LI E> RARY A OF THE UN1VLRSITY OF ILLINOIS . R89.T \N38c — — — — - ILLZ&Qia JStiBIOBICAZ BUFFET JA CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1829-1929 STUDIES IN ANABAPTIST AND MENNONITE HISTORY Two Centuries of American Mennonite Literature, 1727-1928* By Harold S. Bender The Hutterian Brethren, 1528-1928* By John Horsch Centennial History of the Mennonites of Illinois* By Harry F. Weber Pacifism Among the Mennonites, Amish Mennonites, and SCHWENKFELDERS OF PENNSYLVANIA TO 1783 By Wilbur J. Bender Life and Letters of Conrad Grebel By Harold S. Bender, Ernst Correll, and Edward Yoder Other volumes to be arranged. Now published. Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History Edited by iHarold S. Bender, B. D. (Garrett), Th. M., M. A. (Princeton) Jjst Correll, Ph. D. (Munich) Silas Hertzler, Ph. D. (Yale) Edward Yoder, Ph. D. (Pennsylvania) NO. 3 Centennial History of the Mennonites of Illinois 1829-1929 Published by The Mennonite Historical Society Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana Press of the Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania 1931 Copyright 1931 By THE MENNONITE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, U. S. A. Printed in United States of America Centennial History of The Mennonifes of Illinois 1829-1929 By HARRY F. WEBER, Ph. D. Published by The Mennonite Historical Society Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana Press of the Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania 1931 Dedicated to Bishop Joseph S. Shoemaker Senior bishop in the Illinois Mennonite Con- ference, for almost forty years a faithful minister of the Gospel of Christ, and a beloved leader in the activities of the Mennonite Church. w FOREWORD In the year 1923 Harry Weber, a member of the Science Ridge Mennonite Church at Sterling, Illinois, pre- sented to the Illinois Mennonite conference the plan of preparing a history of the Mennonites of Illinois. The con- ference, which met at Fisher, Illinois, September 11 and 12 of that year expressed itself in favor of the plan and ap- pointed a committee of three brethren, namely, C. F. Der- stine, Simon Litwiller, and S. M. Kanagy as an historical committee to cooperate with Brother Weber in securing data and in studying the project. This committee was also to present the proposition to the various congregations in the state and report at the next conference. The confer- ence of the following year, which was held near Flanagan, Illinois, August 26 and 27, 1924, officially endorsed the history, asked all the congregations to support the under- taking, and authorized the Historical Committee to con- tinue to cooperate with Brother Weber until the work should be completed. After the removal of C. F. Derstine from the state, H. R. Schertz was appointed in his place as chairman of the committee. The manuscript was com- pleted and submitted to the committee for consideration at ^the conference held near Freeport, June, 1928. The com- *mittee reported the completion of the work and recom- mended its publication. The conference empowered the -committee to take action in cooperation with the Historical "Committee of the General Conference in arranging for the ^publication of the history and its distribution and sale, with Sthe promise that the conference would finance the work. After some investigation, the committee negotiated 1 with the Mennonite Historical Society of Goshen College, I Goshen, Indiana, for the editing and publication of the vii 791V FOREWORD book, which was to appear as a volume in the series of his- torical books published by the Society, entitled Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History. Harold S. Bender of Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, was appointed to edit the book. The committee also had the manuscript submitted to various persons competent to judge its value and make sug- gestions for improvement where necessary. Several mem- bers of the Historical Committee of General Conference, including John Horsch, S. F. Coffman and Harold S. Bender, carefully read the manuscript and made some sug- gestions for improvement at various places. J. S. Shoe- maker also read the manuscript. Representatives of the other Mennonite conferences of Illinois have read the man- uscript as far as it deals with their conferences. We feel that the author, Brother Harry F. Weber, has produced a valuable work and that he deserves the thanks and appreciation of the Illinois Conference for his efforts. By means of his work much historical information of value has been preserved which would otherwise have been lost. By becoming acquainted with the life and work of our church in the past our loyalty and devotion to the church and its faith and work to-day are increased. We learn to appreciate our heritage better and can profit by the failures as well as the successes of the past. May the book prove to be an inspiration and a help to all, old and young. May it serve to re-create the memories of the past for our older generation and may it challenge our youth to more effective service in the cause of Christ for the future. Historical Committee of the Illinois Mennonite Conference: Henry R. Schertz, Simon M. Kanagy, Simon Litwiller. Vlll EDITORS' PREFACE The field of regional American Mennonite history has not yet been developed, although it is a rich field, one which will amply repay those who have the equipment, the patience, and the industry to exploit it. The Mennonite Historical Society of Goshen College presents as the first regional history of American Mennonitism Dr. Harry F. Weber's Centennial History of the Mennonites of Illinois, 1829-1929. The book forms number three of the Society's series, Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History. The author, Harry Franklin Weber, Ph. D., a gra- duate of Goshen College, Witmarsum Theological Semin- ary and Hartford Theological Seminary, himself a Men- nonite of Illinois, pursued his study and research in Illinois Mennonite History for over five years. His painstaking, conscientious industry has produced a comprehensive work of cyclopedic character, which includes in addition to ma- terial of a general nature, a specific history of each Men- nonite congregation and institution which has ever been established in the great prairie state of Illinois. To a large extent the volume is a compilation of local history. The more general religious and sociological interpretation is left for others, since Illinois presents few peculiar char- acteristics which are different from those of American Men- nonites as a whole. The author's material was gleaned chiefly from primary sources, such as personal interviews and questionnaires and is thoroughly reliable. In his endeavor to present a fair, sympathetic history of the nine groups of Mennonites within the state, Dr. Weber has been eminently successful. He was fortunate to have the cooperation of historically-minded persons in all the groups, particularly in the (old) Mennonite Con- ference and the Defenseless Conference, and the Central ix editors' preface Conference. While the work has been directly sponsored by the Illinois (old) Mennonite Conference, the Defenseless Conference also officially supported Dr. Weber's work and instructed its Publication Board to cooperate with him. Part of the section of the volume giving the history of this conference was written by historians of the conference. The preparation of the volume was substantially com- pleted in 1926, but due to various delays it did not reach publication until five years later. The author was not able, however, due to pressing duties in connection with his col- lege teaching in eastern Pennsylvania, to rewrite the book so as to bring it up to date, much as he desired to do so. The editors have inserted some new material, in order to bring the history down to approximately 1929. The volume as published has been modified somewhat from its original form, yet the original content, point of view, and style of the book as it left the author's hand has been to a very large extent preserved. With these changes, the book represents the dissertation submitted for the de- gree of Doctor of Philosophy which was conferred upon the author by Hartford Theological Seminary in 1926. The Illinois Mennonite Conference deserves commen- dation for the warm and effective way in which it has sup- ported the preparation and publication of this volume from the beginning. The Historical Committee of the Con- ference has done much to aid the author directly and by enlisting the cooperation of the individual congregations in the conference. Furthermore, and not least, the con- ference has assumed the entire financial responsibility for the publication of the book. It was alone by this generous underwriting that the publication of the volume was made possible. We congratulate the Illinois Conference on its historical-mindedness, and hope that its vigorous example will be followed by other Mennonite conferences. The Editors. AUTHOR'S PREFACE Having written the "History of the American Men- nonites of Illinois" as my Master's thesis, it seemed a logical step to proceed with a history of all the Mennonites of Illinois. In this I was encouraged by a number of friends and also by satisfactory institutional arrangements for graduate study. My original purpose was to write a complete, reliable, and impartial history of the Mennonites located in this geographical area. In spite of the many different branches I expected to give a composite history showing all interrelations and treating each branch from an internal and external point of view. I have been disillu- sioned in regard to the unity of the subject. The branches have separated themselves into mutually exclusive groups which make a systematic and unified treatment difficult. To treat each as an individual unit would be encyclopedic. To simply compile data would make the result no more than a source book. I must admit that in its final form my work has not gone much beyond that stage. Theoretically, the arrangement of the book is chrono- logical. This brought a number of problems, since the three lines of Mennonites — Amish, Main Line, and Russian — in many instances call for treatment at the same time. Book I is devoted to the general historical introduction, the iden- tification of the various branches and the story of the early settlements of the Amish and Mennonites in Illinois. Book II is devoted exclusively to the treatment of the two groups which united to form the present Illinois Mennonite Con- ference, namely, the Main Line Mennonites and the Amish Mennonites. Books III and IV are devoted to the two other major groups, the Defenceless Mennonites and the Central xi author's preface Conference of Mennonites. Book V contains the history of the smaller groups. In order to get the cooperation and sympathy of the various groups the matter of a history was placed before them. Several branches took official action favoring the project, in particular the Illinois (old) Mennonite Con- ference. Some committees were appointed. Of these the most active was the committee of the Conference just named. An elaborate questionnaire composed of 308 inquiries was printed and sent to an appointed representa- tive in each congregation for gathering the local history. About one fourth responded better than one would have a right to ask, but some others never lifted a pencil. It had not been my original purpose to rely on such correspon- dence for the data but merely to use it preliminary to personal research. I visited all the churches of the state and gathered a trunkful of notes. I attempted to get all the printed and unprinted source material, such as county histories, secretary books, ' conference minutes, files of church papers, etc., into my possession for temporary use. In many cases I found the owners very reluctant to lend material; nor could I blame them since thoughtless prede- cessors had been very inconsiderate. On the other hand several were very kind in loaning their material for as long as it was needed. There were no books from which I could draw directly. The few general Mennonite his- tories contained not more than a dozen pages concerning this field. However the viewpoints and personal assistance given by their authors were of great value and were highly appreciated. The disappointments in connection with this work were manifold. Some individuals, from whom I hoped to receive assistance, did not respond even to a third or fourth letter. Likewise whole churches and even branches were indifferent. The idea of one history for all the xii author's preface branches was not popular. In addition, the financial bur- den involved in the gathering of material, which fell to me alone, was much heavier than I had anticipated. Yet I am not sorry that I undertook the work. The visiting from place to place was very pleasant. It gave me a perspective of modern Mennonitism. I profited much by the contacts formed and retain many pleasant memories. Now that the work is completed, imperfect as it is, I am made to wonder what my motive was in writing it. Perhaps it was curiosity for information and investigation, a general interest in history, a desire to rescue Mennonite data which was being rapidly forgotten, a sense of duty to the church in which I was reared, or an ideal of justice | in regards to the credit the Mennonite Church should be given in proportion to the other denominations. My atti- tude when starting can be gathered from the "Introduc- tory Note" of the questionnaire which I prepared at the beginning of the work. A quotation follows: U A few reasons why such a history should be under- taken are: First, we dare not forget our fathers or we i will soon forget the 'Faith of our Fathers/ Second, peo- ple who neglect to respect their past are apt to make no program for the future. Third, our fathers learned some very valuable lessons which our generation cannot afford to overlook. Fourth, much inspiration can be received from the record of those who planted their faith here. Fifth, such a record would also be very interesting. Sixth, such a history must soon be made or many important facts will be forever lost. Seventh, the children are given secu- lar history in the public schools to make them patriotic citizens of the state and nation; likewise the church must place her history before her children to keep them faithful and loyal to the church." I wish I were able to definitely state a thesis that I had set out to prove. I might have aimed to demonstrate xiii author's preface the Tightness or wrongness of Mennonitism; to state causes of the many divisions; to illustrate the effects of emphasis upon special items of faith and practise. I be- lieve I have approached nearest the theme of showing the development of a pioneer church from a single monthly service to a stage of comparatively extensive activity in various lines of religious endeavor. This slow but spon- taneous development, coming in the face of stubborn re- sistance, seldom promoted officially, and sponsored by but few leaders, will make an interesting and inspiring prob- lem for some future student of Mennonite History. It is impossible to mention the names of all those friends who have assisted in gathering information, loan- ing source material, giving suggestions, and other forms of helpfulness, so at the risk of being discourteous to some, I will mention none. However I am very grateful to all for their many favors. Names have been attached at proper places throughout the context where credit is due. In addition to those who aided in the collection of material, I am especially indebted to S. F. Coffman of Vine- land, Ontario, J. S. Shoemaker of Freeport, Illinois, John Horsch of Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Harold S. Bender of Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, who carefully read the entire manuscript before publication, and whose many use- ful suggestions have greatly enhanced the value of the book. Professor Bender rendered valuable service by ed- iting the entire manuscript and seeing it through the press. At his suggestion a considerable rearrangement of the ma- terials was made, and a few chapters were partly rewrit- ten by him. In no way however are any of my good friends who have aided so much in the production of the book in its present form responsible for the errors or shortcomings which may appear in it. Albright College, May, 1929. Harry F. Weber. TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword vii Editors' Preface ix Author's Preface xi Table of Contents xv Book I. The Coming of the Mennonites to Illinois Part I. Historical Introduction iapter I. General Mennonite History 3 II. The Mennonites and Other Denominations 22 III. The Amish Wing 31 IV. The Main Line of Mennonites 42 V. The Russian Wing 53 VI. Mennonite Principles 59 Part II. Early Settlements in Illinois VII. The State of Illinois ZSrd^S nl VIII. The Creek Settlements of the Amish: First Period 1829-1852 76- IX. The Mennonites Come to Illinois: First Period 1833-1852 92 X. The Second Period of Settlement: 1852-1866 ~ 10*- Book II. The Illinois Mennonite Conference Part I. The Mennonite Congregations XL The Illinois District Mennonite Conference 113 XII. The Amish and the Mennonites 131" XIII. The Union Congregation near Washington ~ 134 XIV. The Freeport Congregation 142 XV. The Science Ridge Congregation near Sterling 151 XVI. The Morrison Congregation J62 XVII. The Cullom Congregation 167 [VIII. Extinct Congregations: Gardner and Chicago 174 Part II. The Amish-Mennonite Congregations .IX. The Amish General Conferences 179 XX. The Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference 187 XXI. The xMetamora and Harmony Congregations 198 XXII. The Roanoke Congregation 203 CXIII. The Goodfield Congregation 211 >CXIV. The Pleasant Grove Congregation near Tremont 216 XXV. The Willow Springs Congregation near Tiskilwa 222 £XVI. The Hopedale Congregation 237 XVII. The Waldo Congregation near Flanagan 244 CVIII. The East Bend Congregation near Fisher 253 Part III. Aggressive Christian Work ICXIX. The Herald of Truth published in Chicago 259 XXX. Saving Evangelism 264 xv -XIX TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter XXXI. The Beginning of (old) Mennonite Missions XXXII. The Home Mission in Chicago XXXIII. The Twenty-sixth Street Mission in Chicago XXXIV. The Illinois District Mission Board and New Missionary Activities Illinois Mission Board, Garden Street Mission at Peoria, Pleasant Hill Rural Mission, Woman's Missionary Society, Mennonite Home for the Aged at Eureka. XXXV. The Conference Merger Book III. The Defenseless Mennonites l XXXVI. The Work of Henry Egly | XXXVII. The Salem Congregation near Gridley XXXVIII. The Congregation near Groveland XXXIX. The Annual Church Conference and District S. S. Convention XL. The Foreign Missionary Work I XLI. The Salem Orphanage near Flanagan } XLII. The Mennonite Sanitarium and Training School at Bloomington | XLIII. The Mennonite Old People's Home of Meadows, Illinois .. XLIV. The Church Publications XLV. The Salem Gospel Mission XLVI. The Brotherhood Aid Association XLVII. The Missionary Church Association Book IV. The Central Conference of Mennonites XLVIII. The Yoder Church, the Mother Church XLIX. Joseph Stuckey, the Church Father L. The Illinois Congregations LI. Conference Formation — Peter Schantz LII. The Conference Activities LIII. The Home Mission Work LIV. The Cooperative Activities Book V. Smaller Groups ^LV. The Old Order Amish. The Arthur Settlement LVI. The Reformed Mennonites. The Sterling Congregation LVII. The Conservative Amish. The Sleeping Preacher Group LVIII. The General Conference of Mennonites The Summerfield Congregation, the Formation of the General Conference, The Chicago Mission LIX. The Mennonites from Russia „ | Defenseless Mennonite Brethren, Brighton Mission Chapel. The Krimmer Brueder, the Work in Chicago. Conclusion Appendix I. The Earliest Amish Illinois Settlers Appendix II. Biographies of Illinois Ministers Chronology Bibliography List of Maps, Tables and Illustrations Index xvi BOOK I THE COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS Parti HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I GENERAL MENNONITE HISTORY 1 It is a long distance, both chronologically and geo- graphically, from Christ in Palestine to the Mennonites in Illinois. Christ did His teaching in the first century about 29 A. D., and the Mennonites did not come to Illinois until 1829, an extent in time of eighteen centuries. Palestine was one of the Oriental countries peopled with Semites, while Illinois is one of the great commonwealths of the New World, and its Mennonites, a people of the Teutonic race. The story of Christianity is the story of a great and intricate historical movement which is growing each year more intricate. Of course Christ is the acknowledged spiritual leader and head of the Mennonite denomina- tion. For that reason, no doubt, some of its adherents would like to trace its organic continuity back to the Apos- tles. When the Christian Faith had won its place in the Roman Empire, it was made the religion of the state. From that point it developed into a great and powerful institution, a Catholic Church with two branches, Greek and Roman. But as its glory increased, its spirituality declined. Paralleling the history of the Catholic Church were individuals and small groups that championed "the simple faith. " It is to such sects as the Montanists, the 1 This summary history of the Mennonites has been gleaned for the most part from C Henry Smith's The Mennonites, which is the best American authority. 3 A 4 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Cathari, and the Waldenses that the Mennonites have looked for continuity. These were, no doubt, spiritual forerunners, but the actual Mennonite movement began with the Anabaptists, one of the four major groups of the Reformation of the 16th century. The Roman Catholic Church had dominated the western Christian world for twelve centuries, and so many abuses had crept in that good people throughout Europe were desirous of reform. Luther touched off the religious revolt by posting his 95 "theses" on the church door in Wittenberg in 1517 A. D. Zwingli began a similar movement at Zurich in Switzer- land in 1521. A general spirit of reform and revolt spread over central Europe. The name Anabaptist came to be applied to nearly all those Reformation parties who were not classed with either the Lutheran or Reformed movements. It included a diversity of peoples and ideas, varying from the peace- ful radicals to whom the name Anabaptist more properly applies, to the extreme fanatics who were political and social rather than religious protestants. The peaceful radicals first appeared in 1523-25 in Zurich, Switzerland, where Zwingli was developing his "Reformed Church. " A number of Zwingli's original supporters felt that he had not carried his reforms far enough. While Zwingli had made a distinct break with the Papacy, he had not at that time departed very far from some of the old customs, ceremonies, and doctrines. The practice of baptizing infants, which Zwingli re- tained, became the center of dispute. Zwingli met his opponents in public debate. These opponents contended that a definite confession of faith should precede baptism, thus advocating believer's or adult baptism. Several dis- cussions were held, but the contending parties instead of becoming more united thereby were the more widely sep- arated. The public disputation was held in January, 1525. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 5 Immediately thereafter those who were dissatisfied with Zwingli withdrew and formed an independent brother- hood, the third wing of the Protestant Reformation. Hence January, 1525 may be considered as the date of the origin of the Mennonite group, f Seeing that reconciliation was impossible, Zwingli, since he had the civil authorities supporting him, resolved to use force where argument was of no avail. Thus began a succession of persecutions which this band and its followers had to undergo for many generations to come. The leaders of this new movement, Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and William Reublin, were men of excellent character. Grebel was the son of a prominent patrician who was a member of the Zurich Coun- cil. Though not a priest, he had received a good human- istic education in the Universities of Vienna and Paris. At first he had been a warm supporter of Zwingli, who spoke well of him. Manz, the son of a canon of the Zurich Cathedral, was also a thorough scholar. Blaurock, formerly a monk at Chur, was called "second Paul" on account of his fiery preaching. Reublin, who had been a priest at Basel and later near Zurich, was an excellent student of the Bible. These men and others met at a private home in Zurich in January 1525, where Grebel baptized Blaurock, who in turn baptized a number of others. They designated themselves as "Brethren," but their enemies called them "Anabaptists," which means re- baptizers, because they rebaptized all their converts who already had been baptized as infants. However, the act of rebaptizing was only incidental to their more fundamental doctrine of believer's baptism. To this were added other principles just as fundamental. They advocated the absolute separation of church and state. This was far in advance of their day. Although both Luther and Zwingli had initiated new churches, their 6 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS new foundations were organized as state churches. The Anabaptists contended that the government had no juris- diction in matters of religion. The logical consequence of this principle was another just as far ahead of its time: religious toleration. These Anabaptists made the New Testament the basis of their faith. Love was to be the ruling element. This teaching found expression in the well- known doctrine of the Mennonites called "Non-Resist- ance." It meant absolute refusal to use force in any form even in war. Church members must not hold office, be- cause that would necessitate the use of force. Taking the oath was prohibited by scripture and was objectionable because it attempted to coerce the conscience. Another major principle was the insistence on holy living and the use of discipline to maintain the purity of the church as well as personal holiness. Zwingli persuaded the Zurich Council to pass man- date after mandate with the aim of crushing the new movement. Not only the Anabaptists but also those who offered them any assistance were threatened with life im- prisonment and ultimately death by drowning. The leaders remained loyal to their new faith, proving their convictions by facing death. Felix Manz was the first of the leaders to become a martyr to the cause. He was drowned by ckcree of the Council, January 5, 1527. Conrad Grebel ""clied in prison from the plague in 1526. In spite of the Council's efforts, the movement made headway. How- ever, the Zurich persecution forced the leaders to scatter all over Switzerland and Southern Germany, where the masses eagerly and readily accepted their simple message. The early group of leaders were soon killed off. If these strong chiefs had been permitted to live as did Lu- ther and Zwingli, it is interesting to conjecture the proba- ble growth and establishment of the body. As it was, the group showed great vitality in being able not only to COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 7 survive the death of its leaders and the general persecu- tions, but even to extend its influence. A new leadership arose, including among other pastors, Hans Denck, Hans Langenmantel, Martin Weniger, Balthasar Hubmaier, Michael Sattler and Pilgram Marbeck. In less than a decade the movement had spread all over "the Germanies," that is, Austria, Alsace-Lorraine, The Netherlands, Switz- erland, and most of the three hundred independent politi- cal units of Germany proper. It is probable however that the movement in the Netherlands and North Germany arose independently of the Swiss movement. The church at Augsburg, Germany, had eleven hundred members as early as 1527. Thousands were drawn to the new move- ment. The Swiss authorities became so alarmed by its spread that on August 13, 1527, a confederated council of Swiss cantons composed of Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen, Ap- penzell, St. Gall and Chur, was called to discuss measures for checking the growth of Anabaptism. In contrast, on August 20, 1527, at Augsburg, a con- ference of all the Anabaptist leaders of South Germany, Moravia, and Switzerland, met to formulate and unify the various views. This conference has been named the "Martyr's Synod," because in a few years most of those who attended met a martyr's death. Thus by the end of the first decade (1535), the second group of leadership had been removed. During this time, early in 1527, the first known confes- sion of faith, "A Brotherly Union of the Children of God," was drawn up at Schleitheim, near Schaffhausen, in South Germany. It is thought to have been largely the work of Michael Sattler. The following summary is taken from C. Henry Smith's Mennonites of America (1909), pp. 42f. (1) "Baptism shall be administered to all who are taught repentance and a change of life, and truly believe 8 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS in the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ, and are willing to walk in newness of life; all those shall be baptized when they desire it and ask it by the decision of their own minds, which excludes all infant baptism accord- ing to the Scriptures and the practice of the Apostles. " (2) "The Ban or Excommunication shall be prac- ticed with all those who have given themselves to the Lord to follow His commandments, are baptized, and call themselves brethren and sisters and yet stumble and fall into sin, or are unexpectedly overtaken; these after admonition according to Matthew 18, if they do not re- pent, shall be excommunicated. " (3) "All who wish to break 'one bread' in remem- brance of the broken body of Christ, and drink 'one cup' in remembrance of His shed blood, shall be united by bap- tism into one body, which is the congregation of God and of which Christ is the head." (4) "The Christian must be separated from all the evil and wickedness that Satan has planted into this world. According to II Cor. 6:17, 18: 'We shall come out from among them and be separate/ separate from all Papistic works and services, meetings and church-goings, drinking- houses and other things which the world highly esteems." (5) "The minister shall, according to the teaching of Paul, be of good report of them that are without. He shall teach, exhort, and help all the members to advance in their spiritual life. When he has need, he shall be aided by the congregations which chose him to do his work. If he should be driven away, or imprisoned, or killed, an- other minister shall at once be put into his place." (6) "The worldly governments of the land are to use the sword, but in the perfect congregation of Christ excommunication is used, by which no one suffers violence to the body. Neither is it the Christian's work to have part in civil government, because the rulings of govern- COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 9 ment are according to the flesh, but the government of Christ is according to the Spirit. The weapons of the world are carnal, but the weapons of the Christian are spiritual, to the overcoming of the world and of Satan." (7) "Christ, who taught the law in perfection, for- bade His disciples all oaths, whether true or false. By this we understand that all swearing is forbidden." 2 These tenets or principles, quite similar to present- day Mennonite beliefs, show that this group was a band of simple, evangelical, peace-loving people. Their princi- ples, however, could not fail to be the source of trouble with the established church. Of course not all who were called Anabaptists advocated this particular set of beliefs, since all groups that rejected infant baptism were called "Anabaptists," even though holding divergent principles. The large majority of the Anabaptists, however, were sim- ple, frugal people of stable character and sound principles. There was no organic relation between these peace- loving "Brethren" and the revolutionary Anabaptists such as Thomas Miinzer or the Munsterites who attempted in 1533-35 to set up the Kingdom of Christ by force in the city of Miinster in North Germany. The two years' reign of terror of the Miinsterites is a long and horrible story. Eventually the city was recaptured. Those who did not perish in fighting were executed. The most unfortunate aftermath of the Miinster trag- edy was that the characteristics of these fanatics were be- stowed by popular superstition upon all Anabaptists. The name became a synonym for violence, outrage, rebellion, sensuality and vice. On this account hundreds of innocent Anabaptists were made to suffer. Soon after 1535, how- ever, the fanatical groups disappeared, and only the non- resistants survived. These were scattered, disorganized, despised and discouraged. .It was an immense task to revive 2 See Chapter VI for a more complete discussion of Mennonite principles. u 10 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS these unfortunate but godly people. Into this trying situa- . tion came a new group of leaders, among whom were Obbe and Dirk Philips, Leonhard Bouwens and Menno Simons in the North, and Pilgram Marbeck and Jacob Hutter in the South. Obbe Philips was baptized, chosen and ordained as J bishop about 1533 by the disciples sent by Jan Matthys to Friesland. Thus Obbe forms a connecting link with that ! fanatic group, but he frowned upon all their extremes. He in turn ordained his brother Dirk and Menno Simons i in 1536, as well as others. For some unknown reason Obbe later came to feel that the whole movement was a mistake. After he renounced his office, he begged Dirk and Menno to do likewise, but they refused. At this point Obbe parted company with the Anabaptists and is heard of no more. He is remembered for his "Confession," which became a popular writing among the Anabaptists. Dirk Philips is thought to have been master of sev- eral languages. It is not certain that he ever attended a university, but he must have given himself a very prac- tical and generous education. His zeal for the cause and his popular eloquence were as great as that of Menno Simons, and he far outshone the latter in learning and familiarity with classical letters. His nature was too well balanced to be moved by fanaticism. All his known writ- ngs have been preserved, and fortunately, for they are a reasure house. The most outstanding is the "Enchiri- don." It is still used by the Amish. Surviving Menno seven years, he died in 1568. Although it is true that he labored as hard, wrote as well, and was more stable in his opinions than Menno, Dirk's stubbornness and harshness incapacitated him for wise and broadminded leadership, both during Menno's life and after his death. Menno and Dirk devoted most of their labors to East Friesland and the North German regions as far east as Riga. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 1 1 Leonhard Bouwens, a co-laborer, became the great apostle to West Friesland and to Holland in general, where in a few years he is said to have baptized ten thou- sand people. Menno Simons was born in 1496 at Witmarsum, Friesland (Netherlands). Having been educated for the church, he became a priest in a parish near his birthplace. Even after he had served in that capacity for three years he had never read the Bible. But one day during mass a horrible doubt about the entire procedure came over him. He struggled against it. Not being able to cast it off, he began to read the Bible and Luther's writings. Aroused by the execution of an Anabaptist in 1531, he became con- cerned with the problem of infant baptism but found no satisfactory solution among the more popular works on Protestantism. He remained inactive for a time, but when his brother and 300 other Anabaptists were killed near his home, he no longer hesitated. For conscience' sake, giving up his life of ease, he publicly renounced his mother church in January, 1536, and going to the neighboring province of Groningen, cast his lot with the despised band of Anabaptists. He was soon recognized as a leader and urged to take up the min- istry, being ordained in 1536. Thus he became the leader of the better type of Anabaptists, who, abhorring the des- ignation of Anabaptists because of the vileness it implied, simply called themselves "Brethren." Later, they adopted the name "Doopsgezinden." While other Protestants were emphasizing creed, this group centered its principles in life itself. Menno Simons was a consistent and thoroughgoing Biblical reformer. Historians of the present day are begin- ning to accord him his proper place. For a quarter of a cen- tury he lived and labored for the cause. His life after leav- ing the Catholic church was never a pleasant one. He was 12 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS known as u the Arch-Heretic," but was the high priest of the quiet folk to whom he ministered. In 1542, a personal imperial edict was issued against him, in which a price was set upon his head. This made it necessary for him to keep on the move. From Groningen he went to Emden, then to Cologne. He was married and reared a family; however, only one daughter survived him. He wrote and debated much in defense of the faith. His complete works were published in the English language by John F. Funk at Elkhart, Indiana, in 1871. The following extract from Menno's treatise on the New Birth expresses his position on certain religious prin- ciples: "Behold, worthy reader, all those who are born of God with Christ, who thus conform their weak life to the Gospel, are thus converted, and . . . follow His com- mands, which He in plain words commanded us in the holy Scriptures, form the holy Christian church which has His promise; the true children of God, brothers and sis- ters of Christ; for they are born with Him of one Father, and of the new Eve, the pure, chaste bride. They are flesh of Christ's flesh, and bone of His bone, the spiritual home of Israel, the spiritual city, Jerusalem, temple and Mount Zion, the spiritual ark of the Lord, in which are hidden the true bread of heaven, Christ Jesus and His blessed Word, the green, blossoming rod of faith, and the spiritual tables of stone, with the commands of the Lord written thereon; they are the spiritual seed of Abraham, children of the promise, confederates of the covenant of God, and partakers of the heavenly blessings. "These regenerated have a spiritual King over them, who rules them by the unbroken scepter of His mouth; namely, with His Holy Spirit and Word. He clothes them with the garment of righteousness, of pure white silk; He refreshes them with the living water of His Holy COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 13 Spirit, and feeds them with the bread of life. His name is Christ Jesus. They are the children of peace, who have beaten their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, and know of no war; and give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's (Isa. 2:4; Matt. 22:21). Their sword is the sword of the Spirit, which they hold in a good con- science through the Holy Ghost. Their marriage is that of one man and one woman according to the ordinance of God. Their kingdom is the kingdom of grace, here in hope, and after this in eternal life (Eph. 6:17; Matt. 19:5; 25:1). "Their citizenship is in heaven; and they use the crea- tures below, such as eating, drinking, clothing, and dwell- ing with thanksgiving, and that to the necessary wants of their own lives, and to the free service of their neighbor, according to the Word of the Lord (Isa. 58:7). Their doctrine is the unadulterated Word of God, testified through Moses and the prophets, through Christ and the apostles, upon which they build their faith, and save their souls; and everything that is contrary thereto, they con- sider accursed. They use and administer their baptism on the confession of their faith, according to the command of the Lord, and the doctrines and usages of the apostles (Mark 16:16). "The Lord's supper they celebrate in remembrance of the favors and death of their Lord, and in reminding one another of true and brotherly love. "The ban extends to all the proud scorners, great and small, rich and poor, without any respect to person, who heard and obeyed the Word for a season, but have fallen off again, and in the house of the Lord, teach or live offensively, till they again sincerely repent. "They sigh and lament daily over their poor, dis- pleasing, evil flesh, over the manifold errors and faults of 14 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS their weak lives. They war inwardly and outwardly with- out ceasing. They seek and call the Most High; fight and struggle against the devil, world and flesh during their lives, press on towards the prize of the high calling that they may obtain it. And they prove by their actions that they believe the Word of the Lord; that they know and have Christ in power; that they are born of God and have Him as their Father. "Behold, worthy reader, as I said before, so I say again. These are the Christians who have the promise, and are assured by the Spirit of God, to whom are given and bestowed Christ Jesus, with all His merits, righteous- ness, intercessions, word, cross, suffering, flesh, blood, death, resurrection, kingdom, and all His possessions, and this all without merit; given out of pure grace from God. But what kind of doctrine, faith, life, regeneration, bap- tism, supper, ban and divine service, sectarian churches have, of whatever name; and what kind of reward is promised them in the Scriptures, I will let the reasonable meditate upon, with the aid of the Spirit and the word of the Lord." (Complete Works, Part I. pp 170-71). Aside from the persecution from without, Menno had to contend with divisions in his own ranks. It is probably here that his leadership was best displayed. He did all in his power to conciliate the parties even to the extent of vacillating on the question of "the ban and avoidance" which was one of the serious issues that produced conten- tion. Strangely enough, he was permitted to die a natural death, which occurred January 31, 1561, at Wuestenfelde, in Holstein. He was buried in his own garden. The Thirty Years' War devastated that part of the country, so that no one knows just where his body rests. Menno's followers were given all sorts of nicknames, such as "new-monks," "sacrament-spoilers," "child-soul COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 15 murderers," "communists, " "house-slippers," and "syrup- lickers." In 1544, the Countess Anne in West Friesland first used the term "Menist." After this, the Anabaptists of Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland were referred to frequently under this designation. They eventually adopted it for themselves. In English it became "Men- nonites." It would be interesting to note the development of Mennonitism throughout the various countries of Europe. But since that would diverge too far from the subject in hand, a few remarks will have to suffice. The attitude toward the Mennonites varied from semi-toleration in the Netherlands to extreme and bitter intolerance in Switzer- land. About 1600 there was a great diminution of perse- cution in Holland, although full religious toleration was not given until 1795. In this country they were allowed the best opportunity to develop. Few were driven out. The Netherland Mennonites were able thus to give much assistance to their brethren who suffered so severely at the hands of other governments. However they were not free from contention within their own ranks. Flemish, Old Flemings, Waterlanders, Frisians, "Loose" Frisians, "Sonnists" and "Lammists" were some of the divisions that arose. By drawing up articles as a basis of union, these • Netherland branches furnished the majority of the Men- nonite confessions of faith, some of which are in use at the present time. The most important of these was the one adopted at Dortrecht in 1632, containing 18 articles. It has become the most widely used by all groups and is the official confession of practically all the Mennonites of Illinois. When Napoleon, at the end of the 18th century, did away with their special privileges, they did not attempt to recover them and ceased to be non-resistant. The Hoi- 16 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS landers have become prosperous and in many cases wealthy. They have also become the most liberal Mennonite body in the world, being predominantly unitarian in theology. During the eighteenth century the Holland Menno- nites lost heavily in membership. In order to remedy this depletion, the first Mennonite school, the Theological Sem- inary of Amsterdam, was opened in 1735. At the present time the group in Holland consists of about one hundred and thirty congregations, with about 40,000 baptized members. The present church in Amsterdam numbers over six thousand baptized persons. Switzerland, unlike Holland, drove almost all of her "Brethren" from the country. This weakened the group exceedingly. Hans Landis, the last martyr, was executed as late as 1614, but this by no means ended the persecu- tion. Mennonites were still thrown into filthy prisons and their property was confiscated. They were still sent to the galleys. Religious toleration was not granted them until 1815. With all this external pressure, there was found opportunity for internal strife. In 1693 a quarrel of an intense nature arose in the Swiss Mennonite Churches, out of which grew the Amish branch of the church, which still exists. 3 It will be impossible to devote much space to the history of the Mennonites in the various other countries of Europe: West Prussia, East Prussia, North Germany, East Friesland, the lower German Rhine, the lower Elbe, Holstein, South Germany, Moravia, Galicia, France, Al- sace and Lorraine. When conditions became unbearable in one region, the Mennonites migrated to some province whither a more tolerant ruler had invited them. Fre- quently, by the time they were comfortably settled or had become prosperous, the attitude of the ruling power changed, and they had to move on. In Moravia, where » See Chapters III, VIII. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 17 the "Brethren" had adopted communism and were called u Hutterites," they enjoyed considerable freedom at first, but after a time troubles began, which continued until the group was almost exterminated. In the Palatinate, whither many Swiss Mennonites had come in the seven- teenth century, religious and economic conditions became so oppressive that in the eighteenth century many of them left for Holland and America. Dutch refugees had early settled in Prussia, where they had comparative freedom until their special privileges were revoked by Frederick William I and his successors. Catherine the Great of Russia in 1783 invited colo- nists to settle upon her newly acquired lands in South Russia. The Mennonites being good farmers, she granted them special privileges to encourage them to come. The main privilege was exemption from military service. Sev- eral colonies were established by immigrants from Prussia, the most important being Chortitza and Molotschna. The Russian Mennonites became very prosperous. They used progressive methods of agriculture. Their organizations and institutions became firmly established, and their mem- bership became larger than that of the other Mennonite communities of Europe. However, they were not without internal strife, several divisions having later arisen. Later rulers were not so lenient with them. The government revoked their military exemption in 1870. Soon after, in 1873, an extensive emigration to America began which continued for several years. 4 Those remaining there have found conditions under the Soviet government almost unbearable. For this reason emigration to the United States and Canada was renewed in 1921 and has continued to the present, although limited since 1925 to Canada. The same reasons that caused some of the Menno- ^^Ch^pterT y^UX*"* 1 regafding the M «»noiiites from Russia see 18 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS nites to migrate to Russia, led others to come early to America. Persecutions, oppressions, restrictions, and un- fortunate migrations from place to place made America loom up as "the promised land." With oppression and hatreds at their backs and pioneering hardships before them, they decided to find homes in the New World. The first representatives to arrive were probably among the Dutch merchants who early visited New Amsterdam, now New York. The colonial records of that territory refer to Mennonites on Manhattan Island as early as 1643. Cor- nelius Plockhoy established a small communist colony in what is now Delaware in 1663. But the history of these early settlements is vague and the colonies soon disappear entirely from the records. The first permanent settlement was made at German- town, Pennsylvania, in 1683, by a group of Germans of Dutch (?) ancestry in Crefeld. These were not only the first Mennonites, but the first representatives of the German race to effect a permanent settlement in America. Wil- liam Penn had met Mennonites in Europe and urged them to come to his new state. These first settlers were weav- ers by trade, but those to follow were farmers and settled the rural districts. William Rittenhouse was the new colony's first minister. In 1708 the first log meeting house was erected. The church at Germantown never grew beyond its early numbers, although the settlements in the interior grew rapidly. About 1702 some Swiss and German Palatines settled the Skippack region in Montgomery County. As the im- migrants continued to arrive, they outgrew the Skippack territory, and other regions were claimed for settlement, mainly in Pennsylvania. The largest and most important of the settlements was the Pequea colony, made upon Pequea Creek in present-day Lancaster County. This colony was begun in 1710. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 19 This immigration had practically ceased by the year 1760. Then out from this region in southeastern Penn- sylvania, the Mennonites spread into the fertile valleys of central Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. They were thus located by the year 1800, after which date no new settlements were made in those states. These com- munities in turn became the mother congregations of new settlements made in the West, where Ohio, Indiana, Illi- nois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas provided farms for the expanding colonies throughout the eighteenth century. Settlements eventually reached the Pacific Coast. Others migrated to Ontario from 1800 to 1840, where several strong settlements were made. The Amish also sought refuge in America. Although the first representatives may have arrived earlier, the actual immigration did not begin until about 1735. Be- tween this date and 1750 the Amish must have arrived in considerable numbers. One of their earliest congregations was a settlement along North Kill Creek in what is now Berks County. Some Amish also settled in eastern Lan- caster County. These scattered to other counties and in- directly and directly to other states; chiefly, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and a few to Illinois. Another wave of immigration, from 1820 to 1860, brought both Mennonites and Amish from South Germany and Switzerland. The great bulk of these settled west of the Alleghenies in Ohio, Ontario, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. In some cases they reenforced established settlements, and in others they opened new ones. What might be called the third wave of immigration was from Russia during the period from 1873 to 1880. Owing to the policy of russification on the part of the Russian government, the Mennonites of that country lost the special privileges which had been theirs for so many years. So they turned their eyes toward America. 20 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Bernhard Warkentin and Cornelius Jansen, who were the first to arrive in this country, did much in assisting their fellow-immigrants. The American Mennonites or- ganized emergency committees to aid their newly arrived brethren. Various state governments and railroad compa- nies deserve credit for their valuable assistance. Settlements were begun in Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Min- nesota. At the same time other immigrants arrived and settled in Manitoba. (From 1893 on the surplus of Mani- toba settled in Saskatchewan.) It was a painful struggle against great odds for a number of years until these newer Mennonites were able to make progress and adjust them- selves to their adopted land. However, at the present time they are firmly established, and many of them are pros- perous. Some of them joined existing branches when they arrived here; however, all the important factions, includ- ing ultra-conservatives, which existed in Russia, were trans- planted to American soil and have maintained themselves to the present. Through organized missionary effort, Mennonite churches have been established in India, Africa, China, Malaysia and South America so that while the total Mennonite body is not numerically large it is well ex- tended over the earth. The following table gives the ap- proximate numerical strength of Mennonites (children in- cluded) in the various countries of the world where they are to be found :" NORTH AMERICA United States and Canada 250,000 Mexico 7,500 5 Statistics from current yearbooks and latest census reports. Where accurate figures were unavailable, estimates were made. Where statistics included only baptized members, the number of unbap- tized adherents including children was estimated. The figures as given are for the total Mennonite population and are only ap- proximate. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 21 SOUTH AMERICA Argentina 250 Paraguay 2,750 Brazil 1,000 EUROPE Netherlands 65,000 Switzerland 1,500 Poland 1,000 Germany and Danzig 20,000 Russia 85,000 France, Alsace-Lorraine 3,500 AFRICA Belgian Congo 350 ASIA India — Central Provinces 2,500 China 650 Total 441,000 CHAPTER II THE MENNONITES AND OTHER DENOMINATIONS Mennonites have always much preferred to live aloof from other people. But it is impossible to live in the world without coming in touch with others. Even the communistic Hutterites have discovered that there are unavoidable contacts with those outside the Bruderhof. The world of the Anabaptists or early Mennonites was essentially cruel. The various governments of Europe used their utmost power to crush them. The saddest part of this persecution was that the different state churches were the chief impelling forces behind these governments. It mattered not whether it were Catholic, Reformed, or Lutheran, the oppression was equally grinding. In respect to extent and severity, there is little in the history of Chris- tianity to compare to the suffering which the Mennonites endured. 1 Aside from the many fearful tales of suffering in the Martyrs' Mirror, 2 more were enacted which were never recorded. Mention has already been made of the manner in which Zwingli caused the Reformed Church and the Zurich Government to banish and execute "the Brethren." The 1 Pennypacker, Pennsylvania in American History, p. 198. 2 The Martyrs' Mirror, as the name suggests, is a compilation of the sufferings and death of a long list of martyrs from the time of Christ including principally those from the Waldenses, Wycliffites, Hussites, Anabaptists and Mennonites. The voluminous book was first issued in its present form in the Dutch language in 1660 by Thielman J. van Bracht, a Dutch Mennonite theologian. It was translated into German and printed at Ephrata, Pennsylvania in 1748, the first large book published in America. There have been a number of editions since this first one. John F. Funk of Elkhart, Indiana, in 1887 brought out the last English edition which he rightfully considered the supreme task of his life work in Mennonite publication endeavors. 22 COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 23 state church of Switzerland continued its oppression until only a remnant was left. Nor was the Reformed Church of the Netherlands more tolerant. As soon as the Cath- olic Church there lost its influence upon the temporal powers, the Calvinistic Reformed Church assumed the role of per- secutor. 3 Fortunately the Netherlands government was more lenient than the church officials, so that religious tol- eration came early in the Netherlands, about 1577. The Lutherans were just as intense in their hatred as the Catholic and Reformed bodies. It seems unbelievable that so remarkable a man as Martin Luther should speak of Menno Simons as a u hedge-preacher who associates with laborers in the harvest fields or charcoal-burners in the woods." His opinion of Menno's followers was just as disrespectful. Luther's right-hand man, Melancthon, called them "a devilish sect whose leaders should receive the sharpest punishments." 4 He attributed their willing- ness to die for their faith to the hardening of their hearts by Satan. When these religious bodies who had persecuted the Mennonites so intensely were transplanted into the at- mosphere of religious liberty in America, the situation was changed so that they had more to do with the Mennonites. Occasionally there were incidental contacts of a more friendly nature. For instance, at Germantown, one Lu- theran, two Episcopal, and one Presbyterian Church were all first organized in the little Mennonite meeting-house. The first service of the German Lutheran Church in America was held in the house of a Mennonite. 5 Many of these groups also drew heavily upon the Mennonites for their membership then as well as now. >/ 3 Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 66. 4 Dosker, The Dutch Anabaptists, p. 30 ff. 6 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 199. 24 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Sometimes the claim is made that the Mennonite Church is the mother of a number of later denominations. This is true only in the sense of spiritual motherhood of doctrine and policy, and in some contribution of Menno- nite blood to membership in the other denominations. Since the Mennonites arose early in the Reformation and are as old as any other denomination, 6 it is interesting to trace relationships with several religious bodies that arose later. During the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and her suc- cessors, many Dutch came to southeastern England. Some were attracted by the close commercial relations between the two countries, while others sought a refuge from the cruel Catholic persecution in the Netherlands. Over a hundred thousand are said to have left their homes during the bloody rule of Alva. Undoubtedly many of these were Mennonites. 7 They must have carefully concealed their identity, for there was little persecution brought upon them. They ultimately joined the church of their adopted land and intermarried with its countrymen. But the ancient principles were never wholly forgotten. It is in this section of the country that the non-conformist move- ment arose which found organized expression in the Con- gregational and Baptist Churches. / The Quakers, more correctly called the Society of Friends, are another phase of this same non-conformist movement in England. It would seem that they too re- ceived their distinctive ideas from the same influence. For although Fox spoke harshly against them, he adopted some of the same principles which the Mennonites held 6 The first Protestant body to be officially organized was the Lutheran Church in Sweden in 1524; second was the Swiss Brethren at Zu- rich in 1525; third was the Lutheran Church in Saxony, 1525; the fourth was the Zwinglian Church in Zurich, 1525. 7 Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 70 ft. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 2S dear. 8 George Fox, the founder of English Quakerism, began to preach in southeastern England in *1647. Rob- ert Barclay, a Quaker authority on the subject, comments upon the similarity between his denomination and the Mennonites as follows: "So closely do these views corres- pond with those of George Fox, that we are compelled to view him as the unconscious exponent of the doctrine, practice, and discipline of the ancient strict party of Dutch Mennonites, at a period when under pressure of the times some deviation took place among the General Baptists from their original principles." The late Professor Os- wald Seidensticker, of the University of Pennsylvania, agrees: "The resemblance of the two sects is tested, not by their respective professions of faith, but by this agree- ment upon the^ salient features of the Christian life and duty. Both laid the greatest stress on inward piety, and a godly, humble life; considered all strife and warfare as unchristian, scrupulously abstained from taking oath, de- clared against a paid ministry, exercised through their meetings a strict discipline, favored silent prayer, were opposed to infant baptism, and looked upon the estab- lished church as an unhallowed vessel of divine truth. The freedom of worship warranted to the Mennonites and other sects in Holland was the shelter under which the Friends introduced their doctrines and organized their Society." Whatever their origin may have been, the English Quakers very early in their history crossed over into Hol- land and northwestern Germany to propagate their faith. William Ames was one of the first missionaries to visit the continent, where he found his way to many of the Mennonite strongholds. He won a number from them to 8 Dosker, Dutch Anabaptists, p. 294 f. * Symbol signifies date of origin of the group. 26 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS his faith. These English enthusiasts seem to have been well received by the Mennonites. After the work had been well begun, a number of Quaker leaders, including Barclay, Fox and Penn, in 1677 made a significant tour among Friends and Mennonites of the mainland. This no doubt had an important bearing upon the future settle- ment of Pennsylvania. Quaker apostles continued to visit the continent. Thus it can be seen that Mennonites and Quakers were by no means strangers. The first Quakers came to America to the Massachusetts colony in 1 16S6. 9 But ex- tensive immigration did not start until William Penn be- gan the colonization of Pennsylvania in 1681. Many Quakers and Mennonites of the continent were glad to accept the invitation of Penn's agents to settle in "the promised land of freedom." The first permanent colony of Quakers and Mennonites in America was established at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1683, by a group of arti- sans and weavers from the town of Crefeld and surround- ing region along the lower Rhine near the Dutch border. Here the colony met in common worship until new addi- tions warranted separate organizations. The Quakers built their first meeting house in 170S and the Mennonites in 1708. This illustrates how intimate were the relations between Quakers and Mennonites during the Colonial period. 10 There has been no real affiliation between the two bodies, but they have not grown as wide apart as the Mennonites and the more popular churches. During periods of war they are drawn into closer relations, owing to their common attitude against war. In the recent war the Mennonites assisted the Quakers in their reconstruc- f Symbol signifies date of appearance in America. 9 Montgomery, American History, p. 91 f. 10 Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 94 ff. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 27 tion program in France by furnishing both funds and workers. In Illinois there has been little direct contact of Men- nonites with Quakers for the reason that the latter are so few in number. A few settled in McLean County in J 1825. The Hicksite branch at the present time holds meetings at the Hull House, Chicago, at Clear Creek, near McNabb, Putnam County and at Benjaminville. At one time there were also meetings at Hoopeston and Sterling. The membership of this branch in Illinois is about 325. The only other branch is the Five Years' Meeting, which holds sessions at Chicago, and near Vermilion Grove in Vermilion County. The Friends have no schools or other institutions in the state. 11 The Dunkards, officially called "Church of the Breth- ren," arose from among the Pietists in Germany in *1708. Alexander Mack was their founder. At first a member of the Reformed Church, he became dissatisfied and withdrew to become a follower of the noted separatist, Hochmann von Hohenau. He traveled among the Mennonites of Ger- many in the hope of finding among them people with his ideals of Christian life. While the ideals of the Menno- nites were quite similar, he did not find them ready to admit that immersion was the only true mode of baptism. The movement took definite shape at Schwarzenau, in the province of Wittgenstein, in Hesse-Cassel, when eight per- sons after careful prayer and prolonged study walked slowly and solemnly from the house of Alexander Mack to the river Ender. Here early in the morning, surround- ed by the many curious witnesses, they knelt in prayer. One of them led Mack into the water and immersed him t Symbol signifies date of appearance in Illinois. 11 Letter from J. Barnard Walton, general secretary of the General Conference of the Religious Society of Friends, Philadelphia, Pa., May 6, 1925. 28 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS three times in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Mack in turn baptized the other seven in the same fashion. When they -organized a new congregation, Mack was chosen as their leader. 12 They had all been members of a Protestant church before 1708. Besides Mack, six of them had belonged to the Reformed Church, while the seventh had been a Lutheran. Thus began the Taufer or German Baptist church, commonly referred to as Dunkards from the German word u tunken," which means "to dip", now officially called "Church of the Brethren." The resultant church was so similar to the Menno- nites that one cannot escape the conviction that perhaps unconsciously Mack drew much of the faith and practice adopted by his group from Mennonite sources. Though it is impossible to trace any organic relation, it is certain that the new movement drew upon Mennonite blood for its membership. The Dunkards were soon driven to Crefeld where they gained several adherents among the Mennonites. In 1 1 7 19 they came to Germantown and there again won over some more from the Mennonite faith. It would be difficult to explain family relationships, likeness in doctrine and practice, customs in dress, rural life and general re- ligious attitude if there never were any connection. It is also interesting to note that Dunkard churches early sprang up in practically all of the Mennonite communities in America. Jit the time of the Revolution Mennonites and Dunkards united in sending a petition to the Assembly of Pennsylvania. 13 In J 1808 some Dunkard members, indirectly from Pennsylvania, moved to Union County in the extreme j 12 Brumbaugh, History of the Brethren, p. 29 ff. 13 Smith, Mennonites of America, pp. 370-72, where the petition is re- corded in full. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 29 southern part of Illinois. About 1840 a settlement was founded in the northern section of the state. Since that time the Dunkards have had a very steady growth, until at the present time they have in the state fifty congrega- tions with a membership of 5500. The national body maintains Bethany Bible School, a Seminary founded in Chicago in 1905, and Mt. Morris College at Mt. Morris, Illinois, founded in 1878. They have a publishing house at Elgin, Old Folks' Home at Mt. Morris, and an orphan- age at Girard, Illinois. Aside from the main body there is a progressive group with a smaller membership, called "The Brethren Church." 14 The Dunkards in Illinois awoke to their responsibili- ties much earlier than the Mennonites and as a result have a larger membership, and their activities are much older. Various Dunkard institutions have been patronized by Mennonites of the state but the interrelationships between the two bodies have been relatively insignificant. Nationally the Conference of Pacifist Churches spon- sored by Friends, Brethren, Mennonites, and others, has brought these bodies into some slight contact. The first one was held at Bluffton, Ohio, in 1922, the second at Huntington, Pennsylvania, in 1923, the third at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1924, the fourth at Wichita, Kansas, in 1925, the fifth at Danvers. Illinois, in 1926, and the last at North Manchester, Indiana, in 1927. The chief contact of other denominations with Men- nonites consisted of continual proselyting among them. This not only reduced their numbers, but took away many potential leaders, which left the church less aggressive. Very rarely did the Mennonites receive any members from outside sources, because they did not proselyte. A few of the Hugenots who drifted into Pennsylvania, such as the 14 Information furnished by Rev. S. S. Blough, Pastor of the Brethren Church, Sterling, Illinois, March 15, 1925. 30 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS LeFevres in Lancaster County and the DeTurks in Berks County, the Bertolets and the Fahrnis, cast their lot with the Mennonites. However, the losses far outweighed these small gains. Proselyting and absorption of the young Mennonite blood has been referred to in connection with the denominations discussed above, but there were also other sects that made considerable inroads. Ambitious young Mennonites desirous of advanced training have gone to denominational colleges and semi- naries and have been drawn away from their original faith to another which has furnished the education. Then too, almost every new sect that arises is quite certain to gain some adherents from the Mennonites. In Illinois the Seventh Day Adventists, the Divine Healers of Zion City, and similar bodies have not appealed in vain for Menno- nite proselytes. Mennonite relations to other Christian groups can be summarized as follows : ( 1 ) persecution by Catholic and Reformation bodies; this was abusive treatment to which the Mennonites did not retaliate; (2) spiritual motherhood by Mennonites, without active propagation of religious principles, of such bodies as the Baptists, Congregational- ists, Quakers and Dunkards; (3) proselyting by but not from other religious bodies in general, and (4) moral influence on their neighborhoods, which, though indirect and indefinite, helped to create a religious atmosphere. CHAPTER III THE AMISH WING Since the Mennonite denomination is divided and sub- divided into many branches, it is exceptionally difficult to comprehend the interrelationships that exist between them. But unless a clear understanding of these branches is gained, it will be impossible to follow "The History of the Mennonites of Illinois," which includes twelve of these branches. Therefore following the next page a de- tailed diagram is presented. This chapter and the two that follow it will be devoted to elucidating this chart. Each horizontal line represents a branch. The line, with the dates and names written with it, gives the following information in regard to the history of the branch: official name, with nicknames in parentheses; year of origin as shown by * preceding a date; year of first appearance in America as shown by t preceding a date; year of first ap- pearance in Illinois (if ever in the state) as shown by { preceding a date; branch from which derived, as shown by vertical line connecting with the parent body; and founder, whose name usually appears on that vertical line. The branches whose names are in italics are not purely Men- nonite. The variation in size of type is used to distin- guish the importance of the branches. In the context of these three chapters a brief history is given, each of the branches being treated individually and in chronological order, with the exception of histories of off-springing branches, which are treated immediately following their parent body. The branches are numbered in the order discussed, and to facilitate reference, corresponding num- bers are repeated in parentheses on the chart. The same numbering is used on the maps which are to be found at the 31 32 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS end of the book. The diagram naturally falls into three parts. The upper third is u The Amish Wing" which con- sists of Jacob Amman's followers and all the subsequent subdivisions and related bodies. The middle is devoted to "The Main Line of Mennonites," consisting of many branches. The lower part of the diagram contains "The Russian Wing," which includes all the Mennonite groups which emigrated from Russia to America. A chapter is given over to each of these parts in the order stated above. (1) The Hutterites are very difficult to classify, for they do not belong to any one of the parts. In their customs and practices they resemble the Amish, especially the Old Order. In manner of origin they may be ac- counted as belonging to the main line of Mennonites. Yet considering the fact that they lived in Russia before they emigrated to America, they could be placed in the Rus- sian Wing. Owing to this uncertainty in classification, and also because they date back to Anabaptist times (1525 — 35), they will be disposed of first. In Moravia, some of the Anabaptists came in 1528ff to adopt the communism of Jacob Hutter, a Tyrolese hatter, after whom they were named Hutterites. The Hutterites agreed with the other Anabaptists, elsewhere known as Mennonites, in all the essential Anabaptist doctrines, such as adult baptism, complete separation of church and state, and nonresistance. They also refused to pay war taxes. For a long time they were in rather close touch with the Mennonites in Switzerland and South Ger- many. They usually attended important general confer- ences, being represented at the Strasburg meeting of 1557, where Menno Simons' Wismar rules were discussed. In times of distress they called upon their Dutch Mennonite brethren for help. Although they did not bear the name Mennonite, they must be included in any history of that n» VEOTCTTTI D | Pr»*ltek PsItsMrs from Stat* Rtfcrutd ■ t\ssat\sf \*d imisk \n Sitltirltti lMISB WINOi '1693 (2) The Asieb (Anabaptists) The MgWCMTES ♦1735 AISATIAP. AMISH IWWI3RATIOP »132C OUwr Boutsm Ouittd trttkrtu •♦I77S ■I (9) Asericao yeppopitss (Qrigipajl » Old '1525 in Siitierland >1663 h a I ie Lim or wijmoiitis » (») (Imgdl) (ii*»r Br4tkr,m) IxPLAIATOBT - c ra*e*#* iff 'talui «r# aot p*r4ly f«a»ostti Brapch dsjms in parentheses (— ) are oiskBaaes SRAICB I0MBBR3 (1), (»)» *. CORIB8POID TO THI 30ITIIT * - DATI OP OHiail ' ♦ - DATB OP APPIARAICI II AMIRICA " - DATI OP APPIARAICI IP ILLIIOI3 101TYI OIRMA* IIIHIATIOI BUSS ISII0I1TTOI .MStC iMlfntisa trm Rvsala (i) Hu+ritts (Ccmuuuitt*) (Brtdtrhof t ) ■ Ii DORIC*. 1926. (3) Christian Apostoltc Church (K,* imish) '1S3Q +1846 xtSfa (8 ) Coc— rr»tlr» ■1907 I (Kau/raao)~ (2> 014 OMer A.l.h (n) K*lli»u*ry t$, '» '«i>e« J" m *l8»S | (**m,, y ,r) 4) DtffWCELiSS V'tHKOBITES (Eqly til.t) (Stuokay Aalah) (f) CSMTPAL CONrtPKHCK OP KtHMOM^TIS '55 fl»r t.f»t.»l Illn.nnU.I, (K». or —rrti (14) Stauffarltaa 1. »r*»ioor.la Co. Pa. . ?. UmwUr Co. Pa. • >. franklin Co. pa. at ■aahlr^ton Co. Hi. J 4. Soutbwaatarn Pa. B. Virginia 5 6. Ohio t 5 7. Ontario ■ . 8. AJb*rta-Snak. 9. Paolfle Coaat 10. DaJreta-L-ontana „ 11. V'.saourl-lfenaaa 2 12. Iova-Habraaka E 13. ladU ■; 11. Iodlana-Xlohl«an o 13. ILLIHOIS 16. Ontario A.U. 1 7 . 3o^io Aa»rtoa. 1. Caatera 3 a. Kiidia 3 3. Soriharn b 4. "j«t'rc i 5. Pael.'lo S 0. Canada •t8'}4 from Rust\ COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 33 body of believers. 1 In one important matter, however, they differed from the other Anabaptists known as Men- nonites. They were communists, working together for a common fund and having all things common. When a new member joined their company, he turned over all his property into the common treasury. 2 At first the Hutterites were treated well by their rulers, but later they were made to suffer terrible persecu- tion until 1767, when nearly all who were left emigrated to Hungary and Transylvania and later to Russia. In this land they fared little better. They moved from place to place, until finally a remnant settled on the Crown lands in the Molotschna. When universal military service was introduced in Russia, the entire group emigrated (in tl874) to South Dakota, where about half of them still maintained their communism. The communistic half mi- grated to Alberta and Saskatchewan on account of perse- cution during the World War. (2) The Amish, the first definite division of the denomination which has any bearing on Mennonite His- tory in America originated jn* 1693 in Switzerland. Jacob Amman, minister in the Swiss Mennonite Church, thought the church was too liberal, especially on the matter'of "shunning."' He became so insistent on the necessity of this idea that the Swiss_xkurches were divided into two parties, each of which refused to associate with the other. Ammanl s party was the_-more^conservative, insisting upon 1 Nevertheless the Hutterites deny any connection with the Mennonites. nor do they associate with them in any manner here in America. During the war they were classified as Mennonites by the govern- ment. 2 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 139. 3 Shunning or Avoidance was a misunderstood doctrine concerning the treatment of members of the church who had been "set back," that is, to whom the ban of excommunication had been applied, for- bidding participation in the Lord's Supper. 34 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS a strict observance of the customs and worship of the past without change. The first Amish emigrants arrived in America about 1 1 735. A few may have come sooner, but the bulk came between that date and the middle of the century. They settled in eastern Pennsylvania in the counties of Chester, Berks and Lancaster, spreading to surrounding states and entering the more western regions as the East became settled. The first Amish came to Illinois in f 1829, settling in the territory between Peoria and Bloomington. But these came from Europe via Butler County, Ohio, not from Pennsylvania. Only a few Pennsylvania Amish families from Mifflin Co., 1848-52, came to Illinois. As the number of members increased, they spread over cen- tral Illinois. At first they maintained the u good old ways of the fathers," wore hooks and eyes, and held aloof from all new things. But several degrees of change, which have produced several branches, have taken place. Those who still retain the original Amish customs, although they are a later group, not descendants of the original settlers, are generally called "Old Order Amish." There is a large settlement of them at Arthur, Illinois at the present time. They form the main line of Amish without any departure for they are strictly "plain." That is, they have no church houses, wear home-made clothing without buttons, and have no adornments or elaborate furniture in their homes. 4 (3) The New Amish originated in Switzerland in * 1 832. Samuel Froehlich, a theological student, was ex- cluded from the State Church of Switzerland. Beginning to organize a church of his own, he visited the Emmenthal congregation, where he met Christian Baumgartner and Samuel Gerber. The latter, who had been recently in- stalled as an Emmenthal minister, was ambitious to play a 4 For a complete description and history of the Arthur Settlement of "Old Order Amish" in Illinois see Chapter LV. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 35 prominent part in his group. Accusing his fellow minis- ters of a lack of religious zeal and an absence of spiritual life, he introduced a series of innovations in his charge contrary to the rules of the church. Thus the soil was well prepared for a division. Froehlich, who had a small following of State Church members in Aargau, was soon compelled to leave the Emmenthal owing to pressure from the police officials. He sent a representative, however, in the person of a disciple of his, George Steiger by name. Steiger took advantage of the local quarrel and invited the disaffected to join the Froehlich following. Gerber, Baumgartner, and others, who had already been celebrat- ing the communion service among themselves every Sun- day, hesitated to accept the invitation, because Steiger now declared their old faith to be a dead faith, and conse- quently all who joined the new movement would need to submit to rebaptism by immersion. This was rather hu- miliating to men who had all along assumed a superior piety among their fellows. They finally submitted, how- ever, and in the course of a few months Steiger won over about sixty members from the Emmenthal churches, includ- ing about equal numbers from the Mennonite and State churches. The new sect early developed an air of superior sanctity and a spirit of exclusiveness. Salvation was possi- ble only through the avenue of their church. All others belonged to the "world," with whom there was to be no religious fellowship whatever. At first meetings were held every night after the supposedly apostolic example. Com- munion was administered every Sabbath morning, while religious services were held in the afternoon. To the gov- ernment they owed no allegiance except to pay their taxes, and naturally they could hold no civil office. This was evidently the Mennonite contribution to the new body. "Salute no man by the way" was observed literally, espe- 36 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS cially when they met members of the church from which they had withdrawn. They bitterly denounced the old church and ridiculed its ministers as "Babblers and Preachers of a dead faith." The adherents to the new faith spoke of themselves as the "Glaeubige," that is, "the believers," but more re- cently they have assumed the official name, "Christian Apostolic Church." The first of these Neu Taufer or New Amish, as thev are commonly called, came to Ohio from Switzerland in -f 1846, where they secured a small following among their countrvmen in the Wavne County Mennonite settlement. In 1852, several appeared among the Amish in Lewis County, New York, where they caused the usual disturb- ance. Soon after this a few zealous proselytes to the new following from the latter place arrived among some of their kinsmen in the Amish settlement in Woodford County, Illinois, where they secured a few more disgruntled church members for their faith. In 1862 one of the lead- ers from Illinois established a small following in Butler County, Ohio. Illinois has remained, however, the center of the new sect. The growth for many years was slow. By 1877 there were only eighty-nine members in the United States and the membership would have remained insignificant had not a large number of immigrants from Switzerland within recent years been added to the original nucleus. There are at present a number of large congre- gations in Woodford, Tazewell, and Livingston counties, Illinois, aggregating perhaps several thousand members. Small communities have lately also been established in Indiana and other states/' (4) The Defenseless Mennonites, unlike the branch- es mentioned before, originated on American soil. Hardly 5 The New Amish of Illinois are given fuller treatment in Chapter X. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 37 had the New Amish disturbance blown over, when another little storm center developed among the Amish of the Middle West, at first in Adams County, Indiana, but later also in Illinois and Ohio. The leader of this new move- ment was Henry Egly, a minister in the Amish congrega- tion of Adams County, Indiana. About 1864 Egly began to urge the necessity of a definite conversion experience in the religious life. His charge that the religious life of the time was too formal and was not based on a vital experience may have had some ground, but the contention that the austere, simply dressed brethren of that day were too liberal in their dress regulations can hardly be taken seriously. In 1 1866 Egly withdrew from the old church and formed a new one, which soon included the larger part of his former congregation. The movement later spread to Livingston and Tazewell counties, Illinois, where sev- eral large congregations have since developed. ' At first Egly's followers were strict in their dress regulations, rather exclusive in their religious affiliations, and rebaptized all those of their members who had come from the old church who could not confess that they had been truly converted before, a confession which of course under the circumstances few could make. In recent years the old differences have largely disappeared, and the younger generation of the two groups have forgotten that they are not of one faith. They are optional immersion- ists, and have discarded the former dress restrictions. In every other respect their faith and practice is identical with that of the Amish Mennonites and the other more conservative wings of the Mennonite denomination. At first they were spoken of as the u Egly Amish" by members of the church which they left, but they later officially assumed the name Defenseless Mennonites. 7 6 See Chapter XXXVI. 7 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 223 f. Th * Defenseless Conference is fully treated in Chapters XXXVI— 38 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS (5) The formation of the Missionary Church As- sociation was a case of history repeating itself. Toward the close of the century, a few of the Defenseless Menno- nites joined with others not Mennonites in developing a new movement. This new body accused the mother church of lifelessness, just as Egly had accused the parent body of his church. Missionary work was strongly stressed by the new organization. Beginning in 1896 churches were formed which drew heavily upon the Defenseless Menno- nite congregations, splitting all of them except the Salem church at Gridley, Illinois. In * J1898 these congregations formed a conference under the name of the Missionary Church Association. Since it originated from a double source, the resultant body is not a purely Mennonite branch. 8 (6) The Central Conference of Mennonites is a purely Illinois creation. Joseph Stuckey 9 , who was bishop of the North Danvers Church and active in the General Amish conference, was in reality expelled in October, * J 1 872 by an eastern Amish committee because he would not censure one of the members of his church who was attracted by universalist teachings. Stuckey's church re- mained with him, but from that time followed an inde- pendent existence. Stuckey was the means of organizing many other churches, some outside the state. Being dis- appointed with conferences, he did not respond to the invitation of the General Conference of Mennonites of North America to send delegates to their sessions. His followers, nicknamed "Stuckey Amish" or "Stuckeyites," finally felt the need of some organization, and in 1899 they formed the Central Illinois Conference of Menno- nites. Since that time a number of out-of-state churches 8 Chapter XL VII is devoted to the Missionary Church Association. » See Chapter XLIX. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 39 have joined the conference, and hence the word Illinois has been dropped from the official name of the branch. In doctrine this branch of the church does not differ from the main body. In practice the members are a bit more liberal, especially with regard to dress, than the old Mennonites. Women were permitted to wear hats instead of bonnets, 10 and musical instruments are used in church worship. However, the group adheres to the 1632 Dortrecht Confession of faith, and practices feet-washing at the communion service. 11 (7) The Amish Mennonites are the more progres- sive Amish who developed similarly to the main body of (old) Mennonites. For that reason the word "Mennonite" has been appended as part of the name of their division, although strictly speaking all "Amish" are "Amish Men- nonites." There were many Amish who, although not maintaining the status quo of the "Old Order," neverthe- less did not follow the Defenseless or Central Conference branches. Their departure, which was not so great, was less apparent because it was so gradual. No date can be set for the beginning of the Amish Mennonite branch, un- less one wishes to use the date of conference formation. However, they had begun to feel a group-consciousness many years before a conference was formed. Ever since the General Amish conference (first started in 1862) had been abandoned in 1878, there had lingered a desire for some form of unity among some of the Amish. Those who came to be designated as Amish-Mennonites, ulti- mately formed three Amish Mennonite conferences, the Eastern, Indiana, and Western. A group of ministers met in Illinois in 1882. Again the next year they met in Missouri, and the following year in Iowa. It was there, in 1884, that they decided to make their ministers' meetings 10 Smith, The Mennonites of America, p. 252. 11 This branch is treated at considerable length in Chaps. XLVIII-LIV. 40 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS an annual affair. 12 These meetings developed into the Western District Amish Mennonite Conference, comprising ten Amish Mennonite Churches of Illinois and twice as many more west of the Mississippi River. It held its first official meeting in the Sycamore Grove Church, in Cass County, Missouri, in May, 1890. 13 The conference was kept intact until 1920, when it was dissolved and its con- gregations became parts of the Mennonite district confer- ences in the same geographical areas. Representatives of five Amish Mennonite congrega- tions in Indiana first met in 1888, and formed the Indiana- Michigan Amish Mennonite conference. 14 This conference was later merged with the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference in 1915, even before similar action had taken place in the Western District Amish Mennonite Confer- ence. The Amish Mennonites of Ohio held their first con- ference in 1893. In 1897, Pennsylvania congregations connected themselves with the Ohio conference. In 1904, other Eastern congregations were added, which brought the Eastern Amish Mennonite Conference into being. 15 This conference was merged with the Ohio Mennonite Conference in 1928. 18 (8) The Conservative Amish Mennonites are the liberals of the Old Order, if that word can be used in connection with a group which is conservative. There are a great many slightly diverging groups of "Old Order Amish." In recent years there has come forth this more or less indefinite group called Conservative Amish. Un- 12 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 306 ff. 13 Western District A. M. Conference Record of Proceedings. 14 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 285 ff. 15 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 250 ff. 16 Chapters XIX-XXVIII are given over to the Amish Mennonites of Illinois. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 41 like the Old Order, they have church buildings and Sunday schools, and support missions. A few of the congrega- tions united themselves into a conference in 1911. They and other Amish groups not in the conference publish a periodical in German and English called Herold der Wahrheit, In Illinois there is one notable division of the Con- servative Amish, which will be termed the "Sleeping Preacher Group." It is the only representative of the Conservative Amish in the state. John D. Kauffman, a layman of an Old Order Amish church in Elkhart County, Indiana, began a peculiar form of trance-preaching in 1880. He would lie down as if for normal sleep but pres- ently would get up and in a trance preach for as long as two or three hours. In the fall of 1 1907 he moved to Shelby County, Illinois, with a group of followers, where they established a church. A few congregations were formed elsewhere, but the total membership has never been large. 17 17 The Sleeping Preacher Group is treated in Chapter LVI. CHAPTER IV THE MAIN LINE OF MENNONITES (9) The (old) Mennonites are the original main line of Mennonites. Having followed out the Amish wing and noted the several branches developing therefrom, it is necessary now to return to the main line of Mennonites again. "The Mennonites, who were the first to come over, and who constituted the first type, settled in colonies, with congregations scattered and unorganized. Each congre- gation chose its ministers from among the local members. Gradually a certain intercourse grew up. For example, the first church was organized at Germantown. Soon after, services were held at Skippack, about thirty miles distant, and before long in numerous local meetings. Each church had its ministers, and there existed a warm inti- macy between them. Naturally there was considerable cooperation among them. So, as the Mennonites spread West, they maintained friendly relations with their rela- tives and friends left behind. Thus there came to be a large number of Mennonite congregations, connected by ties of blood, friendship, or similarities in belief. This was in the middle of the nineteenth century the 'old' Mennonite church; and while no definite organic unity was yet manifest, there was enough similarity and co- operation to designate them as a separate body. "The test of fellowship between congregations seems to have been the recognition of visiting ministers, by allowing them to preach. There was a great amount of traveling done by ministers, and the visiting man, if re- garded as a 'brother,' would be asked to preach. Besides the ministers, there was also a Bishop or Elder who was 42 COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 43 in charge of perhaps three or four congregations. He was fully ordained, and he alone was qualified to baptize, administer the sacraments, and ordain ministers. Minis- ters and deacons were chosen from the local congregation, and bishops from the ministers or deacons." 1 This main group was the original American Menno- nites. Although it sustained many deflections, it remains at the present time the largest body of all branches. 2 Organically, and numerically, and by government practise, this group is entitled to use the term "Mennonite" without a descriptive adjective. "Old Mennonites," "Original Mennonites," and "American Mennonites" are names ap- plied unofficially to the original American Mennonites. The first term is perhaps the most common and will be used where it is necessary to avoid confusion with the branches. In the East, the (old) Mennonites early formed dis- trict conferences. It is not known when the Franconia con- ference was organized. The records give an account of a conference held in 1725, which is supposed to be the first Mennonite conference in America. 3 The Lancaster con- ference was organized about the same time. Although district conferences had become well estab- lished among the Mennonites of Pennsylvania, general conferences never appealed to them. Their brethren of other states took more kindly to- wards a general organization although the General Con- ference for the (old) Mennonites was not formed until 1898. "All the bishops in the church were to be members of the conference. In addition to this, each district conference was given the privilege of sending one delegate for every five congregations, provided that no conference be limited 1 Huffman, History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church, p. 27 f. 2 Figures given variously, but about 45,000 baptized members. 8 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 169. 44 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS to less than three delegates." 4 The three eastern district conferences : Franconia, Lancaster County, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, — Washington County, Maryland, of the (old) Mennonite body, have never sent delegates to the General Conference. There are at present fourteen district conferences of (old) Mennonites, one of which is the Illinois District Conference. They first settled in the state in 1833. The (old) Mennonites have their official organ, "The Gos- pel Herald," published by their large publishing house at Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Their mission board, the Men- nonite Board of Missions and Charities, fosters mission work in India, South America, and in many cities of the homeland." 1 Their Board of Education owns and operates two schools, a junior college at Hesston, Kansas, and a full college at Goshen, Indiana. (10) The Brethren in Christ are more familiarly known as "River Brethren.'' The first is the official name, while the latter is a nickname derived from the fact that the charter members were baptized by trine immersion in the Susquehanna River. The term "River Brethren" will be used here, with the apology that it is less easily con- fused with the names of the other branches. The connec- tion between the River Brethren and the Mennonites is very difficult to determine. Historians of the Mennonites, the United Brethren, the Dunkards, and the River Breth- ren each have a different story to tell. It seems that Jacob Engel, who may have been a Mennonite or of Men- nonite parentage in Europe, with some others, who may have been members or off-spring of Mennonites and Dun- kards, somewhere near the year 1770 formed a congrega- tion in southern Pennsylvania on the Susquehanna. This 4 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 367. 5 The (old) Mennonites of Illinois are treated in full in Book II, Chap- ters XI-XVIII. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 45 same group may have been for a time associated with Martin Boehm, one of the founders of the United Breth- ren Church. 6 Since Boehm appeared over-liberal in their eyes, they soon parted company with him. Suffice it to say that the River Brethren are a "plain" people. In their customs and practices they resemble both the Mennonites and Dunkards. They insist on baptism in "living water," which is the running water of a stream. Like the Mennonites, the women wear bonnets, the devo- tional covering, and plain dresses. In some of "the plain communities" of Pennsylvania it is difficult to distinguish Dunkards, Mennonites, and River Brethren. The strong- hold of the branch has always been in Pennsylvania, and its membership has never been large. Yet it has sustained a number of schisms. The original and larger body is the more conservative. Some of its members entered Illinois about J1855. T The only River Brethren church in the state is located at Franklin Corners, north of Morrison, Illinois. There have been churches at Shannon, Polo and Morrison. They maintain the Mount Carmel Orphanage near the church, and a mission in Chicago. They have five elders and one bishop to serve the present membership of less than a hundred. 8 (11) The Funkites were the first branch to split from the Mennonites in America. Christian Funk, son of Bishop Heinrich Funk, who had come as a youth from South Germany to Pennsylvania, in 1727, was chosen to the ministry at Franconia in 1757. During Revolution- ary times, about 1774, the question arose as to whether or not it was right to pay the war taxes. Funk, claiming that it was proper, was in the fall of 1777 denied the 6 Martin Boehm had been a Mennonite preacher in Lancaster County, Pa. 7 From Mrs. Abraham Zook, Franklin Corners, Morrison, 111. 8 From D. B. Martin, River Brethren elder, Dixon, Illinois and Andrew Trump, River Brethren bishop, Polo, Illinois. 46 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS right of communion and expelled from the church in *t 1 778. He organized a small band of his followers into a church which gradually built up small congregations at Evansburg, Line Lexington, Towamencin and several other places. In 1807 Funk made the last effort to be restored to the mother church, but the officials would not remove the ban against him. The group began to decline until about the year 1850, when it became extinct, owing in part to the facts that the original question had passed and that the then new Reformed Mennonite movement made in- roads upon them. 9 (12) The Reformed Mennonites, often called Herr- ites or New Mennonites, also originated in Pennsylvania. The name Reformed was simply applied for the purpose of distinguishing them. Through continued use the body has consented to the name. Francis Herr, the son of a Mennonite minister, had been expelled from the church on the alleged ground of irregularities arising out of a horse trade. 10 He, together with several of his friends, also ex- Mennonites, held religious meetings in his own house for some time after that. Upon the death of Francis Herr, John Herr, his son, took up his cause and, becoming "con- victed of sin," attended the meetings of his father's asso- ciates. He finally had himself baptized by one of these associates, in turn rebaptizing them. This took place in *tl812, which year is used as the date of origin of the branch. Several others were added to the group, and John Herr was soon elected bishop. In numerous contro- versial pamphlets written soon after, the old church was charged with being dead, corrupt, and worldly. What Herr and his associates meant by these terms became clear *Funk Family History, p. 338 ff. 10 Daniel Musser throughout his history, The Reformed Mennonite Church, denies this statement. Funk, Mennonite Church and her Accusers, Chaps., I, II, XXXVI, XXXVII, gives rebuttal to Musser's writings. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 47 from the practices they adopted soon after. In the main, the fundamental doctrines of the Mennonite church were retained, but in a few questions of practice they carried their principles to extreme lengths. They are still abso- lutely exclusive in their religious relations. All those not of their faith are of the "world." Like the New Amish of Illinois, they refuse to attend religious services of any sort if conducted by a minister of another faith. The Ban and Avoidance are rigidly applied. They are se- verely plain in their dress and discard all unnecessary adorn- ment as vain and sinful. They have grown slowly and have not even held their own children. 11 The first Re- formed Mennonites came to Illinois in J 1847. There is a single church in the state, at Sterling, with a present mem- bership of less than fifty. They maintain no institutions. 12 (13) The General Conference of Mennonites of North America is another branch born in Pennsylvania. This largest Mennonite schism was fostered by John H. Oberholtzer, a young school teacher and minister of the (old) Mennonites in the Franconia district of Pennsyl- vania. In 1847, he proposed that the conference adopt a written constitution to improve the conference proceed- ings. The rejection of his suggestion produced a quarrel, through which, other points of divergence such as dress regulations and special meetings being added, Oberholtzer was finally, with fifteen other ministers, expelled from the conference. On October 28, *fl847, these ministers, with all or part of their congregations, organized a new con- ference. Later other centers were developed, and an effort was started to unify all the Mennonites into a single body. Oberholtzer worked at this with great and untiring energy. The movement grew, and aside from gaining con- 11 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 243. 12 The Reformed Mennonites are treated at greater length in Book IV, Chapter LVII. 48 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS gregations already in America, secured affiliation of a majority of the later immigrants. The Summerfield, Illinois, Mennonite Church, a set- tlement begun in t J 1 842 by immigrants from South Ger- many, was represented at the General Conference in 1861. It became one of the leading churches, contributing much to the cause. 13 It is the only church of this group in Illi- nois with the exception of the Church in Chicago which is in reality a mission. (14) The Staufferites are a Pennsylvania body almost too small to deserve mention as a branch, but are included here by way of contrast with the Oberholtzer movement. Almost the same year that Oberholtzer with- drew from the church, Jacob Stauffer, a minister in Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania, was expelled. 14 But unlike Oberholtzer, who considered the (old) Mennonites too unprogressive, Stauffer considered them entirely too lib- eral. Though the Mennonites of that day, in matters of dress and outward display, must have been exceedingly plain and modest, yet he accused them severely in the following manner: u One very seldom hears of salvation and the eternal heavenly treasures. Many instruct one another on worldly elections, and even electioneer for their favorite candi- dates. They become jurymen to judge the lawsuits, thiev- ery, and murders of worldly people. Some have joined insurance companies. Others, even bishops and preachers, put lightning rods (through lack of faith) upon their houses. Much pride has also entered into the hearts of many. They pride themselves in their finely ornamented clothes, in the combing and braiding of hair and in the 13 Krehbiel, History of the Mennonite General Conference, p. 78 ff. The General Conference is treated in greater detail in Book V, Chap- ter LVIII. 14 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 337. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 49 wearing of gold. Their homes are adorned with all sorts of colored and gaudy tinsels, and upon the walls hang many idolatrous pictures." 15 With this opinion of the old church, he organized a new church over which he exercised a severe discipline. The group at present numbers about two hundred and has not grown beyond the limits of the original territory. (15) The Church of God in Christ was founded in 1858*t by John Holdeman, a layman in the (old) Men- nonite Church of Wayne County, Ohio. He was ambi- tious to preach, but despairing of being called to the ministry through the uncertain chances of the lot, decided to preach without the conventional call. He pretended to be guided in his course of action by visions and dreams, in one of which he claimed to find a call to preach. He therefore began to hold meetings in his own house, and secured a few followers, including members of his own family. Like Herr before him, he took up his pen in de- fence of his own views and became a prolific writer. The old church, he maintained, had departed from the truth, and his own congregation was now the true church of God, which had maintained the lineage of the saints from the days of the Apostles. His own small following, which he now called the "Church of God in Christ," grew slowly in numbers. It has since grown, however, especially in Kansas, Manitoba, and other western states among the Russian Mennonites. The present membership is about fifteen hundred. They differ little from other Mennonites in their fundamental beliefs. Among the distinctive fea- tures introduced by Holdeman was the practise of "laying on of hands" after baptism and objection to the "taking 15 Quotation from Stauffer's writings printed in Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 304, and Funk, Mennonite Church and her Accusers, o 197 f. V 50 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS of usury." 19 This body, usually spoken of as "Holdeman- ites," is in no way connected with the larger organization known as "Church of God." The Holdemanites have not made their appearance in Illinois. (16) The Old Order Mennonites, often spoken of as Wislerites, roughly correspond among the Mennonites to the Old Order among the Amish. The Yellow Creek Congregation, Elkhart County, Indiana, became the home, like Pennsylvania in 1847, 17 of a double schism, one more conservative and one more liberal than the mother church. The Old Order Mennonites are a small branch formed from four original groups. The first group took its rise in the Yellow Creek Congregation in Indiana where Jacob Wisler was bishop. Jealousy arose between himself and his co-laborer Daniel Brenneman. Being opposed to all new things, English preaching, four-part singing, Sunday schools, evening meetings and continued meetings, he threatened to excommunicate all who insisted upon these things. This became so serious that six bishops were called into the Yellow Creek church, where they gave him a church trial and removed him from office in 1873. He and his followers then organized a new church. For similar reasons, groups in Canada, Pennsylvania, and Virginia arose later and with the "Wislerites" made up the body of Old Order Mennonites, which to this dav maintains ultra-conservative forms and customs. They are not represented within the limits of Illinois. (17) The Mennonite Brethren in Christ is a com- posite of four groups. Two groups seceded directly from the main body, a third from the Oberholtzer branch, and a fourth which was a second split from the River Brethren, 16 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 245 f., and Funk, Mennonite Church and her Accusers, pp. 198-203. 17 See Section No. 13, The General Conference of Mennonites, and No. 14, the Staufferites, in this chapter. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 5 1 were amalgamated by successive steps into a single branch in *t 1 883. Since both the separation from the parent body and the uniting of the groups is very involved, and also since none of them are to be found in Illinois, the forma- tion will not be discussed further. 18 Daniel Brenneman, who had been the liberal minister under the conservative bishop Jacob Wisler, was himself soon expelled from the Yellow Creek Church. He became one of the strong leaders in the formation of the Menno- nite Brethren in Christ movement. This branch of the Mennonite denomination holds to practically all of the characteristic doctrines of the faith. As a result of the amalgamation of four different groups, however, all of which in course of time developed distinc- tive practices, the Mennonite Brethren now lay stress on a number of distinguishing doctrines, including immersion, open communion, entire sanctification as a definite work of grace, pre-millennialism, and feet-washing. They were among the first of Mennonite bodies to include in their discipline a recommendation against the use of tobacco and strong drink. They insist upon a thorough conversion and a definite conviction of sin, as well as a decided assur- ance of salvation, as a condition to membership. In their camp meetings they are inclined to give free play to their feelings, both of joy and agony of soul. They are decidedly an evangelistic and missionary church. No other branch has reached out into non-Menno- nite fields for its membership as widely as the Mennonite Brethren. One finds fewer of the characteristic old-time Mennonite names among them than among other branches. They are among the best organized of all branches, being semi-episcopal in their organization. The highest adminis- 18 The reader is referred to Huffman, History of the Mennonite Breth- ren in Christ Church. Page 283 has a diagram which shows very clearly the formation of that church. 52 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS trative officials are presiding elders elected annually over districts or conferences. Ministers are licensed to preach upon satisfactory evidence that they have a definite call to that service, and after passing an examination based on a reading course. The church is now divided into seven con- ference districts. A general conference is held quadren- nially. The present membership is over nine thousand. CHAPTER V THE RUSSIAN WING The third wing of Mennonites in America arises through the immigration from Russia. 1 Mennonites from Germany had settled in Russia because Catherine the Great had given them special privileges. When the gov- ernment took away these privileges about 1870, many of the Mennonites decided to come to America. The Menno- nites of America formed various organizations which as- sisted in locating and establishing the brethren from Rus- sia. The immigration began in 1 1873. These Mennonites from Russia did not represent one unified body, for during their stay in Russia several splits had been fostered. On coming to America these branches were brought along and for the most part were perpetuated here. The main body that came from Russia was called "Alt Kirchliche," (Old Church). Many of these affiliated themselves with the General Conference of Mennonites of North America, while a few joined the American Mennonites and the Church of God in Christ (Holdemanites). Several large congregations have not joined any conference. A few have formed conferences of their own. (18) The Kleine Gemeinde is one of the branches formed in Russia and brought to America. Klaas Reimer, a Prussian minister in the Molotschna colony, believed that there should be more rigid enforcement of church discipline. About *1S20, he with eighteen others with- drew from the body and later with a few similar groups formed the "Kleine Gemeinde." They were strict disci- 1 See Chapter I concerning the Mennonites in Russia and their immi- gration to America. See also Smith, Coming of the Russian Men- nonites, Berne, Ind., 1928. S3 54 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS plinarians; practised the most rigid simplicity in their clothing, houses and furniture; would not hold office, and believed it wrong to turn over a church brother to the temporal authorities to be punished; objected to excessive hilarity at weddings and to the social features of burial occasions, and condemned smoking. They declared the old church too formal and demanded a more spontaneous religious life based upon definite experience. They were decidedly seclusive and condemned all educational efforts. In 1826 feet-washing was introduced into their communion service. 2 The group, which was never large, seems to have carried its emotionalism to excess. In America they are represented in a small way in Kansas and Manitoba. (19) The Bruedergemeinde, or Mennonite Breth- ren, likewise originated in Russia. The spirituality of the Mennonites in the Molotschna had reached a low ebb, but some, both within and without the body, noticed this condition and attempted to remedy it. "On January 6, * 1 860, a group of eighteen men, with not a preacher a- mong them, drew up a document in which they stated their reasons for withdrawal, which they presented to the Men- nonite elders. Among these reasons were: " 'The religious decay of the entire Mennonite broth- erhood, and on account of the Lord's will and our con- science we can no longer fellowship with you as a church. For we fear that God's judgment is inevitable, since the prevailing godlessness crieth unto Heaven. Besides we are fearful lest the Government repeal the special privi- leges granted to the Mennonites on account of their open transgressions. It is sad to behold how on market days the Mennonites carry on such a frivolous life, in which even the ministers take part.' "The elders, of course, opposed the secession move- ment. For several years there was a bitter controversy 2 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 163. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 55 between them and the new party over a separate organi- zation. . . . "In the main the Mennonite Brethren did not depart far from Mennonite fundamentals. The characteristic doctrines were all retained. In addition they emphasized the emotional side of religion and taught the need of a definite religious experience. They soon introduced bap- tism by immersion, which accounts for their intimacy with the Baptists, both in Europe and America. They also intro- duced feetwashing, and were strict in discipline." 3 They have maintained a steady growth in Russia and in America. Since 1874 in America they have been quite active, at the present time numbering over 8,000. They place special emphasis upon a definite conversion experi- ence, baptize by immersion backward, and practice feet- washing in connection with the communion. They have much in common with the Baptists and at first lost a few of their members to that church. The Adventists also have made some inroads among them. They are perhaps more conservative than their own brethren in Russia but follow an aggressive missionary and evangelistic policy. For several years beginning with 1898 their educational interests were served by a "German Department" in Mc- Pherson College, a Dunkard institution, which the confer- ence helped to support. In 1908, however, they founded Tabor College at Hillsboro, Kansas, which has since grown into a prosperous institution. The Zionsbote is the official publication of the church. 4 (20) The Krimmer Brueder (English, "Crimean Brethren"), or Krimmer Mennonite Brethren, are also of Russian origin. The Bruedergemeinde movement, as started in Russia, spread southward to the "Kleine Gemeinde" of Crimea. It was propagated there in *1869 by Jacob 3 Smith, The Mennonites, pp. 166, 167. 4 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 266 f. 56 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Wiebe and therefore is sometimes called the "Wiebe Ge- meinde." But instead of joining the main body of Brue- dergemeinde, they kept their own organization on arrival in America in f 1 874. Their membership is found mostly in Kansas, with representatives in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Saskatchewan. In J 19 15, they established a publishing house and opened a mission in Chicago. Although their faith is similar to that of the Brueder- gemeinde, they have retained some of the practices of the Kleine Gemeinde. They forbid marriage outside their body even with other Mennonites. 5 y (21) The Manitobans are composed of several con- servative groups of Mennonites, who came from Russia and settled in Manitoba. They are analogous to the "Old Order Amish" in the Amish wing of Mennonites. There are a number of congregations or large communities, which are independent of any conferences, such as the Bergthal, the Sommerfeld, the Chortitz and the Reinland congregations. They have retained their Russian customs as far as possible. More progressive elements among the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Mennonites have formed "The Conference of Mennonites of Middle Canada. " Their territory is principally the province of Saskatche- wan, Canada. (22) The Conference of Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America 6 was formed in this country in 1910 out of independent Russian groups which had settled in Nebraska and Minnesota. The leader of the Nebraska group, Isaac Peters, had been an aggressive elder of the Porduan congregation, in Russia, and had p Smith, The Mennonites, pp. 168, 267. The Krimmer Brueder are treated more completely in Book V, Chap. LIX. 6 This group of Mennonites from Russia is not to be confused with that branch of the Amish wing called Defenseless Mennonites (Egly). COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 57 taken a conservative stand which kept his church aloof from the other congregations. He continued this policy after his church had migrated to Nebraska in 1 1874. Bishop Aaron Wall, leader of a conservative Minnesota group, organized the majority of his congregations into a new church. This church and the one in Nebraska, along with a few others of like nature, in 1910 formed a conference under the name "Defenseless Mennonite Breth- ren in Christ of North America." Much of their earlier opposition to progressive work has died out. In J 1907 mission work was begun in Chicago. They also support missionaries in India and Africa. 7 At present they publish a paper in cooperation with the Defenseless Mennonites (Egly). The following tabulation will summarize the fore- going material of diagram and context. Those branches which were in italics on the diagram and followed by * in the summary, are not purely Mennonite. The United Brethren body, although appearing on the diagram, is not listed here, because it is in no respect Mennonite. The various branches were numbered consecutively to avoid confusion in treatment and are given chronologically, not in the order of importance. The relative size of the branches can be learned from the approximate number of members. 7 Smith, The Mennonites, p. 268 f. The Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America are treated more fully in Book V, Chap. LIX. 58 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS SUMMARY OF MENNONITE BRANCHES IN AMERICA, 1926 No. Name (Nickname) Founder Membership *Date of origin ; |date of appearance in America ; Jdate of appearance in Illinois. 1. Hutterites* (Bruderhof) Hutter 1,000 1525 1874 THE AMISH WING. 2. Amish (Old Order Amish) Amman 8,200 3. Christian Apostolic* (New Amish) Froehlich 4,000 4. Defenseless Mennonites (Egly Amish) Egly 1,100 5. Missionary Church Association* (Mission Church) Ramsey er 0. Central Conference of Mennonites (Stuckey Amish) Stuckey 3,100 7. Amish-Menn. (Amish) Gen. Development x 8. Conservative Amish (Sleeping Preacher Group) Kauffman 1693 1735 1820 1832 1846 1852 1866 1866 1866 2,000 181)8 1808 1808 1872 1872 1872 1882 1882 1882 200 1007 1007 1007 1HE MAIN LINE OF MENNONITES. 0. American Menn. (Original Menn. ; Old Menn. ; Gen. Conf. B) General Development 45,000 10. Brethren in Christ* (River Brethren) Engel 5,000 11. Funkites (extinct) Funk 12. Reformed Menn. (New Menn.; Herrites) Herr 1,800 13. General Conference of Menn. (Oberholtzer- ites, General Conference A) 14. Stauffer Menn. (Staufferites) Stauffer 15. Church of God in Christ (Holdemanites) Holdeman 10. Old Order Menn. (Wislerites) Wisler 17. Menn. Brethren in Christ (M. B. C.) Bren- neman 1525 1683 1833 1770? 1855 IT 74 1774 1S12 1812 1847 22,000 1847 1847 1842 200 1847 1847 2,100 185S 1858 2,000 1870 1870 9.000 1883 1883 THE RUSSIAN WING. 18. Kleine Gemeinde (Little Church) Reimer 19. Bruedergemeinde (Menn. Brethren) Wuest 20. Krimmer Brueder (Crimean Brethren ; Krinimer Menn. Brethren) Wiebe 21. Manitobans and Middle Canada Conference 22. Defenseless Menn. Brethren in Christ (Isaac Peters' Churches) Isaac Peters 500 7,000 1,700 10,000 1820 1860 1869 1874 1874 1874 1874 1915 1,500 1910 1910 1907 x Membership included in number 9. CHAPTER VI MENNONITE PRINCIPLES A. Doctrines The faith of the modern Mennonite church has re- mained much the same as that held by the original Swiss and Dutch Anabaptists from whom the various Mennonite groups have descended. That faith was formed in the Reformation period and has always been in essence what is known as the ''evangelical Protestant faith." The Men- nonites have always shared in common the great funda- mental doctrines of Christianity, namely, faith in the triune God, in the Bible as the Word of God, in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, the Divine Savior of man, in the enduement by the Holy Spirit with guidance and power, and in the resurrection and judgment for the life to come. There are however some emphases which the Mennonites as a whole have held which are worthy of note. The Bible has always held the central place in all the teaching of the church as the great and only source of authority for faith and life. It is held to be the Word of God which is intended to be literally believed and obeyed without question. Another central belief has been the conception of the church. For Mennonites of all times and all places the church is com- posed only of believers baptized upon confession of faith, a body of followers of Christ who have chosen to live separate from the world and consecrated to God and who endeavor to manifest in every phase of life the holiness and perfection of God. Emphasis has ever been laid upon the ethical teachings of Christ and the New Testament, in particular the Sermon on the Mount. A third cardinal doc- trine is that of love or non-resistance that is, the doctrine 59 60 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS that the followers of Christ are to be peaceful and are not to use force in any way in their life in the world but are to manifest love and mercy toward one another and toward the world at large, including their enemies. Therefore the Mennonites have from their origin been utterly opposed to warfare in any form and have suffered the despoiling of their goods and the loss of their homes and have migrated to foreign lands rather than to do violence to their con- science on this point. Another important principle has been that of insistence upon simplicity of life, avoidance of vanity and pride, luxury and display. This simplicity is viewed as a characteristic of the whole Christian life. It manifests itself not only in the mode of living and clothing, but also in such points as avoidance of titles and rank and the maintenance of the simple democracy of Christian broth- erhood. The observance of the kiss of charity and the or- dinance of feet washing while taken as commands of the New Testament to be literally observed, are also viewed as expressions of this principle. This summary of doctrine is, to be sure, not complete, but it covers the major points. With practically no excep- tion all the Mennonite bodies in the state of Illinois sub- scribe to these common principles. As a whole they have been free from aberrations and peculiarities, and have not been concerned about the development of a learned the- ology. Occasionally, however, religious extremists have made inroads in one or another of the branches. The most striking case of this was the falling away of some members of the central Illinois Amish communities to John Alexan- der Dowie, the founder of Zion City, near Chicago. Several families, some of them quite wealthy, joined the Dowie movement and moved to Zion City. Modernism or destructive religious liberalism with its perversion of Christianity has gained no foothold in any of the Mennonite groups within the state. On the other hand some of the groups have not been altogether COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 61 free of a too passive type of Christianity, have been at times indifferent to active service and work, including mis- sions, and have manifested a tendency toward seclusiveness. B. Social Attitudes From the preceding chapters which describe the nu- merous branchings of the Mennonites one might be in- clined to name them the "Divided Brethren." Not count- ing the "Funkites" who are extinct, the "Hutterites" who have remained independent for four centuries, and the "New Amish," the "Missionary Church Association," and the "River Brethren," who have had a double source of origin, there remain eighteen bodies in the United States. Of these, nine branches are represented in the state of Illinois. The "M. B. C," Wisler and Holdeman branches have not appeared in Illinois. Illinois Mennonites have been less schismatic than those in Indiana and Pennsylvania. But why are there so many branches? Dr. Smith sug- gests a few reasons. — "No other religious body in propor- tion to its size has been divided into so many factions as has the Mennonite denomination. The cause is to be sought partly in the form of church government and partly in the spirit and the character of the people composing the church. The congregational form of government permits each con- gregation to develop such religious practices and customs and to a certain extent such opinions as it thinks fit. This is destructive to uniformity, for uniformity is much more easily maintained where the entire body is controlled by a central authority. 1. The Mennonite, as well as the Ana- baptist faith before it, always fostered a strong spirit of individualism. . . . This spirit of independence of the Mennonites, while it tends toward the development of the strongest character, yet necessarily does so at the expense of uniformity and harmony. 2. As a class the Mennonites have come from the humbler walks of life and were not trained to subordinate the non-essentials to the broader and 62 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS more important interests of life. 3. And finally they were thoroughly religious and took their religion seriously. Hence such convictions as they had, they clung to persist- ently." 1 Dr. Huffman further explains, "It must not be forgotten, however, that Mennonites having been driven from one country to another in Europe in quest of re- ligious freedom, national and language differences have figured in the creating of various bodies on coming to America; also that the Mennonite Church is much older than the average church with which comparisons are usual : ly made." 2 Members from each of these branches regret that these many divisions exist, but each seems to feel that it would be impossible to give up certain features. There never was nor will there ever be a united Mennonite de- nomination, though there is prospect of increasing coop- eration between some groups. In fact, aside from trivial differences, the various bodies agree on the fundamental doctrines advocated by the early Swiss and Dutch Ana- baptists, as was stated earlier. In addition to the funda- mental doctrines described above, a few of the character- istic Mennonite social attitudes will be taken up briefly. 3 1. Attitude towards the State. The original attitude was separation of church and state, but since this is now one of the underlying principles of the American constitution, it is no longer of great sig- nificance to the Mennonite Church. From the beginning the Anabaptists taught that Christians could not take part in worldly offices of government which require the use of force. On this point the more liberal groups have aban- doned the earlier position, but all believe that Providence 1 Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 291. 2 Huffman, History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church, p. 29 f. 3 These headings with suggestions were taken from Hartzler — Education Among the Mennonites of America, p. 39ff. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 63 has a place for governments in its divine plan. The Dort Confession 4 took this position in 1632. This confession likewise forbids the taking of the oath, which, in turn, has kept Mennonites out of public office. Menno Simons, how- ever, did not condemn office-holders, but rather encouraged them to rule righteously, as did Paul. 2. Attitude toward Education. Among the original leaders were well-trained men, but as persecution continued they were martyred. Since those who fostered the persecution were generally educated men, the Mennonites, associating the learning with cruel measures, opposed formal training. The "scholars, " whether Catholic, Lutheran, or Calvinistic, led in the at- tack on the "Brethren. " No wonder learning came to be viewed as a hindrance to the truth. A salaried ministry was considered wrong, and since there was expense in gain- ing an education, it was feared that ministers would have to be paid. In fact, education was often considered a hin- drance to spirituality. The Mennonites in America, seeing that education can be made a blessing, and is wrong only when abused, are beginning to favor institutions of higher learning. 3. Attitude towards War. Non-resistance was one of the original principles, and it is at the present time one of the most important ones. The refusal to fight has made the state look upon the Men- nonites as unpatriotic, but this opposition to being part of the military system is not in opposition to the government, but rather obedience to Christ's injunction "Resist not evil." Probably the doctrine has been applied too passively, 4 The Dort Confession of Faith was drawn up, at a certain peace con- vention, April 21, 1632, as a basis of union for several of the branches which had developed in Central Europe. The eighteen articles were signed by 51 representatives of 17 congregations. It is the accepted confession for the majority of the branches. See Martyrs' Mirror, Elkhart, 1871, pp. 36 ff. 64 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS but it is an active peace principle. It is the application of love instead of force and hate. 4. Attitude on Marriage. The strength of Mennonitism has been in its homes. The Dort confession asserts that marriage must be "in the Lord" and rejects divorce altogether. The sanctity of the home has always been cherished by Mennonites as a prized possession. The group has been characterized by large families, family solidarity and sturdy family discipline. 5. Attitude towards the world. "Simplicity," "Separation from the World," and "Non-conformity to the World" are familiar statements of the Mennonite attitude toward the world. The doctrine has been variously interpreted. It has however been tenacious- ly held to by most of the groups. From this doctrine some of the branches have developed applications such as dress regulations, while others have insisted on the German lan- guage. The opposition to secret orders and life insurance are other expressions of the principle. The doctrine is a Biblical one and need not be taken to mean isolation from the world. Christ holds his followers responsible, while remaining aloof from the world, for bringing salvation to it, and "separation" stands in no necessary conflict with evangelism. 6. Conception of the Church and Church Govern- ment. The visible church is to be composed of those who be- lieve and have been baptized. Mennonites have always intensely opposed infant baptism, contending that it is im- possible for the child to possess the necessary faith. At the beginning a group of believers formed an individual con- gregation which was independent and exercised its own discipline. In other words the congregational form of church government in limited form was the original form of Mennonite church organization. Ministers of good re- COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 65 port were chosen by the people to serve the congregation. Early in Europe, especially among the Amish, there was a shift towards the episcopal system of church government. The Amish and (old) Mennonites developed and practise today a semi-episcopal, semi-synodical form of church gov- ernment. From the beginning the Mennonites, like the Zwinglian and many Protestant churches until recently, used no musical instruments in worship. The service consisted usually only of silent prayer, preaching, and singing. Some of these customs have persisted to the present time, but the more liberal branches have discarded them. Meetinghouses were also a later innovation. In fact the Amish and Swiss immigrants who came to America even as late as 1850 had never worshiped in church buildings in Europe. Aggressive church methods, such as Sunday schools, evangelistic meetings, publications, homes for the aged and orphans, missions, etc., were not readily adopted by the Mennonites. In each case where they have become a part of the regular church work, they have had to undergo a period of suspicion and probation. It should be noted again, that in spite of differences in interpretation, in method, and in non-essentials, the Men- nonites in general agree upon the vital doctrines. This is certainly true of the official statements of the various groups, although there may be individuals who do not al- ways conform in practice."' 5 To be true to the Mennonite character, scripture references should have been given to support and show the derivation of the doctrines and principles stated in this chapter. However the various books on doc- trine as well as confessions and constitutions published by the various branches do this so adequately that the reader is referred to them in- stead. The best exposition of Mennonite teachings and principles is the one to be found in Doctrines of the Bible, edited by Daniel Kauff- man, published by the Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pa., 1928. Part II EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN ILLINOIS CHAPTER VII THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Having centered interest in the Mennonites of Illi- nois, it will be of value to have some information about that state as a background to Mennonite history proper. The general form of the state is that of a cone with its apex toward the south. Its location and its importance as an agricultural state have caused some to declare it the heart of the nation. Its boundary line is very irregular, being formed by the Mississippi River on the west, the Ohio on the south, and the Wabash on the southeast. From the mouth of the Wabash it follows a straight line separating it from Indiana, to Lake Michigan. On the north it is separated from Wisconsin by the parallel north latitude forty-two degrees and thirty minutes. Within these boundaries are 56,000 square miles, or 35,840,000 acres of land and 650 square miles of water surface. The extreme length and breadth of the state, are respectively, 385 and 218 miles. This embraces a larger territory than all of the New England states exclusive of Maine, or an area larger than England. Considering its size, it is one of the most level states in the Union. The lowest elevation is 350 feet above sea level, while the highest point is only 1150 feet. The general surface of the state is smooth, being broken occasionally by a small wooded area or bluff along the rivers. More forests are found in the extreme north- 67 68 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ern and southern parts. The rich soil is evenly distributed over almost every part of the state, the richest being in Peoria County. The early settlers shunned the Illinois prairies because of the lack of shade and water and be- cause of the pestiferous flies. However, they were reject- ing the best body of farm lands to be found in the United States. The original prairies were very beautiful. Being uniformly fertile, they produced an abundance of grass and wild-flowers. Illinois is not lacking in mineral wealth. The first coal discovered in the United States was in Illinois in 1679. One-third of the territory of Illinois is underlaid with this valuable mineral. Great quantities of fire clay and kaolin clay can be found in different localities. Besides these re- sources, the state also contains peat beds, limestone, sand- stone, lead and iron. 1 The northern part of the state is in the same latitude as Massachusetts, while the southern portion is the same as Virginia. Since it is so far from mountain ranges, there is no barrier to stop the hot, southerly winds of summer or the cold, northerly blasts of winter. The temperature varies to wide extremes throughout the year. The sum- mers are those of Italy and the winters those of Sweden. The average temperature for the entire year is about fifty degrees. But the variations for any one season are con- siderable. For instance, one week of winter may be like the spring, and the week following, the coldest and storm- iest of the season. The coldest day in Illinois was January 28, 1873, when the temperature fell to forty degrees be- low. The opposite extreme was reached on July 17, 1887, with a temperature of one hundred and four degrees. These temperatures are more severe on account of the abundance of moisture in the atmosphere. The average 1 Mennonites were not affected by the mineral wealth, because they came to Illinois for the sole purpose of engaging in general farming. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 69 rainfall is about forty inches. The temperature is slightly on the increase, while the rainfall is very slowly decreas- ing. Storms are quite frequent. Tornadoes have swept through the southern part of the state and have caused considerable damage to property and killed scores of peo- ple. The state has no real lakes, but two hundred and eighty-eight streams of various sizes. Of the rivers, the Illinois is the longest. It is formed by the junction of the Des Plaines and the Kankakee rivers and flows southwest until it empties into the Mississippi forty miles north of St. Louis. Some of the other larger rivers are the Rock, Kaskaskie, Sangamon, Fox, Vermilion, and Spoon. Many of these rivers have been declared navigable, but the Illi- nois is the only one that has proven of practical use for navigation. 4 The native flora of the state is very numerous. It varies from the deciduous cypress and cane of the South to the juniper and tamarack of the North. There are eighty-three varieties of trees found in the state in contrast to the thirty-four in Europe. Several varieties of oak, hickory, ash, maple, and walnut abound. There also ap- pear the tulip, cucumber, beech, birch, sassafras, catalpa, elm, poplar, redbud, cypress, pecan, sycamore, Cottonwood, and hackberry. Among the wild fruit-trees are to be found the persimmon, pawpaw, haw, thorn-apple, crab, mulberry, cherry and the plum. Besides, there is a great variety of grapes. Within this state, the great cereals, corn and wheat, find a congenial home and high culture. 2 The native fauna of Illinois was equally plentiful, which justified the Indian in calling it his "Happy Hunt- ing Ground." There roamed at large and in great num- bers the wolf, wildcat, panther, bear, deer, stag, hind, buffalo, and the wild fowl, swans, geese, ducks, and tur- 2 It was this fact which attracted Mennonites to the state of Illinois. 70 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS keys. But these have disappeared entirely. A stray wolf or flock of wild geese is a great curiosity. The mink, squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, opossum, and pigeon are still represented in small numbers. The farmers of the state, for the most part, engage in general farming. Their most important crops consist of corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, clover, alfalfa, and timothy hay. Some of the crops that are being introduced on a large scale are peas and sweet corn, which are raised to supply the canneries which are located in various sections of the country. Dairying is an important industry in the northern part of the state, the largest condensery in the world being located there. Truck gardening is very prof- itable in some localities, many of them furnishing Chicago with her vegetables. Cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, and chickens are the most important animals found on the farms. All this results in making Illinois one of the great- est agricultural states in the Union. 8 During the period from 1673 to 1720 the "country of the Illinois" was inhabited by seven different tribes of Indians; namely, the Illinois, 4 Miamis, Kickapoos — (in eluding the Mascoutins) , Pottawatomies, Sacs, Foxes, and Shawnees. The Illinois confederated tribe of Indians was divided into five different sub-tribes, called the Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, Peorias, and the Mitchigamies — the latter being those from whom Lake Michigan was named. The Illinois Indians, possessing the finest territory in the country, were attacked from all sides by other tribes who wished to gain control of this valuable land. The Iroquois 3 Illinois has remained primarily an agricultural state in spite of the large industrial development in the Chicago area. 4 This name, generally taken to mean "superior men," was given to this confederate tribe of Indians and their territory by the French, who, as the name would indicate, held this particular tribe in high esteem for their manliness. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 71 Indians were their worst enemies. When the French mis- sionaries came, they made friends with the Illinois and even intermarried. A great many Illinois allied them- selves with the French and fought side by side with them. When the French villages in the Illinois country came into the possession of the British, these Indians allied them- selves with the cause of Great Britain. But shortly after- ward they were easily persuaded to join themselves with the Americans. The history of Illinois is usually divided into six periods. During the first period of possession by the white man, Illinois was claimed by France. Her missionaries ex- plored the country, started trading posts, and made friends with the Indians. Jean Nicolet discovered Lake Michigan and made friends with all the Indian tribes west of it. It is said that he opened the door of the Northwest. In 1673 Joliet and Marquette made their first explorations in Illinois. In 1680 LaSalle built the first fort made by white men in Illinois near Peoria. After that the French built many forts along the rivers, one of the strongest among them being Fort Chartres on the Mississippi. In 1717 the Illinois country which had been governed as part of Canada was incorporated in the government of Lou- isiana. New Orleans and all of Louisiana west of the Mississippi were ceded to Spain. This was a blow to the French hopes in Illinois after 1761. The victories of the British in Canada forced France to give up her territory in North America. Fort Chartres in Illinois was the last place upon this continent to fly the French flag. The British found many obstructions in their way when they went to take possession of the Illinois country. The Indians had made friends with the French and de- spised the British, so they were not disposed to be ruled 12 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS by these newcomers. This is what is known as the second period. Nearly all the French settlers, refusing to tolerate their new Protestant rulers, moved across the Mississippi or to New Orleans. The settlement of this country and grants of land to individuals were opposed by the loyal servants of the British Crown who lived east of the Alle- ghenies. They thought that this trans-Allegheny country would develop, establish its own industries, and then fight for independence. The third period, or that under Virginia, was during the Revolutionary War, 1778-1784. Virginia claimed the Illinois country by virtue of ancient charters. During the Revolution Colonel George Rogers Clark led an expedi- tion against the forts in Illinois and captured Kaskaskia and Fort Gage. He also had the difficult task of enlisting the Indians upon the American side, which he successfully accomplished because of his clever manner of making ne- gotiations. In the winter of 1779 Colonel Clark marched his troops across swamps to Vincennes and took the fort unconditionally. Illinois was considered a county of Vir- ginia at this time, and Colonel John Todd was appointed the first commandant of it. The fourth period was that under the rule of the United States, 1784-1818. The Ordinance of 1787 pro- vided that section sixteen of every township should be used for school purposes. During 1788 St. Clair was the first territorial governor. When, in 1809, the Illinois territory was separated from the Indiana territory, Ninian Edwards was appointed its first governor. He found the people divided into par- ties and cliques, as in the older communities. On June 6, 1809, the governor and judges, forming themselves into a legislative body, created a code of laws for the territory. The first general election was held in October, 1812. At this election Shadrach Bond was selected as the first dele- gate to Congress. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 73 During this period large stores which sold their goods both wholesale and retail were opened at Kaskaskia and Cahokia. They engaged in trade with New Orleans ana Pittsburg. Rev. James Smith, a Baptist minister, preached the first Protestant sermon in Illinois in 1787. The first bap- tism was administered by Rev. Joseph Dodge in 1794. The fifth period was that under the first constitution, 1818-1848. In 1818 Illinois, with a population of 35,000, was formed into a state, and Shadrach Bond was elected the first governor of the state. The first capital was located at Kaskaskia but soon afterwards it was changed to Vandalia. In 1839, the present capitol at Springfield was built. During 1831-32 occurred the Black Hawk War, which was a blot on United States military history because of the ruthless manner in which the whites slaughtered the Indians. The war started with raids upon the outlying settlements by the Indians under the leader- ship of Black Hawk. The few Mennonite settlers in Illi- nois at this time were however not involved in the war, since conscription was not in force, and the theatre of war was in a different area. 5 It was during this period that the Mormons came to Illinois from Missouri (1843). Their arrival created much excitement. 9 They caused such a stir that a mob murdered their founder and leader, Joseph Smith, and expelled the entire group a few years later. 5 It will be seen that the Mennonites coming to the state of Illinois were not, in the fullest sense of the word, pioneers. Only a few Mennonites were in the state at this time. The movement to Illi- nois did not start until after this war when there was no longer any danger from the Indians. 6 This is in marked contrast to the Mennonites, whose entrance into the state was scarcely noticed. The historian finds practically no refer- ence to the latter in the official records or newspaper files. They did not come as a religious body. It was only after several fami- lies more or less accidentally located in the same community that they joined in establishing a congregation. 74 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The sixth period was that under the present constitu- tion. 7 The population of Illinois increased rapidly. Towns sprang up all over the state, the first settlements being grouped along the waterways. People of many religious sects emigrated from the crowded counties of Pennsylvania and Virginia and established their churches in the state. The very productive Illinois farmland induced these East- erners to set up homes for themselves in this "western" state. With this influx of population there was a demand for better transportation in Illinois. The first permanent railroad was built in 1S48, and construction of new rail- roads has continued, until at the present time the state is covered with a net-work of these systems. Originally a few mud roads or trails had to suffice. Later the main roads were made of sand or gravel so as to stand a great amount of travel in bad weather. In the last few years the concrete highway has appeared, and within the next year or two, such highways will extend in every direction. In the early days when the farmers were far from the large trading centers, marketing was a difficult problem. They had to drive their teams long and weary miles over rough or muddy roads, frequently requiring a month's time to get to market. Today with the many improved means of transportation such as the railroad (both freight and fast express) and the motor truck on the public high- ways, they are able to trade with far-away centers within a day's time. Large cities have been made possible because good transportation has solved their food problems. The introduction of the railroad also supplanted the use of waterways for transportation. It was no longer necessary 7 The Mennonites in no way helped to shape the political events of Illinois, for they were not in the state before 1829, and since their arrival they have played no part in civic affairs. They were to considerable extent pioneers in settling in central and northern Illinois, though their numbers were too small to have noticeable effect upon the development of the state. