Meske, Rev.
]. P. Campbell, Rev. II. w. johnson,
Rev. S. 6. Updike and Rev. E. F..
Wheeler.
The charter members were only
eight in number, their names being
Rev. and Mrs. Mowery, Mrs. w. A.
Hubbard, Mrs. Fl. Dittes, DR.. and
Mrs. c. w. .McFadden, Mrs. D. A.
Glass and Mrs. John Baxter. A. W.
Bingham and G. Il. Ross joined soon
after and became the first trustees.
Alexander Russell of West Newton
was the first deacon and A. F. Otto
meyer the first treasurer. Today the
congregation has a Mems Club, a
large Sunday school, a Christian
Endeavor society, Missionary and
Aid society and Junior club for
young people. It owns nice church
building and parsonage and is in a
generally prosperous condition.
A Z I