Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-07-19

|
At the close of our special meet
ings the parsonage was visited by a
nseat crowd of people who came to
h Hvith donations. They brought al
m\ >everything that could be of
use\ q, rural family at that period
and 81 things that could not.
Load upe = iad of wood, enough to
last us for Dear was piled up at
our back doe Nd afterward men
came and cut it\ ITO stove lengths.
Hay, corn and oat, or the horses, a
lot of chickens and turkey or two,
great loaves of bread, hop yeast and
salt rising, some of it rye but most
of it wheat, hams and shoulders of
pork, vegetables of all kinds, jellies
and juices, apples, tea, coffee and
sugar; dress goods for the preachers
wife and little things for the babies.
Oh, it was great. The way they
hustled about, lurking here and
there, laughing and jesting with one
another, pushing and jostling each
other in the crowded rooms. Great
long tables were improvised out of
planks and wooden horses which had
been brought in for the occasion,
stretching from one end of the big
room which served for parlor, din
ing room and kitchen to the other.
Time after time the table was loaded
with good things and then cleared
and loaded again. 1t was feast of
fat things and a time of rejoicing.
Baby smeared from head to foot
with grease and molasses was having
the time of her life; the women all
said she looked just like her papa,
which, considering her appearance
just at that time was rather doubt
| full compliment. Mamma was made
much Of, just as she deserved. for
she was a model wife for preacher,
or for anybody else for that matter;
woman whom almost everyone low
ed and all esteemed. There never
was a better to my notion. But all
earthly things must come to an end,
aid our first donation was no ex-
ception. 1t was very late when it
finally broke up and the people with
many hearty expressions of good
will, departed for their homes, ap-
parently happy.
Soon after the close of the special
revival services | began to urge the
need of a church building for that
community. Then there was trouble.
Everyone saw the need of a church,
but the trouble arose over the loca-
| ton. There were two points in the
patronizing territory, either of which
would do very we'll. They were not
more than a mile and a half from
each other, but the patronage was
| so evenly divided that 1t was difficult
| to determine which place to select.
Both sides wanted the church and
each side seemed determined to Sc
cure It, In order to decide the
matter with as little friction as pos
sible, / proposed that two subscrip-
tion papers be presented to each per-
son, thus giving everyone an oppor-
tunity to subscribe to either paper
or both if they chose the site receiv-
ing the largest subscription to have
the church. There was some de-
murrage at first, but 1t was finally
agreed to and | Immediately began
to take subscriptions. After canvass
ing every home in the neighborhood
and it was found that one OF the
sites was chosen by a good margin.
we at once laid plans for the erection
of the building. In due time it was
completed and dedicated under the
name of Center Church, which 1t
retains to this day. The Annual
Conference that fall was held at An
amosa, beginning September 3rd,
Bishop Matthew Simpson presiding.
At the closing session my name was
read off for Sumner Hill circuit for
the third time, and | returned in
good spirits to resume my work
among old friends.
Special services were held during
the winter at Charlotte and Deep
Creek, with quite good results. AT
Charlotte, especially, where quite a
number were converted and added
to the church.
On February 5th, 1869, our first
boy baby was born, whom we named
Samuel William, after his two grand
fathers. The poor little fellow had
hard time of it the first year OF
his life, for he suffered long time
with a severe attack of brain fever
which came very near ending his
earthly career. 1t was only because
his mother gave him the very best
of care that he finally pulled
through, but 1t was hard struggle