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 75 that the farmer settle near these waterways when he could avail himself of transportation inland as well, so he began to move out into the prairie where he found the land more productive. With the growth of the cities there has been a corresponding decrease of the rural population. City life with its associations — easy work, shorter hours, steady employment, and more pay — entices the young men from the farm. 8 The introduction of the new machinery on the farm also demands fewer hands. One man is now able to handle a much larger acreage than formerly. Thus Illinois has grown into a modern common- wealth, being one of the leading states in the Union, hav- ing a population of 6,485,280 (1920) and containing the fourth largest city in the world — Chicago. 9 Mennonite youth, as yet, have been little affected by this enticement but it tends to increase yearly. The material for this chapter was obtained from Moses, Illinois, His- torical and Statistical, Fergus Printing Co., Chicago, 1895. Parrish, Historic Illinois, A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1906. Centennial History of Illinois, Illinois Centennial publications, Springfield, 1920. CHAPTER VIII THE CREEK SETTLEMENTS OF THE AMISH First Period 1829-1852 The Mennonites did not come to Illinois in large groups. Their coming, which was unsystematic, was not a colonization movement. They did not come to establish the Mennonite faith on Illinois soil. Instead their object was very practical, that is, to gain a livelihood from that soil. First a few happened to come. When these reported fa- vorably, a few more decided to try out the land. As the settlers preferred the creeks and the timberlands to the prairies, the first settlements were made on the banks of the Illinois River in the region of present-day Peoria. From here the newcomers settled along the tributaries of the Illinois, the Bureau, Partridge and Ten Mile creeks and the Mackinaw River and its branches, Dillon and Rock creeks, this last being the region where the three pioneer Amishmen took up their claims. The first Mennonites to settle in the state were rep- resentatives of the Amish wing of the denomination. 1 An effort will be made to trace the sequence of events connected with their arrival. Soon after the Amish branch came into being in Switzerland and Alsace at the end of the seventeenth cen- tury, the Amish began to migrate elsewhere also. The first immigrant to America may have come as early as 1720 but the real movement to the United States began about 1730 or later and extended until past the middle of the century. The Zug brothers arrived in Philadelphia in 1 See Chapter III, p. 31 ff. Also see maps at the end of the volume. 76 COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 77 1742; Peter Jutzy in 1744; Jacob Hartzler in 1749 and Nicholas Stoltzfus in 1756. Most of these Amish came from the Palatinate and Alsace-Lorraine. There is little known of the early history of these Amish other than that they settled in eastern Pennsylvania. They erected no church building, but worshipped rather in private houses. Some characteristic names are Yoder, Zook, Stutzman, Koenig or King, Kauffman, Jutzi, Mast, and Troyer. These names were later also to be found in Illinois. The first Amish settlement west of Pittsburgh was made in the state of Ohio at Sugarcreek in Tuscarawas County by Preacher Jacob Miller who came from Somerset County Pa., in 1808. Settlements were made in Holmes, Logan, Champaign, and Geauga Counties in Ohio and also Elkhart and Lagrange Counties in northern Indiana by 1850. These new colonies were started by the Amish already in America, chiefly descendants of the Pennsylvania stock. New blood came from Alsace-Lorraine and Southern Germany in the Amish immigration from 1820-1860. Christian Augspurger, the pioneer from near Strasburg, Alsace-Lorraine, came to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1817. The next year he continued west across the Alle- ghenies, down the Ohio River and up the Miami to what is now Butler County. Having returned to Alsace-Lorraine he again came to America in 1819, this time bringing with him thirty-six other families, five of whom accompanied him west. All located in Butler County, Ohio. From 1819 to 1830 the Imhoffs, Nofsingers, Kennels, Strubhars, Preacher Christian Reeser, Nicholas Maurer, Peter Maur- er, and Peter Stuckey, all from Alsace-Lorraine, were added to the settlement. In addition to these Amish, a group of Mennonites came to Butler County from Hesse, Germany in 1832. Some of the family names were Jutzi, Hooley, Kinsinger, Nofsinger, Brenneman, Kennel, Gingerich, Sommer, Don- 78 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ner, Schoenbeck, Birkey, and Schertz. Since these Hessians were more liberal — they wore buttons on their clothes and made use of musical instruments — they soon disagreed with the Amish. A definite division was created in 1835, the Amish being led by Preacher Jacob Augspurger and the Hessians by "Apostle" Peter Nafziger. Both groups furnished settlers for central Illinois. In addition, other territories in Europe — Alsace-Lorraine, Hesse, the Palat- inate, Bavaria, Baden and Switzerland — contributed set- tlers. Pennsylvania and other counties in Ohio also fur- nished some colonists. The first Amish came to the central part of Illinois, including the counties of McLean, Woodford, Tazewell and Livingston. Peter Maurer is the first of whom there is any record. 2 He came from Alsace to Butler County, Ohio, in 1827, and in 1829 came to McLean County, Illi- nois. In 1830 two young men, John Strubhar 2a and Nicho- las Maurer, walked all the way from Butler County to McLean County. The former took a claim and settled in what is now Danvers Township, while the latter took a claim a mile north of Congerville. These three are the first Amish or Mennonites to be found in Central Illinois and the first Amish to be found west of the state of Ohio. From 1832 to 1850 most of the Illinois Amish arrived. In the spring of 1831 a small company of young men and women, most of them unmarried, arrived on the banks of the Illinois near what is now Wesley City, Tazewell County, and began settlement. These pioneers had come from Alsace-Lorraine the year before and had reached the Illinois country by way of Pennsylvania, then down the Ohio, up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers as far as Fort Clark, now Peoria. This company included David Schertz, a miller, and his father; Christian Roggy with three 2 The first white settler between Peoria and Chicago was a Mr. Blay- lock in the Partridge Creek region in 1819, just a decade earlier. 2 a For contradictory data see Appendix I. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 79 daughters ; Joseph Rusche and two sisters ; Jacob Auer and Peter Beck. They were the first direct European Menno- nite immigrants. About the same time other immigrants from Alsace began to settle about ten miles farther up the river, along Partridge Creek, between Spring Bay and what is now Metamora. During the year, "Red" Joe Belsley purchased a farm in the bottom lands of the Illinois, near Spring Bay, and John Engle, who had spent several years in Pennsylvania on his way westward, established his home near the eastern edge of the Illinois river's wooded belt, one mile west of Metamora. In 1833 several additions were made to the Partridge settlement. Christian Engle, father of John; Peter Engle, his half-brother, and several Engle sisters, with John and Joe Virkler settled near Met- amora. "Black" Joe Belsley, Christian Smith, and John Kennel settled near Spring Bay that same year. To the Wesley City colony were added that year Peter Guth, John Sweitzer, and Joseph Summer. Up to this time the colony had been without a minis- ter, so no regular church service could be held, but after the arrival of Christian Engle in 1833, a bishop ordained in Europe, and the first Amish bishop or minister in the state, a church was organized with nine members in 1833, in the home of John Engle. This was the first German church in the state and the second church of any denomi- nation to be organized in Woodford County. 8 The colony grew rapidly. In 1834 settlement was made on the Mackinaw River by Peter Farni at Farni- ville, one of the oldest towns in the county. In this same year came also the Ropps, some of the Schertzes, and 8 This was originally the one general congregation for all the immi- grants, but as the settlement was enlarged, new congregations were formed out of it. Then it was known as the Partridge congregation. At the present time it continues its existence as the Metamora Amish-Mennonite Church. See Book II, Chap. XXI. 80 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Michael Moseman, who was a few years later to become one of the leading bishops. Each year new immigrants came from Alsace-Lorraine, Bavaria, or occasionally from Hesse-Darmstadt, at first by way of Pennsylvania and the Ohio River, but later by way of New Orleans and the Mississippi. Between 1834 and 1850 in addition to those already mentioned came the ancestors of those families now bearing the names Schertz, Bachman, Garber, Naff- ziger, Litwiller, Esch, Yordy, Burkey, Zehr, Slagel, Sum- mer, Oyer, Ropp, Springer, Guth, Sweitzer, Belsley, Al- brecht, Camp, Imhoff, Rediger, and several others. By 1840 the settlement extended along Black Partridge Creek from Spring Bay to Metamora; — along Ten Mile Creek from Peoria to Washington; — along Dillon Creek in Tazewell County; — along the Mackinaw River in Wood- ford County; — and along Rock Creek in McLean County. In the meantime a few families had also settled in Putnam County on the banks of the Illinois. In 1835 a Burkey family from Butler County, Ohio, settled near Hennepin. The next year several others by the name of Burkey came from Bavaria. These were followed in 1837 by the Albrechts from the same place, Hooleys and Bren- nemans from Ohio; others from Germany came later. In 1838, the Albrechts moved across the river into Bureau County, near Tiskilwa. Others followed, and soon the en- tire colony had moved across. 4 For a while the congrega- tion was in charge of Bishop Andrew Ropp from the Dillon Creek congregation, but later Joseph Burkey was ordained as the resident bishop. For several years after the first pioneers arrived, the various settlements in Woodford and Tazewell counties formed but one congregation, and all-day services were held on alternate Sundays in private houses in each locality 4 This developed into the present Willow Springs Amish-Mennonite con- gregation, near Tiskilwa. See Book II, Chap. XXVI. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 8 1 in turn. A lunch was served at the noon hour. It was not an uncommon thing for members to drive fifteen or twenty miles to attend church. As the colony grew, separate con- gregations were organized in the several centers of the settlement. About 1837, Michael Moseman was ordained and placed in charge of the newly-formed Wesley City congregation known as the "Busche Gemein." A few years later Moseman was made bishop. 5 About the same time (1837), the settlement at Dillon Creek was given a separate organization, 8 and placed in charge of Andrew Ropp, who was appointed bishop about 1840. He faithfully served his people in that capacity for more than fifty years. The settlement on the Mackinaw between Dillon Creek on the west and Rock Creek on the east, became known as the "Mackinaw Meeting." 7 In 1840 Christian Ropp was ordained to the ministry, and about 1846 he was elected one of the first bishops over that part of the church. Doubtless he played some part in organizing the Yoder church, mentioned below. Thus, by 1840, the Partridge, the Wesley City, the Dillon Creek, and the Mackinaw congregations had been formed. The first bishops of these respective congrega- tions — Christian Engle, Michael Moseman, Andrew Ropp, and Christian Ropp — all were ordained before 1840. A settlement was made in 1835 and 1836 in Bureau County by Amish immigrants who came directly from Bavaria, Germany. The history of this settlement is given 3 This is the congregation which developed into the present Defenseless Mennonite (Egly) church near Groveland. See Book III, Chap. XXXVIII. 6 The congregation is now known as the Pleasant Grove Amish-Mennon- lte church near Tremont. See Book II, Chap. XXIV. 7 The Mackinaw meeting was later divided and the divisions have de- veloped into the present Roanoke and Goodfield Amish-Mennonite congregations. See Book II, Chaps., XXII and XXIII respectively. 7 82 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS later in the history of the Willow Springs congregation at Tiskilwa. The early settlers thus far mentioned had come from Europe, but between 1848 and 1852, several families from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, — Lantz, Troyer, Yoder, Kauffman, settled on the wild prairies near the present town of Danvers, and along Rock Creek. With them came Jonathan Yoder. Joseph Stuckey came from Butler County, Ohio. At first these people worshipped with the Mackinaw meeting, but in 1851 they organized their own congregation which, due to the leadership of Jonathan Yoder, was known as the Yoder Church. 8 These Amish who settled here were "Old Order" 9 in their customs, for at that time they were strictly plain in their dress. 10 Many of the early immigrants into Illinois were young men. They were often the oldest sons, who came to test the country or to earn enough money to send for the remainder of the family. Frequently they would first land in Pennsylvania, remain a few years, and then^ proceed westward to Illinois, or perhaps spend some time in Butler County, Ohio, before coming. Many of the later arrivals came by way of Butler County. The earliest route of travel was by way of Pennsylvania, the Ohio river, the 8 After the death of Jonathan "Yony" Yoder in 1889 Joseph Stuckey became the leading bishop of the Yoder Church, which m time was relocated and known as the Stuckey Church. It was the original church of the "Stuckey Amish" or Central Conference of Menno- nites. At present it is referred to as the North Danvers Mennonite Church. See Book IV, Chaps., XLIX, L. » It is interesting to note that while several branches were formed from these early settlements that there remained no group which adhered to the "Old Order." The Old Order in the state at present are of a later settlement who located elsewhere and never had any relation to this group. See Book V, Chap. LV, 'The Arthur Settlement." io For further description of early customs and conditions then prac- tised by both Amish and Mennonites, see next chapter, "The Men- nonites come to Illinois." COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 83 Mississippi and then up the Illinois. But those who came after 1840 avoided the overland route through Pennsyl- vania by coming direct to New Orleans and thence up the Mississippi. 11 Autobiography of a Pioneer To furnish an idea of the method of coming to Illi- nois and the early struggles on arrival, the translation of Christian Ropp's autobiography written Sept. 15, 1892, is given here: "I, Christian Ropp, now an old man of nearly eighty years, at the request of my children, will attempt to write a brief account of my life. I will begin with my father. He was one of three orphan children. They had inherited a flour mill and a hemp mill but this they lost before they grew up. Then my dear father was compelled to hire himself to strangers until he was twenty-eight years of age, when he was married to Elizabeth Eiman. His brother died, and his sister married one Zimmerman, whose Christian name I have forgotten. "My father lived in upper Alsace about six miles from Basel, and two miles from Altkirch, and five miles from Befford. And since he had heard many favorable reports of America, he thought it might be better for him- self and children to emigrate to America, than to see his sons drafted into the army, for he had at that time six sons. [It is uncertain whether Befford should be Belfort.] 11 At the outset I resolved to be very thorough in gathering pioneer facts. I did a great amount of research in countv records, county histories, old newspapers, old letters, early church" literature, tomb- stones and numerous interviews. But I was unable except in a few instances, to go beyond what Dr. C. Henry Smith had already re- corded. I rediscovered much that in the main tallied with the known. Most of the foregoing part of the chapter is from Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 228 ff., and Mennonite Year Book and Directory, 1907, p. 18. In addition I made some use of William B. Weaver's notes which he was very kind to loan me. He, at present the pastor of the North Danvers Central Conference Mennonite church near Danvers, Illinois, has published a history of the Central Confer- ence of Mennonites. 84 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS "He lived at this time upon a small farm in upper Alsace, called 'Barthel Hutte,' two miles from Altkirch, two miles from Damerkirch and five from Befford. It was in the year 1826, at a time when many people were leaving for America, that my parents decided to go also.^ In May, 1826, the long voyage to America began. We journeyed from Befford to Paris and Havre, where we had to wait for a number of days. We had our own horse and wagon, but here had to sell the horse. "We entered the ship, but soon most of us were sea- sick. My mother was seasick most of the time. We met with some stormy weather. We also caught a large fish with a hook, which pleased me very much. We were on ship forty days. "After we reached Philadelphia, my father hired a team to take us to Lancaster County. After we had gone thirty or thirty-five miles, we stopped over with an old Amishman by the name of Zuck. Here we remained a number of days to arrange our affairs. Then my father bought a horse, and after setting up the wagon which we had brought with us, we started out again, for my father wished to go to Butler County, Ohio. "When we came within six miles of Lancaster, we met a Mennonite by the name of John Konig who was plowing along the roadside. When he saw my father, he knew him by his clothing as well as his beard, for at that time no one except our people wore beards. After speak- ing with him, he invited him to remain over night, but my father hesitated, since there were others also with us who were on their way to Ohio. But finally my father was per- suaded to remain all night, and as they were talking to- gether during the evening, Konig told him of Canada, and that many were now going to that place, and that each family was offered fifty acres free. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 85 "As three families were about to leave for Canada, my father decided to go with them. The names of our fellow-travelers were Christian Farni, John Erb, Michael Swartz, and Zehr. After a six weeks' stay in Pennsylvania, we left with the above-mentioned for Canada. "My father bought his second horse, but after mak- ing about half of the journey, the horse became sick and had to be left behind. Then we had to do some walking. It was a long and tedious journey. The road at that time was bad. We were on the way more than three weeks, but finally in the fall we reached Waterloo Township. "We remained all night in a little village called Rum- bletown, now Berlin (Kitchener). Then my father went to Wilmot Township, where the free land was to be had, and selected a lot along the middle street. The conditions were to pay nine dollars for surveying, and to clear two rods along the street; and then the fifty acres were free. There were two hundred acres in a lot; the other hundred and fifty could be bought later for $2.50 per acre. "Then we built a little log cabin and moved into it the same fall. But now our money was all gone. We had to hire out as laborers in order to make a living, Andrew and I; but wages were very low. I received only $2.50 per month and wore out more boots and clothes than I earned. "In the spring we cleared some land and planted potatoes and garden vegetables. Then things went some- what better, for we were supplied with food. And then each year we fared a little better. We finally cleared forty acres. "But now several of our number decided to move to Ohio, for it was too cold in Canada. These were the fol- lowing: Joseph Goldschmidt, Peter Danner, Daniel Un- zicker, Peter Nafziger, and several others. And since my brother Andrew had cut his foot so that he had been dis- 86 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS abled for six months, he decided to accompany this group ; so in 1831 he left for Ohio. "In 1832 we held a sale, and moved to Ohio, but I and my brother Jacob remained to collect our sale money. In 1833 my brother Andrew returned to help collect the money, for in Canada money was very scarce at that time. We then sold our property and collected about $1100. "In 1833 we left for Ohio. There were four of us, I and Andrew and Jacob, and Christian Lehman. We^had a horse and covered wagon. The journey was tedious. We were on our way seventeen days, and at one time came near being robbed, but by the help of Divine Providence we escaped. We finally reached Ohio, where we found all well; and we rejoiced greatly. "But since land was high here, and hearing that land was still cheap in Illinois and that eight families from Germany had already settled there, we decided to move to Illinois. The names of those settlers were Peter Engel, David Schertz, John Schweitzer, Peter Roggy, John Auer, Gingerich, and Peter Beck. "In the fall of 1833 my brother Andrew journeyed to Illinois to see the land. He was well pleased and returned immediately for the rest of us. Since it was late in the year, we decided that the family should remain in Ohio until the following spring, but I and Andrew started early in January, 1834, for Illinois. We went on horseback and were thirteen days on the way, since the roads were very poor. We had to ride around many swamps and were often at a loss to know how to cross streams, for at that time there were few bridges. We arrived in Woodford County at the home of Peter Engel. Here my brother Andrew married Jacobine Wirkler. "In the spring we moved over to the Mackinaw, and took up a claim, for at that time the land had not yet been COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 87 put on the market. We cleared about ten acres. During this time our dear mother died in 1834 of consumption and was buried in Butler County, Ohio. But my father and the rest of the family came to us in Illinois in the spring. Christian Farni from Canada also came to us. Then we lived together until after harvest, when we were all taken sick with the "Schuttel-fieber" (ague). Then we sold our claim for $200 to Fritz Niergarth and moved back to Metamora, to Peter Engel's. "Soon after, my brother moved to Pleasant Grove, but we moved over in the timber between Washington, Illinois, and Peoria. Here my father lived for a number of years on a claim, but it was finally taken from him. But I lived with my brother Andrew and built a black- smith shop and worked at the trade. "In 1836 I married Magdalene Schertz, and moved to Mackinaw and hired to Christian Farni for five months for $20 per month. Then I bought eighty acres of land, and built a log cabin on it. Now I had to see that I made a livelihood, for the times were hard and money scarce. I lived on the Mackinaw for twenty-two years and passed through many experiences. Since April, 1858, we have been living in McLean County, Illinois some thirty years, and have seen much and passed through trying experiences." 12 The following is a list 13 of Amish with a few Menno- nites in the order which they settled in the state during this period : 1829 Peter Maurer and Family Rock Creek 1830 John Strubhar Rock Creek Nicholas Maurer Mackinaw 12 Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 479 ff. 18 Ibid, p. 498 ff., with some changes and additions. 88 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1831 David and Joseph Schertz Joe Rusche and Sons Christian Roggy and Daughters Peter Beck Joseph Auer "Red" Joseph Belsley John Engel 1833 "Black" Joe Belsley John Verkler Joe Verkler and Sisters Peter Engel, Sr. Peter Nafziger Christian Engel and Daughters Christian Smith John Kennel Andrew Ropp Joseph Summer John Schweitzer Peter Guth Benjamin Kindig (Menn.), son David 1834 Joe Schertz Peter Schertz (Bro. to Joe) Christian Birkey Joe Schertz John Detweiler Michael Moseman Christian Ropp Christian Farni Peter Farni 1835 Joe Engel Christian Schlegel Daniel Burckey Christian Burckey Frederick Burckey 1836 George Summer Christian Nafziger Joseph Ropp Benjamin Rediger John Burckey and sons Wesley City Wesley City Wesley City Wesley City W T esley City Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Wesley City Wesley City Wesley City Wesley City Holland's Grove Partridge Partridge Partridge Peoria (Ft Clark) Peoria (Ft. Clark) Wesley City Wesley City Mackinaw Mackinaw Partridge Ten Mile Creek Hennepin Hennepin Hennepin Partridge Partridge Dillon Creek Peoria Hennepin COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 89 1837 Michael Belsley and son Christ Peter Nafziger Joe Schertz David Schertz (son of Joe) (father of Joe and Peter) John Nafziger Christian Nafziger Christian Esch Peter Ropp Jacob Unsicker Jacob Nafziger Henry Detweiler Christian Detweiler and mother Christ Schertz (bro. to Peoria Joe) Andrew Schertz John Schertz Peter Schertz John Graybill Jost Bailey (Menn.) Peter Hartman (Menn.) Christian Albrecht Joseph Ioder and sons Peter Roggy Valentine and Peter Strubhar and mother Michael Kinsinger Jacob Danner Peter Danner 1838 Peter Ulrich Joe Rediger Joe Garber 1839 Andrew Bachman (and son Joe and daughters) Christian Ackerman Peter Yorte John Gingrich (with sons and daughters) John Nafziger Christian Strubhar Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Dillon Creek Dillon Creek Peoria Peoria Peoria Peoria Peoria Peoria Peoria Peoria Ten Mile Holland's Grove Bureau Creek Bureau Creek Bureau Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Partridge Partridge Mackinaw Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Rock Creek 90 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1840 Joe Garber Christ Garber Peter Garber Christ Yorte Martin Lapp (Menn.) Samuel Lapp (Menn.) 1841 Christ, John, Andrew, Jacob, Val- entine and Joe Burkey (big Burkeys) Benjamin Rediger, Jr. 1842 Peter Litwiller Ben Kauffman (Menn.) Henry Musselman (Menn.) Michael Kistler (Menn.) Michael King Christian King Dan King Jacob Baer (Menn.) 1843 Bernhard Daniel Zehr Jacob Pletcher (Menn.) 1844 Christian Baer (Menn.) John Bmbaker (Menn.) Godfrey Groff (Menn.) 1846 Joe Litwiller Andrew Roth 1847 Henry Nafziger Christ Zehr and Christ Ehrisman, sometime, probably early in the 40*s 1848 Christian Nafziger Daniel Roth Nicholas Roth Andrew Roth Partridge Partridge Partridge Partridge Stephenson Co. Stephenson Co. Dillon Creek Peoria Dillon Creek Holland's Grove Jo Daviess Co. Rock Creek Mackinaw Mackinaw Mackinaw Summerfield Mackinaw Partridge Summerfield Summerfield Stephenson Co. Stephenson Co. Dillon Creek Dillon Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Dillon Creek Dillon Creek Dillon Creek Dillon Creek COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 91 Joe Heiser Johann Bear (Menn.) Christian Martin Joe Rediger . Joe Yoder Elias Yoder Yost Yoder Jacob Zehr 1849 David Springer Christian Hostetler and his brothers Peter, Jacob, Joe, Christ and two sisters Christian Danner John Lantz Nicholas Ramseyer 1850 Solomon Lantz Samuel Yoder Jacob H. Zook John Sharp & sons Peter and Jonathan Joseph Stuckey Jacob Miller John Detweiler Peter Beller John Klopfenstein 1851 George Zehr Jonas Troyer John M. Kissler Jonathan Kauffman Jonathan Yoder Benjamin Brubaker (Menn.) 1852 Christ Garber Peter Garber Jacob Leisey (Menn.) Dillon Creek Jo Daviess Co. Wesley City Wesley City Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Mackinaw Dillon Creek Dillon Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Partridge Mackinaw Hopedale Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Rock Creek Holland's Grove Dillon Creek Dillon Creek Stimmerfield CHAPTER IX THE MENNONITES COME TO ILLINOIS First Period 1833-1852 The preceding chapter dealt only with the Amish, but representatives from the main line of Mennonites settled in the state also. 1 Mennonites settled in Illinois even be- fore they came to Indiana. In the spring of 1833 Benja- min Kindig, a member of the original Lancaster County Kindig family, together with his family, left his home in Augusta County, Virginia, to seek better opportunities for himself on the cheaper lands of Illinois. David Kindig with his father Benjamin came to Tazewell County in 1833, with one four-horse wagon, one three-horse wagon, and a one-horse carryall. He gives the following interest- ing account. "We started for Holland's Grove, Tazewell County, Illinois. Traveling west, we passed through the Worm and White Sulphur Springs, and crossed the Allegheny Mountains to the Ohio River, a distance of 225 miles, crossing the Big Sandy River at its mouth over into Ken- tucky, passing through Lexington, Frankfort, and on to Louisville on the Ohio River. Crossed the river into New Albany, Indiana, thence to Vincennes on the Wabash, thence to Vandalia, Illinois, then to Springfield, Illinois, then a small village, it being the last one we saw until we came to Peoria. We inquired for the Fort Clark road, and as we came on, we inquired for Holland's Grove. i Only the Amish wing and the Main Line of Mennonites came to Illi- nois at this early date. The third wing, the Mennonites from Rus- sia, did not appear in Illinois until after 1900 and then only in Chicago. 92 COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 93 "We stopped on the farm where Christian Engel now lives (1893) (near the Union Cemetery) on the 22nd of October, 1833, having covered a distance of 800 miles, being on the road seven weeks, camping in our tent and wagons. "When we came to this state in 1833 there were no Indians here, but there were many signs of where they had their wigwams, also many ladders setting up against trees in which they had cut holes to catch coons and get honey. "The ladders were made thus: they would cut a sap- ling and leave the natural limbs about one and one-half feet long for hand holds, resting one end on the ground and the other against the tree. "In speaking of Indians, when we came to Illinois, I never saw any here nor was I in the Black Hawk War. But I saw the old Indian Chief Black Hawk in Richmond, Virginia, when the tribe and officers were on their way to Washington, D. C. That was in the summer of 1833. He was tall, with a sharp keen eye, had rings in his ears, and one in his nose, and had a blanket around his shoulders, and was a fair representation of this picture. " 2 Kindig was a Mennonite and was soon followed by other families from the same region in Virginia, who, although not of the same faith at that time, were undoubt- edly of Mennonite descent. Soon after, other Mennonites came. In 1837 Peter Hartman arrived from Bavaria, Germany, by way of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. From the same county came also Benjamin Kauffman. in 1842. Benjamin Brubaker arrived from Richland County, Ohio, in 1851. These were followed by families bearing the names Althaus, Hirstein and others. The first minis- ter and bishop was one Jost Bally, who had come to Illi- nois very early (perhaps 1837) from Pennsylvania. These 2 Extract from Kindig's journal found in Smith, Mennonites of Amer- ica, p. 496 ff. 94 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Mennonites began to meet in their homes for worship and probably organized a church in the early forties. 8 Scales Mound Since the Mennonite settlement made in Jo Daviess County has become extinct, it will be treated here in full. 4 About 1840 a few families immigrated from Bavaria, Germany, to the neighborhood of Scales Mound, a little village whose present population is less than four hundred. They were followed a few years later by more, bringing the total up to eight families. Galena, the nearest town, was then larger than Chicago was. A trail ran across the open prairie connecting these two villages. A little con- gregation was organized, composed of Jacob Heer, John Duerrstein, Henry Musselman, Peter Neuenschwander (Neuschwanger) and others, with Johannes Baer as the minister. They met at first in a log school-house, perhaps not more than twice per month. Later a small church building was erected about four miles south of Scales Mound. The original Mennonite burying-ground near by, now called the Hammer Cemetery and used by the commu- nity, was started on the highest bluff of land when one of the Mennonite children was drowned. A little Musselman girl and her brother had started to Galena on a two- wheeled cart one winter day. On the way they had to drive through a stream, where the ice had been broken open for that purpose. In crossing, the little girl was thrown off, and the current swept her under the ice. Her body was not recovered until the next spring. 3 This main line Mennonite congregation later became known as the Union Church near Washington; see Book II, Chap. XIII. Smith, The Mennonites of America, pp. 284, 285. 4 Material from Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 285, correspondence with David Heer, Scales Mound, Illinois, and interviews with Christ Durrstein and Rose Durrstein of Scales Mound and Louis Durr- stein, Apple River, Illinois. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 95 At first several of the families hired a teacher to con- duct a little German school three times a week at the homes. This was later replaced by the English public school. There were no church activities. Preacher Baer, al- though a devoted Christian, was not a strong preacher, and lacked the vision and ability to furnish proper and ade- quate leadership for the struggling congregation. Conse- quently little progress was made. Michael Musselman was the last preacher. So many of the young people had been expelled from membership because they married out- side the church that there were no more left. Many helped form and joined the Presbyterian church of the community. The last Mennonite baptismal ceremony was performed about 1878, and the church as such ceased to exist soon after. David Heer, the last member, died in November, 1923. It is difficult to classify this congregation in relation to the other Mennonites. It never became a part of any conference. It closely resembled the church at Summer- field, and in that respect would be classed as a General Conference church. But since David Heer held an indefi- nite membership in the Freeport church, it might be classed with the (old) Mennonites. It is usually pleasant to read about the beginning of settlements, states and nations. But also to read their end is rather sad. There are several of the Illinois congrega- tions whose history is completed because they have ceased to exist. One wonders why these settlements became ex- tinct. In the first place it is quite likely that the settle- ments were not planned. It just happened that a few families moved in, and then, after a sufficient number of people had accumulated, they attempted to establish a church. If a settlement is not made on a large enough scale it can scarcely perpetuate itself. Any church with less than twenty-five members is not large enough to fur- 96 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS nish an attractive unit or life companions for the rising generation. The young people are absorbed into the sur- rounding community and lose their denominational iden- tity. Often this process is augmented by a narrow leader- ship or by an entire lack of it. Sometimes too, the locality chosen is unfortunate, perhaps through an uncongenial class of people or poor soil. Another settlement of Bavarians and other Germans was made a little later, from 1842 to 1860, in St Clair County, near Summerfield. Among the earliest immigrants were Jacob Baer (1842), Jacob Pletcher (1843), Chris- tian Baer (1844), and Jacob Leisey (1852). At this time, from about 1840, many of the German Mennonite im- migrants settled in Iowa. Some of these moved to Sum- merfield between 1855 and 1860. Others came later from Germany, and the community has been one of the most progressive in America and has numbered among its pas- tors some of the ablest men in the entire church. 5 As mentioned in the previous chapter not only had Amish come from Butler County, Ohio, but also Hessian Mennonites. Back in Ohio there had been disagreement and one could anticipate more when members of both groups came to the same community in Illinois. One of the first Hessian families to come was Peter Donner, Sr., who settled in Dry Grove Township in 1837. Following that date a number of Hessian families arrived, such as the Nafzigers, Donners, Kennels, Brennemans, Ottos, Kinsingers, Springers, and Gingerichs. In 1842 Michael Kistler of Butler County, Ohio, came to the community. He had been ordained as a minister by his father-in-law, "Apostle" Peter Nafziger in Butler County. The Hes- 5 In 1861 it formed, together with three congregations in Iowa and sev- eral in the East, the General Conference of Mennonites of North America. It has ever since held an influential position in that or- ganization. See Book V, Chap. LVIII. Also Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 285 f. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 97 sian Mennonites, with Kistler as their minister, now began to hold services in their homes, which continued until 1852, the close of this period. 8 About the same time, also in the forties, a small settlement was begun in Stephenson County, near Free- port. Among the earliest families to settle at this place were those of Godfrey Groff, John Brubaker, and Martin and Samuel Lapp from Clarence Center, New York. Oth- ers came later from Canada and Pennsylvania. The first resident minister was Martin Lapp, who also later became the pioneer bishop of Missouri. 7 About 1847 several Reformed Mennonite families from Pennsylvania settled on farms north of Sterling. Several years later they organized a church there. It is the sole congregation of the branch in the state and exists at the present time with nearly its original strength. 8 Of these six Mennonite churches formed during this early period (1833-1852) in Illinois, the first and fifth mentioned were (old) Mennonites, tne second became extinct, the third helped to initiate and joined the Gen- eral Conference of Mennonites, the fourth being closely associated with the Amish, became a church of the Central Conference of Mennonites and the last was Reformed Mennonite. Unlike the Amish, the Mennonites in Illinois formed no new branches other than those planted in the 6 This group of Hessian Mennonites is mentioned again in the latter part of the next chapter where their relation to the Amish is dis- cussed. In spite of the friction which broke out from time to time between the Hessians and the Amish they finally learned to work together. This Hessian group developed into the South Danvers Mennonite church which since its removal to town is known as the Danvers Mennonite church. This church and its original opponent, the North Danvers church were among the twelve charter congre- gations which formed the Central Conference of Mennonites in 1908. 7 This congregation is the present (old) Mennonite Church near Freeport. See Book II, Chap. XIV. Also Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 286. 8 See Chap. IV, section No. 12 and Book V, Chap. LVIL 98 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS state during this early period. Aside from the settlements, various families settled irregularly over the state and eventually lost their Mennonite connections. Although the dangers prevalent on the frontier had passed, yet these early Amish and Mennonites had many hardships to face. They had come from their original homes to seek a living in this new country. Since land was cheap — the state sold some of its holdings as low as $2.64 per acre — almost every settler purchased his farm. To bring it under cultivation was very hard work. The strug- gle was increased by the fact that they chose the timber- land which had to be cleared instead of the open prairie. It will be well to spend a little time here discussing what now is considered an absurd preference for the tim- berland when the prairie land was so much more valuable. Owing to their former environment of hills and creeks, and rivers bordered by woods, the timberland seemed the more natural. The geographic condition of the Illinois land had considerable influence. Especially central Illinois has a vast stretch of high, undulating prairie land with streams, occasional groves and belts of timber. These groves and wooded streams were preferable because the -J streams furnished drinking water and transportation — the highways of the early settlers. The prairies, due to lack of natural drainage were often swampy and full of flies and mosquitoes. After the first hard work of clearing the timberland it was much easier cultivated than the stiff clayey soil of the prairie. Thus confined to the timberland at first, the settlers were ignorant of the value of the prairie. The attributes of civilization were very few in this new region. The early settlers occupied log cabins; but it was not many years before frame houses were built. Much of the furniture was home-made including the bread-baking » This land has a present value of $250.00 to $500.00 per acre. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 99 "dowtry" (dough-tray). The light was furnished by the home-made tallow candle and snuffed by improvised nip- pers. The day of the spinning wheel was past, but the cloth was purchased and made up into dresses for the women and clothing for the men. The man dressed for Sunday wore clean ''overall" trousers with coat to match, and leather boots. The women wore large bonnets, capes, and long dresses. For the older women the color was often black. In many cases the u prayer-head covering," white or black, was worn constantly. It was a bonnet in shape, but made of frailer goods, having ribbons, either black or white colored, which were looped under the chin. This garb, a habit brought from former homes, was con- sidered a religious necessity. Mennonite young people, re- gardless of whether they had been baptized into member- ship or not, usually dressed similar to their elders. There were many handicaps in the efforts to make a living. The methods of farming were crude. Machinery had not yet made its appearance. Corn, the main crop, was planted by hand, and hoed. Prairie fires sometimes broke out, burning fences, fields of corn, and stacks of hay. Markets were few and far away. There were no rail- roads. Early farmers had one hundred and twenty miles to the nearest mill which was in Indiana. Grain had to be hauled to Chicago which meant a two weeks' trip. The Amish and Mennonites introduced the first wagons so much needed for this transportation. The settlers were forced to live a self-sustaining type of life. They subsisted on game, milk and cornflower. They made their own shoes. To purchase the necessities of life meant a long trip over territory without roads. Diseases were common, due to the prevalent sloughs and marshy prairies. After wresting a bare living from the soil, there was little time for social or religious activities. The religious 100 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS organization was indefinite. There were no meeting-houses or church property of any kind; not even cemeteries. The dead, placed in crude coffins constructed by the neighbors, were buried on their own farms. Church services consisted of a Sunday morning sermon once or twice a month in some home or barn. German or "Pennsylvania Dutch" was the sole language of pulpit and conversation^ Though these settlers were honest, upright and serious-minded, re- ligious activities had to be a secondary matter. The congregation, hardly an organic unit, performed the func- tion of a social gathering. Aside from the bishop there was no organic connection between congregations. There was no association between the Mennonites and Amish. Geographical separation accounts for this. But in Taze- well County, where both Mennonites and Amish had set- tled, there was no cooperation between them. They were to each other as separate denominations. Intermarriage was forbidden. Indefinite as the church life was, yet there were formed during this period precedents and church hab- its, some of which were of lasting benefit, while others brought considerable harm. But the present generation should not be unappre- ciative of what these early settlers accomplished. Had it not been for their courageous sacrifices it would be im- possible to have the present blessings. After all, develop- ment from their foundations has been very rapid. It is only a century since the first Amish and Mennonite settlers entered the state. Yet within that time the prairies have been broken and made into garden spots. Stretches of open prairie have become happy Christian communities with church houses and religious activities. CHAPTER X THE SECOND PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 1852-1866 The inactivity and apparent lifelessness of the Amish congregations in Illinois made them fertile soil for a new movement propagated by some zealous leader. This move- ment came in the form of the New Amish. The group, called by themselves the Christian Apostolic Church, had sprung twenty years before from a dual source in Switz- erland. 1 In 1846 seven of these people came from Switz- erland to Ohio, where they soon found their way to the Swiss Mennonites in Wayne County and secured a small following among them. In 1852 several more appeared among the Amish of Lewis County, New York, and won over to their faith some of the Verklers and Fahrneys and others. From here one of the Verklers and Benedict Weye- neth, one of the leaders from Switzerland, came to Wood- ford County, Illinois, and began proselyting among the Amish. Their first converts were Joseph Graybill, who be- came their first minister in Illinois; John and Joseph Verk- ler, cousins of their name-sake from New York; Peter Engel, one of the earliest settlers of Woodford County, and others who had been more or less dissatisfied with the church and thus fell an easy prey to the proselyting zeal of the strangers. A small following was also gained in the Dillon Creek settlement. Graybill was a zealous de- votee of the new sect and labored unceasingly to win new converts. In 1862 he went to Butler County, Ohio, and established a small church among the Amish at that place. 1 See Chap. Ill, section No. 3. 102 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Small congregations have since been organized in other states, but Illinois is still the stronghold of the sect. The growth at first was slow. In 1877 they numbered in all the United States only eighty-nine members. But dur- ing recent years there has been a heavy immigration from Switzerland, and now there are a number of large congre- gations in central Illinois, aggregating perhaps several thousand members. From their first arrival, they have gained proselytes from the Mennonites and Amish. Every now and then one goes over to their church. Two of the preachers at the Union Mennonite church near Washing- ton joined them. The first organized congregation was drawn out of the Partridge Amish church. The first building was erected between Roanoke and Eureka. The New Amish congre- gation at Morton has erected a large church house and has a larger membership than any other church of the body. Other churches in central Illinois are located at Tremont, Peoria, Princeville, Mackinaw Dells near Conger- ville, Goodfield, Eureka, Roanoke, between Eureka and Roanoke, Gridley, Cissna Park, and north of Forest; in all twelve congregations. Some of these church houses are splendid brick structures. They have had a schism in their ranks. The pro- gressive branch has a church at Tremont and another at Peoria. The church activity consists of an all-day, but no evening, Sunday service. Both the English and German languages are used. Singing is from a book which they had printed recently in Philadelphia. Dinner is served at the church. Many adults who have been reared in the church continue to attend although they do not join. They have no Sunday schools. Aside from an Old Ladies' Home in Peoria they support no charities. They hold no con- ferences, although there are occasional conjoint meetings COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 103 between two or more of the congregations. Sometimes an elders' and preachers' meeting is held. The first Illinois elder was Benedict Weyeneth, referred to above, who came from Switzerland by way of Ohio to Illinois just before the Civil War. They have no church literature, ex- cept that occasionally one of the sermons is put into type- written form and passed around. In doctrine and practice this sect has been influenced somewhat by the fact that many of its earliest adherents came from the ranks of the Amish. They are thoroughly non-resistant, and have nothing to do with civil govern- ment, in dress they are extremely plain, but as a result of Swiss influence the women are permitted to wear plain hats instead of bonnets. In doctrine, however, they differ in several respects from the Amish. They baptize by im- mersion and observe the practice of feetwashing, although not in connection with the communion service. They are very exclusive and have as little business and social rela- tion with others as possible. Religious associations with other churches they forbid. They resent any suggestion of Mennonite connections and strenuously deny any relation to that body. They are opposed to having their history recorded. The historian finds it impossible to gather any information from them. They are forbidden by the rules of their organization to listen to preaching, praying, offer- ing grace at meals, or any other religious exercise per- formed by one not of their faith. For that reason they never attend the funeral services of even their nearest relatives or friends if such service is in charge of a "for- eigner." The mourners do not sit together at funerals. They make free use of the ban 2 in their religious dis- cipline, and insist on a rigid application of the practice of 2 The ban or excommunication is the expulsion of a member from church for failing to obey some doctrine of that church. "Shun- ning" is ostracism of the excommunicated by his former brother- members. This shunning is carried to the extent of refusing to talk, 104 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ''shunning" such as are expelled. This practice shuts out an expelled member from all business, social and religious association with his former fellow-members. Frequently the ban completely disrupts the domestic relations of the family. Husband and wife are not even permitted to eat at the same table when one or the other has been excom- municated. The practice has worked havoc in a number of families in central Illinois. Several notorious cases have given the New Amish within recent years considerable notoriety, and have called forth a great deal of unfavor- able criticism throughout the State. 3 However it should be said that these unfortunate cases do not fairly characterize the normal life of the group which is as happy and success- ful as that of their neighbors if not more so. The New Amish disturbance, though tragic in that it proselyted some of the members, nevertheless served to a- rouse the churches in central Illinois. Also enough time had elapsed so that the early settlers, having become bet- ter established, could give a little more attention to church activity. In 1853 the Rock Creek church, in which Jona- than ("Yony") Yoder was bishop, and which had been organized out of the Mackinaw Settlement in 1851, had built its meeting-house. It was situated about ten rods north of what is now Rock Creek Fair Ground, four miles north of Danvers, Illinois. This building, called the Rock Creek Meeting House or Yoder Church was a plain struc- ture, with no steeple, no cushioned seats, but ample in interior space and warmth. It was the first Amish or Men- eat or transact business with the "sinner," even including domestic relations of husband and wife. Ideally it is supposed to be an act of love to bring the erring one to his senses but frequently it be- comes a form of punishment. Jacob Amman's insistence upon a more strict observance of the practise caused the Amish split. The New Amish have inherited and retained the practise with the Jacob Amman intensity. 3 Chiefly from Smith, Mennunites of America, p. 244 ff., and some mis- cellaneous material from interviews. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 105 nonite meeting-house in the state and possibly one of the very first among the Amish anywhere west of Pennsyl- vania. 4 The Hessian Mennonites near Danvers, who had been worshiping in their homes under their preacher Michael Kistler, now began to meet with Jonathan Yoder and his congregation in the new church house. Kistler and his people, having brought with them from Europe many religious practices and customs at variance with those of their brethren from Alsace and in America, soon found themselves out of harmony, especially with that part of the congregation which had come from conservative Miff- lin County. "Yony" Yoder and Kistler represented the two extremes of Amish and Mennonite practice of that day. The former coolly excommunicated the latter. Ac- cordingly about 1854 the Hessians formed a separate con- gregation, as their countrymen had done in Butler County some time earlier, and in 1863 built what is known as the South Danvers Mennonite church. 5 The Partridge congregation, (sometimes referred to as Spring Bay), erected its brick meeting-house in 1854. From this time on, the settlement gradually moved out onto the prairie in the neighborhood of Metamora. 6 The churches thus far described were those of the first generation and were found almost altogether in the timbered sections of the country. In the early fifties the second generation began to emerge from the woods and to 4 From Smith, "Amish in Illinois," Mennonite Year Book and Directory, 1907, page 20; article by Kirchner, Mennonites of McLean County, read before the McLean County Historical society in 1910; and William B. Weaver's notes for his history of the "Central Confer- ence of Mennonites." 5 This has developed into the present Central Conference church at Danvers, Illinois. See Chaps. VIII, IX, and Book IV, Chap. L. Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 231, and Kirchner, Mennonites of McLean County, 6 This by development and relocation has become the Metamora Amish- Mennonite church. See Chap. VIII, and Book II, Chap. XXI. 106 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS realize the values of the vast stretches of fertile prairie land which hitherto they had regarded as mere waste. The building of the Illinois Central Railroad at this time did much to attract people out of the woods onto the prairies. In 1854, the Hopedale Church was organized by the set- tlers on the Delavan Prairie, with Christian Naffziger as its first bishop. 7 A little later, perhaps before 1860, a settlement was started on the "Gridley Prairie," now Flanagan. 8 In ad- dition to the above settlements which were made by the immigrants from Europe, a colony of the "Old Order" Amish was established, soon after the Civil War, in Dou- glas and Moultrie counties, by Pennsylvanians. In 1865 Moses Yoder, Daniel Miller and Daniel Otto from Som- erset County visited Illinois for the purpose of finding suitable homes for themselves and friends. They decided upon the fertile lands of Moultrie and Douglas Counties, in the vicinity of the town of Arthur. They moved to the new location the following year and were soon followed by their friends from Somerset County, and others who had gone to Johnson County, Iowa, some time before, and also by a number from Holmes County, Ohio. 9 Aside from these three Amish congregations estab- lished in Illinois during this period (1852-1866) there were five (old) Mennonite churches added to the six of the early period. 10 i This has developed into the present large Amish-Mennonite church near Hopedale. See Book II, Chap. XXVI. 8 This has developed into the present Waldo Amish-Mennonite congre- gation near Flanagan and in turn was mother to the Defenseless (Egly) and Central Conference (Stuckey) churches in the com- munity. 9 This has developed into the present large "Old Order" Amish settle- ment of five congregations in Moultrie, Douglas, and Goles coun- ties, centering around the town of Arthur. See Book V, Chap. LV. Also Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 232 f. i°See Chap IX, "The Mennonites Come to Illinois," First Period 1833- 1852. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 107 What proved to be the largest Mennonite settlement in Illinois was started in 1852, when Benjamin Stauffer with his family settled a few miles north of Sterling. Henry Landis, of Mennonite extraction but not then a member of that sect, with his family had arrived a year earlier. John Kreider's family came in 1854 and was soon followed by John Hendricks, Jacob Heckler, Jacob Snavely and others. They organized a congregation soon after and erected a meeting house in 1858. 11 In 1865, William Gsell from Franklin County, Penn- sylvania, settled near Morrison. Others came from Penn- sylvania, and several families moved from Sterling, so that this congregation was partially an outgrowth from the Science Ridge congregation. 12 In the early fifties, perhaps later, a few families from Ohio and Pennsylvania settled in Grundy County. They organized a congregation with John Bachman as preacher and met in a schoolhouse near Gardner. It was here in 1865 that John F. Funk was ordained as English preacher. The church has since become extinct. 13 In 1858, four families, those of Abe Harshbarger, Samuel Harshbarger, Samuel Graybill, and John Heckel- man, came from Virginia to Livingston County, and lo- cated on what was then still a raw prairie near the present town of Cullom. These were soon followed by others from Grundy County, Illinois, where the Gardner settle- ment had been located; and from Woodford County. 14 11 This has developed into the present Mennonite congregation known as the Science Ridge church near Sterling. See Book II, Chap. XV. 12 This is the present Mennonite congregation known as the Morrison church. See Book II, Chap. XVI. 13 This church at Gardner was main line Mennonite but was practically extinct before the Illinois Conference was formed. See Book II, Chap. XVIII. A biography of J. F. Funk will be found in the biographical appendix. 14 This is the present main line Mennonite congregation known as the Cullom church, See Book II, Chap. XVII. Also Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 286. 108 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS In Chicago about 1865 or a little later, Peter Neff and John F. Funk gathered together about a dozen mem- bers into a little congregation with monthly services. They built an addition to the Neff residence large enough to hold the meetings. When the building was destroyed by the Chicago fire in 1871, the congregation was scattered and ceased to exist. 15 The (old) Mennonite congregation near Washington, whose settlement had been begun in 1833, erected its brick meetinghouse in 1856. The Summerfield General Conference Mennonite congregation whose first settlers had come in 1842, built its brick church-house in 1858. Conditions in this period had changed very little from those of the preceding period. Making a living was still very difficult. Farming was slightly easier upon the open prairies, but the problem of marketing was just as difficult except where railroads had been built. More frame houses had been built, but the furnishings for the most part were crude or entirely lacking. The erection of meeting-houses facilitated worship. During this period five church houses were built; namely, 1. Rock Creek or Yoder Church (now Central Confer- ence) in 1853, 2. Partridge or Spring Bay Church (Am- ish Mennonite) in 1854, 3. Union Church near Washing- ton (Mennonite) in 1856, 4. Summerfield Church (now General Conference) in 1858, and 5. South Danvers Church (Hessian Mennonite) (now Central Conference) in 1863. However there were no religious services other than the Sunday morning preaching in German. The first Sunday school seems to have been started at the Union Mennonite church near Washington, but that was not until 1866. Summerfield claims to have started one in 1865. is See Book II, Chap. XVIII. COMING OF THE MENNONITES TO ILLINOIS 109 Some effort was made to give education to the youth. The Ordinance of 1787 had provided that section sixteen of every township was to be used for school purposes. However this land was often sold very cheaply. There being few public schools, the subscription school took its place. Most of the early schools among Mennonites and Amish were for the purpose of teaching German. The boys and girls being needed most of the year on the farm, the school terms were limited to a few months during the winter. There was no interest in higher education as none of the young people took up professional work and it was not deemed necessary for farming. The pioneer life was not all one of misery, drudgery and handicaps for these settlers found a great deal of en- joyment in such affairs as barn and house raisings. There was a spirit of helpfulness which brought them together in their tasks. They did a great amount of visiting among themselves. The Sundays when there were no services were usually devoted to visits and "big dinners. " They were very hospitable and entertained in a very creditable manner. While some immigrants continued to come from Europe, the new prairie Amish settlements were recruited for the most part from the older settlements in the state. The Mennonites came mostly from the East, principally from Pennsylvania. The Civil War halted the immigration somewhat. The Illinois farmers suffered the same hardships that ail farmers suffered during the war. Owing to the war, John F. Funk began his work in Mennonite literature. Funk, who had come to Chicago in 1857, was visited by Rev. Peter Nissley and Bishop John Brenneman of Ohio, in 1863. They discussed the matter of a church paper. Real- izing that the Mennonite people should be better informed on the'doctrine of non-resistance Funk published a pamph- let, War and its Evils, which was surprisingly well received. 110 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Taking courage from this reception, Brenneman wrote one on Christianity and War. This also took well. The early issues of the Herald of Truth,™ which Funk started in January, 1864, contained articles on the war question. A number of the Illinois Mennonite young men were drafted. It is not known whether any actually went to camp. 17 Immediately following the war, more immigrants came into the state. At the same time Illinois settlements furnished emigrants to the states beyond the Mississippi. With the next period, aggressive Mennonitism begins. The history now becomes too involved to be treated by periods, hence it will be treated according to the various Mennonite groups or conferences which exist at the present time. Book II will contain the history of the Mennonite and Amish churches now forming the Illinois Mennonite Con- ference. Book III will treat the Defenseless Mennonite (Egly) Conference. Book IV will take up the Central Con- ference, while Book V will cover the minor Amish and Mennonite groups. 16 See Book III, Chap. XXIX. 17 Andrew Bachman, leading bishop of the Partridge Congregation, had to accompany several of his members to Springfield. They were exempted by the Conscription Act of 1863 upon the evidence that they were bona fide members in good standing in a non-resistant religious society. Among this number was John Smith, who was later to become one of the leading Amish-Mennonite bishops of central Illinois. Christian Krehbiel, Summerfield, Illinois, was drafted, September, 1864. He was relieved from this service by hiring a substitute. Others paid sums of three to four hundred dollars. BOOK II THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE Part 1 THE MENNONITE CONGREGATIONS CHAPTER XI THE ILLINOIS DISTRICT MENNONITE CONFERENCE 1 The Illinois congregations were originally an integral part of the Indiana conference. At the annual session of that conference held at the Yellow Creek Church on the second Friday of October, 1871, the western brethren made a request for a separate conference. The request was granted. In accord with that decision the Illinois brethren met in their first conference at the Science Ridge Church near Sterling. The session, conducted in the Ger- man language, was held for one day only, May 24, 1872. There were eighteen bishops, ministers, and deacons pres- ent. The bishops were: Henry Nice, the chief promoter of the conference, of Morrison; Matthias Eby, of Free- port; and Benjamin Hershey and Daniel Brundage, Mis- souri. Bishop Brundage preached the conference sermon. Various topics were discussed. Since it was merely a min- isterial meeting, only bishops, preachers, and deacons were in attendance. The conference, which met annually, held its meetings in the spring until the union with the Amish- Mennonites, in 1920, when it was changed to the fall. The following table lists the conference sessions as held from 1872-1919. 2 Much of this information was taken from the secretary's minutes oi the Illinois Mennonite Conference reinforced by numerous inter- views and files of Herald of Truth and Gospel Herald. 113 1 14 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Location Sterling Morrison Sterling Morrison Sterling Morrison Sterling Morrison Freeport Sterling Morrison Freeport Sterling Morrison Freeport Sterling Sterling Freeport Cullom Sterling Morrison Washington Freeport Cullom Sterling Morrison Washington Freeport Cullom Sterling Morrison Washington Freeport Cullom Sterling Morrison Washington Freeport Cullom Sterling Chicago Moderator Secretary Members 18 15 14 Philip N : -ce J. S. Hoffman Philip Nice J. S. Shoemaker Philip Nice J. g. Shoemaker E M. Hartman L S. Shoemaker Philip Nice* T. S. Coffman E M. Hartman J. S. Shoemaker J ' F Funk T. S. Shoemaker John Nice John F. Funk D. Kauffmaiit J. S. Shoemaker J. S. Shoemaker D. Kauffmant L S. Shoemaker L. J. Lehmant John Nice J. M. Kr eider* ^. j. ~ r Daniel Kauffman J, S. Shoemaker ft Sfe* T. S. Shoemaker Krfd Burkholder*£enj. Hernert j J ° h S n Shoemaker A. fc JS»- Daniel Kauffman L. J. Lehman John Nice §• J- Lapp John Nice Benj. Herner f. S! Shoemaker Benj. Herner }° h S^Shoemaker Benj. Herner Jot Sice ^ni. Herner D. F. Driver . J S. Shoemaker Benj. Herner D. H. Bender John Nice A. L. Buzzard T. S. Shoemaker S. Honderich John Nice S. Honderich r ™1 Mission J S. Hartzler M^°ris P on J M. Kreider S. Honderich Morrison J R Shoemaker J. S. Shoemaker S. Honderich John Nice John Nice A. M. EashTT J. S. Shoemaker J. S. Shoemaker A. L. Buzzard John Nice J. S. Shoemaker A. L. Buzzard Samuel Gerber J. S. Shoemaker A. L. Buzzard J. M. Kreider J. S. Shoemaker A. L. Buzzard D. G. Lapp Assistant Moderator. t Assistant Secretary. Washington Freeport Cullom Sterling Morrison Washington Date May 24, May 23, May 23, May 28, May 26, May May 24, May 23, May May 27, May 26, May 25, May 23, May 22, May May 27, May 25, May 24, May 30, May 22, May 27, May 26, 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 14 28 May May 25-26, 24, 1894 1895 14 14 May May 22, 28-29, 1896 1897 37 14 May May 27, 25, 1898 1899 17 May 25, 1900 18 June 7, 1901 14 June 6, 1902 19 June 5, 1903 20 June 3, 1904 22 June 2, 1905 18 June 1, 1906 16 June 7, 1907 20 June 4, 1908 17 June 4, 1909 24 May 27, 1910 24 June 2, 1911 25 May 31, 1912 18 June 6, 1913 20 June 5, 1914 16 June 4, 1915 12 June 2, 1916 22 June 1, 1917 17 May 31, 1918 33 May 29-30, 1919 tt Acting Secretary. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 115 As time went on the laymen, taking an active interest, attended the sessions. This greatly increased the attend- ance. The lay membership present were allowed to vote upon the resolutions, although this was not the usual prac- tice in Mennonite conferences. This privilege was lost when the merger came. The conference conducted very little business besides the election of officers and appoint- ment of committees and board members. The routine of the session was a discussion of problems confronting the different congregations, inspirational sermons, and passing of resolutions. The churches usually adopted them without question. The conference gradually assumed more author- ity until the congregations accepted the resolutions as rules without even taking a vote. Throughout its entire history the conference has functioned smoothly. There have been no upheavals or splits as in some other conferences. Dif- ferent churches in their turn entertained the conference in annual session. The following is a list of bishops who have had oversight of congregations in the state. Where possible the period of service is given. Bishops from other states aided at times. Among these might be mentioned, John M. Brenneman, John Lapp, and J. M. Christophel. * 1. Jost Bally, the first to serve in Illinois, ordained bishop in the early forties (?). Died 1878. 2. E. M. Hartman, ordained preacher about 1874, bishop a few years later. Joined the New Amish in 1897. 3. John F. Funk, preacher 1865, bishop 1892, re- lieved of office a few years later. 4. Isaac Eby. 5. Henry Yother. 6. Henry Nice, preacher 1853, bishop 1868-92. 7. Benjamin Hershey, preacher 1843, bishop 1871, died in Missouri. 8. Mathias Eby, preacher about 1855, later bishop, retired due to old age in 1878, died 1894. 116 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 9. John Nice, preacher 1887, bishop 1895 to date. 10. J. S. Shoemaker, preacher 1892, bishop 1902 to date. The succeeding paragraphs are composed of interest- ing material gleaned from the conference minutes. The conference of 1873 opposed the holding of offices involv- ing force and serving on juries. The use of a church council was discussed. "In case any question presents itself before the church for decision, then properly a council of the church is taken by the ministers retiring to the council chamber, and each member, separately from the others, goes in and gives his voice for or against the question as he or she may think most proper. The subjects upon which a church counsel may be taken, cannot all be enu- merated under any but a very general rule.'' Every min- ister was advised to preserve good order during the church service as in many places there seems to have been much commotion, whispering and even laughing. "The attention of the conference was also called to the fact that there are a great many persons, members of the church, who chew tobacco, and who used it even during service — that they sometimes spit on the floor to such an extent that wor- shipers cannot kneel without kneeling into a pool of to- bacco spittle, and that in this way the house of worship is put into a condition that makes it disgusting to those who are accustomed to the habits of purity and cleanliness, and that the minds of the worshippers are often very much drawn away from the thoughts of purity and holiness, with which they at these times should be filled, and that is objectionable to many. It was therefore advised that the ministers should admonish the members of their re- spective churches to desist from chewing tobacco during services and in every way to try to keep the house of worship in a clean and orderly condition at all times." The first committee which the conference appointed THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 117 was one to investigate the difficulties existing in the church in Woodford and Tazewell Counties. In the con- ference of 1875 the sessions are reported as having been quite lengthy. The brethren were advised not to use light- ning rods on their buildings "but trust in God for protec- tion." The session of 1877 advised parents to teach the German language to their children and also prevent "the vain display of personal adornment." The conference of 1878 relieved Mathias Eby of the office of bishop by his request on account of the infirmities of old age. "It was also considered not advisable that members should exercise the elective franchise, and earnest testimony was given against it; neither should brethren put up lightning rods, nor insure their property; ministers and members should not go to shows and other similar places of amusement and worldly folly. In case that charges of any kind are brought against a member by out- side parties, such charges, to receive due attention, shall be substantiated by at least two proper witnesses. This matter was unanimously adopted by the conference." The 1885 conference declared the use of instrumental music wrong as shown in Eph. 5:15-20. "In reply to a question presented by a member of this conference (ses- sion of 1887) an explanation of the 'Mennonite Aid Plan' was given showing that it was altogether consistent with the principles of the Mennonite Church and the spirit of the Gospel. An earnest protest was also made against the taking of likenesses." "In reference to the resolution passed by the Virginia Conference, in regard to the com- pilation of a new English Hymn Book with music, there was no decided action taken, but no objection was pre- sented; and as a matter of encouragement, it was stated that this was nothing more than what was found in the old German Lancaster collection of hymns now in use already over one hundred years." "It was also stated that v^ 118 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the ministers when they meet at the church for service when several are present, should arrange for service if possible before entering the desk, so that the long parley- ing which sometimes is indulged in before the audience might be avoided. The minister who is to lead the service should also be ready when called on; have his hymns selected and also if possible his text, and take up the service and carry it forward without so much tarrying, which is sometimes very annoying to the congregation, and makes no good impression. ,, At the conference in 1889 u the question was asked whether we should under any circumstances invite others besides Mennonites into our pulpits. Answer. The matter shall be left to the discretion of each minister. But each minister is advised to be careful in it. If they despise our plain and non-resistant doctrines, as some do, we could not consistently ask them. The conference bears testimony against the perverting influences of the modern system of divorces." "The subject of Prohibition was discussed with- out arriving at any decision. The question of a General Conference was presented and it was considered as good and profitable for the church." "The church at Cullom, in Livingston County, being in need of a minister, the sub- ject of choosing one was presented and discussed. The question whether a minister could be chosen in any other way than by lot was presented. It was said, that so far as known the lot has always been used and it seemed to have been a good method. The church has been blessed in its use. Many times, however, too much our own ways and thoughts are followed, and the matter is not given fully and entirely into the hands of the Lord, as it should be, and the result is unsatisfactory. The instructions of the Apostle Paul (I Tim. 3) should be well considered and men should be chosen who are apt to teach, and who have the other required qualifications. If, however, the church THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 119 should be able to unite upon one man having the necessary qualifications no lot would be necessary." "Bishop Fred- erick Schartner, of Turner County, South Dakota, was present at the Conference, with a view of becoming better acquainted with our church, and if he and his church could agree with us, to unite with the old Mennonite church. The doctrines and rules of the church, and espe- cially the points upon which we might differ, were dis- cussed, and to our mutual joy we found ourselves both in unison. Bro. Schartner returned to his home and consulted with his church, and has returned the answer that his people are satisfied and thus standing in one faith they unite with the Conference of old Mennonites. Brother Aaron Wall, of Minnesota, who was also with us, also fully coincides with the rules and order and doctrines of our church." Wall's congregation, however, later became identified with Isaac Peters' in Nebraska in forming the Conference of the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America. 2 No permanent union seems to have developed with the Turner County Church. At the session in 1892 "each minister and deacon in turn expressed a desire to build on the foundation which is the only true foundation. The brethren and sisters pres- ent were asked if they were also minded to build on the foundation Christ Jesus, to which they all testified by ris- ing." This form of testimony was a common practise at all Mennonite Conferences. The conference in 1893 was very carefully reported by the secretary, John S. Coffman. John Smith, one of the leading bishops of the Amish-Mennonites was one of the speakers. The two bodies were developing mutual interest in each other as shown by his remarks, "It matters not what we are called, Amish or Mennonites or any other name. Let the heart be right so that we may work to the 2 See Part III, B. 1, Chap. LIX. 120 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS upbuilding of the church in a way that will stand before God." Other Amish-Mennonites were present, several of whom gave testimony. For the first time Sunday Schools were mentioned. The relation of the conference towards them was discussed as follows, "The Conference should have the care of her Sunday Schools, and should make general suggestions in their interest, but it might not be best to make binding legislation, as circumstances are not the same in all places. Where we have organized churches the officers, superintendent, and assistant superintendent, at least, should be chosen by the church. It is best to leave the selection of the teachers to these officers. When members can be had as teachers they could be used, and every teacher should be, if such can possibly be had, an earnest Christian." "As there are expenses connected with the Sunday School, and a record is often necessary, there should be a secretary and treasurer. But it is not the best to take up time in Sunday School in reading reports." Other interesting items were these, "Resolved, that Brother H. L. Shelly be appointed to visit during the coming con- ference year, all the congregations and scattered members in this conference district, and report at the next confer- ence." "Resolved that no minister from another denomina- tion shall be received into our church as a minister with- out the consent of the conference of the district in which he is to be received. This conference suggests that in speaking the names of the four evangelists of the New Testament the title 'Saint' be omitted. That is, in speaking of the Gospel of Matthew, to say simply, 'Matthew' and not 'Saint Matthew.' The use of titles is not in accord- ance with the spirit and simplicity of the Gospel." The 1894 conference was the first reported as con- tinuing to the second day. It opposed Christian Endeavor societies, "Whereas the object of the Christian Endeavor Society is to unite into one body or organization the young THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 121 people of all denominations, creeds, and doctrines to labor unitedly for the extension of Christ's kingdom, and where- as many adherents to so called Christian denominations deny the power of the Christian religion by conforming to the world in its vanities, customs, and practices, therefore be it resolved: That to maintain the purity of the church, and to keep the church unspotted from the world and our members in the order of the Word, they shall be restrict- ed from uniting with any such organization. But we would insist upon having Bible Readings and song services con- ducted in our congregations for the upbuilding of our young people." The mission work was encouraged. "This conference approves of the mission work by our brethren in Chicago, and will stand by them with prayer and offer- ing, providing they teach the Word, and conduct the same according to the Gospel which we believe and practice and resolved that Brother (Emanuel M.) Hartman go to Chicago sometime during the ensuing year and examine into the Mission work, and report the same at our next Annual Conference." On the then important issue of "pictures" the con- ference of 1895 resolved, "That our ministering brethren use all possible means through preaching, exhorting, and instruction, to persuade our members with themselves to refrain from having their pictures taken." Concerning the formation of a General Conference it resolved, "That this conference favor the appointment of a committee man to represent this conference district and assist other appoint- ed committee men in making arrangements to organize and hold a general conference, and would hereby appoint Brother E. M. Hartman as such committee man." A reso- lution heartily sanctioned both home and foreign missions. Of the matters discussed at the 1896 conference the following will prove of interest, "Outsiders sometimes leave the church and cause disturbance at the time of foot- 122 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS washing because the communion and the foot-washing service are kept up quite long. In order to prevent this, the services should be made as short as practicable. Plenty of basins and towels should be provided." "An earnest effort should be made to have our own church literature along with the Bible in all the homes of our members. Many of the books and periodicals circulated as Sunday School and general religious literature are filled with novel stones and amusing incidents, that cannot help having a very injurious effect upon the minds of the young people. Children should be taught if possible to love the Bible." Members were appointed to the Evangelizing Board and General Conference committee. At the 1897 conference J. S. Shoemaker who had been elected annually as secretary during the past four years was reelected for a five year period. Delegates were appointed to attend the preliminary meeting, in Allen County, Ohio, looking to the formation of a general con- ference. The then recently published Manual of Bible Doc- trines was recommended by the 1898 conference. It op- posed a trial ministry in which the one selected is placed on probation before ordination takes place. The confer- ence has continued the custom of ordaining immediately upon selection. The conference deeply regretted the fact that since the last session, Bishop Emanuel M. Hartman who had served the conference faithfully for many years, had suddenly withdrawn to join the New Amish. 3 A few weeks before communion service was held in the local congregation it was customary for the ministers to retire to the ante-room to which the laity came to ex- press their "peace before God and man and a willingness to commune." The 1900 conference sanctioned "open examination meetings," which merely permitted the elimi- 3 See Chap. XII, also biography of Emanuel M. Hartman. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 123 nation of repairing to the ante-room. The conference frowned upon: the patronizing of saloons, having for- tunes told, and the delivery of milk to the creamery on the Lord's Day. In regard to the Home Mission being formed into a congregation the conference of 1903 decided that, "We therefore advise that steps be taken to organize a con- gregation at the Home Mission, Chicago, and the same be received under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Confer- ence with the understanding that as a Mission the work continues to be under the jurisdiction of the M. E. and B. Board (Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board). " The bishops John Nice and J. S. Shoemaker were ap- pointed as a committee to draw up "Rules and Discipline" for the conference. The 1904 session declared itself against church mem- bers belonging to labor unions "because all that are oath- bound are contrary to God's Word, also because unions tend toward rioting, cause divisions and compel submission regardless of conscientious scruples." Members who ab- sented themselves from communion service three times without giving a just cause were not to be recognized as being in full church fellowship. Representatives of various churches obligated themselves to raise the $1,400.00 debt upon the Chicago Mission building. The conference of 1905 in its relation to the Amish- Mennonites said that it "rejoices to note that there is a growing tendency toward unity (between them) in the Master's service and encourages a stronger bond of Chris- tian fellowship." Upon the question "Is it advisable to introduce praise, prayer, and devotional meetings during the week, for both brethren and sisters, old and young, to engage in," an affirmative answer was given. Strangely enough, Benjamin Herner, an active lay- man but unordained even as deacon, was the secretary for 124 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the conference of 1906 and was reelected for a period of five years. The use of unleavened bread and unfermented wine for the communion service was advised. Appointment of a committee on resolutions was re- corded for the first time in the minutes of 1907. The con* ference body approved of a plan to own and control a pub- lication house. J. S. Shoemaker was appointed to investi- gate the matter. He was also chosen as a trustee on the Board of Education. The 1908 conference expressed its attitude on the Local Option Question in these words, "Since the liquor which is contrary to the Word of God, is a destruction to the home, a menace to the nation, therefore we urge our people to suppress it by every possible means where they do not violate the principles of non-resistance." Upon the matter of members taking part in county eighth grade graduating exercises the 1909 conference disapproved if the exercises were "objectionable and not in harmony with the principles of righteousness." The conference laid plans to raise funds to erect a building for the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission. The 1910 conference sanctioned properly conducted children's day exercises. The minutes for 1911 for the first time mention a preliminary meeting for the purpose of arranging questions to be discussed before the confer- ence body. The previous rulings against the use of light- ning rods were repealed. Upon a suspicion of heresy it passed the following consideration, "Since there is more or less rumor regarding the orthodoxy and church loyalty of some of the students and faculty of Goshen College and since there are provisions for the investigation of these conditions, we recommend and urge that the Faculty Committee and Religious Welfare Committee of both schools make such examination of existing conditions, and recommend to the Mennonite Board of Education such THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 125 measures which they believe if carried out, would place and keep our church schools in complete harmony with the Mennonite General Conference in faith and practice. These institutions will prove a great blessing in the up- building of the church if properly conducted or a great destructive element to the principles of simplicity and unity, if not conducted in accordance with the doctrines of the Church.' , "In view of the fact that mission study classes have proved a great benefit in the churches where they have been carried on," the 1912 conference urged "that mis- sion study classes be encouraged." The conference en- dorsed the plan of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities to open work in South America. In the 1913 minutes the following appears, "Where- as, we consider the church activities of the Young People's Meetings of such great importance in the development of our talents, be it resolved that we as a Conference appeal to the congregations that they organize, encourage, and support such meetings. Since the Sunday School is one of the avenues of the church for imparting missionary knowl- edge, be it resolved, that we recommend to each Sunday School that they urge their workers to avail themselves of every opportunity to get acquainted with the field and its needs by visiting mission stations, reading missionary lit- erature, and attending missionary meetings; also to create and foster the missionary spirit in the Sunday School by conducting mission study classes and supplying a mission- ary library. Since we consider the Sunday School normal work very essential to the progress of the Sunday School work, be it resolved that we ask the Sunday School Execu- tive Committee to consider the holding of such meetings for the state, during the year, and if practicable to ar- range for the same." The 1914 conference accorded the visiting Amish- 126 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Mennonites the privilege of taking part in the discussions and voting upon the same. The bishops and conference secretary were appointed to solicit and arrange such ques- tions and work as should be considered and acted upon by the conference. It accepted u the plenary and verbal inspiration" of the Bible and the fundamental doctrinal statement drawn up by the General Conference. The office of conference treasurer was created. A meeting of the ministerial body was authorized at the 1915 session. "Since this conference feels the need of devoting more time to Conference work, be it resolved: First, that the ministerial body meet on Tuesday previous to the Sunday School Conference to arrange their work for Conference; second, that they arrange all questions and assign speakers at that time; third, that they make recommendations to the Conference body on all such mis- cellaneous business as they deem proper." This, however, was rescinded at the session following. In advising the young brethren affected by the na- tional conscription act the 1917 conference said "That we ask all brethren who are subject to draft, to register as provided for in the Conscription Bill, and proclaimed by the President, and that they simply affirm instead of tak- ing the oath at the time of registering and that they show true appreciation for the degree of immunity we have en- joyed hitherto and for the promise of future exemption and that opposition to war is not founded upon disloyalty to our government but upon the conviction that the Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of Peace." This year for the first time the moderator was elected in advance for the next conference. Members were appointed on the newly formed District Mission Board. In 1918, J. S. Shoemaker was appointed to visit the boys who had been drafted into camp. The 1919 conference session was the last one before THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 127 the merger with the Amish-Mennonite conference held at Tremont. 4 The Sunday School Conference Since the Sunday School Conference was an integral part of the Church Conference its history is treated along with it. The first Sunday School had been organized in 1866, in the Union Church near Washington but such schools did not come into favor until about 1880. The next move along Sunday School lines was that of the Gen- eral Sunday School Conferences. 5 After the General Sun- day School Conference had held three sessions (1892-94) it had grown to such proportions that it was decided to divide it into district conferences. These general confer- ences had not been sanctioned by the church conferences. But the Illinois Conference, feeling that it was a good work, made provisions for a district Sunday School Con- ference at its annual session in 1895. "Whereas the Sun- day School work is as it were the nursery of the church and one of the best means of instilling into the minds and hearts of our young people the true doctrine and princi- ples of the Christian religion, therefore be it resolved that this conference sanction and advise the organizing and holding of an annual Mennonite Sunday School Confer- ence for the State of Illinois, and in order to devise the best means and methods to carry on the most effectual Sunday School work, the bishops of this conference dis- trict be hereby instructed to appoint a committee of three to act in connection with the said bishops to arrange the program and designate time and place to hold the first said conference. " The first Sunday School Conference was held at Science Ridge, near Sterling, May 20 and 21, 1896. Some 4 The merging of the two branches is treated in Chap. XXXV. s See Chap. XXXI, p. 273. 128 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS of the speakers on the program were: Philip Nice, J. S. Shoemaker, C. Hauter, J. F. Funk, Benjamin Herner, John McCulloh, Melinda Ebersole, W. H. Brubaker, J. S. Coffman, N. E. Byers, Fannie Coffman (Landis), E. M. Hartman, Henry Nice, G. L. Bender, Annie Nice (Rutt), Abram Burkhart, A. B. Kolb, E. J. Berkey, Hen- ry Smith, J. S. Lehman, Emma Lefevre (Byers), D. D. Miller, John Nice, Abraham Ebersole, Phares LeFevre, and Homer Strock. The topics hinged around Sunday School and young people's problems. The conference was really a supplementary part of the church conference as the latter annually appointed the executive committee which controlled the Sunday School Conference. The ses- sions of both conferences were held at the same time. Be- fore the Amish-Mennonite union the Sunday School session preceded that of the church. Each had its own moderator. The Sunday School Conference had very little business to perform. A few resolutions were passed but the main fea- tures were the inspirational talks. The secretary gathered a few statistics from the local Sunday Schools. The following are some of the measures which the church conference passed that had a bearing on the history and conduct of the Sunday School Conference. At the 1910 conference and also at later sessions a Sunday School cir- culating library had been urged but apparently was never developed. In the same year the office of Field Worker was created. In 1911 the following duties were assigned to that office: "1. To get in touch with the officers of the different schools through correspondence. 2. To visit, as far as possible, all schools upon invitations. 3. To consult with the officers of the Sunday Schools regarding the con- dition of their respective schools and fields. 4. To en- courage them in their strong points and give advice for the strengthening of weak ones. 5. To assist in extending the borders of the Sunday School along the lines of estab- Union Mennonite Church near Washington Science Ridge Mennonite Church near Sterling Mennonite Church near Freeport Morrison Mennonite Church Cullom Mennonite Church Sterling Reformed Mennonite Church Mennonite Home Mission in Chicago Twenty-Sixth Street Mission in Chicago, also called Mennonite Gospel Mission THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 129 lishing mission Sunday Schools and doing personal work in the homes. 6. To encourage the establishing of Teach- ers' Training and Mission Study Classes whenever advis- able. 7. To suggest and encourage the establishment of Sunday School libraries. 8. To supply the schools with the proper blanks for their annual report, collect the same and present at the annual Sunday School conference. 9. And to be ready to counsel with the program committee for the annual Sunday School conference." The office was dis- continued in 1917. Since the Western District Amish-Mennonite Confer- ence held some of its conference sessions in far distant places, the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois frequently attend- ed the Mennonite Sunday School Conference. In 1913, with a view to cooperation with the Amish the Mennonite church conference passed this resolution: "Whereas, the Amish-Mennonite Conference has not been officially rep- resented in our Sunday School Executive Committee and Sunday School Conference work in general, be it resolved, that we ask the ministerial meeting for the state of Illinois of said conference to appoint two of the members not otherwise provided for, on the executive committee for the following year. Believing a constitution for our Sun- day School Conference to be of help in more fully desig- nating the work of committees and officers, be it resolved, that we appoint two brethren and ask the ministerial meeting of the Amish-Mennonite brethren of this state to also appoint two who with the Sunday School field worker are to constitute a committee to draw up such a constitu- tion as they see best and present the same to the annual Sunday School conferences of the respective churches for adoption." During succeeding years similar attempts were made but the matter lingered until 1918 when definite action was taken. The first joint Sunday School confer- ence was held at Metamora in 1919. 10 130 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Bible Conferences Following the General Conference held in 1900 at the Science Ridge Church near Sterling a Bible Conference was conducted. At the church conference of 1902 it was decided that a Bible Conference should be held sometime the coming winter, for such were becoming popular. The church conference appointed a committee to be responsible for the work. Such a committee was appointed annually until 1915. Before this time these conferences had be- come more or less local affairs and were sometimes re- ferred to as Bible Normals. The 1911 conference offered some suggestions for improving the Bible Conference work, "By each congrega- j tion holding a Bible conference with the home minister or other home talent as assistant to the instructor; by leading | the people to interpret the Bible rather than having the instructor giving his own interpretation; by solving prob- lems relative to various departments of church work; let more book study be pursued rather than so many topical subjects; by devoting more time to conference work; and by devoting all the time to conference." The program generally called for two studies in the morning, two in the afternoon, with one in the evening and an evangelistic sermon following. The subjects for study were outlined on a chart placed before the congrega- tion, well filled with texts, which texts were distributed among persons of the audience for reading at the proper time. The members of the audience read while the in- structor attempted to prove his doctrine. The subjects taken up were generally Bible doctrines as well as the doc- trines and practices peculiar to the denomination. While these conferences did a great deal of good in their day they are now a thing of the past. Bible lectures, workers' conferences, and missionary meetings have taken their place, at least in Illinois. CHAPTER XII THE AMISH AND THE MENNONITES The history of the Amish groups which developed in the state of Illinois is quite complicated because so many branches were formed or came into the Illinois area. The congregational outgrowth added to the confusion. The various conferences then became interrelated in cooper- ative work. In contrast to this, the story of the Mennonites is far more simple. They began to settle in the state in 1833, only four years later than the Amish. Their settlements usually consisted of only a few families. Over two dozen such settlements were begun but less than a dozen devel- oped into churches. It seems that the settlers merely moved into a new place without any thought as to their future church life. Many members must have been lost from the Mennonite faith in this manner. The following illustrates such a case. In 1867, a half dozen or more families with names of Funk, Driver, Rodgers, Brunk, and Parret from Virginia, located in Henry County, Illinois, near Genesco and Acheson. They came as Mennonites but not having the advantage of permanent organization or ministerial oversight, the colony did not prosper. The heads of families died or located elsewhere. The various settlements had little to do with each other. This was due not to any enmity separating them, but chiefly to the distance between them. The various Mennonite colonies developed without any bearing upon each other. Europe and the Eastern states were feeders for their increase in membership. But no church grew out of or split away from another congregation. Perhaps the 131 y 132 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Mennonite Church near Morrison is an exception to this statement for in a limited way it was an outgrowth from the Sterling Congregation. 1 Then too, occasionally several families would move to some other locality. However during the entire period of Mennonite existence in Illinois there have been no divisions in any congregation or con- ference, nor has any congregation developed daughter con- gregations. Three branches of the main line of Mennonites made their appearance in the state. 2 The largest was the (old) Mennonites which consisted of seven congregations two of which have become extinct. This does not include their missions. These Mennonites were not disturbed by certain problems that figured quite seriously with the Amish. Al- though simplicity of dress was insisted upon yet they had no regulation on "hooks and eyes," nor were they agitated upon the matter of "shunning." Both of these issues were the cause of prolonged wrangling and disruptions among the Amish. The Mennonites were not as active as the Amish; their churches did not grow as rapidly and they probably lost more heavily to outside denominations. If the Amish felt the parent body too conservative they usu- ally formed a more liberal branch. In contrast the liberal Mennonites simply sought church shelter elsewhere. There was practically no fellowship between Amish and Mennonite churches in the early settlement days. They looked upon each other as distinct denominations with the lines sharply drawn. Intermarriage was forbid- den. Of course there were numerous exceptions to the foregoing statements. As time went on these Mennonites and a branch of the Amish, namely the Amish-Menno- i See Chaps. XV, XVI. 2 The early history of the congregations of the Main Line of Menno- nites in Illinois has been treated briefly in Book I, Chaps. IX, X; see on the diagram Xos. 9, 12, 13. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 133 nites, drew much closer together and eventually merged into a single branch. 3 The Reformed Mennonite Church 4 at Sterling was planted there as such from Pennsylvania. It is the only representative of that branch in Illinois. The congregation at Summerfield was a charter mem- ber when the conference of the General Conference of Mennonites of North America 5 was formed. It was the sole member of that branch in Illinois until a General Con- ference Mission was opened in Chicago in late years. The Mennonites from Russia 6 form an altogether distinct wing of the church, and never colonized Illinois. In 1907 they planted missionary and publication work in Illinois, in Chicago alone. They have no organic con- nection with the main line of Mennonites in the state. While there has been some cooperation in missionary and publication work yet the Mennonites from Russia have had relatively small bearing upon the main course of the Illinois Mennonite history. Only two branches 7 are repre- sented in the Chicago work, namely: "The Conference of the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America" and the "Krimmer Mennonite Brethren. ,, The four minor branches of Mennonites in the state of Illinois will be taken up in Book V. The main body of (old) Mennonites will be treated in this division. The plan will be followed of giving the history of each con- gregation as a unit. This plan will also be followed for Part II which deals with the history of the Amish-Men- nonite congregations. General activities such as missions, together with joint activities and the merged conference will be treated in Part III. 3 See Book II, Chap. XX, and Chap. XXXV; note on the diagram the connecting line between Nos. 7 and 9. 4 See Chap. LVII. 5 See Chap. LVIII. 6 See Chap. V and lowest third portion of the diagram, especially Nos 20 and 22. 7 See Chap. LIX. CHAPTER XIII THE UNION CONGREGATION NEAR WASHINGTON The Union Church, 1 a congregation of (old) Men- nonites, has the credit of being the oldest Mennonite church in the state. 2 In October, 1833, when Peoria was still but four log huts, Benjamin Kendig, his wife and chil- dren, the first Mennonite settlers, arrived. They made their trip overland, a distance of eight hundred miles a- cross Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, from Augusta Coun- ty, Virginia, and settled in Tazewell County on the farm which is now opposite the Union cemetery. This was the same territory in which the Amish had begun to settle a few years before. Other families moved in from time to time. Peter Hartman from Bavaria, Germany, settled there in 1837. Benjamin Kauffman from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, arrived in 1842. Benjamin Brubaker came from Richland County, Ohio, in 1851. Thus the various eastern states as well as Germany contributed to this first settlement. Other names represented were Althaus, Baer, Bally, and Hir- stein. In the course of time the town of Washington grew up. The Mennonites were engaged in farming, the main 1 Material from answers to questionnaire by A. L. Buzzard, pastor of the church, and interviews and correspondence with Mrs. E. M. Hartman, Mrs. Jacob Kinsinger, Christian Reaser, Christian Engel, Jacob Schiffler, and J. J. Summer. Also, Smith, — The Mennonites of America, p. 284 f. 2 See Chaps. VIII, IX. 134 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 135 crops being corn, wheat, and oats. Some stock was raised and some dairying was carried on. The prairie land was in good condition but the original settlers took to the tim- berland which they cleared. All of their marketing was done in Peoria. At present most of the farmers have im- proved implements and are generally prosperous. About the year 1910, the first automobile appeared in the con- gregation and now every family has a car. The church seems to have been organized in the forties by a man named Brownfield from Virginia. The services were held in the homes and sometimes in the barns before the church building was erected. Joseph Kindig donated a piece of land and the first church, a small brick structure, was erected on his farm a mile northwest of Washington in 1856. About 1886 the Kin- dig heirs, not being Mennonites, objected to having the church on their land. It was relocated on land donated by Christian Engel about three and one half miles north- west of Washington beside the Union cemetery from which it derives its name. It has been asserted by some that it was hoped that both Amish and Mennonites would become members of the church and in that way form a Union church. Though no union took place there has been close cooperation between this Mennonite congrega- tion and the Amish-Mennonite Church near Metamora. In 1892 the second church house, a white frame building, was erected. The first ground for the cemetery was donated by one Brownfield and then more was bought and added to it when the first part was taken up with graves. An association with endowment was formed later. Seven trustees who are elected for three years have charge of it. The lots are sold at ten dollars each. Jost Bally, probably ordained in Illinois, was the first minister and later became the first Mennonite bishop in Illinois. Henry Baer was ordained in the early years 136 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS but moved to Cullom 3 to become the first minister at that place. A Mr. Hirstein who had been ordained to the min- istry joined the New Amish after serving the church for several years. After Hirstein left Jacob Smith was or- dained to that office. Albrecht Schiffler, who had come to the community in 1870 from Pennsylvania, was ordained March 3, 1872, by Bishop Henry Nice of Morrison. In the fall of 1878 he with his family moved to Nebraska where he was later ordained to the office of bishop. Emanuel M. Hartman, who had been ordained to the office of bishop by Bishops Henry Nice of Morrison, Illi- nois, and J. M. Christophei of Indiana, served the local church as minister and bishop of the state being a very active worker until he suddenly withdrew and joined the New Amish in 1897. The church was without a resident minister until J. S. Shoemaker ordained A. L. Buzzard in the Freeport Congregation at the request of the Wash- ington Church and sent him to that place in 1906, where he has since been in charge. Joseph Kindig was the first deacon and served until his death in 1862. John Snyder was ordained as deacon but moved to Cullom soon after. Jacob Kinsinger was ordained to the same office about 1892 and served until he died in 1900, since which date the office has been vacant. Among those that had charge as bishop were: Jost Bally, E. M. Hartman, Henry Nice, John Nice, and J. S. Shoemaker. Since the merging of the Illinois Mennonite Conference and the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois in 1920 the nearby (Amish) Mennonite bish- ops have had charge. The church property is controlled by three trustees who serve for life. The first record of appointment was January 14, 1899. The present trustees are Christian Engel, John Weaver, and Henry Hartman. 3 See Chap. XVII. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 137 Funds for the running expenses of the church are ob- tained by free-will offerings. The minister receives no salary. The church usually responds fairly well to outside calls for help. In the last twenty years they have given almost five thousand dollars. They now follow the budget system of giving, as worked out by the District Mission Board. Monthly offerings are taken. The order of church service has been practically the same from the beginning. At first the German language was used exclusively but as the children ceased to learn that language there came a demand for the English. It was first started in the Sunday School. For many years the services have been held every two weeks alternating with the Metamora Church. 4 In the early years of the church, before any evan- gelistic meetings had been held, the minister would an- nounce that on a certain date members would be received into the church. If there were any applicants they were then instructed in the doctrines of the church and later received into the church by baptism. At present the church aims to hold evangelistic meetings at least once a year. The first series were held about 1889 by J. S. Coffman, Elkhart, Indiana, and Jonathan Kurtz, Ligonier, Indiana. Coffman conducted several series after that. Among the others who conducted services were L. J. Lehman, Cul- lom; J. E. Hartzler, Goshen, Indiana; A. H. Leaman, Chicago; G. J. Lapp, Roseland, Nebraska; and D. D. Miller, Middlebury, Indiana. An instruction class for con- verts is held by the minister before receiving them into church. The children are coming into the church younger than they did in the former years. A person is considered a member of the church when he has given evidence of conversion and has promised faithfulness to the church and is baptized with water by pouring. When members wish 4 See Chap. XXI, The Metamora and Harmony Congregations. 138 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS to withdraw from the church they are given a church letter by the minister with the consent of the congregation. When a member is unfaithful to the church or is guilty of some sin he is visited by the minister and admonished to live better. If he fails to do so he is no longer con- sidered a member of the church. The membership has never been very large, the largest being in 1915 when it was forty-nine. At present there are five members who are fifteen years or younger, seventeen young people, thir- teen middle aged, and six old people. The first Sunday School, also the first Mennonite School in the state, was organized in 1866. It met every time that the church had a meeting. This continued throughout the summer months. Now the meetings are held every other Sunday throughout the year. The Uni- form Sunday School lessons from the Mennonite Publish- ing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, are used. A teacher's training class was organized for a time and completed one course but later was abandoned. The Beams of Light is the only paper given out in the school. Most of the families get the Words of Cheer and Youth's Christian Companion in their homes. The children raise money for mission purposes by using "the quarter fund." Among the brethren who served as superintendents were: John J. Summer, Henry Hartman, Henry R. Schertz, Ed. Schertz, and Walter Yoder. The Young People's Bible Meetings are held every Sunday evening. A junior department meets in a separate room and has a leader who is appointed by the main body. A program committee of three is appointed every quarter. It arranges programs and appoints the leader and speak- ers. The meetings are usually well attended and are a means of holding the young people. They also afford an opportunity for them to develop in Christian service. In March, 1915, a group of sisters met and organ- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 139 ized the Union Sewing Circle. Ida Hartman was elected president which position she filled for nearly two years until ill health compelled her to resign. Mrs. J. B. Sum- mer was then president for part of a year until she moved away. Matilda Schertz was then elected. The organiza- tion with a membership of sixteen met once a month dur- ing an afternoon in the different homes. They sewed for various mission stations and charitable institutions. The secretary usually wrote and found out their needs and the Circle attempted to supply them. Each member was re- quired to pay a fee of twenty-five cents or more, the money being used to purchase materials. At the May, 1918 meet- ing it was decided to unite with the Metamora sisters and organize a circle, believing more efficient work could be done in this way. A meeting held the following week at the Metamora church resulted in the organization of the Union-Metamora Sewing Circle which has continued to the present time. 5 Once the church held midweek meetings at which the Sunday School lesson for the next Sabbath was studied but these were not very successful because the attendance was so small. About the only social meetings that the young people had in the early days were the singing classes. During late years a literary society, which meets every three weeks, has been organized. A program of literary nature is given after which the time is spent in a social way. The church is holding nearly all of her young people. The singing was in German at first and was all in one part. Later the English language was used. Singings were held in the homes. Some of the teachers for special singing instruction were: Peter R. Schertz, Simon Hartz- ler, Joseph and Christian Camp, and Walter Yoder. The song books used were Bible School Hymns, Sacred Songs, 5 See Chap. XXXIV. 140 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Gospel Hymns, Pathway of Praise, Church and Sunday Scliool Hymnal, and Life Songs. The last two are used at present. It has been about three or four years since special singing, other than congregational singing, has been introduced. This consists of quartets, choruses, and duet numbers. These are used mostly in the Young People's Bible meetings and Sunday School meetings. It has been about twenty years since the first family bought an organ; some have pianos now. No instrument is used in the church, for the Mennonites do not sanction musical instru- ments in religious services. At present most of the families take the papers pub- lished by the church. The Herald of Truth (now the Gospel Herald) was taken by the members from the very beginning. There is no regularly appointed solicitor for the church literature. A library in the Sunday School has about fifty books which have been read by most of the young people. In the earlier years the children did not attend school regularly because the parents were opposed to education. Before 1917 very few attended high school, for attendance was discouraged and the state did not compel it. Since that date most of the young people have finished high school, the first ones graduating in 1921. A few have at- tended college. The church has been solicited for funds by three church schools, all of w T hom received some sup- port. The congregation has had one missionary, Elvina Engel. She first went to the Home Mission in Chicago where she remained for about a year. After her marriage to C. K. Brenneman, they went to the Mission at Nampa, Idaho, where they labored for about two years. After living at Washington, Illinois for about a year they went to Youngstown, Ohio, for about two years. They were located at Canton, Ohio, until 1919 when they both died THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 141 of the influenza. The Home Mission in Chicago was sup- ported by some of the members from its beginning but the ministers did not favor it at first. Emanuel Hartman at one time was appointed to go to Chicago to investigate the work and was from that time very enthusiastic about it. Communion services are held in the Spring and Fall. The ordinance of feet-washing is always observed in con- nection with this service. Council meeting is held two weeks before the communion. At that time an appropriate sermon is preached and the congregation is asked if they have peace with God and man. Preparatory services are held on Saturday previous to the day of communion. Christmas services are held each year at either the Wash- ington or Metamora church. This congregation was under the Illinois Mennonite Conference from the beginning, having been a charter member. The first conference session held in the local church was in 1893, and four times since, 1898, 1903, 1908, and 1914. The church joins in a Christian Work- er's Conference every quarter with three other congrega- tions, Metamora, Harmony, and Roanoke, each church entertaining it once during the year. Only one member from the congregation was drafted during the war. Though he refused service entirely, he did not receive any serious mistreatment. The church took part in raising money for war-stricken countries but this was always done in connection with the Metamora Con- gregation so the amount cannot be given. The local conditions and the community are such that the church will never become very large. [Since the above was written the Union congregation has been dissolved (1929) and its membership combined with the Metamora church. The pastor, A. L. Buzzard, moved to near Goshen, Indiana.] CHAPTER XIV THE FREEPORT CONGREGATION 1 The first Mennonites to come to Stephenson County, Illinois, were Martin and Samuel Lapp, brothers, formerly from Clarence Center, New York, but directly from On- tario, Canada, in the year 1840. Stephenson County had a population of only 2800 at this time. In 1844, John Brubacher and Godfrey Groff with their families came from Clarence Center, New York, and settled in the com- munity. At the time that these earliest Mennonite settlers established homes in this section of the state there were only about fifty residents in Freeport, the county seat, which at that time lacked railroad facilities. In 1853 Ru- dolph Brubaker and family, accompanied by Mathias Eby, came from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Eby had but recently come from Germany and was still unmarried at that time. In 1856, Christian Snyder and family came from Blair County and Joseph Shellenberger and family and Jeffrey McConnell from Juniata County, Pennsylva- nia. Benjamin Shoemaker and family came from Miami County, Ohio in 1863. Henry Snavely and family came from Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1864. All these early Mennonite settlers secured homes for themselves about seven miles northeast of Freeport. Other families moved into the community later; among the number were Wil- liam H. Beidler and Jacob Diller from Pennsylvania. This section of the country was principally prairie 1 Information furnished for the most part by interviews and corres- pondence with Bishop J. S. Shoemaker, Dakota, Illinois, with addi- tional material from J. V. Fortner, deacon, Dakota, Illinois, and Simon E. Graybill, minister, Freeport, Illinois. 142 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 143 land which simply required breaking of the sod to get it ready for crops. The methods of living were very primi- tive. The first houses and other buildings were small and inexpensive, just large enough to meet the absolute re- quirements of the families. The roads were mostly laid out on the section lines. Markets were not very good be- cause of the small population in the cities, the long dis- tances to the general markets, and the lack of railroads or shipping facilities. The cereals raised were oats, barley, wheat, rye, and corn. The machinery used by the early settlers consisted of the cradle, scythe, and hand rake to harvest and gather the crops, and small horse power ma- chines to thresh the grain. Not having any railroad facili- ties the early settlers frequently hauled their wheat and other farm products by team and wagon to Chicago, 125 miles distant. Regardless of the many disadvantages of that early date the Mennonite settlers in this county pros- pered and seemed well satisfied with their new environ- ment. The land being fertile and the seasons being favor- able to agricultural pursuits, changes in the way of better buildings, better equipment both in the homes and on the farms, and the increase of the population, were very noticeable and gave positive evidence that the early set- tlers selected for themselves a favorable section of the country in which to establish homes. Although nothing definite is known, the church must have been organized about 1845, which makes it almost as old as the Washington church. Bishop John Lapp of Clarence Center, New York, visited the community about that time, and probably ordained the first ministers. John Brubacher and Samuel Lapp were made respectively min- ister and deacon of the newly organized congregation. The membership being small, the church services were held in the homes of one of the brethren every other Sunday for a number of years. Rudolph Brubaker, in erecting a 144 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS new house in 1855, arranged suitable rooms for holding such services. They were also held alternately in the homes of Samuel Lapp and Mathias Eby for several years. In 1863 the first church house, a white frame build- ing thirty by forty feet, was erected on the property do- nated by Samuel Lapp, located seven and one half miles north-east of Freeport. To accommodate the increased congregation it was rebuilt in 1888, with the dimensions enlarged to thirty-six by forty-eight feet. John S. Coffman preached the dedication sermon, basing his message on Haggai 2 :9. "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former." In 1899 the building was again reconstructed and enlarged to sixty feet in length with a basement under the entire structure. It seats about 200. This congregation has been called the Freeport Church because of its being in close proximity to the city of Free- port, but in this and the surrounding communities it is spoken of as the Mennonite Church to distinguish it from other churches. The small settlement of Mennonites at Shannon twelve miles south-west of Freeport about twenty miles from the meeting house is an integral part of the Free- port Congregation. For a number of years, while Chris- tian Snavely, one of the faithful ministers was still living, preaching services were held in their homes in Shannon once every four weeks. Nine members are living in Shan- non and vicinity at the present time. They attend the regular church services held near Freeport as frequently as possible. Sunday School was organized in the Freeport Con- gregation in 1878 with E. M. Shellenberger as superin- tendent. The following year J. S. Shoemaker was elected superintendent which position he held until he was or- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 145 dained to the ministry. The Sunday School was held each alternate Sunday in connection with the regular church services. During the first few years however, after the Sunday School work was organized, the school was closed during the winter months. From the very beginning of the work, though there was some opposition before, both old and young, men, women, young people and children have taken active interest in the work. For the last twenty years the Sunday School and Church services have been held conjointly every Sabbath except when weather condi- tions were too bad. Since 1892, the following have in turn served as superintendents of the Sunday School- W H. Brubaker, C. C. Shoemaker, A. L. Buzzard, A J Meek, William Pfile, Clarence Meek, and E. B. Shoe- maker. The Sunday School was conducted in the English lan- guage with the exception of one class which was German. This was continued for a number of years to accommodate those who preferred to study the lesson in that language. A teacher's meeting was held for several years, usually every Wednesday evening. These were well attended and proved quite helpful in acquiring a more perfect knowl- edge of the Sunday School lessons. For a while a Bible Study class replaced these teacher's meetings. At one time a Mission Sunday School was organized and conducted for several years in a school house in a neglected community several miles distant. Attendance and interest in this was good, but the directors in the district were not favorable toward work of that kind, hence they closed the doors of the school and the work was forced to stop. In 1900 the Sunday School was divided into two de- partments: an Adult and a Junior or Primary Depart- ment, the latter being held in the basement of the church, *ach having its superintendent and chorister. Both depart- 11 146 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ments are well organized, and supplied with faithful teachers and such literature as is considered necessary to conduct a successful Sunday School. The Sunday School has a small library containing twelve volumes. For eighteen or more years after the church was or- ganized the services were conducted entirely in the Ger- man language. Christian Snyder, who was ordained in 1864, was the first resident minister who preached in the English language. Previous to Snyder's ordination the singing, Scripture reading, prayer, and preaching were in German. At this period a change was made by conducting the services in both the German and English languages. This method was continued for several years until the German was discontinued. The regular Sunday morning services were held each alternate Sunday morning provid- ing weather conditions would permit, until 1905 since when services have been held every Sunday morning. Early in the eighties meetings were begun and con- ducted on the Sunday evening when no services were held in the morning. About the year 1890 the Young People's Meeting was added, followed by a short sermon by one of the resident ministers. The Sunday evening preaching service has since been dropped and every Sunday evening is given to what is usually known as the Young People's Meeting, but most of the older people are regular at- tendants and take an active part in the services. The congregation is filled with the missionary spirit to the extent that monthly offerings are taken, and have been for a number of years, for mission and charitable work both home and in foreign lands. For the last five years the offerings for the mission and charitable work of the church have averaged $100 per month or $1,200 each year. It is planned to preach a missionary sermon on the first Sunday of each month. J. S. Shoemaker, the resident bishop, has officially been connected with the Mennonite THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 147 Board of Missions and Charities since its organization in 1905. A women's sewing circle was started in February, 1910, at Simon E. Graybills. Mrs. J. V. Fortner was elected president, in which capacity she served faithfully until January, 1925 when her sister Mrs. A. J. Meek was elected to act in that capacity. The Circle meets on the first Thursday of each month to sew and thus provide gar- ments and other material for the benefit of the needy. The first Bible Conference was held in the congrega- tion in 1902, with the brethren Daniel Kauffman and S. G. Shetler as instructors. The conference was well attended and proved very helpful and inspiring. A year or two later another Bible Normal was held with the brethren L. J. Miller and I. R. Detweiler as instructors. The les- sons were likewise very helpful. In later years the method of having Bible study in connection with evangelistic serv- ices was adopted. It is the aim of the church to hold such combined services once each year if possible. The first series of evangelistic meetings was conducted by J. S. Coffman. The church was a charter member of the Illinois Mennonite Conference which was organized and held its first meeting at the Science Ridge Church near Sterling in 1872. The Freeport congregation always took its turn with the Sterling, Morrison, Cullom, and Union congrega- tions in entertaining or caring for the annual church and Sunday School conferences which were held together. The congregation not having a large membership, the confer- ences have not been held with it since the merging of the Illinois Mennonite Conference and the Amish-Mennonites in Illinois. Before the two Conferences were merged into one, every member in good standing in the Mennonite Church was considered a member of conference, whether a bishop, minister, deacon, or lay member. Since the 148 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS merger has taken place only the bishops, ministers, and deacons have the privilege to vote in deciding questions brought before the conference. Those who have been ordained to serve the congre- gation as leaders and overseers since it was first organized about eighty years ago, were called into service as fol- lows: Samuel Lapp was ordained to the office of deacon when the church was organized and served in that capacity until his death October 24, 1877. David L. Ebersole was ordained to fill the vacancy and served until his death in 1899. Shortly after John V. Fortner was ordained to that office and has since that time officiated in that capacity. John Brubacher was the first to be ordained to the ministry. Martin Lapp was ordained about the same time. Brubacher died in 1855, and Martin Lapp moved to Mis- souri early in the sixties. A number of years later he returned and died in 1875. Mathias Eby was ordained to the ministry in 1856, and later to the office of biahop. He was relieved of his ministry and bishop's office in 1879, and died in 1894. The three afore-named ministers used the German language only in their preaching. Christian Snyder was ordained in 1864, and served the congregation until his death in 1872. Christian Snavely, who had come from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and settled near Shannon in 1865, became identified with the congregation and was ordained to the ministry in 1875. He preached mostly in the German language, until he passed away in 1905. Needing a minister to preach in the English lan- guage E. M. Shellenberger was ordained in 1879. After serving the congregation for six years he with his family moved to the state of Kansas, but after a number of years returned to the community, lending a helping hand until he died in 1919. In 1886, after Shellenberger had moved to Kansas, J. S. Lehman was ordained to the ministry. After serving the congregation in that capacity for about THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 149 six years, he with his family moved to Elkhart, Indiana, where he became manager of the Mennonite Publishing Company at that place. J. S. Shoemaker was ordained to the ministry in 1892, and in 1902 to the office of bishop. Much of his thirty-two years in the ministry has been given to evangelistic, Bible Normal, and general church work. Simon E. Graybill, formerly from Juniata County, Pennsylvania, was ordained to the ministry in September, 1903. J. S. Shoemaker and S. E. Graybill are at present in charge of the congregation. This congregation has never had a board of trustees to control and oversee the church property and other sec- ular affairs. The church property has been deeded to the deacon in charge and his successors. The present deacon has in his custody three deeds to the church property. The first one was conveyed by Samuel and Esther Lapp to Mathias Eby, dated June 19, 1866; the second by Isaac and Elizabeth Lapp to David L. Ebersole, dated Septem- ber 25, 1879; and the third by Isaac Lapp and wife to John V. Fortner, dated July 15, 1899. The last two tracts were added to make room for the erection of sheds, and the extension of the cemetery. A cemetery association was organized four years ago, after which the tract of land used as the burying ground was deeded to that asso- ciation. The association is in possession of an endowment fund of two thousand dollars, the interest of which is used for the upkeep of the cemetery. The first to be buried in the cemetery were two children who died just two days apart in the month of September, 1848. The first adult laid to rest therein was Anna, wife of preacher John Brubacher, January 10, 1849. One hundred and fifty or more have been buried in the cemetery adjoining the church. Since the time of organization the congregation at this place has had a slow but steady growth. The growth ISO HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS has been retarded by the fact that individual members and families have from time to time moved out into other sections of the country. This, while helping to increase the membership in other congregations both in the eastern and western states, depleted the home congregation. The present membership is eighty-seven. CHAPTER XV THE SCIENCE RIDGE CONGREGATION 1 NEAR STERLING Whiteside County, in which two Mennonite settle- ments were destined to be made, was established in 1836. The first few settlers had come a few years prior. Scarcely any of these were from Pennsylvania. The county was named in honor of General Whiteside who was prominent in the Black Hawk War which had raged throughout this section of Illinois. The county was organized and elected officers in 1839, with a population of 2,500. In 1850, the population had increased to over 5,000 and by 1860, to over 18,000. The soil, principally of a black loam spread over the rolling prairies, was a very great attraction to the immigrants who rapidly entered when there was no longer any fear from Indian attacks. The "Pennsylvania-Dutch" first came to the county in 1847. Among these early families were several Landises who were members of the Reformed Mennonite branch. 2 Henry S. Landis of (old) Mennonite extraction, who though at first not a member joined before his death, ac- companied by his wife and four children, arrived in 1851. They came west by way of the Great Lakes to Chicago which at that time was a small city of less than 30,000. The trip to Dixon was made by stage coach. It took two 1 Material from many interviews, correspondence, and records. Also files of Herald of Truth and Gospel Herald. John D. Conrad of Sterling, Illinois, compiled some of the information with the as- sistance of several other members of the local church. 2 See Book V, Chap. LVII. 151 152 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS days to cover the remaining twelve miles to Sterling 3 for there were few roads and travel was extremely difficult. A farm was purchased upon which the family settled in the fall. The first members of the Mennonite Church to make their appearance in the locality were Benjamin Stauffer and his wife. The train brought the family as far as Chi- cago where they had to accept the slower means of travel since there were no railroads on which to continue the journey. They arrived at the village in the summer of 1852, and remained in town until their farm, which has since been known as the Stauffer place, was purchased five miles north of Sterling. It was here that the first Men- nonite child was born, Emma, the deceased wife of Henry R. Ebersole. During that same year Henry Kauffman and wife Elizabeth arrived. In 1854, John H. Kreider and family settled in the community. About this time John Hendricks and Jacob Heckler came. Jacob Snavely, who had purchased a farm of 300 acres two years before, moved out with his family in April, 1855. The railroad had been built as far as Dixon and from this place the journey was completed by wagon. However the railroad was built to Sterling that same summer. Others continued to follow before 1860, namely: Abraham Detweiler, John Moyer, Abraham Myers, Jacob and Henry Heckler, Leonard Hendricks, Jacob Millhouse, Henry Detweiler, Benjamin Hershey, Benjamin Lapp, and Joseph Allebaugh. Practically all of them came from Lancaster and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, although the Snavelys had come from Lebanon County. In the next decade many new fam- ilies arrived such as Brenneman, Byers, Alderfer, Zehr, Nice, Martin, Yother, Frey, and Hess. 3 Sterling, which was to become the center of the largest (old) Menno- nite settlement in the state, was then but a small village on the north bank of the beautiful Rock River. It was named after Col. Sterling of Pennsylvania. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 153 The largest single addition was in 1865 when a group numbering fifty-five traveling on the same train, mostly from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, came to Sterling. A- mong this number were the families of Jacob Rutt, Samuel Rutt, John W. Rutt, John Ebersole, Christian R. Ebersole, and Jacob Reitzel. The first church services were held in Jacob Snavely's corn barn, and were probably conducted by visiting breth- ren. About two miles north of Sterling, at the beginning of what is known as the Strock road, there was a school- house which had been given the name of Science Ridge because it was a prominent educational center. The name was extended to the community surrounding it. Across the road north from the schoolhouse in the corner of the Landis farm a small burying ground was started, but when the land was more accurately surveyed it was dis- covered to be upon the land of Jacob Snavely. The com- munity continued to bury its dead at this place. When the Mennonites talked of building a church Jacob Snavely offered to donate land along side of this cemetery for a church house. This graveyard then became the property of the church and was continued for some years as a com- mon burying ground for both the (old) Mennonites and Reformed Mennonites. When the Reformed Mennonites erected their church in Sterling they secured a plot of ground along side which they now use for their cemetery. In recent years the Science Ridge cemetery has been char- tered with a fund which provides for its perpetual upkeep. A meeting house was erected in 1858 upon the land that Jacob Snavely had donated. The members did the work themselves as most of them spent part of their time in the carpenter work. Among those who helped can be recalled Jacob Snavely and his sons, John H. Kreider, Benjamin Stauffer, and Henry Kauffman. The building was a small one without plastering on the inside walls. 154 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The church took its name from its location near the school and in turn was called Science Ridge. The church met January 16, 1859, and elected Jacob Snavely, Henry Heckler and John Hendricks as the first trustees. It is not certain but probably a minister and a deacon were ordained on this same date. Abraham Det- weiler was an early preacher but there being some diffi- culty he did not preach any length of time, later moving away. Elias Snavely was probably chosen deacon the year that the congregation was organized. Benjamin Hershey, who had been ordained minister in Canada in 1843, moved to Sterling from there in 1860, and became the first to serve the local church for any length of time. He was ordained bishop in 1870. The church was remodeled and enlarged or perhaps entirely rebuilt in 1871. The following year the first church Conference for Illinois was held in this building. It was remodeled in 1882. In 1910 the building was lengthened and a basement put under it. A furnace and acetylene lighting plant were installed. A large wing was added to the building in 1921. Electric lights replaced the acetylene system. While new members were moving in all the time there were some who were attracted to states farther west. In the period from 1875-1880, a large group moved to Nebraska. Among this number were the families of John Reisner, Benjamin Ebersole, three Stauffer broth- ers, John Nunemaker, Solomon Martin, Jacob Ebersole, Eli Ebersole, and Samuel Martin. The Sunday School started in 1882. The first meet- ings were held in a school house and independent from the church. Several women, Mrs. Jacob Reitzel, Mrs. Abraham Ebersole, and Mrs. Jacob Ebersole, advocated and urged it. E. M. Shellenberger from Freeport, where a Sunday School had been started a few years before, THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 155 was invited to come and organize one at Sterling. Since there was so much opposition it had to start outside the church. The school was conducted in the East Science Ridge school house, then newly built, for somewhat over a year. The first superintendent was Philip Nice. Some of the early teachers were : Henry R. Ebersole, Hettie B. Burkhart, Barbara Ebersole, Mattie Reitzel, Lizzie Eber- sole, and Sarah Reitzel (Nice). There were four classes all conducted in German or "Pennsylvania-Dutch." At first the sessions were held every Sunday afternoon. When the school was tolerated by the church, it was held in the meeting house following the morning preaching service. This order, still continued, is just the opposite of the usual practice. The Sunday School first attempted a mission school in the Woodlawn school house led by Michael Ebersole about 1900. At various times since such schools were conducted: at Como in an abandoned church house by John F. Weber, at the Union school house by M. R. Hess and Whitmer Barge, and at Woosung in an aban- doned church house by John D. Conrad. These no doubt accomplished a valuable work, but the schools in them- selves did not become permanent features of their respec- tive communities. No doubt from the early years the infant class was taken apart from the rest of the Sunday School. The primary section was separated from the main department in 1911, when John D. Conrad was made superintendent of this department which held its sessions in the basement of the church. About this time a library was established with a few dozen books. In 1923 S. R. Good, superin- tendent of the division known as the primary, subdivided it into primary and junior departments. Hattie Groff was made the superintendent of the younger or primary divi- sion. 156 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The Sunday School through Edward Nunemaker, a- bout 1905, introduced the Quarterly Meeting which is a program discussing Sunday School problems and is held Sunday evenings four times each year. These are still a feature of the work. One of the results of one of these meetings was the organization of the Home Department in 1910, when Hattie Groff became its first superintendent. Mrs. Berger was its first and very appreciative member. Perhaps the greatest event in the life of the church was the John Coffman Revival Meetings. John S. Coff- man held his first services at Sterling in 1889. The tide of the young folks had been turning away from the con- gregation into other churches, especially the Lutheran. The spiritual and moral life of the community was at a low ebb. Coffman's preaching changed the entire commu- nity. In the periods during several years that he held services at Science Ridge the membership was doubled. Since then the church has held revivals at least every other year. Some of the evangelists were George R. Brunk, L. J. Lehman, S. G. Shetler, William B. Weaver, J. E. Hartzler, S. F. Coffman, C. F. Derstine, D. D. Mil- ler, Daniel Lapp, J. S. Shoemaker, and J. W. Hess. Before the Coffman revivals church services had been held only every two weeks but afterwards the renewed congregation met every Sunday. The Sunday evenings were still unused for regular services. Along in the early nineties the teachers' meetings were held on week-days in private homes to study the Sunday School lessons. These were very popular for a time and also very well attended. They really served a social purpose and were credited with having matrimonial advantages. Amos Ebersole started a Christian Endeavor about this time which fur- nished the young folks a good place to go on Sunday eve- ning. When the church took up the Sunday evening work the Endeavor, which was not in favor, became a Bible THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 157 Reading. Some winters it would die out but ever since the church literature has printed the suggestive programs and topics the Young People's Meetings have continued without any interruption, save when the period was changed into a Bible Study or Mission Study hour. The work has been very successful and much interest has been shown. It is a means of holding the young people and also gives them practice in doing church work. The aver- age attendance is one hundred twenty-five. The first Sunday School Conference of the Menno- nites of Illinois was held in the Science Ridge church house in May, 1896. In 1900 the second General Conference of the Mennonite Church of America was held in the local church. At the same time the first Bible Conference in the state was conducted. A few have been held since then but they have become local in attendance. In that form, some- times called Bible Normals, they flourished for about twenty years. The present tendency is towards Bible lec- tures of an expository nature. The sewing meeting, now spoken of as the Sisters' Sewing Circle was promoted by Mrs. Henry Rutt. The organization service was held November, 1900, at Mrs. John Reisner's. Mrs. Hettie Burkhart was chosen presi- dent and Anna Andreas (Mellinger) secretary. The circle met two afternoons each month at first but later adopted an all day once a month session. Originally it met in the various homes of the members. Since the church has been enlarged in its basement capacity it has been found more convenient to hold the sessions there. In the period 1904-1906, a number of families moved to what proved to be an unfortunate location near New- kirk, Oklahoma. Some of the members with their families were John F. Weber, Abraham Frey, David Ebersole, Daniel Frey, Daniel Ebersole, John Frey, and Frank Kreider. After being there awhile a Sunday School was 158 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS started. Later a minister from outside was sent in once a month. Finally a church was organized and Daniel Ebersole was ordained deacon and Christian Reiff sent in as minister in 1907. Several years later all had returned to Sterling though not all of them returned to membership at Science Ridge Church. On the Fourth of July, 1910, a new type of meeting was started to furnish proper observance of the holiday. J. E. Hartzler was called in to give the main speeches which he did to the pleasure of all and to the success of the meeting. The idea was repeated the next two years. Since the near-by churches asked to be taken in, a rotation was formed including Morrison and Freeport. Tiskilwa later sought entrance and was admitted to the round a few years later. Other churches of the state followed the idea so that every Fourth three or four such meetings were held at various points. They have however run their course. The World War brought quite a serious problem for those who feared being drafted. There were a number of draft age but the only one called to camp was Vernon Steiner, who accepted non-combatant service. The social life of the young people was not organized at first. Before it was customary to join church before marriage there were no young people in the congregation. After this had changed, the young folks met in an inci- dental way at the various homes for some pleasure in form of singing and social contacts. Sometimes refreshments were served. The literary society was organized at A. C. Good's home, February, 1917, at which time William Landis was made president and Nora Good, secretary. The society drew up a constitution. It aims to hold a pro- gram every three weeks followed by a social hour, after which refreshments are usually served. In May, 1921, a large wing was built onto the west THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 159 side of the church to make necessary room for the church conference. The first united Mennonite and Amish-Men- nonite Conference was held at Science Ridge in June of the same year. In June, 1922, the third session of the General Young People's Conference, which had been start- ! ed in France by the Mennonite young men engaged in relief work, was held with the Sterling Congregation. This was a well attended and very inspiring session. The first to fill the office of deacon was Elias Snavely who had come to Sterling in 1855, from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, and was chosen at the organization service. He served until his death in 1865. A few months later Jacob Rutt, who had recently arrived from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was ordained as his successor. He served in the office until in old age he retired and later moved to Nebraska where he acted as deacon until his death. Philip Nice succeeded him as deacon, being selected by lot and ordained the day following the Conference session, May 30, 1887. He served until ordained to the ministry ! in 1891. When Nice became minister, Amos Landis, a native of the community, was ordained deacon by E. M. Hartman the officiating bishop from Washington, Illinois. When Landis moved away in 1894, Abram Burkhart was ordained to that office in February, 1895, and has re- mained in that capacity since. After seven years' absence Amos Landis returned to Sterling from Union, Oregon, and jointly served with Burkhart for several years until he again moved away, this time to Goshen, Indiana, where he continued the duties of his office. Daniel Ebersole, formerly from Sterling, who had been ordained in the little congregation in Oklahoma, returning to Sterling in 1909, when he was accepted as deacon in the local congre- gation. He served jointly with Abram Burkhart until his death in 1922. Burkhart was partially relieved of the duties of deacon in 1922 when a religious welfare com- 160 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS mittee was elected to take care of some of the tasks usu- ally falling to the deacon. In 1923, he was further re- lieved through the election and ordination of Benjamin Mellinger and S. R. Good as deacons. The office of dea- con is held for life. The ministers were ordained in the following order: Abraham Detweiler acted as an early preacher but did not serve any length of time. Benjamin Hershey, born in Canada, and ordained to the ministry there in 1843, preached at Sterling from 1860 until he removed to Cher- ry Box, Missouri, in 1871. He had been ordained to the office of bishop at Sterling in September, 1870. Henry Nice, who had been ordained to the ministry and later held temporary membership in an "Oberholtzer" Church (General Conference) in Ohio, removed to Sterling in 1865, where he was accepted as minister. In 1868 he was ordained to the office of bishop and the same year moved to Morrison where he served until his death in 1892. Joseph Allebaugh came to the community as a young man before the church was built. He was probably ordained in the early sixties. His ministry was not considered a suc- cess, and he died a member of another church. Abraham D. Ebersole, who had settled in the community a year or so previous, was ordained in 1869, and served until his death in 1889. He was one of those instrumental in se- curing J. S. Coffman for the remarkable revival services. Benjamin Lapp seems to have been a preacher in the con- gregation in the early sixties, while Henry Yother, a min- ister and probably bishop (at least later), moved in for about a year sometime afterwards. John W. Rutt, who came with the group of fifty-five in 1865, was ordained about the same time as Ebersole. Although he was con- sidered a minister and took his place on the platform, yet he never preached. John Reisner, who had left Ster- ling in 1878, was ordained at Roseland, Nebraska, by THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 161 Albrecht Schiffler. He returned to Sterling in 1881, when he became the first English preacher at Science Ridge. In 1889 his health failed forcing him to give up the work. He remained a faithful member until his death. Philip Nice was ordained to the ministry in 1891 and served until retired in 1902. John J. Rutt, a young man born in the community, was selected by lot and ordained June 14, 1897, to serve as Nice's assistant. He retired upon his own initiative during the year of 1899. Christian Good and Samuel Rhodes supplied the pulpit temporarily in the summers of 1903-1905. Samuel Good from Harrison- burg, Virginia, who had come to Sterling in 1899, was ordained in July, 1904; he died in August, 1905. Aaron C. Good, a brother who had come to Sterling in 1902, and had gone to work at the Home Mission, was recalled to Sterling and ordained in February, 1906. He resides on the old Stauffer homestead and still serves as the pas- tor. At times he holds evangelistic meetings and has been a member of the Mission Committee of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. During the past years of his pastorate the church has increased by one third; the present membership being about two hundred. Amos E. Kreider, a native of Sterling who had been ordained at Topeka, Indiana, resided on a farm near Sterling from June, 1918 to September, 1921 when he returned to Go- shen College as a member of the faculty. He assisted Good in the pulpit work while at Sterling. Others from Sterling who have served the church at large are: Melinda Ebersole, at the Home Mission in Chicago for over twen- ty years; Dr. S. D. Ebersole, first secretary of the Home Mission; N. E. Byers, first president of Goshen College; I. R. Detweiler missionary to India and later president of Goshen College; and Esther Ebersole Lapp (wife of George J. Lapp) who died as a missionary in India. 