The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-25
New Methodist Church at Van Vert.


first of the week after a delay OF
more than two weeks waiting for
material. The basement walls are
up, both outside and partition and
there will be no more delays for all
the building materials are either
on the ground or in transit. Work
will be pushed very rapidly for the
contractors, Teas Bros, of Charlton
expect to have the building complet-
ed by the first of December, but the
dedication will probably not be be-
fore January LIST, 1914.
The new building is As feet and 8
inches by 81 feet and inches with
basement under all.
The auditorium is AZ feet by "A
feet and 10 inches, with a Sunday
school room 20 feet by 46 feet and s
inches, from the end of which about
ten feet is taken for pastors study.
The basement is to have large
banquet hall with ample sized serv-
ing room, kitchen, retiring room and
furnace room. The new building
fronts to the west with two front
entrances. one at either corner and
a side entrance which also admits to
the Sunday school room.
There will be two entrances to the
basement and one from the outside.
The building is being constructed of
the best grade of hydraulic pressed
brick, almost white in color, trim
med in Bedford stone The base
ment walls, however, are of very
dark brick, affording a striking con-
trast, pleasing to the eye. There will
be 1000 square feet of art glass in
the large glass dome and spacious
windows which will add much to it's
beauty. When completed it will be
one of the most beautiful small
churches in southern Iowa and we
know that Van Vert and especially
the Methodist ,people will be justly
proud of it. The cost of the building
finished and furnished will be about
$4,000.
The building committee having
the work in charge, consists of the
following men: E. O. Stearns, pres
ident, H. O. futile secretary, A. E.
Blair treasurer, E. j. Blair, j. C.
Fierce, j. S. Arney, E. w. Fierce, G.
F. Fierce, A. B. Richey, c. G. Waters
and F. Binning, assisted by the pas
tor, M. H. Keast.
Plans are now being made for the
formal laying of the corner stone,
which will occur within the next few
days or week at most. The COM
pleted program can not be furnish
ed here as the date depends on how
the work progresses.
The Methodist Episcopal church
at Van Vert was organized about the
year 1856 by the following pioneers:
Jas. Blair, VIM. Warner, Matthew
J Jackson, Newton Spencer, Carlos
Clark, Bennett Taylor, Nathan Per-
dew, Henry Barrackman and probab
ly few others of whom we have no
record. A church building was erect
ed in Van Vert, on the west side
of Main street to the rear of the DR..
Tallman block and was used for wOr
ship until the year 1888 when the
present building was erected and
dedicated on November 18th, of that
year. Now this building like the
first one is too small to accommodate
the rapidly increasing Sunday school
and Methodist society, hence the ne
cessity for the new building. Dur
ing the last half century the charge
has been served by some able men;
a few of whom have gone to their
might be of interest to you SO we
publish it here. The term of each
pastor beginning in September of
the year named and continuing until
succeeded by the next, except the
latter NJ. H. Keast, who came on the
charge in April of the year named,
to fill vacancy.
1861. W. Anderson.
1S64-D. B. Clary.
1861. M. Baker.
1S6S-J. Sherwood and C. A. B.
Watson.
1S7O-W. S. Hooker.
lS72-W. S. Hooker and P. J.
VoImer.
1S73-C. A. Gates.
1S74-W. H. Witter.
1S75-J. T. Hughes.
1S7S-A. Hancox.
1S77-C. H. Burleigh.
1S79-Wm Britton.
1SSO-D. o. Stewart.
1SS2-W. w. Banner.
1850. Hoover.
1SS4-T. P. Newland.
wv. u. WCSLC.
1SS7-E. E. Wiley.
1SS8-W. R. Wood.
1S90-W. B. Dunn.
1S91-E. B. Heaton.
1S93-W. G. Smith.
1891. N. HoZier.
1865. l.. Culmer.
1877. P. Sigler.
1S9S-D. S. Main.
1S99-E. B. Heaton.
1901. w. Caldwell.
19O1-M. H. Rambo.
1902-R. j. Tenant.
1861. C. Olsen.
1904. Flickinger.
19O8-J. E. Nichol.
1909-M. r. Butterfield.
1911--J. A. Branson.
I913-M. H. Keast.
The Presiding Elders or District
during the mean
time have been:
E. M. H. Fleming.
n