12 CHAPTER XVI THE MORRISON CONGREGATION 1 William Gsell, having relatives living in the central region of Whiteside County, Illinois who had written favorably of the advantages of the location for farming, came to the state and bought what was then considered an improved farm three miles north of Morrison, Octo- ber 3, 1864. The first year a large bank barn was erected. John Gsell and wife came out to take care of the stock until William could move his family out in the spring of 1865. Instead of a disc, it was necessary to use a corn plow to loosen up the ground after which a straight tooth har- row without levers was used to level it off and drag the oats. The roads were fairly good though ungraded. All of them had a strip of grass in the center as every one drove two horses. In a short time grading started and gradually new roads were opened up to the public. Mor- rison afforded excellent market facilities, being located on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway. Gsell and his family drove to Sterling in a big wagon to attend services at the Science Ridge Church near Ster- ling. After a few more families moved in, a meeting for organizing the church was held in the West Clyde School house in 1868. It was promoted by Henry Nice, Benjamin Hershey, and William Gsell with a charter membership of less than a dozen. The church took its name from its location near the town of Morrison and being organized i Information furnished chiefly by Daniel Deter, deacon, assisted by John Nice, bishop, and Henry T. Nice, deacon, all of the Morrison Congregation. 162 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 163 by (old) Mennonites was called "The Morrison Menno- nite Church." The settlement had been holding meetings up to that time in the Gsell barn every four weeks during the first year 1865, and then in the West Clyde School till the present church house was built in 1872. The present site of the church was chosen by a few members after con- siderable disputation. Another site in question was about one quarter of a mile east of the present site, a more level piece of ground. But the former was thought to be more centrally located. The land of one and one-half acres was purchased from Joseph Gallentine at a cost of seventy-five dollars, the date of the deed being February 14, 1872. The dedication services were held on New Year's Day, 1873. Henry Nice preached the sermon, assisted by Ben- jamin Hershey of the Sterling Congregation. The first trustees were Joseph Gsell, Adam Steiner, and Seth Burk- holder. The building is made of red brick, the only Menno- nite church house in Illinois of that material, thirty-six feet wide and forty-four feet long, with two doors, one to the south and the other to the east. There are two cloak rooms on the south end, each about ten feet wide. The furniture is of common lumber, having straight square benches and a plain wooden pulpit, painted yellow for a long time, now a dark tan. Formerly kerosene lamps were used with two large hanging lamps in the center and bracket lamps on the four sides. These have been re- placed with acetylene gas lights. The seating capacity is about two hundred. The church has its own burying ground located next to the church house and from the beginning a part of the church property. The trustees of the church have control of the cemetery. Lots for graves are not sold, but are controlled by one of the trustees, who superintends the 164 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OP ILLINOIS digging and also cares for the upkeep. The funds are in care of the trustees. The present trustees are William G. Nice, Daniel H. Deter, and Abner A. Nice. The Sunday School was started when the meetings were held in the West Clyde school about 1870. It was separate from the church until about 1890. The opposi- tion to the Sunday School was very great for some time. Some maintained that if it was allowed they would with- draw from the church. Others would not even allow their children to go; others let their children go, but would not attend themselves. Still others took the children but they stayed outside until the session was over. Thus the Sun- day school work was very difficult for the leaders. The promoters were Henry Nice, Sr., Henry Nice, Jr., and Addison Shelly. Bishop Henry Nice was the first super- intendent. There were two classes, one in German taught by Bishop Nice, the other in English taught by John Gsell with about thirty pupils in all. The school increased in numbers and opposition died out little by little until the school reached about sixty pupils. After this as people moved away the school diminished until at present there are about forty-five on the roll. The Sunday evening meetings in the form of Bible study or readings were first held about 1895. In spite of some opposition at first to spending the Sabbath evening in this way they were continued. The meetings usually opened with a period of song service. A leader was chosen who would select certain chapters and topics, and also give topic assignments to various members and children. Later the Young People's Meeting Topics were used as given in the Christian Monitor. At present no evening meetings are held because the membership is so small. The sewing circle was organized about the fall of 1914, with Mrs. John Nice as president, and Mrs. Wil- liam Nice as secretary-treasurer. The first meetings were THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 165 held in the afternoon every two weeks at the homes of the members in alphabetical order, and in homes of non- members when invited. Soon it was decided that more and better work could be done by meeting once a month for the full day. The circle attempts to do the work of an organization of this kind and has contributed very liberally to the Chicago Home Mission and the Peoria Mission. This congregation was one of the charter churches of the Illinois Conference when organized in 1872. Bishop Henry Nice was one of the promoters of the conference. The church conference has been held in the local church on several occasions, the last time being in 1918. Since the Amish-Mennonites have been merged with the conference the ministry are the sole delegates to it. The church was not called upon to suffer very seri- ously during the war. The attitude of the community toward the church was one of hatred and malice, although a few were respectful. A number of threats were made but no violence was done. The hostility has died out. Only three, Henry Leidig, Daniel and Ezra Deter, were called to camp. Ezra Deter was in relief work in the Near East. The ministers' list is composed of the following brethren: Henry Nice, Senior, who had been ordained to the ministry while still in Ohio, and as bishop at Ster- ling, became the first minister at Morrison when he moved there in 1868. He served as bishop until his death in 1892. John Kornhaus moved from Sterling to Morrison in 1869, where he was ordained in 1871. In 1887, he removed to Kansas and continued to preach in that state. John Nice, the son of the bishop, was ordained to the ministry in May, 1887 by lot, and was made bishop in June, 1895, and still serves in that capacity. John W. McCulloh, formerly from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was chosen by lot and ordained in November, 1893. In 166 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS December, 1916 he with his family moved to Cullom to fill the pulpit of that congregation, where he remained until his death in January, 1923. Since 1916 John Nice has served alone at Morrison. The church at one time enjoyed quite a period of prosperity. But when the people became tired of the hills and no longer considered them essential to farming they moved away and others who passed through journeyed on to states farther west. Others have forsaken the faith of their fathers. The future prospects of the church are a little brighter than they have been for some time past, due to the increase of young people. The church has a mem- bership of twenty-three at the present time. The deacons who served the congregation were three in number. The first was Leonard Hendricks who was ordained almost as soon as he moved from Sterling, prob- ably in 1869, and quite likely by the resident bishop, Henry Nice. He was removed from office in the eighties. He had also rendered service as church chorister. Daniel H. Deter who had come to the congregation in 1873 from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was ordained deacon by Henry Nice in 1884. In the year 1892, he with his family moved to Iowa where a few families from Morrison had gone before. He returned to Morrison in 1902 and has since conjointly served with Henry Nice, Junior. He has also served as trustee for over sixteen years. Henry Nice, Jr., was ordained to the office of deacon when Deter left for Iowa and served the remainder of his life. Henry Nice also led in singing in his earlier years, and was superin- tendent and teacher in the Sunday School. CHAPTER XVII THE CULLOM CONGREGATION 1 In 1858 the first Mennonite families began to settle in Livingston County. They came from Woodford Coun- ty, Illinois, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Canada, in search of good farm lands and a place to make a home. Among the first ones to arrive were the Gray- bills, Herners, and Shantzes. They were widely scattered over the county. Roads were in a bad condition with mar- ket places distant and difficult to reach, as railroads were not built until 1875. They endured many hardships in the way of exposure, hard labor, and poor communication, yet they became prosperous. The people drifted in from here and there, no great numbers coming in at any one time because the settlement had not been planned nor had it been a split from any other church. As the population increased, more of them concentrated at one point which was later named Cullom in honor of Senator Cullom. Among the early settlers active in the church work, were : Baer, Graybill, Harshberger, Heckleman, and Livingston. The date of organizing a congregation is not known but it must have been about 1860. Meetings were held twice a month in the schoolhouses, the places being ro- tated so as to accommodate all the members. It seems that there was no definite organization before the church house was erected. In 1882 Samuel Graybill donated an acre of ground 1 This chapter is from material collected from interviews with John W. McCulloh and a Cullom group and from answers to questionnaire by Lewis D. Appel assisted by Martha McCulloh, Bertha Reedy, Susie Koerner, Mary Appel, and Olive Hirstein. 167 168 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS upon which to build a meeting house. The white frame building was erected and dedicated on September 24 of that year. Since it is located in the village of Cullom it is the only one of the Illinois churches not in the open coun- try. In 1914 it was remodeled when a furnace and other modern equipment were added. Its seating capacity is two hundred. The church does not have its own burying ground. A number of the members have been buried in the "Sullivan Center" graveyard north of the village. The first minister at Cullom was Henry Baer who was ordained at Washington. He died in 1870. Other ministers who served the congregation are: P. Y. Lehman, who moved to Indiana; E. M. Hartman, who was or- dained in the local church about 1874 but moved to Washington the next year; Benjamin F. Hamilton; Peter Unzicker, who was ordained in 1882 but did not attempt to preach until several years later and moved away in 1905; John S. Coffman, the evangelist, who supplied there for a while; Peter B. Snyder, who was ordained in the local church about 1892, and moved to Missouri where he died; L. J. Lehman, who was ordained at Cullom a- bout 1894, and after serving as a minister and evangelist for a number of years moved to Indiana in 1908, and allied himself with another group, the Mennonite Breth- ren in Christ; Alvin Ropp, who was ordained by John Nice in 1905, also moved to Indiana in 1908 and joined the Central Conference Church; and Samuel Honderich who had been ordained elsewhere, came to Cullom in the fall of 1909, and removed to Filer, Idaho, in December, 1913. After his departure the church was without a preacher until J. S. Shoemaker suggested that John W. McCulloh, minister at Morrison, move in to take charge, Feeling that the church there needed assistance, McCulloh accepted the invitation and located in Cullom, December 20, 1916. He was quite progressive and active, insisting THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 169 that the church should ordain young men to assist in the ministry, and urged the same in his own congregation. His plan was cut short by his sudden death in January, 1923. He had served for many years on the local mission board of the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission of Chicago. For a time Daniel W. Slagel of Flanagan temporarily sup- plied the pulpit. The church has been a grave problem to the leaders of Illinois. Later S. Jay Hostetler, formerly of near Goshen, Indiana, was given charge and finally ordained. He left for the mission field in India in 1929. Abram Blosser was the first deacon, shortly after whom came David Lehman and John Snyder. The latter was ordained at Washington, Illinois, and removed to Cullom. He finally located in Texas where he died. Peter Haun served conjointly with Snyder for a while and after- ward alone until his death in 1908. At this time Elias Christophel was ordained and served until he removed to Ohio in 1919. Since then the church has had no deacon. Among those that had charge as bishop were Jost Bally, E. M. Hartman, John F. Funk, Henry Nice, perhaps Henry Shaum from Indiana, John Nice, J. S. Shoemaker, and J. A. Heiser. Since 1915 the church property has been controlled by three trustees who call an annual business meeting, at which one is elected each year, each serving for a term of three years. This body also has charge of the finances. The church never paid the minister a regular salary, but sometimes money was collected among the members and presented to him. In the last twenty years they have given approximately four thousand dollars to outside purposes, $2,800 going to home missions and the rest going to for- eign missions and relief. 2 Revival meetings have been held from time to time. 2 Taken from financial reports which appear in the Gospel Herald each month. 170 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS J. S. Coffman was probably responsible for the first and did the most for the Cullom Church in its earliest history, 1882. At one of his series of meetings he had forty con- verts. It was likely due to him that the church house was erected that year. It is said that it was due to an invita- tion from the Cullom Church that Coffman first came west. Among the evangelists have been C. B. Brenneman, J. M. R. Weaver, J. S. Shoemaker, A. H. Leaman, A. C. Good, J. W. Hess, D. D. Miller, I. R. Detweiler, N. O. Blosser, and D. A. Yoder. The church plans to have evangelistic meetings but does not succeed in having them every year. Bible lectures have been used and perhaps fill a place of their own in the church program. An instruc- tion class is generally held before baptism to instil the doctrine and principles of the Bible and Church. The converts are perhaps younger than formerly but with the education and instructions in Sunday School they are more aware of their duties and privileges than before. About 1890 the membership was over a hundred but it has now decreased to less than fifty. The Sunday School was started about 1880 in school houses. It was usually held in connection with the church service except when there was no such service on account of lack of a minister. Noah Graybill was one of the first superintendents. After the church house was built nearly all classes were in English except one which was in German. The Sunday School has met since 1880, every Sunday between 9:30 and 10:30 A. M. The uniform advanced lesson helps are used but the graded lessons have not been intro- duced. Words of Cheer has been distributed for many years, as well as Beams of Light, Cards, Youth 's Chris- tian Companion, handed out on Sundays to the scholars. Various charts and song books were used in connection with the work. At one time there were perhaps thirty THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 171 books purchased for a library but only a few remnants are left. There was a teachers' training class organized about 1910, conducted by Samuel Honderich. The School gives to the general mission fund and to specific places. The money is obtained by regular offerings or by special meth- ods such as distributing quarters to the children for invest- ment. Among the superintendents that have had charge of the Sunday School in the past were: Noah Graybill, P. B. Snyder, Samuel Shearer, Leonard Garber, Elias Christo- phel, Alvin Ropp, Benjamin Herner, Chester Wenger, Lewis Appel, John Shantz, Henry Baily, John Diebel, Reuben Koerner, Aaron Hirstein, and Henry Koerner. The Young People's Meetings are held on Sunday evening. They were first started in 1884. At present a committee appoints a leader for three months who makes out a program according to the "Monitor" outline. He then has to procure a new leader for each Sunday. Some- times a sermon is given in connection with the meeting. The Sunday School and the Young People's Meeting are distinct organizations. The Cullom Sewing Circle was organized March 27, 1919, through the efforts of Lydia Smith of Flanagan, then secretary of the Illinois branch of Sewing Circles, and Sarah McCulloh of Cullom. Nine sisters met at the church and the following election took place : Sarah Mc- Culloh, president; Martha Hirstein, vice-president; Lena Hirstein and Mary Koerner, material committee; and Su- sie V. Koerner, secretary-treasurer. Meetings were held the first Wednesday of each month at the homes of the members of the Circle, until January 1st, 1923, when the church building was used. Several hundred garments have been sent to Chicago; Peoria; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Russia. At present there are over a dozen members. The girls also attend during the summer vacation. The church attempted to hold regular weekly evening meetings. Although there was a good attendance at first 172 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS it finally declined until all lost interest and the attempt had to be abandoned before one season was over. The young people had social gatherings at the homes in form of "singings and conversation" and later intro- duced programs and formed a literarv society. The first one was organized about 1914, with Lewis Appel, presi- dent; John Shantz, vice-president; and Susie Koerner, sec- retary-treasurer. The Shantz brothers, Lewis Appel, Ed- ward Drange, and others were its promoters. Programs consisted of debates, speeches, singing, readings, and es- says. This work gave the young people training and exer- cised their talents along various lines. After several years it was discontinued until 1922, when the young people again felt that they needed something to provide social activity and development of literary ability. They reor- ganized in April, 1923 with Henry Koerner, president; Lewis Appel, vice-president; and Minnie Koerner, secre- tary-treasurer. It continues to the present time and tends to hold the young people in the church. The church first became interested in mission work about 1895 when Aaron Loucks gave a talk on missions at a conference held in the local church. S. F. Coffman also brought the matter of the Chicago Mission before the Cullom people. The missionaries that have gone from the local church are Elsie Drange Kaufman and Esther Ebersole Lapp, the latter also being claimed by the Science Ridge Congregation. There is no local church member on any of the mission boards or in any conference office. Communion is held twice a year in the Spring and Fall. A council meeting always precedes it, being either private or open. Generally a preparatory sermon is preached prior to the communion and feet-washing is al- ways held in connection with it. Harvest Meeting and Children's Day have been observed. Programs have been given on the Fourth of July, Christmas, and Easter. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 173 These are observed by children's programs, and speeches on vital questions of the day. The church and Sunday School conferences have been held in Cullom several times in the following years, 1890, 1895, 1900, 1910, and 1916. Bible conferences and nor- mals have been held with partial success. The first one was in 1910 under the leadership of D. D. Miller and I. R. Detweiler, the next one in 1913 by Honderich, McCulloh, Orendorf, and Slagel, and another one in 1916 by D. A. Yoder and J. S. Shoemaker. Many members have gone out and started other churches such as Alpha, Minnesota; Tuleta, Texas; Plain- view, Texas; Filer Idaho: Marion, Ohio; and settlements in Missouri, Indiana, and Kansas. CHAPTER XVIII EXTINCT CONGREGATIONS The Gardner Congregation 1 In the early sixties, perhaps before, a settlement composed of "Pennsylvania-Dutch" from Ohio and Penn- sylvania was made in Grundy County, Illinois on the farms near the town of Gardner which at present has a popula- tion of less than a thousand, and then had less than two hundred. For a number of years the services were held in a school house. John G. Bachman, then an aged man, was the first minister, ordained in 1863. Since he spoke only the German there was some demand for an English preacher. Bishop John M. Brenneman of Allen County, Ohio, the traveling missionary of the day who visited a great number of scattered churches which had been left to shift for themselves, visited this little church at Gardner, holding preaching and communion services for them. Tak- ing a council of the church two candidates were presented. Since both English and German preaching were in demand, by special consent of the members it was decided to or- dain both John F. Funk and Henry Shelly for English and German respectively. They were ordained May 28, 1865. One Sunday each month John F. Funk of Chicago made the trip of sixty miles on a freight train to conduct the English services. Two weeks later the two resident min- 1 Information furnished by John F. Funk, Elkhart, Indiana, interviews with the descendants in the community, and files of the Herald of Truth. 174 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 175 isters had charge of a German service. There never was a Sunday School or evening meetings as these were as yet opposed in Mennonite districts. The membership of about twenty was composed of the following families: Buchwal- ter, Showalter, Tinsman, Kulp, Shelly, Whitmore, and Bachman. Some years after the organization of the church they erected about two miles west of Gardner a little white frame meeting house which seated about one hun- dred and fifty persons. The church, however, was not a growing congregation. In contending with various diffi- culties that presented themselves the congregation declined. Samuel Yoder writing in the Herald of Truth has the following to report: "On Sunday, December 30, 1884 in the afternoon, the brethren Christian Shantz and John Snyder, with their wives and Brother Haun, accompanied me to Reddick in Kankakee County where Brother Shelly lives. We had rather a wearisome journey, as the road was rather bare in places for good sleighing though we arrived in good time, and had a meeting in the Methodist Church that evening. The next day, Monday the 31st of December, 1884 I went to Gardner. The once thriving church in this vicinity is reduced to only four members, all of whom I visited. They are widow Tinsman, Sister Showalter, Lewis Culp and wife. I attended two meetings in this vicinity at a schoolhouse, and trust that these meetings may be the means of doing some good." The members, including the minister Shelly, moved to other localities while some joined with other denomina- tions. The last resident members were Lewis Kulp and family. He desired to be where he could enjoy the fellow- ship and society of a brotherhood so moved with his family to Elkhart, Indiana, where he became very active in church work. Finally, he disposed of the old Gardner Church building to a Norwegian family for a dwelling place and turned the money over to the Indiana-Michigan 176 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Mennonite Conference building fund. Thus the Gardner Congregation ceased to exist. The Old Chicago Congregation 2 The Herald of Truth was first published in January, 1864 by John F. Funk, a young Mennonite from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who was engaged in the lumber business in Chicago. A number of the German copies were sent to Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and Russia. A year or more later a Mennonite brother by the name of Peter Neff from Chicago, formerly from Europe, made a visit to his friends and relatives in Baden, Germany, and there found copies of the paper published in his own city in America not a mile from his own residence. Upon be- ing questioned concerning the paper and its editor he had to admit his ignorance of both. However, as soon as he returned to Chicago he in- vestigated the matter. Neff and Funk were thus brought into acquaintance. They decided to hold religious services at least once each month for the benefit of the Mennonite people that were hidden among a population of a hundred thousand in this western city. Some time later when Neff was remodeling his residence located a little south and west of the present entrance to Lincoln Park, he arranged for an addition large enough to hold services. The extra cost of eight hundred dollars was shared equally between the two promoters, Neff and Funk. This was the first Mennonite Church in Chicago. It was not the work of a missionary society because no or- ganization of that kind existed in the entire church at that time. John F. Funk who had been ordained at Gardner in May, 1865 did the preaching until his editorial and publication duties became so heavy as to preclude him 2 Information from correspondence and interviews with John F. Funk, Elkhart, Indiana. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 177 from giving attention to the little congregation of about twenty members. Funk moved to Elkhart, Indiana in 1867. When the Great Fire swept Chicago, October 8, 1871, consuming four miles of wooden buildings and de- stroying property at the rate of $110,000 per minute, the store and buildings of Brother Neff were burnt. It being necessary for Neff to direct his attention to other work, the church rooms were not replaced and the little band was scattered. Part II THE AMISH-MENNONITE CONGREGATIONS CHAPTER XIX THE AMISH GENERAL CONFERENCE In order to understand what brought the Amish Gen- eral Conference into being a bird's-eye view of the Amish throughout the United States will be given. During the period from 1862 to 1878 annual confer- ences attended by most of the Amish bishops, ministers, and deacons in the United States and Canada were held by the Amish Church. In doctrine there was not much difference between the Amish and the Mennonites. Both adopted the Dort Confession of Faith of 1632 as the best expression of their faith. The Amish, however, insisted on a more rigid application of the ban and the practice of "shunning." They held no conference and each community was inde- pendent of every other in its church government. Like the Mennonites they had developed a strong denominational spirit. They always settled in small colonies and thus came very little into contact with outsiders. They were in many respects even more conservative than the Mennonites and slow to adopt new customs, whether in their daily living or in religious worship. In Europe they had had no meeting houses. Religious serv- ices were always held in private houses. When they came 179 180 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS to America, at first necessity and finally^custom fixed the same practice here. Meeting houses before 1850 were everywhere looked upon as worldly and few were erected. Since the members of the congregation often were scat- tered over a considerable territory and some had as much as fifteen miles to go to the place of meeting, the members with whom the congregation met served dinner to all those present. Services were generally long, lasting until late in the afternoon, and were conducted in the German language, or in the East in the "Pennsylvania-Dutch." Preachers usually were plentiful. The Partridge Congrega- tion in Illinois at one time was blessed with thirteen, four "of whom were bishops. Usually three or four took part in the service. Preachers and other church officials were chosen by lot and were of three classes, "Vollige Diener" or bishops, "Diener zum Buch" or preachers, and "Armen- diener" or deacons. The old hymn book, the Ausbund, popularly known as "Das dicke Liederbueh" (the thick songbook), was still used exclusively in religious worship. In their singing all sang the melody "einstimmig," as it was called. To sing the four parts seemed worldly and hence was not permitted. The use of notes with the hymns was a rather modern innovation and so made no headway against the older custom. The conservatism of the Amish manifested itself es- pecially in their personal appearance and manner of dress. No jewelry was allowed. Pride is apt to show itself most conspicuously in bodily adornment, and hence in order to be "unworldly" which frequently meant to be unlike other people, they were slow to adopt any changes and fre- quently went to extreme lengths in customs. Clothes were home made, of prescribed material and cut. The men wore no suspenders, for these were considered useless and worldly innovations long after they had come into com- mon use among their fellow men. The most conspicuous THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 181 deviation from the usual customs of dress was the use of hooks and eyes instead of buttons on their coats and vests. This was also a relic from an earlier day when buttons were unknown. But at the time of the Amish schism in 1693 both parties wore hooks and eyes. It was not a point of difference originally; Mennonites merely abandoned the custom sooner than did the Amish. Every young man also was required as soon as he was able to grow a beard, but was not permitted to wear a mustache. The hair was worn long and was cut according to a prescribed rule. The women, likewise, were extremely plain in their clothes. Their dress was of a single color, usually black or a dark shade, made with a cape over the shoulders and always accompanied with an apron. On their heads they wore the old fashioned, long, "slat" bonnet. During meeting or prayer and often continuously they wore black or white caps as a devotional covering. It was the custom for the preacher to carry the marriage proposal from the young man to the young woman without these having had any previous courtship. In their homes and in their everyday life the Amish were equally plain and simple. Pictures, curtains, carpets, and everything that did not serve some immediate useful purpose was discarded as an evidence of pride. In the early half of the nineteenth century modern top-buggies and in some cases wind mills and other modern improve- ments and conveniences were often rejected as too worldly. The Amish, like the Mennonites, were opposed to higher education, but were in sympathy with such elemen- tary training as would enable their children to read and write. In spite of these peculiarities, however, the Amish possessed the sounder and homelier virtues to a high de- gree, and always won the respect and regard of those among whom they lived. In making purchases or borrow- 182 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ing money they were not required to give a note as their word was considered sufficient. They took no oaths but affirmed when necessary. No bad language or swearing was permitted. Difficulties were settled out of court but never by personal encounter. They were hardworking, in- dustrious, frugal, honest, and usually prosperous, owning the finest farms and best houses in their communities, al- though these were unadorned. Above all, they were de- voutly religious. Wherever a colony was located there a church was soon organized. Up to the year 1850, the Amish of America were one body and differed little in their social customs and re- ligious faith and practices. But by that time, owing to the new element from Europe, the lack of conferences and disintegrating influences due to the practice of settling in small colonies in various parts of the country, slight differ- ences both in opinions and customs began to creep into the church. The first question to arouse a general discussion was that of baptism. About 1850, Solomon Beiler, a bishop in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, declared that baptism ought to be administered in a running stream, and not within a house, as had been the practice up to that time. The ques- tion was taken up by others in the Kishocoquillas Valley, and created considerable discussion. Beiler's chief oppo- nent was Abraham Pitsche, another bishop in the valley. Under the leadership of these two men the discussion was kept up for the next ten years. The dispute was never compromised and resulted in a division of the Mifflin County Church. The followers of Pitsche are now called the "Pitsche" Church. In the meantime the question was taken up in other localities. In 1850 Jacob Yoder, a minister in Wayne County, Ohio, declared in favor of Beiler's views. He succeeded in getting a small following in his own county, THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 183 but was strongly opposed by the Holmes County churches which were still very conservative. Differences of opinion on other questions arose between these two communities. In 1860 one of the Holmes County adherents, in speaking of the Wayne County group says in "Pennsylvania Dutch," roughly translated as follows : "They do not consider the Abrath, that is the custom of the minister's withdrawing to the little side room be- fore services, as necessary. Sometimes the Abrath is held with open doors in the presence of outsiders. The Aus- bund, 'the old thick song book,' has been discarded and a new book of melodies introduced. They no longer use the prayer book. The Ban and Shunning are seldom practised. Pride, luxury, and worldliness prevail. They say that ex- ternal things do not count as long as the heart is right. Their houses are adorned lavishly. All this and other things have sprung up through the influence of J. Yoder and his followers. " It was for the purpose of harmonizing these and other differences which had arisen among the various churches of the country that a series of annual general conferences were inaugurated which were known as "Die- ner Versammlungen," (ministers' meetings). The first of these was held June 10-12, 1862 in Wayne County. As there was no other building available to accommodate the crowd the meeting was held in Jonathan Schrock's barn near Smithville, Ohio. At this session there were present seventy-two members from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Jonathan Yoder of the Rock Creek congregation, Illinois, was chosen as the moderator of this first Amish Conference. The question of baptism which had been the source of discussion for ten years, was considered. Various opinions were expressed without com- ing to any definite agreement. The churches differed on other matters as well. Levi Miller of Holmes County, 184 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS representing the conservative element, said that other sub- jects need consideration, such as lightning rods, photo- graphs, lotteries, large meeting houses, and insurance. That there was considerable dissension throughout the church at this time is shown by the fact that the con- ference appointed special committees to investigate the troubles existing between the congregations of Elkhart and Lagrange Counties, Indiana; Holmes and Wayne Counties, Ohio, and Champaign and Logan Counties, Ohio. Complaint was also made that the congregation in Butler County, Ohio permitted the use of musical instru- ments. The subject of "kleider-pracht" (fancy clothes) likewise received some attention. After a two days' discussion of these various subjects, evidently without coming to any definite conclusion on any of them, the conference adjourned to meet again the fol- lowing year in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. These meetings were held annually for 17 years in various states. In 1866 the conference was held at the home of John Strubhar near Danvers, Illinois. It is inter- esting to note that the following ministers of Illinois were present: from McLean County, Joseph Stuckey, Christian Gingrich, Michael Miller, Johannes Stehli, Kilean Kennel, Christ Nafziger, John Strubhar, Andreas Augstein, and Christian Rupp ; from Livingston County, John P. Schmidt, Jacob Wagler, Valentine Neuhauser, John Albrecht, and Christ Schlegel; from Tazewell County, Joseph Burkey, Jacob Hostettler, Andreas Rupp, Jacob Unsicker, Peter Rupp, Andreas Burkey, Joseph Burkey, Joseph Hostettler, Christ Nafziger, Noah Augspurger, Daniel Brenneman, Peter Guth, Nicholas Roth, Peter Roth, Christ Gerber, Christ Schertz, Michael Moseman, Daniel Roth, and Jo- hann Nafziger; from Woodford County, Jacob Zehr, Christ Risser, Jonathan Yoder, Michael Konig, Jacob Miller, Michael Kinsinger, Joseph Bachman, Jacob Naf- ziger, Christ Schertz, and Joseph Betzley; and from Bu- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 185 reau County, Joseph Albrecht and Andreas Zimmerman. 1 Michael Moseman and Nicholas Ropp of Wesley City congregation are in this list as this is just before they joined the Egly faction. The conference in Illinois was held a second time near Flanagan, Livingston County, in 1871. The following notice appeared in the Herald of Truth for May, 1871 : "We hereby inform all those who desire to attend the Amish Mennonite Conference, which is to meet on Whit Sunday, May the 28th, in Livingston County, Illinois that all those coming from the east will please stop at Chenoa, while those coming from the west stop at Gridley. We also desire to extend a cordial invita- tion to all the beloved brethren, both East and West to visit us at that time and attend the Conference and help to labor for the edification and upbuilding of the church, a closer union among us all, and that many cold and weary hearts may be warmed and encouraged. But if a single soul could be saved hereby, there would be more gained than all the world besides. Beloved brethren and sisters, let us all seek to do good and not grow weary, and we shall reap without ceasing. Let us all seek to do our ut- most to promote that peace which is from above for we may here already possess a foretaste of the heavenly peace within our souls, but how much more will our hearts re- joice when we shall see Him as He is. And if we possess peace among ourselves, we have the promise of being called the children of God, and if we are merciful to our fellows, we shall also obtain the mercy of God; but if we are unmerciful, we must also expect a God of justice to deal with us; for mercy rejoiceth against judgment." 2 1 This list is from Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 504 f. 2 From the announcement of the Amish Conference by J. P. Schmitt in Herald of Truth, Vol. VIII, No. 5, p. 73. 186 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Questions relating to the general policy of the church were discussed at these meetings. Generally discussions were plentiful, but definite decisions few. The decisions of the meetings were counted as merely advisory and not as binding regulations. One of the sessions held during the war decreed that no member could serve as a teamster in the army, neither could any one who had been in the war and had been disabled before he had been a member lay claim to any pension that might be due him. In 1868 it was decided that since the Amish were a non-resistant peo- ple, they could not deliver up a thief to the civil authori- ties for punishment. During several of the following years the trouble with Joseph Stuckey claimed some attention from the conference, but the later sessions with a few ex- ceptions are not of great interest. Among the leading spirits of these conferences were J. K. Yoder of Wayne County, Ohio, Jonathan Yoder and Joseph Stuckey of Illinois, John P. King of Logan County, Ohio, and Shem Zook, a layman from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania who frequently acted as secretary of the conference. Although these meetings may have been productive of some good, yet they failed to bring about the object for which they were first called — harmony among the various factions. The last session was held June 9-12, 1878 near Eureka, Illinois. The sessions were discontinued because of lack of interest on the part of the ministry, failure of the confer- ences to bring about harmony, and to a slight degree petty jealousies among some of the leaders. Some years later the General Amish conference was replaced by the three district conferences — Eastern, Indiana-Michigan, and West- ern. The Amish forming these district conferences became known as Amish-Mennonites. They maintained a slightly more conservative course than the Amish that followed Joseph Stuckey. CHAPTER XX THE WESTERN DISTRICT AMISH-MENNONITE CONFERENCE 1 In taking up the Amish-Mennonites it is necessary to return again to the original Bloomington-Peoria settlement of Amish in Central Illinois. There were nine original congregations as follows: 2 Partridge (1833), Dillon Creek (1837), Wesley City (1837), Delavan Prairie (1854), Mackinaw (1835), Rock Creek (1851), Hes- sians south of Danvers (1859), Gridley Prairie (I860), and Putnam County (1835). The foregoing historical treatise has disposed of these congregations as follows: Though the New Amish took away a few members from Partridge, Dillon Creek, and a few other congregations, yet these congregations continued as before functioning as Amish churches. When the Egly or Defenseless Confer- ence movement entered Illinois it took the entire Wesley City congregation bodily from which the Groveland De- fenseless Church developed. Besides it deflected a section of the Gridley Prairie congregation which developed into the Salem Church near Gridley. However the majority remained in the original congregation which continued as an Amish church. All nine churches had considered them- selves as members of the General Amish Conference (Die Diener Versammlungen) . 3 When the misunderstanding a- rose between this conference and Joseph Stuckey, the 1 Material chiefly from both English and German printed reports of Western District Amish-Mennonite Conferences 1890-1920. 2 See Book I, Chaps. VIII, p. 91 ff ; X, p. 120 ff; the diagram and the maps. 8 The General Amish Conferences are treated more fully in Chap. XIX. 187 188 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS North Danvers Church, the successor to the Rock Creek (Yoder) Church, was diverted from the main Amish cur- rent. The Hessian South Danvers Church being of a liberal character had taken its own course. These two congregations with their outgrowth and reenforcement from other Amish congregations developed into the Cen- tral Conference of Mennonites. Of the original nine congregations, at the close of the General Amish Conferences in 1878, (others had been established in the meantime), there were six who were still to be classified as Amish. However these congrega- tions, who formed the balance of the Bloomington-Peoria Amish settlement after the New Amish, the Defenseless Mennonites, and the Central Conference of Mennonites had taken their portions, had not remained strictly Amish. They had begun to discard "Old Order" customs and prac- tices though they could by no means be called liberal. Since they began to resemble the Mennonites the name Am- ish-Mennonites was eventually applied to them. 4 These Amish Mennonite churches had favored the General Amish conferences. When these were discontinued they still re- tained a desire for some form of conference. A conference was called in Illinois about 1882 to consider the attitude the Amish-Mennonites should assume towards Joseph Stuckey but no definite action was taken. The question eventually solved itself, as Joseph Stuckey never identified himself with any conference, and continued in his work of building up his own churches. A conference was called in 1883 to meet in the Cass County, Missouri, Sycamore Church, which was having trouble concerning the wearing of hooks and eyes instead of buttons. It seems strange that a question like this 4 See Book I, Chap. III. Since all Amish are Mennonites the full name would be Amish Mennonites. However the hyphenated form refers only to this par- ticular branch. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 189 should be made a subject for so much discussion. How- ever, it was great enough in those days to disturb the peace of many congregations, even causing division in places, and is still a disturbing factor among the more conservative Amish. The year following (1884) another conference was called to meet in Henry County, Iowa, at which time it was agreed to hold conferences annually from then on. The question of permitting brethren to wear buttons was again discussed. While the position of the church was not clearly defined, it was understood that wherever the wear- ing of buttons could be tolerated without raising a dis- turbance, it should no longer be made a test of church fellowship. This was the beginning of the solution of a most vexing question. It had the double effect of restoring peace to many congregations and of drawing the line of distinction more sharply between them and the more con- servative and "Old Order" branches. The question of shunning expelled members also re- ceived its full share of attention. After much discussion, it was finally agreed that the question be left open to the indi- vidual conscience of each member to assume such an atti- tude toward expelled members as he felt the scriptures required him to take. Thus fell the last barrier which sep- arated the Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites in doctrine. Yet they still retained separate organizations until 1920. 5 The first sessions of conference were marked for their extreme caution. On account of differences of opinion on vital questions, general regulations were not undertaken. They came together, not to give voice or direction to 5 This date refers only to the Western District Amish-Mennonite Con- ference; The Indiana-Michigan Amish-Mennonite Conference, form- ed in 1888, had been dissolved a few years before and the Eastern District Amish-Mennonite Conference, formed in 1904, was not merged until 1928. They were treated in Book I, Chap. III. - 190 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS church doctrine and work, but, as brethren endeavoring to promote a spirit of unity and good will, and seeking com- mon ground upon which to unite. 6 These ministers' meet- ings continued to be held annually until 1890 when the Amish-Mennonite congregations of Illinois and those far- ther West organized more definitely into the Western Dis- trict Amish-Mennonite Conference. The Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference held its meetings annually as follows: Location Moderators Secretaries Members Dates Sycamore Grove, Cass Co., Mo. Joseph Schlegel Joseph Byler 9 May 29-31, 1890 Fairview, Seward Co., Neb. J. K. Voder D. J. Johns John Smith J. F. Funk 18 May 28-31, 1891 Roanoke, Woodford Co., Ill Joseph Schlegel . D. C Yoder Joseph Rediger D. J. Johns 28 June 9, 1892 Sugar Creek, Henry Co., la. J. Schmucker Joseph Schlegel John Smith J. P. Smith 16 Sept. 22-23, 1893 Hopedale, Tazewell Co., 111. Joseph Schlegel D. J. Johns Daniel Graber John Smith 35 Sept. 14-15, 1894 Sycamore Grove, Cass Co., Mo. J. P. Schmucker Joseph Schlegel John Smith H. Rychner 24 Sept. 5- 7, 1895 Willow Springs, Tiskilwa, 111. Joseph Schlegel M. A. Mast J. Kurtz Daniel Graber 30 Sept. 17-18, 1896 Fairview, Milford, Nebr. S. Gerig E. A. Hartman L. J. Miller Daniel Graber 29 Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 1897 Sugar Creek, Henry Co., la. T. Schlegel D. J. Johns J. Smith C Z. Yoder 33 Sept. 29-30, 1898 Pleasant Grove, Tremont, 111. Joseph Schlegel J. P. Smucker Daniel Kauffman Daniel Graber 41 Sept. 14-15, 1899 Sycamore Grove, Cass Co., Mo. S. Gerig D. J. Johns John Smith C R. Gerig 29 Oct. 4- 5, 1900 Waldo, Gridley, 111. Joseph Schlegel D. J. Johns Peter Garber Daniel Graber 37 Sept. 26-27, 1901 Pleasant View, Milford, Nebr. S. Gerig John Smith Samuel Gerber Daniel Graber 33 Oct. 10-11, 1902 Sugar Creek, Wayland* la. John Smith Benjamin Gerig C Z. Yoder Samuel Gerber 40 Sept. 29-30, 1903 Hopedale, Illinois Joseph Schlegel S. Gerig Samuel Gerber Daniel Graber 38 Sept. 21-22, 1904 Sycamore Grove, Cass Co., Mo. John Smith S. Gerig Samuel Gerber Daniel Graber 22 Oct. 11-12, 1905 Roanoke, Illinois S. Gerig D. D. Miller D. J. Johns Daniel Graber 40 Sept. 26-27, 1906 6 Hartzler and Kauffman, Mennonite Church History, p. 307 f. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 191 East Union, Kalona, la. A. A. Schrock L. J. Miller J. S. Hartzler E. L. Frey 27 Sept. 19-20, 1907 East Fairview Milford, Nebr. S. Gerig A. A. Schrock Samuel Gerber Daniel Graber 41 Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 1908 East Bend, Fisher, 111. S. Gerig J. C. Birky S. Gingerich C. A. Hartzler 32 Sept. 22-23, 1909 Crystal, Kansas A. A. Schrock L. J. Miller E. L. Frey Daniel Graber 32 Sept. 15-16, 1910 Willow Springs, Tiskilwa, 111. J. C. Birky Samuel Gerber Fred Gingerich C. A. Hartzler 29 Sept. 6- 7, 1911 Sugar Creek, Wayland, la. A. A. Schrock Samuel Gerber Fred Gingerich C. A. Hartzler 45 Sept. 25-26, 1912 Sycamore Grove, Cass Co., Mo. Samuel Gerber A. A. Schrock Abner G. Yoder C. A. Hartzler 34 Oct. 7-10, 1913 Waldo A. M. Ch Flanagan, 111. . Samuel Gerber A. A. Schrock Simon Gingerich C. A. Hartzler 49 Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 1914 W. Union Ch. Wellman, la. Samuel Gerber Samuel C. Yoder Simon Gingerich C. A. Hartzler 46 Sept. 22-23, 1915 Milford, Nebraska Samuel Gerber S. C. Yoder C. A. Hartzler Simon Gingerich 45 Oct. 4- 5, 1916 Manson, Iowa Samuel Gerber S. C. Yoder C. A. Hartzler Sept. 27, 1917 Roanoke, Illinois Samuel Gerber S. C. Yoder C. A. Hartzler 42 Sept. 18-19, 1918 Garden City, Missouri Samuel Gerber S. C. Yoder C. A. Hartzler 62 Oct. 15-16, 1919 Pleasant Grove, Tremont, 111. S. C. Yoder Samuel Gerber C. A. Hartzler 64 Sept. 9-10, 1920 The churches composing the conference were scat- tered through the states of Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, and Illinois. The following were the congregations in the state of Illinois: Metamora, which was the successor to the Partridge Creek congregation; Pleasant Grove near Tremont, which was the Dillon Creek congregation; Roanoke and Good- field, the two congregations which grew from the original Mackinaw meeting; Hopedale which was the 'Delavan Prairie congregation; Waldo near Flanagan which was the Gridley Prairie church; Willow Springs near Tiskilwa, which had been formed by the original settlement in Put- nam county moving across into Bureau county; and East Bend congregation near Fisher which had been established later. There were also small congregations at Shelbyville 192 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS and Arthur but they are no longer in existence. The small congregation at Ohio Station may be considered as part of the Tiskilwa congregation. The succeeding paragraphs are composed of interest- ing material gleaned from the Conference minutes. At the 1890 session "The question of church rules" was considered of secondary importance and therefore was not entered for discussion. This is radically different from the attitude in the last session in 1920 when a detailed set of regulations was passed. This demonstrates the growth of conference authority. The first conference condemned farmers' or- ganizations, parties for the young people, and government war pensions. The use of English in the pulpit was ad- vised where it was best understood. However the confer- ence specifically stated that these rules were not binding. At the 1891 session church members were forbidden the privilege of holding any "worldly office" except school director, road master, and postmaster. Attendance at fairs was not permitted. The conference accepted the invitation of the Mennonites to work in unison with them through the Evangelizing Committee which was then in existence. Members from the Mennonite congregations were to be accepted into church fellowship if they presented a letter from their former church. The 1893 session frowned on horse-racing, owning of stock in companies, life insurance, musical instruments, "since it is not possible to glorify God by playing on a dead instrument," and political conventions. Young Peo- ple's Meetings or Bible Readings, which were being start- ed in various congregations were considered proper. The next conference urged them. It also resolved to put forth an effort for a general conference, a feeling for which was crystallizing among the Mennonites. Only "closed" com- munion was to be served. The conference of 1895 considered it right for wom- en to be Sunday School teachers but improper to fill the •c -4-» U Metamora Mennonite Church Roanoke Mennonite Church Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church near Tremont Willow Springs Mennonite Church near Tiskilwa 1 a, o X Waldo Mennonite Church near Flanagan East Bend Mennonite Church near Fisher Mennonite Gospel Mission in Peoria Mennonite Home for the Aged near Eureka THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 193 office of superintendent or minister. High Schools were questionable. Up until the 1896 conference no real busi- ness was transacted. The meetings consisted chiefly of the discussion and answering of certain questions placed before the body. But in this year the Western District was di- vided into five sub-districts with a bishop placed in charge of each. The conference of 1897 considered it out of accord with the gospel to cooperate with other denominations in Sunday School work or other religious activities. This is the first record to mention the matter of cooperation. Various committees reported at this session. The body favored a general conference for both Amish-Mennonites and Mennonites. The conference of 1899, though not propagating Sunday School and Bible Conferences, nevertheless sanc- tioned them. A committee, the first on record, was ap- pointed to adjust a difficulty existing in one of the churches. The conference of 1900 approved the sending out of Home and Foreign Missionaries. The first record of the conference having appointed a delegate to the Indiana (A. M.) Conference was at the 1901 session. The con- ference report was ordered printed. The conference of 1902 considered its bishops as delegates to the General Conference. The conference of 1904 elected four repre- sentatives to the directors' meeting of the Board of Chari- table Homes and Missions. The conference of 1905 de- cided to give support to the mission established in Kansas City and a trustee was elected to serve on its board. A proposal for making two conferences out of the Western District was rejected. The 1906 conference took a "spiritual" attitude in regard to "an Aid Plan." Beginning with this session the first Western District Sunday School conference was held. These conferences continued to be held annually with the 14 194 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS church conferences as long as the Western District re- mained intact. However, when the annual session was held in some distant territory, the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois cooperated with the Mennonite Sunday School conference held annually in that state. Eventually in 1919, the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois and the Illinois Menno- nites held their first joint Sunday School conference. The conference of 1907 appointed a member to the local board of the Chicago Home Mission. The 1908 conference approved the member that had been appointed on the Publication Board. The 1909 conference disap- proved of property insurance and lightning rods, "Since we believe insurance and lightning rods have a tendency to weaken our trust in God and the money spent for them could be used to better purposes." Musical instruments were not to be used in the home. The 1910 conference warned against the so-called Sleeping Preacher who had held meetings in Illinois. 7 The 1911 conference appointed a committee to have charge of the Sunday School conference. A suggestion to change the order of procedure at the annual session was rejected. Members were appointed to each of the Mission Commit- tees for the sub-districts. It was customary for the min- isters present at these conferences to give a word of testi- mony. Likewise the laity by rising to their feet bore tes- timony to the truth which had been spoken. Only the ministry was given the right to vote on questions and elect officers. The business was transacted in a meeting of the ministerial body before the conference program of ser- mons and inspirational addresses was given. The 1914 conference commended President Wilson for keeping America out of the war. The ministerial body resolved to discontinue the sending of delegates to 7 See Book V, Chap. LVI, "The Sleeping-Preacher Group." THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 195 the Indiana-Michigan and Eastern Amish-Mennonite con- ferences and instead to give a hearty invitation to all conferences who are of one faith to unite with them in conference and encourage all to visit other conferences. The ministers listed as members for the session show many from outside the district. The 1915 conference passed a motion that in future sessions of the conference, the first day be confined to a ministers' meeting for organization and arrangement of miscellaneous business. The conference sermon was to be preached and testimonies given in the evening session. The second day was to be devoted to the discussion of the questions in open conference. At the 1916 conference the Amish-Mennonite meet- ing house at Arthur was reported sold since the congrega- tion had been disbanded. The amount of $135.00 which had been received was divided equally between the Chi- cago and the Kansas City Missions. Three delegates were appointed to the General Conference. The 1918 conference appointed a member to the Mennonite Relief Commission for War Sufferers. The be- ginning, in an official way, of conference merging is shown in this resolution: "Whereas the congregation at Calkins, Montana, is so located geographically that they can more conveniently be shepherded by the Missouri-Iowa Mennonite Confer- ence, they request that they be released from this confer- ence to unite with the aforesaid sister conference. "This request resulted in an interesting and lively discussion of the geographical situation of the Western Amish-Mennonite Conference District; and how, instead of releasing these congregations from time to time, a closer union might be effected with sister conferences which are one with us in faith and practice and which cover the same territory. A unanimous sentiment was expressed in 196 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS favor of a closer and more effective cooperation in the future. With these things in mind the request of this congregation was granted." The 1919 conference discussed the inspiration of the Bible which was answered as being "plenary and verbal," that is, that the whole message is inspired extending to the very words and that the whole book from Genesis to Rev- elation is inerrant, authoritatively conceived in divine wis- dom, bringing to the world God's complete and revealed will concerning man; sufficient for all time. This leaves no doubt as to where the conference stood on the ques- tion of "Modernism" which was then coming to the fore- front as a theological and religious issue. A committee was appointed to draw up "dress regulations." The con- ference looked with disfavor upon the world-wide move- ment for church federation which was then at its height. Upon the question of merging and redistricting of the Western Conference the following answer was given: "Re- solved that we look with favor upon such action, provided it can be done satisfactorily to our membership. To this end we favor the appointment of twelve brethren who are to confer with similar committees appointed by the other conferences; that they investigate the question and the issues involved and bring their report to the next meeting of the conference for further consideration and action." The twelve men who were appointed consisted of the following brethren: Amos Troyer, C. R. Gerig, Fred Gingerich, Peter Kennel, Joseph Zimmerman, N. Birkey, L. J. Miller, Simon Gingerich, A. G. Yoder, Sam- uel Gerber, John C. Birky, and C. A. Hartzler. The last Western District Amish-Mennonite confer- ence was held September 9 and 10, 1920 at Tremont, Illi- nois. Short Bible Normals for the purpose of giving defi- nite Bible instruction, as suggested by the Illinois Conference of Mennonites, were sanctioned. The plan for the merger THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 197 as reported by the merger committee was accepted. 8 How- ever since final arrangements had not been made and also because the Mennonites were with them in meeting the conference transacted its business as if it were to continue in operation. A general Sunday School secretary for the district was elected. The eight Amish-Mennonite congregations in Illinois who were members of the Western District Amish-Men- nonite Conference as described above will now be treat- ed in their order of origin; namely, Metamora and Har- mony, Pleasant Grove near Tremont, Willow Springs near Tiskilwa, Roanoke, Goodfield, Hopedale, Waldo near Flanagan, and East Bend near Fisher. 8 The merger of the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois and the Illinois Dis- trict of American Mennonites is treated more fully in Chapter XXXV, The Conference Merger. CHAPTER XXI THE METAMORA AND HARMONY CONGREGATIONS 1 When the original Partridge Creek or Spring Bay congregation 2 moved eastward it became the "Metamora" Church, the name of the township in which it is located. In former years it was known as the Partridge Amish-Men- nonite Church because it was an outgrowth of the Par- tridge Church. The name was shortened later, and the church referred to simply as the Amish-Mennonite. The term "Amish" was dropped when the Amish-Mennonite and Mennonite Conferences united in 1920. The first settlers in this community were immigrants from Alsace who arrived in 1831, and located along Par- tridge Creek, between Spring Bay and Metamora. Among these were Joseph Belsley and John Engel. In 1833, more immigrants came and joined this small colony. In this group were Christian Engel (father of John), Peter En- gel, and John and Joseph Virkler. These settled near Metamora. In the same year another Joseph Belsley, Christian Smith, and John Kennel settled near Spring Bay. Between 1834 and 1850, many more immigrants came such as the ancestors of those families now bearing the names of Schertz, Bachman, Naffziger, Litwiller, Camp, Summer, Gerber, Oyer, Springer, and Imhoff. These peo- ple sought religious freedom and a home where military training was not compulsory. The Partridge community was comparatively easy to reach. The settlers came by 1 Material from files of Herald of Truth and Gospel Herald; C. Henry Smith, Mennonites of America; interviews and correspondence with a number of the members of the Metamora Church; and manuscript from Arthur Smith, Eureka, Illinois. 2 Concerning this early church see Book I, Chaps. VIII, X. 198 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 199 way of Pennsylvania, down the Ohio river, thence up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers to Peoria and Spring Bay. Others came by way of New Orleans up the Missis- sippi river. The church was organized by Bishop Christian Engel, in the home of his son John Engel, one mile west of Metamora, in 1833. Services were held in the homes until 1854, when the brick Partridge church was built. Chris- tian Engel was the first Amish bishop in America west of Ohio. He was ordained bishop in Alsace, and came to Illinois in 1833, where he lived with his son John, one mile west of Metamora. For three years he was the only bishop of this settlement. He died in 1838. The Partridge settlement, which is the foundation of the present Metamora church, held services in its church house until a new church was built in 1889 one and one- half miles east of Metamora. Occasionally thereafter services were held in the old brick Partridge Church but it was finally deserted. The ground on which the Metamora Church stands was donated by Christian Camp. This church alternated services with the Roanoke Church until the Harmony Church was started. In 1911 a new building was erected on the same location. The following is a list of bishops, 3 ministers and dea- cons that have served in the pulpit down to the present time: Bishops Andrew Bachman Joseph Bachman Peter Beller Christian Engel Joseph Engel Christian Esch John Gingerich Peter Gingerich John Naffziger Joseph Mourer Andrew Schrock Ministers Andrew Ebersole Christian Garber Peter Garber Peter Gingerich Christian Schertz Henry R. Schertz Peter Schertz Peter Sommer Deacons Joseph Belsley Christian Naffziger Edward Oyer Joseph D. Schertz George Sommer ■ Biographies of the early bishops will be given as far as available in the biographical section at the end of the book. 200 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The ministers were formerly chosen by lot, now be- ing voted in by the congregation. Candidates are chosen by the ministers, and then left to the vote of the congre- gation for the final choice. Office is held for life if the per- son does nothing contrary to the principles of the church. In cases where some offense is committed, the office may be taken away by the congregation. The first Sunday School was started about 1883 in the Partridge Church. It was held in the afternoon, the first session being led by Emanuel Hartman. The school had no lesson helps but merely studied from the Bible. There was much opposition when the Sunday School first began but this has changed since. Due to lack of interest in the afternoon meetings they were soon changed to the morning and preceded church services. The Sunday School at present is much interested in mission work. Certain classes support Bible women in India while individuals support orphans. The Sunday School as a whole gives annually a definite amount to- wards the support of C. D. Esch, medical missionary in India. One of the most active Sunday School workers in the Metamora church was Joseph D. Smith. He was superintendent of the Metamora Sunday School at various times for 25 years. Henry R. Schertz was also an active superintendent. Sunday evening meetings were not held in the Par- tridge Church. Shortly after church services began in the Metamora Church, Sunday evening services were intro- duced. George H. Sommer was the first superintendent. There was some opposition to these meetings for a num- ber of years, but never enough to cause them to be dis- continued. They came into favor gradually. The purpose of these meetings was to give the young people a chance to explain or talk about some part of the Bible. The at- tendance varies from 30 to 100. The meetings are con- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 201 sidered quite successful. Many have become interested in church activities by the opportunities afforded them at these "Young People's Meetings." The first sewing meeting, known as the Harmony Sewing Circle, met at the home of Ferdinand Schertz, December 5, 1907, for the purpose of preparing clothes for the poor, to be distributed by the city missions. The circle met for several years and then was discontinued for a time. In 1918 a circle was formed with the women of the Union Church near Washington and for that reason it was called the Union-Metamora Sewing Circle. 4 The church attempted to hold regular meetings on certain evenings during the week but never succeeded. For instance in 1914 meetings were held on Wednesday eve- nings at the Harmony Church. A small book was studied which outlined the lives of noted Bible characters. They were called Bible Study meetings. Owing to the small at- tendance, which was from 15 to 30, they were discon- tinued. The Metamora Church was a charter member of the Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference and con- tinued active in the Conference until that was disbanded. It then became a member of the Illinois Mennonite Con- ference. It supports the General Conference in every way. The Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference was never held at Metamora. Before the conferences were merged and when the Mennonite Conference was held at the Union Church near Washington the Sunday School part of the conference was held at the Metamora church. Although the church has grown during the past twenty years its growth was not as great as it should have been. No doubt the strict church discipline has resulted in the loss of some of its members who joined Central Con- 4 See Book II, Chap. XIII. 202 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ference churches. The present membership is two hundred seventy-six. When the New Amish came to Illinois in 1852 a few of the Partridge members left the church and joined that movement. On the whole however the Partridge Church was not seriously disturbed by them. In 1868 a Central Conference Mennonite Church was formed near Wash- ington, later known as the East Washington Church (now Calvary Mennonite), 5 by Joseph Stuckey. This took a number of members from the original Partridge Church. For many years services were held every other Sun- day. On the intervening Sundays the services were con- ducted at the Roanoke church house. The Metamora and Roanoke congregations together purchased an old Baptist church seven miles north of Eureka in 1905. The next year it was rebuilt and called the Harmony Church. When the Roanoke congregation built its new church house it left the Harmony work in charge of Metamora. Services were regularly held each alternate Sunday in the Metamora church. On intervening Sundays the congregation divided and one part met in the Union Church near Washington and the other in the Harmony Church. In 1929 both Har- mony and Union meetinghouses were closed. 5 See Book IV, Chap. L, the Illinois Congregations of the Central Con- ference. CHAPTER XXII THE ROANOKE CONGREGATION 1 Another part of the Bloomington-Peoria settlement of Amish was made along the Mackinaw river beginning in 1829. 2 The settlers came from Ohio, Alsace-Lorraine and Germany. The rich fertile prairie land of this dis- trict was the chief inducement. Among the early settlers were David Schertz, John and Christian Risser, Peter Bels- ley, Peter Kennel, Christian Yordy, Joseph Rediger, John Tischer, Joseph Birkey, Christian Schrock, and Joseph Zentner. In the early days the best market was Peoria, some twenty miles distant. Later in the sixties the Streator-Pekin branch railway passed through Roanoke and Eureka, and also the Toledo-Peoria and Western Railway through Eureka, which made marketing facilities much better. The public highways, especially in wet weather, were unspeak- ably poor. The farm machinery was all of the simplest type, and as improvements were made, gradually came into use among these sturdy, thrifty settlers. The congregation, formed soon after the settlement began and called the Mackinaw meeting, covered an ex- tensive territory on both sides of the river and farther north than the present town of Roanoke. The Rock Creek Congregation 3 under the leadership of Jonathan Yoder began to meet separately as it was more convenient, and 1 Information about this congregation from R. J. Schertz and C. F. Der- stine aided by Joseph Yotty, C. S. Schertz, and Peter Schertz; files of Herald of Truth and Gospel Herald. 2 See Book I, Chap. VIII, "Creek Settlements." 3 See Chap. XL VIII. 203 204 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS developed an independent existence. The Mackinaw meet- ings were held in the various homes in rotation. When the Rock Creek Congregation relocated north of Danvers in 1872 the southern portion of the Mackinaw Meeting used the old church of this group. The other portion con- tinued to meet in the homes. This led to the creation of two congregations. The same preachers ministered to both congregations during the formative period. Bishop Christian Ropp of Hudson, at a meeting one Sunday in the grove on the David Schertz farm near the present site of the church, proposed the idea of building another church for the members in the vicinity. A vote was taken and carried with but one dissenter. Peter Ulrich said he would refuse to cross the door sill should the new church be built. It is interesting to note, however, that not only did he pass over the sill which he had so seriously denounced, but he actually became an active worshiper. The church was built during the summer months of the year 1875 and was dedicated the latter part of August of the same year. The builder of the church was James Smith from Washington, Illinois. Christian Schertz do- nated an acre of ground for the site. This building was replaced by a fine new brick structure in 1920. It is a very practical and useful building for worship and Bible School. This church edifice was erected with the idea that it was not consistent to build useful barns and fine homes, and retain a second-rate building for the service of God. The idea in construction was neatness, utility, and service, a- voiding the elaborate and showy. The building has a high ceiling with good acoustics, containing a small side room which can be used to accommodate the overflow whenever necessary. It also contains a mother's room with the nec- essary equipment for the convenience of the mothers and the comfort of the children. There is a spacious basement with one room which is used for Junior meetings, also THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 20S rooms for the convenience of men and women, and a primary room for the youngsters. Large entrances make ease of entrance and exit possible at two places. Jacob Zehr, the cooperating bishop, was considered bishop of the Mackinaw congregation, and Christian Ropp bishop for the Roanoke congregation. The first minister serving the congregation before the church was built was David Schertz. In 1867, Christian Risser, Senior, and Joseph Wagner were ordained to the ministry at Christian Schrock's place, a short distance east of where the church now stands. Risser died at Eureka, January 14, 1923, at the age of 103 years. He was an active worker in the church during the entire fifty-six years of his ministry, with the exception of four years which were spent in Mis- souri with his daughter, and his last few years because of his advanced age. Christian Schrock was chosen deacon, and Joseph Rediger minister. They both moved away later. Peter Zimmerman was then ordained to the ministry. He moved to Kansas and Missouri for a time, but later returned to Roanoke and was again minister till about 1906, when he went to Shelby County and was ordained bishop in the Sleeping Preacher Church. As his home church would not accept this ordination, he withdrew, and started in Linn township what is now called the Kennel or the Linn Con- servative Amish Church. 4 He remained bishop of that congregation until his death. In 1887, John Smith and C. B. Reisser were ordained ministers. A few years later Smith was ordained bishop, which office he filled faithfully until the time of his death, July 6, 1906. The Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference later appointed him bishop of all churches in Illinois that had no resident bishop. C. B. Reisser who * In "The Sleeping Preacher Group," Chap. LVI, see the Linn Con- servative Amish Congregation. 206 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS had first been a deacon served as minister until a few years ago when the church silenced him for misconduct. He withdrew from the church and joined the Valentine Strubhar congregation, east of Washington, but not as minister. In 1895, C. S. Schertz and Peter D. Schertz were ordained ministers; both are still serving in this ca- pacity. Ezra Yordy was chosen minister by vote, July 9, 1916. C. F. Derstine moved in from Pennsylvania in 1915, and in 1922 was ordained bishop. He moved to Kitchener, Ontario in 1924. Ezra Yordy was ordained to the office of bishop, September 11, 1925. The ministers were elected either by ballot or by lot. Peter Zimmerman was selected by lot, John Smith and C. B. Reisser by ballot and lot. There being four candidates in the ballot, it was necessary to use the lot, Smith and Reisser being thus chosen. C. S. Schertz and Peter D. Schertz were elected by ballot. Ezra Yordy was also selected by ballot while Derstine was selected by lot when ordained bishop. Three men were elected to have charge of the church property. These men were called trustees. David Ulrich and Joseph Zentner were two of the first who served in this capacity. Ulrich served 22 years, and Joseph Zentner served until he moved to Champaign County. Christian Wagner and Joseph Wagner served many years as trus- tees. In 1910, it was decided to change the date of the annual business meeting which was always held on Thanks- giving day, to the first Saturday in December. The three trustees were each to select a man as candidate for trus- tee. These three being voted on, the one receiving the highest number of votes was elected for three years. The outgoing member's name was never to be chosen. Thus the same man did not serve two terms in succession. Each member was elected for three years, only one term expir- ing at the end of each year. At the close of each business THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 207 meeting the chairman and secretary were chosen for the next year. Money to meet the expenses of janitor, coal, light, and other things was secured by assessment on every member of the congregation. The church in general is very willing to help the ministers financially by giving money and supplies or by buying fuel. The sewing circle does sewing for the families of the ministers. The church responds very well to calls for help for various causes. About the year 1882, an effort was made to start a Sunday School with Peter Zimmerman as superintendent, but the attempt was unsuccessful and the school died after a few meetings were held at the church. The second at- tempt was made in 1883 with Joseph Hauder as superin- tendent. It again died, since the elder members thought that the younger generation was introducing something new. Sometime later, Sunday School organization was actually begun and continued from that time on. The original promoters of the Sunday School were: C. A. Schertz, John Smith, Joseph Hauder, P. D. Schertz, and Peter Zimmerman. The first teachers were: Joseph D. Schertz, Lena Dellenbach, Joseph Wagner, Sr., Mrs. Lena Schertz, Christian Yotty, David Ulrich, and Christian Schertz. There were eight classes and seventy-four pupils. All the classes were conducted in the German language, as it was thought expedient that each pupil should be able to read German. The Sunday School met every other Sunday, the sessions being held in the forenoon. The Sun- day School attendance has grown gradually until to-day it is about two hundred. The school is not now engaged in extension or mission Sunday School work. In the summer of 1923, a small Sunday afternoon class was started at the Centennial Chapel, a church about four miles from Secor, Illinois whose doors had been closed for some years. Sunday evening meetings were first held in 1901. There has been no opposition to these services. These 208 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS services were Bible study meetings, arid have not changed to any great extent. A superintendent has charge of the meeting on these occasions. The attendance ranges from 60 to 80. It is very successful as all the young people, with a very few exceptions, and some old people attend, regularly. It gives each one a chance to take part in the services, and in that way creates interest. It also gives the members a better knowledge of the Bible. Bishop John Smith rendered noteworthy service to this church and locality, and it is very appropriate that something be added to this chapter concerning his useful life. He was born November 27, 1843, in Worth Town- ship, Woodford County, Illinois. His father, Christian Smith, emigrated as a young man from Alsace to Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania, in 1829, and in 1833 joined the Amish-Mennonite settlement which had been started on the Black Partridge Creek in Woodford County, Illi- nois, a few years before. In his boyhood, John experi- enced all the hardships of pioneer life, his early years being spent on his father's farm. In the summer he helped to sow the seed and reap the scanty harvest; in the winter he was in the woods cutting down the trees and digging out the stumps. Being the only son, he could not well be spared from the farm and so his opportunities for educa- tion were few. Like most of his contemporaries, he spent only a few short winters in school. He grew to manhood just in time to be subject to the military draft in 1864, and in company with several others was compelled to go to Springfield to prove that he was an "Amishman" in good standing thus being entitled to the benefits of the exemption clause which Congress had passed in favor of non-combatants. In 1865 he was married to Magdalena Schertz of Worth Township, who died January 25, 1898. Shortly after his marriage he located on a farm which he had THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 209 purchased three miles east of Metamora, Illinois. Here he spent the greater portion of his life and reared his family. In November, 1899, he married his second wife, Mrs. Lydia Albright. The next year he moved to a new home he had built one half mile west of the old home- stead, where he died very suddenly of heart failure on July 6, 1906. He was ordained to the ministry in 1887 by Bishop Christian Ropp, at the Roanoke church, and a few years later was elected by the church as bishop. The duties of his office often bore heavily upon him but he remained faithful to the trust committed to him. He was a man of slight education but with a good deal of practical wisdom, wide experience, and sane judg- ment. These qualities, together with his kind heart and peaceful disposition, brought him into demand as a peace maker in church quarrels. He often officiated in that capacity among the brotherhood, especially in the western states. He was talented with more than ordinary execu- tive ability, and in his circle he was usually considered a leader, not only in matters of religion, but in temporal affairs as well. His advice was often sought by his neigh- bors as well as by his brethren. In the faith and doctrines of the church he was sound, and by nature conservative, although liberal-minded enough to accept departures from the old order, when convinced that such changes would aid the welfare and progress of the church. He had the con- fidence of the young people and enjoyed being in their company. He took an active interest in the Sunday School and Young People's meetings seldom failing to be present at the services. In his later years Smith devoted nearly all of his time to the work of the church. As the other bishops of the state grew old and feeble, or died, their congregations were often placed in his charge. In this way he was chosen bishop successively of the congrega- 15 210 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS tions at Flanagan, Mackinaw, Tremont, and Arthur, in addition to the home congregations of Roanoke and Har- mony. Several years before his death all the congrega- tions in the state, not otherwise provided for, were placed in his care by the Western District Conference. Much of his life and thought was given to these churches, but he found time to visit the brotherhood in other states. His voice was often heard in behalf of the gospel in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio, and occasionally in other states. He was never idle, in fact the last day of his life was very active, a day that in many respects formed a fitting close to an active and useful life. He had always enjoyed the best of health, strong, and robust, never knowing illness, and his sudden departure was a shock to the entire community. The funeral was largely attended. Fully fifteen hundred people came from far and near to pay their last respects to their departed friend and brother. CHAPTER XXIII THE GOODFIELD CONGREGATION 1 The Goodfield Congregation was an outgrowth of the remnant of the Mackinaw Meeting after the Rock Creek and Roanoke congregations had been organized from the original colony. 2 This remaining part of Mack- inaw Meeting, a little before the time that Roanoke built its church in 1875, began to use the old Rock Creek church abandoned by that congregation which had erected a new building north of Danvers. The first settlers had located along the Mackinaw River in 1834. The first settlers in the immediate Goodfield community came about 1842, many others arriving in 1852 and 1853, most of them coming from the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. They came to better their conditions in agriculture, land being new and cheap. They endured many hardships, railroads i being almost unknown and far away. They settled mostly i along the river or in the timbered parts, the land having to be cleared of the then existing heavy trees. The prairie land was thought to be wet and unhealthy to live on. Some of the early settlers were the families Forney, Ropp, Reis- er, Zehr, Yoder, Sommer, Ehrisman, Klopfenstein, and Schertz. The first settlers induced some of their relatives to move from older settlements, but no large groups came in at any one period. The town of Goodfield itself did not come into being until 1888, when the Lake Erie and 1 Information furnished by Jacob Wolber, Deercreek, Illinois, also files of Gospel Herald. 2 Concerning the Rock Creek congregation of Jonathan "Yony" Yoder see Chap. XLVIII. Concerning the Roanoke Congregation see Chap. A.A.1I. 211 212 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Western Railroad, now owned by the Nickel Plate Rail- road, was built through that section of Woodford County. The church house mentioned above was located at the eastern border of the congregation, and among "The Stuckey people." The Western members decided they wanted a church house nearer their homes, and not wanting to hold church in their houses any longer, demanded that a church house be built. At a meeting in the rented church, the matter was brought up and as it was decided to build a church house to be located as nearly in the cen- ter of the then existing congregation as possible, the pres- ent site was selected. Three trustees were chosen to serve as a building committee, Andrew Ulrich, Joseph Zehr and Jacob Wolber. There was no one from outside the state present at this meeting. Bishops Christian Ropp and Ja- cob Zehr, and preacher Christian Risser were ministering to this church at this time. An acre of ground located at the edge of the timber wooded with hickory trees, was bought in the spring of 1883 at a cost of $50.00. The house, of timber with a brick foundation, dimensions 28 by 38 feet, and a council room 12 by 14 feet in the rear, was erected in 1883. The council room is now used as a Sunday School room for children. Later on an addition for cloak rooms was built on the front, 7 by 28 feet. The dedication services were held on the first Sunday of the year 1884. The church seats about 175 people. Not many sheds were built for carriages, because of the fact that the house was located in a grove where there was a natural windbreak. There is very little use for such sheds now as very few horses are driven to church at this time. The first ministers of this church were three in num- ber: Bishop Jacob Zehr, Bishop Christian Ropp, and Christian Risser. These same brethren ministered to the Roanoke congregation. They were natives of the original Mackinaw congregation. Ropp died in 1896, and Zehr in THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 213 1898. Risser died in 1923, at the ripe old age of 103, still assisting in the ministry of the Roanoke church. Sev- eral other ministers were chosen at this church among them being Peter Zehr, who moved to Fisher, Illinois, where he started the new East Bend Mennonite Church 3 in Champaign County, and Solomon Yoder who moved to Douglas County, Illinois, after a short period of service. At the same time that Yoder was ordained, Christian King was ordained, who is still in the work. Daniel Zehr was later ordained to the ministry. On account of the age of the above brethren, a young man, Jacob Zehr, was or- dained in 1895, and is the present active pastor. He speaks in the English language while the two former preached in the German. The church was in need of this as the young people did not understand German. The church property is under the control of three trustees. The building committee which was chosen for the erection of the church continued to serve as trustees, and held this office without change for a long time. A change was then made and a trustee now holds office for three years only, so that each year on Thanksgiving Day a trustee is elected or reelected. This church has no con- stitution or by laws, and there is no general committee which tries to correlate the various departments and ac- tivities of the church. Money is provided for expenses by an assessment of the members, each member being as- sessed the same sum. The minister receives no financial help, but in case he needs help, donations are given, so he does not suffer from want. This church has always helped as much as possible, but the membership not being finan- cially well off, no great help is expected. In proportion to their wealth they respond as well as other neighboring churches. This church went through the same changes of serv- ices and practise, as did the other churches before men- 8 See Chapter XXVIII, East Bend Mennonite Congregation. 214 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS tioned, hence nothing need be added here to outline the changes which took place. Soon after the church house was built a Sunday School was started. The first meetings were held in the church house, and were held in connection with the church work. The Sunday School has always been accepted as part of the church work. The first promoters of the Sun- day School were Peter Zehr, Christian King, C. W. Flei- ser, and a number of older members. It was first thought necessary to teach the young to read the German and to sing the German songs then in use, but this has been done away with, the English being used almost entirely. The first superintendent was Christian King. Many different men have taken active part in this organization since it began. C. D. Fleiser and Jacob Oyer have been superin- tendents for some time. Evening services were started a few years ago. There was some opposition at first, due to various reasons. This has all been remedied, and matters run very smoothly. There is no preaching at these services, an opening prayer by the minister, singing and some Bible study and reading portions of the Scripture, constituting the services. A leader is appointed for the season who has charge of all of the meetings and arranges the programs. These Bible meetings, or Young People's Meetings as they are called, are only held during the summer months, as the members live too far away to assemble in the cold season of the year. All of the young people and children attend these meetings, their parents coming as often as possible. The young people desire to have these meetings. There is no Sewing Circle connected with this Church at the present time, but following the war, one was con- ducted to make clothes to send to the needy. Sickness in the neighborhood brought it to an end, and it has not since been revived, though this organization did much good while in existence. The church has never attempted THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 215 to hold any regular weekly meetings on any definite eve- ning of the week, because the congregation is so small and scattered. The condition of the public schools has been fairly good since the church first started. The parents did not send their children regularly as they did not encourage education, and, being all Germans, they were opposed to the school in English. It has only been a short time since these people ceased opposing the High School. In fact, many of them are still opposed to it, although some of the young people are now attending. The church has only two graduates, one of whom is teaching. Three others are now attending the High School. One graduate is at- tending college at Eureka, Illinois. The High School has benefited the church since those who have had a High School education can be used in the church to better ad- vantage as Sunday School teachers and other officers. The majority of the people of the church are beginning to fa- vor the High School. Some of the members have attended Goshen College, though no one has graduated as yet. The church first became interested in missions about ten years ago. Communion is held twice a year by the Bishop appointed for this Church by the conference. There are no special services conducted on Christmas, Easter, Children's Day, or Rally day, and no social day is held by the church throughout the year. The Church has al- ways been a charter member of the conference, as it is only a part of the old Mackinaw congregation. Not being able to accommodate the large number of people at this time, and because of the small membership, the conference has never been held in this church. The church is very small due to the fact that there are strong churches in nearby towns. Christian Apostolic (New Amish) Churches are located at Mackinaw Dells and Goodfield where the latter has a very large member- ship. CHAPTER XXIV THE PLEASANT GROVE CONGREGATION NEAR TREMONT 1 The original Dillon Creek Congregation erected its first meeting house in 1879, in a rural area near Tremont, Illinois called Pleasant Grove. This has given it the name "The Pleasant Grove Church" though it is often called "The Tremont Church." The first families had settled in this region not later than 1833. Most of them came from Canada, traveling as did the Ropps by wagon and horse- back, others coming from Butler County, Ohio, while still others came from Bavaria. The Schrocks, and perhaps the Heisers, came up the Illinois river, by way of St. Louis. Roads were made by merely cutting down the trees and driving around the stumps. The first settlers located in the timber land and started farming where there was only hazel brush, as it was less difficult to clear the land. The first fields were but an acre or so in area. Un- less closely watched, herds of deer and flocks of blackbirds destroyed the crops. The first houses were made of logs, brick homes and frame structures being built later. In later years, also, as the people began to drain the prairie land, many of these people moved out to new locations establishing other churches, such as those at Hopedale and Fisher. 2 Oxen and horses were used for the farm work. Corn was planted by hand in rows made by a single shovel plow. 1 Information for this chapter was obtained from Bishop Samuel Gerber, John Eigsti, Lester Litwiller, S. Jay HostetJer, and several others. 2 See Chaps. XXVI and XXVIII. 216 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 217 There being no bridges, the streams were forded, the Illi- nois river being crossed by ferry. 3 The first bridge resting on two tree trunks was built across the Kickapoo Creek in 1829. It was 164 feet long, and soon needed repairs. No railroads were established at this time. Some of the staunchest church members were slow to get carriages and top buggies because of the de- parture from simplicity although they were among the first to buy modern farm conveniences such as binders, mowers, and cultivators, as soon as they were available. Andrew Ropp, the first bishop, was one of the first to buy modern implements, while Jacob Hostetler was the first to buy a two-horse cultivator, which had runners in- stead of wheels. The community gradually increased by immigration from the three places before mentioned. To- day, all roads are paved or oiled, being usable the year round. Railroad lines and grain elevators link the grain industry with the rest of the country. Andrew Ropp was one of the promoters of the church building. The committee in charge was Daniel Roth, Christian Eigsti, Andrew Ropp, (not the bishop), and Joseph Ropp. They really were the trustees, but were not elected as such. The church ground was donated by I. W. Ropp under the condition that it should revert to the original estate when no longer used for church pur- poses. The building is of frame construction, painted white. It has two small cloak rooms. A small room, back of the pulpit, was originally built for a kitchen, but instead 3 The following is a list of ferry charges over a century ago, which were probably about what the early settlers had to pay. These were taken from the "Peoria Star." Foot passengers, six and one fourth cents, man and horse twelve and one half cents, Dearborn sulky chair with springs fifty cents, one horse wagon twenty-five cents, four wheeled carriage with two oxen or two horses thirty- seven and one half cents, head meat cattle, horses, or mules, ten cents, hog, sheep or goat three cents, articles sold by bushel, rate per bushel three cents, and all other articles in equal and just pro- portions. 218 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS is used for a primary room, council room, or feet washing room as occasion demands. The seating capacity is about 150. The carriage sheds were built by the church, and then sold at an average cost price, about seven dollars, to the individual members, two being reserved for visitors. Some years later they were remodeled by the owners, the cost being shared equally. The church has its own burying ground, the land having been bought by five families and deeded to the church. As there was already a cemetery before this new cemetery was begun, some of the members objected to changing to a new one although it would be beside the church. The Bishop, however, favored the new one, so he, his children and their families procured the land and began to bury there. He deeded the land to the church, although this fact was not discovered until after his death. Oppo- sition to it then ceased, and the burial ground was given the name of the church. There is a reserve fund to main- tain the cemetery. The endowment at the present time is one hundred thirteen dollars. The interest on this, and the special offerings taken in the church, have served to maintain the cemetery. The church was dedicated in the latter part of Octo- ber, 1879, the dedication sermon being preached by Chris- tian Reisser of Eureka. A. Slagel preached in the after- noon. The ministers who have served this congregation are as follows: Andrew Ropp, the first minister and bishop, came from Canada to Pleasant Grove. He was the main- stay of this church for a long time, being a strong leader and helping the poor and the church with his money. He was followed by Peter Hostetler, 4 Peter Ropp, Andrew 4 Hostetler biography. Peter Hostetler ( ) came with his fa- ther, from Bavaria in 1849, to the Dillon Creek settlement in Taze- well county. When the Wesley City congregation went over to the "Egli" deflection in the late Sixties, Hostetler cast his lot with them. He was ordained about 1870 and was later elected their first Bishop. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 219 Birky, Daniel Roth, John Birky, a deacon Bachman, Jo- seph Litwiller, and Samuel Gerber, the present bishop. Gerber was ordained to the ministry on May 2, 1897, by John Smith and ordained as bishop May 21, 1911, by John C. Birky. The members of the church are taxed for running ex- penses in proportion to the amount of government taxes they pay. This usually amounts to about five per cent of the government tax. Those who have no taxes are expected to pay about one dollar. The church makes no provision for the ministers. The church has no systematic budget system, and keeps no record of amounts given to missions or various other organizations. It supports no individual workers in the mission field, but contributes to the general mission fund. The order of services was: Singing, Scripture read- ing and talk, prayer, singing, sermon, testimonies of other preachers and deacons, prayer, singing, dismissal. Until about ten years after the church was built the ministers always went into the "council room" while the first hymn was being sung to discuss matters, pray, and decide who was to preach. From four to six instruction meetings are held before the baptismal service. These services, or instructions, are open to the public. They are begun by a short devotional service, the candidates then being given instruction in the Articles of Faith. The teaching is usually conducted on Sun- day afternoons by the bishop and is in lecture form. Occa- sionally the convert may ask questions but this is seldom done in public. In former times, the converts were taken into the council room before the church services on Sun- day morning for several Sundays. One special public meeting was then held during the week for instruction. A person is considered a church member after baptism upon confession of faith. Moving away, or staying away, does 220 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS not dissolve membership. However it may only be dis- continued by request of the member. Members are never excommunicated before first being visited. In every case in the past they have admitted their guilt before being banished. If excommunication is necessary, the fact is an- nounced before the congregation. In cases where it is not clear whether the person should be excommunicated or not, the voice of the church is taken, or the decision of the Conference sought. For instance, when Dowieism was at its height, one of the ministers together with a number of others, left the church and joined Dowie. As some of these wished to retain their membership in their old church, the matter was brought to the Conference for de- cision. It decided to disown them. The first Sunday School was started about 1880, the services being held every other week. Church services were held on alternate Sundays, a practice which had been started soon after the church house was built. The first meetings were held in the church. The promoters of the Sunday School were Andrew Ropp and Joseph Ropp. The ministers at the time were Daniel Roth, Andrew Ropp, Peter Ropp, and Bachman. Andrew Ropp was the first Superintendent and Joseph Ropp the first assistant. There were six classes, three for women, and three for men. The Sunday School attendance was never large. The older people, believing the Sunday School to be for the younger members only, did not attend. The church membership is ninety-five, five of whom are under fifteen years of age, thirty young people, (both single and married), forty middle-aged people, and twenty older people. The present membership is as large as it has ever been. The membership of the church has not increased because Christian Apostolic (New Amish) churches and the Defenseless Mennonites (Egly), have taken a considerable number of members from the con- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 221 gregation. These congregations are almost entirely made up of former members of this church. Their departure from this congregation is perhaps due to the fact that the church lacked spiritual vigor. The new Churches appar- ently had more spiritual vigor, but also served to create greater spirituality in the old church. Some also joined the "Stuckey" Churches (Central Conference of Menno- nites) near Washington. CHAPTER XXV THE WILLOW SPRINGS CONGREGATION 1 NEAR TISKILWA The Willow Springs Congregation 1 near Tiskilwa, had its origin in a group of Bavarians, who settled in Put- nam County, especially in the neighborhood of Hennepin, in 1835, where they had settled after coming directly from Bavaria, Germany. Some few had come from Butler County, Ohio. There was good land in the Hennepin neighborhood and it was easily approached by water. Practically all the newcomers settled in the Hennepin and Granville neighborhood, later moving across the Illinois River to Bureau County, near Tiskilwa, in 1836. Some of them also moved to Woodford County. Others went north to Ohio or North Prairie. Those who moved to Bureau County did so because land was cheaper. Joseph Albrecht, in the fall of 1836, was the first person to cross the river. During his search for a new home much rain had fallen. The river rose rapidly and flooded a large area making it impossible for him to return. For a period of six weeks he was left entirely to his own resources. He depended upon wild game for food which he cooked over an open camp fire. For shelter he depended upon a brush shed which he made between two trees. After arriving 1 Complete and carefully prepared information upon this congregation was furnished by Ira Eigsti, Buda, Illinois assisted by the follow- ing persons: Katherine Albrecht, John Albrecht, Henry Albrecht, C. A. Hartzler, E. I. Culp, Emery Sears, Ed. Springer, Joseph Springer, Ruth Smucker, Esther Smucker, and Mrs. John Smucker. An account of the Eigsti family is given in the June, 1923, Chris- tian Monitor. Also see files of Herald of Truth, Gospel Witness, and Gospel Herald. 222 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 223 home safely he soon persuaded a number of his family to move to the new territory. The early settlers in the new location were : Christian Albrecht and family, John Burkey and family, the Zierlein family, Joseph Ioder family, the Rockes, the Nafzigers, the Gingerys, and the Shetlers. The land was fertile and good crops were raised. Not knowing the value of the prairie land at first, they settled in the timber land. They cleared much ground and built small two-room log-houses. They cut the small grain with the cradle and scythe, thresh- ing it with the flail. One horse plows were used until they moved out on the prairie, after which two and three horse or ox teams were used. Christian Albrecht, son of Chris- tian, was the first to try the prairie, in 1850, finding this venture highly successful. The people lived comfortably. Their grain gave them a medium of exchange, and they used it to secure necessary groceries and dry goods. There being no roads over the prairie, they went directly across country. Corn, oats, and wheat were raised, with wheat as the staple crop. They shipped the surplus, which was not much at first, to New Orleans by way of the Illinois and the Mississippi rivers. Jacob Albrecht wanted to try a different market, so took a load of wheat to Chicago in a wagon. This was more lucrative, but as the distance was too great, it was deemed inadvisable to continue these trips. Hennepin served as the regular trading center before Chicago was well devel- oped and until the railroad was built. Very little live stock was raised, but the surplus was butchered, dressed, and taken to Hennepin. Some took their stock alive to the butchering house at Lacon. In 1851 a saw mill, erected in Hennepin, prepared logs for house lumber. Some bought this lumber, others selected oak logs to be cut for the main timbers for the houses with pine for the siding. In 1852 the Rock Island 224 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Railroad was built through Tiskilwa. This furnished a better outlet for the grain and live stock, and farming was begun on a more extensive scale. When the first settlers came, land sold for five dollars per acre, if se- cured from private parties, and for one and one-fourth dollars from the government. Young men hired out for nine dollars a month. These early settlers had debts when they first came, but after raising a number of good crops, and by carefully saving in many ways, they were able to clear themselves of their financial obligations. New fam- ilies moved in from time to time, and the population in- creased. The land became occupied and the people scat- tered to the south, west, and north. They were very thrifty and prospered. Some owned as much as seven hun- dred acres at one time. Roads were built. The North Western Railroad built a line in the western part of this community near the Burlington Railroad already there. This congregation is not an outgrowth of another but had its beginning in another locality. The same people who lived at Hennepin later lived in the Tiskilwa neighbor- hood. At first services were held in private homes every six weeks and later every two weeks. When a resident min- ister was obtained services were held every two weeks in schoolhouses, alternating between two places, Providence and Lone-tree. The meeting for the purpose of organizing a church and building a house of worship was held at the Provi- dence schoolhouse. A church site was finally chosen about half way between the two settlements, as a compromise between the group who wanted it at Providence and those who thought it should be at Lone-tree. The building was erected in 1873, on a plot of ground owned by Jacob Eigsti, situated in the timber about one fourth mile west of the Willow Springs Cheese Factory. The building com- mittee consisted of David Musselman, Fred Zierlein, and THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 225 Andrew Burkey. The carpenter was Nauhein from Put- nam. The house was a one room frame building, standing north and south, about forty-five feet long, its width be- ing a little more than half the length, with a seating ca- pacity of about two hundred and fifty. In the summer of 1896, lightning struck the building, burning it to the ground. The pulpit was carried out by a non-member liv- ing near the Church. A new building was erected that fall upon the old foundation. There were two ante-rooms or cloak rooms. This did not furnish enough room and the basement was not large enough, so in 1907 a small addi- tion was built. The basement was then cemented. Soon after the new house was built the congregation considered names for the Church. Some suggested calling it by the name of one of those most instrumental in having the building erected. Others objected, on the grounds that it would not be appropriate to name a church after a man. The name finally selected was "Willow Springs/' which was considered appropriate because of a generous spring flowing in the center of a clump of willow trees nearby. The congregation is still known as the u Willow Springs Congregation," no change having ever been considered. Previous to the building of the new church there were several centers, one in the southeast known as "Lone-tree," another in the west by the name of "West Prairie or Providence," and that known as the "North Prairie or Ohio." Ohio kept its name, but the other two combined into Willow Springs. Soon after the church house was built, a long shed with compartments was built for the carriages. In 1918, this was torn down and a new general shed put up. The first sheds were owned by individuals, each one having a particular stall of his own. At present the compartments are not restricted. This has proved more satisfactory. The Church has its own burying ground, the two acres just north of the house being set aside for this pur- 16 226 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS pose. Mary Ringenberg was the first one to be buried there. The church committee has control of the lots and each family pays for the digging of the grave. There are only a few non-members buried there. At present there are one hundred and twenty-nine graves. The Central Conference Mennonite Church in Tis- kilwa is a departure from this congregation. Practically all of the people who composed the first members of the Tiskilwa Church either belonged to Willow Springs or lived in the community. The first minister in the Hennepin community was Jacob Burkey, a native of Hesse, Germany. He was well liked by the people, but had one outstanding weakness, a fiery temper, which overcame him occasionally. He came to Granville and preached whenever the people gathered together in the church building in town. He died at Gran- ville. The next minister was Holly, also from the German provinces of Hesse. He first lived at North Prairie, and later moved to Granville. He was a very good man and was well educated, having received training in Germany. Sometime after he began his active ministry, some Brenne- mans from Germany settled in the Hennepin community. They did not believe in future punishment, and being on intimate terms with Holly, convinced him of their views. Holly left the church and joined them, thus leaving the small group of Mennonites without a minister, until the services of a Nafzinger were secured tor a short time. The people, however, still held to their custom of meeting for worship, and since they had no church house, they met in private homes. Michael Kistler, 2 a minister from Congerville, was asked to come up and preach for them, (1857). He came several times a year, although 2 See Chap. L, the Illinois Congregations of the Central Conference. _ The South Danvers Mennonite Church. The Tiskilwa Mennonite is treated in the same chapter. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 227 services were conducted by the deacon between Kistler's visits. Kistler also held services at Granville occasionally. He was a very liberal-minded man, and for that reason the bishops in Illinois refused to ordain him as bishop. During the time Kistler had partial control of this con- gregation, dress rules were not enforced. He was lenient in church government, permitting each member to do much as he pleased. Prior to his coming, whenever a member married a person outside the church they could no longer hold mem- bership unless the other person joined the church also. Kistler permitted the members to remain, even though the one married did not belong to the Church. Before his arrival, Elizabeth Zierlein, who had been a member, was no longer permitted to commune because she had married a Lutheran. He reinstated her and received her children into the church by baptism, though her husband remained a Lutheran until his death. Kistler told the people they did not have to wear the hooks and eyes, and immediately after marrying a couple he told them he would have no objections to their taking part in dances. Since he was so liberal, some of the members refused fellowship with his church, and occasionally went down to Ropp's Congrega- tion at Tremont. Kistler, however, had some loyal sup- porters. He preached good sermons, but after some years, the majority became so dissatisfied with him that he was forced to leave. Afterwards he left the Mennonite Church. In the meantime, Andrew Ropp had been making trips to Bureau County. He lived near Pekin and be- longed to the Dillon Creek (now Tremont) Congrega- tion. 3 He started these trips in 1851 and conducted fu- nerals, held baptismal services, and officiated at weddings and communion services. He did not preach east of the river at Hennepin, but made several trips to Ohio Station. 3 See preceding Chap. XXIV. 228 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS When unable to come he sent someone else. He has been characterized by a few a^s a man who did more scolding, fault finding, and preaching on "dress," than preaching the Gospel. Yet many people were deeply attached to him. Ropp could not accept Kistler's views, and asked all those who had been baptized by Kistler to be baptized again, so they could be considered members in full stand- ing. With few exceptions the members agreed to this. Some did so in order to remain with their kinsfolk. Ropp considered Kistler an outlaw of the church, and would not permit any person who had been baptized by Kistler to commune until he had been rebaptized. A few refused and never rejoined, some never joining any church. Ropp came about every three weeks. The Tiskilwa people paid his carfare to Princeton. He baptized a large number. Joseph Stuckey also came to Willow Springs occa- sionally to preach. He was a widely read man, not as liberal as Kistler, and yet not as strict as Ropp. Ropp finally made arrangements to have Andrew Zimmerman from Woodford County move to Tiskilwa in 1855. Zim- merman was only a minister and Ropp still came for spe- cial occasions. He lived at Ohio, Illinois, but soon stopped preaching and moved away. Joseph Burkey, a minister in the Dillon Creek (Tre- mont) Congregation, then moved to a farm one half mile southwest of Providence in 1868. He had only three months' schooling, and that in Germany. He was ordained bishop in 1869. He was inclined to be strict, and believed it his duty to enforce the church rules. The sisters had to wear the veil and bonnet, the men being supposed to wear hooks and eyes on their clothing. Very few wore them, but as they could not be baptized unless they did so, they often borrowed coats with hooks and eyes to use for this ceremony. During his years of service, some of the young people began to show dissatisfaction because of dress regu- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 229 lations. Some of the young women did not like the idea of wearing distinctive garb, objecting to the bonnet and devotional covering. One man told his wife after having been to a public gathering that he would not take her out again to such occasions unless she wore something else because so many people pointed their fingers at her. The young women resented this attention and did not know what to do. They did not want to leave the church, nei- ther did they want to wear hats at the public meetings, and bonnets to church. Some thought that would be ''two- faced." Others took this as a solution to the problem. Some desired to do away with the bonnet and devotional covering entirely. They wanted to wear hats in the church house, instead of the prayer veil. The bishop would not permit this. Jacob Ringenberg was ordained as minister to help Burkey in 1889 because Andrew Oesch, who began his ministry before the church was built, had left for Ne- braska. Ringenberg was a kind-hearted man, avoiding all trouble, and never having any disputes with any one. He passed away in 1917. A number of young women, belonging to families of the congregation under Burkey who were not members, desired to live the Christian life. They wanted to join with the believers at Willow Springs, but did not want to wear the bonnet and devotional covering. Before the bishop would baptize them they had to promise to abide by the church and obey all its rules. They felt they could not do this, so they were not baptized. Not desiring to affiliate themselves with any other denomination, they were without a church. This condition existed for ten or fifteen years. Some of the young women joined other denomina- tions during this time. Those who did not were considered "lost sheep." The hope that another Mennonite church, slightly modified, would be organized was cherished by some. 230 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Later, some of the young people who were not will- ing to accept all the practices of the church went to Peter Schantz, the Central Conference Bishop who lived at Normal, and were baptized. Some of the ministers of this branch urged a number of the dissatisfied members of Willow Springs to proceed and organize a church at Tis- kilwa. 4 The parents of the children who were not willing to join the Willow Springs Congregation were anxious to keep their children in the Mennonite church therefore fa- vored this plan. Among those who were the most active in effecting an organization were: Elizabeth Albrecht, and husband, Mr. and Mrs. John Schrock, Daniel Albrecht and wife, Katie Unzicker, and Mrs. Andrew Burkey. The ministers who urged it were Peter Schantz, Allen Miller, J. H. King, of Carlock, and Lee Lantz, a bishop and evangelist living at Normal, Illinois. In the fall of 1911 he came to Tiskilwa and held evangelistic meetings, later organizing a church, and baptizing a number at that time. The meetings were held in the town hall. A Sunday School had been previously organized on October 28, 1911. On November 23, the church was organized with a member- ship of forty, and on May 18, 1913, a new building was dedicated which is being used to-day. Bishop Burkey and other members of the church felt that this movement was entirely uncalled for and premature. Chancy A. Hartzler moved from Garden City, Mis- souri, to a site near Willow Springs in February, 1913, to help in the church work. He was then a minister, and in the fall of 1914 Joseph Burkey ordained him bishop, in which capacity he is still devotedly serving. Ira Eigsti was ordained to the ministry on September 7, 1919, by Chancy Hartzler, and continues to serve. When the church felt that a minister was needed, a vote was taken and the man who received the highest 4 See Chap. L, The Illinois Congregations, The Tiskilwa Mennonite. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 231 number of votes accepted the spiritual office. There was a rule in effect in Germany that this position had to be ac- cepted by the one receiving the highest number of votes, and this seems to have been transferred to this country. When the members voted for a minister during the early history of the congregation, they picked out an honest man and looked more on the character than on the amount of education he had. Some did not want a man for minis- ter who was well educated, because in their estimation, the more learning he had the worse he was, and was less fitted for the office. At the ordination a bishop preached, and then laid his hands on the head of the one to be or- dained. This congregation has regularly followed the above described method. The bishop was overseer of the flock. He officiated at communion, baptism, marriages, funerals, and special meetings. The minister was to assist the bishop and be a minister of the Word to believers. He often gave testi- mony to the bishop's sermon. The deacon took care of the funds for the poor, the members giving for that purpose whenever they felt like giving, the deacon distributing the money to those who needed it. To-day there is no fund for the poor, but when money is needed for that purpose it is taken out of the general church treasury. The deacon also took care of the church finances, and to-day gives an annual report at the business meetings. He visited the sick and assisted at communion services, gave testimony, and preached. The duties of these officers have not changed much. Joseph Albrecht was the first deacon to be ordained by a bishop from Partridge. He served from the time of Jacob Bur- key until 1885, doing some preaching because on many occasions when the people met there was no minister present. He bought some books on preaching and studied so he could serve the people better when they asked him. He led in singing and if no minister was present, would 232 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS read a chapter, pray, and speak. The people were deeply attached to him. Christian Sears was deacon after Bur- key's services ended. Sears came from Bavaria, Germany, and settled in Woodford County. After serving as deacon a while he was ordained minister. He died in 1892. Henry Albrecht was ordained deacon by Bishop Burkey in 1892, and is still serving the church in this capacity. Money is provided for the running expenses of the church by an assessment, made according to the State valuation taken from the tax receipts. The members have been paying two mills on the dollar for some time. Mem- bers that do not have any property give two dollars, minors give only one dollar. If the minister is in need or has large debts, the church takes steps to help. Individ- ual members have given considerable help to the bishop. His hired man has been paid by the church for the last few years. The money for this was taken out of the running expenses. If the minister goes to the conference by rail his fare is paid out of the church treasury. The church responds quite liberally to outside calls for help though it does not have a systematic budget. A collection is taken monthly for the Chicago and Peoria Missions and another for general work. The District Mission Board made out a list of places to which to send the money, and the church has adopted this for their plan. Two missionaries to India from this congregation are sup- ported by it. As previously stated, the Willow Springs church house was built in 1873, and church services were held every alternate Sunday. Soon some of the members of the church became interested in Sunday School work, as a re- sult of some of the neighboring churches having started such schools. The sponsors of the Sunday School were Andrew Oesch, Henry Bachman, and Joseph Burkey. It was then decided that Sunday School would be held every THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 233 alternate Sunday and on the Sunday when no church services were held. Andrew Oesch was chosen as superin- tendent with Henry Bachman as assistant. Classes were organized and lesson helps and supplies were ordered from the Mennonite Publishing House at Elkhart, Indiana, pub- lished by John Funk. For the beginners a "Frage Buch" was used. The advanced pupils were given a "Bible His- tory" book with literature and questions. All discussions and instructions were in the German language. German seemingly was never fluently spoken by the majority of the people, and as the years went by and the young people went to school the English gradually crept into the School until in 1885 English lesson leaves were ordered with the German. From that time on the English increased and the German decreased, until to-day there is only one class using the German, the aged women's class, taught by Henry Albrecht. About 1890 the people decided to have Sunday School and church services every Sunday. Sunday School was held just preceding church, and each was to be in session half of the two hours. This plan seemed to meet the approval of every one and is still followed. The school grew gradually from a membership of fifty until to-day there are one hundred and seventy-seven enrolled. It has been conducted in much the same manner through- out the thirty years with a few changes to meet the in- creasing membership. In 1907 the church house was en- larged and room made for a primary department in the basement. Children from three to twelve years are en- rolled in this department. F. I. Smucker was the first superintendent and remained in office for a number of years. On the first Sunday of December the school meets to hold an annual election. This is done after the classes have had their discussions. The superintendents, secretary- 234 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS treasurer, and chorister, are elected at this time. The officers take their regular places on the following January. The superintendents and a committee appointed by the school meet with the ministers and deacons from time to time and appoint teachers for the classes. The following list gives the names of those who have acted as superin- tendents of the Sunday School: Andrew Oesch, Henry Bachman, John Ringenberg, Henry Albrecht, John Eigsti, John Smucker, Henry Stauffer, Jake Stauffer, John Stauff- er, August Schertz, Edwin Older, Joe Ioder, Ben Rocke, Alvin Smucker, Edward Springer, Walter Grey, Omar Staufter, Otto Ringenberg, Frank Smucker, Emery Sears, Fred Weilder, Henry Miller, E. Kauffman, and Carl Mag- nuson, Sunday evening meetings were first held soon after the church house was built. Various subjects were dis- cussed. Sometimes the leader assigned subjects, and some- times a number were given slips with references on them to read and give comments. The people did not respond very well, and after a year no meetings were held eve- nings. In 1912, evening'meetings were again started, and regular Young People's Meeting programs were con- ducted. So few attended that it was decided to meet every other Sunday evening. In 1923 the plan of having Young People's Meetings every Sunday evening was tried again, and still continues. This congregation has a sisters' organization, called the Dorcas Sewing Circle, which was organized in the spring of 1907. Mrs. John Eigsti, Mrs. John Gingerich, and Mrs. Frank Smucker were the promoters. The pur- pose of the Dorcas Sewing Circle is to help the poor in the district and in the cities. The Sewing Circle started with monthly meetings. At present a meeting is held the second Thursday of each month at the home of one of the members. The Sewing Circle has been able to clothe many poor people in the city. It has supported a Bible woman THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 235 in India, has helped clothe French and Belgian sufferers during the War, has given clothes to the Russian and Ger- man refugees, and has given some of the furnishings of the Old People's Home at Eureka, Illinois, besides fur- nishing one room at the Home Mission in Chicago.^ The largest membership at any time has been thirty sisters. The Sewing Circle is connected with the State Branch. The church has not done much in the way of week day meetings. Different types of meetings have been con- ducted at various times, but none of them lasted for any great length of time. Various social gatherings are held from time to time. t The singing in the church was formerly in the Ger- man language and in unison. Only a few of the songs were written with notes. The singing was all congrega- tional, and was led by any brother who wished to lead or could do so. Men always led the singing unless there was no man there that could. In that case a sister was given the privilege. Occasionally the songs were "lined' 1 by the leaders and sung by the congregation a line at a time. There was very little change in the singing until about 1894 when F. I. Smucker of Nappanee, Indiana, located in the community. He was asked to do some leading and being able to sing better in English than German, the larger number of songs he led were sung in English. It was also about this time that four parts were first^ sung. From this time on there was more and more singing in English. There has been no German singing since 1918. People were very much opposed to musical instruments, but as time went on their thoughts changed, and there is no opposition to musical instruments in the home at the present time, though none is used in church. In the earlier period of the church no special efforts were made to gain members aside from the regular preaching services, and such home teaching as was given by the parents. The same were the only means offered to 236 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS induce spiritual life. In the beginning preaching services were held several times a year, later every three weeks. After the church house was built, it was changed to every second Sunday. Still later it was changed to every Sun- day, and Sunday School was added, also Bible conferences, and Young People's Meetings. For several years there was a mid-week mission or Bible study class. The church plans to have evangelistic meetings at intervals of a year or so, but no definite time is adhered to in this matter. The Church holds instruction classes before baptism of converts. The nature and purpose is such as to give the applicants an understanding of what it means to be con- verted and born again, and also to have a general knowl- edge of the principles of the church. The converts are coming into the church much younger than in past years. There are eight boys and five girls under fifteen who are members. Thirty-four members are over fifty. The total church membership is about 200. A few families settled near Ohio Station about 1840. They came from the Tiskilwa and Hennepin communities, because they could purchase land at a lower figure. The early settlers consisted of Jacob Albrecht, Christian Schantz, Christian Ringenberger, Andrew Schertz, Chris- tian Saltzman, Nicholas Schertz, Andrew Zimmerman, Jacob Ioder, and Joseph Ackerman. About 1885 they began to meet regularly in the Red Oak School House with Sunday School every Sunday and preaching once a month by a minister from the Willow Springs Congrega- tion. Before that time they had met at intervals in the homes. Sunday School was discontinued about 1915. There are only eight members at present living in this community. Occasional meetings are held for them. No congregation was ever organized and no meeting house was ever erected. There never was a resident minister. Thus the Ohio Station settlement never developed into a church. CHAPTER XXVI THE HOPEDALE CONGREGATION 1 The official name of this congregation is HopeJale Mennonite Church. Its original name was Delavan Prai- rie, this being the oldest of the prairie settlements in the state and being an outgrowth of the Partridge and DiUon Creek colonies. Preceding the merging of the Amish with the Mennonites of the state, it was known as the Hope- dale Amish-Mennonite, and by the general public ar the German Church, being the only one in this commui^ty teaching and preaching in the German language. The first family settled in the community in 1854. Joseph Litwiller moved into the Orendorff brick house, which is still standing. The following year or soon after, various persons moved in, among whom were George Zehr, Noah Augspurger, Christian Martin, Christian and J. Nofziger. There were undoubtedly others who came about this time or a little later, but definite information is not available. They left the older settlements at Dillon Creek and other places, because the land was cheap. How- ever, after investigating the conditions some went else- where, as they considered the ground unfit for cultivation, it being too moist and soggy. Many of the most valuable farms were then largely under water. Also, to market the grain long and difficult journeys were necessary. Fourteen cents per bushel for shelled corn was the market price at Peoria. The shelling was done by hand in some cases. 1 The information contained herein was compiled by C. E. Martin with the help of the following brethren: Andrew Nafziger, Simon Lit- willer, Benjamin Springer, Daniel Nafziger, J. W. Springer, Bar- bara Cripe, and others. 237 238 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The pioneers were noted for their industry, frugality, and generosity. They did much to induce other members of the same faith to move in. The meeting for organizing the congregation was held at the residence of Joseph Birkey. The increased numbers of church attendants soon required much more room than could be obtained in private homes. These services had been held every two weeks in connection with the members in the northern part of the county since 1854. In 1876 a church edifice was built two miles south- east of Hopedale, the committee in charge being Christian Nafziger, John Nafziger, and Christian Sutter. Two acres were conveyed by Christian Nafziger and wife Feb- ruary 1, 1877, to the trustees of the church namely: Chris- tian Nafziger, John Nafziger, Noah Augspurger, John Egli, Joseph Birkey, Joseph Springer, Nicolas Martin and their successors for a consideration of $75 for the two acres. The church building site was selected by a vote of the church members. The building is a wood structure, total length 50 feet, width 32 feet. The assembly room is 32 by 40 feet. One end of the building is used for cloak rooms and a ladies' rest room. The seating capacity was about 250. The building was erected at a cost of $1,800. In 1884 an addition was built on the rear, 20 by 24, which is used as a minister's council room and instruction room for applicants for baptism. In 1906 another addi- tion, 24 by 28, was built to the assembly room on the south side, increasing the seating capacity by about 175, which cost $1,150.50. The first minister of the church was Christian Naf- ziger. He was born in Hesse but later moved to Bavaria. He emigrated to this country in 1846, was ordained in 1855, and bishop in 1860. In the early days of his min- istry he served the Dillon Creek Congregation also, as the THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 239 early settlers on the Delavan Prairie were considered part of that congregation. As the former congregation gradu- ally decreased, and the latter increased, his labors were largely confined to serving the Hopedale Congregation until his death in 1899. He was a man known for his pious life and helpfulness to the poor. He was a man of considerable influence. As bishop he discharged his duties kindly but firmly. It was during his term of office that the congregation made its most rapid growth. In point of service J. C. Birky ranks next as bishop of the congregation. He moved in from Decatur County, Kansas, in 1896, where he had served as bishop. He served the local congregation in that capacity for twenty- four years. In looking through his records it appears that he baptized 340, and officiated at 83 marriages. The converts he baptized were at the following places : Pryor, Oklahoma; McPherson and Decatur Counties, Kansas; Wright and Cumming Counties, Nebraska; Arthur, Fish- er, Flanagan, Goodfield, Tremont, Roanoke, and Hope- dale, Illinois. He also ordained three bishops, three min- isters, and one deacon. He was a man reserved in man- ner, and slow to answer, but always giving an answer which carried considerable weight. He was loved and re- spected within and without the church. After the death of Bishop John Smith the conference gave Birky the over- sight of the churches of the state of Illinois. He died in 1920. Joseph Springer also served this congregation for many years both as minister and bishop. Others who served as ministers were Joseph Litwiller, Simon Bechler, William Unzicker, Joseph Hostettler, J. Nafziger, Noah Augspurg- er, Andrew Birkey, Joseph Birky, Daniel Greiser, J. Birky, J. Egli, Joseph Egli. The present bishop is Simon Lit- willer. The ministers are Daniel Nafziger and Benjamin Springer. 240 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The control of the church property was vested in the seven brethren mentioned before. No successors were appointed until the year 1903 when the following three brethren were chosen: Andrew Nafziger, Benjamin Mar- tin, and J. Nafziger. They were elected for three, two, and one year respectively. This arrangement allowed for one vacancy each year which is filled by ballot on Thanks- giving Day. Others who have served or are now serving are Simon Litwiller, J. W. Springer, and C. E. Martin. The expenditures of the church are in charge of the church treasurer appointed by the trustees and are taken out of a fund collected every Thanksgiving Day for that purpose. As the ministers are fairly well to do, nothing is done to support them. A collection is taken the first Sunday of every month for mission and charitable work. This is turned over to a mission committee of three, who decide where it is to be sent. Another fund is maintained for the needy of the congregation, also to pay the min- isters and missionaries when called in to assist in special meetings. The Sunday School was organized in 1885. Meetings were held in the church house every two weeks except the winter months. The first superintendents were Jacob Birky and Benjamin Martin. All the classes were conducted in German, but this was finally superseded by English. About 1900 the beginners were assigned to a separate room. Benjamin Litwiller served as the first superintendent of this group. From this time on more attention was paid to grading of the classes. In 1920 a young men's and wom- en's Bible class was organized and has proved very suc- cessful. About forty are enrolled in each of these classes. During 1910 a teacher training class was carried on dur- ing the Sunday School hour but was not very successful. No further effort was made until 1921 when teacher's meetings and teacher's training classes were again under- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 241 taken. The former proved quite successful but the latter did not receive very much support. About 1916 an effort was made to have the Sunday School every Sunday. The question was voted on by the congregation but much to the surprise of the progressives it was defeated. Two years later it was again voted on and this time it was carried. While this school has never developed any outstand- ing Sunday School workers, much credit is due to the workers and ministers of the past for their cooperation with each other and with the young people. There is a conservative element in this congregation but not radically so. There is also a progressive element but they are not too aggressive. Between the two, the church has struck a happy medium of advancement. There has been a gradual growth in attendance until to-day, in fair weather, the attendance runs up to 350. So seriously was the work hin- dered because of lack of room that a new building was erected in 1929. Sunday evening meetings were first held about 1901. A number of the young, and a few older, brethren felt that evening meetings would be a step in the right direc- tion. However the matter met with so much opposition that it was dropped. The next year it was agitated again with the result that Young People's Meetings were held in the afternoon, but this was soon changed to evening. The meeting is in charge of a leader, appointed to serve one month by a committee who have oversight of the Young People's Meetings. The committee also appoints a chorister who serves for one month. Other official du- ties are performed by this committee. The attendance averages about 150. These meetings have always been well attended and offer the young people an opportunity to spend their Sunday evenings in an atmosphere which is conducive to spiritual development. 242 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Communion is observed twice a year. This is usually preceded by a council meeting. The previous Sunday the congregation is admonished to spend some time in fasting and prayer. A preparatory sermon is preached, leading up to the communion service. Before the close of the service, feet washing is observed. Thanksgiving day is al- ways observed by a Thanksgiving service. All business pertaining to the upkeep of the church grounds, cemetery, janitor, and other items is taken care of at this time, and money is raised to defray expenses. Two sisters are ap- pointed to look after keeping the house clean, trustees are elected, and any other business which it may be necessary to bring up is then transacted. The first conference held with the Hopedale Congre- gation was one of the old Amish General Conferences held on the farm of Christian Sutter in 1875. When the West- ern District Amish-Mennonite Conference was organized this congregation was a charter member. Two meetings of that Conference have been held in the church, one Sep- tember 14, 15, 1894 and the other September 21, 22, 1904. When the Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites of Illinois merged, this congregation became a member of that organization. A conference of that body was held in the church September 12, 13, 1922. In the year 1916, a movement was started to organize an Amish Sunday School state conference for Illinois. This was accom- plished, and the first meeting was held with this church in 1917. It was discontinued with the merging of the two bodies. . This congregation has had a sisters sewing circle since June 15, 1918. The church was fairly well repre- sented at the first meeting. It was the desire of the group to do all they could to help the poor and needy by giving their time, money, and service. Their aim was to help not only those who were in the cities or far off mission fields, THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 243 but also those in the local community if such an oppor- tunity presented itself. The first officers elected were Mrs. Kathryn Nafziger, president; Mary Good, vice-president; Barbara Birky, secretary-treasurer; and Phoebe Eash and Mrs. V. Nafziger, garment cutters. It was resolved that this sewing circle meet the first Thursday of each month at the Amish-Mennonite Church building. There being no basement, it was decided to use as the sewing room an adjoining room which is built on the west side of the :hurch edifice. This sewing circle is connected with the [llinois Mennonite branch of Women's Sewing Circles. The congregation at this place, like all non-resistant bodies, was loath to see her young men drafted into the service. Not many were taken from this congregation and those that were drafted did non-combatant work and en- :ountered no serious difficulties. There were those in the immunity that felt it unfair that the Mennonite boys fvere exempt from military service when their own boys tvere sent to the front, but no violence was resorted to. Die fact that the local congregation was liberal in relief vork did much to increase the good feeling. This congregation has always been considered one of :he most conservative, especially in methods of work and equipment. However, having once adopted some forward ;tep, there is usually splendid cooperation and freedom Tom factional strife. In 1900 when the Central Confer- ence of Mennonites organized their congregation and erected a church house nearby, a number of the more lib- eral members left the church to join them. 2 See Chap. L, "The Illinois Congregations. CHAPTER XXVII THE WALDO CONGREGATION NEAR FLANAGAN 1 The settlers in this district came mostly from Taze- well, McLean, and Woodford Counties, and settled on the Gridley Prairie about 1860. At that time it was quite a new venture to move away from the streams and woods to the open prairie, where there were no roads, no fuel or building material, and no shelter from the winter's cold. They were induced to come in by the areas of unsettled land which could be had for almost nothing. Farming was difficult at first, because the prairie sod was very hard to break and to get into condition to produce. The land is quite level, and there were few ditches to carry off the surplus water, so that the low spots were very wet in the sprino- Often a crop could be produced only on the slop- ing hillsides, which drained naturally. Often there was barely enough raised to feed those who were raising the crops. The first attempts to improve this condition were by making ditches to carry off the water in the spring. This helped considerably, and made much more of the land tillable early enough to produce a crop. The later remedy— that of laying tile several feet below the surface, and running them to the ditches and natural streams, was the foundation for the prosperity that came after years of struggle with this problem. < The official name of the church is the Waldo Menno- nite Church. The first part of the name originates in the i Information furnished principally by Arthur W. Slagel, assisted by D. W Slagel and Mrs. E. H. Smith of Flanagan, Illinois, also files of Herald of Truth and Gospel Herald. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 245 fact that it is located in Waldo Township. It was for- merly called the Waldo Amish-Mennonite Church, but when the Mennonite and Amish-Mennonite congregations in the state of Illinois were reorganized into one confer- ence, the name Amish was dropped. It is sometimes still called the Amish Church by people who are uninformed. The farming equipment at first was very meagre and consisted of little more than a plow, a harrow, and a two- shovel cultivator. With these it was difficult to prepare the heavy prairie sod so that it would produce a good crop. By the second or third year the sod had disappeared somewhat, if the seasons were not too wet. Corn, oats, and wheat were the staple items raised, though some rye was also raised. For hay, the native prairie grass was cut, and for a number of years plenty of this could be se- cured. At first people had to live very simply. There were few means for securing money. There being but little timber near, lumber suitable for building had to be hauled a long way, so the buildings were made only as large as was absolutely necessary. There were no roads worthy of the name, and one simply started across the prairie in the general direction he wished to go, avoiding the marsh- es as much as possible. In the spring, sometimes for months, it was impossible to go across country except on horseback. Even now, the roads are often impassable for weeks in the spring. Ditching, grading and tiling, the frequent use of the King road drag, and, most recently, the practice of applying a coat of oil to the center of the road-bed, have made Illinois prairie dirt roads quite good most of the year. Practically no graveling has been done because there is very little gravel available within hauling distance. The only way to make a permanent road seems to be to ship in gravel or crushed rock and make a con- crete road. This is being done very rapidly now with the main roads. 246 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS There were no markets except at Chicago, 125 miles to the Northeast and Peoria, 50 miles west. A trip to Chicago took several weeks, and to Peoria at least a num- ber of days. Even at these places markets were uncertain, and sometimes the farmers were even compelled either to bring their load of produce back, or leave it. During those first years, just after the Civil War, grain was worth only a few cents per bushel, so that there was not much incen- tive to produce any large quantity. The first railway in the state, the Illinois Central, was laid about ten miles west of the settlement. A little later, one was built several miles to the south, and soon after that, one to the north. These railroads did a great deal to hasten the development of Livingston County, and to make the Mennonite settlement in Waldo Township prosperous and progressive. Three other congregations grew out of the original Waldo congregation. A group broke away because they considered the old church too formal and lacking in defi- nite religious experience and formed the Egly or Defense less Mennonite Church known as the Salem Congregation 2 located one and one half miles to the southeast of the Waldo Church. Another group grew apart from the original church because they felt it was too strict. It eventually developed into two congregations under Joseph Stuckey in the Central Conference of Mennonites. One was located three miles to the northwest, known as the Flanagan Church. The other, located toward the south, was known as the Meadows Church. 3 Up to this time there had been preaching in the homes every four weeks by the following ministers : Chris- tian Slagel, J. P. Smith, Rediger, and Oyer. The first meeting house was erected in 1867 at the same place 2 See Chap. XXXVII, the Salem Congregation near Gridley. 3 See Chap L, The Illinois Congregations of the Central Conference. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 247 where the present meeting house is located. The building was 32 by 48 feet in size, with one small addition to the rear, having permanent wooden seats, and stoves for heat- ing. A new building was built in 1903, 40 by 60 feet in size, with a furnace, acetylene lights, oak seats, and a balcony for special occasions. This building was remod- eled in 1918, by putting under it a basement to be used for Sunday School purposes and sewing society work. A portico was added to protect the front entrance and also to improve the basement entrance. Sheds were erected for the use of teams, but these are now used for automobiles. The church has no burying ground of its own but uses one in the township, three-fourths of a mile away. A board of trustees has for many years had control of the church property. A few of those who have ren- dered valued services on this committee are : Daniel Augs- purger, John Beller, Jacob Dellenbach, Joseph Zehr. There is no other committee besides the trustees, but they cover a field somewhat broader than merely finances. The church has no constitution or by-laws. Money for running expenses, such as fuel, light, repairs, janitor services, is secured by assessing the members a certain sum annually. No special provision has ever been made for the minis- ter's living, but financial help has been given when it seemed necessary. On various occasions work has been done for ministers who were handicapped by illness. The congregation has always responded quite well to prac- tically all outside calls for help. There is no special bud- get. Regular offerings are taken on the first Sunday in every month, and on special occasions. The order of service at first was singing, devotional service, then a sermon followed by a prolonged testimony by all the ministers present, after which there was a prayer and a dismissal. In more recent years there have not been so many ministers, and the custom of prolonged testimony 248 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS has been discontinued. At first the services were held every four weeks, but after some time this was changed to every two weeks. When Sunday School first began it was held on the alternate Sunday, but this was also changed many years ago so that there was both Sunday School and the regular church service each Sunday. The Waldo Con- gregation was among the first to make this decided change. Until about the year 1914 the method of gaining church members was largely that of simply suggesting to the young people that they were old enough to unite with the church. An opportunity was given, usually in the early spring, for those that wished to do so, to join a class lor preparation for church membership. If any did not voluntarily join this class by the time they had reached the age of about twenty, their parents usually urged them to do so. The converts are coming now at the ages of about nine to thirteen, as compared with the ages of about eighteen to twenty-five formerly. A person is considered a member after he has been baptized or received by letter. Membership can be discontinued by requesting a church letter. Very few members have been put out of the church. L. J. Lehman, J. S. Shoemaker, D. D. Miller, Sanford Yoder, A. C. Good, and C. F. Derstine have served as evangelists at different times. The first Sunday School was started in 1868. It was held in the church meeting-house and in 1875 was accepted as a part of the regular church service. The promoters and first leaders were Christian Slagel, Joseph Gascho, and Samuel King. All of the classes were conducted in German until about 1900, from which time there was a gradual change over to the English. For many years the Sunday School met every two weeks. It was a German school rather than a Bible school — at least for the young people, until they learned to read the German language. In addition to the study of the German language there THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 249 was learning and reciting of Scripture verses. The pri- mary department was begun in 1910. There is no special session for the election of the Sunday School officers. The nominating committee presents a double list of names, and the voting is then done by ballot. The teachers are chosen by the superintendents, in consultation with the ministers, and often the classes assist in this matter. Sunday evening services were first held about 1904. No great change has been made in these services except that the organization has been improved, and more variety has been introduced, such as special singing, and short talks by the ministers or visitors after the regular meet- ing. The organization consists of a chairman, a chorister, and a program committee of three. The chairman of the organization makes it his business to see that every one who has a part is functioning properly, and in emergen- cies takes charge of the meeting himself. The program committee usually plans the programs for a period of time. The programs consist of several essays, talks, and often some reading of Scripture references. The average attendance is about seventy-five. The work seems to be quite successful, and it does help to interest and hold the young people. It is also a means of stimulus and an op- portunity of expression for the older people, who have from the beginning attended well and taken an active part. A Sisters* Sewing Circle, which was established in 1905, holds a monthly meeting. For some years this was held in the homes, but when the church was remodeled, the meeting was held in the basement. During the past year it has been held in an unoccupied house. Most of the time is spent in sewing for missions and relief work, espe- cially for the Chicago Home Mission and the India Mis- sion, considerable work being done for Russian relief. There is a special organization for girls which was begun through the efforts of Mrs. Cora (A. L.) Buzzard and 250 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Martha Nafzinger. Both circles have devotional meetings after the work is done. The Women's Circle is connected with both the state and national organizations. In the early days of the settlement people did not get together nearly as much as to-day, and there was less freedom in some respects. The parents were supposed to make the marriage arrangements, or some friend of the young people who were interested in each other. But usu- ally the young people had come to an agreement before- hand, and the asking by the parents or friend was a mere formality. The first definite organization for social life was in 1918 in the form of a literary society. The organi- zation of the society consists of a president, secretary, and a program committee. Monthly programs are given in the homes. These consist of discussions, debates, readings, music, etc. Light refreshments are usually served. The attendance has been good, and the society work has stimu- lated reading and study. At first there was considerable opposition to musical instruments in the homes but it no longer exists. There never were many organs, but there have been pianos for the past ten years or longer. For several years there have been choristers with some training in addition to what they received in the local singing classes, and this has helped the singing somewhat. The church has been making use of its denominational literature practically since it has been published, most of the members subscribing to the church paper. Some re- ligious literature outside of that published by the denomi- nation is read: The Sunday School Times, The King's Business, and similar papers. The church treasurer makes an effort to care for renewals for church papers and orders for books. There has been a church correspondent connected with the church for fifteen years. There has been a Sunday School library since 1915, but it is not very THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 251 heavily patronized. It contains about one hundred books. In the early days of the settlement the school-houses were about four miles apart, as compared with two, now. The course of instruction was quite good, but not graded as at present. The school year was only about seven months, and after pupils were considered old enough to do some useful work they were kept at home. They often attended during the winter months until they were eighteen or twenty years old. The course of instruction was about the equivalent of six or seven grades of the present graded system. There was no special opposition toward educa- tion, but neither was there any very strong encouragement on the part of many. When high schools were first begun in the villages the Mennonites considered them quite unnec- essary for their young people. This attitude still prevails quite strongly, though there is no serious opposition. Only a few of the young people have attended high school, so the high school has affected the church little, and has created no special problems. With so few attending high school, there have naturally not been many going to col- lege. Those who did go attended Goshen College. Some financial support has been given Goshen College, although no definite figures are available, probably between ten and fifteen thousand dollars has been given at different times. The church has been continually supporting mission work, its contributions running well over $1,000.00 an- nually, of which the maximum was $13,974.52 in 1918. This sum is so high because a good deal was given for the War Sufferers' Relief Fund and for the Home Mission Building in Chicago. Most of the money that has been given has gone to the missions in Chicago, India, and South America, and to charitable work. The Waldo Church joined what was the merged Illi- nois Conference, at the time of the amalgamation of the Mennonite and Amish-Mennonite conferences. Before this 252 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS it had been a part of the Western District Amish-Men- nonite Conference. The church and Sunday School con- ferences were held at the Waldo Church in the years 1906, 1918, and 1925. The attendance on each occasion ran about as high as 1500. The visitors were cared for in the homes of the members. The first time there were more who had to be cared for during the night, but by 1918 there were quite a few automobiles, and the people who came from the congregations not over 30 or 40 miles away usually went home for the night. On the first two occasions the people were fed in a special tent, the last time being served in cafeteria style in the basement of the church. u The church was in favor of maintaining the historic Mennonite principle of non-resistance during the World War which meant no war service. Not all who went to camp took the same position. Some did non-combatant work, but most of them did not. None were sent to the federal prison though some were treated rather brutally, Roy Slagel in particular. The community was hostile toward the church at the time, but not nearly so much as it was toward the other two Mennonite churches in the community. The stronger opposition to them came be- cause of their use of the German language and because of some unfortunate and unwise statements that were misin- terpreted. No violence was done. The church took an active part in raising money for relief work in the war- stricken countries. No definite figures can be secured, but it amounted to thousands of dollars. Arthur Slagel, a mem- ber of the congregation spent a year or more in Russia in famine relief work in 1922. CHAPTER XXVIII THE EAST BEND CONGREGATION NEAR FISHER 1 The congregation which developed around the East Bend of the Sangamon River near Fisher was an out- growth from Dillon Creek and other Amish communities. The first Amish settler in the Champaign County settle- ment was Charles Stormer who came in 1882. Land was cheap, for Stormer paid only twenty-seven and one-half dollars per acre. He was followed the next year by Au- gust Ingold, by Jacob Heiser in 1887 and by Andrew Heiser in 1888, and in 1889 by Peter Zehr from Deer Creek. Zehr, being a minister, soon organized a church (1890) in the Dixon school house in East Bend Township where the group had been holding services. Due to increase in numbers a committee was appointed consisting of Jacob Heiser, Charles Stormer, and Andrew Birkey who (May 14, 1892) rented the Methodist church house at Houstonville. After this building became unfit for use the church members voted to purchase one and one-half acres for a consideration of fifty dollars on which they erected a frame building 36 by 40 containing one large room and two smaller rooms. This church held about one hundred and eighty people. The dedication services were conducted by John Smith in 1895. On July 14, 1907, the church edifice was wrecked by a tornado. It was immediately torn down and replaced i Information from interviews and correspondence with J. A. Heiser, Samuel Zehr, Andrew Birky, Harold Zehr, and others of the East Bend Congregation, Fisher, Illinois. Also C. Henry Smith, Menno- nites of America, Herald of Truth and Gospel Herald files. 253 254 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS by a frame building 40 by 60 with a seating capacity for three hundred people. September 1, 1919, the building was enlarged and raised four feet in order to provide for a basement to accommodate a furnace and a large Sunday School room. A one acre burying ground was donated to the church March 18, 1896, by Andrew Birky, Senior, and family. This is registered with the state. The church committee hires a man to keep up the graves. The first minister was Peter Zehr who was born in Woodford County, Illinois, and moved to Tazewell Coun- ty at the age of five years. He was ordained to the min- istry in the Goodfield Congregation in 1883 at the age of thirty-two years. He removed from the Goodfield Con- gregation to the congregation at East Bend, Fisher, Illi- nois, in the spring of 1889, and 1893, was ordained to the office of bishop and served this congregation until his health failed him a few weeks before his death. The following is a list of ministers who have served this congregation: Daniel Griser, born in Baden, Germany, in 1838, was ordained to the ministry in that country and emigrated to Livingston County, Illinois, in 1878. In 1879, he removed with his family to Hopedale, where he resided for eleven years after which he again removed to Fisher where he took an active part in church work. His ministry was altogether in the German language. He died in Feb- ruary, 1923. Joseph Baecher, ordained to the ministry in 1893, is still serving the congregation though unable to take an active part in the ministry because of his health. Bishop George Gingerich, a native of Bavaria, Germany, came to this country in 1893, and helped in the ministry of the church until his death in March, 1907. Samuel S. Zehr was ordained to the office of deacon in June, 1906. He was the first deacon of the congregation and is still serving. Joseph A. Heiser was ordained to the ministry THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 255 in August, 1917, at the age of twenty-nine years, and in May, 1921, to the office of bishop. The present ministry of the church is J. A. Heiser, bishop and Samuel S. Zehr, deacon. The church property is vested in three trustees who are elected by ballot of the church for a term of three years, one being elected each year. This church has no constitution or by-laws except those agreed upon by the conference. Money is provided for running expenses of the church by an assessment on each member. Each is assessed equally and the money paid in advance. The church makes no provision for the minister's living though sometimes some of the members get together and do some of his farm work. The church takes turns at the end of each month with other churches in supporting some mis- sion, orphans' home, the Old People's Home, District Mission Board, or General Mission Board work. The church has not supported any individual missions or mis- sionaries but some money has been sent to South America for distributing tracts and other literature. The church services and the method of gaining church members have been similar to other churches treated. A person is considered a church member when he has con- fessed his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and been received into the church by baptism. The membership of the church at the present time is two hundred and sixty-two. The first Sunday School meeting was held in the spring of 1889 in the Dixon School house. During 1892 the Sunday School was organized permanently with D. D. Zehr as superintendent. Sunday School was held every two weeks in the forenoon, all class work being in the Ger- man language with no lesson helps or papers of any kind. It was conducted in this way until in the fall of 1895 when the church membership had increased and a new church house was built by the congregation at its present place. Here 256 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the Sunday School sessions were still held every two weeks until new methods and supplies were added. Then Sunday School was held and continued to be held every Sunday. The officers of the Sunday School are elected by the mem- bers of the church at the end of each year, the bishop pre- siding at the elections. Evening services, usually called Young People's Meetings, were begun in 1906, but were not well attended in general until about July, 1916, when the young people of the congregation met at the home of Bishop Zehr for the purpose of asking the church to arrange for a better organization. At this meeting they gave some recommen- dations, the chief being that a superintendent and an assistant be appointed by the church. This plan was adopt- ed by the church and the organization was soon effected. J. A. Heiser was appointed first superintendent and has held that office up to the present time. Levi E. Birkey now of Pompeii, Michigan, was chosen the first assistant superintendent. The East Bend Sewing Circle was organized in Oc- tober, 1917, by the Women's District Missionary Society in the person of Lydia Smith of Flanagan, Illinois, for the purpose of exercising charity toward those in need. Meetings were held monthly for several years in homes, and later in the church basement. All sisters attending or interested are considered members. The organization works through the State Branch. The only meetings that have been held regularly dur- ing the week are those that have led up to the present Bible Study class with a Young People's Missionary Com- mittee appointed by the church in charge of arrangements and J. A. Heiser as teacher. A great deal of interest is taken by the young people in the class. Instead of the young people taking upon themselves the whole responsi- bility of their social gatherings as they formerly did, they THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 257 now have an organization that is under the supervision and authority of the church, by means of which their social needs are met. A literary society was formed but the ministry did not allow it to join the state organization. The first singing in the church was in the German language, sung slowly in unison without notes or chorister. About 1896 notes began to be used and the singing began to be in parts, but the German language was still used. About 1908 it became necessary to use the English lan- guage in singing as the children no longer studied German and it became difficult for them to take part in the wor- ship. The church was formerly very much opposed to musical instruments. A few members thus far have felt that they could conscientiously sanction musical instru- ments in their homes and the opposition is not as strong as formerly. Of course no instruments are used in the church service, for the church and the conference as a whole feel that they can maintain better and more wor- shipful congregational singing without their use. The early attitude toward high schools was one of opposition, because it was felt that they made the young people conceited. This attitude is gradually changing. Even yet there is a comparatively small minority who are really in sympathy with the idea of the high school. The church helps Goshen College by direct contributions. The school has the general favor of the church. The church became interested in missions about 1905 through members who visited various home mission sta- tions. Andrew Birky did much to promote local interest in missions. There have been no missionaries, ministers, deacons, or educators that entered religious work direct from this church. However there are a number on the mission field who were formerly from this church, and others are preparing for definite work. Since this church was not yet organized when the Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference came into 18 258 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS being, it was not a charter member but it joined as soon as it became an organized congregation. The Church and Sunday School conferences have been held with the church on two occasions. The Western District Amish-Mennonite Church and Sunday School Conference held September 22-24, 1909, had an attendance of five hundred and the Illinois Mennonite Conference, September 11-13, 1923, about eleven hundred. There have been about eight Bible conferences or Normals. The last one was conducted De- cember 7, 8, 1915, by I. W. Royer and A. M. Eash. Part III AGGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN WORK CHAPTER XXIX THE "HERALD OF TRUTH" PUBLISHED IN CHICAGO 1 A historical cross-section of national Mennonite ac- tivities in 1860 shows that the church was asleep, perhaps paralyzed. There were no organizations except the dis- trict conferences in the east. Even then these carried on no activities whatsoever since their function was primarily disciplinary. The younger generation can hardly imagine the Mennonite Church with no church paper or literature, no Sunday Schools, no Young People's Meetings, no evan- gelistic efforts, no missions, no boards, no conferences, no schools, and almost no leaders. But still worse, with all this lack the young folks were being lost to other denominations or dissipated into worldliness. The Sabbath day was generally spent by old and young in a manner far from commendable for people in the piety and purity of doctrine of Mennonite heritage. ! The Mennonite Church was by no means holding its own. ! If nothing would have been done to change the situation I the church would have been doomed to an untimely end. 1 Material chiefly from John F. Funk, Elkhart, Indiana and files of the Herald of Truth. This chapter contains material of a general interest not limited to the Illinois people but nevertheless distinctly related to them and therefore pertinent. 259 260 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS But there were signs of awakening. At a service held in 1862, at the Yellow Creek Church, Indiana, over six hun- dred people partook of the communion and forty-eight new members were added to the church. About this time John M. Brenneman and his brothers, Amos Herr, Henry Stemen, and others grew bold enough to initiate new things. Brenneman advocated Sunday Schools, preached in English, and traveled among neglected and scattered congregations. The first movement valuable in itself and important in its influence in bringing forth other move- ments that followed was that in the field of church litera- ture. Henry Bertolet of the Skippack Congregation, Penn- sylvania, attempted to publish a church paper called Der Evangelische Botschafter in 1836. The first issue ap- peared in July but there was so much opposition that the July issue was also the last. This proved to be a fore- runner . twenty-eight years in advance of its time. The reward for the man who would take the needed step of leadership would be financial sacrifice and persecution. The one to accept the challenge was a promising Chicago business man lately baptized into the church. He gave up what proved to be a fortune to his partners in the lumber business. The first small beginning was made in the sum- mer of 1863, when John F. Funk wrote an article, "War- fare and Its Evils," a timely subject for nonresistant peo- ple then in the midst of civil war. He had it printed in pamphlet form at his own expense and sent it forth. It took surprisingly well with the people. Bishop John M. Brenneman also wrote a pamphlet entitled "Christianity and War," which was printed by Funk about the same time and was also well-received. In 1863, Rev. Peter Nissley and Bishop John Bren- neman of Ohio, came to Chicago on their way to Sterling, Illinois, but being detained in Chicago on account of a THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 261 severe storm they were unable to get a train so stopped over with Funk. During the stay, the subject of a church paper was discussed. The brethren were very enthusiastic for a publication. Having the promise of Brenneman as a contributor Funk resolved to make the venture. Upon in- vestigation, he discovered that the printing of two monthly papers of four pages each for one year would cost $500.00. The amount for the first issues he forwarded from his per- sonal income. Before long money from subscriptions helped somewhat. The first copies of the German and English editions of the Herald of Truth (Herold der JVahrheit) made their appearance January, 1864, consisting of four pages each. They had been edited and published by John F. Funk single-handed. The paper was launched without public funds, without a single subscriber, and without any office assistants. With the fourth issue, the April number, the size of the paper was doubled. The editorial work had been done during the winter evenings after Funk's regular working hours. Sometimes he spent whole nights in translating, proof-reading, and writing. Nor was the burden to be much relieved throughout the coming months. The Herald was the first English paper to be published for the Mennonites of all branches. 2 Since the Herald had been edited and printed in Chi- cago, a discussion of it properly belongs in this treatise. However the people of Illinois themselves played no part in initiating it although they did receive it well after its appearance. In fact it was anxiously received everywhere. A copy of the first number chanced to stray across the battle-line into Virginia and was eagerly read and reread until it was literally worn out. The following is an inter- esting extract taken from the first issue: 2 John H. Oberholtzer had published a German paper at Milford Square, Pa., as early as 1852. 262 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS "With trembling hand have I written and with many anxious thoughts the Herald of Truth with the opening year goes forth to its readers. "It is a trial — an effort to do good — a means pro- vided, through which moral and religious reading may, in an interesting, cheap and pleasant way, be laid before the Christian public advocating the pure principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which all may read with profit and pleasure without fearing the contaminating influences, now so wide-spread through the newspapers of the present day. "Its principles and doctrines as already stated will be those of the Bible — its aims and objects — to bring its readers nearer to God, to point out to them the way of eternal life, to inculcate good, holy, peaceable, and con- scientious principles in the minds of both old and young, to elevate, to raise up from sin and degradation all who are unfortunately laboring under its demoralizing influ- ences, to do good to all men, to teach all nations, to en- courage the despairing, to warn the heedless, to build up the weak, to correct errors wherever found. All these things will claim our attention, and with all these high aims, with God's blessing, I hope this paper will be sus- tained." This was quite a large program for a paper in its infancy to undertake. People of to-day can judge for themselves how nearly it fulfilled its early aims. The pa- per included articles contributed by some of the brethren, news of the church, marriages, deaths, and other items which were of interest. Occasionally even dreams were recorded. In November of the opening year, Michael Keagey, a young brother from Virginia, was secured to assist in the routine work. By the close of the year, the subscription list had grown to over twelve hundred. In 1866, the work had increased to such proportions that Funk sold his lumber interests so as to be able to de- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 263 vote full time to the editorial duties. From that time on his life was given to the purpose of furnishing literature for the church. In 1867 he moved to Elkhart, Indiana, where he established his business. In 1875 it was char- tered as a stock company, with the name "The Mennonite Publishing Co." John F. Funk was president the entire fifty years' existence of the company until the charter ex- pired in 1925. In Elkhart he continued to publish the two "Heralds" and later in addition other papers until 1908, when they were sold to the Mennonite Publication Board. Besides the papers he published many books. Through these efforts Elkhart became the center of Mennonite activity. Many new and valuable movements for the church, such as that of John S. Coffman's evangelism, originated in Elkhart, due in part to the promotion of the sacrificing editor. By agitation through the printed page he helped to develop sentiment for Sunday Schools and a general demand for improved methods. The paper read in common by the Amish and Mennonites helped to draw these two bodies into closer unity. One cannot give a proper estimate of the value of the life-time labors of this man. He was the pioneer in church literature and was the early leader of the first important movements among the (old) Mennonites. His achievements made the work of other men and other movements possible. CHAPTER XXX SAVING EVANGELISM 1 About half a generation after the literature move- ment took its rise another movement of equal impor- tance, the evangelistic, came into being. Its forerunner was Bishop John M. Brenneman of Ohio, who traveled and preached among various scattered churches during the sixties. In addition, Stemen, Amos Herr, George and Daniel Brenneman deserve considerable credit. Although a good work was done yet it remained under considerable suspicion. The first series of meetings was held in 1873, at the Masontown, Pennsylvania, Church, where Nicholas Johnson who was then over eighty years old, was bishop. Daniel Brenneman and John F. Funk conducted the serv- ices, which, due to their success, continued for four weeks. As a result thirty-five members were baptized into church fellowship. The affair was kept more or less a secret, for the few neighboring bishops who did hear about it were very much opposed. This type of service had to await the master hand to prove its usefulness and bring it into favor with the church. This evangelistic movement like that of litera- ture, fell upon the shoulders of one man who had to work it out unofficially and without sustaining boards and often in the face of adverse conference decisions. John F. Funk builded better than he could have known at the time, when he invited John S. Coffman to 1 Material chiefly from Steiner, John S. Coffman, Mennonite Evangelist and files of Herald of Truth. This chapter contains material of a general interest not limited to Illinois people, but nevertheless vitally related to them. 264 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 265 become assistant editor of the Herald of Truth in 1879. This promising young preacher from Virginia accepted the position at a salary of $500.00 a year. His removal with his family to Elkhart, Indiana, in 1879, played an impor- tant role in the destiny of the church. It gave Coffman opportunity to develop and use his talents by which the church has been greatly blessed. The problem of bringing the young people into the church was of the greatest importance. At this time the distinctive Mennonite doctrines had become neglected. Young people of Mennonite parentage were becoming the pillars of flourishing churches in other denominations. Among a few others, John S. Coffman realized that some- thing must be done. He saw that the Sunday Schools were not a complete solution. The situation became a very great burden to him. So he began the "protracted meet- ings" or "series of meetings" to revive, indoctrinate, and convert. M. S. Steiner says: "For all this work Coffman, by nature and by a special infilling of the spirit of God, was most admirably qualified. Well built, nearly six feet tall, weighing one hundred and seventy pounds, graceful, neat, smooth shaven, with a clear winning gray eye, kind face, fluent speech, refined manner, and a great amount of per- sonal magnetism, he was fitted physically on the one hand, while his devoted, pious character, good common sense, the experience of a conscious conversion, and of an out- pouring of His Spirit upon him for service, fitted him on the other hand spiritually for the work whereunto he had been called." He accepted the challenge. His first series of meet- ings which were also the first in the Mennonite Church (except those by Funk and Brenneman at Masontown), were held in the Elmdale Church near Bowne, Michigan in June, 1881. This was the beginning of more than fif- 266 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS teen years of evangelistic labors for him. In view of the fact that during his services he entered the Illinois district and vitally affected the work of that state, a discussion of his efforts deserves a place in this history. What might be called the third series of meetings was held at Cullom, Illinois. 2 Before Coffman had located at Elkhart, he had seriously considered moving to the Cullom Congregation. Although his plans had miscarried he still seemed to have a love for the place. The meetings at Cullom were held in February, 1882. In M. S. Steiner's John S. Coffman the following remarks were made upon that series : "On this occasion the roads were deep; rain and frost had done their 'perfect' work in softening the earth. Some of the services were held in the Methodist Episcopal Church, others in a schoolhouse a mile from town. People of all creeds flocked in from all directions. They had never heard of a Mennonite evangelist before — something new for the Mennonites as well as others. Those in reach walked, while those from a distance that could not come on horseback hitched four horses to a farm wagon and came. A congregation made up of men and women who braved such conditions was sure to receive some good. What came they forth to see ! A popular man of the world? No! They came to hear the Gospel fresh from the lips of one whose heart was all aglow with the mes- sage of salvation — a plain, zealous, God-fearing man, who spoke distinctly and touchingly on those things that rec- oncile sinners with a just God. There was as a result of these meetings such a stirring up among the members, who before the additions numbered twenty-five, that on September 24th of the same year, the meeting-house of the Cullom congregation was dedicated. 2 See Chap. XVII. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 267 "There was in the congregation during the meetings a lad who took his seat near the door in the rear of the schoolhouse. He loved to hear Coffman preach, but avoid- ed coming in touch with him, There was something about him/ he says, 'that drew me to the meetings and gave me a profound respect for him; at the same time I felt so condemned in myself when I came near him I avoided meeting him. I went to hear him night after night during those meetings, and always afterward when he came to Cullom, and was brought very much under con- viction. But I fought them for several years, before I finally yielded, and to-day I see more than ever the good that man has done for my soul and for our community.' " He came often to this little church and sustained it through the years when it would have perished. For a period he supplied the place himself when it was without a resident minister. So this church owes its very existence to this one man. In the winter of 1889, Coffman was invited to Ster- ling. 3 At this time the church was on the decrease. Many of the young folks were being proselyted into the Luth- eran and other churches. Others were entirely indifferent. The members were for the most part aged. Dancing was a popular pastime for the community. Coffman did a wonderful work. Not only did he awaken the church but he vitally changed the entire community. Many people had considered the Mennonites a very ignorant and nar- row group. They could hardly reconcile in their own minds, this man of superior intelligence and ability with Mennonites. Coffman established a sentiment for right- eousness such as the community had not felt before. Danc- ing disappeared because the taste for that type of enter- tainment had passed away. One of the converts speaking of the powers of this godly man said that the gospel * See Chap. XV. 268 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS which he presented was irresistible. His words had weight because his character had weight. It seems that his pulpit power was immense. His sermons were both well con- structed and well rendered. He had a way all his own of getting the attention and impressing the people. Coffman continued to come to Sterling annually for a number of years and the good work increased. During all this time he won many into church fellowship. Fragmen- tary church records show that the congregation was com- posed of 74 members in 1887. The membership in 1894 was 172. These numbers tell the story. The church was more than doubled in these few short years. The Sterling Church might not have entirely disappeared but it is cer- tainly true that it never would have attained its present proportions if Coffman's influence had not entered the community. The Cullom and Sterling congregations were not the only ones in the state to receive impetus from his labors although they did receive the most direct good. Coffman's spirit was felt in the other congregations for he visited them all and they appreciated him very much. He also spent some time among the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois. During the first decade of evangelism he was the entire movement alone, but later others took up the work until there were dozens of evangelists in the field and prac- tically every church accepted a "series of meetings" as a part of its regular program. Coffman was by no means a one-talented man. The Young People's Meetings were largely organized through his advocacy. Through him the Sunday School Confer- ences were possible. In 1890 he began pioneer work in editing the Sunday School Lesson Helps. His later years were spent pioneering in the field of education. While he was by no means alone in this movement he nevertheless was the moving genius. Elkhart Institute (Goshen Col- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 269 lege) owes much of its early existence to this man. It was upon him that the main burden for collecting funds was thrown. It was mainly his influence that brought in the first students, many of whom were his converts. A num- ber of the students came from Illinois and were thus influ- enced by the educational movement. Some of these have since become active leaders in the church. The state also contributed towards the maintenance of the school. Coff- man's influence was felt in every activity of the church and also helped to make later men and movements pos- sible. CHAPTER XXXI THE BEGINNING OF (OLD) MENNONITE MISSIONS 1 The mission movement 2 took definite form several years after the evangelistic work had been started. Mis- sionary sentiment had been developing for a long time. A far distant fore-runner was the little church started in Chicago by John F. Funk and Peter Neff in 1866, 3 when at an expense of eight hundred dollars they built an addi- tion to Neff's house to serve as a place of meeting for the Mennonites in the city. Regular church services were held. It may be a misnomer to call it a mission but it really functioned as such. It antedated the Home Mission of Chicago by more than a quarter of a century. Then too the work of such men as John M. Brenne- man who traveled among the scattered churches must not be overlooked. His service was really rural mission work. When the Mennonites were immigrating from Russia in 1873-1880, the (old) Mennonites came to their assist- ance. A conjoint board of various Mennonite groups in the west, the Mennonite Board of Guardians, was organ- ized for this task. Eastern Pennsylvania and Canada had i Material from J. F Funk, Elkhart, Indiana; S. F. Coffman, Vineland, Ontario; Mrs. Clara E. Steiner, Columbus Grove, Ohio: and J S Shoemaker, Dakota, Illinois. 2 The Mennonites of Holland had started missionary work in Java and Sumatra in 1847, and the General Conference of Mennonites of r o 2i th i. Amenca had 0P en ed work among the American Indians in 1881, but the (old) Mennonites did not begin foreign work until the India Mission was opened in 1898. However the (old) Men- nonite Home Mission in Chicago was started earlier. 3 See Chap. XVIII, Old Chicago Congregation. 270 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 271 their special committees. These various organizations, which raised about $100,000.00 for temporary relief, proved very helpful to the immigrants. When the object for which they were formed no longer existed they ceased to function. They had served the purpose of developing sentiment to do benevolent work. In 1882 at the Indiana-Michigan conference held in the Olive Church, Elkhart, Indiana, John F. Funk asked the conference for the privilege of forming and maintain- ing what was called the Evangelizing Fund for the benefit of traveling ministers who would do rural mission work. The first year the fund grew to the modest proportions of $26.36. This however was the beginning of a great work which was to pass through the successive forms of Evangelizing Committee, Evangelizing Board, Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board, and lastly Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. This first fund was in the hands of the u Mennonite Evangelizing Committee." The next year after its or- ganization, rules and by-laws were drawn up. In 1892, a more complete organization was effected under the name of "Mennonite Evangelizing Board of America." In 1896 it was chartered under the laws of Indiana. At this time the name was changed to "Mennonite Evangelizing and Be- nevolent Board" because it had undertaken mission activi- ties. In 1899 it established the mission in India. When the work of the Old People's Home and Orphans' Home was started in Ohio, another organization was formed, namely, "Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions." In 1906 these two boards were merged into the present "Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities." 4 Its original receipts of $26.36 in 1883 had grown to $41,525.81, in 1907, and to $219,380.68, in 1921, while 4 Concerning the Mennonite Benevolent Organization which was an- other board and not named above, see footnote to Chap. XXXII. 272 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the resources of $121,797.22, which the board had under control, in 1907, had increased to $701,766.46, by the year 1921. During these years Evangelist J. S. Coffman was using his influence to develop sentiment for missions. As early as 1880 he wrote in his diary, "To-day, I have been thinking much on the necessity of mission work in the church. What we need is home mission work. Conference should make arrangements to send ministers into certain places where there is a prospect of a church being built. A mission board should be created and evangelists should be sent out under the care of the board. M All of these above-mentioned undertakings were fore- runners of the mission movement of the (old) Menno- nites. The pioneer to enter the field was M. S. Steiner. He was not so much alone in the movement as were Funk and Coffman in their respective movements because the mission program in itself required a larger group of pro- moters. The editor of the church paper could plow the ground, the evangelist could prepare the soil, but it was left to Steiner to plant the seed. Coffman had won large numbers into the church; Steiner gave them something to do. It may have been but a short step in advance of Coff- man's work but aside from the publishing and evangelistic fields it was the only opportunity given the young folks to engage in active church work. But missions did not grow into popular favor imme- diately. As in practically all denominations and in other Mennonite groups, they entered by the back door as if they were an unworthy cause which of course many at the time felt them to be. The door was the unofficial General Sunday School Conference. It came about in this manner. At this time there was a group of active and progressive younger people which had arisen largely through evan- gelistic efforts. They and the more progressive older THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 273 brethren together started a General Sunday School Con- ference. A group of men composed of Jonathan Smucker, D. J. Johns, D. D. Miller, John Zook, M. S. Steiner, and J. S. Coffman met in August, 1892, near Goshen, Indiana, and arranged a program. The first General Sunday School Conference was held near Goshen, October 5-8, 1892. (A local Sunday School Conference had been held as early as 1890 in Ontario.) M. S. Steiner was chosen as the moderator. The most significant topic discussed was on missions. The problem was presented by a young man from Sterling, Illinois, Solomon D. Ebersole, who was then studying medicine in the city of Chicago, and to whom conditions in that city had presented themselves as a powerful missionary chal- lenge which in turn he passed along to the conference. The spirit throughout the conference was splendid. Coff- man in writing of the program said, "The exercises were very interesting and instructive, more so than any one could have hoped. The young men did so finely in their talks, and there seemed to be a very humble spirit in them all. An excellent feeling prevails." A year later a similar conference was held at the Zion Church near Bluffton, Ohio. This was a notable ses- sion, and a conference of destiny. Although it was no more official than the one of the year before, yet its work was far-reaching. The meeting proved to be spiritually uplifting and sent a thrill of loyalty and fervor through the young people of the church. Again Dr. Ebersole urged the cause of missions. "It was the year of the World's Fair in Chicago and sin did greatly abound." The mission spirit ran high. M. S. Steiner made a strong appeal to the church to assume its missionary obligations and undertake definite work. Before the conference closed many had resolved to dedicate their lives to such a cause. Others pledged themselves to aid financially. They decided 274 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS that a mission should be opened in Chicago with M. S. Steiner in charge. All went home bearing the missionary message to their Sunday Schools. Mennonite missions had begun. They were still un- popular with the mass, still in the infant stage, still un- tried, and before the workers were dark days through which they had to struggle. M. S. Steiner was to be iden- tified with the mission movement the remainder of his life, first as the original superintendent of the first (old) Men- nonite mission, then as member of the various mission committees and boards. He played a prominent part in the organization of the boards and was president of the Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions until it was merged into the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities of which he was president until his death. He literally burned himself out for the cause of the church, dying in the midst of his labors. CHAPTER XXXII THE HOME MISSION IN CHICAGO 1 The opening of the Home Mission in Chicago was the first effort made by the Mennonite Church to do city mission work. It was born, like every other great cause, out of a deep conviction burning in the hearts and lives of a few individuals, who were attending the General Sunday School conference which was held near Bluffton, Ohio, in the fall of 1893. A strong mission spirit prevailed throughout the conference and after some discussion M. S. Sterner was appointed to go to Chicago and investigate the possibilities of starting a mission there. 2 After several weeks' search the place was finally se- lected. The site was one that had been fitted out for a saloon at 145 W. 18th St., Chicago. The community a- round there was a poor one abounding in wickedness, poverty, and suffering and was in great need of a mission! 1Ma Mr ia L!? r AT this A Cha & ter . fr01 ? intervJ ews and correspondence with ¥Ja M d *w' & ? ershe ? L ^ aman ' Mrs ' Qara E by Steiner, Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Page, S. F. Coffman, Melinda Ebersole, Mary Denlinger E J Berkey, A. I. Yoder, A. D. Wenger Aar<£ Panfp' Vhlt Bye p rS * , L H Z ,°°K ReSsler ' M **y Yoder g Burkhard f!c£ i ^ hlt r mer j ^ ertha 5?ok Detweiler, C Henry Smith, A. M mJ ' a £' G °£ d ' n ErmT l a 0yer ' Arthur SIa S el > Mamie Good Neff, ^'"^ H f R. Schertz, Anna Yordy, and S. M. Kanagy, al 3L Sr T ? F K at ? reS ? n . W £ rkers at the ^ssion; A. R. Zook on fifc nfV OC ?i b ^ d '' l° h S R , Funk ' fir st bishop of the mission! Ilnor, Sit °f V' Gos P^ H ^ald f and Young People's Paper; Report of Men s Missionary Conference, December 12, 13, 1917- f-T,°m9 DedlCatory Service and Missionary Conference, January* 2 Among the most active supporters of the Mission during its early days rnTn J 'n'M-n ffmai Vi D ^J ohnS ' J' R Schmucker, Noah Metzler and D. D Miller, all of Indiana, C. B. Brenneman of Ohio, Aaron Loucks of Pennsylvania and others. 275 276 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The building was rented on November 20th and refur- nished for Sunday School and Church. The first services were held December 3, 1893, with a packed house. The mission was opened without any special funds, backed by no board, save the good will of the General Sunday School conference. M. S. Steiner was instrumental in gathering a committee together to have charge of the mission. In 1894 it was incorporated under the State of Illinois as "Mennonite Benevolent Organization." This name was used instead of Mission Board because such a name was at that time offensive to some. This was the first organization to be chartered for mission work. There seems to be a question whether the incorporation papers actually came through. In the spring of 1896 the Home Mission was closed temporarily, although some private work was carried on continually. The organization was later absorbed by the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benev- olent Board which had been chartered in 1896. This board again opened the Mission in the fall of 1896. The superintendent at first lived in another part of the city but soon after rented a room in the building and thus became the first stationed worker as well as the first superintendent. Funds for the support of the mission came in very generously at first and every one thought that the mission was to be a great success. The day after Stei- ner had been appointed superintendent, the Mennonite Book and Tract Society met and launched the Young Peo- ple's Paper, which had been agitated at the Sunday School conferences and Steiner was made editor. His salary was used in starting the mission work. The first winter at the mission was a very busy one. At first M. S. Steiner was the only stationed worker but he was assisted by students who worked in the city. Dr. S. D. Ebersole, who was secretary-treasurer of the mission, with doctors W. B. Page and Dewitt Good, THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 277 opened a free medical dispensary in connection with the mission that fall. A license was obtained from the city of Chicago permitting treatment of patients at the Mission. This amounted to licensing a hospital, the first in the Men- nonite Church. Melinda Ebersole, who was the first per- manent worker, arrived in March, 1894, and began her twenty years of mission service. In April, 1894, M. S. Steiner was married to Clara Eby of Columbus Grove, Ohio. At the same time the rooms above the mission hall were rented and a workers' home was started. Alice Thut (Page), S. F. Coffman, and S. D. Ebersole were the first residents. The students that lived there gave part-time and Sundays to the work. This made a fine working force. Many activities — Sunday School, church service, children's meetings, kindergarten, sewing school, medical and cloth- ing dispensaries, and visitation work — were all successfully promoted. This first missionary venture did not have the hearty support and approval of the church in general. Many thought that the young people were running away with the church. The sentiment became so strong that a dele- gation of prominent leaders 3 from the east came to Chi- cago that first summer and urged that the mission be closed. At this time Mrs. Steiner's health became such as to require a change and M. S. Steiner decided to take the declining church at Canton, Ohio, to which he had re- ceived a call. After the withdrawal of M. S. Steiner, S. F. Coffman became superintendent. With the loss of Steiner, the mis- sion was without an ordained man. This handicapped the work severely. The Mission Board then sent Bishop John F. Funk to see what could be done. After taking the voice of the brethren and sisters at the Mission, S. F. Coffman was ordained April 21, 1895. This made a new record 3 Preacher John K. Brubaker and others. 278 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS for the Mennonite Church, it being the first ordination of a minister in the city of Chicago and the first in any mis- sion station. The work continued to increase and the same year Bishop Funk baptized the first converts, four young men. More students had come to the city until more than a dozen were assisting in one way or another. This was very fortunate because there were scarcely any resident Mennonites in the city at this time to draw workers from. It seemed that now the mission was entering upon a period of prosperity but dark days were ahead. In the very beginning of the work donations came in more freely than a little later. The work was over-organized and ex- pensive. Many people continued to think that an organ- ized church in a city was a foolish impossibility. It was new to them. They had not been educated to the mission- ary spirit and were suspicious as to what the result of such an undertaking might be. The mission had not yet passed through its experimental stage. The actual opposition was not to the evangelistic effort but to the other phases of the work. The opposition from the churches as well as the difficulties encountered in the work with the people of Chicago, were a severe test for the workers and they were greatly disappointed when the committee in charge de- clared the mission closed in the spring of 1896, due to pressure from the east. The final service was held by M. S. Steiner on March 5. Some of the furniture was sent to Ohio. When the key of the door was being turned, a bright little boy ran up and cried in a pitiful voice, "Is it all done now?" The work was not closed for lack of funds which continued to come in, though in lesser amount. The seed which had been sown was not so easily ex- terminated. Three of the workers resolved that the work so nobly begun should not so ingloriously come to an un- timely end. E. J. Berkey, who had been secretary-treas- urer, supported himself, living on seven cents a day with THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 279 a diet of stale bread and hot water until the mission was reopened. Soon after this he left the city on account of his health. Although they had no regular income, Sisters Mary Denlinger and Melinda Ebersole 4 rented a four- roomed flat which had been a dwelling house, on South Jefferson Street about two blocks from the former mission and here carried on many of the former activities. Each Sabbath the children were gathered into Sunday School and during the week they were brought together to learn scripture verses and songs. N. E. Byers, then in attendance at Northwestern University, came down on Sundays and rendered useful assistance. He reorganized the School and thus became the first superintendent of a Mennonite Mis- sion Sunday School. Sewing classes were continued for the girls and visitation work among the sick and needy maintained. Through the privations of these few the gap was bridged over until the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benev- olent Board took charge of the situation and decided to reopen the mission which had been closed for a few months. The Board adopted the Mission at its annual meeting Oct. 7, 1896. At this meeting support of a min- 4 M. S. Steiner was instrumental in gathering together a committee to have charge of the mission. In 1894, it was organized as the Men- nonite Benevolent Organization. This name was used instead of Mission Board because such a name was at that time offensive to the church. This organization was the one which closed the Home Mission the following year on account of lack of funds. In 1882, by agitation of John F. Funk, the Indiana-Michigan Conference had formed the Mennonite Evangelizing Committee which drew up a set of rules for organization the following year. In 1892, a more complete organization was effected under the name of Men- nonite Evangelizing Board of America. It absorbed the Mennonite Benevolent Organization and in 1896, was chartered under the laws of Indiana as the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board. The same year it reopened the Mission and was in control until merged with the Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Mis- sions in 1906. The new board, Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, in charge of all (old) Mennonite Mission and institu- tional work, has had control of the Home Mission since that time. 280 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ister and three sisters was pledged and Noah Metzler was appointed in charge. After the resumption of activities on Eighteenth Street, the interest grew rapidly. The hall was smaller than the first one had been and was soon over- crowded but the rent was not so high and that had to be taken into consideration. The ones who had remained faithful during the dark period were asked to become the workers. When some of the very people in the city who had been opposing them began to show a friendly spirit, and received them gladly into their homes they felt amply repaid for the hardships and privations which they endured during their first efforts. A few accepted Christ as their personal Savior. It was a great privilege to bring the Gospel into the homes. There were other ways in which the Mission was able to help the needy ones of the community. A medical dispen- sary was opened and the people were given free medical treatment. Many were helped in this way, but this par- ticular phase of the work was discontinued some years later. Noah Metzler from the Yellow Creek Church, Indiana, was stationed in Chicago as the pastor and re- mained several months. A kindergarten table was made to serve the purpose of a pulpit. A. I. Yoder, who had been ordained to minister in Tennessee, was then sent for and acted in the capacity of superintendent for a little less than a year. In January, 1897, A. H. Leaman, 5 a promising young man who had recently united with the church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, feeling a call to do mission work, went to Chicago. His ability was soon discovered and he was made the superintendent in September of the same year. Although young and inexperienced he grew as the work grew. He was destined to serve in this capacity for twenty-three years and minister much to the life and 6 See biography of A. H. Leaman in biographical appendix. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 281 growth of the mission. He was the most important influ- ence in popularizing the mission with the people of the church at large. Amanda Eby, who became the wife of A. H. Leaman, was a faithful worker in and about the "Home" throughout the years of her husband's superin- tendency. The mission remained at 168 West 18th Street until 1900, when the owner forced them to leave. The Board purchased the former mission building at 145 (its number was later changed to 639) West 18th Street. "It seems providential that from the time the mission was closed in 1896, the owner of the building was not able to rent it even for a saloon and during that time it stood idle." On Monday evening, May First, John F. Funk preached the first sermon in the first owned (old) Mennonite mission building. The dedication services were held the following Sunday. With the attending advantages of a building of its own, the mission prospered. In 1902 the superintendent was ordained to the min- istry by Bishop John Nice. A congregation was organized several months later by Bishop J. S. Shoemaker and be- came a part of the Illinois Mennonite Conference which jointly with the General Mission Board controls it The work continued to grow until the building was no longer adequate to house the Sunday School. Some classes were held in dark rooms. The primary class met in the cel- lar behind the coal bin and another class had to meet outside. Finally an extra hall had to be rented to accommodate the large numbers. But even then the situation was not remedied because quarters were hard to keep in a sani- tary condition with so many children. The workers agi- tated for a new building for a long time before the Board decided to build and then consented on the condition that the superintendent raise the necessary money in the state. It seemed like an impossibility but Leaman characteris- 282 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS tically shouldered the responsibility and in a remarkably short time various congregations of Illinois and neighbor- ing states, both Amish and Mennonite, raised a sufficient sum. Many who had never been liberal and some who had never given to any cause became generous, even prom- ising to give more if needed. Some of the Iowa congrega- tions asked for the privilege of contributing. The old mission property was sold and the new mod- ern plant, the best Mennonite church house in the State, was erected at 1907 South Union Avenue, a few blocks from the old site. This building contains an adequate auditorium, with adjoining Sunday School rooms, pastor's study, and Bible Class rooms. The basement is available for the lower departments of the Sunday School. Along side and adjoining is the workers' home with housing facilities for all who may be connected with the mission. The dedicatory service including the missionary con- ference was held January 5-7, 1919, with a very large at- tendance. S. F. Coffman, former superintendent, preached the sermon. The session also observed the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the mission. In September, 1920, H. R. Schertz became superin- tendent and filled the position to the satisfaction of the Board and the people. He returned to his former home at Metamora, Illinois, in June, 1923, at which time S. M. Kanagy, recently from the Hesston College faculty, suc- ceeded him. Kanagy and his wife had both been active work- ers in the mission at Toronto earlier and came to Chicago with much experience. Under their charge the work has greatly prospered. One of the inspiring features in connection with the mission work is the radical change brought into the lives of these ungodly people. One woman had been attracted to the mission by the sound of song. But fearing, she did not enter until after she had made several attempts. When THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 283 the mission first took note of her she resented their visits, but continued interest won her. She permitted prayer meetings to be held in her home and finally joined the church contrary to her husband's wishes. The family threatened to break up but it did not. The sister remained faithful until death. Abram Eby had led a life of aimless gambling and wandering for twelve years until he came in contact with the "Home" after which he returned to his family, and has been of valuable assistance to the Lan- caster, Pennsylvania Mission. Mr. and Mrs. Behr were directed into the higher life and used this inspiration to promote the Kansas City Mission. Anna Annaker (Eash) and Mary Cikanek were transformed from indifferent Catholics into active mission workers. The Drange family were marvelously converted. One of the daughters became the wife of J. N. Kaufman, missionary to India. Others were lifted from a life of drunken shame into faithful fol- lowing after the new life. One German woman who did not even know the word "God" was converted. These are only a few of the various types of individuals saved but they will illustrate the service which the mission has ren- dered. No doubt the most widely known convert of the mission is Brother Dahlgren. The Mission has been the means of directing into the service thirty-five ministers of whom eight were later or- dained to the office of bishop. Those ordained at the Mis- sion were S. F. Coffman, A. H. Leaman, I. W. Royer, G. J. Lapp, and Simon Kanagy. From the beginning the Mission conducted regular church services, Sunday preaching both morning and eve- ning. For several years during the first decade John F. Funk came from Elkhart, Indiana, to conduct German services every second Monday evening. Every Wednes- day evening the regular prayer and Bible study meeting is still held in the mission building. On Thursday evening 284 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the Cottage Prayer Meeting is conducted in private homes. It is quite interesting to note that most of the activi- ties of the Mission were started in the beginning and have been continued with but brief interruptions ever since.. The Sunday School held its first session on December 6, 1893, with six pupils. By the next Christmas the number had grown to over a hundred. Some of the families who later became active in the work of the Sunday School and Church in general were: Anderson, Bear, Dahlgren, Fricke, Gertman, Grange, Harvey, King, Kodah, Lehner, Marison, McQuirter, Neuffer, Seeman, Stemma, Stork, Sweet, and Voelcher. At one time there were thirteen na- tionalities represented. All ages from a few years to the aged were included. The problem of discipline was a diffi- cult one and continued as such until the new building fur- nished class rooms. Before the new building was erected the Sunday School had grown to five hundred with an average attendance of 287. With such a crowd of chil- dren who had never been used to such services and whose home life had not been conducive to good behavior, it was a difficult task to keep good order. This was one of A. I, Yoder's duties when he was assisting at the Mission. None of the workers claimed any great degree of success during those early years. Alice Thut (Page) was the first super- intendent of the Primary Department which met by itself. From time to time the various departments were added — Beginners, Primary, Junior, Intermediate, Bible Class, Home, Cradle Roll — making a thoroughly organized Sun- day School. The Home Department was organized in 1910. It did successful work for a number of years, using the Sun- day School lessons in the homes. Later this system was somewhat altered. The Sunday School lessons are no longer used. The group is divided into three divisions and each meets at the mission with the teacher. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 285 The Cradle Roll was started in 1910 by Emma Oyer, who is still in charge. It began with an enrollment of three and now boasts sixty. The Medical Dispensary was an important activity during the first eight years of the Mission. Doctors Eber- sole, Page, and Good started it while they were students in the city. Later it was in charge of Dr. Whitmore and finally Dr. G. H. Van Dyke did the work. It was discon- tinued when his services were no longer available. A clinic was conducted three times a week. At one time they had a room fitted up as a ward where patients could be cared for. Calls were answered free of charge. This was a wonderful help to the mission cause. Since Anna Yordy has become a worker at the Mission she has taken chiro- practic training and now treats about a hundred patients a year as a part of the mission work. The Mission also has a clothing dispensary. Through this channel the workers are able to get in touch with many families who are really in need. During the past few years garments have been given away at the rate of five thousand each year. Second-hand clothing is sent in by the country churches and is distributed among the most needy. The sewing circles of these churches also make garments from measurements sent to them by those at the mission. It is sometimes difficult to know just who should receive these garments, as some are inclined to take advantage. In one case a family moved its furniture into the neighbor's house and then presented a destitute plea to the mission for help. Another time a man posing as a mission worker wanted some clothing to distribute to the poor. E. J. Berkey was suspicious of him but gave him the clothes and then followed him at a distance to see what he would do with them. The supposed mission worker turned into a second-hand store. When Berkey got there he was gone. In spite of such cases, many wor- 286 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS thy people are helped. A husband having abused his wife, deserted her and four little ones so that it was necessary to gather coal along the railroad tracks. One can readily imagine the service that can be rendered to such a family. Local sewing circles have been organized and some work is done for the foreign field. The visitation work is one of the most important functions of the mission. It helps keep up the interest, holds old members, is a means of bringing in new mem- bers and is the only means of reaching those not able to come to the mission services. The community is divided into districts with a worker assigned to each district. The workers are shifted so that the district has a different visitor each time. This work is done chiefly by the women although the men do some visitation work in the sick rooms and in the hospitals. Many services can be rendered through this work. In case of sickness a doctor can be called; in poverty, a charity organization is notified or the mission supplies the need; and in matters of the soul, the Scripture is read and prayer is offered. The most important organization for the women is the Mothers' Meeting which was started in 1900, consist- ing of a program held on the last Monday evening of each month. An effort is made to secure an outside speaker. Home problems as well as religious topics are discussed. The average attendance is about forty-five. This organi- zation contributes to foreign missions. A kindergarten was maintained during the early years of the mission. Miss Robbins was the first to have charge. No day nursery was necessary as there was one in the neighborhood. The children's meetings have always been an important part of the work. The children come to these meetings on Sundays and through the week for memorizing scripture verses and songs. The fresh air work had a small beginning the first summer of the mission work. Two little girls were taken THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 287 along to a conference and the people were so much im- pressed that they asked them to come again. The work- ers would take some of them along home on their vaca- tions and in this manner the country people became inter- ested. While the work was not organized as it is now, no doubt the idea of sending children out for a few weeks' vacation originated at that time. This work was finally carried on through the United Charities. This enabled the Mission to get free transportation by sending the chil- dren in groups to various communities within two hundred miles of Chicago. It has grown to the extent that about two hundred children and mothers are sent out from the mission every year. Faithful attendance at the regular services is necessary to obtain this outing. In the beginning a Junior service was conducted be- fore the preaching hour on Sunday evening. This has con- tinued to the present time. Special Christian Workers' Meetings consisting of testimonials and talks were held occasionally for the older ones also before the preaching service. In 1903, the Young People's Meeting was or- ganized and is conducted similarly to all others through- out the church. The young people have an annual gath- ering or outing on Decoration Day. Other activities such as street meetings, distribution of tracts, and instruction classes for converts have been conducted at certain times. The mission has been quite fortunate in its musical leadership. During the early life of the mission it was benefited by such choristers as Dr. Thut, C. Henry Smith, and Alice Thut (Page). In recent years Margaret Anderson and A. W. Slagel have done good work in special music and general singing. Can- tatas have been effectively given. Easter and Christmas are always celebrated by appropriate programs. The first annual Christmas dinner was served in 1896. It is a great factor in reaching new families. Much cheer 288 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS is brought to the children; for some of them it is the only "square" meal they get during the entire year. The food is furnished by the rural congregations and the surplus is distributed among the poor. An annual Flower Day is observed in September. In 1907, four hundred thirty chil- dren were present at this service and each received a bou- quet. The first annual picnic was held on Labor Day in 1900. Over five hundred people of the mission commu- nity went to a woods sixteen miles from the "Home" where they ate a picnic dinner and spent the afternoon in a social way. The mission does its share in foreign work. Four departments of the Sunday School contribute. Three or- phans in India are supported. A special Easter offering for the new building of the South America Mission a- mounted to over one hundred dollars. Not all the activities are carried on in full all of the time as the number of workers is too limited and too changeable. They all live in the home which adjoins the mission building. The food served is not extravagant but wholesome. Usually some one is hired to do the cooking. When no cook is available the workers take their turns. With all the handicaps and experiences the workers testify that they are a happy family. Visitors are always wel- come. Over a thousand meals are served to visitors each year. The membership of the mission, in 1905, was thirty- two and at present is seventy. Some of this number have been drawn in from the country. The Mennonite position on unions, life-insurance, lodges, and fashions is so dif- ferent from that of the city folks that it is difficult to transfer the large Sunday School membership into church fellowship. An attempt will be made to list those who served at the Home Mission. It is not just to say that all were workers, for less than half were regularly appointed as THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 289 such. Some were medical students who gave valuable as- sistance in the medical dispensary and on Sundays. Others were students in attendance at the Moody Bible Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago University, and the Bethany Bible School and rendered service as their time would permit. Others had come to the city to work, per- haps rooming at the mission, and gave some valuable serv- ice. Still others worked as janitor or cook which were hum- ble though necessary tasks. It will be seen that many on this list were connected with the mission only a short time. They were there during their school course, or had come to gain a little mission experience before taking up work elsewhere. The mission performed the function of a mis- sion training school. This made it rather a place of transient workers. Addresses are given showing where each came from. A large number of communities are seen to be rep- resented. The order given is chronological. 6 Worker, Address Dr. S. D. Ebersole (First Sec-Treas.), Sterling, 111. Elizabeth Hershberger Ebersole, Grantsville, Md. M. S. Steiner (first supt.) (deceased), Columbus Grove, Ohio Clara Eby Steiner. Columbus Grove. Ohio (deed.) Dr. W. B. Page, Elkhart, Ind. Alice Thut (Page), Columbus Grove, Ohio S. F. Coffman, Elkhart, Ind. (2nd supt.) Ella Mann Coffman, Elkhart, Ind. Melinda Ebersole (1st permanent worker), Ster- ling, 111. Mary Denlinger, Lancaster, Pa. Dr. DeWitt Good, Harrisonburg, Va. E. J. Bsrkey, Middlebury, Ind. (Sec.-Treas.) Mary Rhodes (Beruey), Harrisonburg. Va. (deed.) John Gresser A. I. Yoder, West Liberty. Ohio (acting supt. for a few months) Noah Metzler, Wakarusa, Ind. (mission pastor) (deceased) A. D. Wenger, Harrisonburg, Va. Aaron Loucks, Scottdale, Pa. Mrs. Aaron Loucks, Scottdale, Pa. Noah E. Byers, Sterling, 111. Service Period Date about 2 yrs. 1893-5 about 1 yr. 1893-4 about 1 yr. 1893-4 9 months 1894 about 2 yrs. 1893-5 1 yoar 1894-5 1% yrs. 1894-5 1897 20 years 1894-1914 4% yrs. 1894-9 2% yrs. 1894-6 2 years 1894-6 several mos. 1894-5 few mos. 1894 8 months 1894 and 14 mos. 1897-8 several mos. 1896-7 several mos. 1894-6 fl months 18945 7 months 1804-5 1895-8 * Thl i ^ with addresses and dates as arranged from data furnished by Melinda Ebersole and Amanda Leanaan, for a long time workers at the mission. 20 290 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Lina Zook (Ressler), Scottdale, Pa. A. Hershey Leaman, Lancaster, Pa. Amanda Eby (Leaman), Columbus Grove, Ohio Miss Robbins, Chicago, 111. Dr. Whitmore (Baptist missionary to China) Barbara Shantz, Canada Daniel Brunk, Elida, Ohio (preacher) Dr. G. H. Van Dyke, Chicago, 111. Amanda Musselman, New Holland, Pa. Barbara Blosser (Steiner), Elkhart, Ind. Bertram Shupe, Oronogo, Mo. Mary Yoder (Burkhard), West Liberty, Ohio J. B. Smith, Berlin, Ontario M. C. Lapp, Ayr, Nebr. (deceased) Sarah Hahn (Lapp), Elkhart, Ind. (formerly Va.) J. F. Bressler, Pa. Mrs. J. F. Bressler, Ft. Wayne, Ind. Levi Hartzler, West Liberty, Ohio Lena Stauffer, Canada Fannie Landes (Landis), Canton, Kans. Molly Shank (Kauffman), Missouri Samuel Christophel, Cullom, 111. Lydia B. Stutzman (Miller), West Liberty, Ohio Bessie Landis (Gerig) (deceased), Sterling, 111. Peter W. Dierberger, Indiana Paul E. Whitmer, North Lima, Ohio Hattie V. Fisher (deceased), New Paris, Ind. George J. Lapp, Ayr, Nebr. Esther Ebersole (Lapp) (deceased), Sterling, 111. Bertha Zook (Detweiler), Topeka, Ind. Amelia Hirstein (Grove), Cullom, 111. George Schultz Lovina Engel Brenneman (deed), Washington, 111. Dr. B. F. Thut, New Stark. Ohio Mrs. B. F. Thut C. Henry Smith, Metamora. 111. P. R. Lantz, Fulton Co., Ohio A. M. Eash, Middlebury, Ind. Kate Blosser (Hilty), Rawson, Ohio B. B. King, West Liberty, Ohio Melinda Mann (King), Elkhart, Ind. T. W. Rover, Ohio M. C. Lehman, Ohio Kate Kurtz, Smithville, Ohio A. C. Good, Sterling, 111. Lulu Greenawalt (Reist), Goshen, Ind. H. F. Reist, Lancaster Co., Pa. Francis Zook (Oyer), Belleville, Pa. Ruth Buckwalter, Palmyra, Mo. Albeit B. Rutt, Goshen, Ind. Amos Over, Meadows, 111. John Thut, Bluffton, Ohio Anna King (Hartzler), West Liberty, Ohio Phoebe Bachman, Cazenovia, 111. Elmer D. Hess, Lancaster, Pa. Mrs. Elmer D. Hess, Lancaster, Pa. Emma Oyer, Metamora, 111. Fannie Hershey (Lapp), Manheim, Pa. Joseph H. Bontrager, Chicago, 111. (formerly Ohio) 1897 23 years 1897-1920 22 years 1898-1920 1894 1896-7 1894 few mos. 1897 5 years 1897-1902 6 months 1899 summer 1899 summer 1899 3 months 1900 summer 1900 1 y* years 1900-1 G months 1S99-1900 2 months 1899 G months 1910 G months 1910 winter 1900 1 year 1900-1 2 years 1900-2 G months 1901 winter 1902-3 3 months 1903 1 year 1903-4 G months 1903 summer 1903 1% years 1903-4 about 2 yrs, 1902-4 summer 1904 about 1 yr. 1903 2 years 1903-5 2 years 1901- 3 months 189- 3 months 189- about 2 yrs. 1905 summer 1904 1 year 1904 3 months 1905-6 1 year 1905-6 3 months 1907 8 months 1906-7 14 years 1906-20 8 months 1906-7 fall & winter 1906-7 about 2 yrs. 1907-9 9 months 1904-5 6 months 1909-10 summer 1907 summer 1907 since . 1907 3 months 1909 1% years 1910-12 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE Mrs. Gertrude Bontrager, Chicago, 111. (for. Ind.) Mary Cikanek, Chicago, 111. Arthur Slagel, Flanagan. 111. Mamie Good (Neff), Sterling, 111. Anna Yordy, Eureka, 111. Lena Bellar, Flanagan, 111. Ida Yoder, Flanagan, 111. Henry R. Schertz, Metamora, 111. (supt.) Mrs. Martha Imhoff Schertz, Metamora, 111. Roy Buchanan S. M. Kanagy, Hesston College (supt.) Mrs. Kanagy iy 2 years 1% years 3 years 2 years since Dec. summer about 1 yr. 2% years 2y 2 years since Sept. since June since June On early mission boards in charge of the Home Mission were G. L. Bender (deceased), Elkhart, Ind. J. K. Hartzler (deceased), McYevtown, Pa. C. K. Hostetler, Elkhart, Ind. A. B. Kolb (deceased), Elkhart, Ind. D. S. Yoder, West Liberty, Ohio Herman Yoder (deceased), Goshen, Ind. A. R. Zook (deceased), Topeka, Ind. 291 1910-12 1912-13 1913-16 1913-15 1915 1920 1922 1920-23 1920-23 1920 1923 1923 CHAPTER XXXIII THE TWENTY-SIXTH STREET MISSION IN CHICAGO 1 The Twenty-Sixth Street Mission was an outgrowth of the Chicago Home Mission which promoted it. It was one of the dreams of A. H. Leaman then superintendent of the Home Mission to extend the work of that mission by establishing a branch elsewhere in the city. After con- sidering this plan for some time Leaman and A. M. Eash, the latter also connected with the Home Mission and in- terested in the new project, set out to locate a needy and desirable field for the proposed Extension Sunday School or Branch Mission. It was a hot Saturday afternoon in July, 1906 when their tramp brought them to the commu- nity in the neighborhood of Halstead and Twenty-Sixth Streets. The boys and girls appeared to be bright and intelligent although deprived of church privileges. The people were largely of the working class. They were poor, but the destitute were not so numerous as in some sections. Over sixty saloons were in the life-wrecking business. The district, measured in agricultural terms, would form a nice-sized farm of about two hundred acres. Several in- vestigations were necessary to find a building which could be rented for opening the work. In September of the same year, 1906, the first Local Mission Board of Illinois, composed of J. D. Conrad, 1 From interviews and correspondence with Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Eash, J. D. Conrad, A. H. Leaman, A. C. Good, and Samuel Gerber; Eash's booklet on the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission, After Ten Years; files of Gospel Witness, Gospel Herald, Christian Monitor, and Mission Worker. 292 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 293 president, Benjamin Herner, secretary, A. H. Leaman, treasurer, A. C. Good, and Samuel Gerber were called into special session. This board rented a hall and a small flat of four living rooms on Twenty-Sixth Street and Em- erald Avenue. A. M. Eash, his wife Anna Eash, and Kate Blosser (Hilty) took charge of the station. A. H. Lea- man was made general superintendent of the Home Mis- sion, the Russian Mennonite Mission, and this new mis- sion. Later, however, each mission was given a local board and A. M. Eash was made superintendent of the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission Station. It was under general control of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Chari- ties. The opening services were held the evening of Sep- tember 23, 1906. The service had been announced for 7:30 in the evening but the children began to gather in the afternoon. These children were quite wild and mis- chievous. Songs, prayers, and talk failed to silence their uproar and they were dismissed a half hour later. The meeting attended by the adults was more encouraging. It might be interesting to state that the pulpit was made by three superintendents of other missions. The first few weeks there were Sunday services and two on Wednesdays. Later on a German service was held on Tuesday evening and Industrial work on Thursday and Friday. The first revival meetings of two weeks were con- ducted in the early part of November with over twenty- five converts. A special Sunday morning Bible class was introduced for the benefit of these new seekers after truth. It was conducted by H. Frank Reist who was then attend- ing the Moody Bible Institute. Sister Blosser, one of the workers, on account of ill health was forced to give up her duties at the mission and return to her home before the end of the first December. She had had charge of the Primary Department and also the Sewing School. At that 294 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS time the Sewing School had grown to one hundred in at- tendance. At first the pulpit was supplied from outside the mis- sion. I. W. Royer, I. R. Detweiler, H. R. Myers, A. H. Leaman, and A. F. Wiens were among the number who preached there. During the first eighteen months of mis- sion work all the various departments were growing. On account of the increased rent it was necessary to secure a new location. This was done in March, 1908. The new building was located at 500 East Twenty-Sixth Street. It was an improvement over the former one as the quarters were much larger and better lighted. The last meeting in the old building and the first one in the new were upon the subject of temperance. With striking in- consistency the old building was put to use as a saloon. The first converts were baptized on November 14, 1908. Eight souls were received into church fellowship. The Revival Meetings of March, 1909, brought nine confessions. A year later S. E. Allgyer held a series when fifty accepted the Savior. During the year 1909 the superintendent was or- dained to the ministry by J. S. Shoemaker, who had bishop charge of the mission and acted under direction of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities of which he was secretary at the time. New workers were added as others found it necessary to leave. Usually there were three, sometimes four on duty. The work grew beyond what the workers had time to properly care for. The once spacious hall was now far too small. This crowded condition made it imperative that larger quarters be found. The local board, having met, decided to erect a new building. The Mennonite Church Conference for the district of Illinois, held in June, 1909 at Freeport, took steps by appointing solicitors to raise funds for the new building. All the churches, THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 295 Amish as well as Mennonite, were canvassed. Nearly all the money came from Illinois. By November the lot for the building was purchased. The local board appointed a building committee, composed of H. V. Albrecht, Tis- kilwa; C. S. Schertz, Eureka; and John H. Kreider, Ster- ling. The ground for the new building was broken in June, 1910, and the cornerstone laid in July. The new building located at 720 West Twenty-Sixth Street was dedicated December 11, 1910. I. R. Detweiler preached the sermon. At the evening service Samuel Gerber, A. C. Good, Sister Quinter, and I. W. Royer spoke. Many friends from the country were in attendance thus showing their interest in the cause. This new building was a very efficient one for mis- sionary purposes. The second floor furnished living quar- ters for the workers. The first floor contained a main auditorium with adjoining Sunday School Class rooms. The basement was available for other activities if neces- sary. The property was valued at $21,000.00. With a mod- ern building the work went forward to larger activities. On Easter Day, 1915, a new pulpit was used for the first time. It had been made and placed there by Charles John- son in memory of his daughter Emma who had been won to the Sunday School and had died the preceding October. Special services were held upon the tenth anniversary in which A. H. Leaman, J. S. Shoemaker, A. E. Kreider, and P. E. Whitmer were asked to take part. To make this history complete it will be necessary to deal with each of the various activities that the institution at one time sustained. It is in these activities that the talent of A. M. Eash as an organizer is seen. The Sunday School always was the largest activity which the mission undertook. The first session was held on September 30, 1906, with an attendance of forty-six pupils. Some of the names among those present were Ap- 296 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS pel, Baum, Chamber, Frank, Hoffman, Obelhauer, Schroe- der, and Young. The problem of discipline was very great at first. In a year the attendance had grown to about a hundred. The school was at first divided into two depart- ments. When the mission moved into its second building its attendance doubled. A separate beginners' department was added at that time. As growth continued the depart- mental Sunday School standard was applied and all the departments introduced, including Cradle Roll, Beginners, Primary, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, and Adult. In 1909 the simpler lessons from the graded series were used for the Beginners. The graded lessons in part were finally adopted for all except Seniors and Adults who used the Uniform Lessons. To overcome the problem of teachers a Teachers' Training Class was introduced in 1910, with I. W. Royer as the teacher. A survey of the community made in 1909, assisted by J. W. Shank, brought in some new members. The problem of regular attendance was much greater than it is in the country. A Bible was given to the one who would not miss a Sunday during the entire year. Prizes of this nature stimulated attendance. All absentees were visited which also promoted a better at- tendance. To further increase the interest, activities were added during the week. The boys met for mission study and play while the girls met in sewing classes. Work among the boys was not limited to the hour on Sunday. Effort was made to minister to them education- ally, socially, physically, and industrially as well as reli- giously. These same Sunday School boys met in a club dur- ing the week. Some of the groups were willing to help make improvements about the building. Some did pyro- graphic wood-burning. These outside activities for the boys were limited to Sunday School members so that none could engage in the social life without being brought into the religious atmosphere. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 297 The work among the girls like that among the boys extended beyond the hour of the Sabbath. The Sewing School for the girls was started in the very beginning of the mission. The group was too large even in that early day so they met in several divisions on different days. Here the girls were taught to sew but they also received social benefits. The girls became acquainted with each other and the teacher, coming into more intimate contact than was possible in the Sunday School classes. When sewing was introduced into the public school curriculum the mission discontinued this work. Classes for social and industrial work were substituted. As many as nine such weekly classes were conducted at one period of the mission's history. Lessons in sewing, crocheting, house- keeping, and the like were given, and some pyrographic wood-burning was done. At times the boys and girls met in a social way to celebrate some one's birthday or the recovery of one who had been sick. The Home Department was organized in 1908, to carry the Bible to those who could not or would not at- tend the Sunday School. At its largest it had almost one hundred members. It influenced some to attend the Sunday School and some became church members. After this work had been going on for several years a slight change was made. Several mothers gathered in one of the homes for study during the week. This came to be called the Home Bible Class. The Sunday School Lesson was usually the center of study. Then for those who decided to attend the Sunday service there was organized a Bible Class for women, which at one time attained a membership of forty- five. The Cradle Roll was organized in 1909 with only a few babies. It increased to as many as a hundred. This activity was entirely visitation work. It was a good point of contact and had a tendency to bring the other mem- 298 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS bers of the family to the Sunday School as well as enroll- ing the little tots. Both the Home Department and the Cradle Roll are features of the larger program of visita- tion work. The mission tried to visit each member of the Sunday School and church once per week and especially the absentees and the sick. Possible members were added to the list and called upon. The visits varied in length and kind. Some were social calls, others were for Bible reading and prayer. Various experiences were encoun- tered in this work. Sometimes the door would be slammed in the worker's face. Sometimes the door would not even be opened. One time a dead baby was discovered upon which the mission took steps to give it a Christian burial. In another instance a highly tempered woman tried to commit suicide. However she was converted and remained faithful to the church, until death. In other cases the worker was a very welcome visitor. At times street meet- ings were conducted. On one occasion a worker's life was threatened if he returned to that spot. But coming again the next day no violence was experienced. The Mothers' Meeting which was held on Thursday afternoon was for the purpose of aiding the mothers in home building. Part of the time was spent in a religious hour, then other subjects such as housekeeping and medi- cine were introduced. The Day Nursery was called into being to allow poor mothers to leave their children while they worked. Without this service, many a mother would have had to give up her children to an orphanage. The nursery was opened in 1913, with Kate Sommer (Troyer) in charge. There was an average attendance of forty until it was closed in 1919. This work was a means of attracting many into the Beginners' Department. It was difficult to keep enough workers for this added service. A very small charge was made to remove the stigma of charity in the mind of the poor mother. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 299 The Weekly Bible Class was started in 1911, with I. R. Detweiler as the teacher. Among others who served in this capacity were I. W. Royer, J. W. Shank, A. W. Geigley, and A. M. Eash. At first the class was held on Monday evening but later it was combined with the Wednesday evening prayer meeting. Each season furnished its special attractions. On Easter the Sunday School would give a suitable program. Rally Day in the fall was observed and the promotion of pupils was usually made at that time. At Christmas the smaller children would render songs, exercises, and recita- tions, while the young people gave a cantata. Almost al- ways kind friends in the country made it possible to give small gifts to the children. But of all these things the city child enjoyed most the summer outing. This fresh air work was made possible by the rural people opening their homes and the railroads furnishing free transportation. The children remained in the country two weeks, some- times longer, much to the benefit of their health. The district in which the mission was located had a large number of poor people. Charity work became one of the necessary activities. Demands were made for food, clothing, fuel, and medical assistance. All that was neces- sary for the mission to do in certain cases was to notify the proper charity organization, orphanage, or dispensary. But considerable direct work was done. Each year about twelve hundred garments and about one hundred dollars were given away. The mission tried to broaden its sphere and attempt- ed work among the foreigners. As many as twenty na- tionalities were at one time represented in the Sunday School. In the beginning special services were held in the German and Bohemian languages but they were not con- tinued any length of time. When the Italians began to move into the section effort was made to win them through 300 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS their language. Some of the workers actually began to study Italian and continued it for several years, but the number of workers was too limited to make this feature of the work a success. A successful effort was made for the India Mission. In March, 1907 an evening was de- voted to a program upon the India field. When Dr. and Mrs. C. D. Esch, India Missionaries, were in Chicago and especially the year that they were stationed at the mission as workers the people received considerable im- petus towards the foreign field. When they were about to leave for India the mid-week Bible Class and other mis- sion friends decided to hold monthly missionary collections for their support. The birthday offerings were also added to that sum. Medicine and instrument cases were pur- chased for Doctor Esch. Another missionary stimulus was given when Florence Cooprider came to the city to study for foreign medical missionary work. Her influence was more directly felt when she became a teacher in the Sun- day School. She was also supplied with an instrument case. One year the local membership of fifty raised $800.00 for local relief and missions. In the spring of 1919, A. M. Eash the superintendent was given a leave of absence for a year to take up relief work in the Near East. From July, 1919 to July, 1920, William Brenneman was acting superintendent. As Eash wished to continue in relief work another year he resigned and Mrs. Eash and son C. Harold moved out of the mis- sion building. In the fall of 1920, Nelson J. Litwiller who was attending Bethany Bible School, was made super- intendent. He and his wife remained at the mission until June, 1921. At that time John H. Warye became super- intendent until he and Mrs. Warye left in September to prepare to take up the work in India. In the meantime A. M. Eash, having returned to America, moved into the mission building with his family, in December, 1921, at THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 301 which time the local congregation appointed him as pastor. He again was made superintendent in August, 1922. Later, owing to difficulties with the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities in the administration of the mis- sion, Eash resigned to take up work with the Central Conference of Mennonites. For the years since 1919, the history of the mission is more in the nature of an apology than an achievement. The membership dropped from fifty to fifteen and the various activities in like proportion. The war seemed to disrupt the local church. Frequent change of superintendents and lack of permanent workers were of course unfortunate. To add to the difficulties, the Mennonites of Illinois seemed to lose confidence in the institution. After the matter of Eash's resignation had lingered indefinitely for several months the Central Conference made arrangements with the Mennonite Board of Mis- sions and Charities to purchase the building and did so. The mission congregation reorganized with twenty-four members and Eash as pastor and entered the Central Con- ference. Thus the Twenty-Sixth Street Mennonite Mis- sion came to an end as an institution of the (old) Men- nonite Church, but its work was continued by the Central Conference. 2 This is in brief the local history of the Twenty-Sixth Street Mennonite Gospel Mission. Only a few of the indi- viduals have been mentioned who aided in the carrying on of the work that has been accomplished at this place. There were a great many who though not officially con- nected with the mission were of much assistance to the institution. A complete list of workers is given in order that they may be recalled as their services justify. a This mission is also treated with the Central Conference of Menno- nites, Book IV, Chap. LIII, which gives more information upon its later history. 302 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Worker, Office Amos M. Eash, Superintendent Anna (Mrs. A. M.) Eash Kate Blosser (Hilty) A. F. Wiens, Minister E. D. Hess, Minister Mazie (Mrs. E. D.) Hess Lucy Mishler (Grabill) Lydia Hoffman (Stahl) (deceased) OHie Shank (Grabill) C. K. Brenneman, Minister (deceased) Fannie Stutzman (Hersbberger) Barbara Allgyer (Yoder) J. AY. Shank, Missionary to South America Dr. C. D. Esch, Missionary to India (deceased) Mina (Mrs. C. D.) Esch, Missionary to India Anna Grabill I. W. Royer, Minister E. S. Lape Ncra (Mrs. E. S.) Lape (deceased) Lydia LeFever (Burkhard) A. W. Geigley W. J. Brenneman Anna Reber (deceased) Katie Sommer (Trover), Missionary to India Lizzie Sommer Ray Kring Matilda Speicher Lena I. Albrecht Mary Moyer Alma Albrecht (Smucker), Missionary to India Elizabeth Horst Nancy Ramseyer Edna Miller Lydia Zook Etta Brubacher Phoebe Yeackley George D. Trover, Missionary to India Nelson J. Lit wilier, Supt., now missionarv to S. A. Ada (Mrs. Nelson) Litwiller, Missionary to S. A. Norman Bauman John H. Warye, Missionary to India Nellie (Mrs. John H.) Warye, Missionary to India Service Period Date 1906-20, 22- 1906-20, 22- 3 months 1906 6* months 1906-07 1 summer 1907 1 summer 1907 3 months 1907 3 months 1908 1 year 1908 I year 1908-09 1 summer 1908 2 years 1909-11 1 summer 1909 1 year 1909-10 1 year 1909-10 4 years 1909-13 2 years 1909-10 1 year 1911-12 2 years 1911-13 1 summer 1912 3 vears 1912-15, 19, 20 4 years 1912-16 year 1913, 1916 months year years several months 1 summer 1 year 1% years 4 years 1% years 1 year 3 years 4 years 6 months 8 months 8 months 1 year 4 months 4 months 1913 1913-14 1914-21 1914 1914 1914-15 1914-15 1915-20 1915-16 1916 1915-18 1915-19 1916 1920-21 1920-21 1919-20 1921 1921 Influence of the Chicago Mission Work upon its Illinois Mennonite Constituency* Question is often raised as to the value of city mis- sions. Bare statistics for all of the city mission work show 8 Some of the points of this discussion were gathered from an address by N. E. Byers at the Dedication Services for the new Home Mis- sion Building. See booklet, Report of the Dedicatory Service and Missionary Conference January 5, 1919. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 303 that it requires on the average one worker, sixteen months and $1375.00 to win one convert to the church. 4 This does not show the missions to be very efficient in soul- winning. One must remember however, that a city-born person has a long road to travel until he can see and feel Mennonite convictions. Furthermore the number of con- verts cannot fully measure any mission's success. The mission has a general elevating influence in its community. It touches the young life, rendering it much better than it would have been otherwise. The Chicago Missions have served as training sta- tions for church leaders. Out from these institutions have gone men and women who have become bishops, ministers, foreign missionaries, professors, editors, and other church workers. These are scattered as far and wide as the Men- nonite Church itself. The Home Mission has turned back thirty-five men into the ministry of the church. Ten of the missionaries upon the foreign field were at one time regular workers at the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission. The training received was very practical. The worker deals with real problems. The teaching must be interesting or the class will not come. The preaching must be vital or there will be no audience. But aside from the mission's service to its local community and its contribution to the church at large each of the Chicago missions have made a reflex contribution to the church in Illinois. In the first place, these missions were influential in keeping the church alive. Without any general interest outside the various congregations the Amish-Mennonites and (old) Mennonites of Illinois would likely have fallen apart or lapsed into inactivity. The Chicago Missions were the first to furnish that general outside interest so vital to their spirituality. The mission cause, in such forms 4 This was computed from statistics appearing in the Mennonite Year Books for the past several years. 304 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS as local boards, furnished activity for men who would have otherwise remained dormant. A church without missions is incomplete. The fact that Illinois has had two missions, places her in the foreground in comparison with other district conferences. Second, the missions aided in bringing about the union of the Illinois Mennonite Conference and the Am- ish-Mennonites who lived in the state. The missions being a common interest of both branches, the board members and leaders became accustomed to working together, con- tributions were made to the common treasury, and conse- quently the people were drawn together. Third, the missions served to educate the people into giving. The support of missions on the part of the majority of the Illinois membership is limited to giving of means. With the cause so near at hand — most of the rural mem- bers visited the stations at one time or another — the peo- ple more readily made donations toward its support. In one generation these people have been changed from non- givers to generous contributors. The two modern mission buildings in Chicago are a monument to the generosity of the Illinois people who have given more than $30,000 for this purpose alone. The giving of the money not only made possible larger mission work in Chicago but culti- vated a habit of supporting all the Mennonite institutions. Fourth, the missions were among the important agen- cies which influenced the formation of the various sewing circles throughout the state as well as the state organiza- tion of circles. 5 The local circles originated to furnish garments for the clothing dispensaries of the missions. Fifth, the missions led the way in the matters of efficient equipment and effective methods. The buildings served as models for improving the rural church-houses. Graded lessons were tried long before the rural commu- 5 See Chap. XXXIV. — ,, nities knew that such were in existence. Visitors at the mission imbibed the new and better things and took them along home. Much of this influence may have been un- conscious but nevertheless vital. The country folk have often been inspired by the manner in which the mission youngsters quote scripture verses, and by the testimonies of some of the converts. Sixth, the missions have helped to sift essential prin- ciples from mere customs and traditions that have grown up. The rural minister has to farm as also does the country Sunday School superintendent. Since their minds must be largely upon secular things much of the traditional religion is taken for granted. Not so with the mission worker. His entire time is given to religious duties. Be- sides he must face people who have no Mennonite blood in their veins and prove to them that the Mennonite teachings are vital principles. Last, the missions have given opportunity for giving life as well as money. Some of the sons and daughters of Illinois have been led into channels of church work by contact with the missions. Indeed some have been work- ers at one or the other of the stations and thus entered a hie dedicated to definite church service. The Chicago work has had a substantial bearing upon the Illinois peo- ple s support by money and personnel of the foreign mis- sionary work of the church. Cooperative Work" A. H. Leaman as superintendent of the Home Mis- sion was one of the promoters of the Happy Hour Mis- sion which was in operation from 1908 to 1914. The various Mennonite Missions in Chicago also united to- gether for a Quarterly Sunday School meeting. flF °Ch^XLV Ve MiSSi ° n Activities by the Mennonite in Chicago, see 21 CHAPTER XXXIV THE ILLINOIS DISTRICT MISSION BOARD AND NEW MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES The Illinois District Mission Board 1 The general mission board of the (old) Mennonites, I that is the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities,/; was desirous that the various district conferences should organize their own district boards which would be auxil- iary to the general board. Accordingly the Illinois Church Conference in annual session, June 4, 1915, acting on the suggestion of a recommendation made by the Sunday School Conference, appointed a committee to investigate the advisability of organizing a state mission board which would have charge of the rural field. The 1916 Confer- ence chose a committee consisting of J. S. Shoemaker, John Nice, John McCulloh, William Brubaker and an- other brother, to draw up a constitution and if advisable to foster a district mission meeting. The conference as- sembled at Sterling, in 1917, accepted the constitution which the committee drew up, and appointed John W. Mc- Culloh and John D. Conrad as its representatives on the new board. Aside from these two, the other eight mem- bers of the board were to be made up of the district rep- resentative to the Mennonite Board of Missions and Char- ities, the two superintendents of the Chicago Missions, and i Material from the Illinois District Mission Board Secretary's minutes, Illinois Mennonite Conference minutes; files of the Gospel Herald; interviews and correspondence with S. R. Good, Sterling, Illinois and John Roth, Morton, Illinois. 306 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 307 a representative chosen by each of the five rural congre- gations. This body held its first meeting July 26, 1917, in the home of S. R. Good, Sterling, Illinois. The organization was effected with the following officers : S. R. Good, presi- dent (which position he long continued to fill) ; J. J. Sum- mers, vice-president; A. H. Leaman, secretary; J. V. Fort- ner, treasurer; John D. Conrad, member of executive com- mittee. The remainder of the board consisted of John W McCulloh, A. C. Good, William Nice, Eli Christophel, and A. M. Eash. F A meeting of the executive committee was called at the same place October 26, 1917, to consider a proposed Mens Missionary meeting to be held December 12 and 13 of that year. Considerable publicity was given to se- cure a large attendance. The Indiana churches were in- vited to cooperate. The Chicago meeting was a great suc- cess in attendance, in program, and in funds raised. At the board meeting held in connection with this program it was decided to give the offering of $2000.00, to the suf- i t e / ers in E ur °Pe by sending the money to the General | Mission Treasurer. I At the next board meeting held in connection with the church conference June 1, 1918, a committee was ap- pointed to investigate the East Peoria territory relative to opening a mission Sunday School. At an executive com- mittee meeting held at Sterling, Illinois, September 12, 19 IS, it was decided to hold the next annual mission meeting in connection with the Dedicatory and Twenty- hfth Anniversary Services of the Home Mission. This combination of three important elements drew a large crowd to the Mission on January 5-7, 1919. S. F. Coffman, Vineland, Ontario, preached the Dedicatory ser- mon. Other speakers on this elaborate program were J. S. Shoemaker, Freeport, Illinois; Simon Gingerich, Wayland,' 308 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Iowa; C. A. Hartzler, Tiskilwa, Illinois; William B. Wea- ver, Elkhart, Indiana; I. W. Royer, Orrville, Ohio; N. E. Byers, Bluffton, Ohio; A. I. Yoder, West Liberty, Ohio; I. R. Detweiler, Goshen, Indiana; A. M. Eash, 26th St. Mission; A. H. Leaman, Home Mission; J. K. Bixler, Elkhart, Indiana; George J. Lapp, Goshen, In- diana; M. C. Lapp, missionary from India; and S. E. Allgyer, West Liberty, Ohio. At the sessions of the District Mission Board held during this meeting, the proposition of establishing mis- sion work in Peoria as outlined by John Roth, Morton, Illinois, was accepted. This board had a resolution read at the 1919 church conference as follows: "Whereas, the mission work of the state is growing and needs the cooperation of each con- gregation of the state, we therefore request this confer- ence to ask the Amish-Mennonite Ministerial Body to ar- range for the appointment of a representative from each congregation of the state, as a member of the Illinois District Mission Board." As a result the number on the board was considerably increased. The meeting held at the Pleasant Grove Congregation near Tremont in con- nection with the last Western District Amish-Mennonite Church Conference, September 10, 1920, showed the fol- lowing members at present: A. C. Good, S. R. Good, C. D Heiser, J. A. Heiser, E. A. Rediger, John Roth, Ben- jamin Springer, Frank Smucker, J. J. Summers, and Ezra Yordy. John Roth and Ezra Yordy each presented rural sections where mission work might be opened. At the next meeting held at Sterling, June 8, 1921, it was decided to continue the work already started by John Roth at Pleasant Hill near Peoria. After several years of consideration and postpone- ment a plan of systematic giving was worked out for the congregations whereby each church is assigned some benev- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 309 olent institution each month to which its monthly mission- ary offerings are donated. Since the Peoria Mission has been turned over to the charge of the general board, the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, the Pleasant Hill rural work is the only mission station the District Board has under its care. New fields have been investi- gated from time to time. During 1925, John D. Conrad, Sterling, Illinois, made an extensive field trip over the state. The Board aims to conduct annual mission meetings which might be called District Mission Conferences. These are held during the winter with churches or missions that invite them. A number of well attended sessions have been held. The Garden Street Mission of Peoria 2 The Illinois District Mission Board which had been organized in 1917, began to search for fields in which to conduct mission work. At one of their meetings, June 1, 1918, it was decided to investigate East Peoria. A com- mittee was appointed to that task. The investigation seems to have led to the opening of work in Peoria itself. At the Men's Meeting held in connection with the Dedica- tory and Anniversary services January 6, 1919, the mat- ter was presented in a paper by John Roth. It was decided to open work at once. Accordingly a committee was ap- pointed, consisting of J. J. Smith, Roanoke Congregation, E. H. Oyer, Metamora Congregation, J. J. Summers, Union Congregation, John Roth, Pleasant Grove Congre- gation, and C. E. Martin, Hopedale Congregation, to investigate and launch the work if found advisable. 2 Material from Illinois District Mission Board secretary's minutes; pamphlet Harnish, Fifth Anniversary of the Peoria Mission; file of Gospel Herald; interviews and correspondence with S. R. Good, Sterling, Illinois, John Roth, Morton, Illinois, John L. Harnish, Peoria, Illinois, and Earl Miller, Peoria, Illinois. 310 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS After several trips to Peoria, a suitable building was located at 900 Garden Street. When the Terre Haute Brewing Company erected this two story frame building and fitted it out for a first class saloon they certainly did not dream that some day their bar would be changed to a pulpit. The building, found to be vacant, was rented, and cleaned for Gospel services. The building is twenty-four by fifty-six feet, two stories high, with a good-sized back yard and another building twenty by thirty feet, which is used as a garage. On the first floor is the chapel, which is twenty-four by forty-four feet, and the primary room twenty-four by twelve feet. Both these rooms are ar- ranged so they can be divided by curtains into suitable class rooms. The first Sunday School service was held February 16, 1919, with an attendance of over one hundred, a num- ber from the neighboring congregations being present. For the first few months Sunday School was conducted by John Roth of Morton as superintendent. He and the teachers who were members of the near-by country con- gregations came in each Sunday afternoon. Then because resident workers could not be secured the Sunday School was discontinued. At the meeting of the board, May 28, 1919, at Met- amora, John L. Harnish, Viola Ulrich, (later Mrs. Har- nish), and Martha Nof singer, were appointed as sta- tioned workers. In order to keep the building from being sold to another party the committee had purchased it dur- ing the spring. The necessary funds of $4000.00 had been secured by forty brethren each taking a share of a hun- dred dollars. Following the purchase some badly needed repairs were made. A second story porch was added to the rear and the buildings painted so it made a very neat and practical missionary institution. In August the workers moved in, occupying the sec- ond floor. Sunday School was reopened, and soon Sunday THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 311 evening preaching services and week-day evening meetings were started. Ezra Yordy of the Roanoke Congregation, A. L. Buzzard of the Union Congregation, and Samuel Gerber of the Pleasant Grove Congregation, who also has bishop oversight of the congregation, were the usual ones who took turns in supplying the pulpit. A number of young brethren and sisters came in regularly for a while to help in the Sunday School. In 1921, after the Illinois Congregations had raised the money to repay the forty shareholders, the Mission was turned over to the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, under whose control it is at present. The Mis- sion Congregation was organized on October 29, 1922, by Bishop Samuel Gerber. Two foreign countries, Ger- many and Belgium, and the states of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, and different parts of Illinois are rep- resented as the birthplace and childhood home of the mem- bers of the congregation which at present numbers about two dozen. There are also several members from country congregations who attend the services. On December 24, 1922, the superintendent John L. Harnish was ordained to the ministry by bishops J. S. Shoemaker and Samuel Gerber. In the summer of 1923 a two weeks' revival meeting was conducted in a tent by C. F. Derstine with good results. Other evangelists who have held meetings in the mission are: J. W. Hess, A. C. Good and I. W. Royer. While I. W. Royer was there the Fifth Anniversary of the Mission was observed on February 17, 1924. Owing to the inclement weather and icy roads those of the rural congregations were not able to attend. Among the methods used in bringing the gospel to the people have been the following: Preaching of God's Word, Sunday School, fresh air work, home department, cradle roll, mid-week Bible classes, prayer meetings, cot- tage meetings, tent meetings, street meetings, hospital and 312 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS visitation work, distribution of Christian literature such as tracts and Bibles, and giving material in the way of food and clothing to the needy. The following is the weekly program of services: Sunday: 10:00 A. M. Sundav School; 11 :00 A. M. Morning worship; 6:30 P. M. Chil- dren's Meeting; 7:15 P. M. Christian Worker's Meeting; 8:00 P. M. Preaching service; Tuesday: 7:30 P. M. Cot- tage Prayer Meeting; Thursday: 7:30 P. M. Bible study and prayer service; Saturday (during summer) 7:30 P. M. street meeting. From about a dozen present the first few Sundays after the Sunday School was reopened in August, 1919, the attendance steadily increased until within a year it had almost reached a hundred. At least two hundred fifty dif- ferent individuals have been enrolled in the Sunday School. "A number have moved out of the community, while oth- ers have proved unfaithful and have given up the battle for the truth and the right." About fifty have received Bibles, books, and Testaments for perfect yearly attend- ance. Some have a record of perfect attendance for over four years. Along the line of giving, the Sunday School and Con- gregation have done quite well. During the years 1922-23, the Sunday School supported a Near East orphan and an India orphan. During one quarter the Sunday School and congregation gave for all purposes, $175.00, over half of which went for foreign missions and relief work, the bal- ance for the local Sunday School and church work. Dur- ing the summer of 1923 eight scholars used quarters from the quarter fund, earning $9.25 which was sent to the General Treasurer for the support of South America mis- sionary children. During the summer groups of Sunday School pupils have been sent to the country into the homes of large- hearted brethren and sisters of the near-by congregations, THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 313 where they have greatly enjoyed a two weeks' outing. The Christian influences going out from these homes make lasting impressions upon the children. Since regular at- tendance is required to entitle the pupil to a vacation, it is also a means of building up the Sunday School. A large number of garments have been given out to the needy. The sewing circles have kept the clothing dis- pensary well supplied. Provisions are also given to poor families when in need. At one time the mission paid for two quarts of milk a day for a family with six children, the mother of whom was a faithful member of the Mis- sion. Also street car fare has been supplied to others to enable them to attend the services, and often flowers are purchased for the sick. During the flower season in the country, flowers have been sent in for this purpose by interested friends. Each Christmas from fifty to sixty large baskets laden with provisions sent in from different congregations have been distributed to as many homes, where they were much appreciated. The following gives a list of those who have served at the Mission: Date 1919 1919 1920 Worker, Address Service Period Emma (King) Risser, Hesston, Kans. 2 weeks Martha Nof singer, Washington, 111. 4 we eks Phoebe Bachman, Cazenovia, 111. 3 months Alma (Eigsti) Yordy, Manson, la. 1 ™ar 1920 21 wIm!? Campbell, Canton, O. 7 months 1921-22 Matilda bneicher, Shipshewana, Ind. few months 1Q29 Elizabeth Schantz, Hopedale, 111. 1 ye?r low \\ Ada Orendorff, Flanagan, 111. BT r { vear 1924 -25 John L. Harnish, Eureka, 111. (Supt.) over 6 years 1919-25 friola Harnish, Eureka, 111. (matron)' ZZ 6 years 1919-25 Lloy Kniss, Masontown, Pa. 6 months 1925 K5 H ? n K t^ S ' M JS°. nt0 ^ n ' Pa * ( matron ) 6 months 1925 Earl Miller, Lima, Ohio (Supt.) since 1925 Mrs. Earl Miller, Lima, Ohio (matron) since 1925 In the spring of 1925, the Harnish family found it necessary to go to Colorado on account of Mrs. Harnish's health. About April 1, Lloy Kniss of Johnstown, Penn- sylvania, took charge temporarily. He was followed by 314 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Earl Miller who with his wife came to take charge of the mission on October 8, 1925. Miller, who had been super- intendent of the Mission at Lima, Ohio, was ordained October 4, 1925, and was transferred to Peoria by the Board. In 1929 he resigned, and C. Warren Long was ap- pointed as superintendent. The Pleasant Hill Rural Mission* Pleasant Hill is the name of a school district and interurban station four miles northwest of Morton and five miles southeast of Peoria, Illinois. In this community, which is the dividing line of the prairie and the timber lands, there was formerly a Methodist Church which was abandoned over forty years ago. For a number of years after that there was no religious work carried on in the community. In 1916 the Evangelical Church opened a Sunday School in the school house, and for some time they con- ducted a flourishing Sunday School. After eight months the interest died out and the school was closed for lack of scholars. In September, 1920, John Roth presented the community to the Illinois District Mission Board as an opening for a Sunday School. He and Benjamin Springer were appointed to investigate. On September 27, they made a careful canvass of the community and visited and interviewed a number of homes. It was found that most of the people desired a Sunday School and stated their in- tention to support one. The matter was presented to the District Mission Board and after some consideration it was decided to open a Sunday School in the school house. Mr. and Mrs. John Roth offered their services to the 3 Material from Secretary's minutes of the Illinois District Mission Board and interviews and correspondence with John Roth, Morton, Illinois, A. C. Good and S. R. Good, Sterling, Illinois, and S. Jay Hostetler, Pleasant Hill near Peoria, Illinois. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 315 board. Since they lived in the same school district they were given charge of the work. When the school board was asked for permission to hold services some of the members ^ refused to give their consent but finally with- drew their objections. The first services were held on November 21, 1920 when thirty-three were present representing nineteen dif- ferent families. After conducting the services for over a year, it was decided to use more aggressive methods. Ar- rangements were made to have J. A. Heiser of Fisher, Illinois, hold evangelistic meetings assisted by a Gospel team from Goshen College. Evangelistic meetings have been held each year since that time, but the work is not without its difficulties and several have fallen back- A congregation was organized March 8, 1924 with nineteen members, and John Roth was given charge of the congregation. The present membership of the Sunday School is about seventy, but with careful directing and teaching the church feels that there will be a number of others added. There are also some discouraging features connected with the work. Since the work started another church also decided to have services in the same school house, but the attempt soon ran its course. _ In the school district there are one hundred and fifty families and seventy-five children attending public school. Most of the men work in offices or factories in Peoria. It is very difficult to reach the men and the older people. A few of the people are hostile toward the work and do all they can to destroy its influence but most are friendly. None of the members of the community know anything of the teachings of the Mennonite Church except by hearsay. In November, 1923, Ruth Smucker (Magnuson) came to help in the work. She spent most of her time in visita- tion and home department work. During her four months' stay in the community the attendance of Sunday School 316 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS was increased. She has revisited the community many times since, staying perhaps a week or more at a time. During the summer of 1924 Elizabeth Schantz spent some time visiting in the interests of the work. The congregation has regular church services, an or- ganized Sunday School, home department, and cradle roll. It has also organized a literary society for the moral and social benefit of its young people. Since the work was severely handicapped by lack of helpers, Mr. and Mrs. S. Jay Hostetler from Middlebury, Indiana, were persuaded to move into the community in June, 1925. They were partially supported by the Illinois District Mission Board which still retains jurisdiction over this rural mission. Later Hostetlers were called to have charge of the congregation at Cullom. More recently Mr. and Mrs. Carl Magnuson of Tiskilwa have moved to the district and have active charge of the work. Ezra Yordy has bishop oversight. The Women's District Missionary Society 41 After the Chicago Home Mission was opened in 1893 miscellaneous gifts of clothing and provisions were sent in from the congregations. As the mission developed, this form of contribution became a fixed custom. By 1900 some of the congregations began to form organizations of women, called Sewing meetings, which took charge of the local work in the making of garments and supplies for the needy. These organizations are now more familiarly known as Sewing Circles. The Circles perform duties similar to "The Ladies' Aids" of other denominations. 4 There was no single large source from which to draw the information for the history of this society. A great number of people were questioned in person and in writing but none were able to furnish any great amount of information. The secretary's minutes which do not seem to have been regularly recorded have been misplaced and so were not available. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 317 However, the latter term is not in vogue among the Men- nonites. In 1911 through the efforts of several devoted women work was begun towards a general society of sewing cir- cles. At a called meeting a year or so later at West Lib- erty, Ohio, a committee was elected. It investigated the idea and developed it until at the General Conference at Yellow Creek near Elkhart, Indiana, in 1917, general officers and branch secretaries to cover the entire church were elected. This developed into "The Mennonite Wom- en's Missionary Society. ,, A preliminary constitution was drawn up in 1919 and the permanent one as adopted was published in 1924. Article II states the purpose of the body as follows: "Sec. 1. — The purpose of this organization shall be to enlist all the women and girls of the Mennonite Church in prayer and efforts for home and foreign missions, to acquire and diffuse the information needed, to collect money and other gifts for the support of home and foreign missionaries and missionary work and for the promotion of the spir- itual and temporal welfare of those among whom they labor. Sec. 2. — This organization shall work as helpers of the General Mission Board and other agencies of the Mennonite Church organized for missionary and benevo- lent purposes." The general organization is divided into branches or districts. The districts, which in most cases correspond to the district conferences, are composed of the local sewing circles. A member of a local circle which belongs to a district is considered a member of the general organiza- tion. The organization holds its meetings biennially. The early officers were: Mrs. M. C. Cressman, president, Kitchener, Ontario; Mrs. Clara E. Steiner, secretary, Columbus Grove, Ohio; Miss Ruth A. Yoder, treasurer, Bellefontaine, Ohio; Mrs. J. S. Gerig, Smithville, Ohio; Mrs. Crissie Y. Shank, secretary of literature, Orrville, 3 1 8 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Ohio; Mrs. A. E. Kreider, secretary of girls' work, Go- shen, Indiana. Recently the organization has been modified and been brought under more direct control of the general mission board. The organization is quite active. It aims to discover the places of need and furnish that information to the circles. Since March 1, 1919, the general secretary has issued a letter which at first was annual but now comes forth regularly each month. Blanks are furnished and statistics gathered. Some literature is written and printed in pamphlet form. "The Booklet of Prayer for 1926" issued by the society is a very neat piece of work. This material from the general committee is disseminated by placing it in the hands of the district secretaries who in turn send it to the local secretaries of the circles. The district organization is simply a connecting link between the local and general organizations. However a district in itself can be quite active if it sets up an aggressive pro- gram. The Illinois branch or district was created at the original general session at Yellow Creek in the fall of 1917, when Mrs. Lydia H. Smith, Flanagan, Illinois, was appointed secretary for the Illinois district. The district secretaries were to encourage their districts to organize as soon as possible. Though the Amish-Mennonites and Mennonites had not at this time been merged into one conference, the local circles of both were to compose the Illinois District of the Women's Missionary Society. The first meeting was held at the Chicago Home Mission during the Dedicatory and Twenty-fifth Anni- versary service on January 6, 1919. The program with synopsis of speeches was quite fully recorded in the gen- eral report of those services. 5 Mrs. Amanda Leaman pre- 6 See Report of Dedicatory Service and Missionary Conference held at the Home Mission, Chicago, Illinois, January 5-7, 1919, pp. 17-23. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 319 sided. The main speakers were, Mrs. Clara E. Steiner, Ada Orendorff, and Mrs. A. M. Eash. The officers elected were: Melinda Ebersole, president (1919-1921); Lydia Smith, secretary (1919-1923). Amanda Leaman be- came president in 1921, and was followed by Mrs. Cora Buzzard. Lydia H. Smith was secretary until 1923. The district, owing chiefly to the efforts of the secretary, was able to report with Ontario as being one of the only two districts having a circle in each local congregation of the district by May 1, 1923. A number of Girls' Circles had also been started in the state. These were promoted by Mrs. Smith and Mrs. A. E. Kreider. Following Mrs. Smith as secretary came Ada Orendorff who held that office until 1925, when Mrs. Ruth Smucker (Magnuson) was elected. Meetings are held annually or oftener usually in con- nection with both the District Mission Meetings during the winter and the District Church Conference in the fall. In the response to calls for help along the line of sewing and making up provisions the Illinois district is regarded as being very active. It has helped to furnish the Eureka Old People's Home, has furnished a guest room for the missionaries' homes in India and has helped build the teachers' home in India. In the matter of mission study classes and reading circle work very little has been done. The organization has neither been sanctioned or opposed by the ministerial body. However it seems to be taken for granted that the women need an organization through which to work and that it is rendering valuable service. The Mennonite Home for the Aged at Eureka 6 When the Old People's Home burned near Orrville, Ohio on May 19, 1920, there was no place to care for the 6 Material for this section from J. D. Smith, superintendent of the Home, Eureka, Illinois; Mennonite Y ear-Book and Directory, 1923, p. 17 ff; and rile of Gospel Herald. 320 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS aged of the western conferences. The Franconia Confer- ence Home at Souderton, Pennsylvania, the Lancaster Conference Home, and some private parties very kindly opened their doors for these unfortunate people. The Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities investigated the matter of building, and found a hearty desire for an Old People's Home in Illinois. They finally granted the request, and took steps to find the proper location. J. S. Shoemaker, George Grieser, and J. D. Smith with other Illinois brethren were appointed to investigate prospective sites. This committee brought their findings to the Board, who decided that Eureka, Illinois, was the most central place. The churches surrounding Eureka were very favor- able. The town also gave it a hearty welcome, even offer- ing to help pay for the same. This placed the "Home" in a congenial situation. On May 19, 1921 the Mission Board, assembled in its annual meeting at the Roanoke Congregation near Eureka, appointed the Building Committee composed of three brethren, Sanford Yoder, Kalona, Iowa; J. D. Smith, Metamora, Illinois; and Jacob Garber, Eureka, Illinois. The first ground was broken on June 19, 1921. The Home is situated at the edge of Eureka, beau- tifully located on the ridge overlooking the town. A ce- ment road runs past the grounds. There are fifty native maple trees around the building. This site was formerly the Methodist Camp Meeting Grounds, and the former owners were glad to know that a religious institution would occupy the place. The town offered fire protection for the buildings. There are eighteen acres in the tract of land; six acres for pasture, seven for farming, and five lots for the buildings. The price paid was $10,000, which was much cheaper than the surrounding land because of the purpose for which it was to be used. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 321 Brother Smith and his helpers have planted one hun- dred and fifty trees, including pear, plum, peach, apple, apricot, and cherry trees. They also planted eighty grape- vines. Shrubbery has been placed about the lawn for orna- mental purposes. Much of this was donated by Sunday School scholars throughout the state. The main building is of dark red brick and covers a space of seventy-eight by eighty-four feet. It is two stories high above a basement which is largely out of the ground. This building is nearly square with a court space between the two wings which extend backwards. The building has thirty-two single and double bed-rooms, about sixty rooms altogether, sixteen hundred feet of floor space, one hun- dred twenty-two windows, and seventy-one doors. There are six good-sized porches in the building, which are very practical for the invalids and those who are well and can go outside. The building is equipped with hot and cold water systems, and is electrically lighted. The Home will accommodate forty people, one to a bed. The maximum capacity of the Home is sixty-five to seventy persons. The plant cost approximately fifty thousand dollars. It was dedicated on July 23, 1922 by Sanford Yoder. J. D. Smith, and Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Derstine were appointed to bring the first group of eight inmates from the eastern Homes. When they arrived at Eureka on June 14, 1922 there was a large crowd at the depot to give them a glad welcome. When the helpless ones were seen and carried from the train some tears were shed, and none regretted the work which had been undertaken. At present there are twenty-two in the Home, and others on the waiting list. The original local board appointed by the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, was : J. D. Smith, Eureka ; J. D. Garber, Eureka; Andrew Birky, Fisher; Jacob Oren- dorff, Flanagan; and B. J. Schertz, Eureka. The super- 22 322 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS intendent is J. D. Smith, formerly of Metamora. He has capably taken his place and is highly appreciated by the inmates. He, with Jacob Garber, materially reduced the cost of building by supervising the work without salary. The Smiths now live in their own newly erected home nearby. Mattie Schertz of Flanagan, was secured as ma- tron. Matilda Speicher, a veteran worker for the Menno- nite Board of Missions and Charities, having served at the Old Folks' Home of Ohio, and two mission stations, was also made a worker in the Home. Ida Yoder was given charge of the kitchen and dining room. She had rendered similar service at the Chicago Home Mission. Since the Home is not merely an institution of the Illinois people but part of the general church work con- trolled by the Mennonite Board of Missions and Chari- ties, the funds for construction were raised by J. D. Smith and others in the congregations throughout the West. However the Illinois congregations contributed the larger share. The Sisters' Sewing Circles nobly responded by fur- nishing bedding, draperies, and cash. Two brethren, Stalter and Neuhauser, the latter now deceased, each deeded to the Board for endowment eighty acres of land for the future support of the home. Con- gregations also pay for the support of some of their in- mates. This is practical for the larger congregations. Sometimes relatives and others support the inmates. Some help comes from the produce of the place, such as vege- tables and fruit. Amos Neuhauser donated one of his Holstein cows, and more will be added later. The chick- ens are expected to help somewhat. A useful barn has been built on the place. A Christian atmosphere pervades the place. Singing is frequently heard. There is daily worship and prayer in the Home. Public worship is held every Sabbath at 3 o'clock. Mid-week prayer meetings are also conducted. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 323 Visiting ministers are always appreciated and services are held any evening when ministers are present. There is a spirit of brotherliness and Christian fellowship in the home. The biennial session of the General Conference was held at the Home under a large tent during the last week of August, 1925. It proved to be an excellent location for the meeting. A very large crowd attended. On one day over twelve hundred cars were parked in the near-bv grove. J CHAPTER XXXV THE CONFERENCE MERGER In the confusion of the Mennonite branches thus far studied one quite encouraging feature appears, and that is the merging of two of the larger divisions. The only union to be effected in the state was that made between the Amish-Mennonites and the (old) Mennonites, which be- came an organic union. The union of the conferences, which was completed in 1921, had been developing for a long time, in fact from the arrival of the first Mennonite settlers in 1833. Both Amish and Mennonite settlers came to prac- tically the same territory between the present day cities of Peoria and Washington. There was probably no unneces- sary association at first but relations developed eventually. When the Mennonites near Washington relocated their church house at its present site, in 1888, it was called the Union Church. Although the information has not been verified beyond a doubt, the statement has been made that this name was given expressing the purpose of this church to invite both Mennonites and Amish into its membership. Perhaps the earliest tendencies toward unification came through the publication of the Herald of Truth which first appeared in Chicago in 1864. The subscription lists which were published in the early issues show sub- scribers coming from both Amish-Mennonites and Men- nonites in the state of Illinois. Articles written by mem- bers of both branches appeared in its columns frequently. Though this did not form a direct bond between the two branches, the fact that they supported a church paper in common could not but have its unifying influence. Later, when a publication board was formed, both conferences 324 THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 325 of these two branches appointed members to serve upon it. When John S. Coffman conducted his evangelistic work he frequently went into the Amish churches and in turn the Amish came to the Mennonite services. When the Home Mission was started in Chicago in 1893 it met with as much favor among the Amish-Mennonites as among the Mennonites, both of whom gave support and provisions. As the Chicago work grew it became more and more a unifying force. When the General Conference was in its formative period during the late nineties both branches in their conference sessions passed motions favoring it. Later each appointed delegates to the General Conference ses- sions, thus admitting that they were parts of the same whole. When the Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference held its sessions in Illinois the Mennonites patronized it. Some of the ministers even took part on the program. J. S. Shoemaker, Mennonite bishop, at one time served as moderator. In like manner during sessions of the Illinois Mennonite Conferences the Amish recipro- cated. These forms of cooperation though unofficial were nevertheless positive. Official action between the bodies began to develop in the Sunday School Conference work. Each branch had its own Sunday School Conference in con- nection with its annual church conference. When the West- ern District Amish-Mennonites held their sessions in states beyond the Mississippi it was impossible for many of the Illinois members to attend. Therefore they began to at- tend and cooperate in the Mennonite Sunday School Con- ference held in Illinois. Even when their own conference was held in the state cooperation could continue because their session was held during the fall while that of the Mennonites was held in the spring. Frequently many at- tended both sessions. In 1913 the Illinois Church Con- ference in session at Morrison drew up a statement saying 326 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS that since the Amish-Mennonites were not officially repre- sented on the Sunday School Executive Committee they would request the Illinois Amish ministerial meeting to appoint two members. This suggestion however was not followed by the Amish until 1919 when the first joint ses- sion was held at Metamora. 1 The work of the Illinois District Mission Board soon included both conferences. It had originated through the Mennonites in 1917, but in 1919 the Amish-Mennonite congregations were asked to appoint representatives upon the Board. The Mission Meetings were attended by members of both branches. The Peoria Mission, 2 opened that same year by the Board, was promoted chiefly by a local committee composed of Amish-Mennonites from the neighboring congregations. The Women's District Missionary Society, started in 1917, included the sewing circles of both branches. 8 Thus by 1919, all the activities of the Mennonites and Amish-Mennonites in Illinois had been combined with the exception of the respective conference organizations. Since the bodies were united in spirit and action, the par- ticular organizations in existence were but holdovers from a period when real division existed. Therefore the logical step was to merge them. However this was not a matter which concerned the people of Illinois alone for the West- ern District Amish-Mennonite Conference comprised not only Amish-Mennonites in Illinois but those in the states beyond the Mississippi River. The Illinois Amish-Menno- nites could have withdrawn from that conference, but a better plan was devised in which the Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference dissolved and its congrega- tions united with the Mennonites according to geograph- ical convenience. 1 See Chap. XI, the Illinois District Mtnnonite Conference. 2 See Chap. XXXIV, the Garden Street Mission of Peoria. 3 See preceding Chap. XXXIV, the Women's Missionary Society. THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 327 It was necessary to get each of the several confer- ences involved, to consent to such an arrangement. By 1919, the five conferences involved, namely, the Western District Amish-Mennonite, and the Mennonite districts of Illinois, Missouri-Iowa, Kansas-Nebraska, and Pacific Coast, had acted favorably. Each appointed a unification committee which when combined formed a merging body of twenty-four members. Two meetings were held at Milford, Nebraska where a plan for merging was worked out. The second report of this committee was as follows: 4 "We the undersigned com- mittee, appointed by our respective conferences to consider the advisability of merging and redistricting our western conferences and prepare a report for the consideration of these bodies, beg leave to submit the following: "At our meeting held at East Fairview Church near Milford, Nebraska, May 26 and 27, 1920, after prayerful consideration of the work before us, we prepared the fol- lowing report for consideration by our congregations: (The report referred to is a former report by the same committee proposing a plan for merging and redistricting our western conference which report has been submitted to the congregations in the districts affected by the merger.) "The above report was submitted to the various con- gregations throughout the conference districts by the bish- ops in charge or by brethren under their direction. Of the sixty-four congregations reporting, thirty-nine are recorded as unanimously in favor of the merging. In two congrega- tions there were three votes recorded against, the rest in favor. The total vote of the members of the remaining twenty-three congregations was as follows: in favor, 1526; not in favor, 108 ; 5 undecided 13. This does not include 4 Printed in Gospel Herald, Vol. XIII, October 26, 1920, p. 607. 6 It is curious to note that one Amish-Mennonite objected to the mer- ger because he thought the Mennonites were more strongly op- posed to the use of tobacco than was his own conference. 328 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS members giving no expression. We are grateful to God that thus far His Spirit has led and that there has been a marked support of the movement by all the conferences, and a large majority of the membership throughout the districts. We hereby express the hope that by the time this work is completed it may have the united support of every member in our congregations. "With more than nine-tenths of the entire vote cast being in favor of the conferences merging and no serious objections against it being in evidence, we believe that the time has come when steps should be taken towards the merging and redistricting of our conferences, and there- fore recommend the following: (of the sixteen recommen- dations only the tenth and eleventh are transcribed here) "That the following brethren be appointed as execu- tive committees of their respective districts: Illinois: Sam- uel Gerber, J. S. Shoemaker, A. A. Schrock, A. C. Good, A. L. Buzzard, C. A. Hartzler; Iowa-Nebraska: S. C. Yoder, D. G. Lapp, Perry Blosser, Simon Gingerich, J. E. Zimmerman, C. J. Garber; Kansas-Missouri: J. M. Kreider, I. Z. Hartzler, P. J. Shenk, I. J. Zimmerman, J. A. Heatwole, C. D. Yoder, L. H. Miller, John Slagel; Pacific Coast: S. G. Shetler, A. P. Troyer, C. R. Gerig, J. P. Bontrager, M. E. Brenneman, Fred Gingerich; North Dakota : I. S. Mast, L. A. Kauffman, J. C. Gingerich. "That it be the duty of these executive committees to designate the time and place of holding the first con- ference in their respective districts, to provide for the necessary programs, and to organize the conferences — the chairman of each executive committee to be the tem- porary moderator of the conference. "Yours for the cause of Christ and the welfare of the Church. (Signed by) Daniel Kauffman, Chairman, Simon Gingerich, Secre- tary, A. P. Troyer, C. R. Gerig, S. G. Shetler, Peter Ken- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 329 nell, Joseph Zimmerman, J. A. Heatwole, C. D. Yoder, Joe C. Driver, Levi Miller, J. M. Kreider, A. G. Yoder,' Samuel Gerber, John Nice, A. A. Schrock, J. S. Shoe- maker, C. A. Hartzler, and A. C. Good." During the course of the year 1920 the several con- ferences gave their stamp of approval. The last Western District Amish-Mennonite conference was held at Tre- mont, Illinois, in September, 1920. The next year the resultant conferences held their first meetings. The new Illinois Mennonite Conference, composed of the congrega- tions of the old one by that name and the Amish-Menno- mte congregations within the geographical limits of Illi- nois, met at the Science Ridge Church near Sterling, June 7-9, 1921. Thus after two and a quarter centuries the two branches which separated in Switzerland, 1693, were a- gain one, at least as far as these Mennonites in this lim- ited territory were concerned. The new "Constitution" and "Rules and Discipline" were printed together and is- sued in 1922. It was not a case of the Amish joining an established Mennonite body for it was true merging. Neither branch gave up more than the other in uniting. If anything the sacrifice was made by the Mennonite laymen who up to this time had a vote in conference. There has been some complaint in the curtailment of lay voting. The request of the young people to form a state literary society of their own was rejected by the ministerial body at their 1925 session. However no serious friction has developed within the conference and so far the state has been free from such upheavals as have befallen other district conferences in recent years. In 1922 the conference at Hopedale drew a large crowd. Over seven hundred cars were reported to have been parked on the grounds during one day's meeting. The conferences that followed, East Bend near Fisher, 330 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1923, and Flanagan, 1924, showed no less interest. The 1925 session was held at the Eureka Home for the Aged in connection with the General Conference which of course overshadowed it. Later conferences have been held as fol- lows: 1926, Tiskilwa; 1927, Sterling; 1928, Freeport; 1929, Harmony. While the conference itself has functioned very smoothly it would be false to give the impression that the congregations had no troubles. As in all denominations as well as among the other Mennonite groups there were painful contentions. Some of these were caused by domi- nating families, others by narrow leadership, others by the formation of parties in the ranks, and others by unworthy members. It is easy for human nature to become jealous and this trait has been manifested far too much. The contentions have held the Church down to much smaller numbers than it deserved. It is to be hoped that the future will show improvements along this line. This criticism may give the impression that the Illinois people have progressed very slowly. This however is not true. Many changes have come into the life of the people in recent years, some for better, others for worse. The changes of the times have made their impress upon these Mennonite people. Because the settlements were small the people could not help being influenced by their neighbors. Since the young folks have started at- tending the high schools they have been brought closely into contact with the modern world. All these and many other things have served to produce changes in the life and habits of the people themselves. The people have almost entirely adopted the dress of the times. While the bonnet is still worn it no longer has a large frill and^ does not come forward so far over the face. The devotional cov- ering is still worn in meetings. Among the men, very few besides the ministry wear the "plain" coat. In fact this was never the practice among the Amish Mennonites. How- THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE 331 ever, with these changes, the church still upholds its doc- trine of simplicity of dress. The council meetings, pre- ceding communion services, formerly held semi-secretly in the ante-room are now conducted in assembly by rising vote of those wishing to commune. The change in attitude on education has been for the better. Contributions are made for the church schools and numbers of the young people are attending colleges. Par- ticularly since the World War the support of the church schools has been very generous both in finances and attend- ance. Since 1924 Goshen College is recognized as the church college for the state of Illinois. An average of 15 students annually attend the school. Economically the people have become the most pros- perous farmers in the state. However, the farms are so nearly all taken up that many of the young people will have to seek homes elsewhere. Some are beginning to take up other occupations. Illinois has contributed much to the progress of the church in general. Some of her leaders aided in the for- mation of the General Conference. The conference held its second session in the state. In the field of education, Illinois contributed the first college president 6 as well as considerable means. The Chicago Mission was the first of :ts kind in the entire church and ante-dated the first for- eign mission by several years. In this mission, Illinois gave the first permanently stationed worker. 7 Illinois has been represented in the foreign field in person 8 and purse. The church paper originated and was first edited, printed, and published in Chicago. 9 The first and only president of |N E. Byers at Goshen _ College 1903-1913. I. R. Detweiler also from Illinois served as acting president in later years. 7 Melinda Ebersole who served for twenty years. 8L L?^ We p er ,' u lrS "A J*' K 2 ufman > Mrs. Esther Ebersole Lapp (de- ceased), Ralph and Alma Smucker, etc. 9 The Herald of Truth, see Chap. XXIX. 332 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the publication board was from this district conference. 10 The state furnishes personal, moral, and financial support to all of the various church enterprises. 10 J. S. Shoemaker helped to organize the first board and has been its president from the beginning. BOOK III THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES (Egly Amish) CHAPTER XXXVI THE WORK OF HENRY EGLY A brief review of the Amish settlements will be given here in order to understand the field into which a new movement was to make its way. The Amish settlers had spread over central Illinois in the territory north and west from Bloomington and north, south, and east from Peoria. The following nine general and more or less vague con- gregations were in existence : EARLY AMISH CONGREGATIONS IN ILLINOIS Original Congregation Date of Organization Present Name & Branch 1. Partridge Creek, Spring Bay (1833) 2. Mackinaw River Meeting 3. Putnam County 4. Wesley City 5. Dillon Creek 6. Rock Creek, Yoder Church (1835) (1835) (1837) (1837) (1851) 7. Hessians south of Danvers (1854) 8. Delavan Prairie 9. Gridley Prairie (1854) (1860) 335 The Amish-Mennonite congre- gation near Metamora, Wood- ford County. The two Amish-Mennonite con- gregations of Roanoke and Goodfield, Woodford County. The Willow Springs Amish- Mennonite congregation near Tiskilwa, Bureau County. The Defenseless Mennonite con- gregation near Groveland, Taze- well County. The Pleasant Grove Amish- Mennonite congregation near Tremont, Tazewell County. The Central Conference Men- nonite church called North Dan- vers, McLean County. The Central Conference Men- nonite church, in Danvers, Mc- Lean County. The Amish-Mennonite congre- gation near Hopedale. Tazewell County. The Waldo Amish-Mennonite congregation near Flanagan and mother to the Salem Defense- less Mennonite congregation near Gridley and the Central Conference Mennonite congre- gation near Flanagan, Living- ston County. 336 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS About this time a different settlement was opened up in Moultrie and Douglas Counties. But since it retained Old Order Amish religious practices and had no connec- tion with the Bloomington-Peoria settlement, it is given separate treatment in a section of its own. 1 As already suggested, some of the Amish in these settlements between Peoria and Bloomington had come to feel that the church was too inactive. Some, especially from the Dillon Creek and Partridge Churches, answered the appeal to the movement from without and joined with the New Amish. During the Civil War and perhaps in part due to the atmosphere that accompanied it, a movement 2 arose this time within the Amish membership itself, which was de- signed to renew the spiritual life then conceived as dead. The movement did not arise in Illinois, but among the Amish of Adams County, Indiana. However it was soon to be felt in Illinois, and especially in the Wesley City and Gridley Prairie congregations. The leader who promoted "the regenerated life" and eventually founded the separate branch of Defenseless Mennonites was Henry Egly. He was born in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, on the 5th of April, 1824. From Baden he came early to Butler County, Ohio, in August, 1837, together with his father and two sisters. There he was received as a member of the congregation by baptism in his seventeenth year. When twenty-five, he married Catherine Goldschmidt in 1849. To this union were born eight children, seven of whom still live: six sons, Jacob, Henry, Samuel, Joseph, Abraham and Chris- tian and two daughters, Magdalena and Kathryn. A daughter died several years ago. There are 25 grand- 1 See Book V, Chap. LV, "The Arthur Settlement." 2 Material for this chapter from D. N. Claudon and C. R. Egle, Mead- ows, 111., and Smith, Mennonites of America, p. 246 ff. Also com- pare Chap. III. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 337 children. In 1850 he moved from Butler County, Ohio to Geneva, Adams County, Indiana where he lived until Ins death June 23, 1890. The same year in which he ar- rived in Indiana he was elected by lot for the service of deacon, which he held for three and one-half years. On Whitsuntide, 1854, he was elected preacher by unanimous vote, serving m this capacity for four years. He was elected as bishop, in 1858, again by unanimous vote. Up to the time of his death he worked earnestly and faithfully for the cause. The funeral was held July 25, 1890 in th'» church-house in which he had served for so many years Egly, while bishop of his Amish Church, in Indiana became what he felt as truly converted. After this experi- ence in his own life, he required a personal experience of forgiveness of sins and change of heart of all those who wished to partake of the Lord's Supper. Also, he rebap- tized those, and those only, who had not had this experi- ence before they were baptized, in order to make sure that their baptism could be the answer of a good con- science towards God. About 1864 Egly began to urge the necessity of a definite experience of regeneration in the religious life. His charges against the church were that it was too for- mal, that applicants for membership, especially among the younger element, were received with insufficient prelimi- nary instruction, that the members were lacking in spirit- ual life and that they were not strict enough in maintain- ing the old customs, especially with regard to dress. Some of these charges no doubt were the result of personal con- tention, but that the church at this time frequently paid more attention to the letter than to the spirit there can be no doubt. Even though some of these charges were well founded, it cannot be said that Egly and his immediate followers reduced this formality to a very appreciable ex- tent. It simply manifested itself among them in another ■direction. 27, 338 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS No sooner had Egly made the announcement than half of the congregation said that they would have no more to do with him. About fifty per cent of those re- maining faithful to him claimed that they had had a per- sonal experience of salvation, either before they were bap- tized in the old church or after their baptism. These said that they would move forward and continue to pray for those who had not had such experience in the hope that the latter might receive this experimental knowledge of conversion and regeneration, and then join them also. In 1866 Egly organized his own church. The move- ment spread to other places in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. In all these places Egly used his talents to strengthen the cause. His revival meetings throughout the remainder of the decade won many converts who later became leaders in the conference when it was organized. Egly gave much of his time and energy to the development of the branch. When the movement spread to Illinois it was fostered in Livingston County by Joseph Rediger, minister of the Gridley Prairie congregation. Rediger, with the assistance of Egly, who was a distant relative of his and with whom he had had some communication before on the subject, organized a small u Egly" church 3 out of a few of the dis- satisfied members of the Gridley congregation. In a similar manner the movement was promoted in Tazewell County. Michael Moseman, one of the pioneer bishops of the state, and Nicholas Roth, both in charge of the Wesley City congregation, turned to the new faith. Practically all of their congregation went with them. 4 Some from the Dillon Creek settlement also cast their lot with them. These were the only two Defenseless Menno- nite congregations to be organized in Illinois. 3 See Chap. XXXVII, "The Salem Congregation near Gridley. 4 See Chap. XXXVIII, "The Congregation near Groveland." THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 339 From these small beginnings, through evangelism, new settlements and church extension, the following gregations have developed con- DEFENSELESS MENNONITE CONGREG Location No. Members Pastors Archbold, Ohio 160 Bluffton, Ohio 50 Pioneer, Ohio 85 Pemberville, Ohio 10 Bishop E. M. Slagle Samuel Rupp Levi Mellinger Harry Bertsche Levi Zehr Aaron Slagle Earl Frake Berne, Ind. 150 Grabill, Ind. 90 LaFayette, Ind. 35 Woodburn, Ind. 150 Chicago, 111. 45 Flanagan, 111.,* 150 Groveland, 111. 109 Sterling, Kans. 48 Hickory Co., Mo. extinct Centralia, Mo. extinct Seward Co., Xebr. extinct Elkton, Mich. extinct Zurich, Ont., Can. extinct * Salem (near Gridley) Bishop Eli Lantz C X. Stucky Jerry Sauder David Sauder Irwin Klopfenstein Sam Ehresman Chris Gerber Benjamin Over Eli Oyer Emanuel Becker Bishop J. K. Gerig Bishop C. R. Egle B. E. Rediger Bishop Ben Rupp Emanuel Rocke Chris Ben Birkey Chris Oyer Bish. J. Schmucker L>. X. Zimmerman N. J. Schmucker ATIOXS, 1925 Address Archbold, Ohio Archbold. Ohio Bluffton, Ohio Bluffton, Ohio Pioneer, Ohio Pioneer, Ohio Pemberville, Ohio Berne, Ind. Berne, Ind. Grabill, Ind. Grabill, Ind. Grabill, Ind. Woodburn, Ind. Roseville, Ind. Ft. Wayne, Ind. Woodburn, Ind. Ft. Wayne, Ind. 6518 S. Honore St., Chicago, 111. Meadows, 111. Gridley, 111. Bloomington, 111. Pekin, 111. Pekin, 111. Tremont, 111. Plevna, Kans. Sterling, Kans. Sterling, Kans. ' Fr Zn g T al C ° nUrenCe Year Book ot 1926 ' P- 38 with additions and 340 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS This branch, although spoken of as the Egly Amish by the members of the parent group, calls itself officially the Defenseless Mennonite church. The name is some- what misleading to those unacquainted with Mennonite history, since "defenselessness" is no more characteristic of this than of other branches of the Mennonite denomi- nation. The name was officially assumed during the Civil War when in negotiating for a deed to the Salem church property at Gridley, this term was hit upon. _ _ At first the Egly people were very strict in their dis- cipline and were more rigid than the Amish in maintaining the old regulations with regard to dress. The prayer head covering, a black, three-cornered veil, and bonnet were originally worn. Later the veil was made larger and longer. Eventually discarded, no prayer head covering is used at present. The regulation collarless cut of coat, as pre- scribed by some branches, never was worn by the men. They did not wear ties in the early days but a sort of black kerchief around their necks. When the modern style of the tie came in, most of them adopted it, but a few of the older ministers have never worn ties. The holy kiss is in favor but is little observed by the younger generation al- though it is practiced quite faithfully among the ministers. \t first they were quite exclusive and had little religious or social affiliation with the church from which they with- drew They insisted on a definite "religious experience and rebaptized all those that could not confess that they had been truly converted at the time of the first baptism, a confession which, of course, under the circumstances few could make. , During recent years, however, a marked change has taken place in the relation of the group to the other Men- nonite organizations. The second generation of the Egly branch has assumed a more liberal attitude toward the old church, and the latter, too, has changed decidedly for the better. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 341 The first annual conference was held in 1883 but it was not incorporated until 1908. A split occurred during the last decade of the nineteenth century due to the fact that some insisted upon immersion as the only mode of baptism, taught the filling of the Holy Spirit to be an ex- perience separate from regeneration, and strongly empha- sized missionary work. 6 Nearly all of the then existing congregations were divided. The first missionary work was begun in 1896 when the conference undertook to support a missionary to West Africa. The Congo Inland Mission was incorporated in 1912. In 1898 the Salem Orphanage near Flanagan, Illi- nois, was founded. The Mennonite Sanitarium Association was organized in 1919 and the Sanitarium of Bloomington is maintained. The Old People's Home at Meadows was dedicated in May, 1923. The Central Conference of Men- nonites unites in supporting these four activities. The Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ co- operate with this branch in the publication of "Zion's Tidings." The Salem Gospel Mission, Chicago, Illinois, established in 1908, is supported solely by the Defenseless Conference. The Brotherhood Aid Association, started in 1918 and controlled by the conference, is patronized by the members of other branches. The churches in Illinois, the work of the annual con- ference, and the various conference activities as well as the Missionary Church Association schism, will be taken up in detail in the chapters that follow. See Chap. XLVIT, "The Missionary Church Association.' CHAPTER XXXVII THE SALEM CONGREGATION NEAR GRIDLEY 1 As mentioned in the preceding chapter, the Egly movement 2 found its way into the Gridley Prairie congre- gation through Joseph Rediger, who, at the time, was minister of this church which had been established but a few years before. The first Mennonite settlers had come to the Gridley Prairie from Tazewell and Woodford counties in 1859 as land could be purchased both from the railroad and from the government at the price of six dollars an acre. Among the first that came were Joseph, John and Jacob Rediger, Joseph Gerig, John Ehresman, Christian Slagle, and others. Gridley was their nearest railroad town, seven to eight miles southwest from them. There were no roads laid out, but they drove straight across the sections in a "bee-line" so far as the sloughs and ponds permitted. There was only one farm house between them and Gridley and one about two miles north. They hauled their coal, then and for many years afterwards, from the mines near Streator, Illinois, about twenty-five miles north. There was the Toledo, Peoria, & Western Railroad to the south, the Illinois Central on the west and later the Chicago & Alton Railroad on the east. iThe church is located in the rural district also near Flanagan, Waldo, and Meadows and is referred to by these addresses sometimes. 2 Material principally from manuscript furnished by C. R. Egle, Elder of the Salem Church, reinforced by interviews with him and D. N. Claudon, Meadows, 111. Much of the chapter is taken directly from Egle's manuscript. 342 THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 343 Most of these settlers had been renters before they came to this section but had enough funds to purchase and start payment on their farms. By hard work and good management they soon prospered and improved their farms, especially by tilling their low lands which to their surprise were the most fertile. The first slough wells gave way to dug ones and later on to drilled wells. A number of others moved into this neighborhood until a large Am- ish settlement, interspersed with other German people, and some English, was formed. Among the Amish people that settled here are found, besides the aforementioned, the names of Albrecht, Augspurger, Bechler, Beller, Birkey, Claudon, Eigsti, Egle, Farney, Gasche, Hildv, King, Leh- mann, Litwiller, Nafziger, Orendorf, Oyer, Raber, Ring- enberger, Rocke, Roth, Salzman, Schrock, Smith, Stalter, Stauffer, Steinman, Stuckey, Ulrich, Vercler, Wagler, Wortz, Yordy, Zehr, and Zimmerman. Later Christian Slagle, John Smith and Wagler located there. The first Amish minister of the Gridley congregation was Jacob Rediger, one of the first settlers; but he soon died. Joseph Rediger, his brother, was put in charge in 1863. Through the testing time of the Civil War, Joseph Rediger came to the conclusion that the experience of a change of heart and true spiritual life in the church was sadly lacking. Hearing at that time of Elder Henry Egly of Indiana and the movement there, he visited that locality and himself had a definite experience of the for- giveness of sin and a change of heart. Later Henry Egly came to Gridley with the result that a number were con- verted and baptized and others who had had this experi- ence before they were baptized joined them. Those in the L new movement testified freely to what they experienced while others objected to a saving knowledge of grace, thinking it boastful to say, "I know my sins are forgiven,' and I am saved." Some ministers from the East, one of 344 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS them John K. Yoder, were called to settle the difficulty and partly succeeded. However, the split became permanent. This new body of members first had their services in their homes every Sunday and during the winter also meetings on week days and evenings. Joseph Rediger and also Henry Egly often said af- terward that had they not received so much opposition concerning the spiritual life and had they themselves been riper in experience and exercised more forbearance with the brethren, the outcome might have been different. The first church was built in 1875, on the same loca- tion where the present church now stands, in Waldo Township, Livingston County, Illinois, on ground donated by John Ehresman. No deed was made until July 23, 1898, after a small tract of land was added to it, by pur- chase from the John Ehresman family. This land consists of five acres and 44 rods and was purchased for $301.75. At this time the name Salem Defenseless Mennonite Church was adopted as the official title. The name Salem was taken from the Bible and means City of Peace. This term has become a favorite designation for various Defenseless Conference activities. The new church was built in 1893 at a cost of $2,886.00 and is forty by sixty feet by eight- een feet high with an annex twenty-eight by twenty-eight feet. Much of the labor was donated, reducing the cost materially. This building seats about 300 persons. In 1886 a house was built for Sister Menke, who was then taking care of the church-house. This building cost $150.00 and was enlarged in 1904 for a parsonage for C. R. Egle at a cost of $350.00 for remodeling the house and putting up a small barn. There is also a good, deep-drilled, inex- haustible well on the premises, and sheds for vehicles. The first burying ground was started on the Joseph Rediger farm one half mile east of the church, where four people are buried: His brother Jacob, Fanny, his first wife, THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 345 her mother, and Mrs. Esterly, his sister. Later the Waldo Cemetery was opened one half mile west of the church and one half mile south of the Amish Mennonite church. Both churches now use this as their burying ground. How- ever the Pike Cemetery several miles east of the church and the Nebraska Township Cemetery several miles north are used in some cases. As stated already the first minister of this church was Joseph Rediger who was first ordained to the ministry in the Amish Mennonite Church in 1863. After the new church was started Joseph Rediger's brother, John Redi- ger, was elected to assist him. The first deacon was Chris- tian King, who was later elected to the ministry along with C. R. Egle in 1883. At this time two deacons, namely, Nichols B. Stuckey and Peter Ehresman, were ordained As the office is held for life, both served to the end of their lives. Ehresman died in 1893 and Stuckey in 1913 John Slagle and P. P. Oyer were elected to the office of deacon. After they had moved to other locations, D. N Claudon and Joseph M. Gerig were elected in 1915 The former has moved to Valpariso, Indiana and the latter to Woodburn, Indiana. A. C. Zimmerman and Christian Geri R . Egle Gridley, 111., Oct. 9-12, 1905 Ben Ru £ D . c R E * le Grabill, Ind., Oct. 4-6 1906 5 en ^ ' n 5' £ i Groveland, 111., Sept. 23-25, 1907 *£ *™ \ £ % g f Plevna, Kans., Oct. 8-14, 1908 *** *™ ! £ g" ?£ « fe d « ^V%Z- 19 ° 9 ? K R G P erig C D R ^ g Claudon Gridley 111., Sept. 12-16, 1910 j. K . GeriJ ; D. N. Claudon Berne, Ind., Sept. 5-11, 1911 j. K . Gerig . D> N> Claudon Groveland, 111., Sept. 3-18, 1912 Ben Rupp ; D. N. Claudon Sterling, Kans., Oct. 9-13, 1913 Ben Rupp ; D. N. Claudon Bluffton, Ohio, Aug. 27-30, 1914 Ben Rupp ; D. N. Claudon 73 Woodburn, Ind., Sept. 9-15, 1915 Ben Rupp ; D. N. Claudon 70 Gridley, 111., Sept. 1-4, 1916 Ben Rupp ; D. N. Claudon Archbold, Ohio, Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 1917 Ben Rupp ; D. N. Claudon 67 Groveland, 111., Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 1918 E - M. Slagle ; D. N. Claudon 86 Grabill, Ind., Sept. 4-6, 1919 E. M. Slagle , D. N. Claudon 73 Pioneer, Ohio, Sept. 2-7, 1920 E. M. Slagle ; E. E Rupp 72 Gridley, 111., Aug. 31-Sept. 4, 1921 J- K. Gerig ; E. E. Rupp 91 Berne, Ind., Aug. 15-20, 1922 J- K. Gerig ; E. E. Rupp 82 Woodburn, Ind., Sept. 5-9, 1923 J. K. Gerig ; E. E. Rupp 75 Archbold, Ohio, Aug. 27-31, 1924 E. M. Slagle ; E. E. Rupp 80 Groveland, 111., Aug. 25-30, 1925 Eli Lantz; E. E. Rupp 84 The 1895 conference reiterated belief in the cardinal Mennonite doctrines. The greeting with the holy kiss was to be used. The prayer head covering was to be worn by the women. 2 Jewelry and other adornments, secret socie- ties, life and property insurance, worldly amusements, fre- 2 The prayer head covering was originally a black three cornered veil, later a larger and longer veil and eventually took the form of a cap. The men did not wear ties in the early days but a sort of black kerchief around the neck. When the modern style of the tie came in most of them adopted it, but a few of the older ministers never wore ties. The regulation cut of coat never was used. 368 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS quenting of saloons, and the use of tobacco were not to be tolerated. If a member felt a call to preach he was to make it known to the elder of his church. If that church should approve he should be permitted to labor there. If successful after a probationary period he could be or- dained and sent to another field if there was one. A sug- gestion was dropped that they bear with one another on the millennial doctrine, which was no doubt beginning to create a disturbance at that time. The conference of 1897 declared that when one of the church members married a member of another de- nomination they should choose their future church home and the ceremony should be performed there. In the elec- 3 The present system of election of ministers is given as follows in the Chtt gJS£-&-i£ Minfst S5 i A minister may he callec Mj, a vote of he Church, or if there is a brother who feels a call to nreach the Gospel, he shall make it known to the pastor of his church 2 If the minister considers him a proper subject according to I Tim 3 he shall notify the Elders who at an opportune time hall visTt me candidate ana will, with the minister ,n ^charge ex- amine the state of grace, moral character, and the nature otnis amine tne s satisfactory examination find the can- didate in a fit state of grace, a meeting of the church may be caned and with a consent of a three-fourths vote of the church he may hToxknted a license until the next Annual Conference. 4. At the a b nnuTconfe a ren C c e e n a e yearly conference license shall b, .granted s uch providing they have been on trial for six months and have passed an examination satisfactorily on our Confession of F|ith and Disci pline, with a three-fourths vote of the conf erence . 5 If the can didate has been accepted according to Section II P^f^J' ™ may be received on a three years' term of probation, *« conference Ucenses being renewed annually. 6. No probationer shall be or- dafned until he has completed and passed a written 'examination on the reading course prescribed by the examining committee, and has given fuU g satisfaction to the church to which , he has n — ered and to the examining comm ttee that he is fully m line with our doetrne and discipline, and that he is capable of taking charge o a work, with a three-fourths vote of the conference, 7. A minister having been ordained by another denomination, desiring to join our church, shall labor under the same rules as other applicants ac cording to Chap. IV, Section II Paragraphs 1-6, and »j>e« feemed approved shall be submitted to the conference, who shall then rec- ognize his previous ordination or advise his reordination. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 369 tion of a minister the candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes of his own church. From the fact that a re- port is given a Foreign Mission Fund must have been inaugurated before this time. In 1896 the conference be- gan to support Matilda Kohm in Africa. C. R. Egle, with Joseph K. Rupp as assistant, was appointed to the new office of traveling evangelist. A resolution was passed to start a German Church paper under the name of Heils- Bote with C. R. Egle as editor and Joseph Rediger and Peter Hochstettler as assistants. The following* 3 resolu- tion, "We believe in only one water baptism upon repent- ance and forgiveness of sins as the answer of a good con- science toward God regardless of the mode of baptism," and another concerning the division of the church prop- erty reflects the disturbance created by the Missionary Church Association. The Conference of 1900 appointed D. N. Claudon, J. A. Oyer, and Benjamin Rupp as a committee on pub- lication. A resolution of the 1901 conference empowered the various church deacons to form an organization to establish a home for enfeebled mission workers and aged and to incorporate the conference if necessary. In 1902 the conference disapproved the formation of a church in- surance society. When there was a loss it was to be made known to the ministers and deacons of the different con- gregations and offerings taken. A whole day of the con- ference period was to be set aside for discussion of Sunday School problems. At the annual session of 1905 Alma E. Doering made a report on the work in Africa. Mr. C. E. Hulburt presented the cause of the Africa Inland Mission in British East Africa. In order to encourage the young people to more Bible study and education, a committee of C. R. Egle, Benjamin Rupp, D. N. Claudon, J. K. Gerig and J. J. Schlatter was appointed. A committee composed of John Slagle, P. P. Ehresman, and John Rupp was em- 24 370 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS powered to purchase a tent in which to hold the confer- ence sessions. . ft . The delegate body at the conference in 1906 ap- pointed a committee of three to go to Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, to confer with the Home council of the Africa Inland Mission regarding the opening of a station. It was resolved at the 1907 conference to send Amos Oyer, Anna Zimmerman and Julia Oyer with Missionary Doer.ng to \frica At the conference of 1908, it was reported that the Salem Gospel Mission was opened at 249 Root Street, Chicago, Illinois, on June 24, with Mr. and Mrs^ J. K. Gerig as superintendent and matron and Mary Kediger and Addelle Lugibill as helpers. A resolution provided that the Home and Foreign Committees, which were here- tofore separate, should be united into one board The 1909 conference accepted the work of the consti- tution committee which reported that it had secured, the previous year, incorporation of the body under the laws of the State of Illinois, under the name, "Conference of De- fenseless Mennonites of North America." Absolution provided that the conference help support The Happy Hour Mission," which was a cooperative activity of the several Mennonite branches doing mission work in Chi- cago The 1910 conference adopted the idea of district superintendents and the following were appointed: J U Rediger, California, Oregon, Nebraska; Jacob Schmucker, Kansas, Oklahoma; Benjamin Birkey, Illinois; Eh Lantz, Indiana, Michigan; and Daniel Rupp, Ohio. It was ; re- solved to close the mission work in British East Africa and seek for a more needy field. Alma E. Doer.ng, al- ready well known for her missionary work >n Africa was present. A committee composed of Eli Lantz, Silas Miller and D. K. Zimmerman was elected to arrange for Bible conferences in the churches. This however does not seem to have been put into effect. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 371 The 1911 conference enacted the following: 1. Re- solved that we enlarge the Zion's Call. 2. Resolved that we take up free-will offerings for the workers of the Orphanage, two-thirds of the offering to be for Brother and Sister Rupp, one-third for workers who have been in the Orphanage five years or longer. 3. Resolved that we accept Brother and Sister Stevenson as members of the church and mission workers for Africa. 4. Resolved that we allow Amos Oyer two years' leave of absence to com- plete a course of Bible Study, during which time he shall be given a home at the Salem Gospel Mission. 5. Re- solved that we accept Walter Herr, Addelle Lugibill and Sarah Kroeker as missionary candidates. 6. Resolved that each church organize a young people's meeting. The returned missionaries Amos Oyer, Julia Oyer, and Anna E. Zimmerman gave reports on conditions in Africa and the status of mission work there. The annual conference held in 1912 authorized the sale of the former Salem Gospel Mission building and the purchase of the brick building at 248 Root Street, Chi- cago. A committee consisting of J. K. Gerig, S. J. Miller, E. M. Slagle, E. E. Rupp and D. N. Claudon was ap- pointed to have charge of the Christian Workers' Band whose duty was likely to furnish suggestive subjects and topics for the Sunday evening meetings ; at least that is the duty that eventually devolved upon this committee. In 1913 the conference decided to adopt as its official Eng- ish organ the Zion's Call, which had been published by :he Salem Orphanage. E. E. Rupp and Benjamin Rupp vere to act as editors. In 1914 the conference report ihowed that the offerings for the different branches of nission work amounted to $1,022.45. A doctrinal state- nent urged the use of the prayer head covering. The 1916 conference authorized the sale of the farm n Alberta, Canada, which had been donated the year 372 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS previous for missionary work. Extension work was under- taken by appointing a committee: Moses Roth, J. M GeS E M Slagle D. M. Zimmerman, D. N. Claudon. Se conference officers were appointed as delegates to the conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Chnst wh.ch was to convene at Elkhart in March, 1917. In 1917 the following was enacted: 1. Resolved that the conference stands on record that according to the Word of God, as we understand it, our members should have no part in military service under the military arm of Jhe government, and that we adopt a resohition passed by the General Conference of American^ Merinom es at Goshen, Indiana on August 29, 1917. 2. Resolved that a rnmmit ee of three brethren be appointed to meet w.th rSneral Conference then in session at Goshen, Indian* his committee to be a standing committee on military affairs 7oT the coming year. 3. Resolved that the confer- ee officers be sent a! delegates to the conference of Men- nonite Brethren in Christ which convenes March 14, 1918 hood 6. Resolved that the publication of Herls-Bote be ^continued. 7. Resolved that a committee of five be ap poTnted by the chairman to take steps to establish an Ok. Pe ° P A sSTook of 64 pages called Church Manual, J rinted in ^J^S^JSSZ SelionJ F S a ; n h g R H uleTan SineJof the Defenseless Menjoj Church as revised and adopted at the conference of tha year. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 373 Resolutions of the 1918 conference provided for the disposal of church property at Milford, Nebraska, and Centralia, Missouri. A committee of three brethren was appointed to look after camp visitation and other affairs connected with military problems. It was voted that the Church Aid Association be organized to which task Aaron Sauder, D. N. Claudon and Moses Roth were assigned, and each local church was to appoint a director to cooperate with this committee. Zion's Call was made a semi-monthly paper. An allowance of $500.00 per year was made to support Miss Dorothy Goodman in the Jewish Work to be begun in Chicago by the General Conference of Men- nonites. At the conference of 1919, Zion's Call reported 577 subscribers. The Brotherhood Aid Association had issued 159 policies. Permission was given to change the by-laws so that members of other branches of the non- resistant faith could take insurance in this association. Encouragement was given to the establishment of the hos- pital at Bloomington, and the Old People's Home for which the congregations were asked to elect delegates to the annual meetings. A Sunday School Extension Board was to be organized by electing a delegate from each local church. The conference of 1920 seems to have contained much of an inspirational nature. David Zimmerman gave a sermon, "The Real Touch." Levi Zehr welcomed the delegates and visitors. E. M. Slagle gave an address. Jacob Schmucker spoke on u Prayer and Its Results," and C. R. Egle on "Future Ministry of the Church." Following this address the subject of home missions was taken up. The local church was briefly discussed by D. N. Claudon. L. B. Haigh then gave some interesting figures showing the progress of the Congo Mission work. Speeches were then given by Amos Oyer and J. A. Huffman. G. P. 374 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Schultz, formerly superintendent of the Happy Hour Mis- sion from 1908 to 1914, and now superintendent of the Brighton Mission of Chicago, being present was appointed as the traveling evangelist. The conference favored the consolidation of their paper, the Zion's Call, with Good Tidings, the organ of the Defenseless Mennonite Breth- ren in Christ. An educational committee was appointed to investigate the present and future needs of a Bible Train- ing School and advise the young people accordingly. J. K. Gerig was authorized to act for the conference in behalf of the Mennonites of Russia seeking a home in America. At the 1921 conference the Mennonite Brethren in Christ who happened to be present were invited to attend the delegate sessions. The conference seemed to favor the suggestion from the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ (Russian) for unification. Delegates were appoint- ed to represent the conference at a session of the Menno- nite Brethren in Christ (Brenneman) at Goshen, Indiana where consolidation of their mutual foreign missionary work was to be considered. The joining of farmers' or- ganizations was frowned upon. The following schools were approved: for Bible training knowledge — the Moody Bi- ble Institute, Chicago, Illinois, and the Fort Wayne Bible Training School, Fort Wayne, Indiana ; for college train- ing — Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio, and Wheaton Col- lege, Wheaton, Illinois; and for Seminary work the Wit- marsum Theological Seminary, Bluffton, Ohio. A com- mittee of three was appointed by the 1923 conference on the Mennonite Relief Commission. It was resolved that two delegates from the Central Conference of Mennonites and two delegates from the Defenseless Mennonite Breth- ren in Christ Conference be elected annually by said con- ferences to become members of the Salem Orphanage As- sociation. The following resolution was passed "That we give Bro. H. F. Weber our moral support in the writing THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 375 of our Mennonite history and request that he confer with the Publication Board in the make up of its material. ,, In 1924, cooperating committees were appointed to attend both the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ (Russian) and the Mennonite Brethren in Christ (Brenne- man) conferences. At the 1925 conference it was de- cided that the Mission work be carried on by two sep- arate boards — Home Mission Board and Foreign Mission Board — instead of the one general board. In connection with the annual conference the ministerial meeting was to be held as determined by the program committee. It was de- cided that for the ensuing conference year each church endeavor to hold a local convention and that the annual convention in connection with the business conference be omitted. Since the conference has grown in its work as shown by the abundance of detail in the printed reports it is im- possible to give an adequate idea of the spirit and activity of the sessions in the brief space allowed here. The Illinois District Annual Sunday School Convention Sunday Schools had sprung up among the Defenseless Mennonites about 1880 and were included as part of the regular activities. The Annual Conference of 1902 set aside a whole day for the discussion of Sunday School problems. The conference also created a Sunday School extension department, now part of the work of the Home Mission Board, which was to promote Sunday Schools in neglected communities. The schools at Viberg with help- ers from the Grabill, Indiana, congregation; at Paulding with helpers from the Woodburn, Indiana, Congregation; and at Pleasant Hill and Gregory, both with workers from the Salem congregation near Gridley, have been es- tablished. 376 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Two of the five conference districts, Indiana-Ohio and Illinois, conceived the idea of holding Sunday School conventions. These districts, comprising a smaller area, give many an opportunity to attend who, on account of distance, would find it inconvenient to go to the Annual Conference. Besides, these conventions could put more time upon discussion and inspirational addresses than the An- nual Conference which had to devote much of its time to business. The first Sunday School Convention of the Defense- less Mennonites of Illinois was held at the Salem church near Gridley, Illinois, June 25, 1915. The convention was in charge of J. K. Gerig, chairman and E. E. Zimmerman, secretary. A large number of people attended the pro- gram. The churches of Groveland, Gridley and the Chi- cago missions were represented. The convention undertakes very little business. It elects its officers, appoints its committees and usually takes up a collection for some cause. A circulating library of several hundred books was purchased by, and is in charge of, its library committee. The local Sunday Schools elect their librarians who draw the books for their schools. CHAPTER XL THE FOREIGN MISSIONARY WORK 1 The first missionary interest in the church was taken in the year 1892 through the instrumentality of John A. Sprunger, at that time in Mission Work in Chicago. The church gave considerable support to his work. Joseph Rediger, elder in the Salem congregation had a warm heart for missions. He was responsible for securing much of the support in 1896 for Mathilde Kohm (later Steven- son) the first foreign missionary. Mathilde Kohm, born in Germany a Roman Catho- lic, came to America through her sisters already in this country. They had become members of the German Meth- odist Church in New York City. She too, being converted, joined the Methodist Church and soon began work as a city missionary. On becoming acquainted with J. A. Sprunger's work, she was baptized by him and ordained as a deaconess. Later she went to the Congo, West Africa, under the Christian Missionary Alliance supported by J. A. Sprunger and the Defenseless Mennonite churches. On her first furlough she was accepted into full church mem- bership by the Salem congregation near Gridley, Illinois, and from this time was fully supported by the Conference. The Defenseless Conference on December 29, 1898, held at the Salem Church, passed the following resolution, "Re- solved to further support Sister Mathilde Kohm as mis- sionary to the Congo." 2 1 Much of this information upon the early mission work is from C. R. Egle, Meadows, Illinois. 2 Defenseless Conference minutes for December 29, 1898, p. 17. 377 378 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS When she went to the field the second time in 1900 she was accompanied by Alma E. Doering of Chicago, Illinois, a deaconess and member of the Evangelical Asso- ciation, who later joined the Defenseless Conference and was supported by it. They worked under the direction of the Swedish Missionary Society. They were quite success- ful in their efforts. The conference of 1906 appointed a committee to confer with the Home Council of the Africa Inland Mis- sion regarding the opening of a station. 3 The following year the conference appointed Amos Oyer, Julia Oyer, and Anna E. Zimmerman, all from the Salem congregation, to take up the work with Alma E. Doering in the Africa Inland Mission. Eventually six missionaries were sent out and supported at this station for a time. Emil Sywulka and Marie Schneider (later Mrs. Sywulka) had been add- ed to the above appointees. As the territory seemed to be congested and claimed by several missionary societies the station was sold to the Africa Inland Mission in 1910 and the missionaries were recalled. In the meantime the Central Conference of Menno nites had become interested in foreign missionary work. Before 1905 they had helped to support mission work through other Mennonite Boards. In February, 1905 a meeting of members from both the Defenseless and the Central Conference was held at Meadows, Illinois. Secretary M. S. Steiner of the (old) Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities was present and gave a stirring address on closer cooperation among Mennonites in Missionary work. This left a lasting im- pression on both conferences and helped to bring coopera- tion in the future. In October 1905 Doctor C. E. Hurl- burt, Superintendent of the East Africa Inland Mission, * 3 Defenseless Conference minutes for October 6, 1906, p. 37 THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 379 who was traveling through this country in the interests of missions, gave two addresses at the Central Conference then in session, at Meadows, Illinois. As a result the fol- lowing April the Central Conference sent out Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Haigh as missionaries to British East Africa. 4 About $2,500.00 was raised to carry on the work. An individual of Washington, Illinois, took it upon himself to support another missionary. Thus there were funds on hand to support four missionaries. Only two were avail- able and actually went to the field. 5 In 1907 the Central Conference sent out Jesse Raynor, L. S. Probst, Laura Collins and Miss Schoenheit. After three years of mission work with the Africa Inland Mission in British East Africa the Central Conference sold out its interests for the same reasons, mentioned above, that caused the De- fenseless Conference to sell. Each of these conferences desiring to continue mis- sionary efforts, a conjoint meeting of both boards was called at Meadows, Illinois, March 22, 1911 to lay plans for their foreign work. It was unanimously agreed that they unite their foreign missionary interests under one board. A committee of eight members was then appointed, four from the Central Conference Board of Missions and four from the Defenseless Mennonite Mission Board, to complete the plans and work of organization. This com- mittee presented its plan to the Defenseless Mennonite Conference held near Berne, Indiana, September, 1911, and to the Central Conference of Mennonites held at Meadows, Illinois, during the same month. It was ap- proved by both bodies, and immediately put into effect. 6 This organization was incorporated under the name of *The Christian Exponent, Vol. II, No. 12, June 5, 1925, p. 183. 5 Gospel Witness, Vol. II, No. 14, July 4, 1906, p. 216. « From Introduction to Constitution and By-Laws of the Congo Inland Mission Inc. adopted January 23, 1912. 380 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS "Congo Inland Mission, Incorporated," with headquar- ters at Bloomington, Illinois. This name was chosen in preference to one containing the denominational name. ^ Each conference continues to maintain its own foreign missionary board, but both so far have limited their for- eign work to the African field and the management is en- tirely under the joint body, since increased to six members from each conference, which meets annually at Blooming- ton, Illinois. The first meeting, however, was held at Meadows, Illinois, January 23, 1912. The board decided to pay jointly all expenses on the field such as the securing of rights, station property, and the transportation of goods from station to station. Each society was given per- mission to support the missionaries that it saw fit to send Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Haigh had been sent out 7 by the preliminary committee to investigate the field and attempt to locate new stations. Leaving America April 15, 1911, they stopped in London for several months to take a course in tropical medicine. Arriving in the Belgian Congo September 15, 1911 they first went to Luebo which was the headquarters of the American Presbyterian Mis- sion. Here they received much useful information as well as helpful suggestions from Doctor Morrison who was one of the first pioneers of the district. They investigated along the Kasai River until June, 1912. Not wishing to take the whole responsibility for the selection of a field they appealed to the Board at home. A. J. Stevenson being sent arrived on the field in April, 1912. He had received his training in the New York Christian Missionary Alliance training school. While there he received a call for mission work in the Congo. In 7 Some of this information has been taken from William B Weaver's notes in preparation for his "History of the Central Conference of Mennonites." THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 381 April, 1896, he had gone to the field working under the Christian Missionary Alliance Board until 1909 when he was compelled to return to America because of his health. About a year later he united with the Defenseless Men- nonite Church placing his membership in the Salem Con- gregation where he was ordained as a minister. After the appeal from Haigh, Stevenson offered himself to the board because his heart was in the work in Africa. Mr. A. D. Campbell, at Boma, Africa was made the legal rep- resentative to the English government. Stevenson was ap- pointed chairman of the field committee and Mr. and Mrs. Haigh treasurer and secretary respectively. Work was begun at the Djoka Punda station, now called Charlesville after Prince Charles of Belgium. This station is about thirteen miles inland from the west coast of Africa in the Belgian Congo and is at the end of navi- gation on the Kasai River. The territory allotted to the Mennonites for evangelization by the Continuation Com- mittee of the All-Protestant Congo Conference is bounded on the west by the Kamtcha and Kuila Rivers, on the north and east by the Kasai and Luebe Rivers and on the south by the Portuguese Congo line, making a territory ap- proximately two hundred by three hundred and fifty miles. The people living in this particular territory are the Bantus. They are an intermingling of the Negro and the Hamitic races. The particular tribes in this group of peo- ple that have been given to the Congo Inland Mission are the Baluba-Lulua, the Bampendi, the Bacoke and the Bashilele. Up to the present time the Congo Inland Mis- sion has stations manned by white missionaries in only two of these tribes, the Baluba-Lulua and the Bampendi. The Djoka Punda and Kalamba Mukenge stations are in the Baluba-Lulua tribe. After a careful investigation Haigh suggested to the board the establishment of two stations; the one near the village of Djoka Punda and one at Ka- 382 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS lamba's village. Both opened in 1912. The government granted the sites selected and the cablegram stating their acceptance was sent to the 1913 Church Conference at South Washington September 18th. These two stations formed the center for missionary work for the Congo In- land Mission Board for the first eight years. Stevenson who had left his family in America re- mained on the field until his death February 16, 1913. Mr. and Mrs. Raynor and Miss Collins who had been working for the Central Conference, but were not Menno- nites, had resigned to labor in the Africa Inland Mission. Mr. and Mrs. A. Janzen, Miss Sarah Kroeker, and Mr. Walter Herr, four new missionaries, arrived in the Congo January 24, 1913. They were located at the new station called Kalamba only one hundred and fifty miles south but taking into consideration means of travel, which was by foot or hammock, this distance was quite great. These missionaries were Mennonites but did not belong to either of the conferences. The board had considerable difficulty to discover mis- sionaries. From 1911 to 1915 four of the missionaries, appointed temporarily by Congo Inland Mission Board came from European countries such as Germany and Swe- den. Most of the missionaries sent to the field thus far have come from Bible Institutes particularly Moody Insti- tute. A number of them have come from other denomina- tions. Very few volunteers have come from the controlling conferences of Mennonites. This has been true because so few of her young people have trained themselves for work of this kind. The schools must always furnish the mission- aries for the foreign fields. In 1916 Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Barkman and Miss Agnes Sprunger went to the African field and in 1917 Mr. and Mrs. Emil A. Sommer. In 1917 there were eight mis- sionaries on the field, and eighteen native workers who THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 383 were beginning to be of considerable assistance. The board in its meeting January 4, 1918, at Bloomington, Illinois, considered the opening of the third and fourth mission stations in cooperation with the Mennonite Brethren Church Mission Board. 8 In 1919 three more foreign mis- sionaries were accepted; namely, Mr. and Mrs. William G. Kensinger and Mr. Omar L. Sutton. These three with native workers opened up new territory in five or six places. 9 During this year a new station, called Nyanga, was built about half way between the first two. In order to show some of the difficulties facing the worker on the field an extract from O. Anderson's letter to Good Tidings is given. "It was soon after the New Year that we started to clear off this little hill on the shore of Kasai. The native women did the first services in that work. We engaged about a dozen men and boys, to bring in every day a cer- tain amount of poles, and sticks, which should be straight although most of them were crooked. So we measured up the place for the house, twenty steps long and eleven wide, the big porch included. Meters and yard-measures are rather scarce here. And we did not have many tools either. One large and one small ax, two big knives, one large and one small saw, a hammer and a small level, also a plane. This shortage of tools was due to the fact that our big order from U. S. A. was delayed, half a year. Nails are not in use, because the natives tie everything together with creepers. "To put the post down into the ground was the hard- est work for me. I had to look after everything and everybody and still the walls are not as straight as they ought to be. Putting on the roof is the biggest work on a Congo house. It takes much grass. By that time we had 8 Christian Evangel, Vol. VIII, No. 2, February, 1918, p. 38 f. 9 Christian Evangel, Vol. IX, No. 2, February, 1919, p. 36 f . 384 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS about thirty men at work. The ceiling is made of native carpets and the walls are whitewashed both inside and out- side. At that time we also burnt a few thousand bricks, which was a troublesome job during the rainy season." 10 In 1920 the Field Committee, consisting of Sutton, Barkman, Janzen and William Kensinger, staked out two new stations in the Bampendi tribe, the one at Nyanga, one hundred and ten miles northwest of Kalamba and a- bout ninety miles southwest of Djoka Punda, and the other, Mukedi, one hundred and ten miles northwest of Nyanga. The station at Nyanga was formally opened in April, 1921, while Mukedi was not opened until 1923. Thus the Congo Inland Mission Board has four stations manned by white missionaries in two out of the four tribes allotted to it. These stations represent different interests in foreign mission work. Djoka Punda is an industrial station and also a transport station. This station serves as the head- quarters for the mission work in Africa. The Kalamba station serves as the center of the educational work of the missions while Nyanga and Mukedi are the particularly evangelistic centers. At the Defenseless Mennonite Conference held at Pioneer, Ohio, September 2-7, 1920, Missionary Haigh reported that the number of outposts had been increased from two, five years ago, to twenty-three at the present time. There were fifty-six members, 91 in the catechumen class, a total Sunday School attendance of 1130 and it was estimated that 1900 people heard the Gospel three times a day in 1919. 11 As stated before, Rev. and Mrs. Haigh were the first missionaries sent by the Congo Inland Mission Board to the Belgian Congo. To Mr. and Mrs. Haigh must be given the credit for doing the pioneering in foreign mis- io Good Tidings, Vol. II, No. 5, November 15, 1920, p. 2 ff. n Defenseless Conference minutes for September 2-7, 1920. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 385 sion work in the establishment of the first stations. Their travels through the jungles and forests for miles and miles by hammock and on foot in all kinds of weather condi- tions and with all kinds of dangers surrounding them de- manded a great deal of courage, persistence and physical strength. One of the significant buildings on Djoka or Charlesville station is the brick chapel, erected by Rev. L. B. Haigh in 1920. This building was made possible by money willed to Mrs. Haigh by her mother, a gift of five hundred dollars. The brick for the building was made by the natives; the iron for the roof was ordered from Eng- land. The church has a seating capacity of six hundred besides having a room in the back large enough for the holding of prayer meetings and special classes. This build- ing was dedicated the first Sunday in August, 1921. The Haighs returned on their first furlough in 1915 and returned I to the Belgian Congo in May, 1916. In 1920 they re- turned home on their second furlough and moved to Dan- vers, Illinois. Mr. Haigh became editor of the Christian Evangel and pastor of the Danvers Mennonite Church until the latter part of 1923 when they left for Havelock, North Carolina, where they resided for a time. In the Congo Inland Mission Board meeting of September 9, 1926, a resolution was passed to invite Mr. and Mrs. Haigh to return to the Belgian Congo. The nature of the foreign mission work in the first years can well be stated in a report given by Mr. Haigh for the Evangel concerning the years 1911 to 1913. He says : "We have temporary houses at each station for three missionaries, a chapel and a store house. At Djoka Punda we are at present building a permanent house which will house three missionaries very comfortably. At each sta- tion we have a department where logs are converted into lumber for building purposes by natives under our super- vision. We are getting material ready for permanent 386 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS buildings which will take the place of the small grass and mud houses which we are living in at present. The evan- gelistic work of the mission is very encouraging. At each station three evangelistic services are held each week and on Sunday afternoon a Sunday School. At Djoka Punda meetings are held four nights in a week for the purpose of giving Bible instruction. On Wednesday evening we have a prayer meeting for the Christians." Mr. Haigh continually emphasized two things which are of vital im- portance in foreign missions to-day; first, that there must be industrial, educational, social and religious work done; second, that we must get volunteers from our own congre- gations and these volunteers must be trained before they are sent to the field. It is interesting to note how school work was under- taken with the native children. The following extract from Sarah and O. Anderson's letter of November 18, 1920, to Good Tidings will be suggestive. "We ring our first bell at half past eight and then all the boys on the station put down their hoes and knives and come to the storehouse. Then they run and see if they have a little food left in their little cooking pots or tins that they have received from us and if there is a little fish, or some grasshoppers, or ants or worms left, that then quickly goes on the fire and is heated, so that they have 'mbua' their bread here, cooked from 'ciombe' and is very hard (too hard for our stomachs) to digest; but they fill up on that and half an hour later the bell rings again. The bell consists of a piece of iron and a bolt, from which a noise can be made. Then all the children come. But don't think that they are in a hurry. I have never seen anybody in a hurry yet, except when they see some meat swimming on the river. All the boys take a plunge in the river first, and they have no towels to dry them- selves with and when they come in the water is still drip- THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 387 ping from their bodies. For clothing they have only a little shirt, or a rag of some kind, so you see, it doesn't take them long to dress, including big workmen from 35 years down to little babies two or three years old. We surely are in need of kindergartens and nurseries here. The little boys and girls must take their little brothers and sisters with them or they cannot come. It is not very easy for the teacher to have about 50 pupils that try to study and about 10 little ones running about and crying. First we sing a song and you ought to hear them sing. They all like to sing, even the little ones that start to talk, and they sing as well as they can. After prayer and roll-call they go to work. We have a native boy to teach the A. B. C's. You must remember we cannot go to book stores and buy first and second readers. We print the letters on paper with typewriters. The first chart I made on white cloth, so that it would not be torn up so easily. In the beginning I had little hope, but you ought to see them now. They write the letters so nicely that I enjoy the work. The little girls don't smoke, but the boys begin that evil habit when they are still very small and they like to smoke 'Hemp' which dulls their memory, and they have a harder time memorizing. Often these little babies bother the bigger ones in their studies, and so we try to put them to sleep. We have a bench made for them of native mats and I have some old rags and blankets, and so they sleep during the school hours. In this way we continue our school till 11 :30. Then we close the school and all march out." 12 More is given about the school and teaching condi- tions in a letter to Zion's Tidings from J. P. and Matilda Barkman under date of April 12, 1922. "It is needless to say that we are all happy to have again a decent place to worship in. Also our day-school 12 Good Tidings, Vol. II, No. 8, February 15, 1921, p. 3 f. 388 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS which was conducted with great difficulty the last two terms, because of not having a suitable place to meet, looked forward with pleasure to the time when we could all gather under a roof. "March 14th, the school met for the first time in our new building. The school, of about three hundred, is di- vided among seven teachers, four native teachers assisting us, one of whom is a girl who has finished the course which we give in our school. . . . The work on the station is going on as usual. The workmen are carrying sticks for the new girls' house. The boys and girls are busy cutting weeds and planting. Many of the boys have gone home on vacation but will return again when school begins about May 1st. "Vacation months are always busy ones and this one seems to be especially so as new black-boards will have to be made and old ones repainted, school books repaired, etc." J In 1920 the Misses Alma Diller and Amelia Bertsche went to the field and Mr. Lester Bixel in 1921. In 1923 three missionaries who had been home on furlough re- turned to the field and eighteen new missionaries went with them. They were Mr. and Mrs. Valentine, Mr. and Mrs. Moser, Mr. and Mrs. Klopfenstine, Mr. and Mrs. Becker, Mr. and Mrs. Langdon, Mrs. Sutton, Miss Alma Doering, Miss Metta Keith, Miss Birky, Miss Theresa Gustafson, Miss Emma Rickert, Miss McMillan and Miss Briggs. In 1923 the fourth station on the Congo was built about fifty miles from Nyanga in the Bampendi tribes. This was called Mukedi. There were about thirty out- stations, with about fifty native teachers, all quite inade- quate for the four large tribes. The church membership at KZion's Tidings, Vol. I, No. 24, August IS, 1922, p. 3 f. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 389 the four stations was something over two hundred. There were one hundred students at school at Charlesville, two hundred and twenty at Kalamba, one hundred and eighty at Nyanga, and one hundred and forty at Mukedi. During the year 1924 Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Moser, Miss Doering, Miss Sprunger and Miss Birky had a sad experience in the loss of their home and contents when it was struck by lightning. The incident reported by Alma E. Doering in Zion's Tidings October 1, 1924 is here given in part. "Scarcity of men made it impossible to carry my office supplies, and expose them to the duckings I myself received in the rivers when some rotten log serving "as a bridge gave way, or the wettings by rain. Letters from teachers had been collected, photographs were being pre- pared and within two weeks I was to install our office, when, alas! before the walls were finished, we had to flee into it for refuge, while the flames, under a cloudburst of rain, were rapidly devouring our temporary dwelling house. A terrific cyclone, Mr. and Mrs. Moser struck to the ground by lightning, Miss Sprunger dazed by the shock, mysell stunned by the great electric blue flame which flashed across my eyes, a native boy writhing under a table with burns and screaming frantically, Mr. Moser para- lyzed right under the burning grass roof, and Miss Birky only, apparently unscathed, tells the story of frustrated plans. The natives hurried to the rescue, but they thought only of the bulky things; such as the musical instruments they love so much, the machines, clothing and bedding. We were thankful for these things but our entire files, records of donations, our letters, a typewriter, all the language work of nine months, dental and toilet accesso- ries, many shoes, typewriter ribbons and much paper, foun- tain pens, my watches and eyeglasses, tools, are gone and that in a shopless land with 1000 miles between us and 390 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the nearest large though inadequate shopping center at Kinshasa." 14 The mission had made it the practice to meet in an- nual conference. "With the coming of the last party in January, 1923, it was decided to have the Annual Conference at Kalamba, with as many missionaries as possible present. Seventeen missionaries attended this conference from three stations, those at Mukedi not being present. "The Conference opened March 17, 1923 and closed the 24th, after a week of careful consideration of all phases of missionary activity. The Revised Rules and By- laws of the Mission were put into effect, thus inaugurating a more democratic form of field government and the bud- get system of caring for the mission finances. Committees were so arranged as to include members from all depart- ments and stations, thus unifying the work and stimulating the interest of all for the general good of all stations." 1 The area in charge of the Congo Inland Mission is a territory about equal to Illinois, Indiana and Ohio com- bined. The Mission is gradually increasing to meet the responsibility of evangelizing this territory. A fifth station is planned for, across the river from Charlesville, one of the present stations. There are now 70 out-stations manned by native evangelists. In 1925 there were 28 mis- sionaries on the field. "The past year has been a prosperous one in many ways, but also a very hard year in many respects. Owing to the large number of missionaries sent out recently the transportation charges have been enormous both on new equipment sent out, such as printing press, wood working machine, weaving machine, Ford truck, gas engine, Mis- sionary outfits and provisions. Then too the building op- liZion's Tidings, Vol. IV, No. 3, October 1, 1924, p. 3. MZion's Tidings, Vol. Ill, No. 22, July 15, 1924, p. 4 f. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 391 erations to house these new recruits have virtually kept the treasury exhausted. "Since the work has grown so rapidly by the increas- ing number of missionaries which necessitates a larger budget, it is evident that our people must take a larger interest in this work to carry it on successfully. Our dear missionaries are pleading for funds while the treasury is exhausted. "Because of the enlargement of the work the Mission Board has raised the budget from $8,000.00 to $12,000.00 per year, and it may become necessary to again increase this amount, to do justice to the work." 16 Some one has said that the boys and girls of Africa need Jesus, churches, schools, learn how to work, learn how to establish Christian homes and how to promote the proper kind of civilization. This is the program that the missionaries on the field are attempting to carry out. Per- haps the best idea can be had of the nature of the African work by the description of the work given by Rev. William Kensinger who has lately returned from the field. He says : "We are working among two of the four large tribes of the Bantu people for which we have made ourselves re- sponsible. There are four main stations manned by white missionaries, who in turn have trained approximately sixty native evangelists and teachers who are manning as many out-stations. There are two lines of missionary endeavor which complete a well rounded out work among the na- tives of Congo land. First, the building of main stations for the purpose of training native Christian workers as evangelists and teachers. Second, the building of out-sta- tions where these evangelists are sent to teach and preach. The work on a main station is divided into six depart- ments: evangelistic, educational, medical, industrial, agri- cultural, and itinerating." **The Christian Evangel, April, 1925, p. 80 f. 392 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Through careful study and experience the mission work on the field has become more efficient both in its administrative machinery and also in its financial methods. The government for the field has become more democratic and the financial system more active and economical. Dr. Hollenback, one of the members of the Phelps-Stokes Foundation, who investigated the Mennonite Mission work, particularly the headquarters at Djoka Punda said: "The Mennonite Mission with headquarters at Djoka Punda is working on sound principles and if the Menno- nites of America will cooperate, this station, the strategic point at the end of navigation on the Kasai, will prove the gateway to a large missionary endeavor second to none." CHAPTER XLI THE SALEM ORPHANAGE NEAR FLANAGAN 1 The Salem Orphanage for homeless children was founded by the late Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. King of Flanagan, Illinois, an aged couple, members of the De- fenseless Mennonite Church, who had no children of their own, but who were very much interested in the care of poor unfortunate orphans. They took a general interest in all benevolent work and gave liberally to Home and Foreign Missions. Mr. King had been an invalid for many years, lying helpless upon his bed. After deciding to give their splendid farm of one hundred acres, lying two miles south of Flanagan, Illinois, which had been their home for many years, for the estab- lishment of an orphanage, they chose the first six trustees, namely, N. B. Stuckey, President, D. N. Claudon, Secre- tary, B. K. Slagle, Treasurer, Joseph Ulrich, John Slagle and Andrew Roth, all members of the Defenseless Con- ference, to plan and organize the institution. Steps were taken to incorporate under the Laws of the State of Illinois. A charter was granted December 22, 1896, the name Salem Orphanage legally adopted and a Constitution and By-laws framed by the Salem Orphanage Association. ' The membership of the Association was composed of one delegate from every twenty-five members of the different congregations. The Board of Directors are chosen from and by this body. 1 Material for this chapter from D. N. Claudon, Meadows, Illinois, by interview, manuscript and his article in The Christian Exponent, Vol. II, No. 9, April 24, 1925, p. 135f; minutes of the Salem Or- phanage Association which appear in the Defenseless Conference secretary's book; and reports appearing in Zion's Call and Zion's Tidings. 393 394 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS It was customary for the Salem Orphanage Associa- tion to meet at the time of the Annual Conference as most of the conference delegates were also delegates to the as- sociation. Though it had its own officers, its minutes were also recorded in the conference secretary's book In 1904 the Association passed a resolution that all ministers and deacons have a right to vote on its questions. Its most important task was to appoint the board of directors which at that time numbered three. After the conference was chartered in 1908 it seems that the work of the Asso- ciation was considered as a regular part of the conference routine. The credit of initiating and getting the orphanage under way belongs to the Defenseless Conference alone. However, it is likely that very early some support came from other Mennonites. The annual conference in 1923 resolved that the Central Conference of Mennonites and the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ Confer- ence each elect two delegates to the Salem Orphanage Association. Thus the Orphanage has grown to be a co- operative activity among three branches of Mennonites. The Constitution and By-Laws were adopted and th work of building begun in 1898 on the one hundred acr tract. The first building was a brick veneered structure costing about $4,000.00 which amount was donated by the churches of the Conference. This building accommodated about 25 children besides the workers. The Home was formally opened on March 8, 1900, with Benjamin Rupp as Superintendent, Mrs. Rupp as Matron, and the follow- ing as helpers: Mary Schmucker, Sarah Short, Sarah Am- stutz and Ida Zook. The work began in a small way with a few boys, but soon the building was too small. An addition, also of brick veneer, two stories high, built in 1904, increased the ca- pacity to 75 children. Since that time there has been erected a two-story concrete block school building in THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 395 which the children receive a common school education. An electric light plant had been added to furnish light and power for the institution but has been replaced by the more satisfactory public service used at present. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Rupp were superintendent and matron of the Home for sixteen years of faithful service. About three hundred children passed through the institution during those years. Much relief was given to the hearts of those who had lost husband or wife and were forced to break up their homes. In the year 1905 a good friend of the institution, Mr. Henry Broad of Flanagan, Illinois, willed a fine farm of one hundred sixty acres which lies within one mile from the Home. For a time it was farmed by the Orphanage but at present is leased out for share rent. This helps considerably in paying for the running expenses of the institution. Mr. Joseph Moseman, East Peoria, Illinois, another friend of the institution, willed the sum of three thousand dollars to the Home. Henry Rabe remembered the institution in his will with a sum of fifteen hundred dollars. Many others have given of their means to sup- port the work. The annual Conference in 1897 resolved that a monthly paper be edited in the interest of the conference and orphanage under the name of Heils-Bote. This was a German paper. But its English companion was begun about the same time under the name, Zion's Call, D. N. Claudon, editor. Though it contained general religious and conference material it was published by the Salem Orphanage Association until a conference resolution in 1913 made it the official organ of the Defenseless Menno- nites. Orphans and half-orphans up to the age of ten years are received at the Home, regardless of creed of parents and are kept until eighteen unless suitable Christian homes 396 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS can be found. When leaving, children are^ given a com- plete outfit of clothing, twenty-five dollars in money, and have good homes secured for them. The children are given a common school education and religious and industrial training. Originally both Ger- man and English were taught. Effort is made to make the human side of their lives real. For instance, at the close of the orphanage school, May 26, 1916, the Board of Directors fostered a picnic like those so popular in the public rural schools. The children, workers, and visitors gathered on the spacious lawn on the east side of the main building. After a short program each of the children was served with a large dish of ice cream, cake, banana, and a bottle of soda water. It is the practice to hold revival meetings, usually annually. After G. P. Schultz had held a week of such meetings in 1924 he published the following appreciation in Zioris Tidings : "I want to say to the donors, that your donations to the Orphanage are spent in a worthy cause. There are very few institutions of this kind that are doing the work that is done in this Orphanage. Many Orphanages are only giving the fatherless and motherless a shelter without a real Christian influence. Salem Orphanage is a real Christian institution. Every one of the Board of Directors is a Christian. The workers in the home are all Chris- tians. This brings all the children in that home under a real Christian influence. Many of these children would have never received a Christian training, if it were not for this institution. The workers are busy from early in the morning till late at night. It indeed is no easy task for the workers, but with the help of the Lord they are going through, no matter what comes. We were very much im- pressed with the knowledge the children have of the Bible, and the conception of a Christian life, and the many Chris- tian songs they sang. If you want to hear some real heart THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 397 music go to Salem Orphanage and you will hear it. We never saw a bunch of children that listen so attentively to God's Word as these children did in the services we had with them. All this proves what we have said before, that those children are under a real Christian influence. " 2 In 1923 a Tuesday evening prayer meeting and Bible reading was started while Friday evening was given over to Junior Endeavor. Many of the boys and girls are out in good homes and are doing well, making of themselves useful men and women. A number of them have estab- lished good Christian homes of their own. The annual expense of running the institution is about six thousand dollars which is received by income off the farms and by free-will offerings, besides what is paid in by such as are able to pay for at least a part of the support of their children. The various Ladies' Aid societies have been very helpful in the making of garments, bedding and other sewing for the children and the furnishing of the Home. The surrounding Churches frequently send in food. During the vacation months the boys are taught to work on the farm and in the garden. Sometimes they help out neighboring farmers. The girls are taught kitchen and the housekeeping work. In order to stimulate interest and pledge funds for the Orphanage, the Annual Confer- ence requested that the superintendent and matron with several of the Orphanage children make a tour of the churches. The party rendered its first program at the Salem Church near Gridley, September 6, 1922. Eight churches in the home community, nine in the east, and twelve in the west were visited. The journey to the east carried them as far as Archbold, Ohio, while the western itinerary extended to Kansas. About $10,000 was raised through these efforts. a Extract of G. P. Schultz' letter to Zion's Tidings, January 1, 1925, p. 7. 398 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS On June 15, 1924 occurred the dedication of the new addition which contains the dining hall for children and workers, also kitchen and laundry rooms in the basement. The second story is the boys' dormitory. The services were held on the lawn on the east side of the main build- ing, using the east porch for the speaker's stand. Seats for about three hundred were arranged on the lawn and a large concourse gathered together so that many had to stand during the program which lasted nearly two hours. Several songs were sung by the orphans and a number of duets and quartettes rendered. Reverend J. D. Hartzler led in the opening prayer. Superintendent D. N. Claudon made a few opening remarks on cooperation and being laborers together with God, in a work of this kind, stating that the cost of the building in round figures would be about $16,000.00 of which $11,000.00 had been given by dona- tions. Reverend George Gundy, of Washington, Illinois, gave a splendid address on "Ready for every good work," which includes every phase of Christian service. Reverend C. F. Derstine could not be present owing to the condition of the roads since it had rained on Saturday night. Ben- jamin Rupp, of Bloomington, Illinois, former Superin- tendent of the Orphanage, offered a Dedicatory prayer after having given a- brief talk on the progress of the Institution, this having been the third dedication service since the opening of the Institution in 1900. At the close of the program an invitation was given to go through the building and a large number availed themselves of this privilege. 3 On the following day, Monday, June 16, the first Annual Home Coming was held when many of the boys and girls came back to enjoy the day together. Invitations had been sent out to the workers and children who had at any time in the past been at the Orphanage and a large *Zion*s Tidings, July 1, 1924, Vol. 3, No. 21, p. 7. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 399 number were present coming from several different states, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. During the forenoon, friends were arriving, a number having already arrived on Satur- day and Sunday, so that by the noon hour 190 in all were present for the picnic dinner which was prepared by the Orphanage and served on the large lawn. At 1 :30 P. M. a program was given in which a number of the children took part, some in songs and others in recitations. A spe- cial feature of the program was the song "Yes, Jesus loves me," sung by two little orphan girls, one two years of age and the other four, the audience joining in the chorus. Reverend Benjamin Rupp then gave a brief address. Sev- eral other brethren made a few remarks. The weather was fine for the occasion, thin clouds hiding the sun and making it pleasant for the outdoor gathering. 4 The Sunday School of the Orphanage is a member of the Illinois District Sunday School Convention of the De- fenseless conference. The convention held its annual ses- sion under a large tent on the Orphanage grounds Sunday, June 14, 1925. 5 The following Monday, June 15, 1925, the Second Annual Home Coming and 25th Anniversary of Salem Orphanage was held, about 200 being present. At 2 :00 P. M. a program was rendered out on the east lawn, where chairs and seats had been placed for the occa- sion. After the singing of "What a friend we have in Jesus," Brother Fliginger, of Groveland, Illinois, read a Scripture lesson and led in prayer. A song was then sung by the Orphans and two recitations given by Robert Evans and Crystal Surface. The superintendent then made a few remarks on some of the experiences of the past twenty-five years, in the work of the Salem Orphanage, stating that between *Zion's Tidings, July 1, 1924, Vol. 3, No. 21, p. 7 f . 5 See Chap. XXXIX. 400 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 700 and 800 children had passed through the Home There were seven deaths in the past twenty-five years in the Home. Seventy-two children are now being cared for, many of whom are under six years of age. A chorus of all the young men present joined in a song entitled, "Wandering Child, Come Home." Mathilde Stevenson, of Yonkers, New York, and Miss Agnes Olsen, of Chicago, Illinois, gave interesting talks, and Irene Da- vis gave a recitation. A Male Quartette rendered a num- ber which was much appreciated. J. W. Litwiller made a few remarks on his experiences with the boys and girls at the Home. Benjamin Rupp then gave an inspiring talk. Andrew Vercler also gave some remarks. Closing prayer was offered by Mr. Rupp, after which 100 boxes of Chums were given to the boys and girls under ten years of age and ice cream served to all present. Later the young men engaged in a base ball game. 6 In the spring of 1924 a new orchard of 100 fruit trees was planted by D. N. Claudon and C. R. Zimmer- man both of Meadows, Illinois. The latter was the donor of the trees. Shrubbery was also planted about the lawn and around the buildings. At Christmas time, by means of a fund raised through special donations, a Bible was given to every child of ten years or older. The practice is to be continued. In 1919 Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schmucker were in charge of the work with Mr. and Mrs. Aaron King, Sarah Short, Phoebe Bertsche, and Bessie Stuckey as helpers. Miss Mary Smucker taught the primary and Miss Rosella Stoltz the grammar grades. In 1925 Mr. D. N. Claudon was the superintendent of the institution and Sarah Short was the matron. Mr. J. W. Litwiller was the assistant superintendent and secretary. Mary Schmucker was the assistant secretary, and J. D. Jorg treasurer. *Z ion's Tidings, July 1, 1925, p. 6 f. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 401 The land and buildings represent a value of at least one hundred thousand dollars. There is a complete system of water works. A hot water furnace supplies the heat. The buildings are insured in the Brotherhood Aid Associa- tion. 27 CHAPTER XLII THE MENNONITE SANITARIUM AND TRAIN- ING SCHOOL AT BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS 1 As early as 1893, there were a few Mennonltes who were then interested in the establishment of an institution for the sick. In May of that year the Brokaw Hospital was organized to be controlled by Protestant people. \bout five thousand dollars were collected for the project but nothing else was done. In 1895 the physicians of Bloomington and Normal organized and secured an option on the location where the Brokaw Hospital now stands. The organization formed in 1893 now joined them and gave them their money. A building was erected the same year. In 1896 the hospital opened and was called the Deaconess Memorial Hospital. From the very beginning the hospital was man- aged by Mennonite deaconess nurses under the leadership of Rev. John A. Sprunger a member of the Defenseless Conference. It remained under their supervision until August, 1907. There were a few Mennonite leaders in the Central Conference who were ready to continue the work but it seemed the time was not yet ripe for the support of the church and so the Brokaw Hospital was given over to the Methodist Episcopal Deaconess Society of Chicago. The interest in a hospital by Mennonites persisted. In 1908 at the Central Conference church conference i M a t er j a i f rom article by Rev. Emanuel Troyer, Carlock, Illinois, in the CMsti^£«gtlVo\. XIV, May, 1924, p. 112; Hospital notes U app aring ir! I Christian Evangel and Zum's Tidings; mterv.es. - wrth Benjamin Rupp, Superintendent of the Sanitarium ; and William B. Weaver's notes on "History of Central Conference of Mennonites. 402 THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 403 Rev. Andrew Vercler discussed the subject of the need of trained^ nurses. This need was particularly felt when for- eign mission work was established in 1909. They were interested in the training of nurses so that they might be able to supply the foreign field. The motive that impelled them was the desire to imitate the Master in His ministry of healing. The real agitation for a hospital began a few years later. The chief promoters of this project were Rev. Peter Schantz, and Rev. Emanuel Troyer. In the 1917 conference held at Hopedale, Illinois, September 5th-7th, Troyer urged action on hospital work. A committee con- sisting of Schantz, Troyer, and Sam Stuckey was then ap- pointed to report to the next conference. From 1917 to the conference of 1918 various talks were given through- out the churches, making an appeal for hospital work. During the 1918 Central Conference session at North Danvers, August 27th-29th, Emanuel Troyer reported for the hospital committee. The delegates retaining the same committee asked them to investigate still further. The first definite step in organization was taken Jan- uary 23, 1919, when the Mennonite Sanitarium Associa- tion was organized. The association was incorporated the following day. The purpose of the association was to conduct a sanitarium, hospital and training school at Bloomington, Illinois, not for profit, but to help all people in sickness and distress and to further the highest and most progressive ideas of the Mennonite Church. Some reasons given for locating it in Bloomington were that a staff of skilled and reliable physicians and surgeons who lad an established reputation could be secured, and that :he city, centrally located among the Mennonites, was a noral, Christian town and an educational center. The city )f Bloomington, especially the Association of Commerce jave the Mennonite Sanitarium Association a very cordial velcome. 404 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The first directors chosen for the sanitarium were Rev Emanuel Troyer who is still the president, Rev. Ben- jamin Rupp who was elected superintendent and is still serving, Rev. Allen Miller, Rev. Joseph H. King and Rev Tohn Kinsinger. These men are all serving on the (lVii) board of directors. It will be noted that these promoters were from the Central Conference of Mennonites with the exception of Benjamin Rupp 2 who was from the Defense- less Mennonites. Originally the Central Conference fur- nished practically all the enthusiasm for the cause. But since Rupp was connected with it from the beginning it can be seen that the Defenseless Conference had considerable interest. Their conference in session in September, IV IV, sustained the efforts of those establishing the hospital and encouraged the local churches to support it. The basis of this organization is the local Hospital Society Any five or more members can get together and organize a "Local Hospital Society," and become a mem ber of the Association. They are represented by a dele- gate who becomes a member of the Mennon.te Sanitarium Association that transacts the business. Though no con- ference is officially represented, the Association is ch.eny supported by the two conferences mentioned above. (Jther Mennonites have furnished money and student nurses, and have patronized the institution. The first work of the association was the selection ot a suitable location for the hospital. The large Harbet residence at 1308 North Main street was contracted for The plot of ground was 95x203 feet; 95 feet frontage ^ Bi °f ra &ch Be of A^o U , P d P Ohi S o. d H t e ed caSet ffST I phanTasKtSu^^Tin 1900 and became a member o ihe *!lem congregation near Gridley, Illinois, and served as as SSErSrcK ^i^f .*fj s«l holds though located at Bloomington, Illinois, as supermtenden of the Mennonite Sanitarium. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 405 on Main street with the same frontage on Center street. The building was remodeled and temporarily fitted for hospital use. A large additional lot was later purchased adjoining this property on the south. Street car connec- tions were good in both directions. The building fronts east with a direct view across Main street down Beecher street. The high elevation at this point on North Main street and the main route of travel through Bloomington to Normal make the location ideal. The property is ad- mirably adapted to sanitarium purposes. The house is a well built brick house with eight rooms and hall on the first floor, seven large rooms on the second, a very large attic, and a basement under the whole house. The three large parlors and the spacious hall make ideal rest, reception and waiting rooms, with ample facilities for religious serv- ices. This property could not have been replaced for four times the price paid for it. The building is well adapted i for the administration department, general offices, kitchen, heating plant, and some very fine rooms for patients; but that a new building should be constructed to take care of not less than fifty patients could easily be seen. The first patients were received May 1, 1919. Three capable nurses began their work. The twelve rooms of the hospital were soon filled. The question of a new building was seriously considered by the Board. Estimates and plans iwere already in hand, when it became known that the Kelso Sanitarium was available. The Kelso Hospital had been founded by Dr. Kelso in 1893. It was a fully equipped hospital with sixty rooms and forty nurses in training. He offered the buildings — a new one had been erected in 1918 — and entire equipment for seventy-five thousand dollars. The board of directors called a meeting of the association January 19, 1920. The association voted unanimously to accept the proposition. The Board took full charge of this institution with its training school 406 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS May 1, 1920. Dr. Edwin P. Sloan of wide experience and successful practice, and who became president of the Illi- nois State Medical Society in 1922, was retained as chief of staff. In June, 1920, the building was properly dedi- cated in the presence of a large audience. The Harber property served as a nurses' home until a few years ago when a home was bought just east of the hospital. Some of the aspirations of the promoters for the institution are given in an article in the Christian Evangel It is indirectly quoted here. It is the purpose of those in charge to make this not merely a hospital in which ordi- nary cases are to be treated, but rather to develop it into a very high standing Sanitarium, in which the unusual cases can be taken care of, a sanitarium that shall have a name both far and near, a sanitarium in which treatments along widely diversified lines can be given to patients re- quiring such. It is planned to give the patients the benefit of the most modern scientific achievements in the way of treatment of ailments and the practice of surgery when needed. The staff in charge is looking into the future, not merely at the present. This sanitarium is to develop, to grow larger, and stronger in usefulness. For the present the capacity is sixty beds. Under the management of Dr. Kelso, the Sanitarium enjoyed a large patronage and was always full of patients^ Dr. Kelso will stay as one of the staff and his practice will flow into the sanitarium. The equipment is pronounced to be the best in Bloomington, in fact in Central Illinois. There is a good operating equipment, a good X-ray outfit, a good bath outfit for the giving of different kinds of baths. This is the only equipment of its kind in the city. The Associa- tion has come into possession of a finely equipped institu- tion, ready for going right on without any stop or let-up. There is also a competent staff of nurses, to which several more are to be added. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 407 Another feature not to be overlooked, is the nurses' training school. This is to be a prominent feature of the Sanitarium. This is to give a training under distinctly Chris- tian influence, and this is a point of no small value. The Christian side of the profession of nursing is to be strongly emphasized. This school should appeal to the very best of the young womanhood. Some of the very best Menno- nite young women should come to take up this training. Mennonite parents should bring this before their girls. Here is a great opportunity open to them to enter a noble profession paying well for the services rendered and also to render Christian service to others. Next to the home this is the noblest place in which a woman can use her God given talents. There is also an increasingly greater de- mand for nurses. The sanitarium needs a number of student nurses, girls with high Christian character, to start the course of training now. The more education, the more helpful it will be, but there needs to be coupled with it a love for others and especially for the sick. In the Sanitarium work lies a great opportunity for the church. It undertakes the modern ideals in the noble art of healing. This is indeed the work which the Church of Jesus Christ should take up. It was He who went about doing good, healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, making the blind to see, causing the lame and halt to walk and even raising the dead. This work is following in the Master's footsteps, doing that which He was so much interested in. This is a really constructive work for hu- manity and for the church. It is her office to bring the balm of healing to the wounded and the sick, to bring consolation to the dying. This is a part of the work which Christ has given Mennonites to do here in Illinois. It deserves whole-hearted support. Let details be worked out in the Christian spirit of helpfulness to all who need help. Again this Sanitarium will bring the Church before the people and will help to set her right before the world. 408 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS False ideas concerning the Mennonite Church have been too current. It has been pictured sometimes with consid- erable truth as an unprogressive church, and as one that is not ready and willing to take up a large work. This movement will help to refute such ideas. It will show that the church has a vision and is ready to take up a large work for helping humanity. 3 The purchase and maintenance of a hospital was an enormous financial undertaking. The board tried various plans for raising funds. An effort was made to get every member of the Central Conference churches in the Bloom- ington territory to make a minimum pledge of five dollars. This was first accomplished by the congregation at Kouts, Indiana. A number from various places gave pledges of sums as large as five hundred and a thousand dollars. But many were against the idea of the Mennonites doing such work. The institution had to win its way in the face of indifference both from the Bloomington citizens and the Mennonite people. When about seven or eight of the children in the orphanage needed surgical help for the removal of tonsils and adenoids they turned to the Hos- pital. The splendid treatment received gratis by doctors and Hospital awakened in the churches, especially the eastern churches of the Defenseless Mennonites who had not been quite persuaded of the wisdom of the work, a new sense of appreciation and its possibility as a supple- mentary institution along side of the orphanage work. Considerable charity is done other than that men- tioned above. 4 There are many cases where special rates must be extended, or work done gratis. This naturally in- creases the running expenses. The superintendent did much to economize, cutting down expenses about half. The 3 The Christian Evangel, Vol. X, No. 5, May, 1920, p. 104 f. 4 Most people are not aware of the large amount of charity work done by church hospitals. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 409 Thanksgiving Day donation of canned goods, such as fruit, vegetables and preserves was started November, 1921. Friends were urged to donate $2,000 to $3,000 for the furnishing of memorial rooms. At one time a special drive was made by planning to send three committees into each church. The first was to inspire, the second to inform and the third to gather pledges. As soon as the Association took control of the hos- pital, steps were taken to reorganize the nurses' training school. It was put on an accredited basis recognized by the state of Illinois. After completing the three year course the student becomes a registered nurse. The first class of the Nurses' Training School was graduated in April, 1922. The exercises were held from the Normal Mennonite church which was filled to capacity with assembled graduates, officers, visiting clergy and the many friends of graduates and hospital. Rev. J. H. King read the Scripture lesson, while Rev. Schlagel and Rev. Allen Miller offered prayer. The Presi- dent of the Hospital Board, Rev. Emanuel Troyer, gave an interesting and inspiring address which was appreciated by all. The diplomas were presented by the Superinten- dent of the Hospital, Rev. Benjamin Rupp. In addition to this, the graduates were also presented with beautiful class-pins, and copies of a Scofield Bible, the gifts of the Sanitarium Association. An informal testimony meeting developed some very encouraging remarks from ministers, doctors and laymen present. One physician of Blooming- ton said to one of the directors after this meeting: "I came largely out of curiosity to see at closer range just what kind of work you were doing. I have heard much of your institution lately, but only now do I realize what a really fine piece of work you have accomplished in so short a time." Rev. John Kinsinger pronounced the benediction. There were fifteen girls who completed the work and ,! 410 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS became the first graduates from the Mennonite Sanitarium and Training School. They were Blanche Briggs, Ella Cullers, Luella Engle, Mattie Munck, Lanore Dubois Gale Hereford, Josephine Hickey, Violet Mann, Rachel Nickel, Ethel Nelson, Ruby Cassmore, Lillian Sullivan, Myrtle Vanalta, Mary Frances Ward, and Gladys White. 5 In order to become a Registered Nurse it is necessary for the graduates to take several months in addition at an- other Hospital. Miss Luella Engle finished this training August 15 and was the first Mennonite girl to do this. At times the management had to put forth urgent re- quests for more to enter the training. Responses have come from all Mennonite branches as well as other de- nominations. After many months of waiting, the Board ot Direc- tors were at last successful in buying a new home for the nurses, that would be nearer the Hospital, and thus make it more convenient for them and the superintendent. The property purchased was the S. C, Kirkpatrick home adja- cent to the Hospital. The building has ten bed rooms and is quite conveniently arranged for the purpose to which it will be put. The price paid was $11,000.00. This obviates the necessity on the nurses' part of walking back and forth the long distance that separated the Hospital from the old home on Main Street. This old property was sold for $13,750.00. 6 ' In 1924,. at a cost of about $3,300.00, a new laundry equipment was installed in the basement of the new wing. This equipment consists of an American washer, extractor, mangier, tumbler dryer, and water softener all of which is giving splendid satisfaction and incidentally saved more than its cost the first year of its use. 7 5 Christian Evangel, Vol. XII, No. 5, May, 1922, p. 105. 6 Christian Evangel, Vol. XIII, No. 12, December, 1923, p. 270. i Christian Evangel, Vol. XIV, No. 3, March, 1924, p. 58. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 411 Since the taking over of the Kelso Hospital in 1919 the investment reached the total of $194,543.46. Every penny of this has come from Mennonite people. So satisfactory has been this service that the city is now calling for more service. The hospital is filled to capacity. Patients are being turned away. Many are housed in uncomfortably small rooms. The old frame building is a constant fire menace. The directors are appealing to the good people of Bloomington for some aid. Hospital work is not a profitable venture. During the past four years the deficits have aggregated $15,552.65. That makes a total of al- most $4,000 over and above what the patients can afford to pay. 8 The present bed capacity is 45, which number can be slightly increased under pressure, but not with safety or convenience to the health of the patients and nurses. The new plans call for a building of a new wing on the north side, four stories high, to correspond with the present south wing. Joining these two wings will be a building in the rear, containing an elevator and private rooms. The fifth floor of this structure will be reserved entirely for the surgical work. Between the wings will be erected an ad- ministration building containing living quarters for the superintendent and a chapel. This will give an additional capacity for Bloomington of about sixty modern and fire proof beds. The approximate cost will be $200,000. 9 8 Christian Evangel, Vol. (misnumbered) XVII, June, 1925, p. 131. 9 Christian Evangel, Vol. (misnumbered) XVII, Xo. 6, June, 1925, p. 131. CHAPTER XLIII THE MENNONITE OLD PEOPLE'S HOME AT MEADOWS, ILLINOIS 1 The Old People's Home at Meadows is another co- operative activity between the Central Conference of Men- nonites and the Defenseless Mennonites. The latter, how- ever, seem to have taken the aggressive in the work. Al- ready in 1901 the Defenseless Conference had passed a resolution that the deacons of the different churches should form a committee to establish a home for the feeble mis- sion workers and the aged. The matter seems to have been held favorably in mind but nothing was done for many years. In 1917 the conference passed a resolution empowering the chairman to appoint a committee of five to investigate the matter of establishing an old people s home and report it at the next annual session. Though the report was given little progress was made, probably due to the stress of war conditions. Mr. Daniel Stalter of Meadows, Illinois, offered a tract of twenty acres of land including several buildings, one of them a large frame dwelling, which had been partly rearranged to take care of a number of old people. Mr. Stalter was very anxious that this tract be used for an institution of this kind and encouraged Mr. D. N. Clau- don, chairman of the investigation committee appointed by the Defenseless Conference, to take on this tract for an Old People's Home. i Material from D. N. Claudon, Meadows, Illinois by intemew, corres- pondence, and his article in the Christian Exponent Vol. 11, No. 16, July 31, 1925, p. 248, reinforced by gleanings from (a) the Defenseless Conference Secretary's book, (b) file of the Christian Evangel, (c) file of Zioris Tidings. 412 THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 413 The Central Conference church conference held at Hopedale, Illinois, in 1917, appointed a committee of three, Rev. John Gingerich, Rev. Emanuel Troyer and Rev. Andrew Vercler, to confer with the Defenseless brethren on the Old People's Home. Rev. Peter Schantz, although not one of the committee, urged the project. Each of the Conferences felt it was too large an under- taking for one conference alone. The Mennonite Old People's Home had its origin in a joint mission board meeting held at the Meadows Men- nonite church in May, 1919. The proposition was pre- sented at this meeting and a number of the brethren in- vestigated the tract and were favorably impressed with the location. A meeting of delegates from the different churches of the two Conferences interested was called and a board of directors elected to incorporate and draw up a constitution and by-laws. Those chosen organized as follows: D. N. Claudon, Meadows, Illinois, President; Joseph Rich, Washington, Illinois, Vice President; S. E. Baughman, Gridley, Illinois, Secretary; Daniel Augustin, Carlock, Illinois, Treasurer; and Moses Roth, Groveland, Illinois. The organization known as Mennonite Old People's Home was incorporated June 6, 1919. The members of the asso- ciation are composed of delegates selected annually by the several congregations of Mennonites interested in the work. Each congregation has the right to elect a delegate for every hundred members or fraction thereof. The as- sociation elects a board of six directors. An attempt was made to interest the (old) Mennonites who were at the same time planning a home at Eureka, but it met with failure. Though both Central and Defenseless conferences are heartily in favor of the work yet according to the manner of electing members to the association it is readily seen that neither conference functions officially. The De- 414 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS fenseless Conference passed a resolution at the 1919 ses- sion favoring the erection and maintenance of the proposed Mennonite Old People's Home, and encouraged the dif- ferent congregations of the conference to elect a delegate as their representative at the annual meetings of the as- sociation. The above named committee called a meeting of the delegates which met October 14, 1919 in the Mennonite Church at Meadows, Illinois. A forenoon and afternoon session was held with 25 ministers and delegates present. Several locations for the proposed old people's home were considered. A visit had been made by the committee to the Dunkard Old People's Home at Mount Morris, Illinois. The final decision was made to purchase the twenty acre tract mentioned above, thus locating the Home at Meadows. Almost $10,000.00 had been pledged by thirteen donors and the committee continued its solicita- tions. At a later meeting the committee decided to put up the out buildings such as hen house, workshop and hog house which were erected not long after with the lumber from the old buildings. The building committee drew up plans for the Center Building, which was to house the superintendent and family. This building was to consist of a reception room, office and living room;^ also the din- ing room and kitchen with a pantry and refrigerator room on the first floor, and with three bed rooms, sewing room, and bath room on the second floor. The east wing was to be joined to the main building by a corridor eight feet in width leading to the individual thirteen rooms. ^ A diet kitchen and two bath and toilet rooms were to be installed in this wing. There was to be a large sun porch or par- lor, 16x32 feet, which could also be used as a chapel. Mr. Benjamin Rediger gave the committee a close estimate of the cost of the building, which was approxi- mately $24,000.00 not including the heating and the THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 415 plumbing. The committee thought that they might be able to reduce this cost to some extent by hiring their own men and getting the material at cost, plus a small per cent for hauling and superintending the work. The job was awarded to Mr. Benjamin Rediger as general superintendent of construction who was to have charge of the hiring of the different contractors. The excavation was begun in the spring of 1922 and the con- crete work and other building operations immediately fol- lowed. The center building and east wing as planned a- bove were completed by March, 1923. The total sum ex- pended for the entire property amounted to almost $50, 000.00, two-thirds of which had been raised. The first inmates were received in April, 1923. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Klassen were chosen superintendent and matron of the home with their daughter as assistant. Mr. Klassen was formerly of Canada and had been connected with the work of the Salem Orphanage for about two years. The dedication of the institution occurred on Sunday May 20th in the presence of 2,000 people, with an inspiring program which lasted throughout the day and the evening. The first year the home with its capacity of thirteen was filled and a number of applicants had to be refused for lack of room. Thus the Board is desirous of securing funds so the west wing can be erected. Reports of the work appear in the Christian Evangel and the Zion's Tidings from time to time. On Sunday afternoon meetings are held in the chapel for the comfort and uplift of the old people, who would not be able to attend religious services elsewhere. Ministers from different denominations are invited in to conduct the services. A regular Thursday evening prayer meeting and Bible study class is also held. On March first, 1925, Mr. and Mrs. George Gundy took charge as superintendent and matron of the Home 416 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS and entered upon their duties, having been elected to thi position some months before. Mr. Gundy had formerb been pastor of the Central Conference congregation a Congerville. There are at present fourteen inmates in the Home and two more rooms have just recently been arranged t< accommodate two of those who are on the waiting list There are now fifteen rooms for individuals on the firs floor, also the kitchen and dining room, besides the office and sitting room for the superintendent and family. Als< there is a large sun parlor for the inmates which is als( used for the chapel services. The bed rooms for the super intendent and helpers are on the second floor of the mail building. The completed building will house about fort? people. There are over fifty fruit trees and a few shade tree: surrounding the Home. About one-half an acre is in gar den truck, about one acre in potatoes, two acres in alfalfa four acres in pasture and the remainder in farm crops The fruit trees consist of apple, apricot, cherry, peach pear and plum varieties. A number of the apple trees an bearing fruit while the other varieties are small trees There is a fine large lawn to the south and west. The motto of the institution is well stated in th< Scripture verse, Psalm 71 :9, "Cast me not off in the tim< of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.' The old people appreciate their good, Christian home anc the work as a whole has been very successful. The institu tion meets a long felt need in the two conferences that ii represents. I!. * CHAPTER XLIV THE CHURCH PUBLICATIONS 1 The first literature of the Defenseless Conference was a report of its first annual session held at Berne, In- diana, October 14-17, 1883. The first real effort of pub- lication was a song book. The German songs were select- ed by Joseph Rediger and C. R. Egle and prepared by the latter for the printer. Some of the songs were original, being written by members of the church; but most of them came from German song books. The song book, named Glaubens Lieder, consisted of 600 German hymns with an appendix of 50 in English. It was printed in 1890 by the Mennonite Publishing Company at Elkhart, Indiana, as a leather volume four by five and three-quarter inches, and had no notes. It was necessary to use it with melodies from the Philharmonia. However this book did not long Jerve its purpose and upon the introduction of the English anguage, was discarded altogether. The constitution and by-laws of Salem Orphanage and the conference report for the session held at Grove- and, Illinois, December 5-7, 1895, were put in printed rorm by C. R. Egle. He purchased a printing outfit in Flanagan, Illinois, in 1898. He brought along to confer- ence some of the material which he had printed. The con- erence, approving of it, proceeded to appoint him as ditor of the new German paper, named Heils-Bote, with foseph Rediger and Peter Hochstettler as assistants. The lame Heils-Bote, meaning "Salvation's Messenger," was uggested by the motto which is expressed in Isaiah 12:3, Material from manuscript, letter, and interview with C. R. Egle, Mead- V\ I " 1 " ols ' and the fiIe s of the Zion's Call, Zion's Tidings, and Good Ttdtngs. 417 28 418 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." Egle edited and printed the paper for which the conference of 1901 allowed him $144.00. D. N. Clau- don became its business manager. In the first issue which appeared in 1898, the editor expressed his hope that the paper would be a real joy bearer to the thirsty pilgrim as he goes along life's highway. The purpose of this monthly paper was to help unify the church and particularly to create interest in the mission work which had been started in Africa. Egle was editor throughout the life of the paper. During the last years of publication the printing was done by the Berne Witness Company of Berne, In- diana. The paper was discontinued in December, 1917, because the old people who read German had died and! the younger generation favored the English periodical. The Zion's Call, the English monthly, was also start- ed in 1898, being edited and first printed by D. N. Claudon in the interests of Salem Orphanage. For many years the paper was in control of the Orphanage Association. The annual conference of 1913 adopted the Zion's Call as the official church organ. Benjamin Rupp, Aaron Sauder, L. E. Rupp and Amos Oyer have served the paper as editors at various times. The 1918 conference changed it to a semi-monthly paper. Most of the families subscribed for the paper, but there was an annual deficit which the con- ference had to assume. m . . _ The Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ Lon ference (Russian) paper under the name of Good Tidings made its first appearance on July 15, 1919. This monthly paper was edited by G. P. Schultz of Chicago, Illinois. The first issue contained the following notice: This issue of Good Tidings comes to many of you as an uninvitec guest but it expects to find a warm place in your homes Many subscriptions have already been received and nc doubt many more will come during the month. The Defenseless Mennonite Conference (Egly) o THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 419 1920 authorized its publication board to take the necessary steps to consolidate Zion's Call with Good Tidings. The boards of both conferences met at Meadows, July 18, 1921. The meeting was very satisfactory. The consoli- dated paper under the name of Zion's Tidings, a semi- monthly of eight pages, made its first appearance Septem- ber 1, 1921, with Amos Oyer as editor and G. P. Schultz assistant. Thus again the Defenseless Mennonites were found cooperating with another branch, in one of their activities. The local churches at their annual business meetings elect for the coming year a solicitor for and a correspondent to the church paper. Although in 1922 Zion's Tidings was reported to have 871 subscribers, it is not self-sustaining. The paper as recommended by the Defenseless Conference of 1922 has the following depart- ments: Editorial, Contributions, Missions, Education, Young People, and Among the Churches. At present the paper is published monthly under the editorship of G. P. Schultz. For some time the Board has been considering the consolidation of its paper with the Gospel Banner, the Dfficial organ of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ (Bren- leman), but so far nothing definite has been done. ^ The Confession of Faith, Rules and Discipline of the Defenseless Mennonite Church, revised and adopted at :he annual conference at Archbold, Ohio, August 30, 1917, vas printed the same year by the Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Publishing House, 2812 Lincoln Avenue, Chi- cago, Illinois. This little booklet of 64 pages, called the Church Manual, contains a copy of the charter, a brief listory, the constitution and by-laws, the 24 articles of aith, ten rules and discipline, six ordinances, nine sections >n officers and workers, and fifteen on forms. The object )f this little work, as stated on page 4, is to provide a >rief manual which will serve as a guide in the more im- portant concerns, as well as in the ordinary experience of he churches. CHAPTER XLV THE SALEM GOSPEL MISSION AND COOPER- ATIVE MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES IN CHICAGO 1 The first missionary interest in the church was taken in the year 1892 through the instrumentality of John A. Sprunger, at that time in mission work in Chicago. And the church supported his work there to quite an extent for some time. However, for some years following, the mis- sionary zeal of the church was directed into Africa where J the Congo Inland Mission had been established. 2 But there was still missionary sentiment for work in Chicago. In! 1906 the annual conference passed a resolution that a mis- % sion should be started there. The work was opened June \ 24, 1908, in a frame building at 249 Root Street. It was | carried on under many difficulties at this location for four years. The present property at 248 Root Street, on the corner of Princeton, was purchased in 1912 at a cost of $13,000. The property consists of a three story brick building the first floor of which is the chapel. The second and the third floors are used as flats in which the workers of the mission are located. On Princeton Avenue is a frame, two-story building consisting of two flats in which members of the mission reside. On Root Street there is i Material for this chapter from The Christian Exponent, Vol. II, No 20, September 25, 1925, p. 312; article by D. N. Claudon, Meadows i Illinois, and interviews with him and J. K. Geng, supenntenden < of the mission, reenforced by gleanings from Defenseless Confer ence secretary's book and file of Zion's Tidtngs and Zions LaU. 2 See Chap. XL. Congo Inland Mission. . 420 , THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 421 also a frame building, the lower story of which is used for an office and the upper story for a flat. A special dedica- tory service was held December 15, 1912, on entering this building. Rev. and Mrs. J. K. Gerig have been superintendent and matron since it was opened. Misses Mary Rediger and Adelle Lugibill were helpers for some time. Emma Slagle Elvin Becker, and Barbara Roth have also spent a num- ber of years as workers at the Mission. Miss Christina Miller and Mr. and Mrs. John G. Rediger have also as- sisted. The conference gave Amos Oyer a two years' leave of absence from the Congo Inland Mission to com- plete a course of Bible study during which time he was given a home at this mission. The mission is located in the stock yards district of Chicago, a very needy and wicked part of the city. From its beginning the workers had some severe testing times to keep discipline on the inside and outside, and were compelled to expel a number of Sunday school classes, because of the disorder — the only way to save the work. They began again with twelve in the Sun- day school and thus were able to build up a quiet Sunday school which at present numbers from 90 to 120 in at- tendance. The confidence of the people was gradually tvon by entering into their homes, helping with the wasti- ng, mending clothes, helping them to clean up their houses md caring for the sick. During the seventeen years of service at the Salem jospel Mission the following meetings have been held: General meeting 3530, total attendance 300,050; Sunday school services 875, total attendance 70,000, average 80; )oys' and girls' classes 223; Bible classes and teachers' neetings 11,010; and meetings at Oak Forest 40. Over >36 meetings were conducted in other Missions, besides vhat open air work and jail work could be done. During hese seventeen years, 14,464 garments were distributed 422 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS to the poor, and the workers in the mission paid 7,853 calls at homes of the people. Sixteen wedding ceremonies were performed, 60 babies dedicated, and 110 funerals conducted. And lastly, over 3,000 people have knelt at the altar in the mission for prayer. 3 In 1917 the Defenseless Conference in annual session granted an allowance of $250.00 a month for the support of the work and also instructed the trustees to install an adequate heating plant. From time to time ministers came in to hold meetings. In 1924 the ministerial meeting of the Defenseless Conference was held in its hall. The mis- sion work was promoted by the use of the Gospel Truck and on one occasion a trip was made through Indiana and Ohio with a group of Christian workers who visited the eastern churches and held meetings in different towns on the way. Many tracts and copies of the Gospel of John were distributed. Although there were over 50 members belonging to the mission the work did not seem successful. The com- munity had changed so much from the early conditions that the mission no longer served its original purpose. Already, the 1920 conference empowered its trustees with full authority to sell or exchange the mission property. Its sale was continually urged during the next years. Finally an offer of $13,500.00 was received. Plans were made to vacate the building. The workers prepared to co- operate with the Brighton Mission of the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in uniting their membership and Sunday Schools. However, since not all the ■Payments were made upon the property, the conference of 1925 declared that mission work should be continued in the old building until final payment shall be made. In spite of this unset- tled condition the workers are happy in what they have been able to accomplish. 8 Zion's Tidings, December IS, 1925, by J. K. Gerig. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 423 Cooperative Missionary Activities in Chicago There are six Mennonite Conferences or branches represented in Chicago through their mission work; name- ly: the (Old) Mennonites ; the Central Conference of Mennonites; the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ; the Defenseless Mennonites (Egly) ; the Krimmer Brueder; and the General Conference of Mennonites. The branches in Chicago in 1908 conceived the idea of sus- taining a mission among themselves whose purpose would be similar to that of the Pacific Garden Mission, in working with the down-and-out. The work opened November, 1908, at 437 State Street and was called u The Happy Hour Mission," with G. P. Schultz as superintendent. It was located near the "Loop" in what is known as the "lodging house" district. Thousands of men made their homes in these cheap lodging houses. The price of a bed ranged from a dime to a quarter a night. In this district a large number of saloons were operated, where with each glass of beer a free lunch could be secured. Many of the men lived almost entirely on these free lunches, though the quality of the food was by no means first class. Gospel meetings were held at the mission every night of the week. The mission was open 365 nights of the year. The meetings began at 7:30 o'clock in the evening and continued until 9 o'clock. The first service each night was an open air meeting conducted on the street in front of the mission. This service usually ran for thirty or forty minutes. After this meeting service was continued in the hall. A number of the men who had been listening to the preaching on the street generally took places in the hall where they heard the story of the Gospel continued, and many a person was converted through these efforts. The class of men the mission had to deal with made it no easy task. There were burglars, pickpockets, back- sliders, ex-ministers, infidels, socialists, scores of drunk- 424 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ards, and boys who had run away from home. The mis- sion workers often met men who had been separated from their families and loved ones for years. Many of these poor fellows did not even have so much as a dime to pay for the price of a bed, and so they found lodging outside under some old sidewalk, or on the roof of some building, or in some dark doorway, or in an empty box-car, or any other place where they could crawl out of sight and avoid being molested by a police officer. 4 The work was closed in 1914. About 1919 the Mennonites, especially the Central Conference, the Defenseless Conference and the General Conference who had been interested in Jewish work, 5 ap- pointed representatives to meet as a joint committee of home missions. These representatives met at the Salem Gospel Mission to consider joining their Jewish Mission work with the Christian Mission to Israel, under the lead- ership of Frank B. Solin, a converted Jew. After much discussion the work was consolidated. The six Mennonite branches maintain the following missions in Chicago (1925) : Branch Name Address Superintendent Mennonites (old) Home Mission 1907 S. Union Ave. S. M. Kanagy Central Conf. 26th St. Mission 720 TV. 26th St. A. M. Eash Central Conf. Home Chapel 6201 Carpenter St. E. T. Rowe General Conf. First Menn. Church 73 r d & Laflin Sts. M. M. Lehman Def. Mennonite Salem Gospel 43 r d & R 00 t Ave. J. K. Gerig Def. Mennonite Brighton Mission Cor. Lincoln St. G. P. Schultz Brethren in Christ & 34th Place (Unofficial) Def. Menn. Menn. Bible 4215 S. Rockwell St. A. F. Wiens Brethren in Christ Mission Krimmer Brueder Menn. Mission 2812 Lincoln Ave. D. M. Hofer These eight missions cooperate very nicely, at least as well as can be expected of different Mennonite branch- 4 The Christian Evangel, November, 1910, pp. 10, 32. * The Christian Evangel Vol. IX, No. 11, November, 1919, p. 244. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 425 es. They meet together quarterly in a Sunday School con- ference. This is an inspirational meeting consisting chiefly of addresses by the superintendents, workers, members, and supporters of the mission work. CHAPTER XLVI THE BROTHERHOOD AID ASSOCIATION 1 Several years before the association was actually formed, there had been talk of organizing an aid which would cover losses of property. Some other branches of Mennonites had already established such organizations. The conference, however, seemed opposed to it. Aaron Souder, a young minister since deceased, saw the service that could be performed so he advocated it. His idea was that of cooperative assistance reduced to a system. The 1916 conference appointed Aaron Souder, Moses Roth and D. H. Claudon as a committee to investigate the formation of a Mutual Benefit Protective Association for the Brotherhood. At the 1918 annual session this com- mittee was authorized to form a church aid association. Accordingly that fall "The Brotherhood Aid Association of the Defenseless Mennonite Conference of North Amer- ica," was brought into being. It did not receive a charter at first, but was later incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio. The original officers were D. H. Claudon, Pioneer, Ohio, president and Aaron Souder, Grabill, In- diana, secretary and treasurer. When Aaron Souder died in the fall of 1919, Amos Witmer took his place. The 1925 officers were Amos Neuhauser, Bluff ton, Indiana, president, elected in 1923; J. K. Gerig, Chicago, Illinois, vice-president; Albert Neuenschwander, Grabill, Indiana, i Material for this chapter from Albert Neuenschwander, secretary, Grabill, Indiana, and reports of the association in the Defenseless Conference secretary's minutes. 426 THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 427 secretary, elected in 1922; Amos Witmer, Spencerville, Indiana, treasurer. Each local congregation, known as a local district, elects a director. These representatives make up the board of directors who elect the regular officers. These officers comprise the executive board who have the right to ap- point directors in local districts failing to elect the same. The directors hold their annual meeting at the time of the annual conference. The association is entirely in the con- trol of the Defenseless Conference. However the original constitution was changed so that ''enlistments may be taken from members of other denominations of the same faith, who believe in the doctrine of non-resistance, and oppose secret organizations." 2 Members from both the Central Conference of Mennonites and the Mennonite Brethren in Christ have taken out policies. The matter of making the association an organization of the three branches was discussed by them in their respective con- ference sessions but so far nothing has been done. The work has been steadily increasing. It was estimated that $2,000.00 was saved to the members in the year 1921-22. The following figures show the condition of the associa- tion in 1925. 3 Number of Enlistments Aug. 15, 1925 740 Number of Enlistments Aug. 15, 1924 481 Gain for year 259 2 Article No. 1, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Brotherhood Aid Association. 3 The report of the Brotherhood Aid Association secretary, Albert Neuenschwander, as recorded in the minutes of the 1925 annual con- ference of the Defenseless Mennonites and printed in the Zion's Tidings, Vol. IV, No. 2, September 15, 1925. 428 HISTORY OF THE MENNONTTES OF ILLINOIS Total amount of enlistments Aug. 15, 1925 $3,158,838.00 Total amount of enlistments Aug. 15, 1924 2,084,895.00 Gain for year $1,074,043.00 Cash on hand Aug. 25, 1924 $1,297.01 Received 2,415.82 Total $3,712.83 Paid out for year 2,417.28 Balance on hand August 25, 1925 $1,295.55 The secretary has the following to say in regard to the purpose of the organization: "The principle and foun- dation of the Association is established upon mutual aid of brethren. Compare it with any old line insurance or- ganization. It is more than an insurance company. Gala- tians 6:2 admonishes us to 'bear one another's burdens' and we believe we are not violating the Apostle's com- mand when we organize to do this systematically, and therefore we earnestly solicit your cooperation by enlisting your personal property with the Association. 'Be not weary in well doing.' We may not always see the results of our efforts or labors, as in the case of our departed brother, (Aaron Souder), but his good work lives after him and has greatly multiplied." The president , adds further: "The word 'Brother- hood' means a body of men of the same profession asso- ciated together. 'Aid' means to assist or help. The mean- ing of the Brotherhood Aid can be nothing other than a unity consisting of a body of men or brethren joined hand in hand stretching forth a helping hand to the brother that is in need and to the member that is unfortunate in losing his home or his property by fire, lightning or storm. This Aid is not an insurance company nor a money mak- ing institution. No one reaps a benefit from this Aid but . THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 429 the unfortunate members. I believe that we all agree in this respect that the individual that is unfortunate through either of the above mentioned causes is in need of help. However, some of us may have come to the conclusion that we can reach a helping hand to the needy one without being a member of the 'Brotherhood Aid' with a policy. To such a conclusion I heartily agree, and sincerely be- lieve that I am voicing the sentiment of every member of the Brotherhood Aid. But when we have a policy it acts as a guide as to how much we should help, and thereby helping to the extent in which we expect to be helped, should we be so unfortunate. Another conception we may have regarding the Brotherhood Aid is this, that when an individual becomes a member of the Brotherhood Aid and accepts a policy, he puts his trust in the Brotherhood Aid in place of trusting God. This however is a wrong con- ception. The Brotherhood Aid does not want the indi- vidual to lose faith in God and put his trust in the Aid. Be it far from it, and let us beware of the idea that by taking a policy we are trying to get ahead of God. This is never the intent of the Brotherhood Aid. May God for- bid such thoughts to enter into our hearts and minds. The Brotherhood Aid is grounded and based on the Word of God; supported, governed and upheld by the Elders and Conference of the Defenseless Mennonite Church; and extends a hearty welcome to every one of its members and to every member of other churches of like faith. Breth- ren, let us look at this matter in the right light and go hand in hand, putting our shoulders to the wheel and let us not get weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Gal. 6:9, 10. If we want to show our brother sympathy let us not do it in words only, but with our means also. Brother, which do you believe is 430 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the more acceptable before God and men — the one that extends his sympathy with words, or the one that extends it with means? Let us remember that actions speak much louder than words." A condensed statement of the object appears on the face of the policy, "We, the members of the Defenseless Mennonite Churches of North America, and all others who shall afterward become members of this Association, for the mutual benefit of securing our property against loss by fire, lightning or storm, of bearing one another's burdens, of avoiding the unequal yoke spoken of by Paul, II Cor. 6:14, and of paying losses on property which we, as simple God fearing people, claim to be inconsistent as becometh the followers of Christ, do ordain and establish the following Rules and Regulations found on the back of this Enlistment." Since the officers receive no salary and organization is not operated for profit, the running expenses are kept at a minimum. So far it has been necessary to make but one assessment during the year. Since the close of the first year of operation the assessments have been only ten cents on a hundred dollars which is an exceptionally low rate. The members are well satisfied with the work of the asso- ciation. CHAPTER XLVII THE MISSIONARY CHURCH ASSOCIATION 1 The Defenseless Mennonites had withdrawn from the Amish body in 1864-66 because they felt that the mother church was dead. It was but a generation later that some of the Defenseless members began to complain of a loss of zeal in their body. Perhaps in a certain sense this was the case. At least the church could have been more active in undertaking missionary work. Some, even from the time of origin of the branch, had felt that im- mersion should be the method of baptism but the confer- ence left it open to the individual. This feeling found a champion in the person of J. E. Ramseyer. The new movement had its beginning in a con- ference discussion in 1896. Ramseyer, with some follow- ers and co-laborers, promoted the cause by evangelistic meetings. From all of the Defenseless Churches, with the exception of the Salem Congregation near Gridley, new churches were formed. But the leaders were not satisfied to gain members from the mother congregations only. By intensive evangelism, many not formerly Mennonites were brought into their congregations. Churches were also es- tablished in new communities. For this reason, no doubt, the branch is justified in claiming that it is not a part of the Mennonite body. It certainly is not a purely Menno- nite branch. "Owing to the fact that a number of persons in dif- ferent denominations were deeply impressed, some years ago, with the need of better opportunities for cultivating 1 Material for this chapter chiefly from interviews with D. N. Claudon and C. R. Egle, Meadows, Illinois, and. Peter Birky, Morton, Illinois. 431 432 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the deeper spiritual life, for promoting the fuller teaching of the Word of God, and for engaging in more aggressive missionary work, it became evident that the Holy Spirit was leading to the formation of a new organization. "Accordingly these persons entered into an organiza- tion in the year of 1898, under the name of the Mission- ary Church Association, for the purpose of meeting these needs. This Association was incorporated in the state of Indiana, in the year 1905. "The principles that led to the original organization are expressed in the following doctrinal statement, held by the primitive church, and recorded in the Word of God. ( 1 ) The divine and plenary inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures. (2) The trinity of the Godhead. (3) The deity, virgin birth, and sinless humanity of Christ. (4) The person and work of the Holy Spirit. (5) The total depravity of man by nature. (6) The substitutionary death and bodily resurrec- tion of Jesus Christ. (7) The necessity of the new birth. (8) The enduement with the Holy Spirit as a defi- nite crisis experience after the new birth, to guide us, to endue us for service, and to trans- form our life into Christ's image. (9) Practical holiness, and the maintenance of good works. (10) Divine healing for the body as provided in the atonement, in answer to the prayer of faith. (11) The unity of the true church as the mystical body of Christ. (12) The reality and personality of Satan. (13) The course of this world as under the Prince and the power of the air. THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITES 433 (14) The duty of the church to give the Gospel to all men. (15) The personal, premillennial, and imminent com- ing of Christ. (16) The resurrection and future immortality of the body. (17) Life everlasting for believers, and the endless punishment of the impenitent. (18) The apostasy of the present age, culminating in the judgment of the great tribulation. (19) The literal and personal reign of Christ on earth during the coming age. (20) The bringing in of the new heaven and the new earth as the final state. u The sole aim of this organization is, as has been from the beginning, to hold and propagate these doctrines." 2 While this body is a bit more radical in its doctrines, especially baptism, it will be noted that it is very similar to the parent body. The original ill feeling is fast dying out. From the friendly cooperation existing at present it is possible to predict reunion. The Association, which has twenty churches, holds an annual conference which under- takes activities similar to the Defenseless Conference. It maintains the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Bible Training School, established 1904, of which Rev. J. E. Ramseyer is president and B. F. Leightner, principal. Rev. C. R. Egle of the Salem Defenseless Congregation near Gridley, Illi- nois, strangely enough, was a member of its Board. Their official organ is The Missionary Worker, edited by Rev. H. C. Thiessen, Chicago, Illinois, and published semi- monthly at Pandora, Ohio. The Missionary Church Association movement in Illi- nois affected the Defenseless church a mile east of Grove- 2 From the Constitutions of the Missionary Church Association and the Missionary Churches, 1916 edition, p. 3 f. 29 434 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS land, dividing it in 1898. Those members who withdrew, met in the Groveland town hall under the leadership of J. C. Birky, now a Missionary to China. The services, orig- inally held in the afternoon were changed to the morning. After a few years a small meeting house was erected. When the Methodists gave up their work in Groveland, their building, which was in bad repair, was purchased for $500.00. Various pastors who served in Groveland were, S. D. Birky, A. N. Clauser, S. J. Grabill, Kinzer, John Hass, A. F. Albro, and J. J. Fliginger. The congregation supports Clarence I. Birky in Africa. Money is also do- nated for work in China, India and South America. The membership is about fifty. Communion service is held quarterly. Though feet washing is observed by some it is not the rule. J. W. Birky, Hiram Amstutz, Amos Mitchell, Carl Norquist, and Frank Rittale have been Sunday School superintendents at various times. At one time the David C. Cook Sunday School literature was in use but at present the "Bible Scholars Quarterly" of the Union Gospel Print- ing Company, Cleveland, Ohio, is employed. The Sisters have no sewing circle of their own but join with u The Aid" of the Defenseless congregation. Those drafted dur- ing the war took up non-combatant service. The church uses the Defenseless burial ground which it helps to keep up. Rev. S. D. Birky, at present of Pasadena, California, but originally of the Groveland Missionary Church, was the founder and for many years pastor of the Mt. Olive Missionary Church in Peoria, Illinois. This congregation can be considered an outgrowth of the Groveland church. The Groveland and Peoria congregations are the only representatives of the Missionary Church Association in Illinois. BOOK IV THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES (The Stuckey Amish) CHAPTER XLVIII THE YODER CHURCH, THE MOTHER CHURCH Although the history proper of the Central Confer- ence of Mennonites does not begin until 1872, yet it is necessary to go back to the beginning of the Amish settle- ment made in Central Illinois, roughly designated as Bloomington-Peoria, in order to get an adequate concep- tion of the origin of this branch. 1 The settlement was begun in 1829 along the Macki- naw River in the southeast corner of Woodford County and northwest corner of McLean County. By 1835 this large territory had organized itself into what was known as the Mackinaw Meeting. The first members who settled on McLean County soil were Peter Maurer and family who located not far from the present Rock Creek Fair Ground, Those in the Rock Creek territory began to meet 1 See Book I, Chaps. VIII and X. The general information for this section, Book IV, "The Central Conference of Mennonites," comes from Smith's books Mennonites of America and The Mennonites. The detailed material was secured by personal visits and interviews by myself and H. E. Nunemaker, pastor of the Danvers Mennonite Church, Danvers, Illinois plus a thorough search of the complete files of the Central Conference official organ, The Christian Evangel, and the Central Conference Year Books. The former contained a helpful history of the Con- ference which, beginning December, 1921, ran through four issues, being written by Aaron Augspurger, pastor of the Anchor Menno- nite Church, Saybrook, Illinois. All this was checked and rein- forced by correspondence, pamphlets, papers, minutes, and reference to other Mennonite literature. When almost completed, William B. Weaver's notes for his valuable book, the History of the Central Conference of Mennonites, became accessible. Some of his material has been inserted into this treatise. 437 438 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS by themselves and organized their own congregation in 1851. This Rock Creek congregation, called the Yoder Church, erected the first Amish church-house in Illinois in 1853. Hessian settlers had considered themselves a part of this congregation but their leader was expelled. In 1854 they organized a congregation and later erected a meeting house south of Danvers. Some from this region with addi- tions from the Partridge Creek Settlement had moved northeast onto Gridley Prairie where a congregation was organized about 1860. In 1831 settlement was begun in the region of pres- ent-day Peoria along the creeks Partridge, Ten Mile, and Dillon. A congregation known as the Partridge Creek or Spring Bay church was organized in 1833. Since it had extended over such a wide territory, in 1837 separate or- ganizations were formed out of it, known as the Dillon Creek and Wesley City congregations. Some of the settle- ment moved out onto the Delavan Prairie where a church was organized in 1854. Thus this section grew into four congregations. The Amish began to settle in Putnam County in 1835. Though this developed into a large congregation relocated in Bureau County it was not necessary to subdivide it as in the cases mentioned above. 2 This group need not be discussed at present since they were out of the center of Central Conference Mennonite origins. In anticipation it may be said that the Mackinaw River Settlement, especially the Rock Creek congregation, was destined to be the chief soil in which the new move- ment of the Central Conference was to develop. Some of the families represented in this settlement were Bachman, Clark, Detweiler, Garber, Gingerich, Imhoff, Kauffman, King, Kinsinger, Kohler, Lantz, Maurer, Naffziger, Otto, 2 For tabulation of the nine early Amish congregations see Chap. XXXVI, p. 334f. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 439 Reeser, Rediger, Ropp, Rupp, Sharp, Schertz, Springer, Streid, Strubhar, Stuckey, Stutzman, Swartzentruber, Yo- der, Zehr, and Zook. Christian Ropp, one of the earliest and most influential Illinois bishops, came from Alsace as a young man and located on the Mackinaw in Woodford County in 1834. 3 It was he who, having been ordained to the ministry in 1840 and to the office of bishop in 1846, organized and for many years served the various congre- gations that grew out of the Mackinaw Meeting, namely, Rock Creek, Gridley Prairie, and Roanoke. He lived to a ripe old age, dying in August, 1896. Jonathan Yoder, 4 familiarly known as "Yony," was in direct charge of the Rock Creek congregation. He came from Juniata County, Pennsylvania, in 1851. He was a typical Pennsylvanian and adhered strictly to the old customs regarding clothes and church practices. He was said to have been an elo- quent speaker and able to handle both the English and the German. He was a leader among the Illinois Amish and a promoter of the General Amish Conference which has been treated at some length in chapter XIX. "In religious conferences and in questions of church polity he served very much the same purpose as a governor on a steam engine, but always very clearly following the truth as he understood it. In thought and religious interpretations he was far in advance of his colleagues. He was always seeking the welfare of the church, careful to avoid radical changes, and fearful of disastrous schisms." 5 The congregation organized by Bishop Jonathan Yo- der was called the Yoder Church. It was formed because the Amish were now leaving the timberland along the 3 His autobiography has been given in Chap. VIII, pp. 83-87. 4 Yoder's biography will be given in the section containing biographies at the end of the book. 6 Estimate of "Yony" Yoder given in a letter from Milo P. Lantz, Carlock, Illinois. 440 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Mackinaw and the groves and were settling on the open prairies in Danvers, Dry Grove, Allen and White Oak Townships. These people found it very inconvenient to worship with the Mackinaw congregation because of the distance. There was also a nucleus formed for this con- gregation by the coming of the Pennsylvania families. The Yoder congregation was organized in the latter part of 1851. After worshiping in the homes for about two years the congregation decided to build a church house. This frame building, erected in 1853, was located at the northeast corner of what is now the Rock Creek Fair Grounds about four miles north of Danvers. This is the first Amish Church House in the state of Illinois and one of the very first in the United States. The church was located on the farm of Joseph Gerber. Some of the men particularly interested in the building of a church house were the bishop, Rev. Jonathan Yoder; the deacons, Mi- chael and Jacob Miller; 6 Joseph Gerber; Joseph Stuckey, John Strubhar and Christian King. Jacob Miller was one of the solicitors for funds for the church. There was a need for this new edifice because the houses were too small to accommodate the rapidly increasing membership. The church house was a plain frame building without steeple, twenty-eight by thirty-six feet, and cost five hundred dol- lars. Material for the church building was hauled from Peoria, a distance of over twenty miles. "Niggerheads" (large stones) served as the foundation. The work was mostly gratis and done chiefly by the members. One of the members of this church said that during the summer the [ pigs from the timber would sometimes seek shelter or shade under the church on Sundays and disturb the meet- \ ing. This church building served the congregation until 1 « Michael Miller (1795-1873) and Jacob Miller (1811-1893) were deacons in the Rock Creek Amish church who were born in Germany, settled | in Butler Co., Ohio, and came to McLean Co., 111., in 1850 and 1851 THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 441 1872. It housed the first Sunday School held in a church house in the Central Conference Mennonite Church. The ministers in the Yoder Church from 1853-1860 were Rev. Jonathan Yoder, bishop; Michael and Jacob Miller, who had come from Butler County, Ohio, deacons. By 1860 the ministers of the early church, growing old, felt that they needed assistance. It was the custom among the Amish to have a number of ministers in the same congre- gation. A vote was taken in the congregation and Joseph Stuckey and John Strubhar were elected. They were or- dained by Bishop Jonathan Yoder on April 8, 1860. On April 26, 1864, Rev. Joseph Stuckey was ordained bishop by Rev. Yoder. In 1867 Christian Imhoff was ordained as a deacon of the church. Stuckey succeeded Yoder as leader of the church. The Yoder Church increased in membership from one hundred to about four hundred in the period 1853- 1872. This rapid increase was largely due to two causes outside of a natural growth. In the first place the mem- bership covered a large area. The community included a territory with a radius of ten miles. To those that are familiar with this territory it might be interesting to say that some members came to church from near Hudson, others from south of Danvers. The reason for the loca- tion of the new church building at Rock Creek was to get as near to the center of this territory as possible. The second cause for the rapid increase in membership was the :oming of new settlers from the eastern part of the United States and from Europe. The activities of the Yoder Church were few. The important one was the Sunday morning church service. This was usually a very long service and often tedious, Darticularly to the children and young people. They were ometimes found out in the timber, engaging in recreation, ather than in the church house. All the services were in 442 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the German language. After the sermon given by one of the ministers the others in turn would bear testimony. This often took considerable time. These services were held every two weeks. About the only other church ac- tivity was an occasional singing class at the church. There was no foreign mission work, no young people's work, no women's organization, no institutional work, no evening services and no Sunday School. By 1867, however, there were those in the Yoder Church who felt that a Sunday School should be organ- ized. There was considerable opposition from the older members of the church, and so the first Amish Sunday School was started in the old Strubhar schoolhouse, a few miles from the church in the summer of 1867. The lead- ing men who urged Sunday School were Joseph Stuckey, John Strubhar, Elias and Iddo Yoder. In the summer of 1869 the Sunday School was held in the Yoder Church on Sunday afternoon. In the summer of 1870 there was a Sunday School started in the Grant schoolhouse in Dry Grove Township. All the teaching in the Sunday School was in the German language. The adults used their Bibles while the children used German primers from which they learned their A B C's. A few years after the building of the new church in 1872 Sunday School was held in connection with the morning service. From 1850 to 1872 there were great economic and educational changes that took place in Central Illinois that had a very marked effect on the church life of the Amish. As stated before, the early settlers settled along the groves and timberland and thought that the prairies could not be farmed. With the handicaps of no railroads, no bridges, no good roads, prairie fires, wet marshes and ponds they thought it was an impossibility. But by I860 many of these handicaps had been removed. Townships were organized in 1858 which meant the building of THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 443 bridges where needed and the making of better roads. Drainage of the prairie lands was introduced among the Amish about 1850 which soon eliminated the marshes and ponds. Settlers now began to move out on the open prai- ries. In 1850 the government refused the granting of land to settlers on the prairie in order to give the railroads an opportunity to take land grants. But after 1851 when the opportunity was again given for securing land on the prairies, settlers began to buy it for $1.25 an acre. By 1877 this same prairie land sold for $30 an acre, by 1900 for $150 an acre and during the World War for $500 an acre. Drainage of the land with tile, improved farm ma- chinery, and the coming of the railroads have brought great prosperity to the Amish. McLean County is the third wealthiest county in the United States. This prosper- ity has had a decided effect on the church life. In the first place it is a blessing because it gives the church a large op- portunity for service with its money. On the other hand this same blessing may become a curse in the fact that peo- ple become self-satisfied and fail to have a vision of the needs of the world. Another very important development that helped to improve conditions was the railroad. On May 23, 1853, the first train on the Illinois Central and October 16, 1853, the first one on the Chicago and Alton, reached Bloomington. The eastern part of Woodford County and the southern part of Livingston County were not settled until the Chicago and Alton, Illinois Central and Toledo, Peoria and Western railroads were built. Towns, and farmers' elevators began to spring up along these rail- roads. The Lake Erie and Western was built from Bloomington to Peoria in 1887. Carlock, Congerville and Goodfield were laid out in 1888. Towns like Slabtown and Farnisville on the Mackinaw, and Oak Grove in the East White Oak district died. All this encouraged the 444 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS settlement of the prairies. The railroads were a very im- portant factor in the history of the local expansion of the Amish in Central Illinois. There were also marked changes in education from 1858-1860. In 1855 the legislature passed a law pro- viding for free schools supported by taxation. For the Amish this meant the public schools and the teaching of the English language. Their children now learned the English language and could not understand the German preaching in the churches. This helped to bring about the transition from the use of the German to the English in the Amish church. It also meant that the Amish children would receive more schooling throughout the year. The term of school soon increased from a few months to five, six or seven months. A little later only a very few of the first Amish young people went to high school and prepared for teaching in the public school. It is this group of young people who later made demands upon the church for Christian Endeavor Societies, English Sunday Schools and more progressive church work. i CHAPTER XLIX JOSEPH STUCKEY, THE CHURCH FATHER Joseph Stuckey, the "father of the group of Amish churches later known as the Central Illinois Conference of Mennonites, 1 was born in Alsace, July 12, 1825, the son of Peter Stuckey, originally of Switzerland, and Elizabeth Sommers of France. He was the oldest child in the family of six, with three brothers and two sisters. Joseph came with his parents to Butler County, Ohio, in 1830. It was here that he attended school in a little old log schoolhouse for about six weeks, the only formal education that he re- ceived. About 1843 he was baptized in the Augspurger Am- ish Church by Rev. Jacob Augspurger. The Amish at this time were still holding their services in the homes of the members. He was married to Barbara Roth in December, 1844. She was born in Alsace, March, 1821 and had come to America with her parents in 1842. They with their little daughter Jacobina (Mrs. Joseph S. Augspur- ger), came to Peoria in October, 1850 and located in the Rock Creek territory on a farm a few miles north of Danvers. The family had come by the way of the Ohio River and the Illinois River to Fort Clark which is now Peoria. Stuckey with his brother-in-law, John Habecker, worked for a few months in a packing house and then in March, 1851, came to Danvers Township in McLean County. On September 10, 1852, his son Christian R. was born. Stuckey rented land for farming until 1858 when he bought forty acres a few miles northwest of Dan- 1 The word Illinois has been dropped from the official name making it Central Conference of Mennonites. 445 446 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS vers. He paid three dollars an acre for the land he bought. Stuckey added to his land until he had two hun- dred acres at the time of his retirement in 1868. He en- gaged in active farming until October, 1868, when he retired and lived with his daughter, Mrs. Augspurger, who moved on his farm. In 1877 he moved to the town of Danvers where he resided until his death in 1902. He was very industrious, careful in his business dealings and had great administrative ability. Stuckey's father died February 22, 1860, and his mother in 1885. His wife died April 27, 1881. He was then married to Mrs. Magdalene Habecker, a sister of his first wife. Rev. Stuckey died February 5, 1902. Before his death he selected the text for the funeral sermon, II Timothy 4:7, 8. Rev. Peter Schantz, Rev. Valentine Strubhar and Rev. John Kohler had charge of the serv- ices. He was laid to rest at the Imhoff Cemetery. His second wife died May 17, 1904. The Stuckey family was a charter member of the Yoder Church. Joseph Stuckey was one of the chief pro- moters in the building of the Yoder Church House in 1853. April 8, 1860, he was called to the ministry and ordained by Bishop Yoder. Four years later, on April 26, he was ordained as a bishop by Rev. Jonathan Yoder, as- sisted by Rev. Christian Ropp and Rev. Jacob Zehr of the Mackinaw Church. He had very little training for his work in the ministry, yet he had a great deal of mental ability. Practically all his training came through personal effort. Mr. C. R. Stuckey, his son, states the situation well when he says, u He was then a young man, just a common farmer with very limited schooling, working hard every day on the farm, trying to establish a home for him- self and his family, and lay up something for old age. You can well imagine the disadvantages he was at to serve the church as their pastor and at the same time try to THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 447 provide a home and some meager comforts for his family. Well do I remember how my father used to pore over his Bible after doing a hard day's work until in the late hours of the night, when perhaps the greater number of his con- gregation were sound asleep and comfortably resting in their beds, but in the morning he would be up bright and early, ready for another hard day's work." Stuckey in spite of all these handicaps was very successful in his pulpit ef- forts. One of the ministers who was then a young man says, "I do not think that I have known any one of Rev. Stuckey's limited educational opportunities and of his en- vironment who was able to draw so large crowds as he in his pulpit efforts." He was a fluent speaker and a very clear thinker. Very few Amish preachers of his day were able to draw as large crowds as he. Rev. Stuckey did practically all of his studying and preaching in the German language. There is an interest- ing incident told as to how he learned his German. As a child he was taught the French language. He came to America from Alsace at the age of five. During the time of the ocean trip he played with the children of a number of German Amish passengers and from them he learned the German language. After he came to Illinois he also learned to read the English language. Again there is an interesting incident told by his daughter as to how he learned the English language: He came home from Bloomington one day with the Daily Pantagraph, an Eng- lish daily paper of Bloomington. When asked by the family what he wanted with it he said he was going to learn to read English! Stuckey became very active locally and among the Amish in general. He was one of the first to subscribe to the Herald of Truth which made its first appearance in 1864 at Chicago. He wrote many articles for it. He also gave accounts of his numerous travels, which were re- 448 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ported in its columns. Before 1870 he had visited prac- tically all the Amish communities east and west. He preached in these various places and was called back re- peatedly. He was one of the leaders who promoted the Amish General Conferences in which he figured actively for several years. Being more liberal-minded on religious questions than most of his fellow ministers, he came into friction occasionally with other leaders even before 1870, the date when the main trouble began. About this time a certain Joseph Yoder, a member of Stuckey's congregation, a school teacher and writer of verse, wrote a long poem which he published under the title of "Die Frohe Botschaft" (The Joyful Message). The leading thought in the poem was that all men will be saved and none punished eternally for their sins. This sentiment was rank heresy among the Amish, as among all orthodox Christians, and naturally aroused a good deal of resentment. The conference which met in Fulton County, Ohio, in 1870 took up the question, "What is to be done with those members who do not believe in future punishment?" After a prolonged discussion it resolved to expel such from the church if they persisted in their er- rors. Stuckey, who was tender-hearted, refused to excom- municate the latter and thus ran counter to the decision of the conference. The next session, held in Livingston County, Illinois in 1871, took up in secret meeting the contention between Stuckey and his fellow ministers. A committee of seven was appointed to investigate the matter. Another commit- tee of three — Abner Yoder of Iowa, Samuel Yoder and Moses B. Miller of Pennsylvania — was appointed to visit the churches and report their condition at the next confer- ence. The conference of 1872 met in LaGrange County, Indiana. After reading the report of the above committee which was carefully worded so as not to make any definite THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 449 charges but was full of general admonition, Stuckey was requested to make a public confession, and acknowledge his error especially in relation to his fellow bishop, Christian Ropp, and promise with the help of God to be more care- ful m the future. Stuckey was present at the conference but his name does not appear on the official register, being withheld at his own request, as he said that he was absent part of the time, and did not wish to subscribe to the proceedings with which he had nothing to do. There is no evidence from the records that he made the confession. "Die Frohe Botschaft" again came up for discussion at this session. Several verses were read before the confer- ence. It was again declared that all members holding such opinions as were expressed in the poem were to be placed under the ban. In the meantime another committee consisting of J. K. Yoder, J. P. King, and A. Yoder, all easterners, was appointed to visit the Illinois congregations and adjudicate the difficulties between Stuckey and Christian Ropp. In October of 1872 this committee visited Stuckey and among other questions asked him whether he acknowledged the author of "Die Frohe Botschaft" as a brother in the church. He replied in the affirmative and added that he had permitted Yoder to participate in the communion service.* Whereupon the committee declared that they could no longer consider him in harmony with the church at large, and consequently they were obliged to withdraw from him and his congregation. Most of the churches in Illinois accepted the decision of the committee as final. It was announced in the various congregations that Stuckey and his congregation were no longer considered a part of the Amish General Conference. After this he did not at- tend the conferences which continued to be held until 1878. ♦One report says that Stuckey "set Yoder back" from the communion service. 30 450 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS There was no formal division however, and no excommu- nication. The Illinois congregations were independent of each other and each went its own way. At one time delegates from Stuckey's group were sent to the "General Confer- ence of Mennonites of North America" but no official action was taken. In the eighties, when the Western Dis- trict Amish Mennonite Conference was organized Stuckey's church was not included. Since then, his followers, referred to as Independents, Stuckeyites, or Stuckey Amish, have been considered as a separate branch of the Mennonite Denomination. This is the story as it appears in the conference re- ports. Of course this does not tell everything. Back of it all there were in addition to the contentions already men- tioned, many petty jealousies and lack of forbearance on the part of various conference leaders. Stuckey was with- out doubt more liberal-minded than most of the ministers of his time, but on the other hand many of the others, especially the easterners, were still addicted to formalities which have since been discarded. Had the Illinois congre- gations been permitted to settle the controversy in their own way it is possible that there would have been no divi- sion. Nevertheless as can be gleaned from the visit as reported in the Herald of Truth in 1882, Joseph Stuckey must have still been welcome in many of the "standard" Amish Churches. "Recently, Brother Joseph Stuckey of Illinois visited several of the churches of Indiana. He first stopped at Nappanee, and held a meeting on Whit Sunday. After the services nine or ten persons were baptized. On Friday, June 2, he attended the communion at the La- Grange Amish Church, and on Sunday the communion at the Clinton Church, Elkhart County. At this service Dan- iel Tschantz was ordained to the ministry of the Gospel. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 451 On Monday the fifth communion services were held at the Haw Patch Church. After the services in the evening Brother Stuckey started for Stark County, Ohio, where he was requested to do some church services. His wife ac- companied him as far as Haw Patch, and then returned to Elkhart Prairie to her afflicted daughter, the wife of Amos Yoder, where she intends to remain principally until Brother Stuckey's return from Ohio, when they expect to visit for several weeks and to hold meetings in the above mentioned churches. May God bless our dear Brother that his labors may not be in vain, but to the in- gathering of precious souls, and the bringing of saints nearer God. Joseph Stuckey of Illinois, returned from Ohio, to Rome City, Indiana, on the fourteenth of June, in company with my wife and her sister where I met them and conveyed them to my home. Brother Stuckey stopped to take a short rest, then visited among the breth- ren on the Haw Patch till Saturday evening, when he had meeting at the church. We also had preaching on Sunday morning. At this service Brother Jonathan Kurtz was ordained to the ministry. May God bless our young Brother that he may prove a blessing to the church and to the cause of Christ. On Tuesday, Brother Stuckey preached at the LaGrange church, and on Thursday to a large congregation at Clinton, where he bade them fare- well. On Friday morning he and his wife started for home. We hope too that the church may be built up, souls saved, and God glorified through the labors of our dear young brethren in the ministry." 2 Favorable and unfavorable estimates are given of both Joseph Stuckey and Joseph Yoder depending on whether the movement was favored or opposed. Con- cerning Yoder a present member of the Central Confer- ence expresses himself as follows: "It seems to me that a 2 G. Z. Beller in the Herald of Truth, Vol. XIX, June, July, 1882. 452 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS history of the Illinois Mennonites would not be complete without reference to the life and work of Joseph Yoder, the student, the scholar, the poet, the linguist. It was his writing that stirred the Mennonite circles of the United States°in a way that few have. He was gifted in satire and used it when he felt that it would best accomplish the desired end. The virtues of a Christian life were extolled, and the fundamental teachings of the Christ upheld in plain, pure, vigorous language." 3 Stuckey's congregation stood by him in this conten- tion. He also retained supervision over a small church at Meadows, which he had served as bishop before 1870. He had also organized a church near Washington among a number of members of the Partridge Congregation who had become involved in a church quarrel. His brother, Peter Stuckey, had charge of this congregation for many years. Since then many from the old church have joined the Stuckey following, which has grown continually from the first. 4 The Stuckey community had spread over a large scope of territory, east, west, north, and south, and much itineration became necessary. Some members also began to spread to other districts, territories and states, which occasioned much travel and visitation work, and the or- ganization of new churches, so that during the next thirty years of Stuckey's ministry the following ten churches 5 were organized by him and his assistants : East Washing- ton, with Peter Stuckey, his brother, as pastor; Flanagan, with Joseph Zehr and Stephen Stahley; Meadows, with 3 In a letter from Milo P. Lantz, Carlock, Illinois. Others may differ from this estimate. * Some of this information is from Smith, Mennonites of America, pp. 248-251. 5 These congregations are given a more complete treatment in the next chapter. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 453 Andrew Vercler and Joseph Kinsinger; Aurora, Nebraska, with Andrew Oesch and Christian Rediger; East White Oak, with Peter Schantz; Anchor, with Aaron Augspurger; Congerville, with Lee Lantz; Pekin, with Allen Miller j Silver Street, Goshen, Indiana, with J. C. Mehl; Topeka^ Indiana, with John Lehman. Thus through "fathering" by Joseph Stuckey, the North Danvers Church became the mother of many other churches. Recognition of him as the outstanding leader of the branch was shown by the affectionate title "Father Stuckey" by which his followers were pleased to call him. These followers in turn were nicknamed "Stuckey Amish" by outsiders who also must have recognized Stuckey as the main leader. j During his life, Stuckey ordained eighteen bishops, performed two hundred fifty-five marriages, administered baptism to one thousand three hundred and twenty-eight and preached many funeral sermons. He was the author of several short poems and articles of a religious nature and also a compilation of letters relating to the Amish division in Switzerland in 1863 under the title, Eine Bege- benheit, which was first published in 1871. *rw RCV ' Stuckey was a lar S e > well-built man physically. I his strength gave him power of endurance in the midst ; of his economic and religious duties. He was a success in his farming while at the same time he was also preparing : himself for his work in the ministry. One of the men who knew him said, "He was a large man physically but to me he seemed even larger morally, mentally and spiritually." He was an original thinker and had a great deal of gen- eral knowledge. He was well versed in the Bible and had a good memory. A man of sound judgment, his advice was sought by many people in the different phases of life. People sought his advice in relation to economic matters as well as religious work. 454 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Rev. Stuckey was a man of strong personality and therefore a born leader. He lived at the time when, after the death of Rev. Jonathan Yoder, the church needed leadership. Because of this situation he filled a large place in the church. He was endowed with natural talent as a speaker. This enabled him to mould the religious thinking of the Amish Church of Central Illinois. He was a man of firm conviction and yet very considerate of the views of others. Although judged by the present time as very conservative, in his day he was criticized very severely by the Amish leaders for his liberal attitude. The difficulties which he encountered in the Amish Conferences from 1866-1872 were largely due to his progressive ideas and his sympathetic attitude toward those with whom he did not agree. He was blamed by those who opposed him for lack of stability, a man who could be too easily touched and lacking courage to say what he knew he should. He was sometimes blamed for splitting churches when as a matter of fact he was only trying to care for those who had left the old church and were without a leader. He was blamed for being unorthodox because he was sympa- thetic with those who may even have differed with him theologically. The so-called weakness emphasized by some of those who opposed him proved to be one of his strong- est marks of leadership. In conclusion then it may be said that Stuckey's out- standing qualities were his natural ability for leadership, his pulpit powers, his positive convictions, his great or- ganizing ability and his sympathetic attitude toward peo- ple and toward the problems that the church was facing. CHAPTER L THE ILLINOIS CONGREGATIONS 1 The Mother Church It has been noted previously that when the Amish people came to Central Illinois they selected the timberland and the groves in preference to the open prairie, but that after 1850 when the railroads were built through the country and the drainage system was established they left the timberland and the groves and established their homes on the open prairie. The people of the Yoder Church moved farther away from the Mackinaw and the groves and established their homes farther east and north. The center of the church community therefore also moved farther east. So in order to have the place of worship more convenient, the church decided to build nearer the center of the community. On the other hand the Yoder Church building at Rock Creek erected in 1853 was get- ting too small for the rapidly increasing membership. It is said by some of those now living who attended the old church that it was almost impossible for the whole mem- bership to get into the church for Sunday morning service. The congregation decided to erect a frame building three miles northeast of Danvers, and two miles south of the old church. The old church was bought by the Mackinaw Amish people now known as the Goodfield Amish Menno- nite congregation and used for a few years as a house of Much of this material was gleaned from the files of the Christian evangel, verified and reinforced by interviews with members of the local congregations. See also the references already given for the source material for this section. See Chap. XLVIII. 455 456 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS worship. The new church building was erected in the summer of 1872 and dedicated Sunday, September 29th. It was larger than the old church, being a structure forty by sixty-two feet. With a few changes this church served the congregation until 1917 when it was remodeled and made a brick-veneered modern church edifice. This is the building now used as the place of worship (1926). After Stuckey's death and when other Amish Churches were es- tablished in the surrounding communities such as Conger- ville and East White Oak, the church was for a time known as the West Mennonite Amish but is now called North Danvers, being in the northern part of Danvers Township. The Amish Churches at this time, instead of having one pastor, usually had a number of ministers to serve the congregation. This was true of the North Danvers Church. In the year 1872, when the congregation began to wor- ship in the new church the following were the ministers: Bishop Joseph Stuckey, Deacon John Strubhar, Bishop John Stahly, Deacon Christian Imhoff, Rev. Joseph Stal- ter, Michael Miller, and Jacob Miller. These men repre- sented the three orders of the Amish ministry: Bishops, preachers, and deacons. The church had a healthy growth. Because of the death of some of these ministers and the fact that the others were getting old, Rev. Stuckey in 1882 appealed to the congregation for ministerial help. He believed in calling young men to the ministry, an idea which was rather unusual in the Amish Church at that time. The congregation elected two young men, Joash Stutzman and Peter Schantz, who were ordained as min- isters by Bishop Stuckey in 1882. Rev. Peter Schantz was assistant pastor of the congregation until 1892 when he became pastor of the new congregation organized in the White Oak district. In 1892 the church again elected two young men, Joseph Clark and Joseph King. They were THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 457 ordained by Bishop Stuckey April 17, 1892. Clark served but one year when he left for another field. Rev. Joseph King was assistant pastor to Stuckey until the latter's death in February, 1902. King then became pastor of the congre- gation serving until 1914 when he became pastor of the new church organized at Carlock, Illinois. It was at the beginning of King's ministry that English preaching was introduced into the church. Rev. John Kohler, who was ordained April 30, 1899, and served as pastor with Rev. King after 1902, became the pastor of the church in 1914 and served until about 1920. After several years without a resident pastor, the congregation called Rev. William B. Weaver of Goshen, Indiana, who took charge of the church on July 1, 1922, and is at present its pastor (1926). A comparison of the church activities of the North Danvers Church with those of the Yoder Church show some marked changes. After October, 1872, the church became more thoroughly organized. Business meetings were now held each New Year's Day when reports were given and the business of the church transacted. Written records of the business meeting were kept after 1880. These records were written in German the first year but after 188.1 they were written in English. Officers were elected for the various duties of the church. The church in this period also encouraged Sunday School work. As stated before, Sunday School was held in the Yoder Church in the afternoon as early as 1869, but by 1880 the Sunday School was held in connection with the morning church service. Both Sunday school and church service were held every Sunday. A report of the North Danvers Church given by Joseph Stuckey to the General Conference Church Secretary shows that by 1890 the Sunday School had organized a Teachers' Meeting. It also shows that the membership of the church in 1890 was four hundred and twenty-five. The present membership is 458 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS two hundred and eight. The English language was intro- duced into the song service and Sunday School about 1887 and into the church service in 1893. The Sunday School began the use of graded lessons in 1905. Although the church did not have any organized mis- sion work the record of 1890 showed that ninety dollars was given that year to foreign mission work and ninety dollars to home mission work in another Mennonite group. Another phase of home mission work was the expansion of the mother church and the establishment of new con- gregations in the surrounding communities and in other counties. This accounts for the decrease in membership of the mother church. Rev. Joseph Stuckey was largely responsible for the leadership and bishop oversight of these newly organized congregations in this period. The Christian Endeavor Society was organized in 1892. This was the first Christian Endeavor Society in the Central Conference Mennonite Church. It is signifi- cant to note that it was only eleven years after the first Christian Endeavor Society in the United States was or- ganized. It is also only two years after the first Young People's Meeting in the (old) Mennonite Church. Mr. Eli Sharp, a member of the church, was largely responsi- ble for its beginning. He had moved to Minnesota in 1888 and there joined a Christian Endeavor Society. When he came back to the North Danvers Church he in- troduced Christian Endeavor work among the young peo- ple of the church. This encouraged the use of the English language and also marked the beginning of evening services. Other activities, such as Evangelistic meetings, Ladies' Aid, and a Literary Society, were added in the course of time until the church attained a complete working organi- zation. North Danvers is still one of the strongest and wealthiest churches in the conference. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 459 The (South) Danvers Mennonite Church 2 The second regularly established church of the Cen- tral Conference was the South Danvers Mennonite Church. It has already been noted that at the same time that the first Amish came to McLean County, there were also a number of Hessian families that came from Butler County, Ohio. 3 These settlers, both Amish and Hessian Menno- nites, brought with them to Central Illinois these same differences. One of the first Hessian families to come to McLean County was Peter Donner, Sr., who settled in Dry Grove Township in 1837. Between 1837 and 1860 a number of Hessian families came, such as the Brenne- mans, Donners, Gingerichs, Kennels, Kinsingers, Nafsing- ers, Ottos, and Springers. In 1842, Rev. John Michael Kistler of Butler County, Ohio, came to the community of the Hessian Mennonites. Kistler had been ordained as a minister by his father-in-law, "Apostle" Peter Naffziger, Butler County, Ohio. The Hessian Mennonites held serv- ices in their homes with Kistler as their minister. When the Yoder Church was built in 1853, Kistler and his Hes- sians began to worship at the Yoder Church. After wor- shiping together for a few years, the congregations dis- covered that they were very different in their customs and practices. Kistler and Yoder could not agree. Bishop Yo- der was an Amishman from Pennsylvania and opposed buttons on clothes and musical instruments in the home and was very strict in his discipline of members. Kistler, being a Hessian, was much more lenient. After consid- erable disagreement Yoder set Kistler back from commun- ion. Kistler's people, supporting their leader, again wor- shiped in their homes after 1859. 2 From Year Book of the Central Conference of Mennonites, 1922, p. 24 and H. E. Nunemaker, pastor of the Mennonite Church, Danvers, Illinois. 3 See Book I, Chaps. VIII, IX. 460 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Their pastor went back to Butler County and was ordained as bishop and then came back and took charge of the South Danvers Mennonite Congregation. He re- mained with the church until 1863 when, because of his radical views on baptism, he withdrew and joined the Christian Church. Later he went to Missouri where he died. The year before Kistler withdrew (1862), the con- gregation elected Christian Gingerich, who had come from Butler County, Ohio, in 1855, and Michael Kinsinger, who came from Butler County in 1837, to the ministry. They were ordained by Kistler in 1862. In 1863, Rev. Christian Gingerich was ordained bishop by Bishop John Nofsinger of Walnut in Bureau County, Illinois. Ginger- ich was the leader of the congregation until 1893. In the spring of 1864 the congregation, with a mem- bership of about one hundred, built the frame church house thirty by thirty-six feet about two miles south of Danvers at a cost of two thousand dollars. The church grew under the leadership of Christian Gingerich. By 1885 Bishop Gingerich requested the selection of ministerial help, so the congregation elected John Gingerich, his son, and John Kinsinger who had come from Butler County, Ohio, in December, 1881, as ministers. They were or- dained in September, 1885. In 1893 they were ordained as- bishops by Bishop Christian Gingerich and Rev. Peter Schantz of the North Danvers Church. Rev. Michael Kinsinger died in 1895. Bishop Christian Gingerich died in 1908. John Gingerich and John Kinsinger, after years of faithful service, retired from the active ministry and are at present living at Danvers, Illinois. Rev. L. B. Haigh, returned missionary from Africa, served the church during the years 1921-23, when he moved to Havelock, North Carolina. The congregation then called H. E. Nunemak- er of Sterling, Illinois, who became pastor of the church THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 461 March, 1924. Nunemaker was ordained as a minister and bishop on March 29, 1925. He resigned January 16, 1927 and became pastor at Comins, Michigan, February 15, 1927. Rev. Peter D. Naffziger assumed his pastorate at Danvers September 1, 1927, and is at present pastor. One of the first activities of the South Danvers Men- nonite Church, outside of the regular Sunday morning preaching service was the Sunday School. The Sunday School was started about 1883, Rev. John Kinsinger being the superintendent. All the teaching was in the German language. The adults used the Bible as a text book while the children used the German primer. The purpose of this primer was to teach them the German language, since the German was no longer taught in the public schools. The preaching was still German so the church felt it nec- essary to teach their children the German language. About 1895 the young people presented the matter of introducing the English language into the Sunday School to the con- gregation but the congregation voted it down. Some of the older people suggested that a resolution should be passed that the question dare not be presented for ten years. But it was finally decided that they could not have English for one year. When the end of the year came a few of those that were interested in the English language decided to get the English material and ordered that pub- lished by J. F. Funk, Elkhart, Indiana, for the Sunday School. A class was started with no objections and from that time the English was used with the German in Sun- day School. A few years later Rev. John Kinsinger be- gan English preaching in the church. By 1914 a number of the older members of the South Danvers Church had retired from farming and moved to Danvers. Since most of these had no way to attend the services in the country they favored moving the church to town. Services had been held on Sunday afternoon at the 462 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Baptist Church in town. The congregation decided to dis- band in the country and hold all their services there. These began February 20, 1915. Since then the church has been referred to as the Danvers Mennonite Church. Later the church building of the Evangelical Friedens Kirche (Church of Peace) was rented and is still used for the house of worship. The old church house in the coun- try was sold in 1916. The membership of the church is sixty-one. Mr. J. W. Hilty who had been a member of the North Danvers Church and had there been active in Chris- tian Endeavor Work was largely responsible for introduc- ing this work in the church, soon after it had moved to town. The Ladies' Aid Society was organized in April, 1911. For many years the relation between this church and the North Danvers Church was unfriendly but long since the differences have been forgotten. The Calvary Mennonite Church, Washington* The Washington Mennonite church, as it was first known, originated through a conversation which took place between Bishop Jonathan Yoder of the Rock Creek congregation and Peter E. Stuckey in the month of May, 1866, at the latter's home. In the early sixties a number of Mennonites settled around the little city of Washing- ton, Illinois. Among them were Burkeys, Engles, Garbers, Guths, Nofzingers, Rissers, Peter Strubhar, Peter E. Stuckey, John Sweitzer, Sr., and John Unzicker. These people had moved in from various parts of the United States and from Europe. In Illinois they came from Dan- 4 The material upon the Calvary Church is chiefly from Valentine Strub- har, present pastor, who furnished a carefully prepared manuscript. He credits much of his information to a letter received in 1917 from Peter E. Stuckey, charter member and one of the first minis- ters of the church, who now lives at Wayland, Iowa. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 463 vers then known as Concord, and from Princeton, Spring Bay, Metamora, and other places. The distance from a Mennonite church, and various other conditions prevented them from attending any of the churches. They really be- longed to the Partridge Congregation. Jonathan Yoder, a very close friend of the Stuckeys, came over from Danvers to visit Peter Stuckey, and during the conversa- tion Yoder inquired of Stuckey as to where he and his wife were attending church services. Stuckey's reply was that having quite a distance to the church they did not attend very often. Elder Yoder offered to preach provid- ing the members there would secure a place for the services. The following day Stuckey visited Peter Strubhar, Sr., who was then living one mile east of Washington, and mentioned Elder Yoder's proposition. Immediately ar- rangements were made for a meeting at the home of Peter Strubhar for the following Sunday. The news of this first meeting spread very rapidly and arrangements were made for seats by sawing saplings about two and one-half feet in length for benches to lay boards on. Everything was arranged for the meeting in short order. Elder Yoder was unable to come on account of illness, but arrange- ments were made for his assistant pastor, Joseph Stuckey, to take his place. Stuckey was a young man with plenty of executive ability and a very able speaker who drew a very large crowd for the meeting. The people came on horse back and wagon, some of them for twenty miles, and many of them walked for several miles. Immediate steps were taken to continue the meetings. They were held in the homes of the members until the summer of 1869 when it was decided to build a place of worship. A church building thirty by forty feet was erected a mile and a half southeast of Washington at a cost of $2,000:00 and was dedicated in the fall of the same year. 464 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Owing to the rapidly growing interest in this new organi zation, as well as the distance together with the inclemen weather and sometimes almost impassable roads, it wai decided to appoint two assistant pastors to have super vision of the congregation. Consequently a meeting wai called in December, 1868, at the home of Daniel Naf ziger, now deceased, one and one quarter miles east 01 Washington. The lot fell upon Peter E. Stuckey anc Peter Gingerich who were ordained by Joseph Stuckey Stuckey was made bishop in 1875. Gingerich affiliatec himself, about 1880, with the Partridge Amish-Mennonitt Church. Later on Rev. Jacob Unzicker of the Pleasani Grove Amish-Mennonite Church was also affiliated witr this congregation, and served as one of its pastors untl his death in the spring of 1893. The organization pros- pered under this new leadership and grew to be one oi the strongest churches which Elder Joseph Stuckey had organized. By the year 1890 it had a membership of two hundred and forty. At present the congregation numbers p over three hundred. In February, 1889, Peter Stuckey, feeling that his j services were needed by the young church springing up and j being organized near Aurora, Nebraska, sold his farm and t. located near Aurora, Nebraska, where he assisted the E church there. In the fall of 1889, D. D. Augsburger and p Michael Kinsinger were ordained as ministers by Joseph 1 Stuckey. In the spring of 1892, Augsburger moved to ^ Aurora, Nebraska to assist the congregation there. Kin- f( singer was left alone in charge of the work. Christian ^ Imhoff and Valentine Strubhar were ordained to the min- L istry in January, 1893. The former a few years later f identified himself with the South Washington Church y but the latter has continued in this work to the present j time. ^ ^ si A transition from the German language to the Eng- L THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 465 lish was taking place in the church. The young people of ) the church who had been taught in the public schools in ^ the English language only, appealed to the church for a 1 recognition of the English language, especially in the Sun- ,day School. This caused considerable disturbance espe- cially among the older members. Those who insisted on the German language in worship decided to form a sepa- rate organization. Thus in 1893 the South Washington Mennonite Church with Rev. Michael Kinsinger as its elder came into being. The original church was then re- ^ ferred to as the East Washington Church. Fellowship be- tween the two congregations has long since been restored. In the year 1907 the members of the East Washing- ton Church, hding that more room was needed to ac- commodate the numbers, decided to rebuild. A forty by sixty feet building was erected and was dedicated on De- cember 29, 1907. In 1911 the voice of the church was taken for an assistant pastor which resulted in the ap- pointment of Benjamin F. Esch. By 1923 more than one hundred members of the East Washington church had moved into Washington. Most of them had no way to get to the country church. In the fall of 1923 at a meeting the question of moving to the little city was taken up. The entire congregation present at that meeting was in favor of the movement without one dissenting voice. Within a very short time a building committee was appointed to find a location and ro submit a plan for a new building. The splendid new 3nck structure was completed in 1925. On July 19, dedi- :ation services were held in charge of Dr. J. E. Hartzler. The congregation assumed the name of Calvary Menno- uite Church of Washington. It has the usual activities of Sunday School, Christian Endeavor, Ladies? Aid, Mis- lonary work. It also held a Christian Workers' Insti- ute in January, 1926. 31 466 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Flanagan Mennonite Church* In the year 1866 families from near Hopedale and Tremont, Tazewell County, Illinois, moved into the vicin- ity of Weston, McLean County, Illinois. These people were originally from Alsace-Lorraine, France. The names are as follows: Joseph Baechler, Simon Baechler, Chris- tian Claudon, Peter Garber, Jacob Orendorf, John Rupp,. and Peter Sommer. Joseph Baechler moved back to his native country. Simon Baechler and John Rupp were both preachers, having been ordained to the ministry while living near Hopedale and Tremont, Tazewell County, Illinois. These people being Amish, formed a group of believers in the new settlement. They held church services in their homes every Sunday, until the year 1870, after which they held their meetings in Yates Township Centre School house two miles southwest of Weston. Bishop Jo- seph Stuckey from Danvers, Illinois, was called as Elder to minister to them. From 1871 to 1876 a number of families from north of Chenoa, north of Gridley, and a few families from near Woodford Station, Woodford County, joined this group at Weston. This addition in- creased the membership considerably. Since the congre- gation was widely scattered it was difficult to meet in one place. The distance from one end of the membership to the other was about thirty miles. Seeing this need the con- gregation was separated to meet in two places for services. Having only one preacher, Rev. Simon Baechler, since John Rupp had moved away years before, it appeared to the members that an assistant minister would be of great advantage. Being willing to choose one of their members, they voted by ballot and the lot fell on Christian Red- iger. He was ordained to the ministry in the fall of 1878 c Much of the information for both the Flanagan and the Meadows Churches was received from Andrew Vercler, Meadows, Illinois, in an extensive manuscript. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 467 by Bishop Joseph Stuckey on the same day he was select- ed, with Rev. Simon Baechler present. The new con- gregation was organized at once and the following Sunday the first meeting was held six miles northeast of Gridley, m Jacob King's district school house, Waldo Township' Livingston County. Christian Rediger preached a term of three years in this school house every Sunday. There was Sunday School also. In 1882 this congregation built a church five miles northwest from the school house and two and a half miles southwest of Flanagan. It was dedicated by Bishop Jo- seph Stuckey. Meetings in the school house were closed. Sunday School and preaching were held every Sunday. This church, an outgrowth from the original Weston congrega- tion, became known as the Flanagan Mennonite Church. Rediger left for Aurora, Nebraska, in 1885, and Stephen Stahley was ordained to take his place. Stahley came from Switzerland in 1864. He was ordained to the ministry in 1885. He was later ordained as bishop by Rev Joseph Stuckey and served the congregation until his death m February, 1916. In October, 1890, Joseph Zehr was ordained as assistant pastor. He was later ordained as bishop by Stuckey. He is at present (1926) the bishop of the church and one of the oldest ministers in the con- ference. He is assisted in the ministry by Rev. Emanuel Ulnch who was ordained in May, 1918. The member- snip of the church is about ninety. Meadows Mennonite Church The Meadows Mennonite church house was built in 1891, nine years after the Flanagan church house was built. After services were opened in Jacob King's district school house the meetings and Sunday School at the south Weston school house were continued regularly every Sun- day as they had been before. Rev. Simon Baechler contin- 468 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ued to serve as pastor. At the beginning of the year 1881, the Weston Congregation was in a declining condition. Families began to move into the vicinity of Meadows, some moved to Nebraska, and others to Indiana. The minister himself, Rev. Simon Baechler, moved to Fairburg, Illinois, seven miles farther away from the meeting place. While the Weston congregation was thus decreasing the Meadows community was increasing in the number of Mennonite people. These two places, Weston and Mead- ows, are about ten miles apart. In 1891 the meetings at Weston School were closed. A number of the Meadows Amish or Mennonites had been members of the Weston Congregation. After the second place of meeting was chosen at Jacob King's district school in 1878, the Mead- ows people attended meetings there and later on helped to build the Flanagan Mennonite Church. Owing to the long distance to church, early in the year 1889 they started Sunday School in the Meadows district school building. In the early spring of 1891, a number of Mennonites residing in the vicinity of Meadows met at the home of Andrew Vercler for the purpose of making plans to build a church. For some time before, church services had been conducted occasionally by different min- isters of the Stuckey churches. Occasionally one from the Amish-Mennonites would fill the pulpit. Several sites were offered for a new church. An acre of land three quarters of a mile north of Meadows was finally chosen by vote and given as a donation by Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Rocke A building committee composed of Jacob Rocke, Jacob Engle, and Joseph Kinsinger was elected. They were at the same time the trustees. A committee to solicit funds was composed of Andrew Vercler, Andrew Beller, and Jacob Rocke. The contract was let to Frank Kent ot Gridley. The total cost of the building and furniture was $1,379.25, which was raised by donation. The new THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 469 church was dedicated on June 21, 1891 with the following ministers present: Rev. David Augspurger and Michael Kinsinger of Washington; Rev. Joseph Zehr and Stephen Stahly of Flanagan; and Rev. Peter Schantz of Carlock, Illinois. The week following the dedication of the church it was cleared of all debts. On. August 31 the first com- munion services were conducted by Bishop Joseph Stuckey. The church being without a permanent minister, Andrew Vercler and Joseph Kinsinger were chosen by vote and ordained by Stuckey. In October, 1897, they were or- dained as elders of the church by Stuckey. Sunday School and church services were held regularly every Sunday. During the year 1908 the church was moved to its present location south of Meadows on a site donated by Rev. An- drew Vercler. The church was remodeled, enlarged, and was rededicated in January, 1909. The first building was twenty-eight by forty feet but after being moved was en- larged to forty by fifty feet, with a seating capacity of about three hundred. From the sixty members the church had when it was organized it has grown to about two hundred. Aaron Roszhart was ordained in 1916 and went to Iowa to take charge of a congregation. G. I. Gundy is the active pastor at present. East White Oak Mennonite Church* The East White Oak Church, once referred to as the East Mennonite Church in contrast to North Danvers as the West Mennonite, was an outgrowth of the latter. The North Danvers Church had in 1892 many members who were located in the vicinity of Yuton, Kerrick, and as far north as Hudson. Some members were living along the Mackinaw river, six miles northwest of Hudson. All these •Information for this church from George L. Kirchner, Peter Schantz, Daniel Augustin, and Emanuel Troyer; all at one time or another members of the East White Oak church, Carlock, Illinoif. 470 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Mennonites were compelled to travel long distances to attend church. A Sunday School was organized in 1891 in Maple Grove School house two miles northwest of the present church with sixty members. Through it sentiment crystallized for the new church. In 1892 Rev. Peter Schantz, living near Congerville, one of the ministers of the North Danvers Church, who had been thinking of going to Iowa, instead took up the task of uniting and organizing all the members residing in the above named localities. The result was that in 1893 a church house in charge of Daniel Augustin, Joseph King, Jacob Schad, Manassas Troyer, and John Ropp was constructed eight miles north — northwest of Bloomington, Illinois, on a large and beautiful lot donated by Ropp. This building was dedicated on January 22, 1893 with a membership of fifty-seven. Some of the charter members were: Peter Schantz, Jacob and Joseph Schad, Joseph, Samuel, and Peter King, Emanuel and Manassas Troyer, Daniel Augustin, Christian Miller, D. J. Otto, Albert and Samuel Otto, Jacob Chrisman, Jefferson Collins, John Meyers, Valentine Birkey, John Ropp, Peter Ropp, Abraham Um- mel, Michael Ramseyer, Mrs. Anna Mohr, and George L. Kirchner. Others, not of Mennonite blood, also joined. Schantz served the church until 1911 when he moved to Normal to give his attention to that congregation. Eman- uel Troyer was ordained April 21, 1899. He resigned to become pastor of the Normal Church. Earl Salzman was called and licensed, and later became pastor of the Tope- ka Mennonite Church, where he has served since August 7, 1927. Rev. Reuben Zehr has been pastor of East White Oak since the fall of 1928. The church has two deacons formerly called "visiting brethren' , and two deaconesses who are ordained for an indefinite period. The maximum membership of 355 was attained in 1918. The church house was remodeled and rededicated January 6, 1917. Aside THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 471 from the regular church activities an extension Sunday School is maintained at Spring Hill. It was opened by Peter Schantz who became interested in a group of boys who had no religious opportunities. It is at present op- erated as the White Oak Union Church. Anchor Mennonite Church 1 The Anchor Mennonite Church received its name from Anchor Township in which it is located. The first Mennonite settlers, all farmers, came about 1880 from Danvers Township believing that there were good oppor- tunities in agriculture because the country at that time was practically new. Among the first families were David Werner, Sr., Hiram Troyer, Peter Schertz, Sr., and Wil- liam Leiser. Since the country was practically new, and much of it wet and undrained, which proved disappointing, there had always been a more or less floating population. However the families named were more optimistic and persevering. This church in the beginning was made up of members of the North Danvers Church and is an out- growth from it. Since this church is not as old as others in McLean County, it has not experienced much of the pioneer life. In the year 1884 these first families organ- ized their first Sunday School at the Rockford School house, five miles south of the town of Anchor, with about fifty members. The Sunday School was conducted alto- gether in the German language. Soon after this the pas- tor of North Danvers Church, Joseph Stuckey, paid fre- quent visits to the school and held preaching service. Later arrangements were made to have preaching once a month. In the course of time the center of population having moved eastward, the place of meeting was changed in 1890 to Fairview Schoolhouse two miles farther east. 7 Information from Aaron Augspurger, pastor of the Anchor Church, Saybrook, Illinois. 472 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS At that time the German language was dispensed with except for the older members, and the Sunday School was conducted in English. About fourteen families took an active interest in the school. Four years later the mem- bers requested the North Danvers pastor to organize a church. This request being granted, Aaron Augspurger was elected June 10, 1894 and has remained pastor to the present time. He is a grandson of the late Father Stuckey, and was originally a member of the North Danvers con- gregation. He was one of those who persuaded Father Stuckey to permit a conference. Several years later it be- came apparent that the congregation needed a church build- ing. A building committee composed of Hiram Troyer, Sol- omon Nafziger, and Peter Schertz was appointed in 1910. The lot was donated by Hiram Troyer and is located at the northeast corner of his farm, at a crossroad six miles southeast of the town of Anchor. The building was con- tracted and finished in October of the same year. It is a frame building thirty by forty feet with two class rooms. New golden oak furniture was provided for the inside such as pews, pulpit stand, and class rooms. The church was dedicated December 13, 1910 by Rev. Valentine Strubhar of Washington, Illinois, and Rev. Andrew Ver- cler of Meadows, Illinois. The present membership of the church is sixty-two. The members are quite transient so there is little chance for growth. No evening services are held because the members have too great a distance to travel. Rev. Augspurger is retired and Rev. Roy Unzicker preaches, licensed in the fall of 1928. Congerville Mennonite Church 9 The Congerville Church was another outgrowth of the North Danvers congregation. It was the first church 8 Information chiefly from Joseph Detweiler, Congerville, Illinois. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 473 of the Amish to be established in a village. In 1890 a Union church had been established in Congerville which was organized into a Mennonite Church in 1898. The leading families were Detweiler, Lantz, Kauffman, Sharp, Naffziger, and Kohler. The Union church purchased the Oak Grove Christian Church north of Carlock and moved it to Congerville. When the Union Church was dissolved the Mennonites bought it. Most of the Union members donated their share. Joseph Schrock, Sr., a member of the Christian Apostolic or New Amish, had originally do- nated the land but when the Mennonites took charge they paid him fifty dollars. The building has been remodeled and enlarged. It was rededicated April 15, 1917. Lee Lantz, a native of the community and a charter member, was the minister until he went to Nampa, Idaho in 1908! George I. Gundy was placed in charge of the congregation until January 1, 1925 when he moved to Meadows to have charge of that congregation and also superintend the Old People's Home. The church was without a pastor until Reuben Zehr was installed in September, 1925. Three deacons are elected, one each year for three years. The present membership is one hundred. Since the fall of 1928 it is without a pastor. Bethel Mennonite Church, Pekin 9 The Bethel Congregation near Pekin was a natural outgrowth of the East Washington church. The commu- nity had spread from Washington into the direction of Pekin. On account of the distance a Sunday School was organized at the Railroad Schoolhouse, four miles south- east of Pekin. It was at first a Union Sunday School. This, however, was not satisfactory, so it was reorganized as a Mennonite school in 1900. For five years it was » Information from Allen H. Miller, Pastor of the Bethel Mennonite Church, Pekin, Illinois. 474 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS carried on as a branch of the East Washington Church. Sunday School was held each Sunday and preaching once each month by D. D. Augspurger. When Augspurger moved to Nebraska, other ministers came in, chiefly Jo- seph Stuckey from North Danvers and Peter Schantz from East White Oak. In 1905 the church was organized through the promotion of John Sommers, Lydia and Fan- nie Ropp, and some of the bishops. Allen H. Miller, a farmer who had moved in from Middlebury, Indiana, was ordained, and is still the pastor. The Bethel churchhouse was erected one half mile south of the schoolhouse on an acre plot of ground which cost $200.00. The building committee was John Sommers, Benjamin Maurer, and Ithiel Ropp. The dedication was held September 2, 1905 with the following ministers present: Peter Schantz, Val- entine Strubhar, John Lehman, J. N. King, Andrew Ver- cler and G. I. Gundy. The membership is less than a hun- dred. The usual activities are maintained. About 1921 a group moved to Pompeii, Michigan, where a Central Con- ference Congregation called Washington Center was formed. Out'Of-State Churches The nine Illinois congregations treated so far, with the Pleasant View Mennonite, Aurora, Nebraska, estab- lished 1885 (the first outside the state) with Christian Rediger as pastor, the Zion Mennonite, Goodland, Indi- ana, established 1895 with D. D. Augspurger as pastor, and the Topeka (Indiana) Mennonite established in 1902 with John C. Lehman as pastor — twelve in all — were the charter congregations which organized the Central Illinois Conference of Mennonites in 1908. Most of these were Amish churches. A few were Mennonites or had some Mennonites among their membership. The group how- ever assumed the name Mennonite which seemed more THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 475 proper in the light of desiring to be followers of Menno Simons rather than a later leader of a more limited group. From 1908 to the present time twelve more churches and three mission congregations have been admitted to this organization. 10 Some of these churches had been estab- lished before this time while others were new ones. Those outside the state of Illinois were the Belleview Mennonite, Columbus, Kansas, established about 1880 with Samuel Mishler as pastor, the Silver Street Mennonite, Goshen, Indiana, established in 1892 with Benjamin Schrock as pastor, the South Nampa Mennonite, Nampa, Idaho, es- tablished in 1908 with Lee Lantz as pastor, the Eighth Street Mennonite, Goshen, Indiana, with A. K. Ropp as pastor, the Kouts (Indiana) Mennonite, established in 1918 with Aaron Egli as pastor, the Washington Center Mennonite, Pompeii, Michigan, established in 1924 with- out a resident pastor, and the Comins (Michigan) Men- nonite established in 1925 without a resident pastor. With so many churches outside central Illinois the state name was dropped in 1914, making the official title, "The Central Conference of Mennonites." The churches in Illinois that have become a part of the conference since 1908 will be taken up individually in the order in which they were ad- mitted to the conference. Boynton Mennonite Church, Hopedale 11 The Boynton Congregation near Hopedale is in part an outgrowth and in part a departure. Among the resi- dents of Boynton Township, Tazewell County, Illinois there had long been residents who were communicants of the various McLean County Mennonite churches, espe- 10 For further information regarding the formation of the Central Con- ference of Mennonites see the next chapter. 11 Material chiefly from Albert I. Brenneman, Hopedale, Illinois and the Church record book. 476 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS daily North and South Danvers. While Rev. Peter Schantz was at Wayland, Iowa, engaged in evangelistic work, he met Mrs. Wittrig who had several married chil- dren living in the Hopedale community. When she bid Rev. Shantz goodbye she urged him very strongly to do something for the Hopedale people. About this same time in 1899, Albert Brenneman, living in this community, wrote to Rev. John Gingerich of the South Danvers Church asking for services in their community. Rev. Ging- erich referred the matter to Rev. Peter Schantz, then pastor of the East White Oak Church. In the summer of 1900 Rev. Schantz and Rev. Gingerich held the first church service in the Brenneman school house in Boynton Township, Tazewell County. Arrangements were then made to hold services every two weeks. In the spring of 1901 a Sunday School was organized by Albert Brenne- man. It was faithfully and regularly attended. On May 12th of the same spring a communion service was held in the home of Mrs. Jacobine Brenneman which was also the occasion of three baptisms, namely Mrs. Elias Naff- ziger, Albert Naffziger, and Jacob Litwiller. On the same day Joseph Augspurger pledged himself anew to adhere to the church and asked to be received into full membership. September 15 of the same year (1901) these communicants who had taken this first communion after a service at the school house, voted to form a new church organization and pledged themselves to stand together as such. The new organization was to be known as the Boynton Men- nonite Church. On the same day it was decided to build a house of worship on land that might be bought and selected by a building committee. The building and solicit- ing committee were also appointed forthwith at the same meeting. The former consisted of F. A. Iutzi, A. I. Bren- neman, and A. J. Naffziger, and the latter of Joseph Augspurger, D. P. Naffziger, E. C. Brenneman, Minnie THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 477 Naffziger, and Emilie Brenneman. One acre of land was bought from the northwest corner of C. Z. Naffziger's farm for $100.00 and the foundation laid, but the build- ing was delayed until the spring of 1902. The house was planned by various members of the new church. The work was completed and dedicatory services held on September 14, 1902 — a beautiful day. The ministers, Schantz, Lantz, Gingerich, and Augspurger, were on hand to conduct the services. The total cost of building and land was $2,2260.83 in- cluding all furnishings. On the day of dedication this money was all paid with the exception of $700; $400 of the debt was paid in 1904 and the remaining $300 in the spring of 1906. The charter members numbered thirty, some of whom had separated from the Hopedale Amish Mennonite church of the community. The church was supplied with pastors from outside until John W. Litwil- ler, one of the charter members, was ordained in 1908 by Peter Schantz. Franklin Mitchell, a student at Wit- marsum Theological Seminary, Bluffton, Ohio, served the church at various times until October, 1925 when he was located there as pastor. The maximum membership has been about one hundred, and at present is eighty-two. Rev. Mitchell left for Dayton, Ohio, September 1, 1927. Rev. Ernest Hostetler, the present incumbent, assumed the pas- torate in December, 1927. The activities of this church are preaching service and Sunday School in the morning and Christian Endeavor as the evening services. The Christian Endeavor Soci- ety was organized June 2, 1912, through the efforts of Elizabeth Streid, the field secretary of the Christian En- deavor, who had been there the Sunday before. A Ladies' Aid was organized April 25, 1912. There was also some extension work done under the leadership of Aaron Egli who was a member of the congregation. He started a 478 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Sunday School in the Oak Grove school house three miles west of Hopedale. Through these efforts a number ac- cepted Christ and became interested in Christian work. On September 1, 1911, Mr. Egli organized a Teachers' Training Class at the school house. A two years' course was given in nine months with very creditable results. There were three conversions as a result of the course. In February, 1913, Rev. Lee Lantz held meetings in the school house with good success. Egli later moved to Kouts, Indiana. First Mennonite Church, Normal 12 The Normal Church was an outgrowth of East White Oak. It was the first city church to be established for this branch. A vision of the possibilities of a growing church in the city of Normal, backed by the missionary enthusiasm of Rev. Peter Schantz, senior minister of the East White Oak congregation, led to the establishing of a mission Sunday School July 24, 1910. The mission was opened by Schantz in a second story room over a store on the northwest corner of Main and Hovey Avenues. In a short time an encouraging number of scholars were enrolled. Later the use of the school house on West Hovey Avenue was secured. The members of surrounding Mennonite churches living in Normal and Bloomington expressed a desire for the organization of a church. A com- mittee consisting of Rev. Peter Schantz, Peter Augspurger and Samuel Kauffman was formed to solicit funds, select a location, and erect a chapel. The committee met with ready responses. A site 100 feet by 200 feet on the corner of University Avenue and Church street was purchased for $700.00 and the contract for a chapel let, the entire 12 Central Conference Year Book, 1924, p. 18f., and W. H. Grubb, then Pastor of the First Mennonite Church, Normal, Illinois. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 479 cost of building with furnishings being $3,650.70. It was dedicated on July 3, 1911, free of debt. From this time on regular preaching services and Sunday School were held as a mission of the East White Oak church in charge of Rev. Schantz. The congregation was fully organized on March 27, 1912, with thirty-five members. John Ropp, Albert Naffziger, and Samuel Kauffman were chosen as deacons. A Ladies' Aid Society and Christian Endeavor Society were soon organized. A call was extended to Rev. Lee Lantz of Nampa, Idaho as pastor. He accepted and entered upon his duties May 5, 1912, on which date the first communion service was held and the congregation became a separate parish. After a pastorate of over five years, Lantz severed his relations with the church in the fall of 1917. Lee Hartz- ler assumed the pastorate shortly after but his health caused him to discontinue after a few months. In April, 1919, Rev. Andrew S. Bechtel accepted a call from the congregation and served until October, 1920, when he accepted a call from Pulaski, Iowa. He later returned to another Illinois church. 13 With these frequent changes of leadership and a number of members removing the church did not have the rapid growth anticipated. Early in March, 1921, Rev. W. H. Grubb was in- vited to conduct a service and visit among the members. Having accepted a call he was installed as pastor on May 15, 1921. About this time a number of families living in Bloomington and Normal who were members of the sur- rounding Mennonite churches united with this church and identified themselves with its activities. The Conference Sunday School standard was adopted. The Duplex En- velope System was introduced for raising money for cur- rent expenses and benevolent purposes. Rev. Grubb re- 13 See Book V, Chap. LVIII, the Summerfield Congregation. 480 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS signed March 1, 1928 and Rev. Troyer assumed the pas- torate May 1, 1928. Tiskilwa Mennonite Church™ Due both to distance and disturbance a church was formed out of the Willow Springs Amish-Mennonite church near Tiskilwa. Some of the members felt that the dress regulations were unnecessary, and hence dropped out of fellowship. Nevertheless they were interested in the Mennonite cause. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Schrock invited Valentine Strubhar and J. H. King to hold meetings in the Tiskilwa Methodist Church. Evangelistic services were conducted for two weeks in the fall of 1910. Occasionally Central Conference ministers came in to hold Sunday services in the Town Hall. Perhaps as many as fifty per- sons would be present. On November 23, 1911, Lee Lantz and J. H. King held an organization meeting with twenty- three charter members. Two lots in Tiskilwa were pur- chased for $900.00. A building made of cement blocks was erected and dedicated by May 18, 1913. An all-day session was held with the following ministers taking part: Lee Lantz, J. H. King, Aaron Augspurger, Emanuel Troyer, and Mrs. Stevenson, a returned missionary. Eu- gene Augspurger, ordained at Meadows, was given a call. He was pastor until the fall of 1920. Since that time the pulpit had been irregularly supplied until Ernest Bohn, in school at Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, Illinois, took charge in September, 1925. The congrega- tion at present has a membership of sixty-one. South Washington Mennonite Church, Washington 15 The establishment of the South Washington Church came as a result of the problem of introducing the Eng- 14 Material chiefly from Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Schertz, Tiskilwa, Illinois. 15 Information chiefly from John J. Kennel, Pastor of the South Wash- ington Church, Washington, Illinois. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 481 lish language into the churches. Most of the early settlers that came to Central Illinois, came from German speak- ing communities and most of them were German bv birth. At first they had the privilege of establishing their own German private schools and teaching their children the German language, but after 1855 when the tax-supported English schools were established, the private German schools went out of existence. The children of the Ger- man Amish received all of their training in the public schools in the English language. The only German they were privileged to get was what they learned in the homes from their parents or received in the Sunday Schools. It has been noted already that the Sunday Schools in the congregation from the time of their establishment to a- bout 1896 were German. The A. B. C. German primer was used for the children and the German Bibles for the aduks. It was the children who had been taught in the public schools in the English language that urged the churches to introduce English Sunday School and English preaching. This created considerable dissension in a num- ber of congregations largely because the ministers, who had come directly from Germany, persisted in the German language. In 1889 Michael Kinsinger, who had come from Germany, was ordained to the ministry in the Washington (later known as East Washington and at present as Cal- vary) Church. 16 By 1892 some of the younger people of the church wanted English introduced into the church service. Rev. Michael Kinsinger was very much opposed to it. Various attempts were made by leaders of the church to persuade Kinsinger to allow English. Bishop Stuckey's records show that on April 28, 1894, and again on June 24, 1894, he with Peter Schantz went to Wash- 16 C ee the Calvary Mennonite Church, Washington, pp. 462-467. 32 482 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ington to try to settle the difficulty. Soon after Stuckey's visits the division came. Rev. Kinsinger and Rev. Chris- tian Imhoff with a group of people sympathetic with them, organized what is now known as the South Washington Mennonite Church. It was often referred to as the Ger- man Amish Church. Meetings were held in the Green- ridge school house until a church house was erected in 1895. By 1911 Rev. Michael Kinsinger, being quite old and realizing the need of help, appealed to the Conference through Rev. Joseph Kinsinger of Meadows, Illinois. Three ministers were sent to assist the South Washington Church, Rev. Joseph Kinsinger, Rev. John Kinsinger, and Rev. J. H. King. Meetings were conducted by these breth- ren February 11-18, 1912, to prepare the church for the work that needed to be done. Two things were accom- plished. First, a minister was ordained in the congregation. Second, the church came into the Conference. The congre- gation elected John Kennel. He was ordained in Febru- ary, 1912, and is the present pastor. Kinsinger was not able to attend these meetings because of his feeble con- dition. The resolutions that were made by the church were read to him at his home and he consented to put the church in complete charge of the brethren. Michael Kin- singer died that same spring. The German has long since been discarded. This church and its parent church have been working together harmoniously for many years. The present membership is one hundred and two. The church organized a Ladies' Aid May 2, 1912. Carlock Mennonite Church 17 The first local organization in Carlock, Illinois that may be said to have led, or in some way contributed to the 17 Material chiefly from Rev. J. H. King and Rev. W. S. Shelly, then pastors, Carlock, Illinois. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 483 organization of a Mennonite church in Carlock, was the organization of a Ladies' Aid Society in the village in the fall of 1911 by the Mennonite women living in Carlock. These women were members of the North Danvers Men- nonite Church. On September 7, 1913 a Christian En- deavor Society was organized in the disbanded Presbyter- ian Church. After the Christian Endeavor meetings Rev. J. H. King of the North Danvers church preached regu- larly each Sunday evening for a year. The Presbyterian church having been sold, the Auditorium, a public hall, was rented in January, 1914. A Sunday School was organized, with an enrollment of eighty pupils. J. H. King continued preaching regularly for exactly two years. On February 8, 1914, a committee was appointed to formulate some plan for the organization of a Mennonite Church in Carlock. Easter day, 1914, was selected as the day for formal organization of the church. A special program was arranged. Rev. William Weaver then of Goshen, Indiana, delivered morning and evening addresses. One hundred and three charter members were enrolled, in- cluding the pastor Rev. J. H. King and his wife. At a church Thanksgiving dinner in 1914, various topics were discussed in after-dinner speeches. Among these was "The advisability and the possibility of building a church." This discussion created a real interest. Early in January, 1915, at a special meeting of the congregation, the proposition of building was taken up and discussed. As a test of the possibility of putting up a building those present, without solicitation, were asked to say how much they would give toward erecting a building. The few present offered dona- tions of $10,000, This seemed so encouraging that a building committee was appointed to make plans for a church. Christian and Lilly Meyers donated the plot of ground. On June 13, 1915, the corner stone of the church was laid, with appropriate exercises. On January 2, 1916, 484 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the completed church was dedicated, with Professor J. A. Huffman then of Bluffton, Ohio, officiating. Donations and pledges covering the cost of the church amounting to $23,000 were made. Rev. J. H. King volunteered to serve as pastor and without compensation until the church could get some one else. His active pastorate continued until June 1, 1920, when Rev. W. S. Shelly from Pennsylvania was installed as pastor. Rev. J. H. King is still identified with the church as assistant. The present membership is one hundred twenty-six. This church has had the privilege of entertaining a number of important conferences. In 1914, it entertained the Central Mennonite Conference; in 1915 the Christian Endeavor Rally; in 1916 the All-Mennonite Convention; in 1924 the first Christian Workers' Institute; Interde- nominational Peace Conferences on Armistice Day for the last four years; and the Peace Conference held under the auspices of the Conference of Pacifist Churches in the summer of 1926. Rev. Shelly accepted a call to Wads- worth, Ohio, July 1, 1927. Rev. Raymond Hartzler be- came his successor April 1, 1928, and is now the pastor. CHAPTER LI CONFERENCE FORMATION Peter Schantz In the course of time the younger ministers began to realize the need of closer cooperation and appealed to Father Stuckey to call a ministers' conference. Father Stuckey hesitated for some time, remembering his early conference experience, but was finally prevailed upon to permit it to be called. This first ministerial conference met in the fall of 1898, at the home of Rev. J. H. King, four miles southeast of Carlock. This conference proved of such help and inspiration to the ministers that it was unanimously decided to call a similar meeting for the fol- lowing year, to meet at the mother church, North Dan- vers. Rev. Peter Schantz was elected chairman and Lee Lantz secretary. This meeting was held in September, 1899 with the following ministers present : Joseph Stuckey, Peter Schantz, J. H. King, Valentine Strubhar, John Stahley, Stephen Stahley, John Kinsinger, John Gingerich, John Kohler, Joseph Zehr, Aaron Augspurger, Andrew Vercler, Eman- uel Troyer, and Lee Lantz. The following laymembers were present: Joseph S. Augspurger, Martin Stahley, M. I. Ramseyer, C. W. Kinsinger, Jonathan Kauffman, John Detweiler, S. M. Stuckey, P. N. Garber, Valentine Birkey, J. W. Schertz, Hiram Troyer, Manasses Troyer, and Michael Rebholz. At this meeting it was decided to hold an annual conference for the benefit of all the members of all the churches of like faith. This was probably the last confer- ence that Father Stuckey attended. He did not live to see 485 486 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS the conference organized into an official working body. His health suddenly broke in 1901. From that time he steadily grew worse, dying in February, 1902, aged 16 years. Father Stuckey had been a man of vigorous health and for forty-two years had ministered to the large North Danvers congregation. He outlived four of his assistants, whom he had been instrumental in ordaining to the min- istry: Christian Imhoff, John Stahley, Joash Stutzman, also John Strubhar, who had been ordained with himself. The conference from this time forward, and for the next few years was of the nature of Bible conference and doctrinal teaching, rather than an official conference or- ganization. In 1907 the conference met at the East Wash- ington Church where it was decided to organize perma- nently into a conference body. A committee composed of the ministers of the various churches met in December of the same year at the North Danvers church to draft a constitution. This constitution was immediately distributed among the churches for their acceptance or rejection, writ- ten notice to be given the secretary before the meeting of the next conference. During the intervening months the following churches responded : Charter Church Location land Pastors Bethel, Pekin, 111. Allen Miller. East Washington, Washington, 111. Valentine Strubhar Congerville, Congerville, 111. Lee Lantz East White Oak, Carlock, 111. Peter Schantz, Emanuel Troyer Meadows, Meadows, 111. Andrew Vercler, Joseph Kinsinger Flanagan, Flanagan, 111. Joseph Zehr, Stephen Stahley North Danvers, Danvers, 111. Joseph H. King, John P. Kohler South Danvers, Danvers, 111. John Gingerich, John Kinsinger Anchor, Anchor, 111. Aaron Augspurger Pleasant View, Aurora, Nebr. Andrew Oesch, Christian Rediger Zion, Goodland, Ind. D. D. Augspurger Topeka, Tokepa, Ind. John Lehman These twelve churches formed the charter membership of the conference. When the next conference met, which was held at the North Danvers church, in September, 1908, the constitution was formally and officially adopted by THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 487 the conference, including the twelve churches above named, and thus was born the Central Illinois Conference of Mennonites, which in 1914 changed its official name to "The Central Conference of Mennonites." 1 The following table 2 lists the Central Conference Churches for 1925: Church Location Pastors Origin Admission Membership CHURCHES IN ILLINOIS North Danvers, Danvers ; William B. Weaver Danvers, Danvers ; H. Nunemaker, J. Kinsinger, J. Gingerich Calvary, Washington ; Benj. Esch, Valentine Strubhar Meadows, Meadows; G. I. Gundy. Andrew Vercler Flanagan, Flanagan; J. B. Zehr, Emanuel Ulrich Anchor, Anchor ; Aaron Augspurger East White Oak, Carlock ; E. Troyer, Earl Salzman Congerville, Congerville ; Reuben Zehr Bethel, Pekin ; Allen H. Miller Boynton, Hopedale ; J. W. Litwiller, Franklin Mitchell South Washington, Washington ; J. J. Kennel Normal, Normal ; W. H. Grubb Tiskilwa, Tiskilwa ; Ernest Bohn Carlock, Carlock ; W. S. Shelly, J. H. King CITY MISSIONS Home Chapel, Chicago ; E. T. Rowe Gospel Mission, Peoria ; Jacob Sommer Twenty-sixth Street, Chicago; A. M. Eash OUT-OF-STATE CHURCHES Pleasant View, Aurora, Nebr. ; Eugene Augspurger Zion. Goodland, Iud. ; Peter Nafziger Topeka, Topeka, Ind. ; Ernest Hostettler South Nampa, Nampa, Ida. ; Lee Lantz Silver Street, Goshen, Ind.; Allen Yoder Eighth Street, Goshen, Ind. ; I. R. Detweiler Kouts, Kouts, Ind. ; Aaron Egli Belleview, Columbus, Kans. ; Washington Center, Pompeii, Mich. ; Comins, Comins, Mich. ; Warren Street, Middlebury, Ind. Maple Grove, Topeka, Ind. Since the preliminary meeting of ministers was held at the home of Rev. J. H. King near Carlock in the fall 1852 chart. 220 1859 " 62 18G6 " 354 1890 " 203 1878 " 94 1894 " 68 1892 " 346 1896 " 96 1905 " 83 1901 1910 67 1895 1912 136 1910 1912 86 1911 1912 62 1911 1914 143 1909 1909 53 1914 1914 90 1910 1923 61 1895 chart. 68 1896 " 74 1902 " 102 1908 1910 61 1892 1911 228 1913 1913 194 1918 1918 24 1880 1920 25 1924 1924 20 1925 1925 22 1 Christian Evangel, Vol. XI, December, 1921, No. 12, p. 283. 2 The Year Book of the Central Conference of Mennonites, 1926, p. 35, with a few changes and additions. 488 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS of 1898 with Joseph Stuckey presiding, conference sessions have been held annually as follows: 3 Year Church President Secretary 1899 North Danvers Aaron Augspurger Lee Lantz 1900 North Dam era Peter Schantz Lee Lantz 1901 East White Oak John Kinsinger Lee Lantz 1902 East Washington No record Lee Lantz 1903 Flanagan No record Lee Lantz 190-1 South Danvers No record Lee Lantz 1905 Meadows No record Lee Lantz 1906 East White Oak Emanuol Trover Aaron Augspurger 1907 East Washington J. P. Kohler Aaron Augspurger 1G08 North Danvers J. P. Kohler Aaron Augspurger 1909 Aurora, Nebraska Allen Miller Aaron Augspurger 1910 Flanagan Emanuel Troyer Aaron Augspurger 1911 Meadows John Lehman Aaron Augspurger 1912 East White Oak J. H. King Miio P. Lantz 1913 South Washington J. H. King Milo P. Lantz 1914 Carlock J. H. King Milo P. Lantz 1915 Silver Street, Goshen Emanuel Troyer Milo P. Lantz 1916 East Washington Emanuel Troyer Milo P. Lantz 1917 Boynton, Hopedale Emanuel Trover Milo P. Lantz 1918 North Danvers Allen Miller Milo P. Lantz 1919 Bethel, Pekin Allen Miller Milo P. Lantz 1920 Flanagan Allen Miller Milo P. Lantz 1921 Aurora, Nebraska Allen Miller Milo P. Lantz 1922 Meadows Allen Miller Benjamin F. Esch 1923 East White Oak Allen Yoder Benjamin F. Esch 1924 Congerville Allen Yoder Benjamin F. Esch 1925 Silver Street, Goshen Allen Miller E. W. Rediger 1926 1927 Calvary, Washington Allen Miller E. W. Rediger 1928 Maple Grove, Topeka Allen Miller E. W. Rediger 1929 Normal Allen Miller Allen Yoder In faith the Central Conference Mennonite Church believes in those doctrines that have been held in common by evangelical Protestants since the Reformation. They also hold the historic essential principles of Mennonitism. Since the essential principles of Mennonitism are the re- sponsibility of the individual and literal interpretation and obedience of the Bible it cannot be said that the Menno- nites of Europe and America ever formulated any philo- 3 Year Book of the Central Conference of Mennonites, 1925, p. 20, with a few changes and additions. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 489 sophical confession of faith. The Amish, however, from whom this conference originated, accepted the confession of faith consisting of eighteen articles which were drawn up by the Conference of Dutch Mennonites held at Dor- trecht, Holland, April 21, 1632. This confession of faith was signed by fifty-one representatives from Mennonite congregations in Holland and Northwestern Germany. In 1660 it was accepted by the churches of Alsace and the Palatinate. It became the accepted confession of faith for the early Mennonite church in America. The Central Con- ference Mennonite Church accepted this confession of faith with a few slight revisions at the time of its organi- zation in 1908. In the constitution of the Central Conference of Mennonites the purpose of the Conference is stated as follows: "The endeavor of this Conference shall be to unite all congregations of like faith. The purpose of this union shall be with God's gracious help to establish and strengthen by mutual instruction and admonition from the Word of God, to carry on the work of evangelism, to spread and establish the Kingdom of God, and to enter into the work of home and foreign missions." In Article III, the principle of the Conference is stated. After quot- ing II Tim. 3:16,17 it states: u This Conference shall recognize God's Word as final authority in all matters of church government and requires of those congregations which would unite with it that they stand upon a Scrip- tural confession of faith and that they adhere to the doc- trines accepted by the Conference." Article V, Section 4, states: "If any congregation of the Conference shall habit- ually and after being properly dealt with shall still refuse, it shall be excluded from having a voice in the Confer- ence." The Central Conference Mennonite Church believes in the congregational form of church government. The 490 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS annual conferences that are held are for the purpose of unifying the work of the Conference, to give encourage- ment to the various congregations and to report on work done throughout the year. The Conference is not a legis- lative body. It is representative in its organization. The delegate body is composed of lay delegates and ministers. The lay delegates may be men or women. Article VI of the constitution provides that each congregation shall have a right to be represented at the conference by one vote for every thirty communicant members or fractional part of that number. All ministers are delegates. The theology of the Central Conference Mennonite Church is soundly conservative. Emphasis is placed on the literal interpretation of the Bible. The theology of the church has been largely Biblical. The leaders of the church have never spent much time or effort in any philo- sophical interpretation of the doctrines they hold. The doctrines are supported with numerous Scripture refer- ences and are largely literal in their interpretation. The church has spent considerable time in an emphasis on the spirit of unity, good will, and right living. In doctrine this branch differs little from the main body of Mennonites. It observes feet-washing in connec- tion with the communion service. In practice it is more liberal, especially in dress. The women are permitted to wear hats instead of bonnets. In fact no restriction is placed upon clothing. Musical instruments are used in the church services. Most of the churches have choirs or at least have no objection to them. Some of the church houses have stained glass windows. In their various ac- tivities the congregations have largely adopted modern church methods. The leadership of the church was passed on from Rev. Joseph Stuckey, who died in February, 1902, to Rev. Peter Schantz. Since Schantz was the outstanding leader THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 491 of the Central Conference Mennonite Church for a quar- ter of a century (1896-1921), both in the establishment of the new churches and also in the missionary work of the church, it is fitting that his biography should be given in detail. 4 Peter Schantz was born near Congerville, Illinois, in Woodford County, April 14, 1853. His parents, Jacob and Catherine Deiss Schantz, came from Hesse Darm- stadt, Germany, to America on their wedding trip. Jacob Schantz was born about 1822 and Catherine Deiss about 1824. They with their father's family of three boys and two girls had come to America about the year 1847 and had settled on a farm near Congerville. They lived in an old log cabin with two rooms until December, 1863, when they built a new house. In April, 1864, Schantz's father died, and in Sep- tember, 1866, his mother also died, leaving him an orphan at the age of twelve. He was now thrown upon his own resources to make his way in life. He was the second child in the family and so did not receive help from older brothers and sisters. The oldest in the family was his sister, Barbara, who later married Rev. Stephen Stanley. His school advantages were very meager, and he received only a few months of schooling each year. After the death of his mother he was taken into the home of Rev. Christian Imhoff who cared for him until he was twenty. In 1872, at the age of nineteen, he was baptized by Rev. Joseph Stuckey and became a member of the North Dan- vers Church. This was the first year of the newly organ- ized church at North Danvers. On December 23, 1875, he married Anna Kinsinger, a daughter of Rev. Michael Kinsinger, and settled on his father-in-law's farm which he purchased in 1877. In the 4 "Rev. Peter Schantz" by Emanuel Troyer in Year Book of the Cen- tral Conference, 1926, p. 15. 492 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS winter of 1892 he moved to the White Oak district. Here he lived on a farm until August IS, 1910, when he moved to Normal, Illinois. The following children were born: Florence (Mrs. Patton), Arthur, Lesta (Mrs. Patton), and Mrs. Ira Troyer. He was remarried in 1910. He died in Normal at the home of his son, July 24, 1925, aged 72 years. In 1882 Peter Schantz was called to the ministry in the North Danvers Church and was ordained by Bishop Joseph Stuckey. Up to this time the North Danvers Church had had older men as ministers such as Rev. John Strubhar, Rev. Joseph Stuckey, Rev. John Stahley, Rev. Christian Imhoff, Rev. Joseph Stalter, Rev. Michael Mil- ler and Rev. Jacob Miller. Stuckey, feeling the need of younger men in the ministry, appealed to the congregation who elected two young men, Joash Stutzman and Peter Schantz. Thus for the first time younger men were called to the ministry. Schantz was only twenty-nine years old. Stutzman died in 1891, by which time most of the older ministers had died, so Schantz became Stuckey's assistant pastor. As a minister he soon manifested his ability of leadership. As Father Stuckey was getting old he nat- urally became the leader of the church. In the early years of his ministry he spent a great amount of time in evan- gelistic work with very good results. In 1900 he was or- dained as a bishop and thus had to deal more with the official matters of the church. In the later years of his ministry he devoted a great part of his time to extension work. He had been field secretary of the mission board for seven or eight years until 1916 when he was elected field secretary of the conference with the understanding that he devote practically all of his time to extension work. He held this office until 1921. Being a man of broad vision and a capable organizer, he was continually seeking new places for the establish- THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 493 ment of churches. In 1891 he was instrumental in starting a Sunday School at Congerville. In 1892 he decided to go West because he felt there were enough ministers at the North Danvers Church and he was anxious to enter new fields. Just at this time about sixty members of the mother church living in the White Oak district organized a church and urged Schantz to become their pastor. He moved to the White Oak district in the winter of 1892. In April, 1899 he ordained Emanuel Troyer as minister to assist him at East White Oak. In 1896, he organized a congre- gation at Congerville and in 1899 ordained Lee Lantz as minister and pastor of the church. Later when Lantz left for Nampa, Idaho, Schantz ordained George Gundy to take his place. Next the Hessian Mennonites of the South Danvers Church living around Hopedale asked for help and so he with the assistance of Rev. John Gingerich organized a congregation at Hopedale, Illinois, September 15, 1901 and ordained John Litwiller as pastor. In 1905 he or- dained Allen H. Miller as pastor of Bethel Mennonite Church. He saw an opening in Normal, Illinois, for mis- sion work so he started a Sunday School July 24, 1910, and on March 27, 1912, organized the congregation there. He then asked the congregation to extend a call to Rev. Lee Lantz of Nampa, Idaho, who came in 1912. In 1916, Aaron Egli, who had moved to Kouts, Indiana, asked Schantz to start a church there. So after a series of meet- ings from October 28, to November 6, 1916, a congrega- tion was organized there and later Rev. Aaron Egli was ordained as pastor. Schantz also aided Bishop Stuckey in the establishment of churches at Anchor, Meadows, Au- rora, and Silver Street near Goshen, Indiana. He was not only interested in the establishment of rural churches but was one of the first men in the church to encourage mission work in the city. He was one of the 494 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS leaders in the foreign mission work and served on the Foreign Mission Committee from its beginning until his death. He became chairman of the Home Mission Com- mittee when it was organized in 1908. He had much to do with establishing the Mennonite Gospel Missions in Chicago and in Peoria. After his retirement in 1921 he remained an honorary member of the Foreign and Home Mission Committees until his death. In the 1920 conference at Flanagan, Illinois, when the time came to elect a field secretary, Schantz was again nominated for the position. He then rose and said he must decline the nomination because of age and ill-health and advised the appointment of an active younger man for the responsible position. Rev. Aaron Augspurger, in writ- ing an appreciation of Schantz's work says 5 : "The dele- gates fully appreciated the situation. Rev. Schantz has always shown himself to be a man of unassuming, modest, and humble disposition which displayed itself very feel- ingly at this time, the delegates immediately acting upon his wishes and advice. The delegates then showed their appreciation of Rev. Schantz's long years of active service by voting to him a stipulated sum from the conference treasury. While Rev. Schantz appreciated this recognition and gift, yet there is no money or other material valuation which can properly express the value of Rev. Schantz's service to the conference and we regret to lose him from active duty." "Now that he is retiring there is probably not another man in the entire Conference who has so com- mitted himself and all that he has to the service of the Kingdom of our Lord and to the Conference; has literally worn himself out in the work for the good of lost hu- manity; an indefatigable worker from the first to last who never gave up when others despaired until he saw the victory. Where is the man or woman who has the gift of 6 Christian Evangel, January, 1921. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 495 vocabulary to express in terms of value and appreciation the work and worth of our dear Brother Schantz to the Conference? Who knows of the sacrifices he has made, the secret of which lies buried in his own bosom, and only- known to him and his Lord. Who knows the vicissitudes of life and family cares, aside from his arduous spiritual cares which he has borne, and yet never a word of com- plaint, and always ready to go forward. Well might we all envy him in Christian heroism and emulate him in Christian service. " Emanuel Troyer who had been Schantz's assistant pastor at East White Oak and knew him intimately, per- haps indeed better than any other minister in the Con- ference, gives the following appreciation: "Brother Schantz was a man whose advice was sought in religious and busi- ness matters, a man with a broad vision for the Mennon- ite Church and a born organizer." "While Brother Schantz was a man of decision, and persistency in that which he knew was right, he was also a kind-hearted, generous, sym- pathetic friend. He never turned a deaf ear to anyone who came to him in trouble. He always tried to look at a situation from the viewpoint of the other person. His every act was for the cause he loved so well. No one will ever know how much good he did for others. His life was lived for others and his delight was to call upon sin- ners to repent and accept Christ and hundreds of them did so in response to his earnest appeal. The conscious- ness of being able to relieve some one who was suffering, or of performing a kind deed, was the only reward he craved. I deem it a distinct honor to have been his close personal friend. I never had a friend who was easier to love, safer to trust, or worthier to honor. His association was a benediction, his life an inspiration, and his memory a heritage. In the passing of this great man, the church has lost an invaluable leader and every acquaintance a 496 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS friend hard to replace. He was prepared to enter the portals of his eternal home. He spoke often and confi- dently of the passing from this life to the next. His trust was unwavering, and the service which he rendered to God and his fellowmen was spontaneous and complete. His example was helpful to young and old alike. His Christ- like qualities shine like the sun at noonday, and his memo- ry will remain a perpetual benediction throughout coming generations. We shall meet him in the great beyond." CHAPTER LII THE CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES The Annual Church Conference is held the latter part of August or early September, in recent years in a tent, and is composed of the ministers and one delegate for each thirty members. Various local congregations act as host to the conference. The delegates are lodged in the homes of the local people. The delegate sessions transact the business that comes before the conference. The routine consists of committee and officers' reports such as the treasurer, the field secretary, the mission board, the publi- cation board, education, relief, Old People's Home, Sani- tarium, and Orphanage. The officers, board members, and committeemen for the various activities are appointed or elected. Usually a number of resolutions are passed. New problems come up that must be dealt with. New activities or methods may be introduced for discussion. The confer- ence draws large crowds. Aside from the delegates who attend the business sessions there are many others who come for the program which consists chiefly of inspirational addresses bearing upon some phase of conference work or upon Christian living in general. The programs of the Ministerial Association, the Sunday School Association, and the Christian Endeavor Union are also held at the time of the annual conference. Junior and Intermediate Christian Endeavor sessions are included. Occasionally a special delegate session is called to meet usually in connec- tion with some other meeting at which many of the dele- gates would be present anyway. Until 1908 merely a one day session was held, then a second day was added. In 1911 it became a three day session and a few years later extended to four. 497 .13 498 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The Ministerial Association, composed of the ministry of the Central Conference, was organized in 1911. Its purpose as stated by Peter Schantz was to discover meth- ods of handling local church difficulties, ordination of young men to the ministry, and advisory work in relation to the conference. In 1925 it was decided to hold quar- terly meetings. One session is held at -the time of the Annual church conference. The last few years the Minis- terial Association has held inspirational meetings open to the public on the evening of the day when the delegates' session met at the conference. Another meeting is to be in the nature of a ministers' outing for the purpose of devel- oping the social life of the ministers. In the summer of 1924 a number of ministers had spent a day by the river. As a result of this meeting another ministers' outing was held on July 27th. Fourteen ministers with their families were present. It was decided at this meeting to make the outing an annual occasion, placing it under the jurisdiction of the Ministerial Association. The other meetings are for the purpose of discussing ministers' problems and sug- gesting better methods of church work. One of the im- portant committees of the Ministerial Association is the Ordination and Installation Committee. It helps congre- gations to supply the pulpit, encourages young men to enter the ministry, and ordains and installs pastors in various congregations. The first Sunday School in the Central Conference Mennonite Church was started by Rev. Joseph Stuckey and Rev. Jonathan Strubhar in the Strubhar school house about 1867. The Sunday School was started in the school- house because there was considerable opposition by some of the older people to having Sunday School in the church house. In the summer of 1869, however, the first Sunday School was held in the Yoder church house at the Rock Creek Fair Grounds. In the same year the Amish also THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 499 started a Sunday School in the Grant schoolhouse in Dry Grove Township. A Sunday School was also started in the East Washington district by Peter Stuckey about 1868. As noted in the history of the congregations the origin of the congregation can often be traced to the establishment of a Sunday School in the community. This was true of such congregations as Bethel at Pekin, Meadows, Anchor, Koite and others. In some of the congregations Sunday Schools were started with the establishment of the con- gregations. The first Sunday School session to be held in connection with the morning church service was at the JNorth Danvers Church about 1875. From the beginning in 1867 to about 1890 all the Sunday Schools were conducted in the German language. The older people used the German Bible while the young- er people and the children used the German ABC Primer I he reasons for the introduction of the English language have been discussed in a former chapter. It should be said here, however, that in a number of the congregations there was considerable difficulty in making the transition in some of the congregations it was necessary to hold the English Sunday School in the afternoon rather than in connection with the preaching service. In others the Eng- lish was introduced by forming one class in the school and then gradually the other classes took it up. With the in traduction of the English language, lesson helps were also introduced. Many of the Sunday Schools first used a_ser.es of printed Bible lessons published by the Menno- nite Publishing Co., at Elkhart, Indiana, under the direc- c°Y c u V - , J U R Funk - About 1905 the International bundaybchool Quarterly was introduced into the Confer- ence. There are still a few congregations at present in which a class or two use German material. Modern methods of Sunday School work were adopt- ed later on, such as the departmental organization as early 500 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS as 1909, the use of Graded Lessons as early as 1906, the introduction of Teacher Training Classes by 1905 and or- ganized Bible Classes by 1908. In 1917 a number of the congregations remodeled their church buildings to provide for a basement and class rooms for Sunday School work. In the 1922 conference the Church decided to use the Sunday School supplies published by the Mennonite Pub- lishing House at Scottdale, Pennsylvania, which are fur- nished the Sunday Schools through the Central Mennonite Publication Board. The rapid progress of the Sunday School work after 1890 and the introduction of modern methods created a need for closer cooperation and for meetings to discuss common Sunday School problems. Through the suggestion of the East White Oak Church under the leadership of Rev. Schantz and Rev. Troyer as ministers and Daniel Augustin as Sunday School worker, a meeting of the Sun- day School workers of the Conference was called to meet at the East White Oak Church September 13, 1889. At this meeting it was decided to have another one the next year. September 2, 1897, the second meeting was held at the East Washington Church. Here it was decided to have Sunday School Conferences yearly. The third Sunday School Conference was held at Flanagan June 2, 1898. By 1900 the Sunday School meetings were held in connec- tion with the church conference. This has continued until the present time. A morning and afternoon session at the time of the church conference is devoted to Sunday School work. Soon after 1900 a Sunday School Association was or- ganized with a president, secretary and various depart- mental officers. At the present time this association has a President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer and the fol- lowing departmental officers : Elementary, Young People's, Cradle Roll, Missionary, Temperance, and Home Depart- THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 501 ment Superintendents. This forms the Executive Commit- tee which is to look after the Sunday School work in the Conference throughout the year. In the conference of 1914 held at Carlock, Illinois, September 9th, a resolution was passed at the delegates' session to adopt a Sunday School Standard. The commit- tee appointed to work out the Standard was Rev. Lee Lantz, Rev. Emanuel Troyer and Rev. Valentine Strubhar. The Sunday School Standard suggested by this committee was adopted at the 1915 conference held at Silver Street Church, Goshen, Indiana, August 25, 1915. These Stand- ards were later printed by the Central Mennonite Pub- lication Board and are placed in the Sunday School rooms of a number of the Sunday Schools throughout the Con- ference. In the church conference at Meadows in 1922 the delegates' session approved of having Sunday School delegates' meetings at the conference. Such a session was held at the 1923 conference at East White Oak. A new Sunday School Standard was adopted August 30, 1929 at the conference at Normal, Illinois. These Sunday School delegates' sessions have been discontinued for reasons un- known to the writer. The Sunday School department report 1 for 1924 was as follows: "This report includes all but two of the twen- ty-seven schools in the conference, those of Nampa, Idaho and Comins, Michigan. Total enrollment, 3340; number of officers, 205; number of teachers, 256; average attend- ance, 2024; number uniting with the church, 118; contri- butions to missions, $3,169.36; amount to other purposes, $2,429.20; total, $5,598.56. Two schools give all their contributions through the church. Teachers' meetings are held in five of the schools: Carlock, East Washington, Mennonite Gospel Mission (62nd and Carpenter St., Chi- cago), Mennonite Gospel Mission (Peoria), and Pleasant 1 Year Book of the Central Conference, 1925, p. 20. 502 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS View. There have been only two Teachers' Training Classes held, these being at Tiskilwa and Normal. Twelve schools report having adopted the conference Sunday School Standard: East White Oak, Bethel, Carlock, East Washington, Eighth Street Goshen, Gospel Mission Chi- cago, Pleasant View, South Washington, Tiskilwa, Zion, INorth Danvers, and Normal. There are Home Depart- ments at East White Oak, Carlock, Danvers, Eighth Street of Goshen, Meadows, Gospel Mission of Chicago, Tiskilwa, North Danvers, Congerville, and Normal. East Washington reports officers appointed for Teachers' Training Class and Home Department but not function- ing. Silver Street has a Home Department but does not report number of officers or members. There are 24 Home Department officers and visitors with 135 members reported." The Christian Endeavor Society, like the Sunday School, was an organization which was borrowed from other denominations. It is significant to note that only eleven years after the first Christian Endeavor Society was organized in the United States, the first one was organized in the North Danvers Church in the year 1892. Mr. Eli Sharp, then of Congerville, Illinois, who had come in touch with Christian Endeavor work while living in Min- nesota, was largely responsible for organizing the first society in the North Danvers Church. This one was soon followed by societies in other congregations. As new con- gregations were established after 1892 they organized Christian Endeavor Work. The first societies in the con- gregations had very little organization. In fact some of them were rather Bible Reading meetings with practically no organization. In the 1911 conference a Field Committee was ap- pointed to visit all of the Christian Endeavor Societies and to report at the next conference. There were five THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 503 members on the committee and they visited nine societies. They discovered that there were a number of the congre- gations that were not having any Christian Endeavor work. They found that societies were poorly organized and were in great need of help. About this time a field secretary was appointed to visit the various societies and give them the needed help. Miss Elizabeth Streid who had been a worker at the Home Chapel in Chicago was chosen as field secretary. To her must be given a great deal of credit for better Christian Endeavor work in the Confer- ence. She visited the various societies throughout the Conference and helped them to organize and to establish real Christian Endeavor work. She went to Indiana in October, 1911, and was instrumental in starting Christian Endeavor Societies in the congregations there. Largely through the efforts of Miss Streid the first Christian Endeavor Rally was held at the East White Oak Church July 19, 1913. These Rallies have been held every year in the months of May, June, or July. The first Christian Endeavor Rally in Indiana was held July 16, 1916, at the Silver Street Church. The Conference at present is divided into two districts, Illinois and Indiana, for the holding of these Rallies. From year to year, to 1913, subjects relating to Christian Endeavor work were placed on the conference program. In the conference of 1913 the first Christian Endeavor delegates' meeting was held. At this meeting it was decided to draw up a Christian Endeavor Constitu- tion, providing for a Christian Endeavor Union. Permis- sion of the Conference Program Committee was also re- quested to make their own programs for the conference. Both these requests were granted them and in 1914 the constitution was accepted and the Christian Endeavor Union was formed. The Union has an Executive Commit- tee composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary- 504 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Treasurer, Junior Superintendent, Intermediate Superin- tendent and Field Secretary. This committee is to direct the work of the Christian Endeavor throughout the year. Mr. Lyle Strubhar of Washington, Illinois, is president and Miss Clara Kinsinger of Meadows, Illinois is secre- tary-treasurer at the present time (1926). There are twelve societies in the Union at present with a membership of seven hundred and ninety-four. In 1917 it was decided by the Union to use the regu- lar Christian Endeavor topics of the United Society of Christian Endeavor. In the Church Conference of 1922 the Central Mennonite Publication Board recommended that the Sunday School notes should be omitted in the Evangel and more space be given for Christian Endeavor notes; also that a committee of five be appointed to go over the Christian Endeavor notes. Christian Endeavor editors have been appointed from year to year to discuss the topics in the church paper. The first Ladies' Aid Societies in the Conference were organized about the year 1909. They originated very largely as a result of the city mission work. The Home Chapel in Chicago appealed to different congregations for help in feeding and clothing the poor. These societies were organized to supply this need. They operated inde- pendently in the various congregations until the time of the 1925 conference. There are twenty societies in the Conference. These societies have a large field of service inasmuch as they supply the various institutions and home and foreign missions with food and clothing. They have also done a great deal in the support of the activities of the congregation. In the 1925 delegates' session held September 1st an appeal came from the ladies that there should be a more effective Ladies' Aid organization throughout the Confer- ence. A motion was then made that a committee be ap- THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 505 pointed to formulate plans for such an organization. The committee elected was Mrs. Emanuel Troyer, president, Mrs. S. E. Maurer, secretary-treasurer, Mrs. L. D. Hartzler, and Mrs. W. B. Page. This committee has ar- ranged the work in such a way that each institution is supported for a particular month with food and clothing by a particular congregation. The secretary visited the various institutions and received a list of the needs of each. This organization has had one year of existence and thus far has proved itself to be a very great success. The purpose of the organization is to unify the work of the societies and to encourage the organization of new ones. In the first year's work of the Conference Ladies' Aid there was a great deal of pioneering that needed to be done. After the work was started the secretary realized that there had been no provisions made for the financial support of the work of the organization. The committee found it necessary to borrow money. Mrs. S. E. Maurer, the secretary, first asked the local aid societies for dona- tions. Various individuals gave liberally after the work was explained to them. This organization also wished to do something for the foreign field. They wished to create a fund with which to purchase cloth for the foreign mission work. By January 18, 1926, through the $100 gift of Mrs. C. W. Kinsinger of Danvers, Illinois, $129 was raised for this work. A bale of good heavy blue denim, such as the African natives like, was bought and sent to Africa. This meant a great deal to the foreign mission work since the cloth is one of the primary needs of the natives. This to the mind of the missionary solves a very difficult problem in the Congo from the fact that it sufficiently clothes the native so that he will work for the mission and not go to an ungodly training company to buy his cloth. There were a number of causes that led to the or- ganization of a Christian Workers' Conference. In the 506 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS first place the Church Conference itself, being organized in 1907-08, began to do more systematic work and carry on more organized activities; in the second place the work itself expanded and required more and better trained workers. Sunday Schools were introducing departmental work, and more modern methods of conducting the Sun- day School and Christian Endeavor Societies were being organized throughout the church. This development of the work and the increasing need of more workers created a desire on the part of the leaders for more united efforts on the part of Christian workers in the different congre- gations. On the other hand the conditions created by the World War brought discouragement to a number of the younger Christian workers. Rev. Allen Miller, while president of the Church Conference in 1917, appointed a committee composed of Rev. J. H. King, Rev. Emanuel Troyer, and Rev. Aaron Augspurger to prepare a program having in mind the needs of the Christian workers. The first Christian Work- ers' Conference was held December 31, 1917, to January 4, 1918, at the Normal Mennonite Church, Normal, Illi- nois, in connection with the Mission Board until 1925. The Christian Workers' meeting held at Carlock, Illinois, January 11-18, 1925, marks the transition from the Christian Workers' Conference to the Christian Work- ers' Institute. In this year the last Christian Workers' Conference was held and the first Institute. The minis- ters of a few of the congregations surrounding the Carlock Mennonite Church met and arranged a program for a Christian Workers' Institute. It was suggested that it be held at the time of the Christian Workers' Conference and Mission Board meeting. This was approved by the Conference and so the Institute was given the forenoon sessions and the Christian Workers' Conference and Mis- sion Board the afternoon and evening sessions, of Tues- THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 507 day,^ Wednesday, and Thursday of the week. The first Institute was a great success. The first day opened with an attendance of fifty and by Friday the attendance had increased to one-hundred eighty-nine. This Institute better meets the needs of the workers, and so has replaced the Christian Workers' Conference. The chief difference in the two meetings lies in the fact that in the Christian Workers' Conference the meetings are entirely inspirational with no attempt at giving definite instruction or systematic teaching. The purpose of the Institute is to give courses of study in Bible, Music, Chris- tian Endeavor work and Missions. It is a training school for workers who are not privileged to attend colleges and seminaries. This type of meeting seemed to supply a felt need in the Conference and so in the 1925 conference at Silver Street, Goshen, Indiana, the question of Institutes was discussed at the delegates' session held September 1st. A motion was then made that a committee be appointed to organize and conduct Institutes throughout the Con- ference and also to make plans for the promotion of mis- sion work. This committee met at the Twenty-sixth Street Mission, Chicago, September 25, 1925. They divided the Conference into the following six districts according to the location of the churches: one — Silver Street, Eighth Street, and Topeka; two — East White Oak, Carlock, Nor- mal, North Danvers, Danvers, and Congerville; three — Calvary, South Washington, Peoria, and Pekin; four — Meadows, and Flanagan; five — the two missions in Chi- cago; six — Goodland, and Kouts. Special provision was made for the churches that were too far from any others to be included in a district. Arrangements were made by which these churches could hold two or three-day Insti- tutes as individual congregations. This movement which had been inaugurated by a few interested individuals be- came a conference movement. In the autumn of 1925 Institutes were held in districts two and three. 508 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The first publication work of the Conference was the publishing of the church paper called the Christian Evangel. For a number of years, especially after 1905 when the Conference began foreign mission work, Rev. Peter Schantz urged the publication of a church paper. He had urged Rev. Aaron Augspurger to take up the matter but Augspurger did not feel that he was capable of doing it. This was before the Home Mission work started in Chicago in 1909. In 1909 Rev. A. B. Rutt came into the Conference and was appointed as superintendent of the Home Chapel in Chicago. He had been interested for a number of years in publishing a paper particularly for young people. The mission work in Chicago was opened in June, 1909. In the 1909 church conference held at Aurora, Nebraska/ September 22nd and 23rd, the question of a church paper came up at the delegates' session. This was the first dele- gates' session held at the conference. The proposal of a church paper met with a general approval and the dele- gates voted that one should be printed. Rev. Augspurger and Rev. Rutt were appointed to establish the paper and to determine its possibility by the time of the 1910 con- ference. The plans for the church paper were presented at a Mission Board meeting held at Bloomington May 25, 1910. The Board approved of such a step but was not in a position to sanction it officially. Rev. A. B. Rutt who had experience in publication work was made the editor. He suggested the name "Christian Evangel." The first issue of the Evangel appeared in July, 1910. This and the issues of August and September, were pub- lished by Rutt from the Home Chapel in Chicago. The paper had not yet been macle the official organ of the Conference. In the 1910 conference held at Flanagan, Illinois, September 21, 22, the Conference accepted the paper as its official organ. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 509 The Christian Evangel from July, 1910 to February, 1913, had two parts: first, that published by the Menno- nites and second, that under the jurisdiction of the United Religious Press, the interdenominational part of the paper. At the 1910 conference Rev. A. B. Rutt was officially chosen as the first editor. There were three departments established with three associate editors : Rev. Aaron Augs- purger, doctrinal; Rev. L. B. Haigh, missionary; and Rev. Lee Lantz, educational. The purpose of the paper may well be stated by the points emphasized by the editor in the first issue. "First, the Evangel stands for the highest type of unity. This means the unity among the ministers, Christian workers and the various congregations.' 1 This unity was even to be extended to other Mennonite groups. At one time there were representatives from five different Mennonite groups writing for the paper. In 1911 Rutt pleaded for an All-Mennonite paper and a United Publication Board. At the March 22, 1911 United Mission Board meeting Rev. Aaron Augspurger and Rev. Rutt invited the Defenseless Mennonites to cooperate. Second, the editor emphasized the value of a church paper to present the needs and achievements of Christian work, especially mission work. 'Third, it shall be the purpose of the paper to uphold the doctrines of the church and finally, it is to be^for the pur- pose of training youth for the mission field." On January 2, 1912, a publication committee was ap- pointed which was to look after the financial interests of the paper. In this same year a business manager was ap- pointed to assist the editor. A book agency was estab- lished in connection with the paper. The paper was very well supported from the beginning and it was promoted by the church leaders. In 1911 Andrew Vercler traveled throughout the churches in its interests. In 1917 the pub- lication of the Evangel was put in the hands of a publica- 510 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS tion board. The business manager and editor were to be on the board. By 1919 there were eight hundred sub- scribers to the Christian Evangel. Beginning with Janu- ary, 1917, an attempt was made to cooperate with the Mennonite Brethren in Christ in the publication of the church paper. This not being very successful, the Evangel by 1918 again became the paper of the Central Confer- ence Mennonite Church. The Christian Evangel has been one of the most important sources for material for the Central Conference history. The following have served as editors: Rev. A. B. Rutt, July, 1910— January, 1915; Rev. Lee Lantz, February, 1915 — September, 1916; Rev. Benjamin Esch, October, 1916 — September, 1919; Rev. A. S. Bechtel, October, 1919— September, 1920; Rev. L. B. Haigh, October, 1920— September, 1923; Rev. Wil- liam B. Weaver, October, 1923— September, 1925; and Rev. H. E. Nunemaker, since October, 1925. From 1926 on Wm. B. Weaver again assumed the position. The Cen- tral Mennonite Publication Board at the present time has charge of all the publication work of the Conference. It publishes the Evangel, sells books and Bibles and Sunday School supplies, and publishes the Year Book. In the 1921 conference held at Aurora, Nebraska, it was decided at the delegates' session to publish a Year Book for the Conference. Rev. W. H. Grubb, pastor of the Normal Mennonite Church, was largely responsible for this decision. He was appointed editor and issued the first Year Book in 1922. In the 1924 conference it was decided that the Year Book should be a permanent publi- cation. Rev. W. H. Grubb edited all of the Year Books up to the 1926 issue which was edited by Rev. H. E. Nune- maker, of Danvers, Illinois. Wm. B. Weaver has been the editor since 1926. The field of opportunity for the Pub- lication Board is very great. The conference has expressed itself as favoring Conference ownership of a printing THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 5 1 1 plant. This, with a bookstore, is the greatest need of the Central Conference Mennonite Publication Board to-day. 2 Besides the activities which have been enumerated here the conference engages in a number of others in coopera- tion with other branches. These were treated earlier. 3 The following summary of the activities of 1925 will give an idea of the varied interests of the conference. 4 The year opened with a new movement in religious education, and throughout the year an increasing inter- est was manifested in that field of endeavor. The Bible Normal which was held at Carlock church from Janu- ary 11 to 18 was a new venture but proved itself a means of real spiritual strength. The attendance which numbered fifty at the opening session gradually in- creased until it numbered over five hundred for the two closing sessions. Out of this Normal have grown enlarged plans for a series of Christian Workers' Institutes which are to convene throughout the coming winter. The Conference is divided into districts. Each will choose its own dates for the Institute. The semi-annual meeting of the Ministerial Asso- ciation was held at Carlock church on the afternoon and evening of January 13. The year 1925 has been a very busy year in the work of the church institutions. On January 1, Rev. G. I. Gundy took charge at the Old People's Home at Meadows, Illinois. The Home has been well supported throughout the year. It has also been filled to capacity with homeless old people. The Mennonite Sanitarium, located at Blooming- ton, Illinois, has likewise been crowded to capacity much 2 Christian Evangel, Vol. XII, No. 2, February, 1922, p. 43. s See Chapters XL, XLII, and XLIII. *Year Book of the Central Conference, 1926, p. 23 ff. 512 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS of the year, making ever increasing demands on the constituency for more room. This led to the erection of a new building in 1929 at a cost of about $200,000. The work of the Foreign Missions of the church is progressing as usual, showing substantial progress in their fields. It is hoped however, that in answer to an en- larged program for the dissemination of missionary in- formation, more definite constructive work will become possible. The city missions have continued with their con- structive work of former years, and show encouraging gains for the year. A special effort was made by the workers of the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission, Chicago, Illinois, to keep in touch with the Sunday School pupils through the summer months. To do this a Daily Vaca- tion Bible School was organized on June 30 and was continued for five weeks. There was a total enrollment of one hundred three children, and an average daily attendance of fifty-five. On August 11, sixty- four of the Sunday School boys and girls were taken to the vicinity of Bloomington and Washington for a period of two weeks. The evangelistic emphasis has been strong this year. The field secretary, Rev. Emanuel Troyer, was busy throughout the year visiting the churches and con- ducting revival meetings. The church at Comins, Mich- igan was organized by the field secretary, and became a member of the Conference at the annual session. Re- vivals were also held by Revs. E. T. Rowe, A. M. Eash, William B. Weaver, and G. I. Gundy. There were ninety-nine received into the church by baptism during the conference year. A number of series of Bible lec- tures were also given at various churches which resulted in increased interest in Bible study and church work. The year reveals marked progress in supplying va- cant pulpits with ministers. On January 1, Rev. G. I. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 513 Gundy assumed his duties as pastor of the church at Meadows, Illinois. The call was given and accepted because of the advanced years of Revs. Andrew Ver- cler and Joseph Kinsinger, who have so faithfully and successfully led the Meadows church for many years. On March 29, H. E. Nunemaker who had served the Danvers church for a year was ordained to full minis- try. On September 6, Reuben Zehr was installed as pas- tor of the Congerville Church. On September 20 Er- nest Bohn, formerly of Topeka, Indiana, took up his duties as student pastor of the Tiskilwa church. About October 1st Franklin Mitchell, who had been supply pastor at the Hopedale church during the summer, re- ceived and accepted a unanimous call to the pastorate of that church. Death claimed two of the older ministers. Rev. Joseph Kinsinger, who labored faithfully for many years in the Meadows church, passed away May 8, 1925. Rev. Peter Schantz who was outstanding in the affairs of the church for many years died July 24, 1925. The close of the year saw three of the congrega- tions housed in new church homes. The East Washing- ton church moved to the town of Washington, Illinois, where they erected a modern, commodious church build- ing. The church was dedicated July 19. The dedication service was in charge of Dr. J. E. Hartzler. During the week Dr. Hartzler also conducted a series of Bible lectures at this place, to large and appreciative audi- ences. The church at Comins, Michigan, also erected a new church building during the summer. The building was dedicated in November, Rev. Emanuel Troyer, Allen Miller, and Allen Yoder being in charge of the service. Rev. Troyer conducted a series of revival meetings dur- ing the following week. The Washington Center church, between Pompeii and Ashley, Michigan, which was or- .34 514 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ganized and became a member of the Conference in 1924, purchased the Evangelical church house which they had been using. Marked interest was manifested in the conference work of the church. The Annual Conference which was held at the Silver Street church near Goshen, Indiana, on August 29 to September 1st, was attended by large crowds. Constructive programs of church work were planned. The Conference cooperated in the work of the All- Mennonite Convention, which convened at Nappanee, Indiana, on September 2-3. Throughout the convention a growing spirit of cooperation and Christian unity was manifested among the different groups of Mennonites who were present. Another successful effort at cooperation took place at the Carlock, Illinois, Mennonite church in the form of an interdenominational Armistice Day program, in which ministers of various denominations raised their voices as one against the sin of war. Large crowds were present at the sessions. It is the hope of Chris- tians that out of such united gatherings will grow defi- nite, constructive movements for peace which will be felt in the world. The social side of life was not neglected during the year. The various churches and organizations within the churches had numerous social functions. Several groups of churches united for July Fourth picnics. Perhaps the largest was the picnic at the Mackinaw River north of Congerville, Illinois, which included a number of churches. There were about two hundred and fifty present. At this picnic some of the ministers discussed a long felt need of getting the ministers of the conference and their families together for a social time. Several of them had spent a profitable day in this way THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 5 1 5 in 1924. The discussion resulted in a ministers' picnic at the same place on July 17. There were fourteen ministers with their families present. It was decided to make the picnic an annual occasion, including all the ministers. It was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministerial Association. CHAPTER LIII THE HOME MISSION WORK The first step in the missionary work of the Central Conference Mennonite Church began at the church con- ference held at Meadows, Illinois, September 13-14, 1905. Two strong missionary addresses were given, one by Alma Doering, a returned missionary from the Swedish Mission in Congo Beige, Africa, and the other by Charles E. Hurl- burt, President and director of the African Inland Mis- sion. The addresses so stirred the Conference that they decided they should do something for dark Africa, but the Conference realized that organization was necessary for carrying on foreign mission work. The organization resulted in two boards, the one the Foreign Mission Board of the Conference, and the other a joint board with the Defenseless Mennonites. Since foreign work is a coopera- tive activity it was treated in the preceding section. 1 Only the Central Conference organization will be discussed here. On December 1, 1905, a meeting of ministers and delegates of the different congregations was called to meet at the East White Oak Church for the purpose of organ- izing. After considerable discussion a motion was made that a temporary mission committee be elected to hold office until the next regular conference. The committee of three elected were: Rev. Valentine Strubhar, president; Rev. Joseph King, secretary; and S. E. Maurer, treasurer. S. E. Maurer has served as treasurer until the present time, (1926). In the conference of 1906, held at East White Oak September 13, this temporary committee was 1 See Book III, Chapter XL, The Foreign Missionary Work. 516 THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 517 reelected to succeed itself. This was called the Foreign Mission Committee. After the establishing of home mission work in 1909 a purchasing committee consisting of Rev. Peter Schantz, John Ropp and Rev. A. B. Rutt was also elected. Up to 1909 the Foreign Mission Committee and the Home Mis- sion Committee which was established in 1908, were inde- pendent of each other. During the 1909 conference at Aurora, Nebraska, the question of incorporating mission work was discussed in one of the delegates' sessions. It was discovered that it was necessary to incorporate to do business with foreign governments. It was decided to in- corporate home and foreign work only and not the con- ference organization. The Home and Foreign Mission Committee were elected as a committee to secure the in- corporation papers. The conference on October 13-14, 1909, was held at the Y. M. C. A. at Bloomington, Illi- nois. Here the home and foreign mission work was con- solidated. The name of the new organization was the Central Mennonite Board of Home and Foreign Missions. Its purpose was to be evangelization, support home and foreign work, receive and hold all donations made for mission purposes. The number of members of the board at first was seven. In the 1910 conference, held at Flana- gan, the delegates decided to enlarge the Mission Board to twenty-five members, fifteen members representing the fifteen congregations at that time in the conference, seven members representing the Home and Foreign Mission Committee, and three representing the Publication Board. To-day the membership of the Board is determined by representation from the congregations. At present it has three committees: the Executive Committee, consisting of President, Vice-president, Secretary and the two Treasur- ers from the Home and Foreign Committees; the Foreign Mission Committee; and third, the Home Mission Com- 518 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS mittee. The Foreign and Home Mission Committees do practically all of the work of the Board. Rev. J. H. King is president of the Foreign Mission Committee and also of the Board. Rev. Allen Miller is chairman of the Home Mission Committee and Rev. Andrew Vercler, treasurer. The Mission Board holds yearly meetings in the month of January. At these meetings business is transacted and an inspirational program given. It is the purpose of these meetings to inform the church concerning mission work done in the home and foreign fields and to suggest plans for future expansion. The new board with twenty-five members was reorganized on January 2, 1911, and a year later began its work. The mission board at present is quite large since the size of the Board is determined by the membership of the congregations. There is one representative for every one hundred members and two for congregations with a mem- bership over one hundred. All ministers are members of the board. 2 General Home Mission Work Just when the home mission work of the Central Conference Mennonite Church began is difficult to deter- mine. It would depend on a definition of the term home missions. As an organized activity of the Conference it began in 1908, but before this time there was a great deal of extension work done in the home field and also money given to home mission work. In a report given of the activities of the North Danvers Church in 1892, Joseph Stuckey states that the church gave ninety dollars to home missions. The different congregations which later formed the Conference helped to support mission work in other Mennonite groups and also supported institutions of other 2 Christian Evangel, Vol. XII, No. 1, January, 1922, p. 17. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 519 denominations. There was also considerable home mission work done by the congregations before 1908 in the estab- lishment of Sunday Schools in schoolhouses in various communities and also in extending the borders of the church. As stated before from the mother church at North Danvers a number of new congregations were es- tablished. Even in the early days Rev. Jonathan Yoder saw an opportunity at Washington, Illinois, to do home mission work and suggested that services be held there. Father Stuckey had a missionary spirit and a vision of extension work. He traveled over the states of Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Michigan, Kansas and Missouri in the interests of needy congrega- tions, ordaining ministers and bishops, dedicating churches and establishing new congregations. Rev. Peter Schantz with his spirit of missionary adventure was instrumental in establishing a number of new congregations. All of this was home mission work of the church. Mennonite Gospel Mission, Chicago 3 As an organized activity the Home Mission Com- mittee has been responsible for the establishing of two mission stations, one in Chicago and one in Peoria, and also for taking over one station in Chicago which formerly had belonged to another Mennonite group. The first mis- sion to be established was the Home Chapel in Chicago, now called the Mennonite Gospel Mission. The commit- tee had been investigating a number of fields for opening city mission work. Mission records show that on May 30, 1907, the Home Mission Committee had met at Peoria, Illinois, to look for a home mission station but nothing definite was accomplished. It was at this time when Mr. A. B. Rutt, who had been a member of the (old) Mennonite Church and had 8 Year Book of the Central Conference, 1923, p. 17, ff. 520 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS been doing mission work in Chicago for several years, offered his services to the Central Conference Mennonite Church. He was interested while yet in the old confer- ence in the publication of a young people's paper and also in more progressive mission work in the city. He finally decided to take his church membership to what he thought a more progressive body of Mennonites and so decided to come to the Central Conference Church. He wrote to Valentine Strubhar of Washington, Illinois, expressing his desire. The Home Mission Committee being ready for ac- tion, held a meeting with Mr. Rutt. Peter Schantz had been interested in starting city work for a number of years. The Home Mission Committee with Rev. Allen Miller went to Chicago where with the assistance of Rev. Rutt they selected the site for the mission. On June 20, 1909, the first service was held as a Sunday School at 843 West Sixty-third Street. At this first meeting there were present the superintendent, one teacher and six pupils. A store building was converted into a chapel. The work progressed very rapidly the first year, reaching an attend- ance of eighty-five. Four services were held each Sunday and from two to four a week. Monthly women's meetings were held and a Home department was organized. The workers for the first year at the mission were Rev. A. B. Rutt, his parents, Anna Augspurger, Elizabeth Streid and Edna Patton who came in October, 1909. The Home Mission Committee realized that with the growing work another place of worship must be provided for the mission. They first decided to erect a new build- ing and on April 27, 1910, at a Board meeting held at Bloomington they decided to buy lots. These were pur- chased May 25, 1910, but after further investigation they found that they were able to buy a building at the corner of Sixty-third and Carpenter Streets. It was purchased in December, 1910, and in February, 1911, the mission called THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 521 the Mennonite Home Chapel was moved into the new quarters. The building was raised and a heating plant installed. The Home Chapel was dedicated October 27, 1912. The purchase of the lots and also of this building was made possible by the generous gift of John and Mary Rupp of Bloomington, Illinois. They gave an initial sum of five thousand eight hundred and forty dollars and then continued gifts for the repairing of the building until it amounted to about ten thousand dollars. The first period of mission work was 1909-14 when the mission was under the jurisdiction of the Board. Dur- ing this time Rev. Rutt was ordained Bishop by Rev. Peter Schantz April 9, 1912. Miss Streid and Miss Augspurger left after a year of service and Miss Edna Patton became the wife of Rev. A. B. Rutt June 21, 1911. Rev. Jacob Sommer and wife of Goodland, Indiana, volunteered for mission work at the 1910 conference. January 1, 1911, they began mission work at the Home Chapel, par- ticularly devoting their time to rescue work. During this period of mission work Rutt organized the following ac- tivities : Sunday School, Children's Work, Junior Christian Endeavor, Boys' Club, Girls' Industrial Work, Women's Bible Class, and Home Department. Some fresh-air work was also done, Mrs. Sommer bringing children from the mission to Goodland, Indiana, August 9, 1912. In 1913 the Sunday School had an enrollment of two hundred and thirty. It was Rev. Rutt's aim to make his mission self- supporting so that the Board could be relieved to estab- lish other stations. On March 1, 1914, it became self- governing and self-supporting and was called the First Mennonite Church of Chicago. The second period of mission work was from 1914- 17, when the mission was independent of the Board and was a member of the Conference. During this same period considerable difficulty arose between Rutt and the church. He finally resigned to the local official board and it ap- 522 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS pealed to the Conference. On January 2, 1917, the Con- ference took charge of the Mission again and placed Rev. D. D. Augspurger in charge of the work. Rev. and Mrs. Sommer, who by this time were working in the Peoria Mission, returned to Chicago and took charge of the work until arrangements could be made for workers. January 3, 1918, Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Hartzler of Goshen, In- diana, took charge of the work. February 1, 1918, Miss Pearl Ramseyer of the East White Oak congregation be- came a worker at the Home Chapel. L. D. Hartzler left Chicago June 25, 1918, and the work was placed in charge of Rev. E. T. Rowe who had been teaching a Bible class in the mission since November, 1917. The Board officially elected Rowe as Superintendent January 7, 1919. The work had suffered continually during the transition period. In 1919 the Sunday School only had sixty-six, and an average attendance of thirty-five. The work under the supervision of Rowe has continued to grow and a number of new features have been added. A Gospel car was pur- chased in 1919. With this convenience the workers are able to do considerable work in various institutions of the city such as the Cook County institution at Oak Forest or street work. An electric sign was purchased at a cost of $619.25 a few years ago which during evening and night flashes out the message, "Jesus saves." The name of the mission was changed from Home Chapel to Mennonite Gospel Mission. The membership of the church at present is fifty-six and the Sunday School enrollment one hundred and seventy-two. Rev. Rowe resigned Oct. 1, 1929. Mennonite Gospel Mission, Peoria 4 " The second mission station to be established by the Home Mission Committee was the Mennonite Gospel 4 Year Book of the Central Conference, 1923, p. 21, f. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 523 Mission, Peoria, Illinois. After the Home Chapel at Chi- cago became self-supporting in 1914, the Home Mission Committee was attempting to locate a place suitable for another mission. After careful investigation they decided on April 20, 1914, to start work in Peoria. A call was ex- tended to Rev. Jacob Sommer and wife to take charge of the work. Sommer had been ordained as a minister in October, 1907, and became pastor of the Zion Mennonite Church at Goodland, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Sommer came to Peoria in 1914. They at once began to look for a suitable location and after making a survey of the field decided to establish the work at 920 North Adams Street in a vacant store building. The first service held was a Sunday School on the morning of July 19, 1914, with an attendance of thirty-seven. In the evening of the same day the building was dedicated. The large number present from the churches in the sur- rounding community added much to the encouragement of the work at this place. Miss Luella Engel of Danvers, Illinois, became a worker at the mission in April, 1915. She served the mission until September, 1920, when she left to take nurses' training at the Mennonite Sanitarium at Bloomington, Illinois. The work at the Peoria Mission prospered from the beginning. At the end of the first year there were forty- eight members on the membership roll. The records show that December 5, 1915, there were ninety-six in attend- ance in the Sunday School and one hundred and five in preaching service. The mission has at present the follow- ing activities: Preaching, Sunday School work, Christian Endeavor Work, a Women's Missionary Society, Willing Workers' Society, and Mid-week Prayer Service. The Home Mission Committee decided in the latter part of 1915 to purchase a site and erect a permanent mission building. A building of veneered brick suitable for the 524 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS various activities of the mission was erected in the summer of 1916 at 1001 North Adams Street and was dedicated September 10, 1916. The membership of the church at present (1926) is ninety-four and the enrollment in the Sunday School one hundred and ninety. Twenty-sixth Street Mission, Chicago* The third city mission under the jurisdiction of the Mission Committee is one that was established in 1906 by the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois and the Illinois Confer- ence of the (old) Mennonites 6 on Twenty-Sixth Street, Chicago. It was originally an outgrowth of the Mennonite Home Mission in Chicago under the superintendency of A. H. Leaman. This mission was under the superinten- dency of Rev. A. M. Eash 7 from its beginning in 1906. Eash left the mission in 1919 and spent two years in orphanage work at Jerusalem. When he returned in 1921 the work had declined considerably. He felt that the em- phasis which was being placed by the (old) Mennonites on customs and practices which were foreign to city folk made it difficult for him to build up the work again. The Mission Board ([old] Mennonite) decided to sell the building and close the work. Eash and his congregation then appealed to the Central Conference Mennonites. The first meeting of the Mission Board to consider the proposition was held April 24, 1923. In the 1923 conference held at East White Oak the Twenty-Sixth Street congregation was admitted into the conference. After con- siderable negotiation the Central Mennonite Mission 5 Year Book of the Central Conference, 1924, p. 24. 6 For a more complete discussion of the early history of this mission see Book II, Chapter XXXIII, The Twenty-Sixth Street Mission. 7 A. M. Eash biography will be given in the biographical section at the end of the book. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 525 Board purchased the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission build- ing in January, 1924. Under the administration of the Central Conference the work at the mission has again been built up and is making progress. The present membership of the church is seventy-eight and the enrollment of the Sunday School is two hundred and thirty-five. Rev. and Mrs. Eash are the workers at the Mission at present (1929). CHAPTER LIV ' THE COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES The Central Conference of Mennonites is the sixth in size of the Mennonite and Amish bodies in America. The spirit of cooperation has been found in this branch from the days of Father Stuckey. His records re- veal the fact that he was in very close touch with other Mennonite groups. He visited churches of the (old) Mennonite conferences and cooperated with some of their leaders. He was also in close touch with the General Con- ference of Mennonites of North America. A report of the North Danvers Church is found in the 1890 confer- ence report of the General Conference of Mennonites. A number of the leaders of the (old) Conference and the General Conference also visited the churches which now form the Central Conference. Bishops and ministers of the (old) Conference preached in Father Stuckey's con- gregation and the surrounding congregations. The Mid- dle District of the General Conference of Mennonites held its 1898 conference session in a grove a few miles from Danvers, Illinois, and was entertained by Father Stuckey's church. In 1898 when the (old) Mennonites began mission work in India an attempt was made by the Central Con- ference to cooperate with them. Again when the Central Conference began foreign mission work in Africa in the period from 1905-1909, Rev. Menno S. Steiner attended a mission meeting at Meadows, Illinois, and gave a stirring missionary address. He was interested in united foreign mission work by the Mennonite groups. It seemed, how- ever, that the time was not yet ripe for such a movement. 526 THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 527 Another evidence of the spirit of cooperation is found in the launching of the Christian Evangel in 1910. It was the purpose of A. B. Rutt as editor of the Evangel to make it an All-Mennonite paper. A number of editorials were written in the early issues of the Evangel urging very- close cooperation between the Mennonite groups and even suggesting a united publication board. Rutt's attitude in this matter was sanctioned and supported by the Central Conference Mission Board meeting in January, 1911. The board sanctioned Rutt's policy of using men of other Con- ferences as editors of various departments. At one time there were five Conferences represented on the editorial staff. At this same board meeting a definite invitation was given to the Defenseless Mennonites. In 1917 the Evan- gel was published in cooperation with the Mennonite Brethren in Christ. The 1925 conference advised the members to patronize the Brotherhood Aid Association of the Defenseless Mennonites. 1 The two missions in Chi- cago join with the other Mennonite missions in a quar- terly meeting and when the Happy Hour mission was in existence helped to support it. 2 The church has not attempted to cooperate with only one group of Mennonites but with various groups. At the time of the yearly conferences invitation is always given to ministers of other Mennonite groups to meet in the delegates' session. The following resolution was unanimously adopted by the 1924 Conference: — "The Central Conference of Mennonites are a body of Mennonites who wish to be known as being desirous of a closer fellowship and unity between the different Mennonite Conferences, independent churches and individuals who are of kindred faith; there- 1 See Book III, Chap. XL VI, the Brotherhood Aid Association. 2 See Book III, Chap. XLV, the Cooperative Mission Activities by the Mennonites in Chicago. 528 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS fore be it resolved, That we heartily invite all such groups who may be of like desire to effect with us a closer co- operation through their appointed representatives." The following cooperative activities with the De- fenseless Conference have been treated in the preceding section: 3 the Foreign Missionary Work (Congo Inland Mission), the Salem Orphanage near Flanagan, the Men- nonite Old People's Home of Meadows. Four additional activities should be noted: Education, Relief Work, All- Mennonite Convention, and Young People's Retreat. Education* The higher educational movement in the Mennonite Church did not begin as early as mission work. The Cen- tral Conference Mennonite Church was always concerned that the children should receive an elementary education. The early settlers established their own private schools for the purpose of educating the children. But the Amish have always been conservative in regard to higher educa- tion. Living in communities where farming was done on an extensive scale they felt they needed their boys and girls as soon as they were old enough to help on the farm. It was the missionary movement in the church which first brought the need of higher education to the minds of the church leaders. The Central Conference Mennonite Church, as all other Mennonite groups, discovered that she must get her missionaries from some training school, be it a Bible school or seminary. Practically all the mis- sionaries that were sent to Africa received their training at the Moody Bible Institute. Most of these were not members of the Central Conference Mennonite Church. The Church began to see that she must send her young 3 See Chaps. XL-XLIII, respectively. * Chiefly from Smith and Hirschler— The Story of Bluff ton College, and the Christian Evangel, Vol. XII, January and February, 1922. THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 529 people to high school, college and seminary or Bible Insti- tute if she would have future missionaries. The first Mennonite educational institution in which members of the Central Conference churches were inter- ested was the (old) Mennonite school which had been es- tablished in 1895 in Elkhart, Indiana under the name of the Elkhart Institute. A number of young people from several congregations attended the institute. This attend- ance continued when the school was moved to Goshen, Indiana in 1903, and became Goshen College. However the attendance later fell off, and since 1914 very few have attended due to the fact that the conference became inter- ested in the school at Bluffton, Ohio about 1910. How- ever during the period when J. E. Hartzler was president of Goshen College, 1914-1918, several generous dona- tions were made by wealthy individuals in the Central Conference. Had it not been for the repulse of the sug- gestion that the group be represented in some way on the (old) Mennonite Board of Education it is possible that friendly relations and support might have continued and increased. After the repulse however, the solicitation of support from the Bluffton College group was followed. It is interesting to note however that a number of active ministers in the Central Conference are graduates of Go- shen College, namely, I. R. Detweiler, W. B. Weaver, Ray- mond Hartzler, Benj. Esch, H. E. Nunemaker, and Ernest Bohn. Detweiler had been acting President immediately pre- ceding his assumption of the pastorate of the Eighth Street Mennonite Church at Goshen, Ind., and W. B. Weaver had been a member of the faculty for a number of years. The first educational institution in which the Central Conference of Mennonites became officially interested was Bluffton College. This institution was founded in 1900 by the General Conference of Mennonites. It was owned and governed by the Middle District Conference and was .35 530 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS called Central Mennonite College. The president, Dr. S. K. Mosiman, visited the Central Conference Mennonite Churches in the interests of the college as early as 1909 and 1910. These visits meant much in the way of encour- agement to the young people to attend the institution, and also in creating interest among the Conference leaders. During these same years there was considerable dis- cussion among the leaders of the different groups of Men- nonites in regard to a cooperative effort in Mennonite edu- cation. . , , Up to 1909 the various Mennonite Colleges that had been established each interested only one group of Men- nonites and very little effort was made to interest Menno- nites of other groups. Perhaps one of the first steps in suggesting the idea of cooperation was a letter sent by Prof. N. E. Byers, then president of Goshen College, on Tune 3, 1909, to the heads of all Mennonite schools and colleges, stating that Goshen was offering a full college course for the A. B. degree and asking their cooperation in interesting the graduates of their schools who desired to complete a full college course. There was no response to this letter by any of the schools. The first step that finally resulted in cooperation was made by Pres. N. E. Byers to Pres. J. W. Kliewer o* Bethel College in November of 1912. He suggested in this letter that the next step in the development of higher education for Mennonites should be taken by the coopera- tion of several branches of the church. A few weeks later Pres. J. W. Kliewer and Pres. S. K. Mosiman met in Chicago and after discussing the matter of educational co- operation they asked Pres. Byers to meet with them. Ihe three presidents of the three Mennonite Colleges with Rev A. S. Shelly of the Eastern District of the, General Conference met at the Lasalle Hotel in Chicago in De- cember, 1912. Two important decisions were made a1 THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 531 this meeting: First, that any advanced work in education in the Mennonite church could best be accomplished by co- operation of a number of Mennonite groups; Second, that if sufficient interest in such a movement should manifest itself a meeting should be called at some central place to consider the possibility of such an undertaking. It was soon discovered that a number from several of the Mennonite groups were interested and expressed their willingness to attend a meeting to discuss a union school movement. This meeting was held at Warsaw, Indiana^, on May 29, 1913. There were twenty-four in- terested persons present at this meeting, representing five groups of Mennonites. Rev. Benjamin Esch, Rev. A. B Rutt and John Ropp were present from the Central Con- ference of Mennonites. ^.^i The most important resolution passed at this meeting was that ,t,s the sense of this meeting that an institution be established representing the various branches of the Church giving under-graduate and graduate work of a standard college and theological and Biblical work of a standard seminary. At this same meeting a Board of fif teen men was named, whose duty it should be to take the necessary steps to establish the proposed institution. Rev. J. H. King, Rev. Emanuel Troyer, and Rev. A B Rutt were members of the Board from the Central Confe'rence Home rL!T rT' J^e 24 1913, at the Mennonite .Home Chapel in Chicago. At this meeting it was decided r hat the proposed school should be established in connec- ,fcon with Central Mennonite College at Bluffton, Oho .The name adopted for the new school was Bluffton Col- lege and Mennonite Seminary. The school opened on September 17 1913 with over a hundred students. Dr Mosimar. was President of the institution and Prof N E .Byers, Dean. £ " From the beginning of this institution there were a lumber of men in the Central Conference who were vitally 532 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS interested. On March 10, 1914, the ministers of the Con- ference met at Bloomington, Illinois, and passed a resolu- tion endorsing the individuals of the Conference who were taking an active part in the work of the school. Another member of the Central Conference of Mennonites, who should be mentioned here as a firm supporter of Bluffton College was John Ropp of Bloomington, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Ropp and Mrs. Ropp's mother, Mrs. Mary Rupp, have given approximately $180,000 to the institution. By 1915 the Conference officially endorsed Bluffton College. In the 1916 campaign of the College for the raising of $200,000 endowment, the Central Conference Menno- nite Church decided to raise $30,000 of this amount. Prof. Huffman of the college went through the churches soliciting the money. In the conference of 1924 at Con- gerville, Illinois, the Conference again passed a resolution approving the campaign of the college to raise $500,000. The Conference at present supports the college with money and students. It is the only conference thus far of all the Mennonite conferences that has consistently elected all of its members to the Board. In the establishment of the new school by the various branches of Mennonites, it was noted that the name Bluff- ton College and Mennonite Seminary was given to the new institution. This suggested the idea that the Seminary should have a large place in this new united educational movement of the Mennonites. In fact the seminary was considered the most important by many of the church leaders because the great need of an educational institu- tion was to train missionaries, ministers and other Chris- tian workers. From 1913 to 1920 the college and seminary were under one board. The seminary was a department of the college. After seven years of its existence as a part of the college, a number of the Mennonite Church leaders felt THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 533 that the institution was too weak in teaching force and equipment to attract any considerable number of graduates of other colleges. The Mennonite Seminary remained a department of the college until 1921 when Witmarsum Theological Semi- nary was established. During this time the seminary had two professors until 1917, then three. The A. M. and B. D. degrees were granted to several students. At the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Bluffton College, January 27, 28, 1921, the matter of the expansion of the work of the Seminary was considered. A committee of five was appointed to bring in a report to the Board of Trustees. Rev. Emanuel Troyer was a mem- ber of this committee. The report of this committee pro- vided that the Mennonite Seminary be placed in charge of a committee of five men. Troyer again served on this committee. After several meetings of this committee the Seminary was finally organized and incorporated on Julv 6, 1921. The Central Conference Mennonite Church has aided very materially in the financing of the institution. Up to July 6, 1921, Troyer had solicited $135.00 among friends in Central Illinois. He also invited Prof. Whitmer to visit the churches in Central Illinois and explain the need and plans of such an institution as Witmarsum Theological Seminary. The Central Conference also gave a consider- able amount for the first year's operating expenses. In the conference of 1922 held at Meadows, Illinois, a resolution was passed that the Conference support one chair at the Seminary, the amount being $2,000. The Conference is supporting this chair at the present time. Relief Work During the European War the Friends (or Quakers) of England asked permission of the government to send 534 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS their young men who had conscientious objections to war into relief work in the war-stricken regions instead of into military service. This permission was granted and when the United States entered the war the same was granted to the American Friends and other non-resistant groups. The Mennonites, being non-resistant, also made ap- plication to the Friends to do relief work under their or- ganization. The Central Conference of Mennonites de- cided in the conference of 1917, held at Hopedale, Illinois, to join with about six other Mennonite groups in carrying on War Relief Work in France. A committee on Relief Work was appointed January 3, 1918, consisting of Rev. Valentine Strubhar, Rev. Allen Miller and Rev. Aaron Augspurger. After the close of the war the Conference decided to participate in permanent relief work. Thus far the relief work had been done in France but now work was done in Russia, Germany, and the Near East. From 1918 to 1922 the Conference raised $15,000. From the time the Con- ference entered relief work to the present the total given through congregations and by individuals is over $270,000. The conference has had a representative on the permanent Central Relief Committee from the beginning in the per- son of Rev. Allen Miller. All-Mennonite Convention The Central Conference Mennonite Church has been vitally interested from the beginning of its history in the closer affiliation of the Mennonite groups. As stated be- fore, the Christian Evangel, the official organ of the Con- ference, was started with the hope that it might become an All-Mennonite paper. At a meeting of the ministers held at Peoria, Illinois, October 17, 1917, a committee was appointed to attempt to form an All-Mennonite Chris- THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 535 tian Endeavor and Sunday School Union. Rev. Emanuel Troyer, Rev. Lee Lantz, and Rev. Benjamin Esch were appointed on the committee. Also in 1910 Rev. Aaron Augspurger was the first one to endorse the suggestions of Rev. I. A. Sommer for a discussion of the question of all-Mennonite union. On May 5, 1910, Sommer, then editor of The Mennonite, the official organ of the General Conference of Mennonites, published an editorial under the title, "In What Funda- mentals do Mennonites Agree?" In his editorial he sug- gested that a conference should be held of the leaders of all the Mennonite branches and invited a discussion of the subject in the church papers. There was opposition from only one source. On August 18, 1910, President N. E. Byers of Goshen College proposed a plan for the starting of an All-Mennonite Conference. He suggested that the editor of The Mennonite nominate a committee, consisting of one representative from each group of Mennonites to prepare a program, and select a time and place of meeting. Rev. Valentine Strubhar was the representative from the Central Conference of Mennonites. The first All-Mennonite Convention was held at Berne, Indiana, August 19, 20, 1913. Fourteen of the Central Conference Mennonite people were present. The Conference has been represented very well at all the con- ventions. These All-Mennonite Conventions have been held every three years, the last one having been held at Nappanee, Indiana, September 2 and 3, 1925. At this con- vention it was decided to hold the meetings every two years. Suggestions have been made that the Central Con- ference Church merge with other groups such as the De- fenseless Mennonites and the General Conference Menno- nites, but no movement has yet been made in this direc- tion. S36 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Young People's Retreat The Young People's Retreat was held in 1925 at Bluffton, Ohio. The Central Conference sent eight young people to the retreat and also had a representative on the Retreat Committee. The 1926 representative was Gerald Stanley of Danvers, Illinois. The retreats are to be con- tinued. The Conference has given its support financially and morally. In concluding this Central Conference history it may be happily noted how the branch has grown under the guidance and nurture of Jonathan Yoder, Joseph Stuckey, and Peter Schantz from one pioneer congregation into thirty churches, organized into a conference carrying on many activities. BOOK V SMALLER GROUPS CHAPTER LV THE OLD ORDER AMISH The Arthur Settlement 1 The foregoing chapters of Part II have been devoted entirely to the history of the Bloomington-Peoria Amish Settlement in Central Illinois. Quite independent of this group another colony was settled in the territory around Arthur. Unlike the Bloomington-Peoria group these Am- ish have retained the original practices of their fathers, so are to be classified with "the old Order" branch. 2 The first of these people to come to Douglas and Moultrie Counties followed Bishop Joel Beachy of Grants- ville, Maryland, and Moses Yoder of Summit Mills, Penn- sylvania, who started west in June of the year 1864 to find a location where they could farm without liming the soil before raising a crop. They had good farms in the east, but were tired of burning limestone and applying it every year to their soil. In starting west, Joel Beachy had in mind to locate in Wisconsin while Moses Yoder had looked towards Missouri. After visiting both of these states and starting homeward they arrived at Pana, Illi- nois one, Saturday evening and decided to rest there over Sunday. When they walked out in the country as far as Onega, the country looked very promising to them. Mon- day morning they took the train for Mattoon, then walked to Areola a distance of fourteen miles and there met Joel * Information furnished by L. A. Miller, Arthur, Illinois, and Oney Fleener, Villa Grove, Illinois. 2 For brief early history of the Amish and Old Order see Book I. Chap. III. 539 540 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Smith who took them about through the country for a day or two. They were greatly impressed by it, but decided to wait and see it again later in the summer. They went home without buying and returned again in September the same year. This time they were accom- panied by Daniel Miller and Daniel Otto and others who had, urged by the entreaties of Yoder and Miller, pre- pared to go into the new section where they could be apart from the rest of the world and together in a settle- ment of their own people. The followers of Yoder and Miller settled upon the unbroken prairie around the little village of Arthur, Daniel Miller bought the Ike Cosier farm now known as the Jerry Yoder farm, his son Ed- ward Yoder living on it at present. Moses Yoder bought 160 acres later know as the Joe Yoder farm. Moses Yo- der then rented this farm to Daniel Otto. In November when he came back to pay for it he decided to buy another farm for his own home. He purchased the Henry Cosier farm where he lived until his death. This farm is now known as the D. M. Yoder farm. On this third trip Mo- ses Yoder also bought a section of railroad land at $8.10 per acre. The northeast corner of this section now joins the village of Arthur. This section was bought for Jona- than Hostetler of Pennsylvania, but he never moved to the settlement. Later Joel Miller traded some land in Pennsylvania on the northern half of this section and moved on it in the year 1869 where he resided until his death. Moses Yoder, Daniel Miller, and Daniel Otto with their families were the first Amish emigrants to arrive in the community. They landed at Areola on March 3, 1865, from Summit Mills, Pennsylvania, and were accompanied by a Dunkard family by the name of Cornelius Hostetler, who also located in the vicinity of Arthur. Jonas J. Kauff- man and family arrived in the year of 1865 from Iowa. THE OLD ORDER AMISH 541 Kauffman was ordained as minister in 1868, and as bishop in 1873. In 1880 he and his family accompanied by Isaac Miller and family moved to Oregon. Moses Kauffman and family arrived from Iowa March 3, 1868 and located on the Henry Cosier farm, now known as the Isaac Bar- tholomew farm. He was ordained to the ministry in 1869 and died in 1898 at the age of 71 years. Daniel Schrock and family arrived in 1870 from Holmes County, Ohio, locating on the farm now known as the Benjamin Schrock farm. He was ordained to the ministry the same year and died in 1890 at the age of 62. New emigrants kept coming in until the year 1888 when it was found necessary to divide the church into two districts, one known as the D. J. Beachy or Moultrie County district and the other as the D.* J. Plank or Dou- glas County district. The Douglas County side was again divided on December 7, 1902 and the Moultrie County side was divided again in* 1906. -The northern half of the Douglas County district, that of D. J. Plank, was again divided in the fall of 1922. Thus at the close of 1922 the original settlement had been divided into five separate districts and now at the close of 1925 another division is being discussed and the vote will likely favor the forma- tion of the sixth division. The following is a list of bishops, ministers and dea- cons which have served in the settlement: Joseph N. Keim, bishop and minister, 1865-1872. Jonas J. Kauffman, bishop and minister, 1868-1S80. Moses J. Kauffman, ordained 1869, died 1898. Daniel Schrock, ordained 1870. died 1890. C. P. Hershberger, ordained deacon 1874, ordained minister 1869. Daniel J. Beachy, ordained minister 1881, bishop 1885, the oldest minister and bishop now in charge of the settlement. D. J. Plank, ordained minister 1889, bishop 1892. Joseph D. Schrock, ordained minister 1890. Gideon N. Kauffman, ordained minister 1892. H. J. Mast, ordained minister October 21, 1894. Eli Y. Otto, ordained deacon November 17, 1895, died 1922. Abraham D. Schrock, ordained minister October 9, 1904. S. N. Beachy, ordained minister 1906, bishop 1920. S. D. Beachy, ordained minister 1910, died 1921. 542 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS A. J. JIast, bishop, moved in from Mississippi in 1904 Henry Yoder, minister, moved in from Michigan 1913, died 1915 D. J. Mast, minister, moved in from Indiana in 1912. bishop ^n C 1919 miSter ' m ° Ved iD fr ° m Alabama in 1916 ' ordained j0hD diana e i9S» ni " ter ' m ° TCd "* fr ° m AIabama - 1916 - moved to In- Joseph i L. Sehrock, ordained minister November 17 191S riv? i . i5C,lrock ' ordained minister April 21 1921 r, -a . I ii ener ' ordained minister April 23. 'l921 ' i 7,™ ,! "' ordained deacon October 9, 1921 A. J. Miller, ordained deacon October 21, 1921 John W Stutzman, ordained minister October 1, 1922 Daniel M. Otto, ordained deacon October 8, 1922. The language spoken by the members of these dis- tricts is known as "the Pennsylvania-Dutch." However many of their words are in English. A close listener can understand much of their conversation. Nevertheless, these people take pride in speaking and writing good German so during the summer months many of the children are tutored in German by a very able instructor. There are three private school houses within the five church districts. Their odd dress and unusual customs cause the out- side world to think these Amishmen very strange and old- fashioned. In their sole occupation of farming, the Amish are recognized as more prosperous than the American farmers of that section. From the crude homes that were established there in the wild country over fifty years ago beautiful abodes of simple style, huge barns, and other buildings with yards and well-fenced fields are to be seen. 1 he bright newly painted red barns and the tall windmills towering above the tree tops, and the large fields are the first things to attract the attention of a traveler. Beauti- fully decorated large houses painted in white and trimmed in green without shades but green shutters on the many windows are to be seen. Often in one large yard two and even three family homes are built together, or very near each other— the home of the father and his married sons. It is not unusual tor the sons of a family to marry and build their homes in THE OLD ORDER AMISH 543 the father's yard. This they usually strive to do. Enough farming land in reach of the sons is highly prized by the entire family. Insufficient land for tilling is a reason why the young men have to leave the home place after they have started homes of their own. The standards of simplicity have not changed an iota. In the market place or at their work in their homes the women and girls wear the same style of clothes as was worn when they came to the state. This consists of a black dress, white apron, and a neat white cap, called u the devotional covering," on their heads. Their neck and shoulders are covered with a large white handker- chief, which is a hint claimed to be taken from the Apostle Paul. Their heavier garments are dark cloaks. The wives and daughters, as well as the husbands and sons, are at all times strictly plain in attire. By avoiding all frivolities of fashion, there is no distinction between the rich and the poor though many have gained wealth, and none are ex- tremely poor. The men wear dark home-made shirts and trousers. A heavy cloak covers the body to the waist line. The shirts are fastened together with hooks and eyes. Suspenders made from strips of black wide elastic hold the trousers in place. A broad brim hat covers the head of untrimmed hair. Their dress and manners make them ap- pear much like the original Friends or Quakers. The home life is very simple. Their houses are neat and comfortable. The spacious front rooms are seldom used, except on special occasions such as church services, weddings, and "other social" gatherings. However, there is ample room elsewhere in the large house for the aver- age family, which too is usually large. The rooms are well lighted with large kerosene lamps on poles or on the walls. The light is nearly equal to that of gas or electricity, as the kerosene for the lamps is carefully mixed with gasoline and other ingredients. 544 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS The big porches, the beautiful lawn with immense over- spreading shade trees under which are huge lawn swings, and the many beautiful flowers make the outdoor life a great pleasure for the family during the summer months. At the close of a hot and hard day of toil in the fields during the summer months the farmers and their families enjoy the evening meal on the lawn near the kitchen. Many times during periods of pleasant weather when they eat outside, lights are seen only in the kitchen where the women are finishing up their work. After supper and as the shadows darken the country, the men lie on the grass enjoying the coolness of the breeze. Here many interest- ing happenings of the day are recited and enjoyed. Daily worship, although usually not long, is better established than the 'Throne of Grace" in the average American home. During the long evenings of the winter months there is much reading from the Bible. The family seats itself around the huge roaring stove while the father points out the sacred passages and offers prayer. They frequently break out into enthusiastic song. Although a visitor from the outside may not understand the language, he is usually stirred by the spirit that exists. In the home few books are to be found besides the Bible, some German books such asJ'The Works of Menno Simons" and "Mar- tyr's Miriror," a farm magazine, an agricultural journal, school books, and the Arthur Graphic. This newspaper gets its main support from the agricultural interests of these Amish. Though they associate little with the English yet with their own people they are extremely neighborly. On holidays and Sundays the families are very seldom alone. They usually invite a number of families for an all day affair, or respond to such an invitation. The community and religious life are built around this feature of fellow- ship. They take the Bible literally and try to follow it THE OLD ORDER AMISH 545 very closely. The discipline is very strict. The "Ban and Shunning" is applied. Several years ago, Abe Kauffman, a member of the settlement became "worldly" in his views, consequently his membership in the Amish Church was taken from him. The offender vowed that he would get back his rights. He carried the case to the Douglas County court. Here for the first time the Amish were drawn into a lawsuit. They told the court their side of the case. Agreement was made that Kauffman would be reinstated in the Church and his rights given if he would repent and follow the standards of his people. This was done and the , man who fell away is now highly respected by his fellow- worshipers. The adults are baptized by pouring, and they receive a birthright in the church. No church buildings are to be "seen anywhere in the settlement. Each Sunday and holi- day services are held in the various homes. After morn- ing worship the large dinner is served by the hostess and her daughters. Then light games are played. About four- thirty in the afternoon a light lunch is given to the guests, who make preparations to return to their respective homes in time to "do up the chores." At these meetings on Sundays and holidays, the timid young men often meet the lovely young lassies who later become their wives. Courtship includes no dances, card- playing, movies, or any other amusements. But much bug- gy-riding takes place. Repeatedly two, three, and even Tour topless buggies, loaded with young couples, can be seen driving very close together on the country road. The party of riders are made merry by a variety of gay Ger- man songs that they sing together as they ride slowly a- long beautiful country roads. Among these people the romantic part of courtship has been preserved. The young men go to see their sweet- hearts in buggies or on horseback. The little old-fashioned 36 1- Of 546 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ^ organ performs an important part in the entertainment. ^ Most of the girls can play the inspiring old German songs £" ^ by heart. The young men join in singing. Some unusual g| $ q talent for singing has been displayed though they would * \ \ ^ eel lt wron g to specialize in music. They learn the funda- a* ^ ^ mentals of music in the public schools. $ cy 1 he young ladies are very gracious to their guests. ^. ^ Many dainty things to eat are served. The entertainment £ ^ j [s entirely furnished by the host. The girls take pleasure \v o <, i n having large plots of flowers in the garden and in the ^ N$ ^ yard. A riot of colors from the many varieties is to be * ^ seen - The maidens are often beautifully decorated with ^ q, ^ ^ ese ^ owers by their young men callers. * ^ ^ f* T,ie we ddings generally take place on holidays pref- Jb V J era bly Thanksgiving when often there is a double wedding. r* W These are great days of feasting and merry making. Days ^ ^ J of preparation are required for the event. The pantries «^> M have their shelves heaped with pumpkin pies and other ^ 9 x iP^rich foods. ^ * The wedding is counted as a sad one by the young ^ S, N me ?, '^ they cannot g }ve tne groom the "married man's x ^ ^ dip" by plunging him into the watering tank. In most \D b cases the newly married man quietly surrenders. By doing ^ vA so ^ e nas a cnance to change his clothes in preparation for y^ ^ *> the icy plunge. ^ t^ The bride is received with perfect courtesy. Many worthy gifts are presented her. Milch cows, teams of driv- ing horses or a single driving outfit, are the things that her parents and close relatives may present her. The lady friends give articles of value in the household, while the men present gold coins and paper money. Of course, the groom receives gifts which come from his father who helps him "get set up in farming." Births are quietly announced in the neighborhood. Presents from the relatives are given to the new child. f*^ Ar+W, t ii;^< IfifK HSU) \ THE OLD ORDER AMISH 547 The child hears practically nothing excepting the German language, therefore learns German very easily. Strangers who speak English are kindly asked if they will refrain from talking much around the very young Amish children. It is not because the parents object to their children learn- ing the language that is spoken by the American people, but they want the young folks to be able to speak German. English is learned by the children when they enter the public schools. This prevents the mixture of the two lan- guages. The children receive an eighth grade education under the course of study prescribed by the State. A few of the young men have taken a month or two training in the high school at Arthur. But by the protest of the colony they discontinued and went back to work on the farm. Alfjert Helmuth was very ambitious to become a physi- cian among his people. He was apt in his school work, but gave up his studies in the first semester, because his parents demanded that he should return to the farm or lose his home and community rights. With the exception of a few operators of threshing and cornshelling outfits, and the buggy builders, all the Amish are farmers. None of these people are members of the farm bureaus, nor do they attend the agriculture school. Nevertheless, they accept all the worthy plans that have been tested and proved by the schools and the farm bureaus. Consequently the land is kept in a highly productive condition for raising the chief crops of the dis- trict — corn, wheat, oats, soy beans, and clover hay. Poultry raising and light gardening have been very profitable for the women. The returns often pay the home expense for many months of the year. Thereby the farm- ers are enabled to make timely improvements, make in- vestments in livestock, or land. This is the direct cause of the Amish adding hundreds of acres to their colony. 548 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS A vast amount of the food for the colony, as well as the feed for the live stock and poultry, is raised and pre- pared on the farms. The community and private grist mills make the flour, while the molasses is produced at the sorghum mill. Potatoes are dug and stored with other vegetables in their cellars. All kinds of fruits obtainable are canned in glass jars, and put into the family warehouse for consumption at all times of the year. On some of the farms dairying is as important as the cultivation of the land. On these farms a large herd of milch cows is kept. Both morning and evening, children from ten to eighteen can be seen squatting on a stool milking their assigned cows. Milking is the first task a child learns after being able to walk. The arrangement of the stalls for the cows is more comfortable and convenient than that ordinarily used by farmers. An unusual interest is taken in the orchards. They receive cultivation, are pruned and well-sprayed. The large berry patches are well cared for. Much fruit, cider, and vinegar are sold. A large amount of home produce is disposed of by private customers going into the com- munity to buy eggs, butter, and the like. The Amish but- ter is widely known. At Decatur, Arthur, Tuscola and other towns about ten cents a pound above the market price is paid for the Amish butter. Due to careful churn- ing of the cream when at the proper stage the butter pro- duced is of a high quality. Some homes make as much as fifty to eighty pounds every week. Very little renting of land is done outside of the immediate family. It is customary for a young farmer to save his wages until he marries and then by the help of his father to buy a small farm of his own, or help the father farm the home place. The money of the community is banked by each fa- ther and son who have their own wages and crops. The THE OLD ORDER AMISH 549 women and younger members of the families often have little personal checking accounts. Notes are given and accepted freely. The method of handling money is quite modern. No insurance is carried of any kind outside of the community right. When a building is destroyed an ap- praiser is sent to determine the loss. The owner is helped to rebuild again by the entire community. Neither tele- phones, nor automobiles have any place in the life of the Amish. There is no doctor in the community and when an emergency case arises, a swift horse with a cart and a rider is dispatched to Arthur. Usually the active and sim- ple life of these people causes them to require small serv- r Tce~bT~a "physician. If the case can not be handled by the simple but effective home remedies, there is no hesitancy in sending for the doctor. The funerals are simple. The services are held in the home with very little music, and no fulsome eulogy. Some comforting Bible verses are read and the obituary given. The burial is made in some little corner of the farm near the home. Each family has its own little grave lot. Flow- ers are generally sown on the new graves. Travelers see great beauty and a peaceful, but silent story, as they drive slowly through the settlement late in the summer evenings, looking at these fenced in mounds with their small head- stones. The attitude that the Amish took toward fighting dur- ing the World War caused them to be subjects of unjust abuse. For years they had lived quietly in the settlement. Then came the dark days of the war. The young were drafted, seemingly snatched from their homes, reli- gion, and everything else that was worth while in their iives. In tears the fathers, mothers, and daughters told the young men to go and die if duty demanded but not 550 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS to shoulder a gun to kill another human being. Their views about fighting were explained in the camps. They were given heavy routine work to do instead, which they gladly did. A few headstrong leaders stirred the emotions of many excited persons in the home community, who did whatever harm they could to the Amish, because of their religious convictions against war, and because they spoke German. Paints of various colors were smeared on many of the barns and outbuildings. Attacks and threats were made. The friends of the Amish near Arthur brought an end to such lawlessness by reporting it to the county sheriff. They contributed to Red Cross work. After the war they gave liberally to Relief work. They do not be- lieve in mission work so have no such activities. L. A. Miller has a room fitted in his farmhouse from which he supplies the colony with books and literature. His book- store is patronized by Amishmen from other communities. He does a comparatively large mail-order business. The settlement has grown continually. It now ex- tends beyond Moultrie and Douglas into Coles County. The membership is four hundred but the entire Amish community probably comprises about three thousand indi- viduals. Aside from this large group attempts have been made to establish settlements in two other places. Shelby County Colony {Extinct) In the year 1872 a small Old Order Amish Colony settled in Shelby County, Illinois, coming from Elkhart and LaGrange Counties, Indiana and Holmes County, Ohio. The earliest settlers and organizers of the church were, Jacob Miller, a minister, Jacob Plank, Christian Borntreger of LaGrange County, Indiana, and Tobias Schrock of Holmes County, Ohio. Christian Borntreger was later ordained to the ministry and Eli Borntreger THE OLD ORDER AMISH 551 moved back to Indiana after remaining about a year and a half. In 1883, when the organizers disagreed, most of the members moved away, going mostly to Reno County, Kansas. Fayette County Colony {Extinct) In the fall of 1893 an Old Order Amish Church was started in Fayette County, Illinois, northwest from Browns- town, and later extended west of Vandalia. About half a dozen families moved there the first fall and a number more the following spring, among them were the following families: Preacher Moses J. Yoder, Douglas County, Illinois now at Bennetts Switch, Indiana; Preacher John A. Miller of Oregon, now at Weatherford, Oklahoma; the late D. K. Beiler, who died near Shipshe- wana, Indiana; Isaac N. Kauffman, Arthur, Illinois now at Nappanee, Indiana; Noah S. Beachy, Arthur, Illinois now at Haven, Kansas; Daniel Stutzman of Indiana re- turned to Indiana; Jacob Kauffman, of Indiana, now at Kokomo, Indiana; A. C. Miller of Sugar Creek, Ohio re- turned to that place; Jeff. Schrock of Sugar Creek, Ohio, now at Middlefield, Ohio. Among the other families were: Levi Hostetler, Adam Hostetler, Noah Kauffman, Jacob Mishler, Benjamin Miller, Samuel Troyer, Levi Troyer, Uriah Miller, Samuel Schrock, John Troyer, Noah Troy- er, Christian Eigsti, John Miller, David Kauffman, Jacob Yoder, Abe Nissley, Joe P. Brenneman, William J. Kauff- man. The first ministers that moved there were Moses J. Yoder and family from near Arthur, Illinois, and John A. Miller and family of Oregon. About two years later Samuel Bender, who moved there from Iowa, was or- dained to the ministry and later ordained as bishop. Preacher Joseph Bontreger also lived there a few years. The congregation never got a healthy start and after a- bout a decade went out of existence entirely. \ CHAPTER LVI THE CONSERVATIVE AMISH 1 The Sleeping Preacher Group Aside from the Old Order Amish as treated pre- viously another branch of Amish later came into the state. They too were independent of all other branches or groups. Some Amish, unlike the Old Order, believed in having meeting houses and in general were a trifle more liberal. They were called Conservative Amish, but in real- ity are not quite as conservative as the Old Order Amish. The only representatives of this branch who settled in Illinois were of a particular type, for they were followers of the so called "sleeping preacher. ,, The history of the Sleeping Preacher Group is mainly the biography of its leader, John D. Kauffman. ' John D. Kauffman was born in Logan County, Ohio, July 7, 1847. While yet a young man he came with his parents to Elkhart County, Indiana, where he lived nearly all his life. He died at his home near Shelbyville, Illinois, October 22, 1913; aged 66 years, 3 months, and IS days. After receiving a very limited common school education, he became a farmer, from which occupation he accumu- lated enough to provide for his material wants, and to support in comfort his bereft widow, Sarah Stutzman Kauffman. Early in life he joined the Amish Church, in which faith and practice he remained throughout life. In his 1 Information from Pius Hostetler and other members of the Mt. Her- mon Congregation near Shelbyville, Illinois, with material from the Herald of Truth and John J. Kennel, Bishop of the Linn Church, Roanoke, Illinois. 552 THE CONSERVATIVE AMISH 553 younger days he passed through the lot for the ministry though another received the ordination. By nature he was sociable and inclined to love sport and to make humorous remarks. All men have weaknesses and imperfections, and such were also noticeable in the life of this man. He was guilty at times of excessive drinking and smoking. With all his manifest weakness, some were inclined to make too much of the man, and in his preaching he often warned the people against making a god out of him. To those nearest him he also manifested a deep spiritual nature and a strong will and desire to obey God in all His ordinances and commands. He felt that God was using him for a special and important work. Bishop John F. Funk of Elkhart, Indiana visited him in his home in March, 1882. Funk said that he was gen- erally well spoken of, especially esteemed as a man of sincerity and conscientiousness, and considered a good church member. In regard to his preaching Funk gives the following report in the Herald of Truth : 2 "When I came to Kauff- man's house he was already overtaken with those cramps as they may be called. He was lying on the floor and had his hands tightly clinched, and at times struck on the floor so that it sounded like a heavy hammer coming down. Then after being there about fifteen minutes a hymn was announced and as the singing began his clinched hands were lifted straight up, and in a little while the hands were separated, and each hand with outstretched fingers, was held high and quite still, for about forty-five minutes while three hymns were being sung. "It seems almost impossible that a strong, well man, in his natural state, could lift his hands and arms so high and quiet, except for a few rather strong jerkings, for so long a time. Then he turned his face toward the floor and 2 Herald of Truth, March 15, 1882. 554 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS briefly prayed in a low and rather indistinct voice, closing with the Lord's prayer. Soon he tried to rise. His waiters helped him to his feet. He began to speak rather fast in German, his first words being, Teace be with you.' Then he spoke of the great love and mercy of God. He said he came before the people in great weakness and confessed he was a great sinner, and that he did not know how long he would have to stand before them, but if it were until the rising of the sun it would be only because of the mercy of God. Then he admonished his hearers to prove them- selves and see if they were living near to God. If they were not living for God and would be called away they would have no promise. They should prove themselves whether they were not too cold and careless. Then he spoke of the creation, the beautiful garden of Eden, and the command given to Adam, which he should have kept, and that we also have a command which we shall keep. Then he spoke of the love of God, that He gave His Son to die for us on the cross; how God stooped down and took a lump of earth and made man, and gave him a living soul, and this soul we shall bring back to Him pure and good, and we could easily die in the twinkling of an eye, but God did not want one soul to be lost. He pre- pared a beautiful place for us in heaven. Jesus was will- ing to go and prepare those mansions for us, but it was not needful for Him to go as the Lord had already pre- pared them all for us. He spoke of the angels in Heaven where Satan exalted himself and was cast out and is now going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may de- vour. He was cast out because of exaltation and now that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to God. He admonished us to prepare ourselves for those glorious mansions and if we did not love Him, we would be cast into hell, yet His mercy was for all. Here he sud- denly stopped speaking and stood with outstretched arms THE CONSERVATIVE AMISH 555 and hands, and offered a short prayer. In one or two minutes he began speaking in the English language. "While speaking he had his eyes closed, but walked around in the room, his arms and hands moving continu- ally. It was necessary to keep him away from the hot stove, and move the lamps. Sometimes while speaking we noticed him shaking. One time he shook so violently that the floor trembled. u In his English speaking he repeated largely what he had already said in German. [The report given by Funk of the English sermon is omitted.] "Here he spoke in German again and made mention of the conversation of Christ and the apostles where the Lord told them, 'Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' Then he said the doctors could not overpower this body. Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, when they could have gone through in forty days if they had obeyed. When we have done all, we shall yet say we are unworthy servants. If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly sinner appear. "Then he spoke of the punishment of the wicked, and made mention of the many false doctrines that are taught and accepted by Gospel preachers. Some want to reject the apostles' teachings, some are self-righteous, and do not believe, and some want to accept only a part of the Gospel teachings and doing this is not from God. He spoke of a young soul that had been called away that day to inherit the beautiful mansions in heaven, and if we had died in our infancy we would not be in the danger we are in now. He spoke of the blessedness of the redeemed and that the children were joint heirs to the glory of the saved, yet all need to suffer. Even little children must suffer, but Jesus says, 'Let the children come unto me, and forbid them not.' Also we must become as the children, and suffer for 556 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS His name's sake, and in the days of suffering and tempta- tion, will the love in many wax cold. We must bear all our sufferings with patience, and not leave Jesus and the Lord will be with us, and if God be for us who can be against us. He talked strong and hard against our glory- ing in our way of serving God, or our goodness, and think- ing ourselves above others. Then he spoke at length about Elijah, and his being taken to heaven, and his mantle be- ing given to Elisha, and the connecting incidents, to show the Lord's fatherly care over His children. He mentioned the three requests of Elisha to Elijah, and his three an- swers, the three signs given to Moses, and three to Noah, and three signs of the Savior, and that we should be will- ing to obey Him. We must use power or efforts to do the work of God. Jesus and His apostles teach us what to do, and the preachers shall build the church not by force, but by the pure Word. Here he stopped again for a drink. Then he spoke of the sin of mocking, and mentioned the forty-two children that were killed by two bears because they had mocked the prophet of the Lord. Also spoke of the sin of unbelief and said the mockers can not go to heaven, but must go to the lake of fire. "After speaking some more he said this body has now done his work, let us pray for those who bring these accusations against us, that we may be more like-minded, let us pray more that we be not led away from the faith. He also spoke of his going away to a strange land to teach people of Jesus and His love and of hell and its awfulness. Then he said this body will now rest. u He said the preachers present shall give testimony and also that there were not such great sinners present as at times. He mentioned the three hymns that had been sung, quoting the first line of each in the order they had been sung and said they should sing yet, 'Wo ist Jesu mein Verlangen?' Then he knelt and prayed for all, as Paul commands, and closed with the Lord's prayer. THE CONSERVATIVE AMISH 557 "His attendants laid him away, he being unconscious of all that had been done and said. His body remained quite stiff for a while after his preaching, then went to sleep and slept quiet till morning, when he seemed quite rested and in good cheer. "There are many wonderful things done by people in a trance but when a man every week at a certain time, is overcome with such cramps, and in that condition preach- es the Word of God, warning the sinners to flee from the wrath to come, and holds to a certain confession of faith, and teaching, keeping in the path of proper conduct, etc., this is indeed a very remarkable thing of this present time." Funk says that in the above he has only given a short sketch of his sermon, as he spoke so fast he could only jot down this much in long hand, but by it every one can know the nature of his preaching. He sometimes preached two hours and occasionally almost four. His prayers were quite unusual. One of the first times he came to Missouri he preached at the aged Bishop J. C. Kenagy's house and Kenagy said that such a prayer he had never heard, and that he would have given five dollars if he had it written down. At one time when this bishop gave testimony to this "Spirit" preaching, he said, "Let no one dare to say a word against it." One time in his preaching at his home in Indiana he said: "Soon he would have to stand up alone.'* Many did not know what it meant and thought, surely not all men would forsake him. But later on his bishop who had stood by him, for many years, forsook him. Then the spirit began to preach that they should move away. At first, when they told him about this, which had been spoken by him in the trance, he thought it could hardly be. He felt they could hardly leave, but by the fall of 1907 he with several other families moved to Shelby County, Illinois, 558 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS where after considerable investigation they felt the Lord had directed them. At that time the locality was without a bishop or resident minister for Kauffman had not been or- dained. An invitation was given to a bishop to come and serve them but he did not respond. The "Spirit" com- forted them by telling them they would get help. The ministers, S. E. Yoder of Delafield, Illinois, and Peter Zimmerman of Roanoke, Illinois, sided with the group, preaching for them at times. These would have been will- ing to locate in Shelby County had circumstances permitted. Finally an invitation was sent to Bishop John R. Zook of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. One evening after the preaching, while Kauffman was still in his trance, the brethren were talking of sending for Zook but did not know his middle letter. Then the "Spirit" spoke right out, "John R. Zook, he is the man, and I am the angel Gabriel that is telling you." Zook came, and held communion and baptismal services for them. Later on he was asked again to come and serve them. Though warned by other ministers not to come, he came and held communion and baptismal services and by the request of the members he ordained Peter Zimmerman, minister at Roanoke, as bishop. Since the bishop lived so far away, there was need of a resident bishop. Zimmerman was called and by the choice and consent of the entire church John D. Kauffman was ordained bishop of the church in Shelby County, in the spring of 1911. As a bishop, Kauffman was much con- cerned for the good of his little flock. More than once he said he had to give an account for all of the members, but that all of them together need not give an account for him. Mt. Hermon Church, Shelbyville As stated before the Kauffman people started a church near Shelbyville about 1907. They wanted a place to build a church in accordance with the teachings of the THE CONSERVATIVE AMISH 559 "Spirit." A church house was erected in 1912. The name Mt. Hermon was suggested by Adam Schrock, one of the charter members. A Methodist Church near by is called Mt. Carmel; the school house, Mt. Tabor; and the United Brethren Church, Mt. Zion. There is a small stream by the name of Jordan which completes the topographical terminology of Palestine. John D. Kauffman donated the ground on which a wooden frame building about 32 by 48 feet was erected with a seating capacity of about 200 people. There are three trustees chosen by the church body. Adam Schrock, C. C. Eigsti, and Jacob D. Kropf were chosen in the beginning. When Kropf died several years ago John J. Kauffman was put in his place. Money is collected by free will offerings to pay janitor, fuel, and other bills. The general running expenses are not high as the ministers are not paid or supported. The church has taken up collections for some outside causes but no figures are available to show what was given in this way. They do not aim to support missions. The present membership is eighty-five. The "Spirit," that is Kauffman in a trance, told them that they had a good shepherd, "thus testifying from heaven that they had a good bishop." In the fall of 1912 a minister was chosen, the lot falling on Joseph Reber, who was ordained as bishop in the spring of 1914. When preaching "by Spirit" about the needed qualifications for ministers, he said that he would not take any one into the lot who was less than thirty years old nor any one that had ever been expelled from the church. The Linn Church, Roanoke As previously stated John R. Zook of Pennsylvania came to Shelbyville and ordained Peter Zimmerman who had been preacher at the Roanoke Amish-Mennonite 560 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Church. 3 In 1904, since his home congregation would not recognize him as bishop, Zimmerman and forty members withdrew from the Roanoke Congregation. The matter of "Shunning members under the Ban" was the issue upon which separation took place. They wished to adhere to this practice but the Roanoke Congregation no longer felt it necessary to insist on the old Jacob Amman rigidity. D. D. Miller and Daniel Johns, both from Indiana, were the spokesmen for the Roanoke Congregation. The group soon afterwards formed a church of their own which met in an empty farm house. A few years later a building was erected with a seating capacity of one hundred and fifty with small balconies. This building was situated five miles northwest of Roanoke in Linn Township and was called the "Linn Amish-Mennonite Church." It is to be consid- ered as a church of the conservative Amish branch and more particularly a part of the Sleeping Preacher group. Peter Zimmerman had begun to serve the new church after the Roanoke Congregation had made a queer move in expelling Zimmerman from the church which he had al- ready left. A few years later Joseph J. Kennell was or- dained preacher. After Zimmerman's death, the only bishop over the Linn Church was Joseph Reber of Shelby- ville until Kennell was elected to that office. From this fact the congregation is referred to locally as the Kennell church. It has not grown beyond its original numbers. There are a few small congregations belonging to the Sleeping Preacher group in other states but the Linn and Mt. Hermon churches are the only ones in Illinois. 3 See Chap. XXII, The Roanoke Congregation. CHAPTER LVII THE REFORMED MENNONITES The Sterling Congregation 1 The Reformed Mennonites had been founded by John Herr in 1812 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The traditional story is that Francis Herr, a Mennonite minister, had been expelled from the church on account of dishonesty in a horse trade. Concerning this Daniel Mus- ser, the Reformed Mennonite historian, says, "I do not believe this story is true. I have made diligent inquiry of those who, I think, could not fail to have known it, if true; but they said they never knew or heard anything of it, until long after his death." 2 Be that as it may it is certain that Francis Herr dis- continued his attendance in the Lancaster County church of which he was a member. He with several of his friends, also ex-Mennonites, held religious services in his own house until his death. John Herr, his son, who had never be- longed to the Mennonite Church, becoming "convicted of sin," took up his father's cause. He had himself baptized by one of the associates in 1812. It was the beginning of the branch called "New Mennonites," u Herrites," or more commonly "The Reformed Mennonites." This group, to which a few were added, selected Herr as their bishop. The group, and especially Herr, accused the other church of being dead, corrupt, and worldly. This attitude 1 Information furnished by Michael Deter, pastor, and Christian F. Miller, Sterling, Illinois. 2 Musser, The Reformed Mennonite Church, p. 298f. 561 37 562 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS is recorded by Daniel Musser in his history of the branch. An extract follows: "In this light we look upon the 'Old Mennonite Church !' We believe it was once the Church of Christ, possessed of the Holy life-giving Spirit, and so continued for many years; but as it had gone with the Roman Church, (which was the continuation of the first organization), it became unbelieving, disobedient, lost the Spirit, and with this the marks or evidence of the Divine Nature. As such it had come down to the people of our country at the close of the eighteenth, and the beginning of the present century. "The originators of the organization known as the 'Reformed Mennonite Church,' held that Menno Simons and his brethren of his day held sound and orthodox doc- trine; and that the church which bore his name at that time, was the pure, true, and united Church of Christ. To justify the course they took in forming a new organiza- tion, it became their duty at the time to show that the Mennonite Church of their day, whose organization had descended from this recognized church had become apos- tate, or a spiritless, dead body. "It was a very customary thing, at the time we refer to, for the younger members to meet together on Sunday afternoon from church service, and spend the afternoon in such sports as wrestling, jumping, running foot-races, playing ball, or whatever sports and games of the kind were in vogue at the time. The older members, with preachers, would look on as spectators, and had for a proverb, 'honorable sports or diversions, no one can for- bid.' At their marriages, feasting, drinking, and noisy mirth were carried to great extremes. "At that time the old-fashioned fairs were annually held at all the towns of any size, even down to small vil- lages. At Lancaster the gatherings were usually very large. Numbers of the members of the church attended THE REFORMED MENNONITES 563 also. There were, as may well be supposed, all kinds of wickedness and ungodly deeds practiced here. "They still, as a general thing, were plain in their dress, and manner of life. They also still professed to be non-resistant and refused to swear; but they very grossly violated their profession of non-resistance by acts tending to countenance and abet warfare, and more especially by seeking for redress of grievance at law, and defending themselves at law against claims which they considered unjust. This was violating a very decided principle of Menno's profession. The washing of feet, if not rejected, was at least practically omitted for many years. The kiss of peace was very little if at all practiced. The refusal to hear the service, or join in worship with those who reject and refuse to obey the plain commands of the Gos- pel, together with avoiding excommunicated members, both of which Menno so strenuously upheld, they rejected altogether, and do so still, to the present day, in our part of the country. "In speaking of the Mennonites I wish to be dis- tinctly understood, as referring to the latter part of the last and the early part of the present century. In speak- ing of them as dead, I do not wish to be understood as looking upon them as wicked and ungodly, in the common acceptation of the word, but as carnal, unconverted, and destitute of the Holy Spirit; of which class we have a- mongst us in our day a large number who make no pro- fession of faithfully fulfilling their moral obligations. Some are more loose and careless, and do not discharge their duties as well, but still not accounted wicked or bad men. But they are still spiritually dead. Their sports, enjoy- ments, intercourse, and amusements are all carnal. ,,s This picture of the mother church presented by this ;iew sect is a rather dark one. No doubt some of it was Musser, The Reformed Mennonite Church, pp.- 237-241, 275. 564 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS true, but the old church would not admit that this sect had developed the proper solution. 4 Herr was a prolific writer and issued numerous controversial pamphlets during his lifetime. The sect added a few in number and spread to a few places in other states but has never grown large. The first representatives entered the state of Illinois in 1847, locating in Whiteside County. Among the early settlers appear the names of Baer, Beiler, Buhler, Delp, Hendricks, Kratz, Landis, Reinhart, Shultz, and Watson. Meetings were held in the various homes, a church being organized about 1860. The church property, including the cemetery grounds, was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Ginkinger, for a consideration of $300.00 on October 24, 1866, by the trustees, John Weaver, John Hoover, and George Hagey. The property is now within the city limits of Sterling. In 1867 subscriptions were se- cured to build the church house, which was erected that same year at a cost of $1200.00. It is a small, plain, white, rectangular, frame structure seating about one hun- dred. Aside from the entry space there is but one room. A center aisle divides the two rows of plain benches. One side is occupied by the women and the other by the men. A stove in the aisle heats the room. There are no orna- ments or fixtures of any kind, other than the pulpit stand. A number of sheds for vehicles have been erected across from the church house on a lot purchased on July 20, 1872, from J. E. and Sarah A. McPherson for fifty dol- lars by the three trustees mentioned before. Burials were first made in the Science Ridge cemetery. When the Reformed Graveyard was started some of the burials were transferred to it, the oldest stone being dated 1854. Plans are made for the collecting of an endowment fund for the upkeep of the burying grounds beside the church house. * See John F. Funk, The Mennonite Church and Her Accusers. THE REFORMED MENNONITES 565 The minister receives no salary. A voice is taken of the church for one wishing to enter the ministry. His wife must be a member of the church. After a probation period a voice is again taken and if favorable the minister is or- dained. The congregation in accordance with Herr's ideas allows only ministers of the denomination to preach or pray before the members. In the case of funerals they are not permitted to attend even those of their closest rela- tives if the preacher is of the "World." The "Ban and Avoidance" are rigidly applied. They are plain in their dress and discard all unnecessary adornment in their houses or on their persons as vain and sinful. Neverthe- less they have permitted the use of automobiles. The following have served as deacons : John Hoover, George Hagey, Adam B. Spies, H. M. Zendt, William Miller, Benjamin Hoover, Christian Schwenck, Godfrey Horlacher, and Michael Deter. The last two were ap- pointed together about 1898. William Schwenck is serving as deacon at the present time. The deacon is ordained for life following a probationary period similar to that of the preacher. His wife must be a member of the church in good standing. The following have served the congregation as min- isters: John Weaver, John Weckesser, William Miller, and Michael Deter. John Weaver (October 12, 1806- April 8, 1887) was ordained in 1860, or probably or- dained before coming to Illinois. Weckesser, who had been placed on probation, was never ordained to the min- istry. Miller was the beloved minister from 1894 until his death in 1920. Michael Deter, who was ordained to the ministry in 1910, is the present preacher. William Schwenck has been appointed as preacher on probation. The idea of a probationary period is carried to the matter of joining the church. "One having a desire to yield his will to the service of the Lord 'gives himself up.' 566 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS He is announced before the church as a 'seeker.' At a later date after searching the scriptures and getting the consent of the church, being reannounced, he is baptized." This is usually done at communion time when the bishop is present. The rite is performed by either bishop or min- ister by pouring a handful of water upon the convert's head. Only adults are baptized. The congregation at Sterling has no resident bishop. One comes in from some other church to hold communion services in the spring and fall. On the Saturday before this service there is a preparatory sermon and examina- tion meeting during which time the ministry and deacons inquire into the state of the Church, giving counsel to the members. The communion service is followed by feet- washing, the bishop, preacher, and deacons washing the men's feet, while the minister's wife and a helper wash the sisters' feet. Preaching is held every other Sunday while singing service is held the odd Sunday evening. There seems to have been no disturbance in the transition from the "Pennsylvania-Dutch" to the English. William Miller used the English language. The services are conducted in the church during the summer and for convenience in the homes during the winter. There are no other activities — no Sunday School, no conferences, no missions, no general programs. The membership, some of which live in Mor- rison, numbers about forty. The church at large has made efforts along pub- lication lines. Musser's history has already been men- tioned. John Herr's writings and others have been printed and distributed. In 1903 a booklet was published with the extended title, Reformed Mennonites, A Manual of New Testament Teaching of Church Unity, Non-Resistance of Evil, Christians can Take no Part in Government, Non- conformity to the World, Head Covering in Worship, and a Dissertation on Beneficiary Organizations. In July, THE REFORMED MENNONITES 567 1922, the first issue of Good Tidings, the Reformed Men- nonite quarterly paper, was published at Lancaster, Penn- sylvania. It contained an article by A. M., of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which the Sterling brethren considered very fine and is therefore given here. 5 "There is very little known by the public in general, of the principles of these people, who are often objects of criticism on account of their peculiarities. This criticism usually arises, however, from an incorrect knowledge of their Christian sentiments; and the why and wherefore, of some of their views, may be interesting. Among their pe- culiarities are church purity and unity, non-resistance, de- tachment or separation from the vain pursuits, pleasures, and fashions of the world; and also from all forms of worship not in harmony with the doctrine taught by the Son of God and His Apostles. "They claim true Christianity to be the result of a divine power or principle begotten within the soul, by the combined influence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; with- out which no person having reached the years of discre- tion, can consistently claim an interest in the heavenly in- heritance. "They further claim, that wherever this heavenly influence is brought to bear upon the human heart, its effect will be the same — in accordance with the principles of unity so plainly taught by the Son of God and His Apostles. This unity was practically demonstrated when the Church of Christ was first established, on the day of Pentecost when 'the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.' 5 This article is copied from the reprinted article in Good Tidings, Vol. Ill, No. 1, July, 1924, pp. 3-7. This paper is not to be confused with that of the same name published by the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ, later changed to Zion's Tidings when combined with the JL>eienseica& Mennonite paper, the Zion's Call. 568 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS "We find conclusive evidence that this unity was de- signed to exist amongst Christ's followers and in His church, in Christ's prayer to His heavenly Father, in (John XVII) : 'Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one; as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.' Evidently the unity of Christ's followers was ever to be a means to convince the world that He was the Redeemer. "It is further claimed by the Reformed Mennonites, that Christ has, through all the dark ages of the world, preserved unto Himself a people — a church — a kingdom on earth; which amidst all the persecutions of her apostate enemies, has maintained this unity, and the doctrine of Christ in its purity, up to the present time, in fulfillment of the prophecies of old, relative to Christ and His king- dom, that 'He shall reign over the house of Jacob for- ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.' Christ said, 'upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' "In the Martyrs' Mirror we find on page 353 (283 old edition) that 'Mention is made in this (16th) cen- tury, not only of the Waldenses, but also of certain church- es at Thessalonica, in Greece, which are declared to have remained unchanged in faith from the days of Christ;' and on page 354 (284 old edition) 'They stated further, that the church of God had remained unchanged in faith from the time of the Apostles; and that they still pre- served in good condition the letters which the apostle Paul wrote to them with his own hands.' "In J. N. Brown's Encyclopedia of Religious Knowl- edge, as given by Reinerius, who admits the Paulicians, Peterines and some others, to be identical in principles and faith with the Waldenses, he says : 'Of all the sects which THE REFORMED MENNONITES 569 have been or now exist, none is more injurious to the church of Rome than the Waldenses. First, because it is more ancient. Some aver their existence from the days of Pope Sylvester; others, from the very time of the Apos- tles. Second, because it is so universal. There is scarcely any country into which this sect has not crept. Third, be- cause all other heretics excite horror by the greatness of their blasphemies against God; but these have a great ap- pearance of piety, as they live justly before man, believe rightly all things concerning God, are opposed to the Church of Rome, and in their accusations are easily be- lieved by the people/ Such a concession, from such a source, speaks volumes. Here, then, is a succession of faithful men, whose apostolic origin, perpetuity, universal (though oft hidden) diffusion, general orthodoxy, evan- gelical simplicity, and sanctity of character, is admitted by the church of Rome herself; and in all this long and dark history it has maintained a true and faithful adher- ence to the primitive principles of Christianity, testifying against all forms of worship not in harmony with the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. These are they that have kept the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. "Peter Waldo is generally supposed to have been the founder of the so-called Waldensian church. History, however, does not sanction this supposition. Waldo la- bored in the cause, but the Waldensian church was only a link in perpetuating the principles and doctrines of Christ. So may we also say of Menno Simons, from whom the Reformed Mennonites derive their name, and who con- tinue the succession, unity and principles of the true church of Christ, of which there shall be no end. "This may appear assumptive in defense of the Re- formed Mennonites, but as the retention and practice of the pure principles of godliness as revealed in the doctrine 570 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS of Christ is the only evidence of the true succession of His church, and as Christ said: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; and no man cometh unto the Father but by me;' and Paul says, 'If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his,' it is very evident that the pos- session of the Holy Spirit is a necessary qualification for church membership; and the church of Christ can be com- posed only of truly converted and enlightened individuals: those who possess and obey the love of God, which is shed abroad in the hearts of all true believers by the Holy Ghost which is given unto them. "Christ said: 'The Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name; he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said unto you, and when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he shall guide you into all Truth.' To suppose that this Spirit of truth would teach different principles at different ages in the Christian Era, would be charging confusion to God Himself and would be antagonistic to the prayer of the Son of God, and the instructions of His Apostles, and inconsistent with the order of heaven. Consequently, the Reformed Men- nonites in their sincere regard for the true principles of Christianity, claim that the true church of Christ is a united body, born of one spirit, bound by the inseparable compact of Godly love into an association, where 'all are perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment;' adhering closely to the primitive princi- ples of Christianity, as defined in the doctrine of Christ. "They do not expect to be saved by their adherence to the outward form of religion; but firmly believe that ex- ternal works are the effects of regeneration. "Christ said: 'If a man love me he will keep my words.' Consequently, they claim that whosoever does not keep Christ's commands, manifests thereby that he does not love Christ, but is unconverted; controlled by the spirit THE REFORMED MENNONITES 571 of self; unfitted for church membership; and has no ground for a hope of final acceptance; and also, that the true church of Christ ever has kept, now does, and will continue to keep His commands for 'He that sayeth he knoweth or loveth God, and keepeth not his command- ments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' "A careful investigation of the teachings of Christ, would lead us to the conclusion, that he places the human family into two classes, the converted and the unconvert- ed; and into two kingdoms, the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of Christ. u In the kingdom of this world the sword is used to overcome evil, but Christ commands the subjects of His kingdom, not to resist evil, but to overcome evil with good. He teaches that there are but two ways. The strait and narrow way which leadeth unto life, and the broad way which leads to destruction. "The Word of God has so plainly set forth the im- possibility of blending these two kingdoms or ways, that no one should be influenced by his worldly feelings to doubt the truth of it. Christ said: 'My kingdom is not of this world;' 'ye are not of this world;' 'I have chosen you out of the world;' and Paul says: 'Be not conformed to the world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good, perfect, and acceptable will of God.' "These views are strictly adhered to by the Reformed Mennonites, and are considered by many as being quite shortsighted and peculiar. However, if the children of God are called out of this world, and are to prove the good, perfect and acceptable will of God by a non-con- formity thereto, how can they at the same time take an active part in all the vain pleasures and pursuits indulged in by the worldly minded, figure actively in political strife and contention, and tender their service to whatever the 572 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS goddess of fashion may dictate, when it is clearly demon- strated by the holy scriptures, that those who engage in these things are obeying the god of this world, and not the God of Heaven? "In this age of temporal prosperity, advance of in- tellectual attainment, rapid progress in the arts and sci- ences, and the almost unparalleled attainment of temporal and national glory, it is a question whether the simplicity of the religion of Jesus Christ is not being superseded by a form of godliness, which is more in harmony with this world, than with the doctrine of Christ. "Let us imagine ourselves as having set out in this so-called Christian age, in search of that 'holy nation, royal priesthood, and peculiar people,' of whom the Lord has said: 'I have chosen you out of the world; ye are no more of the world, but prove ye the acceptable will of God by a non-conformity thereto; and where would we find them? Certainly not in deadly conflict with each other on the field of battle; certainly not in political strife and contention; not in our social gatherings and festivities, where vain amusements are more sought after than Godly piety; and we might also say, not in our popular churches where the devotees of the goddess of fashion are more numerous than humble hearts; but alone among those who have been called by grace from the broad way of worldly pleasures to the narrow way of self-denial; who have re- nounced the kingdom of this world and yielded themselves to the service of Christ, and willingly bear His cross and the reproach of the worldly minded. "Christ said — 'If ye love me, ye will keep my com- mandments,' also 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.' The Re- formed Mennonites claim that this love to God and our fellowman is the only principle which man can receive to fit him for heaven, and that this principle is shed abroad THE REFORMED MENNONITES 573 in the heart of the true believer by the Holy Spirit, and constrains him to obey all the commandments of Christ and the Apostles. They also claim that this divine princi- ple is the controlling influence in the true church of Christ and prevents the existence therein of strife, litigation, jeal- ousy, slander, envy, hatred, revenge and animosity; and that the true church of Christ is a united body, as Paul says: 'Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, that ye all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions among you.' Believing this, the Reformed Mennonites cannot consistently and conscientiously participate in any form of worship that is not in harmony with the principles, purity, and simplicity, of the doctrine of Christ; but wish it dis- tinctly understood that they are led to this alone from a sacred regard and reverence for the Word of God, as re- vealed by the Son, as the last and conclusive will and tes- tament of the Father. In accordance with these views, they believe it to be the will of God that the Church of Christ shall be as 'a city that is set upon a hill which cannot be hid/ that in case of soul-sickness or disgust at the vanities of earth, or moved by grace to a desire for a triumphant immortality, the poor penitent should have no difficulty in deciding who God's people are, or where the spiritual ark of safety is, in which alone is security against the day when the elements will melt with fervent heat and a fiery wave shall usher in the closing scene." CHAPTER LVIII THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES The Summerfield Congregation 1 The beginning of the settlement of Mennonites in St. Clair County, Illinois, dates back to 1842. Among the earliest families to come into the settlement, if not indeed the first family to settle there, was that of Jacob Baer, who with his wife were the grandparents and great-grand- parents of the present members of the same name in the congregation. He with his family settled on what was known as the Ridge Prairie which lies near the present town of Troy and north of O'Fallon. Following these first settlers came the Bergdolt, Berger, Brandt, Greubler, Heer, Hirschler, Hirstein, Kraemer, Krehbiel, Pletcher, Ruth, Wittmer, and other families so that in the course of ten years the settlement extended over an area from fifteen miles northwest to eight miles southeast of Summer- field. These families came largely from the vicinity of Franklin, Lee County, Iowa. Some came directly from their homes in Germany. Those early days were days of the pioneers. They endured the usual hardships and inconveniences incident to pioneering. They settled, some on the then raw prairies, and others according to their liking on the more wooded land. Along the streams there was at that time consid- erable woodland. Here they put up their rude log houses. 1 Material from interview with A. S. Bechtel, Summerfield, Illinois ; Mennonite Year Book and Almanac, 1925, p. 43 ff; Krehbiel, His- tory of the Mennonite General Conference. 574 THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 575 Characteristic of the hardy stock from whence they sprung, they began to conquer the virgin soil and make for them- selves and their children homes of substance and comfort. In the course of several years, those in the northwest section moved nearer to Summerfield, until at the present time none of the members of the congregation are living in that section. With a few exceptions the present member- ship lives within five miles of the church house. In the early days provision was made for religious worship among the scattered group. The first services were held in the home of John Kraemer, one of the ear- liest settlers. Then arrangements were made for holding services every four weeks alternating between the north- west and the southeast sections of the settlement. The services in the northwest section were held in a school house. The first person to conduct religious services and preach the Gospel was Christian Detwiler. The first regu- lar preacher among the group was Johann Schmidt 2 who alternated between the two preaching places. In the year 1858 a brick church building was erected on a little slope just south of the village of Summerfield. This was dedicated on January 23, 1859. The congrega- tion, though not as yet fully organized, called Rev. Daniel Hege from West Point, Iowa, to become the pastor. He accepted the call and soon after took up his work in the local congregation. On April 1, 1861, the congregation was fully organ- ized. The members showed their foresight in adopting at that date a good, comprehensive, and workable constitu- tion, which was signed by about seventy-five charter mem- 2 Schmidt's biography. Johann Schmidt (1795—1870) of Summerfield, Illinois, was the pioneer bishop of the St. Clair congregation of Mennonites. He was born in Bavaria, where he was ordained as bishop in the Mennonite Church in 1834. In 1856 he emigrated to St. Clair County, Illinois, and served what is now the General Conference Congregation of Mennonites at that place until his death. 576 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS bers. This new congregation again showed its wisdom in affiliating at once with the new movement which soon de- veloped into the General Conference of Mennonites of North America. It was one of the most active in further- ing this movement. Hege, the pastor, attended the second meeting of the General Conference held at Wadsworth, Ohio, in 1861, and was made secretary of the conference. This was the session at which it was decided to open a Mennonite school at Wadsworth, Ohio. Hege was pre- vailed upon to serve as Home Missionary and visit the congregations of the Conference and solicit funds for this proposed school. He began this special task in May, 1862. The burden was a heavy one and the travel, preaching, soliciting among the people, explaining the proposed work, and convincing them of its real value, severely taxed his strength. He visited the churches in Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Canada, and Pennsylvania. He was taken ill on his return from Iowa. On December 30, 1862, he ended his rather short but useful life. When the Mennonites were about to emigrate from Russia an aid committee known as the Board of Guardians composed of representatives of several branches of Men- nonites was formed at the 1873 district conference ses- sion held at Summerfield. David Goertz then of Summer- field was its secretary. This board gave valuable assistance to the immigrants. The congregation prospered materially and spiritually and grew in numbers until 1875. Then for about five years following a large number of the members moved westward and settled around Halstead, Kansas. One of the pastors Rev. Christian Krehbiel, with his large family went there in 1879. Thus the Summerfield Congregation furnished the beginning of the Halstead Congregation. This migra- tion greatly weakened the congregation numerically. Since that time the congregation has had a steady, though at times slow growth. THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 577 In 1911, the congregation felt it advisable to pur- chase the Methodist church house in the town. This was done and some alterations were made, including the build- ing of a bell tower. The old building in which the congre- gation had worshiped since 1859, was abandoned and razed. The building in town is in use to-day. During 1925, it was newly painted without and within and electric lights installed so that the congregation is quite comfort- ably housed in the present building. The congregation, feeling the need of a Sunday School, organized this branch of the church activity in 1865. In the course of time a Women's Missionary So- ciety was organized. This society is doing useful work in behalf of the conference mission work. In 1890 Chris- tian Endeavor work was taken up and later a Junior Christian Endeavor was added. The congregation early took an active interest in for- eign mission work. It was from this congregation that the first missionary, S. S. Haury, came. The local congre- gation had a large part in helping Haury prepare himself for the missionary task. He arrived at Darlington, Indian Territory, on May 22, 1880 to take up the work among the Indians. In 1886 Jacob and Mary Leisy from the con- gregation gave the first large gift — a thousand dollars — for independent conference mission work. The following ministers have served the congrega- tion: Daniel Hege, 1861; Johann Schmidt, 1856-1870; Daniel Hirschler, 1862; Jacob E. Krehbiel, 1863-1890; Christian Krehbiel, 1864-1879; C. H. A. van der Smis- sen, 1890-1911; J. B. Baer, 1911-1918; (Assistants, P. J. Boehr, Edmund Kauffman) ; P. J. Boehr, 1918-1919; Mr. Plassman and other student supply from Eden Seminary, 1919-1920; G. T. Soldner, 1920-1923; and A. S. Bechtel, since 1923. 38 578 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES QF ILLINOIS The Formation of the General Conference* Since the Summerfield congregation with its active pastor 4 was so closely identified with the formation of the General Conference of Mennonites of North America it is necessary to devote some space to the origin of that conference which became a separate branch of the Men- nonite denomination. Great movements frequently owe much of their suc- cess to the efforts and abilities of a single individual. This is true of the movement among some of the Mennonites in America for a General Conference. This movement was pioneered by John H. Oberholzer, and no other man has done as much as he to create and develop the spirit of unity in the Mennonite denomination. John H. Oberholzer was born in Berks County, Penn- sylvania, on January 10, 1809. His parents, Abraham and Susan (Hunsberger) Oberholzer, were farmers by occu- pation, and descendants of the early Mennonite settlers in Pennsylvania. They readily permitted their son to take advantage of the meager educational facilities the country then afforded. As he was fond of study, he made rapid progress, and when but sixteen years old, he began to teach. He followed this profession for fifteen years. The school year being short and the pay small, Ober- holzer was forced to follow an additional occupation. He learned the locksmith's trade by which he supported him- self for about thirty years. His ministerial services as well as his later journalistic enterprise were causes of expense rather than sources of income to him. He became very skilful in his trade and his locks found ready sale. In 3 Material chiefly from Krehbiel, History of the General Conference of Mennonites, much taken over unchanged. 4 See Hege and Krehbiel biographies in the biographical appendix. THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 579 many dwellings erected at that time are still found some of the German locks manufactured by Oberholzer. While yet young he had united with the Swamp Men- nonite church. He was in the prime of life when, in 1842, this church chose him as co-pastor to their aged minister, Samuel Musselman. When the latter died but a few years later, the whole charge fell to Oberholzer. He entered upon this calling with fervor, devoting himself to the work without receiving any pecuniary assistance, as was then the custom. He was a fluent and fascinating speaker and his popularity soon spread beyond his own church and denomination. Oberholzer's life throughout was marked by action. As teacher he had learned to appreciate the value of in- struction and training. On entering upon the ministry, he began at once to employ pedagogical methods in his church work. He introduced catechetical instruction for young people applying for admission to the church, and later on succeeded in inducing other churches to do the same. To aid in this work he re-published in 1848 a catechism for- merly used among the Mennonites in Canada. Later on this catechetical instruction, which was given on Sundays, was made more general, all children being taken in, and thus this work gradually developed into a Sunday School, one of the early Mennonite Sunday Schools. In his efforts to upbuild his church, he keenly felt the need of communication with and the help of others in the same work, especially such help as could be secured through a church periodical. He also clearly saw the potent influ- ence for good, which such a paper could be made to exert if made the ally of the pulpit. But nothing of the kind then existed among Mennonites. Recognition of the need meant to Oberholzer effort to satisfy it. Accordingly, with a sublime heroism, he purchased with his own hard-earned and much needed money a printing press and set it up in 580 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS his locksmith shop at Milford Square. After learning how to set type, he undertook in addition to his ministerial and business duties to publish a paper. He did all the work himself. He was author, editor, compositor, and printer. It required herculean efforts to accomplish all he had un- dertaken. Of this work he at one place says that not infrequently he labored whole nights in the printing office without al- lowing himself any sleep, that he might supply the people with Christian literature. His paper, of which the first number appeared June 9, 1852, at Milford Square, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, he called Religioeser Botschafter. As this is the first Mennonite church paper published in this country, credit is also due to Oberholzer for having led the way in Mennonite journalism. 5 He continued his editorial work on this paper until 1868, though its name was changed in 1855 to Christliches Volksblatt, and in 1863 to Mennonitischer Friedensbote. In 1881 the paper was merged with Zur Heimath to become Christlicher Bundesbote as which it has since regularly appeared as the German organ of the General Conference of Mennonites. Soon after Oberholzer entered the ministry, he saw that the ministerial meetings, held by Mennonite minis- ters of that section, were barren of good results, largely because of lack of system and aim, and because no records were kept. In order to improve this situation, he drew up a constitution, and in 1847 submitted it for consideration to the meeting of ministers, known as the Franconia Con- ference (Pennsylvania). It was a bold thing to do and his method of procedure was doubtless somewhat rash. The conference, fearing the proposed constitution as an innovation, refused at two successive sessions even to con- sider it. By a majority vote they "set back" Oberholzer to- gether with sixteen other ministers who had supported the 5 For comparison with John F. Funk's work, see Chap. XXIX. THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 581 plan until such time as the "offenders" would recant. This, of course, they refused for they felt no guilt of error! The whole affair is so complicated that it is difficult to determine the fundamental reason for the division. When Oberholzer and the others saw themselves thus excluded, they determined to organize under the re- jected constitution. This they did on October 8, 1847. Oberholzer continued for many years the leading spirit of this organization, now known as the Eastern District Con- ference of the General Conference of Mennonites. He was permitted to see this work thoroughly established and greatly increased, so that it has become by far the most progressive element in the Mennonite life of eastern Penn- sylvania. Oberholzer had at no time desired separation, and at all times, after being isolated, had sought to restore unity. In this direction he made a special effort, in 1860, by pub- lishing a little book, in which he gives a partial account of his life, gives reasons why his excommunication should not have occurred, and in a most Christian and loving spirit makes overtures for a restoration of fraternal rela- tions. It was called Der Wahre Character von John H. Oberholzer. He wanted harmony and cooperation — not division. In the meantime independent unification movements had been developing elsewhere in America. Under its own leadership a rather indefinite conference had been formed which may be referred to as the Canada-Ohio Conference. In 1857, it passed a resolution looking towards coopera- tion with the Pennsylvania brethren. Under the influence of Daniel Krehbiel the Iowa churches newly established at West Point and Franklin Prairie were brought together in 1859. This meeting passed some far reaching and am- bitious resolutions in regard to the unification of all Men- nonite congregations. A general invitation was given for 582 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS all the Mennonite Churches to send representatives to a union meeting in Iowa. The first General Conference was accordingly held at West Point, Lee County, Iowa, May 28, 29, 1860. The greater part of the first days was devoted to religious services. The people attended in large numbers. The many outsiders in addition to almost all the members of the two churches filled the good-sized church to overflow- ing. They were attracted by the unusualness of the occa- sion. The plan to effect a union of all Mennonites was something entirely new. People flocked to the meeting in great expectancy. In order to gratify the demand thus expressed, three sermons were delivered in the forenoon and two in the afternoon, the visiting ministers of course being given particular prominence. Undoubtedly in all these speeches fraternity and unity formed the chief topic. Judging from later references to this meeting a deep mov- ing of the spirit was felt at the time. Though really only a preliminary meeting, it is called the first General Conference. Apparently in itself it was quite insignificant, but it had a large bearing on future events. The results achieved by the first conference were a great gain for the cause of union. Never before had a workable scheme been devised in this country by which all Mennonites could be united. What made the result still more significant was the very fact that it had been brought about through the cooperation of representatives from sections which were distant from each other, which differed greatly in external matters and had heretofore not been in touch with each other. The participants were from two main sections : first, three churches in Iowa, namely, Zion, West Point, and Polk City, which were alike in that they were situated in the west and had recently immigrated from Germany; second, the Pennsylvania churches, Ober- holzer and Loux being the representatives. THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 583 At the appointed time, May 20, 1861, the second conference convened at Wadsworth, Ohio. As in the previous year spiritual fellowship was cultivated by special services preceding the conference. From eight different churches visitors had come as follows: 1. Zion, Iowa. 2. West Point, Iowa. 3. Wadsworth, Ohio. 4. West Swamp,' Pennsylvania. 5. East Swamp, Pennsylvania. 6. Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. 7. Summerfield, Illinois. 8. Waterloo, Canada. This, indeed, was but a small number to inau- gurate the movement which was hoped would ultimately embrace all the Mennonites of America. Persons living at great distances from each other and differing much in ex- ternal matters met to join in a common cause. Here were Germans lately immigrated, Pennsylvania Germans, and some nearly English. Peculiarities of different nationali- ties and sections as well as of various antecedents were noticeable. From north, east, and west representatives were present. Even in matters of dress, customs, and prac- tices, there were strong contrasts. Among those present may be noted some additions over the previous year. The two churches from Canada and Ohio were members of the before-mentioned Canada- Ohio Conference. Thus that movement was allying itself as least in part with the larger one. The Summerfield congregation of Illinois was closely related to the Iowa churches in character and history. The three sections which had heretofore labored independently were repre- sented as one at this meeting. However in uniting in the General Conference the formerly existing societies were not discontinued. The conference in Pennsylvania, men- tioned before, has continued its specific work until the present time and functions as a district of the General Conference. The Canada-Ohio Conference kept up its sessions for about ten years longer when it was discon- tinued. The accession of these churches was a substantial 584 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS gain for the Conference, not only in members but particu- larly in working force. The Canada-Ohio Conference had capable leaders, and from Summerfield there came then and later men to whose ability, wisdom, and labors is at- tributable to a great extent the successful development of the conference. In organizing the conference the new ad- ditions were recognized by selecting Daniel Hoch of Can- ada as chairman, and Daniel Hege of Summerfield as secretary. In the resolutions of the conference the greatest prominence was given to the school question. This promi- nent position was held by this cause for a number of years, the interest of the churches as also the deliberations of the conference all centering in this one issue. The school drew the general attention from minor matters to itself and held it long enough for the amalgamation of the various ele- ments and until the union was sufficiently perfected and strengthened to endure even under severe trials. The third conference was held at Summerfield, Illi- nois, October 19-24, 1863, with fourteen churches repre- sented. The matter of establishing the school at Wads- worth, Ohio seems to have been its chief concern. The fourth conference was held following the dedica- tory services at the Wadsworth School, October 15-19, 1866. This was the first time that all delegates came provided with credentials from their churches. Now for the first time the conference was formally organized by presentation of credentials. Eighteen delegates were pres- ent, as follows: B. B. Baumann, S. B. Baumann, Ephraim Hunsberger, S. G. Klemmer, Christian Krehbiel, D. Kreh- biel, J. C. Krehbiel, M. Lehman, Jacob Leisy, A. O. Mov- er, L. S. Moyer, Jonas Neisz, J. H. Oberholzer, Jacob Ris- ser, L. O. Schimmel, D. Schneider, A. D. Shelly, and Chris- tian Showalter. These delegates represented the following thirteen churches: Waterloo, Ontario; Lincoln County* THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 585 Ontario; Summerfield, Illinois; Zion, Iowa; West Point, Iowa; Wadsworth, Ohio; Salem, Ohio; and Pennsylvania from the Boyerton, Hereford, East Swamp, West Swamp, Philadelphia, and Springfield churches. Thus the General Conference had become definitely organized. Although the conference made progress, it suffered at times severe internal dissensions, such that at one time great fear was expressed that it would dissolve. However it was able to weather all the storms. Western District Conference The immediate purpose of the meeting held in Iowa in 1859 had been to arrange for carrying on home mis- sionary work in that section of the country. On that oc- casion some one had been detailed to attend to that work/ In the years following, that small and originally local movement had however gradually expanded into a far reaching and general cause which no longer concerned itself with the local interests of any one section. By and by however, when the local demands for assistance became more and more persistent, it dawned upon those interested that the General Conference, their own child, could no longer serve their local needs. It was discovered that they must again form an organization through which to satisfy the demands arising in the local district. After the situation was once fully realized the matter soon came to a head. A conference of the western church- es was called in 1868. The first session of the Western District Conference began October 4, in Zion Church, Iowa, in the same church in which the first General Con- ference was held. Since the meeting is of historic interest, the preamble to the minutes of that meeting is quoted: "For several years past there was felt among us deep pity for, and sympathy with, the condition of many of our brethren in the north and west who have become isolated 586 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS and are without the necessary spiritual care. Because of this feeling it has repeatedly been a question with us whether love did not require it of us to supply these brethren with at least some of the crumbs from the tables of our organized churches and to encourage and edify them in their isolation. "This matter had been brought under consideration in Iowa and found considerable support. In order, how- ever, to be able to discharge this obligation, a conference was proposed of as many churches as would care to share in this work of love. Accordingly we extended an invita- tion to all churches known to us and situatecj within a certain distance/' Five churches responded to this invitation. Plainly the object was to form an organization through which to carry on home missionary work, for all resolutions adopt- ed concerned themselves with this subject. Two home mis- sionaries were chosen, Christian Krehbiel of Summerfield, Illinois, for the southwest, and John C. Krehbiel of West Point, Iowa, for the northwest. They were to devote a portion of their time to this work and as compensation should receive two dollars per day and expenses. This spirit of sacrifice is quite remarkable for at the very time that these few small churches were undertaking this addi- tional work they were also the most liberal supporters of the conference school and the Java mission of the Euro- pean Mennonites. They have furnished an example of self-denying service which is worthy of being studied and imitated. The Western District Conference has continued in existence to the present time and now includes churches in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The Chicago Mission The General Conference Mennonites began mission work in Chicago in 1915. The work was started as a THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES 587 Rescue Mission by holding its first session on the evening of March fifth. These meetings were continued every night until the work was changed into a church extension mission and relocated about three miles away at 7130 South Ashland Avenue. The first session at the new loca- tion was held on the Sunday afternoon of May 16, 1916, with forty-five present, many of whom were members of other Sunday Schools and came because of the afternoon session. The work was continued until the hall became too small. Another change was made in October, 1917. The new location was in a larger, more convenient hail one- half block south on Ashland Avenue. Here the workers were privileged and delighted to see an increase numer- ically and spiritually until this hall was too small to ac- commodate those who came. Then by a hurried arrange- ment a suitable chapel was erected at Seventy-third and Laflin Streets, on ground that had been purchased several years previous. In this vicinity the numbers have steadily grown to nearly two hundred, with an average attendance for the year of over one hundred and forty. W. W. Miller was the first superintendent and pas- tor, with Mrs. Miller and Miss Cassie Niswander as as- sistants. The present superintendent (1929) is W. C. Rhea. The members have been organized into a congregation known as 'The First Mennonite Church of Chicago," a rather presumptuous name in view of the fact that it is one of the youngest of the Mennonite Missions. At the present time the church is less a mission station than a city congregation. CHAPTER LIX THE MENNONITES FROM RUSSIA Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America The Brighton Mission Chapel 1 The Brighton Mission Chapel had an unofficial be- ginning in the Spring of 1907, at the corner of Hoyne Avenue and Thirty-third Street, Chicago, under the name of the Hoyne Avenue Mission. This work was in charge of A. F. and Mrs. Wiens with Sarah Kroeker as assistant. A. H. Leaman of the (old) Mennonite Home Mission was actively interested in this work. His name was car- ried as General Superintendent for a time. After a year of labor at this place, the hall proved too small. In May, 1908 the mission was moved to Oakley Avenue and Thirty- fifth Street, receiving at the time a new name, "Mennonite Rescue Mission." For four years the work was carried on at this place. Up to this time the buildings had only been rented, which of course is not favorable to building up permanent mission work. A few brethren had the cour- age to buy a building at 3404 South Oakley Avenue. Later this building became the property of the Defenseless Men- nonite Brethren Conference. In the meantime (1910) the Isaac Peters Churches in Nebraska and the Wall Church at Mountain Lake, Minnesota, had united into a conference under the name "Conference of Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ 1 Material from G. P. Schulz and A. F. Wiens, Chicago; files of Zion's Tidings. 588 THE MENNONITES FROM RUSSIA 589 of North America. " 2 Mr. Wiens was a member of this group and money to carry on the mission work had been gathered among the members. Mr. and Mrs. Wiens pro- vided much of the money themselves. After the confer- ence was formed the station was taken over officially. On May 7, 1912, the hall was dedicated and the work was taken up with new zeal and energy. The first baptismal and communion service was held at the mission on December 8, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Wiens labored faith- fully at this Mission until June, 1916, when the Confer- ence made a change in workers. Mr. and Mrs. George P. Schulz who had conducted the Happy Hour Mission 3 took charge on September 1, 1916. At this time the mis- sion was renamed "Brighton Mission Chapel.' , The chapel was soon outgrown. Thus through the mission board, mission friends, and the members of the congregation it became possible for the Conference to buy an almost new brick church house, forty-four by sixty feet, at the corner of Lincoln Street and Thirty-fourth Place, one-half mile east of the old location. On November 9, 1919, the pres- ent quarters were occupied. The Sunday School has twen- ty-three classes. Other mission activities were taken up so that at the present time full mission work is being con- ducted by the present workers, Mr. and Mrs. G. P. Schulz. The Mennonite Bible Mission In December, 1917, Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Wiens con- tinued their missionary zeal by opening up another mis- sion station, which they called "The Mennonite Bible Mis- sion," located at 4215 South Rockwell Street, Chicago. This mission is located in a very needy field, especially for Sunday School work. In connection with the Sunday 2 See Book I, Chap. V. » See Book III, Chap. XLV. 590 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS School, other meetings are conducted such as children's meetings, young people's meetings, and open air meetings. They have given largely of their own means to support the work. The building was rebuilt and rededicated on October 19, 1924. A little paper is published quarterly to stimulate interest in the mission. The work is not con- ducted officially by the conference though some of its members give towards its support. Cooperative Activities When the Conference was formed in 1910, it began to publish its own paper Der Evangelisations Bote. Its English companion Good Tidings, whose first issue ap- peared on July 15, 1919, was combined in 1921, with the Zion's Call of the Defenseless Mennonites (Egly), becom- ing Zion's Tidings. 4 The paper is edited at present by G. P. Schulz, superintendent of the Brighton Mission Chapel. The two Chicago Missions of this conference also cooperate with the Egly churches in Illinois in the annual Sunday School Convention. 5 The missions cooperate with the other Mennonite missions in Chicago in a Quarterly Sunday School meet- ing. 6 There is some agitation that the two Defenseless Conferences should unite into one body, but as yet no definite steps have been taken towards such union. The Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Work in Chicago 1 From the Kleine Gemeinde Mennonites living in the Crimean peninsula in South Russia, Jacob Wiebe gathered 4 See Book III, Chap. XLIV. 5 See Book III, Chap. XXXIX. 6 See Book III, Chap. XLV. 7 Material for this section from interview with D. M. Hofer, Chicago, Illinois. Many efforts were put forth to get more information but all were fruitless. THE MENNONITES FROM RUSSIA 591 together a group 8 who favored the Brueder-Gemeinde Movement. He and his followers came to America in 1874. This group of Crimean Mennonite Brethren use the official title "Krimmer Mennonite Brethren." (How- ever here the untranslated form "Krimmer Brueder" is used so as to avoid confusion with the "Bruedergemeinde" Mennonite Brethren from Russia and the Mennonite Brethren in Christ.) The Krimmer Brueder Conference opened up both mission and publishing work in Chicago in 1915. Rev. D. M. Hofer, who was then a student at the Moody Insti- tute, had in the practical work become convinced of the absolute necessity and also the possibility of city mission work. He saw that there was a great need in Chicago. Rev. Joseph W. Tschetter, who that year came to Chicago from North Carolina where he was active in the mission work among the colored people, was of the same opinion. With the consent of their Conference a Gospel Mission was opened at 2812 Lincoln Avenue, in July, 1915. The Sunday School has an average attendance of about 150, composed of fourteen classes. The workers are Rev. and Mrs. D. M. Hofer, Rev. and Mrs. Joseph W. Tschetter, and Misses Mary and Susie Thiessen. In November, 1913 the Krimmer Conference in ses- sion at Jansen, Nebraska, recommended the publication of a church paper. A committee was elected to investigate the matter and if favorable to start the paper. Rev. Jo- seph W. Tschetter, in December, 1914, made an evangel- istic tour and everywhere he went he advocated the starting of a paper. It was finally decided to start a weekly paper in connection with the mission work in Chi- cago. Rev. D. M. Hofer, the brother-in-law of Rev. J. W. Tschetter, was to aid him. On July 28, 1915 the first issue of Der Wahrheitsfreund, as it was named by Tschet- 8 See Book I, Chap. V, No. 21 ; diagram p. 46. 592 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ter, was printed. Two thousand copies were sent out as samples. In a short time there were enough subscriptions to establish the paper, which became the official organ of the Krimmer Brueder. With the exception of the first three years when Rev. M. B. Fast was editor, Rev. D. M. Hofer has been editor and Rev. J. W. Tschetter assistant editor. Still printed in the German language, it is widely read in Russian Mennonite circles in Europe and America. Its circulation is 5,500. The printing press is housed in the same building with the mission and workers. Numer- ous pamphlets, books, and papers for the Krimmer and other branches are printed on the press. CONCLUSION The entire span of Mennonite history in Illinois has now been covered. It has not been a complete story but rather a compilation of several narratives, grouped to- gether for two reasons, — namely, geographical location within the territorial limits of a commonwealth, and com- mon origin in Europe before the year 1693. Some of the branches have no more vital relation to each other at the present time than just these two points. Though Mennonites were scattered in a few other places in Illinois, settlements were made in eighteen coun- ties namely: Bureau, Champaign, Coles, Cook, Douglas, Fayette, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Livingston, McLean, Moul- trie, Peoria, Shelby, St. Clair, Stephenson, Tazewell, Whiteside, and Woodford. In all there have been seventy- nine congregations and institutions. Eight of these are extinct. Excluding the Missionary Church Association and the Christian Apostolic (New Amish) and considering the Amish-Mennonites and (old) Mennonites as one body there are at the present time nine branches in Illinois with forty congregations, eleven missions, two Old People's Homes, one Orphanage, one Publishing House, one Sani- tarium, making a total of fifty-six congregations and insti- tutions. It is impossible to give a general estimate of the Mennonites of Illinois and their bearing upon Mennonit- ism in general. To adequately judge, it would be neces- sary to consider each branch separately. And again, judg- ment depends upon the point of view of the one passing judgment. A non-Mennonite, a member of another branch, an ex-Mennonite, a civil authority, an army lieutenant, a banker, a member in good standing, and a stranger might 593 39 594 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS represent views varying from the extremes of blind favor- itism to severe condemnation. In the matter of morals and common virtues and basic evangelical Christianity however all would agree that the Mennonites are all a great asset to their communities. The branches now in Illinois are likely to exist for many years in their present forms. They are assured of an increase in membership as they retain their youth. They will grow little by additions from without. Some institu- tional work will be added but nothing startling is likely to take place. A steady progress in spiritual growth and activity may be prophesied. May their career during the next century manifest increasing devotion to the truth of God and the spreading of His Kingdom among men. APPENDIX I NOTES ON THE EARLIEST MENNONITE SETTLERS IN ILLINOIS On pages 78 and 79 the names of the first Mennonite set- tlers in Illinois are given by Dr. Weber as Peter Maurer (1829), John Strubhar and Nicholas Maurer (1830), David Schertz and father, Christian Roggy and daughters, Joseph Rusche and sis- ters, Jacob Auer, Peter Beck, Joe Belsley and John Engel (all in 1831). The extended table of early settlers which is given on pages 86-91 continues this list of early settlers down to 1852. Somewhat different reports regarding the earliest settlers are contained in articles published in the publication of the Ger- man-American Historical Society of Illinois, entitled Deutsch- Amerikanische Geschichtsblacttcr, Viertcljahrschrift herausgcge- ben von der Deutsch-Amcrikanischcn Historischen Gesellschaft von Illinois, Chicago, III In volume 4, pp. 1-25 (July, 1904) Emil Mannhardt contributes an article entitled "Die Deutschen in McLean County und Bloomington." On page 1 he states that the first German immigrants into McLean County were Jacob Don- ner and Johann Schoenbeck who came to Dry Grove Township, and Johann Strupphar who settled in Danvers Township, all of them being Alsatians and Mennonites who came in the beginning of the year 1829. Of the three named, Weber lists only John Strubhar as having come in 1830, a year later than Mannhardt claims. On the other hand Mannhardt knew nothing of the Maurers, and Weber knew nothing of Schoenbeck. Weber lists a Jacob Danner as having settled in 1837. Mannhardt must be in error because he states later on that Donner was born in 1820 and had first come to Canada and Ohio from Europe in 1836 ( !). In regard to Schoenbeck Mannhardt says that he had been born in Europe in 1811, came to McLean County direct, but soon left for Ohio and Kentucky and did not return for permanent settle- ment in McLean County until 1858. Schoenbeck, according to Mannhardt, married Elizabeth Schertz in Ohio. Strupphar is said to have married Anna Schertz in 1839 after a license had been issued to him and Elizabeth Landis. He is said to have ar- 595 596 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS rived in Illinois unmarried, accompanied by several sisters, one of whom, Magdalena, was married to Christian Farney by John Xaffziger in 1840. Jonas Troyer is also said to have come in 1839. Weber lists a Jonas Troyer in 1851. Mannhardt gives further reports about early settlers in this region in volume 5, pp. 1-62 (October, 1905) in an article en- titled Gemeinde-Chronologie. Chronologische Darstellung der aeus- seren Entwickelung des religioesen Lebens untcr den Deutschen in Illinois. On page 5 he states that Johann Engel, an Alsatian Mennonite, came to Metamora Township, Woodford County, in 1829, and that John's brother, Peter Engel, with two step- sons named Verkler, came to the same community in 1831 ac- companied by a certain John Brickler. The father, Christian Engel, is said to have come in 1839. The only other name given by Mannhardt is that of Johann Schmidt, a Mennonite, who came in 1833. A comparison of these reports with Weber's data, shows that John Engel is supposed to have come in 1831, while Peter Engel and the Verklers, together with Christian Engel the father, came in 1833. John Brickler is unknown to Weber (the name is altogether un-Mennonite). Weber likewise fails to list a Johann Schmidt, although he lists a Christian Schmidt as hav- ing come in 1833. The variations between Weber and Mannhardt are con- siderable, but in view of the fact that Mannhardt was only a Chicago journalist with no personal acquaintance with the Men- nonites or their history, it seems probable that he must have based his statements on unreliable sources. That he did no personal research in the field is indicated by the fact that the article men- tioned above, which is an attempt at a religious history of the early German settlements in Illinois, fails to list the date of es- tablishment of a single Mennonite congregation in Illinois, al- though many of them were established during the time covered in his survey. In fact he mentions but one Mennonite congregation, the one in Metamora Township, Woodford County, and then on- ly to state that he did not know the time of its organization. An interesting bit of reminiscence regarding early Menno- nite settlers in central Illinois is found in volume 1, pp. 12-14, in an article entitled "Alte Deutsche Ansiedler in Woodford und McLean County" by H. E. Sieberns. Sieberns had conducted a general store in Farnisville (Slabtown) in Woodford County, 1858-1864, and in Gridley, Livingston County, 1864-1884. The translation of the part of his reminiscences bearing on the Men- nonites is as follows. EARLIEST SETTLERS 597 'The region about Farnisville on the Mackinaw river was settled almost entirely by Germans, many of whom had been there for as long as twenty years (before 1858-1864). They were al- most exclusively Mennonites (Amish, as they were usually called), who had immigrated from Bavaria, Rhenish Bavaria, Switzerland, Wuerttemberg, Baden, Alsace, and Lorraine. They were good farmers and otherwise fine people, most all of whom attained prosperity and many of whom became wealthy. Among them I will name Christian,' Jacob, Peter and George Zehr with several children; John Ehresmann, Christian Ropp, John Ropp, Christian and Peter Farni, Michael Koenig, Henry Hodel, Nicholas Maurer, Jacob Schantz, John Klopfenstein, Benjamin Schlegel, Wm. Niergarth, Christian Risser, Valentine Neuhauser, Peter Ulrich, Ludwig Ulrich, Christian Augsburger, John Reu- ber, Joseph and Andreas Salzmann, Christian Bechler, Christian Miller, Peter Sommer, Christian Rich, John Stalter, all farm- ers. Then there were also several Pennsylvanians among them, who also spoke only German, such as John Sharp, Lantz, Schantz, and others. . . . "In the vicinity of Gridley the situation was similar. In the township in the southwest corner of Livingston County, Waldo Township, the Germans were in the majority. Children of the German settlers around Farnisville moved here, and we find the same names here as there. For instance, Ehresman, Mueller, Ulrich, Neuhauser, Klopfenstein, Schlegel, Sommer, Rich, Farni, etc. This township was called 'the German township' at that time. New settlers from Germany also settled here, such as: George Wurst, Heinrich Otto, John Lukert, John Stalter (who had first lived for several years in Tazewell County), Joseph Cloudon, John, Christian and Jacob Koenig who came from Mc- Lean County, and many others. Later several low Germans settled in this region." A comparison of Sieberns' list with Weber's list shows that although Weber has many names listed which Sieberns fails to mention, nevertheless of Sieberns' 32 names, only 9 are on Weber's list. It is true that Weber's list extends down to only 1852, yet it is clear that the list is by no means exhaustive. Another article in the Gcschichtsblaetter which one would suppose at first glance should contain valuable material on the Mennonites is a lengthy article by Emil Mannhardt, entitled, "Die Aeltesten Deutschen Ansiedler in Illinois, nach Quellen und Personlichen Ermittelungen." This article runs through four numbers, October, 1901, and January, April, and October, 1902. 598 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS However the only possible Mennonite name in the article is that of Jacob Albrecht, who is said to have settled in Bureau County (Tiskilwa), in 1836, as a Bavarian immigrant, born 1806 in Rhen- ish Bavaria, and "who became one of the big farmers and brew- ers of Princeton. " Weber lists him as a settler of 1837. That there were individual Mennonite settlers in central Illinois, who never identified themselves with the existing Amish or Mennonite congregations is indicated by several items of in- formation found elsewhere in the Gcschichtsblaetter. There was for instance Heinrich Funk, born March 23, 1823 near Bretten in Baden, son of a Mennonite preacher at that place named Chris- tian Funk, married April 18, 1851 to a Mennonite girl, Magda- lena Hege in the German Palatinate. He bought a farm nine miles northwest of Bloomington in October, 1852. The next year his father Christian Funk, the preacher, together with the entire family, wife, son Christian, Jr., and daughters, Christine and Magdalena, all came to join the son. In 1902 Heinrich Funk was still living. The story of Heinrich Funk is given in brief in the Geschichtsblaetter for April, 1902, volume 2, pp. 46-49, in an article by Dr. T. Haring entitled "Zwei Pioniere von McLean County, nach deren Mittheilungen niedergeschrieben." It is interesting to note that Emil Mannhardt commented very favorably on C. Henry Smith's Mennonite s of America when it appeared, and in the October, 1909, Geschichtsblaetter (volume 9, pp. 113-121), published a German translation of the entire section dealing with " Settlements in Ohio, Indiana, Illi- nois, and the Western States." Mannhardt had included prac- tically no references to the Mennonites in his lengthy production entitled Deutsche and Deutsche Nachkomtnen in Illinois in den oestlichen N ord-Central-Staaten, which was published a* a Bcilage to the Geschichtsblaetter during the years 1907-1909. In concluding this presentation of material from the Ge- schichtsblaetter, it may be interesting to note that the founder and chief editor of the periodical, and the founder and secretary of the Deutsch-Amerikanischen Historischen Gesellschaft von Illi- nois from the beginning of the society to his death in 1911, was Heinrich Emil Mannhardt, son of the noted Mennonite preacher and pastor at Danzig, Jacob Mannhardt, founder of the Mennon- itische Blaetter. A brief obituary and biography of Mannhardt is found in the number for July, 1911. According to this obitu- ary, Mannhardt was born in 1841 at Danzig, came to the United States about 1866, and settled in 1872 in Chicago as a journalist. He died there April 18, 1911. He was not a Mennonite. Goshen College, June, 1931. Harold S. Bender. APPENDIX II BIOGRAPHIES OF THE MENNONITE MINISTERS OF ILLINOIS THE ILLINOIS MENNONITE CONFERENCE* Henry Valentine Albrecht (1860- ) Henry Valentine Albrecht was born February 14, 1860, near Arispie, Bureau County, 111., the son of John Albrecht and Mary Ackerman, both of Bavaria, Germany. He was baptized by Bishop Joseph Schlegel in 1877 at the Wil- low Springs congregation near Tiskilwa. He was ordained as deacon by vote in 1891 at the Willow Springs church by Joseph Burcky. He was married in 1833 to Mary Stecker by Bishop Andrew Ropp. To this union were born the following chil- dren: Lydia, 1884; Lena, 1885; Eda, 1887; Alma, 1890; Julius, 1894; Silas, 1902; Amelia, 1904. Deacon Albrecht has been very active in the work of the church both in the Willow Springs con- gregation where he was a leader in Sunday School and young people's work and in support of general church activities. He was delegate to the General Conference once and visited the India Mission during the winter of 1924-1925 where his daughter, Alma, now Mrs. R. R. Smucker, is a missionary. Andrew Bach man ( -1864) Andrew Bachman emigrated to Illinois from Alsace in 1839 and located on a farm two miles west of Meta- mora. He had been ordained as a bishop in Alsace. During 'he Civil War he was the leading bishop of the Partridge xmgregation, and had to accompany to Springfield several pf his members who had been drafted into the army but re- used to serve because of conscientious scruples. Such were exempted by the Conscription Act of 1863 upon evidence that they were bona fide members of good standing in a non-re- isistant religious society. > T £he list includes one non-minister, Melinda Ebersole, and several min- sters from other districts who were influential in Illinois. 599 600 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Joseph Bachman (1826-1897) Joseph Bachman, son of Andrew, was born in 1826 in Alsace and emigrated with his father to Illinois in 1839. He was elected to the ministry by the Partridge congregation in 1852 and some years later was ordained bishop, which office he faithfully discharged until his death. Bachman never trav- eled much. He was a quiet, peaceable man, and conservative by nature. He had a good memory and frequently quoted long passages of scripture in his sermons. Joseph Baecher (1853-1931) Joseph Baecher was born in Alsace, France, March 31, 1853, a son of John Baecher and Barbara Ulrich. He was baptized in 1865 in Alsace by Joseph Moselman and Johannes Becher. He was ordained as minister in 1893 by vote of the East Bend church near Fisher, 111. He was married in 1880 to Susanna Wincasovitz, and upon her death to Mary Oyer in 1886 by Jacob Zehr. Their children are: Emma, 1880; Lena, 1882; John, 1884; Peter, 1887; Lizzie, 1891. He died June 30, 1931. Jost Bally (1795-1878) Jost (Yost) Bally (Bailey), born March 25, 1795 in Bavaria, Germany, came to America with his wife and six months old baby in 1829, locating in Lancaster County, Penn- sylvania. In 1832 he moved to Richland County, Ohio. In 1847 he removed to Woodford County, Illinois, living in that state the remainder of his life. Thirteen children were born into this family. He was ordained to the ministry in the early fifties and a few years later to the office of bishop. He had charge of his home congregation at Washington and the Cullom and Gardner churches. He also visited the other scattered congregations of the state occasionally. In later years he was either silenced or withdrew on account of age from active service. He died near Roanoke, Illinois, in 1878. Peter Beller (1800-1887) Peter Beller was born in 1800 in Germany where he was elected bishop of his congregation in 1846. In 1850 he came to the Partridge congregation, but later moved to the Gridley settlement where he lived until his death. BIOGRAPHIES 601 Abram Burkhart (1857- ) Abram Burkhart was born at Newville, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, July 30, 1857, the son of Abram Burk- hart and Elizabeth Burkholder of Newville. He came as a young man to the vicinity of Sterling, Illinois, where he was baptized as a member of the Science Ridge Mennonite Church by Bishop Emanuel Hartman in 1891. He was ordained by lot to the office of deacon for the Science Ridge Congrega- tion by John Nice in 1895. He was married October 15, 1891, to Hettie Byers of Sterling. There are no children. A. L. Buzzard (1871- ) A. L. Buzzard Was born in 1871 near Goshen, Indiana. At the age of twenty he united with the Mennonite church and became a member of the Yellow Creek congregation. His grandparents came from Pennsylvania, their ancestry coming from Germany. In 1895 he became a clerk in the book store of the Mennonite Publishing Company of Elkhart, Indiana. In this capacity he served for four years. In the fall of 1899 he located near Freeport, Illinois, where he married Cora, daughter of J. S. Shoemaker. He was ordained to the min- istry by the consent of both the Freeport and Washington congregations in 1906 when he moved to Washington to serve that congregation. He was secretary of the Illinois District Conference for several years. He moved to Elkhart, Indiana, in 1929. John Samuel Coffman (1848-1899) John S. Coffman, the eldest of twelve children, was born October 16, 1848 to Bishop Samuel and Frances Coffman in the famous Shenandoah Valley, Rockingham County, Vir- ginia. His education was received under difficulties. He man- aged to snatch a little learning from a night school. During the civil war he with other young men escaped to the North to avoid being drafted into the Confederate Army. He pre- pared himself for teaching school. He was a successful teach- V : for a number of years. On November 11, 1869, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Heatwole. On July 18, 1875, the lot falling upon him, he was ordained to the ministry. He had about decided to locate with the Cullom congregation in Illinois when John F. Funk, editor of the Herald of Truth, of- 602 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS fered him a position as assistant editor of the Herald, which he accepted, moving to Elkhart, Indiana, in June, 1879. He was of great value to the publishing house and the congregation at that place. He was instrumental in the publication of Hymns and Tunes; in the organization of the Mennonite Book and Tract Society, serving as editor for a number of years; in the estab- lishment of Young People's Meetings and Sunday School Con- ferences ; and in editing the Lesson Helps. But he is remem- bered for his marvelous work as an evangelist and his efforts as an educator. In these fields he was the pioneer. His serv- ices were in continuous demand. This work produced an awakening in the church. Many congregations were revived and saved from extinction. Many young people whom he had won to the church have become valued leaders. He solicited much of the funds and otherwise aided in the establishment of Elkhart Institute which was dedicated in February, 1896, and has since grown into Goshen College. His busy life came to an end in the very midst of his labors. He died at his home in Elkhart on July 22, 1899. Daniel Deter (1852- ) Daniel Deter was born in Franklin County, Pa., Decem- ber 1, 1852, the son of Daniel Deter and Elizabeth Weaver, both born in the same county. In the fall of 1880 he was bap- tized by Bishop Henry Nice at Morrison and in 1884 or- dained to the office of deacon by the same bishop through the lot. On December 16, 1879, he was married in Morrison to Elsie Steiner. Their children are: John, 1881 ; Adam, 1883; Esther, 1886; Andrew, 1888; Eunice, 1890; Ezra, 1892; Dan- iel, 1895, and Ira, 1899. His occupation has been farming. Melinda Ebersole (1880- ) Melinda Ebersole was born August 20, 1870 in Lan- caster County, Pennsylvania to David D. and Anna Ebersole who removed with their family to Sterling, Whiteside Coun- ty, Illinois, in 1889, to engage in farming. Sister Ebersole had started to rural school in Pennsylvania, and when com- ing to Illinois attended the Stone and later the old Science Ridge School. She remained at home and in the home com- munity for a number of years. She was converted and bap- tized by Bishop E. M. Hartman, in 1890. From this time she BIOGRAPHIES 603 began to take a very definite interest in church work. When the opportunity arose, which was in March, 1894, she enter- ed the Home Mission of Chicago as a stationed worker. A few others had preceded her there during the few months that the mission had already been opened but as none of them remained in the work the credit falls to Sister Eber- sole for becoming the first permanent stationed missionary worker of the Mennonite Church. Her first duty there was as field worker, that is to do the visitation work. Of course there were other tasks such as the cottage prayer meetings, medical dispensary, and the Sunday School class. When the mission was closed at 145 West Eighteenth Street, E. J. Berkey, Mary Denlinger, and Sister Ebersole kept up the work. The two women rented a four-roomed flat two blocks away on South Jefferson Street, having rooming quarters elsewhere. They used this place for the continued work. Sunday School was conducted on the Sabbath, sometimes as- sisted by N. E. Byers then in study at Northwestern Uni- versity. During the week there were children's classes in which scripture verses and songs were memorized. Sewing classes were conducted for the school girls. During this pe- riod of more than a year little direct support was given. These were very trying and dark days. Then the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board finally took up the work and invited the faithful ones to become permanent workers at the Mission which was reopened at 168 West Eighteenth Street. Sister Ebersole remained at the Home Mission for over twenty years. In July, 1914, she returned to Sterling to care for her aged mother. She is still interested in the work, however, and returns to the Mission annually over the Christmas season. Ira H. Eigsti (1895- ) Ira H. Eigsti was born near Buda, Bureau County, Sept. 18, 1895, the son of John H. Eigsti and Ida Smucker. He was baptized by Bishop Joseph Burcky in the Willow Springs church. He was married September 1, 1923, to Esther E. Hartzler of Marshallville, Ohio, by Bishop C. A. Hartzler. To this union were born the following children : Mabel, 1925 ; Delavan, 1927; Elmer, 1928; Dorothy, 1929. He was ordained to the ministry by voice of the Willow Springs church near Tiskilwa by Bishop C. A. Hartzler on September 7, 1919, 604 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS where he has remained a minister to the present time. After completing the high school at Middlebury, Indiana, where the family had lived for several years, he entered Goshen College, graduating with the B. A. degree in 1923. On June 24, 1918, he was conscripted to military service at Camp Grant but refused to wear the uniform and accept service. As a C. (X he was granted a farm furlough until discharged December 24, 1918. He is a farmer by occupation. Christian Engel ( -1838) Chrisian Engel was the first Amish Bishop in America west of Ohio. He was born, and ordained to the office of bishop, in Alsace, then belonging to France. In 1833 he emi- grated to Illinois, locating one mile west of the present vil- lage of Metamora, where he lived with his son John who had come to this region two years before. The first Amish con- gregation in Illinois was organized by Engel in 1833 in the home of his son, soon after his arrival. For three years he was the only bishop in the new settlement. He died after a brief illness, having preached on the Sunday before his death. He is buried in the family graveyard on the old Engel home- stead. Joseph Engel ( -1852) Joseph Engel, son of Christian, was the second bishop in Illinois. He also was ordained to the office in Alsace. He came to Woodford County in 1836 and located four miles west of Metamora. For many years he served the new and growing church. He died while on his way to St. Louis to meet a friend who had emigrated from Europe. Christian Esch (1818-1882) Christian Esch was born in 1818 in Alsace and emigrated to the Partridge settlement in 1837. Here he was ordained to the ministry in 1852, and some time later to the office of bishop. He died in 1882. John V. Fortner (1854- ) John V. Fortner was born in Lycoming County, Pa., July 23, 1854, a son of Abraham Fortner of Lycoming Coun- BIOGRAPHIES 605 ty and Rebecca Ande of Columbia County. He was baptized in 1881 by Bishop Emanuel Hartman in the Freeport con- gregation. He was ordained by lot to the office of deacon at Freeport in 1899 by Bishop John Nice. He was married November 28, 1879, near Freeport to Martha Shoemaker. Their children are: Ellis, 1880; Alman, 1881; Fannie, 1884- Olive, 1886; Edna, 1887; Orpha, 1889. John Fretz Funk (1835-1930) John F. Funk was born April 6, 1835 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Jacob and Susanna Fretz Funk. His early life was spent on the farm. He attended public schools in Pennsylvania until he was fourteen, and then took three years of advanced work under a private teacher. He began teaching when he was eighteen years of age. He was one of the first teachers to introduce the blackboard and the draw- ing maps. He attended Freeland Seminary (now Ursinius College) for three months. After teaching three years, being twenty-two, he came in 1857 to Chicago which then had a population of 100,000. He entered the lumber business with his brother-in-law. Funk attended the Presbyterian Church while in Chicago and for a while considered seriously uniting with it. But he says that after a study of their doctrines, he decided to go back to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and unite with the Mennonite Church. He was baptized in his home church, Line Lexington Congregation, Bucks County, Penn- sylvania, by Bishop Jacob Kulp of the Plain Church, in January, 1860. Being an energetic man with initiative and vision, he soon entered Christian work in Chicago. He, with D. L. Moody, did Sunday School work in the city. He also became one of the first members of the Y. M. C. A. of Chi- cago. Funk was the first Mennonite preacher to preach a sermon in that city and also helped to establish the first Men- nonite Church there. He was ordained as an English preacher in the church at Gardner, Illinois, by Bishop John M. Bren- neman, May 25, 1865, four weeks later preaching his first sermon at that place. He preached once each month, traveling from his home in Chicago, usually upon a freight train. He also visited other Illinois churches from time to time. He was married on January 19, 1864, to Salome Kratz and to them were born Martha, Phoebe (Mrs. A. B. Kolb), and four other children who died in infancy: Susan Mary, Rebecca 606 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Grace, Anna, and John Edwin. His great contribution to the church was his publication of the Herald of Truth, the first (old) Mennonite Church paper. The English edition, which made its appearance in January, 1864, in Chicago, was the first paper among all the Mennonites of America to appear in the English language. On April 6, 1867, Funk moved to Elkhart, Indiana, and later founded the Mennonite Publishing Company in 1875. Here the Herald continued to be published, as well as other papers in both the German and English languages. A great abundance of other literature was also published, for Elkhart had become the center of Mennonite leadership and from the publishing house many new movements for church progress be- gan. His chief writings are The Mennonite Church and Her Accusers and the (part) translation of Menno Simons' Complete Works, and Martyrs' Mirror. His labors as an editor and minister have been of immeasurable value in the awakening and advance- ment of the church. For half a century he worked in her behalf and is clearly recognized as one of the first important Men- nonite leaders. He was ordained to the office of bishop in the Holdeman Church near Wakarusa, Indiana, on June 6, 1892. He had charge of seven congregations in Indiana, three in Michigan, and the Home Mission in Chicago. He baptized the first members, preached the first sermon, ordained the first ministers, and helped to build the first church for the Men- nonites in Chicago. About the year 1901 he was relieved of his office as Bishop. On June 25, 1922, he preached his fifty- seventh anniversary sermon at the Elkhart Church. He preached his sixtieth anniversary sermon at the same church April 5, 1925. In 1908 he sold the periodicals to the Men- nonite Publication Board but continued as President of the Mennonite Publishing Co., Elkhart, Ind., being engaged in the sale of religious books. To an advanced age his mind was clear and his body active. He died January 8, 1930. Peter Samuel Garber (1849- ) Peter Samuel Garber was born near Washington, Taze- well County, 111., August 8, 1849, the son of Joseph Garber and Anna Schweitzer, who had immigrated from Alsace and Lorraine, France, respectively. He was baptized by Joseph Maurer in the Partridge church in 1862; was chosen minister by ballot and ordained at the Metamora church in 1894 by Joseph Bachman. He was married in 1873 to Magdalena Del- BIOGRAPHIES 607 lenbach by Christian Esch. To this union were born three children: Anna, 1873; Elnora, 1877, and Laura E., 1887 Gar- ber remained throughout his life a farmer, living until the age of five in Tazewell County, then until his marriage in Wood- ford County; after the marriage for ten years in Tazewell County, and then back again to Woodford County where he now resides near Low Point, 111. Throughout his life he has remained a member of the Partridge, now called Metamora church. Samuel Gerber (1863-1929) Samuel Gerber, son of Jacob Gerber and Catherine Ropp, was born near Carlock, 111., September 8, 1863. He was bap- tized in 1881 at the Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church near Iremont On December 30, 1886, he was married to Ma^- for>7 n l S ° f Tiskilwa > b y Joseph Burcky. On May 2 1907, he was ordained to the ministry by Bishop John Smith of Metamora 111., and on May 1, 1911, he was ordained bishop by Bishop John Birky of Hopedale. He died at his home near Groveland, 111., on October 28, 1929. He was buried at the Pleasant Grove Mennonite church near Tremont Fun- eral services were in charge of Sanford C. Yoder and I D Hartzler. J ' John Gingrich ( -1845) John Gingrich, a bishop ordained in Alsace, emigrated to Illinois in 1839, and located on a farm five miles west of Metamora where he lived until his death in 1845. Peter Gingerich ( - ) Peter Gingerich who was resident in the Washington community, was ordained to the ministry by Bishop Joseph Stuckey in November, 1868. About 1880 he affiliated himself -with the Partridge church. Aaron C. Good (1881- ) Aaron C. Good was born June 25, 1881 near Dale En- terprise, Virginia, the eighth child of the family of nine born 'to Preacher Christian and Anna Good. Aaron grew to man- hood toiling upon the farm in Virginia. He attended com- 608 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS mon school and got a little high school education at Goshen Academy in 1904. He was baptized in 1899. In the spring of 1902 he came to Sterling where he worked as a hired hand four years for his brothers Solomon R. and Samuel Good. In December, 1905, he became a worker in the Home Mission in Chicago. In February, 1906, he was recalled to Sterling and ordained on the 25th. He was married the following Septem- ber to Mamie Landis and started farming the next spring upon the old StaufTer Homestead north of Sterling where he still resides. Two daughters came into the home: Mabel, April 12, 1908, and Lila, November 17, 1911. Aside from the local church work he has held evangelistic meetings, served on the local board of the Home Mission, on the Illinois Dis- trict Mission Board, and the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. He has been moderator of both the Church and Sunday School conferences. Solomon R. Good (1871- ) Solomon R. Good was born at Dale Enterprise, Rock- ingham County, Va., March 3, 1871, the son of Christian Good and Anna Heatwole, both born at the same place. He was baptized in 1889 at the Weaver's church by Preacher Daniel Heatwole. He moved to Sterling, Illinois, in the early nineties. He was chosen by voice of the church as deacon on November 6, 1923, and ordained by Bishop J. S. Shoemaker for the Science Ridge church. He has been active in general church work and has been chorister of the Sterling church since 1897. He was for many years a member of the Mennonite Board of Education, and for a time the treasurer, and a member of the General Music Committee. He has al- so served as president of the Illinois Mennonite Mission Board. He was married on January 27, 1898, at Sterling, 111., to Martha E. Burkholder, by J. S. Coffman. Their children are: Harold, 1899; Lester, 1902; Robert, 1912. Simon E. Graybill (1873- ) Simon E. Graybill was born near McAllisterville, Juniata County, Pa., April 21, 1873, a son of Preacher William Graybill of Juniata County and Elizabeth Shelley of Snyder County. He was baptized January 1, 1894, at the Lauver's church, Juniata County, Pa., by Bishop Isaac Eby. He was ordained BIOGRAPHIES 609 by lot as minister September 27, 1903, at the Freeport Men- nonite church by Bishop John Nice. He was married to Anna Sieber January 4, 1900, and upon her death to Lucy Mishler January 27, 1914. Their children are: Mary, 1900; William 1903; Paul, 1905; James, 1910; Lois, 1915; Olive, 1918; Verna, 1923. He moved to near Freeport, 111., in the spring of 1899 where he still resides. John L. Harnish (1896- ) John L. Harnish was born near Belton, Cass County, Mo., September 27, 1896, the son of Henry B. Harnish and Susan Lefever of Lancaster County, Pa. He was baptized in 1914 at the Roanoke church by Bishop Andrew Schrock. He spent three years in the high school at Garden City, Mo., and a Bible term at the Hesston Academy. He was ordained to the ministry by the General Mission Board December 24, 1922, for the Peoria Mission, by J. S. Shoemaker and Samuel Ger- ber. He was married June 24, 1919, at Eureka, 111., to Viola Ulrich, by Bishop Andrew Schrock. Their children are : Mary 1920; James, 1922; John, 1924; Charles, 1927; Roland, 1929. He was a worker in the Kansas City Mission 1918-19; the first superintendent of the Peoria Mission, 1919-25, and min- ister at Manitou, Colo., in the summer of 1925. He resides near Eureka, 111. Emanuel M. Hartman (1849-1912) Emanuel M. Hartman, born June 10, 1849, was the young- est child of a family whose parents had come from Ger- many. He was ordained to the ministry at the Cullom con- gregation in 1874 (or a few years earlier). A year later he moved to the Washington community where he was ordained to the office of bishop by Henry Nice and J. M. Christophel about 1877. He was considered an excellent preacher and for many years was very active in the work of the state. Long before the Mennonites took up mission work, he advocated it. He was helping to promote the Mennonite General Confer- ence when suddenly he joined the New Amish near Wash- ington in 1897. He preached for them until his death. He is buried in the Union Cemetery beside the Union Mennonite church house. 40 610 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Chancy A. Hartzler (1876- ) Chancy A. Hartzler was born near Mottville, St. Joseph County, Mich., May 5, 1876, the son of John J. Hartzler, born in Mifflin County, Pa., and Magdalena Mast, born in Holmes County, Ohio. He was baptized by Bishop J. C. Kanagy in the Sycamore Grove church, Cass County, Mo., in the sum- mer of 1893. By consent of the congregation at Sycamore Grove he was ordained minister by Bishop Sebastian Gerig of Wayland, Iowa, October '22, 1896. By vote of the congre- gation at Willow Springs, Tiskilwa, 111., he was ordained bishop by Joseph Burcky in the fall of 1914. He served for a time as superintendent of the mission at Kansas City, Kansas, and was secretary of the Western A. M. Conference 1909 and from 1911 to 1920, when the conference was merged with the Illinois Conference. He was married Dec. 23, 1900, to Mary Neuenschwander of Garden City, Mo., by John J. Hartzler. He is a farmer by occupation and has resided near Tiskilwa, 111., as minister and bishop, since 1913. Joseph D. Hartzler (1884- ) Joseph D. Hartzler was born near Garden City, Cass County, Mo., October 18, 1884, son of John J. Hartzler and Magdalena Mast, born in Mifflin County, Pa., and Holmes County, Ohio, respectively. He was baptized in 1901 at the Sycamore Grove Church by John J. Hartzler and ordained as minister at the Waldo Mennonite Church near Flanagan, 111., bv voice of the congregation. September 15, 1920, by Bishop S. C. Yoder. By voice of the same congregation he was ordained bishop by S. M. Kanagy, July 25, 1927. He was married December 3, 1909 to Emma Schertz of Livingston County, 111., by George Summer. He is the father of four children: Altai 1911; Paul, 1915; Floyd, 1917; Ruth Ann, 1924. He has been engaged in farming. Joseph A. Heiser (1888- ) Joseph A. Heiser was born near Morton, Tazewell Coun- ty, .111., August 22, 1888, a son of Joseph Heiser and Barbara Bachman, both born at the same place. He was baptized June 11, 1905, by Peter Zehr at Fisher, 111. He was ordained as minister on August 5, 1917, by voice of the church at BIOGRAPHIES 611 Fisher, 111., by Bishop Samuel Gerber and Andrew Schrock. By voice of the church he was ordained by the same Bishop at the same place, on May 1, 1921, as bishop. He was mar- ried December 15, 1909, at Fisher, 111., to Fannie Schrock by Peter Zehr. Their children are: Leslie, 1912; Alta, 1914- Mabel, 1914; Edna, 1918; Willard, 1919. He has been active in Bible conference and evangelistic work in many of the states and Canada. Benjamin Herner (1845-1915) Benjamin Herner was born November 2, 1845 in Canada. His parents moved to Cullom, 111. His first wife having died, he remarried to which union was born one son. He success- fully taught the Hack School for twenty-two years. He was much interested in children. For over a decade he was super- intendent of the Cullom Sunday School. He was also very active in general church work. At various times he was Church Conference Secretary, Sunday School Conference Secretary, and also Field Worker for the Sunday Schools. He took a prominent part in the formation of the Illinois Sunday School Conference appearing upon its program. He played an important part in the opening of the Twenty-Sixth Street Mission, being on the original local board. He was always well spoken of. He was killed in an accident in 1915 by being run over by a wagon. He is buried in the "Sullivan Center" cemetery a few miles from Cullom, Illinois. Simon M. Kanagy (1869- ) Simon M. Kanagy was born April 17, 1869, near Port Royal, Juniata County, Pa., son of David Kanagy and Mary Hartzler, both born at the same place. After attending the common schools at his home he attended Juniata College at Huntingdon, Pa., Elkhart Institute at Elkhart, Ind., North- western Academy and Northwestern University, where he received his A. B. degree. He also attended Harvard Uni- versity summer school, the Toronto Bible College, and Beth- any Bible School, Chicago, where he received the B. D. degree. In the summer of 1890. he was baptized at the Belle- ville Mennonite church, Belleville, Pa., by Bishop Michael Yoder, Mattawana, Pa. He was ordained a minister at the 612 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Toronto Mission, October 22, 1916, by Bishop S. F. Coffman. By voice of the church at the Mennonite Home in Chicago he was ordained bishop, April 5, 1925, by J. S. Shoemaker and C. F. Derstine. In 1916 he was married at Toronto, Ont., to Margaret Elizabeth Brown, by S. F. Coffman. There are no children. After spending some time teaching in the com- mon schools and high schools he became superintendent of the Mennonite Gospel Mission at Toronto, Ont., where he remained for six years. In September, 1920, he was called to the faculty of Hesston College, where he spent three years, until he was summoned to become superintendent of the Mennonite Home Mission at Chicago, 111., in June, 1923. This position he has occupied to the present. Amos E. Kreider (1889- ) Amos E. Kreider was born near Sterling, 111., October 19, 1889, as the son of John H. and Magdalena Kreider, both born in Lancaster County, Pa. He attended the public schools of Sterling, 111. He spent the years 1908-11 at Goshen College Academy, where he graduated in 1911. From 1911-15 he at- tended Goshen College, receiving the A. B. degree in 1915. He entered at once upon preparation for Christian work at Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston, 111., where he received the B. D. degree in 1917. The following year he was professor of Bible at Goshen College. After a three years' absence in his home community near Sterling, he returned to become Dean of the Bible School at Goshen College during 1921-23. On the closing ot Goshen College the following year, he became professor of theology at Witmarsum Theological Seminary for one year, then professor of Religious Education at Bluffton College for one year, and has been since 1925 professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Wit- marsum Theological Seminary. He was baptized in 1906 in the Science Ridge Mennonite Church near Sterling, 111., by Bishop J. S. Shoemaker. He was ordained minister by Bishop Jonathan Kurtz in the year 1915 to serve at the Maple Grove church near Topeka, Ind. He was an assistant pastor of the Science Ridge church near Sterling from 1918 to 1921. He was married in 1917 at Freeport, 111., to Stella Shoemaker, daughter of Bishop J. S. Shoemaker, and is the father of two children, Robert and Gerald. BIOGRAPHIES 613 Amos Hershey Leaman (1878- ) A. Hershey Leaman was born February 18, 1878 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Jacob B. and Anna B Leaman He attended the public schools of the community secured further education at the Gordonville High School and one year at Millersville, Pennsylvania, State Normal School. He was converted November 3, and received by Bish- op Isaac Eby November 20, 1896. Having a definite personal experience and a call to do mission work he made his prepara- tion to go to Chicago only ten days after his baptism. After some difficulty, he finally left home December 28, stopping at Scottdale for a two weeks' Bible conference and arriving at the Home Mission on January 11, 1897. After being at the Mission about a month the mission committee then in charge of the Home Mission sent a representative to approve of the young man from the East. Upon the advice of the workers he was asked to remain. No money was given him for his support. Some people in his home community pledged them- selves for eight dollars a month but even this through some misunderstanding was diverted into other channels. The lack of funds made it imperative that he engage in some remun- erative task. He took work at a large private home remain- ing part of the summer. Then he attended the Sunday School conference at Yellow Creek, Indiana, held in August of that year. Being a total stranger John S. Coffman introduced him to a number of the leaders, also meeting the future Mrs Leaman. Making a favorable impression upon the leaders he was sent back to the mission and in September was made its superintendent. He was ordained on April 7 1902 by Bishop John Nice. On June 22, he was united in marriage to Amanda Eby a daughter of T. S. Eby, Columbus Grove, Ohio. Mrs. Leaman was born in Wayne County, Ohio, Jan- uary 10, 1876. She started in school there but her parents, moving to Columbus Grove when she was eleven, left her to complete the rural work at that place. Some high school work was taken at Canton, Ohio, and some normal work at Ada, Ohio. She taught country school until coming to the Home Mission in Chicago in October, 1898, to relieve Mary Den- linger, one of the workers who took a vacation to the East. Mrs. Leaman was again connected with the mission as a regular worker from June, 1899, for a year. The two years until her marriage were spent at home. Mr. and Mrs. Leaman 614 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS took up their work at the mission soon after their marriage. The station was then located at 145 West Eighteenth Street where their family of five children were born, four of whom are living, namely: Anna Miriam, August 7, 1903; Eunice May, Januarv 12, 1905; Cleland R., June 28, 1907, Gladys Lucille, August 29, 1913. Mr. Leaman received the Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1915. He remained superintendent of the mission until 1920, when he became Director of the Practical Work Department of the Moody Bible Institute. Although the family moved from the mission building, discontinuing their work at the Home Mission, nevertheless Mr. Leaman has since been act- ing as assistant pastor and Mrs. Leaman has had charge of the Primary Department of the Sunday School. Jonas Litwiller (1865- ) Jonas Litwiller was born near Pekin, Tazewell County, 111 June 13, 1865, the son of Joseph Litwiller, born at Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and Mary Roupp, born near Pekin. He was baptized at the Pleasant Grove church near Morton in 188Z, by Christian Noffsinger. He was ordained by lot November 10, 1904, as minister in the Pleasant Grove congregation by Bishop Sebastian Gerig. Simon Litwiller (1880- ) Simon Litwiller was born near Hopedale, Tazewell Coun- ty 111 June 29, 1880, the son of John Litwiller, born in But- ler County, Ohio, and Fannie Birky, born near Tremont, 111. He was baptized in October, 1898, at the Hopedale Mennon- ite church by J. C. Birky. He was ordained by voice of the church at Hopedale on May 15, 1910, by Bishop Andrew Schrock He was ordained as bishop at the Hopedale church by Bishop Samuel Gerber by voice of the church January 11, 1925. He was married February 7, 1905, to Katie Erisman by J. C. Birkv at Hudson, 111. Their children are : Esther 1907; Lester, 1909; Chancy, 1911; Willie, 1916; Allan, 1917; Freda, 1919, and Rachel, 1924. Joseph Maurer ( -1867) Joseph Maurer, a bishop from Alsace, emigrated to New Orleans in 1855. The next year he came to the Partridge BIOGRAPHIES 615 congregation and served as one of four bishops in that community, the other three also being immigrants from Europe. He died while on his way to New Orleans and was buried along the banks of the Mississippi in an unknown grave. Benjamin Melltnger (1880- ) Benjamin Mellinger was born near Sterling, Jordan Township, Whiteside County, 111., April 9, 1880, a son of Henry K. Mellinger and Emeline Hess, both born in Lan- caster County, Pa. He was baptized September 19, 1899, at the Science Ridge church near Sterling, by Bishop J. S. Shoe- maker. He was chosen by the church as deacon November 6, 1923, and ordained by Bishop John Nice. He was married December 12, 1901, to Anna L. Andreas, near Prairieville, 111 ^, Phllip Nice> Their chil dren are: Stella, 1903; Howard* 1905; Charles, 1908; Harold, 1910; Bertha, 1915. Earl Miller (1900- ) Earl Miller was born near Trail, Holmes County, Ohio March 18, 1900, the son of Manasses Miller, born in Holmes County, and Amanda Farmwald, born in Indiana. He attend- ed the Numschillen Township high school for three years and the Eastern Mennonite School for two years. He was baptized in 1912 at Louisville, Ohio, by Bishop J. S. Gerig. He was ordained as minister October 4, 1925, at Aurora, Ohio, by Bishops S. E. Allgyer and E. B. Stoltzfus for work at the Pe- oria Mission. He was married September 5, 1922, to Fern Oesch by Bishop E. B. Stoltzfus at Kent, Ohio. Their chil- dren are: Robert, 1924; Ellen, 1925, and John, 1929. He re- moved to Aurora, Ohio, in 1930. John Naffziger (1802-1856) John Naffziger was born in 1802 in Lorraine, where as a young man he was ordained as bishop in his congregation. In 1837 he came to the Partridge settlement in Woodford County. Here he labored as a pioneer farmer of the country and with Engel served the various Amish settlements which soon grew up. As bishop he traveled frequently on horse- back and by wagon over the prairies and through the woods, visiting the settlements in Bureau County, those near Wesley City, and others. 616 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Daniel Nafziger (1860- ) Daniel Nafziger was born near Hopedale, Tazewell Coun- ty, 111., March 16, 1860, the son of John Nafziger and May Burky, both born in Germany. He was baptized August 16, , by Jacob Zehr. He was ordained as minister by voice of the church at Hopedale March 1, 1892, by Joseph Slagel of Milford, Nebr. Henry Nice (1822-1892) Henry Nice was born April 17, 1822 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He was united in marriage to Levina Tyson in 1842, who remained his faithful companion through life surviving him a number of years. To this union were born: Benjamin, February 15, 1844; Philip, November 12, 1845; Hannah, August 11, 1848; Henry, December 12, 1850; Levina, September 30, 1853 ; Jonas, November 25, 1855 ; John, November 13, 1858; Ella, July 9, 1864. In 1850, yet in his early manhood, he moved to Medina County, Ohio, where he remained for fifteen years during which time (1853) he was ordained to the ministry and later held a temporary mem- bership in one of the Oberholtzer churches. Feeling that the branch was too liberal in some of its practices he removed to Sterling, Whiteside County, Illinois, and became identified with the Science Ridge Church at which place he was accepted as minister and was ordained to the office of bishop by Henry Yother in 1868. That same year he changed his location to Morrison where he helped to organize a church a few years previous. The next year he purchased a farm. Although en- gaged in farming he found time to assist in general church work. He was commanding in appearance, strict in disci- pline, impressive in speech, using the German language en- tirely, and influential in the development of the other con- gregations of the state. He was frequently called to settle difficulties arising in churches elsewhere. He was one of the outstanding leaders in forming the Illinois Conference in 1872. John Nice (1858-1931) John Nice, the seventh child of Bishop Henry and Le- vina Nice, was born November 13, 1858 in Medina County, Ohio. He was baptized by Bishop Henry Nice at Morrison BIOGRAPHIES 617 in 1876, and was united in marriage to Lizzie Dutcher Febru- ary 5, 1884. Their family is composed of four children : Abner A., May 1, 1885; Cora A., March 21, 1888; Jonas P., Decem- ber 18, 1891 ; Paul A., November 18, 1893. He was ordained to the ministry through the lot by Emanuel M. Hartman May 31, 1887 and to the office of bishop by Hartman and P. Y. Lehman in June, 1895. Throughout his life he was engaged in farming. As bishop he served the congrega- tions in northern Illinois and the Chicago Mission for over thirty years. In this time he assisted in the ordination of Abram Burkhart, deacon; L. J. Lehman, minister; O. S. Hostetler, minister; Josiah Miller, minister; Samuel Hond- erich, minister; Menno Yoder, deacon; A. C. Good, minister; J. S. Shoemaker, bishop; and S. E. Graybill, minister. He served as moderator of the Illinois Conference a number of times. He died July 10, 1931. Edward H. Oyer (1881- ) Edward H. Oyer was born near Meadows, McLean County, 111., March 2, 1881, the son of John P. Oyer, born near Peoria, 111., and Mary Smith, born near Morton, 111. He was baptized in the Metamora church by Bishop John Smith at an early age and ordained by lot to the office of deacon in 1920 at the same church by Bishop D. J. Johns. He was married by Bishop Andrew Schrock in 1906 to Ellen M. Smith of Eureka, 111. Their children are: Ethel, 1908, Thelma, 1910; Pauline, 1914; Harold, 1920. He has been secretary of the church conference for several years and active in Sunday School work. David E. Plank (1884- ) David E. Plank was born near Danvers, McLean County, 111., July 28, 1884, the son of Isaac Plank, born at Belleville, Pa., and Mary Kaufman, born in Baden, Germany. He was baptized in 1895 by John S. Coffman at MacClenny, Florida. In 1921 he moved to Eureka, 111., where he has since resided. He was ordained by lot to the office of deacon August 10, 1924, at the Roanoke church by Bishop C. F. Derstine. On March 21, 1912, he was married at Belleville, Pa., to Fannie Zook by Bishop Eli Kanagy. Their children are: Marvin, 1913; Martha, 1915; Edward, 1924; Donald, 1924. 618 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Edward A. Rediger (1866- ) Edward A. Rediger was born near Gridley, Livingston County, 111., April 14, 1866, a son of Christian Rediger, born in Germany, and Katie Risser, born near Roanoke, 111. He was baptized in 1894 near Aurora, Nebraska, by D. Augs- burger, and ordained as deacon by ballot November 1, 1925, in the Waldo congregation near Gridley, 111., by Bishop J. S. Shoemaker. He has no children. He was a farmer until his retirement in 1917. Andrew Ropp ( - ) Andrew Ropp, brother to Christian, came to America in 1826, with his father. In 1833, he located in the Dillon Creek settlement in Tazewell County. He was ordained to the ministry sometime before 1840, and a few years after- wards was elected to the office of bishop. He served his own congregation for many years, being frequently called by the duties of his office to the Bureau County settlement, as well as to other localities. Christian S. Schertz (1851- ) Christian S. Schertz was born near Washington, Wood- ford County, Illinois, November 16, 1851, the son of Christian Schertz of Lorraine, France, and Catherine Engel, of Alsace, France. He was married December, 1874 to Phebe Gingery at Metamora, Illinois, by Bishop Christian Esch. To this union were born three children: Samuel (1875), Louis (1878), and Benjamin (1881). He was ordained minister by vote at the Roanoke Church near Eureka, Illinois, in 1890 by Bishop Joseph Bachman. Christian Schertz has spent most of his life as a farmer in the vicinity of Washington and Eureka, Illi- nois, but has been spending his declining years with his son, Benjamin J., who is living in Goshen, Indiana. Henry R. Schertz (1886- ) Henry R. Schertz was born near Washington, Tazewell County, 111., February 24, 1886, the son of Peter Schertz and Magdalene Esch, both born near the same place. His prepara- tion was secured in the Washington high school and in the Bethany Bible School in Chicago, 111., where he spent two BIOGRAPHIES 619 years. He was baptized in 1900 by Bishop Sebastian Gerig, at Metamora, 111. He was ordained by Bishop Andrew Schrock to the ministry at Metamora, 111., by vote of the congrega- tion in 1917. He was married to Martha M. ImhofT, June 10, 1909, by Andrew Schrock. Their children are: Floyd, 1910; Russell, 1911; Robert, 1918, and Donald, 1925. He spent almost three years (September, 1920 to June, 1923) in city mission work as superintendent of the Mennonite Home Mis- sion in Chicago and has been active in general church work. He was for a time president of the Mennonite Board of Edu- cation and is at the present time on the executive committee. He was a member of the executive committee of the Men- nonite Board of Missions and Charities for a number of years. Peter D. Schertz (1848-1928) Peter D. Schertz was born June 26, 1848, the son of David Schertz and Catherine Bachman. He was baptized in his youth in the Partridge church by Bishop Joseph Maurer, ordained as minister by ballot in 1895 in the Roanoke church by Bishop Chris Ropp. He was married on March 17, 1874, at Metamora, 111., to Anna Schertz, by Bishop Chris Ropp. They became the parents of the following children : Willie, 1875; Ben, 1876; David, 1878; Kathryn, 1881; Anna, 1883; Peter R., 1886; Arthur, 1889; Raymond, 1893. He died Feb- ruary 25, 1928, and was buried in the Roanoke Mennonite cemetery. He resided throughout his life on a farm near Metamora, Woodford County, 111. Andrew A. Schrock (1863- ) Andrew A. Schrock was born in France, October 28, 1863, the son of Andrew Schrock and Kathryn Kramer. He was baptized in 1878 at the Roanoke church by Bishop Christian Ropp. He was ordained as minister by vote of the church July 8, 1894 at Metamora by Bishop Joseph Bachman. At the same church he was chosen by a majority of votes as bishop and ordained April 24, 1898 by Bishop John Smith. On Jan- uary 12, 1888 he was married to Barbara Bachman by Bishop Joseph Bachman. Their children are: Emanuel, 1888; Joel, 1890; William, 1892; Lizzie, 1895; Dan, 1897; David, 1900; Andrew, 1903, and Katie, 1905. His occupation has always been farming. 620 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS J. S. Shoemaker (1854- ) Joseph S. Shoemaker was born February 1, 1854 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father, Benjamin Shoe- maker, with his family moved to Freeport, Illinois, and lo- cated on a farm a few miles from that city. Joseph spent his entire life from that time in the Freeport community directly and indirectly upon the farm. He was united in marriage to Elizabeth S. Brubaker, daughter of Rudolph Brubaker, an early settler of that congregation, on December 6, 1877. Their nine children are: Cora B., September 18, 1878, now Mrs. A. L. Buzzard; Edwin B., November 21, 1879; Fannie E. (de- ceased), October 14, 1881, married to Levi Mumaw ; Elta M., November 27, 1883, now Mrs. W. F. Unsicker; Bertha B., May 22, 1885, now Mrs. C. E. Seiber (widowed) ; Arthur C, February 15, 1887; Charles B., February 2, 1890; Stella R., November 17, 1893, now Mrs. A. E. Kreider; and Louella P., May 20, 1897, now Mrs. W. R. Sanders. All of these children became members of the church and active workers, some in church institutions. J. S. Shoemaker was baptized into church fellowship in the spring of 1878. He was first active in local Sunday School work and was ordained to the ministry in his own congregation by a unanimous vote in 1892. From this time he has been very busy. His first activity was as an evan- gelist. He held meetings in over a hundred different churches and many of them were revisited. He was ordained to the office of bishop, again by unanimous vote, in 1902. He had joint charge of the Northern Illinois congregations with Bishop John Nice. He has been president of the Mennonite Publication Board since its organization in 1908. He was a member of the Mennonite Board of Education from 1903 un- til he resigned in 1920. During that time he had served variously on the Religious Welfare and Faculty committees. He had been a member and in 1905-6 was president of the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board. In 1906, he became secretary of the newly formed Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. This position he held for fifteen years until he asked to be relieved. However, he retained his membership upon the board. He was moderator of the General Conference in 1905 and 1909. This conference made him chairman of the Christian Workers' Manual committee. He wrote a number of the chapters in Volume I, "The Min- istry," a part of that manual. In the Illinois conference he BIOGRAPHIES 621 has been its moderator many times and even served as mod- erator of other district conferences. He was one of the in- fluences which united the Amish-Mennonites with the Illinois Conference. He was also engaged in Bible Normal or Con- ference work, from time to time co-laboring with other lead- ers of the church. He edited the Sunday School "Lesson Helps" for a number of years. All these labors necessitated much travel and kept him away from home much of the time, but his travel was greatly extended when the Board of Mis- sions and Charities sent him to visit the India Mission. In June, 1910, accompanied by J. S. Hartzler, he started the trip around the world. The World's Missionary Conference held in Scotland was attended, the Holy Land was visited and the work in India was investigated. Returning again the follow- ing May the travelers published the book "Missions in the Orient and Observations by the Way." Shoemaker's other literary works include many articles to the church paper. He did much of the work in connection with the "Church and Sunday School Hymnal" which appeared in 1902, even writ- ing a few of the songs with words and melodies. In 1925 his book, The Ideal Christian Home, was published. He now lives in the town of Dakota, Illinois, only partially retired from his i many responsibilities. Daniel W. Slagel (1864- ) j Daniel W. Slagel was born near Chenoa, Livingston | County, 111., March 26, 1864, the son of Christian Slagel and j Saloma Summer both born in Alsace, France. He was bap- ;• tized in 1891 in the Waldo Mennonite church by Christian \ Ropp. On June 3, 1900, he was ordained by lot to the ministry at the Waldo church by Bishop John Smith. He was married ' February 2, 1888, at Eureka, 111., by Christian Ropp, to Mary - C. Roeschley. Their children are: Laura, 1889; Arthur, 1891; Alma, 1893; Amos, 1895; Emma, 1897; George, 1898; Willie, 1900; Edna, 1902; Edwin, 1904, Irene, 1906; Gilbert, 1908, and Wilton, 1912. Benjamin Springer (1881- ) Benjamin Springer was born near Minier, Tazewell County, 111., August 23, 1881, son of Joseph Springer, born in Bavaria, Germany, and Barbara Nafziger, born at the same place. He was baptized February, 1915, by John Kinsinger 622 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS of the Central Conference Mennonites. By vote of the church he was ordained in 1921 by Bishop Samuel Gerber for the Hopedale Mennonite church. He had transferred his mem- bership from the Central Conference Mennonite church in the fall of 1906. He was married February 27, 1905, at Bloom- ington, 111., to Clara Heiser, by Peter Schantz. Their children are: Howard, 1906; Elsie, 1907; Ina, 1911; Glenn, 1913; Nel- son, 1915; Loren, 1921; Loretta, 1924. Menno Simon Steiner (1866-1911) Menno Simon Steiner was born (April 30, 1866) near Cranberry, Allen County, Ohio, the second child born to Preacher Christian P. and Barbara Steiner. He attended the Richland Township Schools and graduated from the Bluff- ton High School in 1887. Later he attended Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio. For several years he taught school. In 1891 he spent one year in study at Oberlin Theological Seminary. He was converted in 1885, at New Stark Chapel Church where J. S. Coffman was holding a series of meet- ings. Soon after he was baptized into membership at the Zion Church near Bluffton. During the years of his schooling he ha,d been connected with the Publishing Company at Elk- hart, Indiana, both in traveling and editorial work. He was ordained at the Elkhart Church by Bishop John F. Funk on March 9, 1893. He was very aggressive in the work of the church. His most prominent part was played as a pioneer in the field of missions. In the fall of 1893 he went to Chicago and opened a Mission. This work was begun without special funds, without a board, and without a building or any prop- erty. The only resource was the decision of the General Sun- day School Conference held that summer. Having been made editor of the Young People's Paper he used that salary to start the work. A hall was rented and the Home Mission opened on December 3, 1893. During the next year he was instrumental in forming the Mennonite Benevolent Organi- zation which had charge of the Mission. On April 8, 1894, he was united in marriage to Clara Eby of Columbus Grove, Ohio. She was the second child born May 9, 1873 to T. S. and Susanna Eby. She too was very much interested in gen- eral church work and for a time was General Secretary of the Women's Missionary Society of the church. To this union BIOGRAPHIES 623 were born five children, namely: Charity Evangeline (Hos- teller), March 25, 1895; Esther Agnes (Meyer), July 25, 1898; Luke Eby, December 11, 1900; Paul Eby, October 9, 1902; Clara Grace, February 3, 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Steiner remained at the Home Mission until the fall of 1894, when Steiner took charge of a little church in Canton, Ohio. A year later they moved to the Zion church community near Bluffton, where Steiner had been asked to come as the minister, which posi- tion he filled until his death. He spent much of his time in evangelistic work. Nor did he forget the mission interests of the church. He was instrumental in organizing the Board of Charitable Homes and Missions and was its president until it was merged with the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benev- olent Board in 1906. He was then elected president of the consolidated board which office he filled until his death. Aside from many articles contributed to the church papers, and the book Pitfalls and Safeguards, he wrote a very interesting little book, John S. Coffman, Mennonite Evangelist. He died, literally worn out by his labors, and lies buried in the little graveyard of the Zion church near Bluffton, Ohio. Ezra II. Yordv (1892- ) Ezra H. Yordy was born near Flanagan, Livingston County, 111., April 6, 1892, the son of Joseph Yordy, born near Pekin, and Elizabeth Roeschley, born near Eureka. He was baptized in 1908 at the East Bend congregation near Fisher, 111., by Peter Zehr. He was ordained to the ministry July 15, 1917 by vote of the Roanoke church by Bishop An- drew Schrock. He was ordained as bishop by the voice of the same congregation August 30, 1925, by Bishops C. F. Derstine and S. F. Coffman. He was married December 16, 1915, at Rantoul, 111., to Carrie E. Good by Bishop Peter Zehr. Their children are: Ethel, 1917; Dorothy, 1918; Alta, 1921; Florence, 1923; Ruth, 1927. Daniel Zehr (1849- ) Daniel Zehr was born near East Peoria, Tazewell Coun- ty, 111., on March 9, 1849, the son of Peter Zehr and Elizabeth Oyer, the father coming from Bavaria, Germany, and the mo- ther from Alsace-Lorraine. He was baptized by Bishop Chris- tian Ropp. He was ordained to the ministry in 1895 by lot by 624 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Bishop John Smith. He was united in marriage with Kathryn Heiser on January 13, 1874, by Bishop Andrew Ropp. His children are: Jacob, 1875; Lizzie, 1877; Peter, 1879; Amos, 1881; Tillie, 1886; Ida, 1888; Dan, 1890. He now resides at Mackinaw, 111., having been a farmer all his life. Jacob Zehr (1875-1929) Jacob Zehr was born near Deer Creek, Tazewell County, 111., November 29, 1875, the son- of Daniel Zehr, born near East Peoria, and Kathryn Heiser, born in Tazewell County. He was baptized in 1892 by Bishop John Smith in the Good- field Mennonite congregation. He was ordained in June, 1912, by vote of the church by John C. Birky, at the Goodfield Mennonite church. He was married January 25, 1900, at Deer Creek by Bishop Birky to Elizabeth Wilbor. Their children are: Esther, 1902; Martha, 1904; Edna, 1907; Flor- ence, 1909; Arthur, 1911; Robert, 1914; Howard, 1916; Mil- dred, 1919. He died May 21, 1929 and is buried at the Mt. Zion cemetery near Deer Creek. The funeral services were conducted by J. D. Hartzler and Samuel Gerber. Samuel Zehr (1870- ) Samuel S. Zehr was born near Lilly, Tazewell County, 111., February 24, 1870, son of Peter Zehr, born in Germany, and Elizabeth Oyer, born in France. He was baptized in 1886 in Tazewell County by Jacob Zehr. He was chosen by vote of the church and ordained as deacon in June, 1906, at Fisher, 111., by Peter Zehr. At the same place he was married on September 27, 1892, to Lena Unsicker by Chris Nafsiger. Their children are: Aaron, 1896; Samuel, 1900; Elizabeth, 1906. He has followed the calling of farmer throughout his life and resides near Foosland, 111. BIOGRAPHIES 625 THE DEFENSELESS MENNONITE CONFERENCE* David N. Claudon (1867- ) David N. Claudon, the second child of a family of four other sons and four daughters was born March 30, 1867 to Joseph Claudon of Alsace-Lorraine, and Mary Mosimann Claudon of Peoria, Illinois, at Waldo, Livingston County, Illinois. He was baptized June, 1887, at Waldo, Illinois, by Elder Joseph Rediger, and married at Berne, Indiana, March 1, 1891, to Kathryn Egly, daughter of Elder Henry Egly, by Joseph Rediger. To this union were born seven children: Joseph, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Jesse, Adah, Lois. Claudon has been engaged in various occupations during his life; that is, teaching school, farming, grain business, and is in gen- eral business at the present time. He was chosen deacon by ballot, 1915, at Waldo, Illinois, and was ordained by C. R. Egle, January 4, 1920. He has held various positions in the local church, as superintendent of the Sunday School, and has been especially active in conference undertakings in which he served in the following capacities : conference secretary, mis- sion treasurer, editor of the church paper, superintendent of the Orphanage and president of the Old People's Home. He recently moved to Valpariso, Indiana. Christian R. Egle (1858-1926) Christian R. Egle, the third child of a family of three brothers and two sisters was born February 24, 1858 to Christian and Maria Rediger Egle at Rieth, Oberamt Vaih- ingen, Wuerttemberg, Germany. He came with his parents to this country in the spring of 1874. They left mainly be- cause of universal compulsory military service. His father, whose parents were Henry and Jacobina Egle (nee Ehresman), was born at Lerchenhof, Obermausheim, Germany, where his parents and grandparents had lived since they came from Switzerland at the time of the persecution. His mother was born at the Scheibenharder Hof near Karlsruhe, Baden, Ger- many, her parents being Jacob and Jacobina Gingrich Rediger. The grandparents on both sides of the house were Men- nonites. Egle's preliminary education was received in Ger- * The list of biographies for this conference includes several non- Illinois ministers, and is not complete for those in Illinois. 41 626 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS many, and at one time or another he served as a millhand, carpenter, farmer, and printer. At the age of fifteen years he was baptized in 1873 by Joseph Stalter and united with the Amish Mennonite Church at Zweibruecken, Rheinpfalz, Germany, but without a defi- nite personal experience of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Having an Uncle Jacob Rediger living near Eureka, Illinois, the family came to Eureka in April, 1874, when he was six- teen years of age, and lived there from the spring of 1874 un- til March, 1876, when they moved to Livingston County, Illinois. In the fall of 1878, his heart was moved through the death of his sister and revival meetings being conducted by Bishop Henry Egly of Linn Grove, Indiana, and John Detsh of Archbold, Ohio. In June, 1879, he was rebaptized by Jo- seph Rediger at Gridley, Illinois. Thus he was transferred from the Amish to the Defenseless branch. Four years later he was chosen minister by ballot at Gridley on June 25, 1883, and was ordained by Joseph Rediger and Peter Hochstettler. On December 23, 1891, he was married to Bena Angermeier of Milford, Nebraska, the service being performed by Peter Hochstettler. To this union were born six children, Sarah, George, Katherine, Alma, Bertha, and Ella. In June, 1893, he was chosen bishop or elder by ballot and was ordained by Joseph Rediger and Peter Hochstettler, in this capacity serv- ing the Salem church of Waldo Township, Livingston Coun- ty, Illinois. He served in various capacities, some of which are the following : evangelist, home and foreign mission treas- urer, conference president, conference secretary, member of educational and publishing committees, editor of Hells Bote and member of the Board of the Fort Wayne Training School. He Avas very active throughout his career, and was long con- sidered the outstanding leader of his church in Illinois. He died in 1926. Joseph K. Gerig (1868- ) Joseph K. Gerig, the fifth child of a family of six brothers and four sisters, was born Oct. 28, 1868 to Joseph Gerig of Alsace-Lorraine, France, and Catharina Nafzinger Gerig in Allen County, Indiana, near Fort Wayne. He was reared on a farm. He was baptized in 1874 by Reverend Henry Egly, and was married to Leah B. Gerig by Reverend Henry Egly in 1889. To this union was born Clara May Gerig on May BIOGRAPHIES 527 21, 1900 He was chosen minister in 1899 and ordained by Reverend C. R Egle, and later chosen bishop by ballot of the conference and vote of the congregation at Chicago, being ordained October 2, 1917 by Reverend C. R. Egle He haf been very active in city mission work, and before beimr or- dained served as a Sunday School teacher, and on commit- tees to arrange topics for young people's meetings of the con- terence. He has also served as a traveling evangelist and as conference chairman. Peter Hochstettler (1834-1924) Peter Hochstettler was born Feb. 28, 1834 near Augs- burg, Bavaria, Germany. He came to America in 1849 with his parents, brothers and sisters; landed at New York, August 10 of that year, and became a resident of Tazewell County Illinois, on August 26, 1849. He married Barbara Birkey of Groveland, Illinois, on March 14, 1858. To this union were born nine children: Lizzie, Joseph, Lydia, Edward (deceased), Kath- arine, Amos, Susanna, Mary and John (deceased). He was ordained to the ministry by Henry Egly, and as bishop by Jo- seph Rediger and Henry Egly, serving in this capacity as bishop or elder of the Groveland church. He was particu- larly active in evangelistic work. The funeral service was preached by Jacob Schmucker, Plevna, Kansas, and C R Egle, Meadows, Illinois. He was buried at Groveland, Illinois. Eli Lantz (1859- ) Rev. Eli Lantz, the third child of a family of five brothers and four sisters, was born (Nov. 27, 1859) at Pettisville, Ful- ton County, Ohio, to Levi Lantz, and Fannie Rupp Lantz of u ^°X " t° rr ^ ine ' France - He was baptized in 1881 at Arch- Z° 7 ^ hy Rev ' Henry E ^' and ma rried Jan. 19, 1882, at Arch- bold, Ohio, to Mary Rupp by Rev. Henry Egly, and to this union were born nine children : Ezra, Louise, Albert, Rosa Erwin, Arvada, Dennis, Mildred and Arminda. He was chos- en minister in 1894 at Elkton, Michigan, by vote and ordained y uu C R - E§ " le ' In November , 1918, he was elected bish- op by ballot of church and conference and was ordained by Rev. E. H. Slagle serving the church near Linn Grove, Ind., in this capacity. He has served as an evangelist and conference chairman at different times, and also as member of the Mis- jsion Board, Program Committee, etc. 628 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Joseph Rediger (1826-1904) Joseph Rediger was born in 1826, in Leabach, Baden, Germany. In 1834 his father had come to America, but could not afTord to bring his family with him ; so Joseph went to his grandfather in Obermausheim, Wuerttemberg. At the age of sixteen he was baptized into membership in the Men- nonite Church by J. Wolber. In 1843 he went back to Baden and worked for an uncle for a short time until he took a position on a big farm. He was soon made head man over ten men with top-notch wages, which amounted to $25.00 per annum. Such were the conditions then in that country. From the time his father went to America, Joseph was ambitious to follow him. Strange as it may seem he saved enough of his meager salary to enable him to start for Amer- ica and arrived at Buffalo, New York, in 1848. Here his money gave out. He worked in the harvest fields, until he had saved enough to continue his journey to Peoria, Illinois, where his father lived. Arriving in southern Ohio, he was again out of money. Working again for some time he was able to pur- chase a ticket to Peoria, where he arrived with twenty-five cents. Of course there were no railroads on which he could travel except one from Albany to Buffalo. This road had wooden rails with strap iron spiked on top. A peculiar acci- dent happened while he was traveling on this road. It was supposed that the end of an iron was raised from the wooden rail and a car wheel ran under it. The iron came up through the floor of the car in which he was riding, pierced through the roof, came back down through the roof into the car and again through the floor, killing one person instantly, derail- ing the train resulting in a general smash-up in which many persons were injured. At all other times he traveled by water on lakes, rivers and canals. Rediger found his father living all alone near Peoria in a little log hut, which being home was considered a palace. America being an excellent country in which poor but in- dustrious people could expect to make a decent living, he was anxious to bring the remainder of the family. His father, having worked for several years, was able to arrange for the necessary funds. Having spent about six weeks with his fa- BIOGRAPHIES 629 ther, Rediger started back for Germany. He encountered Asiatic cholera on boats, and starvation rations on the ocean vessels, but arrived safely. In a short time he had interested a large number of people to emigrate. All arrangements were made to start, but the money his father had guaranteed to send had not come. The people began to mistrust that he had ever been to America. The money order finally came. He at once started for America, with his mother, two brothers, and three sisters, and a number of other people. Arriving at Pe- oria, he at once began cutting and delivering wood to a wa^on factory. In 1850 he was united in marriage to Fanny Oyer, by Michael Moseman, and lived in the vicinity of Washington, Illinois. In 1859 he came to Gridley, Illinois, and purchased a farm seven and one-half miles northeast, in Livingston Coun- ty. His first wife died May, 1872. There were born to them thirteen children, five sons and eight daughters. One daugh- ter and three sons died in infancy. The living children are: Magdalena Slagel, residing near Flanagan; Barbara Oyer Meadows; Elizabeth Oyer and Maria Littwiler, north of Meadows; Fanny Claudon, Anna and Katharina Rediger, Meadows; Jacob Rediger, north of Meadows; Benjamin Rediger, Meadows. In 1904 there were thirty-one living grandchildren and eleven living great-grandchildren. In Jan- uary, 1876, he was married to widow Anna Oyer by Henry Egly and lived with her until her death in July, 1897. In 1863 he was chosen minister of the Gridley Prairie congregation. He became involved in a church difficulty with the other ministers of the congregation. Related to Henry Egly of Adams County, Indiana, Rediger, at the time of the Egly" controversy, cast his lot with Egly and organized a new church from his relatives and friends who stood by him in this controversy. He thus became the founder of one of the charter congregations of Defenseless Mennonites. In 1868 he was made bishop of the Salem congregation. In 1903 he built a house in Meadows and moved into it. On March 8, 1904, he passed away. The funeral was very largely attended. Short sermons were preached in German by Rev. Peter Hostettler, Groveland, Illinois; Rev. C. R. Egle, of the local church ; and Rev. Gerig, Indiana. Rev. Ben- jamin Rupp, then of the Salem Orphanage, preached in English. 630 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Elmer E. Rupp (1885- ) Elmer E. Rupp, the ninth child of a family of seven brothers and five sisters, was born May 13, 1885 to Daniel Rupp of Archbold, Ohio, and Magdalena Gerber Rupp of Pe- kin, 111. He was baptized by J. K. Gerig, February, 1903, near Archbold. His education consisted of attendance at the Archbold high school three years, Valparaiso College one term, Angola College two terms, Moody Institute two years. He was married November 25, 1915, at Pioneer, Ohio, to Esther Josephine Slagle, by E. M. Slagle, and to this union were born Pauline May, Ruthanna, James Edwin, and Phyllis Marie. He was chosen a deacon by ballot during 1924 and was ordained by E. M. Slagle. He has served as a Sunday School superintendent, teacher, chorister, and president of C. W. Band at various times. He serves the congregation near Archbold, Ohio. Samuel Rupp (1856- ) Samuel Rupp, the eighth child of a family of eight broth- ers and four sisters, was born August 20, 1856 at Archbold, Fulton County, Ohio, to John Rupp and Magdelina Lauber Rupp of Alsace, France. He secured a grammar school edu- cation, and then took up farming for an occupation. He has served as a chorister, secretary, teacher, and superintendent, and was ordained minister by Bishop E. M. Slagle in 1926. He was married on by a Judge of Probate Court and to this union were born Mary, Verena, Aldina, Eliza- beth, Ada, Zilla, Ephraim, Rose, and Blanche Rupp. He serves the congregation near Archbold, Ohio. Jacob Schmucker (1860- ) Jacob Schmucker, the second child of a family of five brothers and twelve sisters, was born Sept. 10, 1860 at Geneva, Adams County, Indiana, to Daniel Schmucker of France, and Susanna Egle of Baden, Germany. He received a common school education to the age of 16 years. He was baptized in March, 1880, in Adams County, Indiana, by Henry Egly. He was chosen minister by members' vote January 1, 1884, in Reno County, Kansas, and ordained by Peter Hoch- stetler. He was married the following year on December 13 by the same bishop to Katie Schott. By vote of this same BIOGRAPHIES 631 congregation he was chosen bishop in 1892 and was conse- crated by Joseph Rediger. Five children have been born to these parents : Simon P., Bertha E., Jesse P., and Reuben P. He has been very faithful to his duties and serves an active congregation of Mennonites at Plevna, Kansas. Emanuel Slagle (1870- ) Emanuel Slagle, the seventh child of a family of three brothers and five sisters, was born July 24, 1870 at Gridley, Livingston County, Illinois, to Benjamin Slagle, of New York City and Anna Klopfenstein of Germany. He secured his edu- cation in the common schools of Illinois and was baptized by Joseph Rediger, July, 1887. He married Lena Summer of Gridley, 111., in 1890, the service being performed by Elder Joseph Rediger, and to this union were born nine children of whom six are still living. He was chosen minister by the Salem church of Flanagan 111., and was ordained by Elder C. R. Egle in 1910. In 1916 the Pioneer, Ohio church of Fulton Co., Ohio, chose him for bishop, and he was ordained by Elder C. R. Egle. In this capacity he has served the Pioneer and Archbold, Ohio, congregations. At various times he has served as a Sunday School superintendent, member of the Mission Board, and chairman of the Defenseless Mennonite Confer- ence. He has been very active in various church work, and has conducted several series of evangelistic meetings. David M. Zimmerman (1869- ) David M. Zimmerman, the second child of a family of seven brothers and one sister, was born December 23, 1869 at Chenoa, Livingston County, 111., to Isaak Zimmerman, of Baden, Germany, and Mary Stuckey of France. He was bap- tized by Peter Hochstetler in Sterling, Kansas, October, 1886. and married Mary Albrecht of Sterling, Kansas on December 13, 1890, the service being performed by Peter Hochstetler. To this union were born John E., Everett W., Mable S., and Pearl B. He was chosen deacon by a vote in Sterling, Kansas, during 1905, and minister by ballot in November, 1923, being ordained by Elder C. R. Egle. He has served as a teacher and superintendent in Sunday School, as an evangelist, con- ference trustee, and member of the Mission Board. He has been very active in evangelistic work and has written several ar- ticles for the church paper. 632 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF MENNONITES* Amos M. Eash (1882- ) Amos M. Eash was born in 1882 near Middlebury, Indiana, where he grew to manhood. The Eash family came from Somerset County, Pennsylvania, to Indiana. His mother was Anna Adeline Schrock Eash, daughter of Cornelius and Magdalena Bontrager Schrock. They came to Indiana from Holmes County, Ohio. He was baptized October, 1898, by Bishop P. Y. Lehman and united with the Shore Mennonite Church. He came to Chicago in the fall of 1903 and was em- ployed as a stenographer in the office of the Mining World and later of the Billposter's Association of the United States and Canada. The years 1904 and 1905 were spent in mission work under Rev. A. H. Leaman at the Home Mission. During 1905 and 1906 he worked for Albaugh Brothers, a Brethren mail order firm. He was married to Anna Annacker in 1905, by Rev. A. H. Leaman. She was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1880, and came to America in 1886. Though raised a Catho- lic she joined the Mennonites at the Home (old Mennonite) Mission. In the fall of 1906 a new mission station was opened under the leadership of Rev. A. H. Leaman on 26th Street, Chicago, and A. M. Eash became its superintendent. He was ordained to the ministry at the Home Mission in September, 1909, by Bishop J. S. Shoemaker of Freeport, 111. He served as superintendent of the Twenty-sixth Street Mission until July, 1919, when he went to Palestine in the service of the Near East Relief. He had charge of the Syrian Orphanage in Jerusalem. He returned to America in September, 1921, and again assumed charge of the Twenty-Sixth Street Mis- sion where he still serves. In 1921 he was transferred to the Central Conference. He was quite active in ^ general Sunday school work in the Mennonite Illinois District Con- ference. Since changing his conference affiliation he has been quite active in the Central Conference. He is a member of the Christian Workers' Institute Committee. * Biographies of the Central Conference ministers will be found in W. B. Weaver's History of the Central Conference, Danvers, 111., 1926. The two given here are included because of their connection with the old church. BIOGRAPHIES 633 Jonathan Yoder (1795-1869) Jonathan (Yony) Yoder (Joder) was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on September 2, 1795. It is not known when he was baptized or by whom, but he entered the Amish Mennonite Church when a young man about 20 years old. Yoder had two brothers and five sisters. His mother, Jacob- ina Esh, was born in Switzerland about 1760 and his fa- ther, David Yoder, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He had little schooling except that which he obtained at a subscrip- tion school while he lived in Berks County. Although a car- penter and farmer, he later gained sufficient education to en- able him to become a teacher in the subscription schools of the day. He could read and write both English and German. Jonathan Yoder was married in 1816 to Magdalena Wagner, born 1793, daughter of Zacharias Wagner who came over from Hesse, Germany. To this union eleven children were born. They were Leah, Joash, Elias, Elizabeth, Sarah, Amos, Jonathan, Magdalena, Asa, Catherine, and Anna. Yoder lived in a number of different places including Berks, Mifflin, and Juniata Counties, Pennsylvania, and McLean County, Illi- nois, near Carlock. He was chosen preacher in 1825 and later bishop. In 1849 his two sons, Elias and Amos, and his broth- er Joseph came to McLean County, Illinois. Elias settled in Dry Grove Township on what is now known as the Kinsinger farm. His brother Amos came to the same place. In the spring of 1851 Yoder and the rest of the family came to Dry Grove Township, McLean County. Mr. John Ritter, a friend of Yoder, who lived in the same county with him in Pennsyl- vania, came to McLean County, Illinois, for a few years and then moved to Oregon. Mr. Ritter wrote to Yoder encour- aging him to come to Illinois. Partly because of this en- couragement and also because several of his children were here, he came to this state. He bought a forty-acre farm not far from his son, Elias, and engaged in farming until about 1860 when he and his wife went to live with his son, Amos. Here Mrs. Yoder died February 2, 1869. Yoder then went to live with his daughter Mrs. John Sharp near Congerville, Illinois. When Yoder came to McLean County, he became the leader of the Amish people of Danvers and Dry Grove Town- ships. He also had quite a large following of his own people from Pennsylvania who came about the same time he did. 634 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Soon after his arrival he organized a congregation and they held meetings in the homes of the members. In the spring of 1853 a church house was built at Rock Creek, where are now the Rock Creek Fair Grounds, about five miles north of Dan- vers. Yoder was not only a leader in his own congregation, but also a recognized leader in the Amish conferences in America that were held throughout the United States. He was moderator of the first Amish conference held in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1862 and active in those that followed. He was a man of great physical strength and endurance. He was able to earn a living for a large family and in addi- tion perform the ministerial duties that devolved upon him. He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, of reason and excellent judgment. He was of a generous and peaceful nature and yet very firm in his convictions. Although he was rather reserved, yet he had a kind and jovial disposition which made him beloved by all who became acquainted with him. He was a typical Amishman from Pennsylvania and was conservative in his views. He believed in the conventional form of Amish dress, bonnets and veils for women, hooks and eyes and long hair for men. Yet he was progressive when compared with the other Amish bishops of his day. He very often showed a liberal attitude toward new things that came up. The story is told that he met with a number of Amish bishops in Central Illinois to discuss the question as to wheth- er young men should be allowed to wear neckties. After the bishops had assembled one of them brought the pipes and to- bacco and gave a pipe to Yoder. He held it a while and then threw it down and said to the other bishops : "We have met to consider whether the young men can wear neckties and yet we ourselves engage in this filthy habit of smoking." It is said that the meeting adjourned without discussing the question of neckties. Yoder, judging by the work he accomplished, was a man of executive ability, an original thinker and had great initia- tive. He had the marks of leadership. He filled a large place in his day because the Amish of Dry Grove and Danvers Townships were in need of a leader at this time. He fills a large place in the history of the Central Conference Men- nonite Church. His death came in rather an unusual way. A ministers' meeting was held at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John Sharp, in the latter part of January, 1869. At the noon BIOGRAPHIES 635 hour when Mrs. Sharp invited the ministers to the dining room, Rev. Yoder said he did not care to eat and would rather lie down and rest. The other ministers went to the table and after dinner when they came back into the room they found that he was passing away. He died January 28, 1869, at the age of seventy-four years and was buried on Simon Lantz's farm now the Lantz Cemetery a few miles southeast of Carlock. Jacob Zehr, Christian Risser, and Joseph Stuckey gave appropriate remarks at the funeral. He died before the Stuckey schism which led to the Central conference. SMALLER GROUPS Reformed Mennonite Church Michael Deter (1857- ) Preacher Michael Deter was born March 23, 1857 in Franklin County near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to An- drew and Lizzie Hoover Deter. His early life was spent on the farm. He attended the rural schools ot Pennsylvania which were quite meager. In the spring of 1876 he came to Morrison, Illinois, and worked on various farms north of town. In 1881 he went to California but returned four years later to Morrison. He was married to Susie Bristle on May 20, 1886, and settled on the farm at her home. In the fall of 1889 he moved to Morrison. Mrs. Deter died in the spring of 1910. There were no children. On January 25, 1914 he was married to Emma Landis. They moved to Sterling in the spring of 1921. He "gave himself up" in 1892, and a year later was baptized into church membership. About 1898 he along with Christian Schwenck was appointed and a year later was ordained to the office of deacon. He rilled this po- sition until he was elected in 1909 and ordained a year later to the office of preacher. He served the Sterling church with Preacher William Miller until the latter's death in 1920. Since that time he has been alone in the ministry of the Sterling church. At present he resides at the corner of Nineteenth Avenue and Fifth Street, Sterling, Illinois. 636 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS William Miller (1847-1920) Preacher William Miller was born August 11, 1847, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He joined the church about 1880, along with eighteen others at the Longenecker meeting- house in Lancaster County. He was married to Elizabeth Fisher, born March 24, 1845 and died October 16, 1916. Two sons, Christian F. and William, were born to the home. The family removed from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1884, and located on a farm north of Sterling. Having been deacon for a few years, he entered the ministry in 1894. He died in 1920, General Conference Mennonite Church Daniel Hege (1826-1862) Daniel Hege was born December 26, 1826, at Klein Karlbach, Upper Palatinate, Germany, to John and Margaret (Bergtholdt) Hege. His father was a miller by trade. The ancestors came to Germany from Switzerland about the year 1700 A. D. Young Daniel began at six and attended the common schools until his fourteenth year, after which he spent a few years assisting his parents at home. When he had grown old enough he was apprenticed to a merchant, but after a year or two he took up bookbinding and learned that trade. In 1849 he wrote to a friend : "For more than five years I have entertained the wish to do something for my fellow- men. My end and aim is to become a competent teacher, and at the same time a minister of the Gospel, upon whose labors divine blessings may rest." With the uncertainty of com- pulsory service in the army before him he had deferred en- tering upon the cherished plans. But when he received word that he was free from military service he immediately (1848) entered an academy at Schiers, Canton Graubuenden, Switzer- land. He entered upon the student's life with such zeal that his health broke down after ten months and he was com- pelled to discontinue his work for six months or more. After recovery he spent another year at the same institution and completed the course there. It was during this period that many Mennonites emigrated from South Germany to the United States. Hege likewise proposed to make this country his future home, and had to a large extent selected his work BIOGRAPHIES 637 and prepared himself with this in view. Accordingly after completing his work at Schiers he left for America in No- vember, 1851. After visiting his friends in Cleveland, Ohio, for a few weeks, he went to Cincinnati and spent the winter there. The next spring he went to Indiana, where he stayed for several months with his brother John. In the fall of 1852 he entered the Evangelical Seminary at Marthasville, Mis- souri, and for the three years following attended that institu- tion, gaining thus a thorough education. He taught a private school near Bloomington, Hlinois, during 1855-1856. For some time during the latter year he also taught at West Point, Iowa, where he was ordained to the ministry on October 13, 1856. During the winter of 1856-57 he was private instructor to three children near Oskaloosa, Iowa. After this he again returned to West Point, where he taught and preached for several years. On July 19, 1857, he was married to Barbara Lehmann. About the year 1859 the church at Summerfield, Illinois, gave him a call to become their pastor. He accepted the call and soon entered upon this work with great zeal and devotion. He soon succeeded in stimulating the church to take interest in mission work and other activities. In 1861, Hege attended the session of the General Conference at Wadsworth. He was chosen secretary, and afterwards was selected as home missionary and solicitor for the proposed conference school. In May, 1862 he entered upon this special task and for seven months pushed this work with great vigor and remarkable success. Perhaps from too great a strain on his nervous sys- tem he was taken ill on his return from Iowa to Summerfield and died on Dec. 30, 1862. Christian Krehbiel (1832-1909) Christian Krehbiel was born October 18, 1832, at W T eier- |hof, a small village romantically located at the foot of the Donnersberg in the Bavarian Palatinate. His parents, well- I to-do farmers, were John and Katherine Krehbiel. The an- cestry, like that of most Mennonites in southern Germany, traces back to Switzerland. Under pressure of persecution one Jost Krehbiel (Kraehenbuehel) left Switzerland about 1671 and settled in southern Germany. To him in the sixth gen- eration Christian Krehbiel traces his descent. Beginning with his sixth year, Christian attended the schools of that section until 638 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS his eleventh year, when his parents moved to EinhofTen in upper Bavaria, twenty-five miles from Munich. The school which he attended there for three years was very inferior. At fourteen attendance upon school ceased, except at a cer- tain Sunday School, where attendance was required by law until the seventeenth year. After having lived in Bavaria for seven years, a brother, older than he, was drafted for military service. Being faithful adherents to the doctrine of non-resistance, the par- ents were anxious to shield their sons from military service. Ac- cordingly they sold their farm at a great sacrifice, paid a thousand "Gulden" for the release of their son from service, and in the spring of 1851 left the old homestead and with a number of families came to America. The company made a temporary stop of nine months near Haysville, Ashland County, Ohio. During the summer of that year Christian Krehbiel worked on a farm. The place for ultimate settlement selected for the company was southeastern Iowa. To prepare somewhat for the coming of the families, Krehbiel, now nineteen years old, and another young man, proceeded to Iowa in the fall of 1851. Going to Cincinnati, Ohio, then a small village, they took steamboat and went down the Ohio River to Cairo, Illinois, then up the Mississippi to Keokuk, Iowa, stopping in Lee County where a few families of Mennonites had already settled. Krehbiel hired to one of them for a year at one hundred dollars. The next spring his parents and the rest of the company followed. On March 14, 1858, he was married to Susan A. Ruth, daughter of the minister David Ruth. He removed to Summerfield, Illinois in March, 1860. Here as in Iowa, he followed farming as an occupation. During his nineteen years' residence in that section he lived on four different farms. Beginning with almost nothing, by 1867 he had gained enough to own a nice farm, directly adjacent to the little village of Summerfield, on which he resided for twelve years. Krehbiel's life was, however, not destined to run the quiet course of purely agri- cultural pursuits. In September, 1864 he was drafted to serve in the United States Army. From this service he was per- sonally relieved by hiring a substitute. Two months later, the pastor of the church, Daniel Hege, having died, he was elected to the ministry. This gave new direction to his life and opened the door to a most active and varied career. At the General Conference held at Summerfield in 1863 he had al- ready been a participant as a lay-member. It was at his sug- gestion that Ohio was selected as the place at which to locate BIOGRAPHIES 639 the contemplated school of the Conference. At the dedication services in 1866 of the conference school at Wadsworth he preached the first sermon with stirring effect. In 1869, when contention had arisen between the members of the faculty it was through his efforts that peace was restored. He was en- trusted the delicate task of personally visiting the Zion church in Iowa and winning their consent to Showalter's continuation at Wadsworth. The Western District Conference, which met for the first time in the Zion church, Iowa, October 1868 was originated by Christian Krehbiel, he having first con- ceived and proposed the idea and agitated the matter until the conference was realized. For a number of years he served as home missionary of that body, and was always a leader in the work. It was about this time that he originated the idea of a Mennonite colony. He labored for a number of years until his hopes and efforts materialized in the settle- ment in Harvey and McPherson County, Kansas, with Hal- stead as headquarters. He was the leader of this entire move- ment. As early as 1870 he had been in correspondence with European Mennonites who contemplated immigration to America In 1872 four young men from Russia came to see him at Summerfield. Later other delegations came to con- sult with him until he was in touch with all the leaders of the various immigrating churches. Summerfield for several years became the first objective point for Mennonite immi- grants to this country. Many families took up temporary residence there until they could make final selection for set- tlement. Taking hold of the immigration problem, he devised plans for successful settlement in this country It was through him that the Mennonite Board of Guardians was originated. He, as president, formulated its plans and di- rected its activity. Through this committee large pecuniary savings were gained for immigrants, much annoyance and lardship was averted, and many poor Mennonites, who would Dtherwise have had to remain in Russia were enabled to come :o America. In 1871, missionary interest was greatly stimu- ated S. S. Haury, student at the conference school and nember of Krehbiel's Church, had announced his intention o become a missionary. He offered himself up to the Am- ;terdam Missionary Society. Krehbiel persuaded Haury to )ffer himself to the Conference. Thus the Conference en- ered upon an independent missionary enterprise, to the good )f the Conference itself and the blessing of the Indians. In 640 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1872 the Conference created the Foreign Mission Department Krehbiel was elected a member of the Board, and the Board in organizing elected him to the presidency, in which ca- pacity he served for twenty-four years. He planned and guided the actual mission work as carried on in the field. Living close to the mission field he often visited it. He made it a point to be familiar with all its details. Under his strong and wise guidance the work overcame all the many trials which beset it. The conference mission under his guidance experienced a steady, rapid growth and never retrogressed, but every valuable position once gained was held, until the Mennonite Mission ranked as one of the best of all missions among the Indians in the United States. In March, 1875 he presided at the organization of the church at Halstead, Kans- as. This church was the offspring of the church at Summer- field. In March, 1879 he removed with his family to this place and settled on a farm adjacent to the town. In the fall preceding, the church at Halstead knowing of his intention to remove to this place, had elected him as their pastor. He had assisted in the organization of the Kansas Conference in 1877, and residing now in this district he spent much of his time visiting among the churches and developing the spirit of cooperation. He was among those who promoted the plan, for a school in Kansas. When the Kansas Conference de- cided to permanently carry on a school, it was through his influence that the Halstead church made her very liberal offer to furnish the buildings for the school. In connection with this school the Mission Board tried for two years to carry on an Indian Industrial School. When it proved only partially successful, Krehbiel undertook to carry on this school him- self. Accordingly he established it on his farm in 1887 and conducted it until 1896. About one hundred and fifty differ- ent Indian children came under his personal influence and care during this time, many of whom are now among the most promising young men and women in the mission field Foreseeing that the United States Government was about tc make such changes as would make the industrial school with the Indians impossible, he had in 1884 interested some others and organized the Mennonite Orphan Aid Society. Of this society he was president, and the institution was located al his home, he being its superintendent. He died April 30, 1909 (Taken largely from Krehbiel— History of the Mennonite Gen- eral Conference, 1898.) STA T B OP _I HLi S -A-*-,— KINTUCKT STATS PEORIA CENTRAI MfcNNONITE, C( AND 1N57 FOR EXPLANATIONS % • FLANAGAN ft ^ LIVINGSTON RIDLEY* (^MEADOWS RMAL -OOMINGTON .AN LINOLS CATIONS DNS RLINOI5 MAP 7 ft •FISHE.R CHAMPAIG CHRONOLOGY 1496 — Birth of Menno Simons at Witmarsum, Friesland. 1517 — Beginning of the Reformation by Luther. 1521 — Beginning of the Swiss Reformation by Zwingli. 1525 — Birth of the Mennonite Church at Zurich, Switzerland. 1527— First Martyr, Felix Manz, drowned by decree of the Zurich Coun- cil. — The first known confession of faith was drawn up at Schleitheim. 1542 — Imperial edict issued against Menno, putting a price on his head. 1544 — Countess Anne in West Friesland first used the term "Menist." 1561— Death of Menno at Wuestenfelde, Holstein. 1568— Death of Dirck Philips. 1614 — Last Swiss Martyr, Hans Landis. 1632 — Dortrecht Confession of Faith drawn up by seventeen congrega- tions of Central Europe. 1663 — Cornelius Plockhoy established temporary Mennonite colony in Delaware. 1673— Joliet and Marquette made first explorations in Illinois territory. 1683 — First permanent Mennonite settlement in America at German- town, Pennsylvania, from Crefeld, Germany. 1693— Origin of the Amish Branch in Switzerland, Jacob Amman, leader. 1708 — First Mennonite meeting house erected in America, at German- town, Pennsylvania. ^717 — The Illinois country formerly governed as part of Canada was in- corporated in the government of Louisiana. 1725— Franconia Conference, Pennsylvania, session, the first Mennonite conference on record in America. 1730 — (about) First Amish immigration to America. 1778 — The Illinois country became a county of Virginia. |Zoi~" Ill! ' nois becam e a part of a territory under the Federal Government. 1787— First Protestant sermon preached in Illinois by James Smith, a Baptist minister. 1809— Illinois territory was separated from the Indiana territory and given own governor. 1812— Origin of the Reformed Mennonites (Herrites) in Pennsylvania. 1818 — Illinois admitted to the Union as a state. 1829— First Amishman (or Mennonite) comes to Illinois. 1829-1852 — First period of Mennonite settlement in Illinois, along creeks and timberland. 1831-1832— The Black Hawk War. 1832— Origin of the Christian Apostolic (New Amish) Church in Swit- zerland. 1833 — First Amish congregation organized in Illinois; the Spring Bay or Partridge church with nine members. — Main Line of Mennonites appears in Illinois at Washington. 641 42 642 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1835— Organization of Mackinaw River Meeting (Amish-Mennonite). 1837— Organization of the Wesley City Congregation (then Amish but later Defenseless Mennonite). —Organization of Dillon Creek Congregation (Amish-Mennonite). 1840^-(about) Mennonites come to Scales Mound (extinct). 1842— First Mennonite settlers come to Summerneld, Illinois. 1846— Appearance of the Christian Apostolic (New Amish) in America. 1847 — Appearance of the Reformed Mennonites (Herrites) in Illinois. —Origin of the Oberholzerites (General Conference of Mennonites) in Pennsylvania. 1848— The first permanent railroad was built in Illinois. 1851— Organization of the Rock Creek (Yoder) congregation (Central Conference). . , 1852— Appearance of the Christian Apostolic (New Amish) in Illinois. —(old) Mennonites open settlement at Sterling, Illinois. 1852-1866— Second period of Mennonite settlement in Illinois, upon the prairie land. . . . 1853— First Amish (or Mennonite) meeting house in Illinois erected by the Rock Creek (Jonathan Yoder) Church. 1854— (perhaps later) Organization of Hessian Mennonite congregation south of Danvers, Illinois. (Central Conference). —Organization of Delavan Prairie congregation (Amish-Mennonite) near Hopedale. Partridge or Spring Bay congregation erected meeting house, the first among the Amish-Mennonites. g ] 1855— Appearance of the Brethren in Christ (River Brethren) in Illinois. 1856— The Union Mennonite congregation near Washington erected brick meeting house. . 1858 — Mennonites open settlement in Livingston County, Illinois near Cullom. , —Mennonite (General Conference) congregation near Summerneld, Illinois, erected brick meeting house. t —Science Ridge (Mennonite) congregation near Sterling, Illinois, erected meeting house. I860 — Formation of the General Conference of Mennonites. —Organization of the Gridley Prairie congregation (Waldo Amish- Mennonite) near Flanagan. 1862— First General Amish Conference for United States and Canada, held in Wayne County, Ohio. Moderator, Jonathan Yoder. 1863— Hessian Mennonites south of Danvers erected church house. — The Mennonite congregation near Freeport erected meeting house. 1864 — John F. Funk published, in Chicago, the Herald of Truth, the first English paper for Mennonites. 1865 — Mennonites open settlement near Morrison, Illinois. —John F. Funk ordained as English preacher for the (old) Men- nonite congregation near Gardner, Illinois. Old Order Amish from Pennsylvania open settlement at Arthur, Illinois. — Summerfield (General Conference) congregation starts Sunday school. 1866— A General Amish Conference held in John Strubhar s barn near Danvers, Illinois. CHRONOLOGY 643 —Origin of the Defenseless Mennonites (Egly). —Union congregation near Washington, Illinois, starts a Sunday school. 1867— The Reformed Mennonite congregation at Sterling erected meet- ing house. — The Waldo Amish-Mennonite congregation near Flanagan erect- ed meeting house. 1868— First session of the Western District Conference of the General Conference of Mennonites. 1869— East Washington (Calvary) Central Conference congregation erected meeting house. —First Central Conference Sunday school held in the Rock Creek p . (Yoder) Church. — Origin of the Krimmer Brueder in Russia. 1871— Chicago fire destroyed Peter Neff's enlarged residence and ended the old Chicago Mennonite congregation. 1872 — First session of the Illinois District Mennonite Conference, held with the Science Ridge congregation near Sterling. — North Danvers meeting house erected. io«7?~§ rigin ° f the Stucke y Amish (Central Conference of Mennonites). 1873— Board of Guardians organized at Summerfield, Illinois, to assist the Mennonite migration from Russia. —The Mennonite congregation near Morrison erected meeting- house. —The Willow Springs congregation near Tiskilwa (Amish-Menno- nite) erected meeting house. Hlf~ Mennonites migrate from Russia to United States and Canada. 1875— Salem congregation near Gridley (Defenseless Mennonite-Egly) erected meeting house. — The Amish-Mennonite congregation near Roanoke erected meet- ing house. 1876— The Amish-Mennonite congregation near Hopedale erected meet- ing house. 1878 — The last Amish General Conference of United States and Canada. 1880— John D. Kauffman begins his "Spirit" preaching in Elkhart Coun- ty, Indiana. 1882 — Amish-Mennonites develop group consciousness in Illinois and farther West. — Central Conference congregation near Flanagan erected meeting house. — John S. Coffman holds first series of evangelistic meetings in Ill- inois with the Cullom congregation. — The Mennonite congregation of Cullom erected meeting house. 1883 — First session of Defenseless Mennonite Conference (Egly). — The Amish-Mennonite congregation near Goodfield erected meet- ing house. 1890— Death of Henry Egly at Geneva, Adams County, Indiana. —First session of the Western District Amish-Mennonite Confer- ence, at Sycamore Grove, Cass County, Missouri. 1891 — Central Conference congregation near Meadows erected meeting house. 644 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS 1892— First General Sunday School Conference (Old Mennonites) held near Goshen, Indiana. — Organization of the Mennonite Evangelizing Board (Old Menno- nite). 1893— East White Oak Central Conference congregation near Carlock erected meeting house. — The Mennonite Home Mission opened in Chicago. 1895— Central Conference congregation south of Washington erected meeting house. — The East Bend Amish-Mennonite congregation near Fisher erect- ed meeting house. 1896— First session of the Illinois (Old) Mennonite Sunday school con- ference, held with the Science Ridge congregation near Ster- ling. 1897— Formation of the General Conference of (Old) Mennonites. 1898— Central Conference congregation of Congerville organized. — C. R. Egle purchases printing press, begins printing German paper, "Heils Bote" for the Defenseless Conference (Egly). — "Zion's Call," edited in English by D. N. Claudon in interest of Salem Orphanage. — Origin of the Missionary Church Association. —Salem Orphanage founded near Flanagan, Illinois (Defenseless and Central Conference). 1899_john S. Coffman died at Elkhart, Indiana. _ 1900— First Bible Conference in Illinois for (Old) Mennonites, held wLth Science Ridge congregation near Sterling. Purchase of building for the Home Mission in Chicago, the nrst owned mission building for the (Old) Mennonites. —Central Conference Sunday School Association organized. 1902— Boynton Central Conference congregation near Hopedale erected meeting house. —Death of Joseph Stuckey at Danvers, Illinois. 1905— Bethel Central Conference congregation near Pekin organized and meeting house erected. 1906— Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities organized by combin- ing the Mennonite Board of Charitable Homes and Missions with the Mennonite Evangelizing and Benevolent Board. —Twenty-sixth Street Mission, Chicago, opened by the (Old) Men- nonites. . .J 1907— Origin of the Sleeping Preacher Group of Conservative Amish (Kauffman). —Representatives of the Isaac Peters' Churches (Defenseless Men- nonite Brethren in Christ) start mission work in Chicago. 1908 — Beginning of the Happy Hour Mission in Chicago. —Establishment of Salem Gospel Mission, Chicago (Defenseless Conference— Egly). # — Incorporation of the Defenseless Mennonite Conference (Egly). — Organization of the Central (Illinois) Conference of Mennonites, 1909— Central Conference Mennonite Gospel Mission, Chicago, opened. 1910— Central Conference congregation near Archer erected meeting house. CHRONOLOGY 645 —"Christian Evangel," the organ of the Central Conference, estab- lished. —Erection and dedication of the Twenty-sixth Street Mission, Chi- cago by the (Old) Mennonites. — Formation of the Conference of the Defenseless Mennonite Breth- ren in Christ of North America. (Isaac Peters' Churches). 1911 — Central Conference congregation of Normal erected meeting house. — Ministerial Association of the Central Conference organized. 1912 — Incorporation of the Congo Inland Mission (Central and Defense- less Mennonites). — The Mt. Hermon Sleeping Preacher congregation near Shelby- ville erected meeting house. 1913 — All-Mennonite Convention started, first session at Berne, Indiana. — Central Conference congregation of Tiskilwa erected meeting house. — First Christian Endeavor Rally for the Central Conference. — Defenseless Mennonite (Egly) Conference adopted "Zion's Call as their official organ. 1914 — Central Conference Christian Endeavor Union formed. — Central Conference Mennonite Gospel Mission, Peoria, opened. — Happy Hour Mission in Chicago closed. 1915 — First Sunday school convention of the Defenseless Mennonites (Egly) of Illinois and the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren (Russian) of Chicago, held in Salem Church near Gridley. — Krimmer Brueder set up printing press and open up mission work in Chicago. 1916 — Central Conference congregation of Carlock erected meeting house. — The General Conference Mennonite Mission opened in Chicago. 1917 — Christian Workers' Conference of the Central Conference organ- ized. — Mennonite Bible Mission, Chicago, opened as an unofficial mis- sion of the Defenseless Mennonite Brethren (Russian) by Wiens. — Organization of the Illinois District Mission Board of the (Old) Mennonites. 1918 — Defenseless Conference (Egly) started Brotherhood Aid Associ- ation. 1919 — Dedication of newly erected modern mission building of the (Old) Mennonite Home Mission, Chicago. — First meeting of the Illinois District Woman's Missionary Society of the (Old) Mennonites, held at the Home Mission, Chicago. — Garden Street (Peoria) mission work opened by the (Old) Men- nonites. — "Good Tidings" makes its appearance as Defenseless Mennonite Brethren (Russian) paper in English. — Organization of the Mennonite Sanitarium Association (Central and Defenseless Conferences). — The Defenseless Mennonite Brethren (Russian) purchased a church building for the Brighton Mission Chapel, Chicago. 1920 — Last session of the Western District Amish-Mennonite Confer- 42-a 646 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS ence, at Pleasant Grove, Tremont, Illinois. — Merging of the Amish-Mennonites of Illinois and the Illinois District Conference of the (Old) Mennonites. — Pleasant Hill Rural Mission work opened by the Illinois District Mission Board of the (Old) Mennonites. 1921— Erection of the (Old) Mennonite Home for the Aged, Eureka. — First session of the new (after Amish-Mennonite and Mennonite merger) Illinois District Conference, at Science Ridge Men- nonite church, Sterling, Illinois. — "Zion's Tidings," first issue of combined "Zion's Call" (Defense- less— Egly) and "Good Tidings" (Defenseless Mennonite Brethren — Russian). 1922— First class graduated from the Nurses' Training School of the Mennonite Sanitarium at Bloomington. 1923— Dedication of the Old People's Home, Meadows, Illinois (Cen- tral and Defenseless Mennonites). — Twenty-sixth Street Mission, Chicago, joins Central Conference. 1924 — Central Conference purchases Twenty-sixth Street Mission Build- ing, Chicago, from (Old) Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. —Ladies' Aid Society of the Central Conference organized. BIBLIOGRAPHY General Works The following list contains titles of works useful for a historical introduction to general Mennonite history. The list is by no means exhaustive. Detailed bibliographies will be found in books such as those written by C. Henry Smith. Smith's writ- ings as well as the Mennonite History by Hartzler and KaufTman contain valuable sections on the history of the Mennonites of Illinois. The general Illinois state histories contain practically no references to Mennonites. Correll, Ernst, Das Schweizerische Taufer-Mennonitcntum. Tubingen, (Germany), 1925. Dosker, H. E., The Dutch Anabaptists, Philadelphia, 1921. Funk, John F., The Mennonite Church and Her Accusers. Mennonite Publishing Company, Elkhart, Indiana, 1878. Hartzler, J. S., and KaufTman, Daniel, Mennonite Church History. Mennonite Book and Tract Society, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, 1905. -„ Hartzler, John Ellsworth, Education Among the Mennonites of America. Central Mennonite Publishing Board, Daavers, Illinois, 1925. / Hartzler, J. S., Mennonites in the World War. Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, 1922. Heatwole, L. J., Mennonite Handbook of Information. Mennonite Pub- lishing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, 1925. Historical Sketch of John F. Funk and Abraham K. Funk. James A. Bell Company, Elkhart, Indiana, 1925. HorsCh, John, Menno Simons, His Life, Labor and Teachings, Scottdale, iPa., 1916. Huffman, Jasper Abraham, History of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church. The Bethel Publishing Company, New Carlisle, Ohio, 1920. Krehbiel, H. P., The History of the General Conference of the Mennonites of North America. Canton, Ohio, 1898. Manual of New Testament Teaching, etc., (Reformed Mennonite Church). Baltimore, 1893. M-ennonitisches Lexikon, edited by Christian Hege and Christian Neff, Frankfurt A. M. and Weierhof (Germany), 1913f. Musser, Daniel, The Reformed Mennonite Church. Inquirer Printing and Publishing Company, Lancaster, Pa., 1878. Newman, A. H., History of Anti-Pedobaptism to 1609, Philadelphia, 1896. 647 648 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Smith, C. H., and Hirschler, E. J., The Story of Bluffton College. Bluffton, Ohio, 1925. Smith, C. Henry, The Mennonites, A Brief History. Mennonite Book Concern, Berne, Indiana, 1920. Smith, C. Henry, The Mennonites of America. Goshen, Indiana, 1909. Steiner, M. S., John S. Coffman, Mennonite Evangelist. Mennonite Book and Tract Society, Spring Grove, Pa., 1903. II Illinois Mennonite History The material bearing more directly on Illinois Mennonite history has been classified into four groups, Books and Pamph- lets, Periodicals, Reports, and Manuscripts. BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS Centennial History of Illinois. Springfield, Illinois, 1920. Commemorative Biographical Sketch of Rev. Jonathan Yoder. By his son Joash Yoder, written in 1875, printed in 1900. Christner, Jacob, Kauff man's Sermons (undated). Eash, A. M., After Ten Years. Chicago, 1916. Elkhart Institute Memorial. Elkhart Institute Alumni Association, Go- shen, Indiana, 1903. Harnish, John L., Fifth Anniversary of the Peoria Mission. 1924. Hostetler, Pius, Life, Preaching, and Labors of John D. Kauffman. Shelbyviile, Illinois, 1916. Literary Helper, The. Ciceronian Literary Society for Mennonite Lit- erary Society of Illinois, Sterling, Illinois, 1925. Moses, Illinois, Historical and Statistical, Fergus Printing Co., Chicago, 1895. Noah Troyer's Sermons. Mennonite Publishing Company, Elkhart, Indiana, 1880. Parrish, Historic Illinois. A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago, 1906. Weaver, William B., History of the Central Conference Mennonite Church, Danvers, 111., 1926. FILES OF PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS Christian Evangel, The. Central Conference Publication Board, July, 1910 , Chicago and Danvers, Illinois. Christian Exponent, The. The Christian Exponent Company. January, 1924 — December, 1928. W'ooster, Ohio, and Berne, Indiana. Christian Monitor, Tht. Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Penn- sylvania, 1909- . Dentsch-Avicrikanische Geschiclitsblaetter. Viertaljahrschrift herausge- geben von der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Historischen Gesellschaft von Illinois. Chicago, 111. 1901 . Good Tidings, (Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ), July 15, 1919 to August, 1921. BIBLIOGRAPHY 549 Good Tidings. Published Quarterly bv the R»f™- m .,4 \k Church Lancaster, Pennsylvania July, 7 19^-^ ° rmed Mennonlte other fitf' n " al C " tal0gUe ' CMe9e Record ' and miscellaneous G ° SP :L" er ^!l e ' Menn ° nite PubHshing H ° USe > Scottda| e> Pennsyl- G ° SP :ll: $&£.$£ G ° SpeI Witaess Com P a ^ Scottdale, Pennsyl- ^pri/jUMft ThC - ChiCag ° and EIkhart ' Indiana - J anua 'y. 1864- Umnonite Family Almanac. Mennonite Publishing House Elkhart In diana and Scottdale, Pennsylvania, 1875 ' tlKnart - ln " yZTo'ks of "thif enn ° nite B ° 0k C ° nCern ' Berne ' Indiana . 1 885_. (0I p„^- n0ni ^ S - ^»»"»*',^«r-B 00 t and Directory. Mennonite Publwhing House, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, 1905 - VIenno,me ^olrdrDanvefs, t^^ ^^ Me " n0nite ' ™««*n Defenseless Mennonite Brethren in Christ of North America Moun por n «sM k 9 e il-^- nneSOta ' (i " German) (inc,udes c™nf'e?ence r2- l"^^TuJn&& PaPer *">**»> =*■* I"" 2«m'j Ca//, 1898—1921. Zion's Tidings, September 1, 1521 . REPORTS Constitution and By-Laws of the* ^t^ G^tiltlZ^" ° f thC ™ M ° S M ™<> ni * Con- Central Conference Mennonite Church. Adopted 1909 Revised 191? n fnJ n i a f n M MlSSi T' inco /P? rat £ d ^ the LntralHlmoI ^Confer ence of Mennonites and the Defenseless Conference of Menno- nites, Bloomington, Illinois, 1912 Menno- Aprir 1924° man,S Missionar y Sod ^ ™* Auxiliary Societies, Missionary Church Association and the Missionary Church Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1916, 1922, editions. ' ° Manual of the : Defenseless Mennonite Church, Chicago 1917 Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, 1915 Minutes of the: Amish General Conference, 1862-1878. Elkhart, Indiana. Defenseless Mennonite Conference, 1883 General Conference, twenty-second session, held in Perkasie, Penn- sylyama, August 29 to September 5, 1920 General Conference, twenty-third session, held August 29 to Sent 6 at Freeman, South Dakota, 1921. P * ° Illinois District Mennonite Conference, 1872 (Manuscript). 650 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Illinois District Mission Board 1917 (^JSJP ^^^^ Pa Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference, 1864-1929. Scottdale, Pa., Mennonite General Conference, with discussions since 1890, Menno- nite Publishing House, Scottdale Pa., 1919. /panted Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference 1890-1920. (Printed reports in both German and English.) Report of: ^ . tM9 All-Mennonite Convention, 1913 . u rttTU > Dedicatory Service and Missionary Conference : held at the Home Mission, Chicago, Illinois, January 5-7, 1919. „> m w Men's Missionary Conference held in Chicago, Illinois, December 12, 13, 1917. MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL Answers to Questionnaire. County Recorders' Files. Kerft L., Mennonites of McLean County, paper read before the McLean County Historical society, 191U. Local church minutes and records. Personal Letters. . g_rm mrm ^ve b r°°Wil^ $%&Z^P* to the History of * Cen- Bluffton, Ohio, May 15, 1923. M. A. Thes.s. LIST OF MAPS AND TABLES Map of Illinois Mennon{te Congregations and Institutions At end Map of Central Illinois Mennonite Congregations and Institutions At end Mennonite Population in all countries 20 Diagram of Mennonite Branches in America opposite 32 Summary of Mennonite Branches in America 58 Early Amish Settlers in Illinois 87-91 Illinois District Mennonite Conference Sessions 114 (Old) Mennonite Bishops 115-116 Sessions of the Western District Amish-Mennonite Conference 190-191 Partridge and Metamora Ministers 199 Workers at (Old) Mennonite Home Mission, Chicago 289-291 Workers at Twenty-Sixth Street Mission, Chicago 302 Workers at Garden Street Mission, Peoria 313 Early Amish Congregations in Illinois 335 Defenseless Mennonite Congregations 339 Annual Conferences of the Defenseless Conference 367 Mennonite Missions in Chicago 424 Report of Brotherhood Aid Association, August 25, 1925 427-428 Charter Churches of the Central Conference 486 Central Conference Churches 487 Sessions of the Central Conference 488 Old Order Amish Ministers in the Arthur Settlement 541-542 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS First Group, Between pages 128 and 129 Union Mennonite Church near Washington Science Ridge Mennonite Church near Sterling Mennonite Church near Freeport Morrison Mennonite Church Cullom Mennonite Church Sterling Reformed Mennonite Church Mennonite Home Mission in Chicago Twenty-sixth Street Mission in Chicago, also called Mennonite Gospel Mission Second Group, Between pages 192 and 193 Partridge Mennonite Church, later Metamora Metamora Mennonite Church Roanoke Mennonite Church Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church near Tremont Willow Springs Mennonite Church near Tiskilwa Hopedale Mennonite Church Waldo Mennonite Church near Flanagan East Bend Mennonite Church near Fisher Mennonite Gospel Mission in Peoria Mennonite Home for the Aged near Eureka 651 INDEXES INDEX OF NAMES Ackerman, Christian, 89 Ackerman, Daniel, 359 Ackerman, John, 359 Ackerman, Joseph, 236 Ackerman, Lena, 360 Albrecht, 80, 343 Albrecht, Alma, 302 Albrecht, Christian, 89, 223 Albrecht, Daniel, 230 Albrecht, Elizabeth, 230 Albrecht, Henry, 232, 233, 234 Albrecht, H. V., 295, 599 Albrecht, Jacob, 223, 236, 598 Albrecht, Tohn, 184 Albrecht, Joseph, 185, 222, 231 Albrecht, Lena I., 302 Albro, A. F., 434 Alderfer, 152 Allebaugh, Joseph, 152, 160 Ailgyer, Barbara (Yoder), 302 Allgyer, S. E., 294, 308 Althaus, 93, 134 Ames, William, 25 Amman, Jacob, 33, 58, 560 Amstutz, Hiram, 434 Anderson, 284 Anderson, Margaret, 287 Anderson, O., 383, 386 Anderson, Sarah, 386 Annaker, Anna (Eash), 283 Appel, 296 Appel, Lewis, 171, 172 Auer, Jacob, 79, 357, 595 Auer, John, 86 Auer, Joseph, 88 Augsburger, Christian, 597 Augspurger, 343 Augspurger, Aaron, 453, 472, 480, 485, 486, 487, 488, 494, 506, 508, 509 Augspurger, Anna, 520, 521, 534 Augspurger, Daniel, 247 Augspurger, David, 469 Augspurger, D. D„ 464, 474, 477, 486, 522 Augspurger, Eugene, 487 Augspurger, Jacob, 78, 445 Augspurger, Joseph, 476, 485 Augspurger, Noah, 184, 237, 238, 239 Augspurger, Peter, 478 Augstein, Andreas, 184 Augustin, Daniel, 413, 470, 500 B Bachman, 80, 175, 198, 219, 220, 438 Bachman, Andrew, 89, 199, 599 Bachman, Henry, 232, 233, 234 Bachman, John, 107 Bachman, John G., 174 Bachman, Joseph, 185, 195, 600 Bachman, Phoebe, 290, 313 Baecher, Joseph, 254, 466, 600 655 Baechler, Simon, 466, 467, 468 Baer, 134, 167, 284, 564 Baer, Christian, 90 Baer, Henry, 135, 168 Baer, T. B., 577 Baer, Jacob, 90, 96, 574 Baer, Johannes, 91, 94 Baily, Henry, 171 Bailey, Joe, 93 Bally, 134 Bally, Jost, 89, 115, 135, 136, 169, 600 Barclay, Robert, 25, 26 Barge, Whitmer, 155 Barkman, J. P., 350, 382, 384, 387 Barkman, Mrs. J. P., 382 Raughman, S. E., 413 Baum, 296 Bauman, Norman, 302 Baumann, B. B., 584 Baumann, S. B., 584 Baumgartner, Christian, 34, 35 Beachy, D. J., 541 Beachy, Joel, 539 Beachy, Noah S., 551 Beachy, S. D., 541 Beachy, S. N„ 541 Bechler, 343 Bechler, Christian, 597 Bechler, Simon, 239 Bechtel, Andrew S., 479, 510, 577 Beck, Peter, 79, 86, 88, 357, 595 Becker, 388 Becker, Aaron, 335 Becker, Alvin, 421 Becker, Emanuel, 339 Behr, 283 Beidler, William H., 142 Beiler, 564 Beiler, D. K, 551 Beiler, Solomon, 182 Beiler, 343 Beiler, Andrew, 468 Beiler, John, 247 Beiler, Lena, 291 Beiler, Peter, 91, 199, 600 Belsley, 80 Belsley, "Black" Joe, 79, 88 Belsley, Joseph, 198, 199, 595 Belsley, Michael, 89 Belslev, Peter, 203 Belsley, "Red" Joe, 79, 88 Bender, D. H., 114 Bender, G. L., 128, 291 Bender, Samuel, 551 Bergdolt, 574 Berger, 574 Berkey, E. J., 128, 278, 285, 289 Berkey, Mary Rhodes, 289 Bernhard, 90 Bertolet, 30 Bertolet, Henry, 260 Bertsche, Amelia, 388 Bertsche, Harry, 339 656 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Betzley, Toseph, 185 Birkey, 78, 343 Birkey, Andrew, 239, 253, 321, 359 Birkey, Benjamin, 359, 360, 370 Birkey, Chris Ben, 339 Birkey, Christian, 88 Birkey, Edna, 362, 388, 389 Birkey, Joseph, 203, 238 Birkey, Levi E., 256 Birkey, N., 196 Birkey, Valentine, 470, 485 Birky, Andrew, 219, 254, 257 Birky, Barbara, 243 Birky, C. I., 434 Birky, J., 239 Birky, J. C, 191, 196, 219, 239, 434 Birky, J. W., 434 Birky, Ji , Jacob, 240 Birky, Joseph, 239 Birky, S. D., 434 Bixel, Lester, 388 Bixler, T. K., 308 Blaurock, George, 5 Blosser, Abram, 169 Blosser, Barbara (Steiner), 290 Blosser, Kate (Hilty), 290, 293, 302 Blosser, N. D., 170 Blosser, Perry, 328 Boehm, Martin, 45 Boehr, P. J., 577 Bohn, Ernest, 480, 487, 513, 529 Bontrager, Mrs. Gertrude, 291 Bontrager, J. P., 328 Bontrager, Joseph H., 290, 557 Borntreger, Christian, 550 Borntreger, Eli, 550 Bouwens, Leonhard, 10, 11 Brandt, 574 Brenneman, 77, 80, 96, 152, 226, 459 Brenneman, Albert, 476 Brenneman, A. I., 476 Brenneman, C. B., 170 Brenneman, C. K., 140, 302 Brenneman, Daniel, 50, 51, 58, 184, 264 Brenneman, E. C, 476 Brenneman, George, 264 Brenneman, Joe P., 551 Brenneman, John M., 109, 110. 115, 174, 260, 264, 270 Brenneman, Lovina Engel, 290 Brenneman, M. E., 328 Brenneman, William, 300 Brenneman, William J., 302 Bressler, T. F., 290 Bressler, Mrs. J. F., 290 Brickler, John, 596 Briggs, Miss, 388 Broad, Henry, 395 Brownfield, 135 P.rubacker, Etta, 302 Brubacker, John, 142, 143, 148, 149 Brubaker, Benjamin, 91, 93, 134 Brubaker, John, 90, 97 Brubaker, Rudolph, 142, 143 Brubaker, W. H., 128, 145 Brubaker, William, 306 Brundage, Daniel, 113 Brunk, 132 Brunk, Daniel, 290 Brunk, George R., 156 Buchanan, Roy, 291 Buckwalter, 175 Buckwalter, Ruth, 290 Buhler, 564 Burckey, Christian, 88 Burckey, Daniel, 88 Burckey, Frederick, 88 Burckey, John, 89 Burkey, 80, 462 Burkey, Andreas, 184 Burkey, Andrew, 90, 225 Burkey, Christ, 90 Burkey, Jacob, 90, 226, 231 Burkey, John, 223 Burkey, Joseph, 80, 90, 184, 228, 229, 232 Burkey, Valentine, 90 Burkhart, Abram, 128, 159, 601 Burkhart, Hettie B., 155, 157 Burkholder, David, 114 Burkholder, Seth, 163 Buzzard, A. L., 114, 136, 141, 145, 311, 328, 600 Buzzard, Mrs. A. L., 248 Byers, 152 Byers, N. E., 128, 161, 279, 289, 302. 308, 331, 530, 531, 535 Byler, Joseph, 190 Camp, 80, 198 Camp, Christian, 139, 199 Camp, Joseph, 139 Campbell, A. D., 381 Campbell, Minnie, 313 Chamber, 296 Chrisman, Jacob, 470 Christophel, EH, 307 Christophel, Elias, 169, 171 Christophel, J. M., 115, 136 Christophel, Samuel, 290 Cikanek, Mary, 283, 291 Clark, 438 Clark, Joseph, 456 Claudon, 343 Claudon, Christian, 466 Claudon, D. H., 426 Claudon, D. N., 342, 345, 346, 349, 350, 354, 355, 367, 369, 371, 372, 373, 393, 395, 398, 400, 412, 413, 418, 625 Claudon, Joseph, 365, 367, 597 Claudon, J. H., 349 Clauser, A. N., 434 Cof+man, Ella Mann, 289 Coffman, J. S., 114, 119, 128, 137, 144, 147, 156, 160, 168, 170, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 272, 273, 325, 601 Coffman, S. F., 156, 172, 277, 282, 283, 289, 307 Collins, Jefferson, 470 Collins, Laura, 379, 382 Conrad, Tohn D., 155, 292, 306, 307, 309 Cooprider, Florence, 300 Cosier, Henry, 540, 541 Cosier, Ike, 540 Cressman, Mrs. M. C, 317 Culp, Lewis, 175 Dahlgren, 283, 284 INDEX 657 Danner, Christian, 91 Danner, Jacob, 89, 595 Danner, Peter, 86, 89 Dellenback, Jacob, 247 Dellenback, Lena, 207 Delp, 564 Denck, Hans, 7 Denlinger, Mary, 279, 289 Denner, 77 D 3 r 2 S l tin 398 C ' F " 156 ' 2 ° 6 ' 248> 3H ' Derstine, Mrs. C. F., 321 Deter, Daniel H., 164, 165, 166, 602 Deter, Ezra, 165 Deter, Michael, 565, 635 Detsh, John, 347, 359 De Turk, 30 Detweiler, 438, 473 Detweiler, Abraham, 152, 154, 160 Detweiler, Christian, 89 Detweiler, Henry, 89, 152 Detweiler, I. R., 147, 161, 170, 173. 294, 295, 299, 308, 331, 529 Detweiler, John, 88, 91, 485 Detwiler, Christian, 575 Diebel, John, 171 Diemer, Floyd, 362 Diemer, Frank, 361, 362 Diemer, Obed A., 542 Dierberger, Peter W., 290 Diller, Alma, 388 Diller, Jacob, 142 Dodge, Rev. Joseph, 72 Doenng (Missionary), 370 Doermg, Alma F., 369, 370, 378, 388, 389 Donner, 96, 459 Donner, Peter Sr., 96, 459 Dowie, John Alexander, 60 Drange, 283 Drange, Edward, 172 Driver, 132 Driver, D. F., 114 Driver, Joe C, 329 Duerrstein, John, 94 E Fash, A. M., 114, 258, 290, 292, 293, 295, 299, 300, 3©1, 302, 307, 308 487, 512, 524, 525, 632 Fash, Mrs. A. M., 293, 300, 302. 319 Fash, C. H., 300 Fash, Phoebe, 243 Fbersole, Mrs. Abraham, 154 Ebersole, Abraham D., 128, 160 Fbersole, Amos, 156 Ebersole, Andrew, 199 Ebersole, Barbara, 155 Ebersole, Benjamin, 154 Ebersole, Christian R., 153 Ebersole, Daniel, 158, 159 Fbersole, David E., 148, 149 Ebersole, Elizabeth Hershberger, 289 Ebersole, Eli. 154 Fbersole, Esther (Lapp), 290 Ebersole, Henry R., 152, 155 Ebersole, Jacob, 154 Ebersole, Mrs. Jacob, 154 Ebersole, John, 153 Fbersole, Lizzie, 155 Eb 28 r 9 S , 0le il9 Me !3 n i d , a '6^ 28 - l61 " 2,7 ~ 278 ' Ebersole, Michael, 155 E 277 5 , 0l l85 D 2 8 9 S - °' "»• »* 276 ' Eby, Abram, 283 Ety, Amanda, 281, 290 Eby, Clara (Steiner), 277, 289 Eby, Isaac, 115 Eb #o M , a }£ hias ' 113 > 115 > 117 » 142, 144, 148, 149 Egle, 343 Eg }^ C --,r R -> 339 ' 342 > 344 « 345, 346, 4# 4 3 18%2 3 5 54 ' 365 ' ^ 369 ' 373 ' Egle, Fanny, 344 Egle, George, 349, 355 Egle, William, 354 Egh, Aaron, 475, 477, 478, 493 Fgli, J., 239 Fgli, John, 238 Egli, Joseph, 239 Egly, Abraham, 336 Kgly, Christian, 336 Fgly, C. G., 347 h8 }& H ,Vl ry <, 37 ' 38 ' 58 ' 334 > 336 » "7, 338, 343, 344, 347, 358, 365, 367 Egly, Henry, Jr., 336 Fgly, Jacob, 336 Fgly, Joseph, 336, 347 Fgly, Kathryn, 336 Egly, Magdalena, 336 Fgly, Samuel, 336 Fhresman, 597 Fhresman, Dorothy, 362 Ehresman, J. E., 346 Fhresman, John, 342, 344, 597 Ehresman, Peter, 345 Fhresman, P. P., 345, 369 Ehresman, Sam, 339 Fhrisman, 211 Fhrisman, Christ, 90 Figsti, 343 Eigsti, C. C, 559 Figsti, Christian, 217, 551 Eigsti, Ira, 230, 603 Eigsti, Jacob, 224 Eigsti, John, 234 Eigsti, Mrs. John. 234 Engel, Christian, 79, 81, 88, 92, 135, 136, 198, 199, 596, 604 Engel, Flvina, 140 Engel, Jacob, 44, 58 Engel, Joe, 88, 199 Engel, John, 198, 199, 595, 596 Engel, Joseph, 604 Engel, Euella, 523 Fngle, Peter, 79, 86, 87, 88, 101 Fngle, 462 Engle, Jacob, 468 Engle, John, 79, 88 Engel, Peter, 79, 86, . 87, 88, 101 Erb, John, 85 Fsch, 80 Fsch, Benjamin F., 465, 487, 488, 510, 529, 531, 535 Fsch, Christian, 89, 199, 604 Fsch, Dr. C. D., 200, 300, 302 Fsch, Mrs. C. D., 300, 302 Estherly, Mrs. (Egle), 345 658 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Fahrnev, 101 Fahrni, 30 Farney, 343 Farni, 597 Farni, Christian, 85, 87, 88, 596, o97 Farni, Peter, 79. 88. 597 Fast. Rev. M. B., 592 Fisher, Hattie V., 290 Fleiser, C. D., 214 Fleiser, C. W., 214 Fliginger, J. J., 434 Folkers, C. B., 349 FCrTner, John V., 148, 149, 307, 604 Fortner, Mrs. J. V., 147 Fox, George, 24, 25, 26 Frake, Earl, 339 Frank, 296 Frey, 152 Frey, Abraham, 157 Frev, E. L., 191 Fricke. 284 Froehlick, Samuel, 34, 35, 58 Funk, 132 Funk, Christian. 45, 46, 38, 598 Funk, Bishop Heinrick, 45 Funk, Heinrich, 598 . Funk, John F., 12, 107, 108, 109, 110, 114, "115, 128, 169, 174, 176, 177, 1Q0 233, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 270, 271, 272, 277, 278, 281, 283, 461, 499, 553, 555, 557, 605 Gallentine, Joseph, 163 Garber, 80, 438, 462 Garber, Christ, 90, 91 Garber, C. J., 328 Garber, Daniel, 190, 191 Garber, Tacob, 320, 321, 322 Garber, Joe, 89, 90 Garber, Leonard, 171 Garber, Peter, 90, 91, 190, 199, 466 Garber, Peter Samuel, 606 Garber, P. X., 485 Gasche, 343 Gascho, Joseph, 248 Geigley, A. W., 299, 302 Gerber, 198 Gerber, Chris, 339 Gerber, Christ, 184 Gerber, Joseph, 440 Gerber, Samuel, 34, 35, 114, 190, 191 196, 219, 293, 295, 311, 328, 329, 607 Gerig, Benjamin, 190 Gerig, Christian, 345, 354 Gerig, C. R., 190, 196, 328 Gerig, David, 345 Gerig, Ezra, 355 Gerig, Joseph M., 345, 354, 372 Gerig, Toseph, 342 Gerig, J. K., 339, 347, 369, 370, 371, 374, 376, 421, 426, 626 Gerig, Mrs. J. K., 370 Gerig, Mrs. J. S., 317 Gerig, S., 190, 191 Gertman, 284 Gingerich, 77, 86, 96, 438, 459 Gingerich, Christian, 460 Gingerich, Fred, 191, 196, 328 Gingerich, George, 254 Gingerich, Tohn, 89, 199, 413, 460, 476, 477, 485,' 486, 487, 493 Gingerich, Mrs. John, 234 Gingerich, J. C, 328 Gingerich, Peter, 199, 464, 607 Gingerich, S., 191, 196 Gingerich, Simon, 307, 328 Gingerys, 223 Gingrich, Tohn, 607 Ginkinger, ' Charles L., 564 Goertz, David, 576 Goldschmidt, Catherine, 336 Goldschmidt, Joseph, 86 Good, A. C, 158, 161, 170, 248, 290 r 293, 295, 307, 308, 311, 314, 328, 329,. 607 Good, Christian, 161 Good, Dr. Dewitt, 276, 285, 289 Good. Mamie (Neff), 291 Good, Mary, 243 Good, Nora, 158 Good, Samuel, 161 Good, S. R., 155, 160, 306, 307, 308, 309, 314, 608 Goodman, Dorothy, 373 Graber, Daniel, 19© Grabill, Anna, 302 Grabill, S. J., 434 Grange, 284 Gravbill, 167 Graybill, Toseph, 101 Gravbill, John, 89 Gravbill, Noah, 170, 171 Gravbill, Samuel, 107, 167 Graybill, Simon E-, 147, 149, 608 Grebel, Conrad, 5, 6 Greenawah\ Lulu (Reist), 290 Greiner, Elmer, 362 G^einer, Frederick, 362 Greiser, Daniel, 239 Gresser, John, 289 Greubler, 574 Grey, Walter, 234 Grieser, George, 320 Griser, Daniel, 254 GrofT, Godfrey, 90, 97, 142 Groff, Hattie, 155, 156 Grubb, W. H., 479, 487, 510 Gsell, 163 Gsell, John, 162, 164 Gsell, Toseph, 163 Gsell, William, 107, 162 Gundv, George, 398, 415, 416, 493 Gundy, G. I., 469, 473, 474, 487, 511, 512, 513 Gustafson, Theresa, 388 Guth, 80, 462 Guth, Peter, 79, 88, 184, 358 Haetzer, Ludwig, 7 Hagey, George, 564, 565 Haigh, L. B , 373, 379, 380, 381, 384, 385, 386, 460, 509, 510 Haigh, Mrs. L. B., 379, 380, 384, 385 Hamilton, Benjamin F., 168 Haring, Dr. T., 598 Harms, John, 347 INDEX 659 Harnish, J. I,., 309, 310, 311. 313 Harnish, Viola, 313 Harshbarger, Abe, 107 Harshbarger, Samuel, 107 Harshbergen 167 Hartman, E. M., 114, 115, 121, 128, 136, 141, 159, 168, 169, 609 Hartman, Henry, 136, 138 Hartman, Ida, 139 Hartman, Peter, 89, 93, 134 Hartzler, Chancey A., 191, 196, 308, 328, 329, 610 Hartzler, C. K., 291 Hartzler, J. D., 398, 610 Hartzler, J. E., 137, 155, 158, 465, 513, 529 Hartzler, J. S., 114, 191 Hartzler, L. D., 522 Hartzler, Mrs. L. D., 505 Hartzler, Lee, 479 Hartzler, Levi, 290 Hartzler, Raymond, 484, 529 Hartzler, Simon, 139 Harvey, 284 Hass, John, 434 Hauder, Joseph, 207 Haun, 175 Haun, Peter, 169 Haury, S. S., 577 Hauter, C, 128 Heatwole, J. A., 328, 329 Heckelman, John, 107 Heckleman, 167 Heckler, Henry, 152, 154 Heckler, Jacob, 107, 152 Heer, 574 Heer, David, 95 Heer, Jacob, 94 Hege, Rev. Daniel, 575, 576, 577, 636 Heiser, Andrew, 253 Heiser, C. D., 308 Heiser, J. A., 169, 255, 256, 308, Heiser, Jacob, 253 Heiser, Joe, 91 Heiser, Joseph A., 254, 610 Heimuth, Albert, 547 Hendricks, 564 Hendricks, John, 107, 152, 154 Hendricks, Leonard, 152, 166 Herner, 167 Herner, Benjamin, 114, 123, 128 293, 611 Herr, Amos, 260, 264 Herr, Francis, 46, 58, 561 Herr, John, 46, 561 Herr, Walter, 371, 382 Hershberger, C. P., 541 Hershey, Benjamin, 113, 115, 152, 160, 162, 163 ... Hershey, Fannie (Lapp), 290 Hess, 152 Hess, Flmer D., 290, 302 Hess, Mrs. Flmer D., 290, 302 Hess, J. W., 156, 170, 311 Hess, M. R., 155 Hildy, 343 Hildy, John, 349 Hiity, J. W., 462 Hirschler, 574 609 122, 200. 203. 328, 584. 314 171, 154. Hirschler, Daniel, 577 Hirstein, 93, 134, 136, 574 Hirstein, Aaron, 173 Hirstein, Amelia (Grove), 290 Hirstein, Lena, 171 Hirstein, Martha, 171 Hoch, Daniel, 584 Hochstettler, Daniel, 360 Hochstettler, Tacob, 360 Hochstettler, J. B., 361, 362 Hochstettler, Peter, 358, 359, 360, 365. 367, 369, 417, 627 Hodel, Henry, 597 Hofer, D. M., 591, 592 Hofer, Mrs. D. M., 591 Hoffman, 296 Hoffman, Lydia (Stahl), 302 Holdeman, John, 49, 58, 61 Hollenback, Dr., 392 Holly, 226 Honderich, S., 114, 168, 171, 173 Hooley, 77, 80 Hoover, Benjamin, 565 Hoover, John, 564, 565 Horlacher, Godfrey, 565 Horst, Elizabeth, 302 Hostetler, Adam, 551 Hostetler, Christ, 91 Hostetler, Christian, 91 Hostetler, C. K., 291 Hostetler, Cornelius, 540 Hostetler, Ernest, 477, 487 Hostetler, Jacob, 91, 184, 217 Hostetler, Joe, 91, 184, 239 Hostetler, Jonathan, 540 Hostetler, Levi, 551 Hostetler, Peter, 91, 218 Hostetler, S. Jay, 169, 314, 316 Hostetler, Mrs. S. Jay, 316 Hubmaier, Balthasar, 7 Huffman, J. A., 62, 373, 484, 532 Hulburt, C. E., 369, 378, 516 Hunsberger, Ephraim, 584 Hust, 365 Hutter, Jacob, 10, 32, 58 Imhoff, 77, 80, 198, 438 Imhoff, Christian, 441, 456, 464, 482. 486, 491, 492 ' Ingold, August, 253 Ioder, Jacob, 236 Ioder, Joseph, 89, 223, 234 Trmeger. Willis. 362 Intzi, F. A., 476 Jansen, Cornelius, 20 Janzen, A., 382, 384 Tanzen, Mrs. A., 382 Johns, D. J., 190, 273, 560 Johnson, Charles, 295 Johnson, Nicholas, 264 Jorg, T. D., 400 Jutzi, 77 Jutzy, Peter, 77 Kanagy, S. M., 282, 283, 291, 611 Kanagy, Mrs. S. M., 291 660 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Kauffman, 77, 82, 438, 473 Kauffman, Abe, 545 Kauffman, Ben, 90, 93, 134 Kauffman, Daniel, 114, 147, 328 Kauffman, David, 551 Kauffman, E., 234 Kauffman, Edmund, 577 Kauffman, Gideon N., 541 Kauffman, Henry, 152, 153 Kauffman, Isaac N., 551 Kauffman, Tacob, 551 Kauffman, John D., 41, 58, 552, 553. 558, 559 Kauffman, Tohn J., 559 Kauffman, Jonas J., 540, 541 Kauffman, "Jonathan, 91, 485 Kauffman, L. A., 328 Kauffman, Moses, 541 Kauffman, Noah, 551 Kauffman, Samuel, 478, 479 Kauffman, William T., 551 Kaufman, J. N., 283 Kaufman, Mrs. J. N., 172, 331 Keagey, Michael, 262 Keim, Joseph N., 541 Keith, Metta, 388 Kelso, Dr., 405, 406 Kenagy, J. C, 556 Kendig, Benjamin, 134 Kennel, 77, 96, 459 Kennel, Tohn, 79, 88, 198, 482 Kennel, Kilean, 184 Kennel, Peter, 196, 203, 328 Kennell, J. J., 487 Kennell, Tosepb J., 560 Kensinger, Mrs. William G., 383 Kensinger, William G., 383, 384, 391 Kent, Frank, 468 Kindig, Benjamin, 88, 92 Kindig, David, 92 Kindig, Joseph, 135, 136 King, 284, 343, 438 King, Aaron, 349, 400 King, Anna (Hartzler), 290 King, B. B., 290 King, Christian, 90, 213, 214, 345, 365, 440 King, Dan, 90 King, Daniel R., 393 King, Mrs. Daniel R., 393 King, David, 349 King, J. H., 230 King, John P., 186 King, Joseph H., 404, 409, 456, 457. 470, 474, 480, 482, 483, 484, 486, 487, 488, 506, 516, 518, 531 King, J. P., 449 King, Michael, 90 King, Peter, 470 King, Samwel, 248, 430 Kinsinger, 77, 96, 438, 459 Kinsinger, Clara, 504 Kinsinger, C. W., 485 Kinsinger, Mrs. C. W., 505 Kinsinger, Tacob, 136 Kinsinger, John, 404, 409, 460, 461, 482, 485, 486, 487, 488 Kinsinger, Joseph, 453, 468, 469, 482, 486, 513 Kinsinger, Michael, 89, 185, 460, 464, 465, 469, 481, 482, 491 Kinzer, 434 Kirchner, George L., 470 Kissler, Tohn M., 91 Kistler, John Michael, 459, 460 Kistler, Michael, 90, 96, 97, 105, 226, 227, 228 Klassen, T. H., 349, 354, 415 Klemmer," S. G., 584 Kliewer, T. W., 530 Klopfenstein, 211, 388, 597 Klopfenstein, Elmer, 237 Klopfenstein, Irwin, 339_ Klopfenstein, John, 91, 51-7 Kniss, Lloy, 313 Kniss, Mrs. Lloy, 313 Kodah, 284 Koenig or King, 77 Koenig, Christian, 597 Koenig, Jacob, 597 T-'oenis?, Tohn, 597 Koenig, Michael, 597 ivocrner, Henry, 171, 172 Koerner, Mary, 171 Koerner, Minnie, 172 Koerner, Susie V., 171, 172 Kohler, 438, 473 Kohler, John, 446, 457, 485, 488 Kohm, Matilda, 369, 377 Kolb, A. B., 128, 291 Konig, John, 84, 85 Konig, Michael, 184 Kornhaus, John, 165 Kraemer, 574 Kraemer, John, 575 Kratz, 564 Krehbiel, 574 Krehbiel, Christian, 576, 577, 584, 586, 637 Krehbiel, Daniel, 581, 584 Krehbiel, J. C, 584, 586 Krehbiel, Jacob E., 577 Kreider, Amos E-, 161, 295, 612 Kreider, Mrs. Amos t,., 318, 319 Kreider, Frank, 157 Kreider, J. M., 114, 328, 329 Kreider, John, 107 Kreider, Tohn H., 152, 153, 295 Kring, Ray, 302 Kroeker. Sarah, 371, 382, 588 Kropf, Jacob D., 559 Kulp, 175 Kulp, Lewis, 175 Kurtz, J., 190 Kurtz, Jonathan, 137, 451 Kurtz, Kate, 290 Landes, Fannie Landis, 290 Landis, 151, 153, 564 Landis, Amos, 159 Landis, Bessie (Gerig), 290 Landis, Hans, 16 Landis, Henry, 107 Landis, Henry S., 151 Landis, William, 158 Langdon, 388 Langenmantel, Hans, 7 Lantz, 82, 438, 473, 597 Lantz, Eli, 339, 367, 370, 627 Lantz, John, 91 INDEX 661 Lantz, Lee, 230, 453, 473, 475, 477, 478, 479, 480, 485, 486, 487, 488 493, 501, 509, 510, 535 Lantz, Milo P., 488 Lantz, Monroe, 350, 363 Lantz, P. R., 290 Lape, E. S., 302 Lape, Nora (Mrs. E. S.), 302 Lapp, Benjamin, 152, 160 Lapp, Daniel, 156 Lapp, D. G., 114, 328 Lapp, Esther Ebersole, 161, 172, 331 Lapp, G. J., 114, 137, 161, 283, 290, 308 Lapp, Isaac, 149 Lapp, John, 115, 143 Lapp, M. C, 290, 308 Lapp, Martin, 90, 97, 142, 148 Lapp, Samuel, 90, 97, 142, 143, 144, 148, 149 Lapp, S. G., 114 Leaman, A. H., 114, 137, 170, 280, 281, 283, 290, 292, 293, 294, 295, 305, 307, 308, 524, 588, 613 Leaman, Mrs. Amanda, 318 Le Fever, Lydia (Burkhard), 302 Le Fevre, 30 Lcfevre, Emma (Byers), 128 Le Fevre, Phares, 128 Lehmann, 343 Lehman, Christian, 86 Lehman, David, 169 Lehman, John, 453, 474, 486, 488 Lehman, J. S., 128, 148 Lehman, L. J., 114, 137, 156, 168, 248 Lehman, M., 584 Lehman, M. C, 290 Lehman, P. Y., 168 Lehner, 284 Leidig, Henry, 165 Leightner, B. F., 433 Leip, S., 365 Leiser, William, 471 Leisey, Jacob, 91, 96 Leisy, Jacob, 577, 584 Litwiller, 80, 198, 343 Litwiller, Ada (Mrs. Nelson), 302 Litwiller, Benjamin, 240 Litwiller, C, 345 Litwiller, Christian, 355 Litwiller, Jacob, 476 Litwiller, Joe, 90, 219, 237, 239 Litwiller, Jonas, 614 Litwiller, J. W., 349, 400, 477, 487, 493 Litwiller, N. J., 300, 302 Litwiller, Peter, 90 Litwiller, Samuel, 345 Litwiller, Simon, 239, 240, 614 Loerner, Reuben, 171 Long, C. Warren, 314 Loucks, Aaron, 172, 289 Lugibill, Addelle. 370, 371, 421 Lukert, John, 597 Luther, 5, 6, 23 Mach, Alexander, 27, 28 Magnuson, Carl, 234, 316 Magnuson, Mrs. Carl, 316 Mann, Melinda (King), 290 Mannhardt, Emil, 595, 596, 597, 598 Mannhardt, Jacob, 598 Manz, Felix, 5, 6 Marbeck, Pilgram, 7, 10 Marison, 284 Martin, 152 Martin, Benjamin, 240 Martin, C. E., 240, 309 Martin, Christian, 91, 237 Martin, Nicholas, 238 Martin, Samuel, 154 Martin, Solomon, 154 Mast, 77 Mast, A. J., 542 Mast, D. J., 542 Mast, H. J., 541 Mast, I. S., 328 Mast, M. A., 190 Matthys, Jan, 10 Maurer, 438 Maurer, Benjamin, 474 Maurer, Joseph, 614 Maurer, Nicholas, 77, 78, 87, 595, 597 Maurer, Peter, 77, 78, 87, 595 Maurer, S. E., 516 Maurer, Mrs. S. R, 505 Meek, A. J., 145 Meek, Clarence, 145 Mehl, J. C, 453 Melanchthon, 23 Mellinger, Benjamin, 160, 615 Mellinger, Levi, 339 Menke, 344 Metzler, Noah, 280, 289 Meyers, Christian, 483 Meyers, John, 470 Miller, Allen, 230, 404, 409, 453, 486, 488, 506, 513, 518, 520, 534 Miller, A. C, 551 Miller, A. J., 542 Miller, Allen H., 47, 487, 493 Miller, Benjamin, 551 Miller, Christian, 470, 597 Miller, Daniel, 106, 539 Miller, D. D., 128, 137, 156, 170, 173, 190, 248, 273, 560 Miller, Earl, 309, 313, 314, 615 Miller, Mrs. Earl, 313 Miller, Edna, 302 Miller, Henry, 234 Miller, Isaac, 541 Miller, Jacob, 77, 91, 185, 440, 441, 456, 492, 550 Miller, Joel, 540 Miller, John, 360, 542, 551 Miller, John A., 551 Miller, Levi, 183, 229 Miller, L. A., 550 Miller, L. H., 328 Miller, L. J^ 147, 191, 196 Miller, Michael, 440, 441, 456, 492 Miller, Moses B., 448 Miller, Silas, 370 Miller, S. J., 371 Miller, Uriah, 551 Miller, William, 565, 566, 636 Miller, W. W., 587 Miller, Mrs. W. W., 587 662 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Millhouse, Jacob, 152 Mishler, Jacob, 551 Mishler, Lucy (Grabill), 302 Mitchell, Amos, 434 Mitchell, Franklin, 477, 487, 513 Mohler, John P., 486 Mohr, Mrs. Anna, 470 Morrison, Dr., 380 Moseman, Joseph, 364, 395 Moseman, Michael, 80, 81, 88, 184, 185, 338, 358, 364 Moser, H. H., 388, 389 Moser, Mrs. H. H., 388, 389. Moser, Samuel, 104 Mosiman, Dr. S. K., 530, 531 Mourer, Joseph, 199 Moyer, A. O., 584 Moyer, John, 152 Moyer, L. S., 584 Moyer, Mary, 302 Mueller, 597 Miinzer, Thomas, 9 Musselman, Amanda, 290 Musselman, David, 224 Musselman, Henry, 90, 94 Musselman, Michael, 95 Musselman, Samuel, 579 Musser, Daniel, 561, 562 Myers, Abraham, 152 Myers, H. R., 294 Mc Mc Connell, Jeffrey, 142 Mc Culloh, John, 128, 306 Mc Culloh, John W., 165, 168, 173 Mc Culloh, J. W., 307 Mc Culloh, Sarah, 171 Mc Millan, 388 Mc Pherson, J. E., 564 Mc Quirter, 284 N Naffziger, 80, 438, 473 Naffziger, Albert, 476, 479 Naffziger, A. J., 476 Naffziger, C. Z., 477 Naffziger, D. P., 476 Naffziger, John, 199, 596, 615 Naffziger, Peter, 459 Naffziger, Peter D., 481 Nafsinger, 459 Nafziger, 96, 223, 343 Nafziger, Andrew, 240* Nafzige*, Christian, 88, 89, 90, 106, 184, 237. 238 Nafziger, Daniel, 239, 464, 616 Nafziger. Henry, 90 Nafziger, J., 237, 239, 240 N-ifziger, Jacob, 89. 185 Nafziger, Johann, 184 Nafziger, John, 89, 238 Nafziger, Mrs. Kathryn, 243 Nafziger, Peter, 78, 86, 88, 89, 96, 487 Nafziger, Solomon, 472 Nafzinger, 226 Nauhein, 225 Neff, Peter, 108, 176 J 177, 270 Neisz, Jonas, 584 Neuenschwander, Albert, 426 Neuenschwander, Peter, 94 Neuffer, 284 Neuhauser, 597 Neuhauser, Amos, 322, 426 Neuhauser, Valentine, 184, 597 Nice, 152 Nice, Abner A., 164 Nice, Annie (Ruth), 128 Nice, Henry, 113, 115, 128, 136, 160, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 169, 616 Nice, Henry Jr., 164, 166 Nice, John, 114, 115, 123, 128, 136, 165, 166, 168, 169, 281, 306, 329, 616 Nice, Philip, 114, 128, 155, 159, 161 Nice, William, 307 Nice, William G., 164 Niergarth, Fritz, 87 Niergarth, Wit)., 597 Xissley, Abe, 551 Nissley, Rev. Peter, 109, 260 Xiswander, Miss Cassie, 587 Nof singer, 77 Nofsinger, John, 460 Xofsinger, Martha, 310, 313 Nofzinger, 462 Norquist, Carl, 434 Xunemaker, Edward, 156 Nunemaker, H. E., 460, 487, 510, 513, 529 Nunemaker, John, 154 Obelhauer, 296 Oberholtzer, John H., 47, 48, 58, 578, 579, 580, 581, 584 Oberholzer, Abraham, 578 Oesch, Andrew, 229, 232, 233, 234, 453, 486 Older, Edwin, 234 Orendorf, 173, 237 Otto, 96, 438, 459 Otto, Albert, 470 Otto, Daniel, 106, 540 Otto, Daniel M., 542 Otto, D. T., 470 Otto, Eli "Y., 541 Otto, Heinrich, 597 Otto, Samuel, 470 Oyer, 80, 198, 246, 343 Oyer, Amos, 290, 359, 370, 371, 37i. 378, 418, 419, 421 Oyer, Benjamin, 339 Oyer, Christian, 359 Oyer, Edward H., 199, 309, 617 Oyer, Eli J., 339, 345, 354 Over, Emma, 285, 290 Oyer, J. A., 369 Oyer, Jacob, 214 Oyer, Joseph, 345 •> Oyer, Julia, 354, 370, 371, 378 Oyer, P. P., 345 Orendorf, 343 Orendorff, Ada, 313, 319 Orendorf^ Jacob, 321, 466 Page, Dr. W. B., 276, 285, 289 Page, Mrs. W. B., 505 Parret, 132 Patton, Edna, 520, 521 • INDEX 667 Yoder, Abner, 448, 449 Yoder, Abner G., 191, 196 Yoder, AllerK 487, 488, 513 Yoder, A. G\, 329 Yoder, A. I 280, 284, 289, 308 Yoder, C. p., 328, 329 Yoder, C. Z. t 190 v°i er > £• £•» 17 °. J 73 Yoder, D. C, 190 Yoder, D. M., 540 Yoder, D. S., 291 Yoder, Elias, 91, 442 Yoder, Henry, 542 Yoder, Herman, 291 Yoder, Ida, 291, 322 Yoder, Iddo, 442 Yoder, Jacob, 182, 551 Yoder, Jerry, 540 Yoder, Joe, 91, 540 Y< ^ e /' J° nathan > 82, 91, 104, 105, 183, 184, 186, 203, 439, 440, 446, 454 462, 463, 519, 536, 633 ' Yoder, Joseph, 448, 451, 452 Yoder, Tost, 91 Yoder, T K., 186, 190, 344, 449 Yoder, Mary (Burkhard), 290 Yoder, Mose, 539, 540 Yoder, Moses, 106 Yoder, Moses J., 551 Yoder, Ruth, 317 Yoder, Samuel, 91, 175, 448 Yoder, Samuel C, 191 Yoder, Sanford C, 191, 248, 320, 321, Yoder, S. E., 558 Yoder, Solomon, 213 Yoder, Walter, 138, 139 Yordy, 80, 343 Yordy, Alma (Eigsti), 313 Yordy, Anna, 291 Yordy, Christian, 203 Yordy, Ezra, 206, 308, 311, 316, 623 Yorte, Christ, 90 Yorte, Peter, 89 Yother, 152 Yother, Henry, 115, 160 Yotty, Christian, 207 Young, 296 Zehr, Bishop, 256 Zehr, Christ, 90 Zehr, Christian, 597 ? e £ r * S an ^ ] ' 90 ' 213 » 623 Zehr, D. D., 255 Zehr, George, 91, 237, 597 e 4 h 4 r o/f9 C 7°''624 1 ' ^ 2 ° 5 ' 212 > ™> Ze 4 h 85, J0 4 S 8 e 6 P , h 487 12 ' ^ ^ ™> 469 » Zehr, Levi,' 339, 373 Zehr, Peter, 213 214, 253, 254, 597 Zehr, Reuben, 470, 473, 487, il3 leSdt, S H m ^., S 565 254 ' 255 ' 624 Zentner, Joseph, 203, 206 Zierlein, 223 Zierlein, Elizabeth, 227 Zierlein, Fred, 224 Zimmerman, 83, 343 Zimmerman, Andreas, 185, 228 Zimmerman, Andrew, 236 Zimmerman, Anna, 370, 371, 378 Zimmerman, A. C, 345, 346, 354 Zimmerman, August, 351 Zimmerman, Christian, 365 Zimmerman, C. R., 400 Zimmerman, David, 373, 631 Zimmerman, D. K., 370 Zimmerman, D. M., 372 Zimmerman, D. N., 339 Zimmerman, Enoch, 361, 362 Zimmerman, E. E., 349, 361, 362, 376 Zimmerman, I. J., 328 Zimmerman, Joseph, 196, 329 Zimmerman, J. E., 328 Zimmerman, J. H., 349 Zimmerman, X. C., 346 Zi 559 er 560 n ' Petef ' 2 ° 5, 2 ° 6, 2 ° 7 ' S58 > Zook,' 77 Zook, A. R., 291 Zook, Bertha (Detweikr), 290 Zook, Prances (Oyer), 290 Zook, Jacob H., 91 I Zook, John, 273 Zook, John R., 558, 559 Zook, Una (Ressler), 290 Zook, Eydia, 302 Zook, Shem, 186 Zuck, 84 Zug, 76 Zurich, 4, 5 ~ * ; Zwingli, 4, 5, 6, 22 INDEX OF BIOGRAPHIES Henry Val. Albrecht (1860- ), 599 Andrew Bachman ( -1864), 599 Joseph Bachman (1826-1897), 600 Joseph Baecher (1853-1931), 600 Jost Bally (1795-1878), 600 Peter Beller (1800-1887), 600 Abram Burkhart (1857- ), 601 Alphaeus L. Buzzard (1870- ), 601 David N. Claudon (1867- ), 625 John S. Coffman (1848-1899), 601 Daniel Deter (1852- ), 602 Michael Deter (1857- ), 635 Amos M. Eash (1882- ), 632 Melinda Ebersole (1880- ), 602 Christian R. Egle (1858-1926), 625 Ira H. Eigsti (1895- ), 603 Christian Engel ( -1838), 604 Joseph Engel ( -1852), 604 Christian Esch (1818-1882), 604 John V. Fortner (1854- ), 604 John Fretz Funk (1835-1930), 605 Samuel Garber (1849- ), 606 Samuel Gerber (1863-1929), 607 Joseph K. Gerig (1868- ), 626 Peter Gingerich ( - ), 607 John Gingrich ( -1845), 607 Aaron C. Good (1881- ), 607 Solomon R. Good (1871- ), 608 Simon E. Graybill (1873- ), 608 John L. Harnish (1896- ), 609 Eman. M. Hartman (1849-1912), 609 Chancy A. Hartzler (1876- ), 610 Joseph D. Hartzler (1884- ), 610 Daniel Hege (1826-1862), 636 Joseph A. Heiser (1888- ), 610 Benjamin Herner (1845-1915), 611 Peter Hochstettler (1834-1924), 627 Simon M. Kanagy (1869- ), 611 Christian Krehbiel (1832- ), 637 Amos Ebersole Kreider (1889- ), 612 Eli Lantz (1859- ), 627 Amos Hershey Leaman (1880- ), 613 Jonas Litwiller (1865- ), 614 Simon Litwiller (1880- ), 614 Joseph Maurer ( -1867), 614 Benjamin Mellinger (1880- ), 615 Earl Miller (1900- ), 615 William Miller (1847-1920), 636 Daniel Naffziger (1860- ), 616 John Naffziger (1802-1856), 615 Henry Nice (1822-1892), 616 John Nice (1858-1931), 616 Edward H. Oyer (1881- ), 617 David E. Plank (1884- ), 617 Edward A. Rediger (1866- ), 618 Joseph Rediger (1826-1904), 628 Andrew Ropp ( - ), 618 Benjamin Rupp ( - ), 404, Elmer E. Rupp (1885- ), 630 Samuel Rupp (1856- ), 630 Christian S. Schertz (1851- ), 618 Henry R. Schertz (1886- ), 618 Peter Schertz (1848-1928), 619 Jacob Schmucker (1860- ), 630 Andrew A. Schrock (1863- ), 619 J. S. Shoemaker (1854- ), 620 Daniel W. Slagel (1864- ), 621 Emanuel Slagle (1870- ), 631 Benjamin Springer (1881- ), 621 Menno S. Steiner (1866-1911), 622 Jonathan Yoder (1795-1869), 633 Ezra H. Yordy (1892- ), 623 Daniel Zehr (1849- ), 623 Jacob Zehr (1875- ), 624 Samuel Zehr (1870- ), 624 David M. Zimmerman (1869- ), 631 INDEX OF PLACES Italics type indicates the name of a Mennonite congregation. Adams Co., Ind., 336, 337, 629, 630 Africa, 20, 21 Alberta, 33 Allen Co., Ind., 626 Allen Co., Ohio, 174, 622 Alpha, Minn., 173 Alsace-Lorraine, 7, 16, 21, 76, 77, 79, 80, 175, 198, 203, 357, 358, 445, 447, 597, 599, 600, 604, 606, 607, 614, 621, 625, 626, 627, 630 Anchor, Cent. Conf., 453, 471-472, 486, 487, 493, 499 Appenzell, 7 Archbold, Ohio, 347, 354, 419 Archbold, Ohio, Def. Menn., 339, 354, 367 Argentina, 20 Arthur Settlement, O. O. Amish 539-550 Arthur, 106, 192, 210, 239 Arthur, 111., 192, 529, 540 Ashland Co., Ohio, 638 Ashley, Mich., 513 Augsburg, Germany, 7 Augusta Co., Va., 92, 134 Aurora, Nebr., 453, 464, 467, 474, 508, 510 Aurora, Nebr., Cent. Conf., Pleas- ant View, 453, 464, 474, 486, 487, 488, 493, 507, 510, 517 Austria, 7 B Baden, 254, 336, 597, 598, 617, 625, 628, 630, 631 Basel, Switzerland, 5, 7 Bavaria, 80, 81, 93, 94, 216, 222, 232, 238, 254, 357, 597, 598, 599, 600, 627, 638 Belgium, 311 Bellefontaine, Ohio, 317 Bennett's Switch, Ind., 551 Berks Co., Pa., 633 Bern, Switzerland, 7 Berne, Ind., 365, 379, 417, 539 669 Berne, Ind., Def. Menn., 339, 354, 365, 367, 379, 417 Bethel, see Pekin Blair Co., Pa., 132, 184, 216 Bloomington, 111., 34, 334, 336, 380, 402, 403, 443, 487, 511, 517, 532, 595, 598 Bluffton, Ind., 426 Bluffton, Ohio, 29, 273, 275, 308, 484, 535 Bluffton, Ohio, Def. Menn., 337 ', 367 Bowne, Mich., 265 B oyer town, Pa., Gen. Conf., 585 Brighton Mission Chapel, Chicago, Def., Menn., 588, 589 Brownstown, 111., 551 Bucks Co., Pa., 152, 605 Bureau Co. 111., 80, 81, 93, 94, 96, 134, 185, 191, 222, 227, 593, 599, 603 Bureau Creek, 111., 76, 89 Butler Co., Ohio, 77, 81, 84, 87, 96, 101, 105, 184, 216, 222, 336, 337, 358, 445, 459, 460 Calkins, Mont., 195 Calvary, Cent. Conf. (East Wash- ington), 202, 452, 462-465, 473, 474, 481, 486, 487, 488, 500, 507, 513 Canada, 85, 86, 97, 142, 167, 216, 218, 270, 576, 583, 595, 611 Canton, Ohio, 277 Carlock, Cent. Conf., 457, 482- 484, 487, 488, 501, 506, 507, 511, 514 Carlock, 111., 413, 443, 457, 469, 473, 483, 485, 487, 501, 514 Cass Co., Mo., 188, 609, 610 Centralia, Mo., Def. Menn., 339, 373 Chambersburg Pa., 153 Champaign Co., 111., 206, 213, 253 Champaign Co., Ohio, 77, 184, 593 670 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Chenoa, 111., 185 Chicago, Def. Menn., 339 Chicago, 111., 27, 29, 57, 108, 133, 152, 171, 177, 246, 259, 260, 270, 273, 275, 292, 305, 341, 347, 370, 377, 378, 418, 423, 433, 508, 512, 519, 522, 524, 530, 591 Chicago Mission, Gen. Conf., 586- 587 China, 20, 21 Cissna Park, New Amish, 102 Clarence Center, N. Y., 142 Clear Creek, 111, 27 Cleveland, Ohio, 434 Clinton, Ind., 450, 451 Coles Co., 111., 550, 593 Cologne, Germany, 12 Columbus Grove, 111, 277, 317 Columbus, Kans., Belleview Cong., Cent. Conf., 475, 487 Comins, Mich, 461 Comins, Mich., Cent. Conf., 475, 487, 512, 513 Congerville, Cent. Conf., 416, 453, 456, 472-473, 486, 487, 488, 493, 507, 513, 532 Congerville, 111, 226, 41* 443, 453, 456, 470, 473, 491, 493 Cook Co, 111, 593 Crystal, Kans., 191 Cullom, 111, 167, 266 Cullom, 107, 114, 118, 136, 147, 166, 167-173, 266, 267, 268, 316 Cumberland Co, Pa,, 601 Gumming Co., Nebr., 239 Dakota, 20 Danvers, 111, 29, 104, 204, 211, 437, 440, 445, 461, 466, 505, 510 Danzig, Germany, 595 Dayton, Ohio, 476 Decatur Co, Kans, 239 Decatur Co., Kans., 239 Delafield, 111, 558 Delavan Prairie (Hopedale), 187, 191, 237, 335, 438 Dillon Creek, 111, 76, 80, 88, 89, 90, 91, 101, 237, 438 Dillon Creek (Tremont), 80, 81, 187, 191, 358, 438 Dixon, 111., 152 Dortrecht, Netherlands, 15, 489 Douglas Co, 111, 196, 213, 336, 539ff, 541, 593 E East Bend (Fisher), 191, 197, 213, 216, 239, 253-258, 329 East Fairview, Nebr., 191, 327 East Peoria, 111, 307, 309, 359 East Swamp, Pa., Gen. Conf., 583, 585 East Union, Iowa, 191 East White Oak, Cent. Conf., 453, 456, 469-471, 476, 478, 479, 486, 487, 488, 493, 495, 500, 501, 503, 507, 516, 522, 524 Elkhart Co, Ind, 184, 450, 550, 552 Elkhart Indiana, 12, 233, 263, 271, 283, 308, 317, 349, 461, 498, 529, 553 Elkton, Mich., Def. Menn., 339 Emden, Germany, 12 England, 24, 25 Eureka, 111, 202, 203, 205, 215, 218, 235, 295, 318, 320, 321, 413 Eureka, New Amish, 102 F Fairburg, 111, 468 Fairuiew, Neb., 190 Farnisville, 111, 79, 443, 596, 597 Fayette Co., Colony, O. O. Amish, 551 Fayette Co, 111, 551, 593 Filer, Idaho, 173 Fisher, 111, 191, 213, 253, 314, 315, 329 Flanagan, Cent. Conf., 246, 355, 452, 466-467, 468, 486, 487, 488, 494, 500, 507, 508 Flanagan, Def. Menn., (Salem, near Grid ley), 339 Flanagan, 111, 105, 244, 256, 318, 321, 330, 341, 351, 355, 361, 393, 395, 452, 469, 494, 508 Forrest, New Amish, 102 France, 16, 21, 27 Franklin Prairie, Iowa, 581 Franklin Prairie, Iowa, Gen. Conf., 581 Franklin Co, Pa, 107, 167, 602, 627, 635 Freeport, 111, 142, 294, 307, 330 INDEX 671 Free port, 95, 97, 114, 136, 142- 150, 158, 330 Friesland, Netherlands, 11, 16 Fulton Co., Ohio, 359, 448, 630 Galena, 111., 94 Garden City, 111., 230 Garden City, Mo., 191 Gardner, 107, 174-176 Geauga Co., Ohio, 77 Geneva, Ind., 337, 347 Germantown, Pa., 18, 23, 28 Germany, 6, 7, 9, 15, 16, 19, 21, 25, 32, 48, 76, 77, 78, 176, 222, 226, 228, 232, 311, 377, 582 Girard, 111., 29 Goodjield, 191, 197, 211, 215, 239, 254, 335, 455 Goodfield, 111., 211, 443 Goodjield, New Amish, 102, 215 Goodland, Ind., 474 Goodland, Ind., Zion Cong., Cent. Conf., 474, 486, 487, 507, 523 Goshen, Ind., 273, 308, 318, 372, 374, 457, 501, 529 Goshen, Ind., Eighth St. Cong., Cent. Conf., 475, 487, 507, 529 Goshen, Ind., Silver St., Cong., Cent. Conf., 453, 475, 488, 493, 501, 503, 507, 514 Grabill, Ind., 426 Grabill, Ind., Def. Menu., 339, 367, 375 Grantsville, Md., 539 Granville, 111., 226 Gridley, 111., 185, 342, 378, 413, 431, 433, 466, 596, 597 Gridley Prairie, 111., 244 Gridley Prairie {Waldo, Flana- gan), 106, 187, 335, 342, 358, 437, 438 Gridley, New Amish, 102 Groningen, Netherlands, 11, 12 Groveland, Def. Menn., 335, 339, 357-364, 367, 433, 434 Groveland, Ind., 357, 360, 413, 433 Grundy Co., Ill, 107, 174, 593 H Halstead, Kansas, 576 Halstead, Kans., Gen. Conf., 576 Harmony, 141, 197, 198-202, 210 Harvey Co., Kans., 639 Haven, Kans., 551 Haw Patch, Ind., 451 Hennepin, 111., 22, 88, 89, 223, 224, 227, 236 Henry Co., Iowa, 189 Hereford, Pa., Gen. Conf., 585 Hesse, Germany, 80, 226, 238, 357, 491 Hickory Co., Mo., Def. Menn., 339 Hillsboro, Kansas, 55, 347 Holland, 11, 15, 16, 17, 25 Holland's Grove, 111., 88, 89, 90, Holmes Co., Ohio, 106, 183, 184, 550, 610, 615, 632 Home Mission, Chicago, 114, 121, 123, 140, 141, 161, 194, 270, 275- 291, 302-305, 316, 318, 322, 325, 331, 424 Hoopeston, 27 Hopedale, Boynton Cong., Cent. Conf., 412, 475-478, 487, 488, 493, 513 Hopedale, 106, 190, 191, 197, 216, 237-243, 309, 329, 335, 403, 477 Hopedale, 111., 91, 329, 359, 403, 413, 466, 475, 476, 493, 534 Hudson, 111., 204, 469 Hungary, 33 Huntingdon, Pa., 29 Illinois, I 19, 29, 30, 34, 37, 41, 45, 51, 61, 67, 68, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 92, 93, 102, 131, 133, 183 Illinois River, 199, 216, 222, 223, 257 445 India,' 20, 21, 44, 300 Indiana, 19, 37, 61, 183 Iowa, 19, 39, 96, 183, 311 Isaac Peters Churches, Neb., Def. Menn., 588 Jo Daviess Co., 94, 593 Johnson Co., la., 106 Johnstown, Pa., 313 Juniata Co., Pa, 142, 149, 439, 608, 611, 633 672 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS K Kalona, Iowa, 320 Kansas, 19, 20, 49, 54, 56, 148, 359 Kansas City Mission, 283 Kansas City, Mo., 193 Kentucky, 311 Kouts, Ind., 493 Kouts, Ind., Cent. Conf., 408, 475, 487, 493, 499, 507 Kickapoo Creek, 111., 217 Kishacoquillas Valley, Pa., 182 Kitchener, Ont., 317 Knoxville, Tenn., 171 Lacon, 111., 223 Lafayette, Ind., Def. Menn., 339 Lagrange Co., Ind., 77, 184, 448, 550 Lagrange, Ind., 450, 451 Lancaster Co., Pa., 84, 92, 93, 134, 142, 148, 152, 208, 358, 600, 602, 612, 613, 615, 636 Lancaster, iPa., 29 Lancaster, Pa., Mission, 283 Lawrence Co., Pa., 558 Lebanon, Co., Pa., 152, 159 Lee Co., Iowa, 574, 582, 638 Lewis Co., N. Y., 101 Lima, Ohio, 314 Lincoln County, Ont, Can., Gen. Conf., 584 Linn Ch., Roanoke, Sip. Prch. Group, 205, 559, 560 Linn Grove, Ind., 347 Livingston Co., 111., 107, 167, 184, 185, 254, 338, 344, 443, 448, 467, 593, 596, 597, 618, 621, 623, 625, 629, 631 Logan Co., Ohio, 184, 186, 552 Lycoming Co., Pa., 604 M Mackinaw Dells, New Amish, 102, 215 Mackinaw River, 111, 76, 79, 80, 87, 88, 91, 203, 437, 443, 597 Mackinaw (Roanoke), 187, 191, 203, 204, 205, 210, 212, 335, 438, 440 Malaysia, 20 Manitoba, 20, 49. 54, 56 Manson, Iowa, 191 Marion, Ind, 345, 354 Marion, Ohio, 173 Marion, South Dakota, 347 Maryland, 19, 183 Masontown, Penna., 264, 265 McPherson Co, Kans, 639 McPherson Co., Kans., 239 McLean Co, 111, 78, 80, 87, 184, 244, 437, 443, 445, 459, 466, 471, 475, 593, 595, 596, 598, 617, 633 Meadows, Cent. Conf., 246, 355, 379, 413, 414, 419, 452, 467-469, 473, 480, 486, 487, 488, 493, 499, 501, 507, 513, 516, 526, 533 Meadows, 111, 341, 351, 354, 355, 361, 379, 380, 400, 412, 419, 452, 468, 473, 501, 504, 511, 513, 516, 533 Medina Co, Ohio, 616 Mennonite Bible Mission, Chicago, Def. Menn., 589-590 Mennonite Gospel Mission, Chi- cago, Cent. Conf., 519-522 Mennonite Gospel Mission, Peoria, Cent. Conf., 522-524 Metamora, 129, 135, 137, 141, 191, 197, 198-202, 309, 326, 335 Metamora, 111, 97, 105, 129, 191, 198, 199, 209, 282, 308, 320, 322, 326 Mexico, 20 Miami Co, Ohio, 142 Middlebury, Ind, 316, 474 Middlebury, Warren St. Cong., Cent. Conf., 487 Mifflin Co, iPa, 82, 105, 182, 186, 610, 633 Milford, Nebr, 327, 359, 360 Milford, Nebr., 191 Milford, Nebr., Def. Menn., 359, 373 Milford Square, Pa, 580 Mississippi River, 199, 223, 357 Missouri, 19, 230, 311, 460, 557 Montgomery Co, Pa, 616 Moravia, 7, 16, 32 Morrison, 107, 114, 132, 147, 158, 162-166, 168, 325 Morrison, 111, 162 Morton, 111, 359 Morton, New Amish, 102 INDEX 673 Map^fie Co., Ill, 106, 336, 539 ff, 593 Mountain Lake, Minn, 588 Mt. Hermon Church, Shelbyville. Sip. Prch. Grp., 558-559 Mt. Morris, 111, 29 Miinster, Germany, 9 N Nampa, Idaho, 473, 479, 493 Nappanee, Ind, 235 Nappanee, Ind., 450 Nebraska, 19, 20, 56, 154, 229, 311 Netherlands, 15, 21, 23, 24 New Orleans, 199, 223 New York City, 18 Normal, Cent. Conf., 470, 478-480, 487, 493, 501, 506, 507, 510 Normal, 111, 478, 492, 501, 506 North Danvers, Cent. Conf,, 188, 335, 385, 403, 453, 455-458, 460, 462, 469, 470, 471, 472, 476, 483, 485, 486, 487, 488, 491, 492, 493, 499, 502, 507, 518, 519, 526 North Manchester, Ind, 29 O Ohio, 36, 37, 86, 96, 101, 174, 183, 203, 211 Ohio River, 199, 357 Ohio Station, 111, 192, 227, 228, 236 Oklahoma, 56 Old Chicago, 108, 176-177, 27% Olive (Ind.), 271 Ontario, 19, 273 Orrville, Ohio, 308, 317, 318 Pekin, (Bethel Cong.), Cent. Conf., 453, 473-474, 486, 487, 488, 493, 499, 507 Pemberville, Ohio, Def. Menn., 339 Peoria, Cent. Conf., 507 Peoria Co, 111, 593 Peoria, 111, 34, 88, 89, 90, 134, 135, 171, 199, 203, 240, 310, 334, 336, 375, 434, 440, 443, 445, 522, 523 Peoria Mission, 308, 309-314, 326 Peoria (New Amish), 102 Pennsylvania, 18, 19, 26, 28, 29, 34, 43, 45, 46, 50, 61, 77, 82, 151, 167, 174, 183, 199, 206, 211, 260, 270 Philadelphia, Pa, 370 Philadelphia, Pa., Gen. Conf., 583, 585 Pioneer, Ohio, 384 Pioneer, Ohio, Def. Menn., 339, 354, 367, 384 Plainview, Tex., 173 Pleasant Hill, 111, 314 Pleasant Hill Rural Mission, 314- 316 Plevna, Kans., Def. M*nn., 367 Poland, 21 Polk City, Iowa, Gen. Conf., 582 Pompeii, Mich, 473, 513 Princeton, 111, 463 Princeville (New Amish), 102 Providence, 111, 226, 228 Prussia, 16 Pryor, Okla., 239 Pulaski, Iowa, 479 Putnam Co., 187, 335 Putnam Co, 111, 80, 191, 222, 438 Palatinate, 77, 78, 598, 626, 636, 637 Palestine, 3 Pandora, Ohio, 433 Panola, 111, 351 Paraguay, 20 Partridge Creek, 111, 76, 79, 88, 89, 90, 91, 198, 208, 357, 437 Partridge (Spring Bay), 79, 102, 105, 108, 187, 191, 198, 199, 200, 202, 231, 237, 335, 336, 357, 437, 438, 452, 463, 464 Pasadena, Calif, 434 Pekin, 227, 359, 453, 473 Reno Co, Kans, 551 Richland Co, Ohio, 93, 134, 600 Roanoke, 141, 190, 191, 197, 199, 202, 203-210, 211, 212, 213, 239, 309, 311, 320, 335, 438 Roanoke, 111, 203, 205, 558, 559 Roanoke (New Amish), 102 Rock Creek, 111, 76, 80, 87, 89, 91 Rock Creek (Yoder Church), 81, 82, 104, 105, 108, 183, 187, 203, 204, 211, 335, 437-444, 446, 455, 457, 459, 493, 562 Rockingham Co, Va, 601, 608 674 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Roman Empire, 3 Russia. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 32, 33, 53, 55, 56, 133, 171, 176 Salem, Ohio, Gen. Conf., 585 Salem (Flanagan), Def. Menn., 187, 246, 339, 340, 342-356, 363, 364, 367, 375, 376, 377, 378, 398, 431, 433 Salem Gospel Mission, Chicago, Def. Menn., 341, 370, 371, 420- 425 Salem Orphanage, Def. Menn., 393-401 Sangamon River, 111., 253 Sanitarium and Training School, Mennonite, Bloomington, 402- 411 Saskatchewan, 20, 33, 56 Scales Mound, 94, 95 Schaffhausen, 7 Schleitheim, 7 Scottdale, Pa., 44 Seward Co., Nebr., Def. Menn., 339 Shelby Co. Colony, O. O. Atnish, 550-551 Shelby Co., 111., 205, 550, 593 Shelbyville, 191 Shelby ville, 111., 191, 559, 560 Shipshewana, Iria*., 551 Skippack, Pa., 260 Slabtown, 111., 443 Sleeping Preacher Church, 96, 97, 105, 108, 187, 188, 205, 335, 437 Smithville, Ohio, 183, 317 Somerset Co., Pa., 106, 632 Souderton, Pa., 320 South America, 20, 44 South Dakota, 33 South Danvers, Cent. Conf., 459- 462, 476, 486, 487, 488, 493, 513 South Nampa Idaho, Cent. Conf., 475, 487 South Washington, Cent. Conf., 480-482, 487, 488, 507 Spring Bay, 111., 79, 198, 463 Springfield, Pa., Gen. Conf., 585 Stark Co., Ohio, 451 St. Clair Co., 111., 574, 593 St. Joseph Co., Mich., 610 St. Louis, 216 Stephenson Co., 111., 97, 142, 593 Sterling, 111., 27, 107, 153, 260, 267, 268, 273, 295, 307, 329, 330, 561, 566 Sterling, Kans., Def. Menn., 339, 367 Sterling (Science Ridge), 97, 107, 113, 114, 127, 130, 132, 147, 151- 161, 162, 163, 165, 166, 267, 268, 306, 329, 330 Sterling, Ref. Menn., 133, 561-573 Streator, 111., 342 Sugar Creek, Iowa, 190, 191 Sugar Creek, Ohio, 77, 551 Summerfield, III, Gen. Conf., 95, 96, 108, 133, 574-577, 583, 584, 585 Summerfield, 111., 90, 91, 96, 575, 586 Switzerland, 6, 15, 16, 19, 21, 23, 32, 33, 34, 36, 76, 101, 102, 176, 467, 597, 633 Sycamore Grove, Mo., 188, 190, 191 Tazewell Co., 111., 78, 80, 92, 100, 134, 184, 244, 338, 342, 466, 593, 597, 606, 607, 610, 614, 616, 618, 621, 623, 624, 627 Ten Mile Creek, 76, 80, 88, 89, 437 Tiskilwa, 191, 222, 224, 226, 228, 236, 295, 316, 330, 480, 598 Tiskilwa, Cent. Conf., 226, 480, 487, 513 Topeka, Ind., 453, 474, 513 Topeka, Ind., Cent. Conf., 453, 470, 474, 486, 487, 507 Topeka, Ind., Maple Grove, Cent. Conf., 487, 488 Toronto Mission, 282 Transylvania, 33 Tremont, 111., 191, 196, 197, 216, 308, 329, 466 Tremont, Pleasant Grove, Dillon Creek, 127, 190, 191, 196, 197, 210, 216-221, 228, 237, 238, 239, 253, 309, 311, 329, 335, 336, 338, 464 Tremont, (New Amish), 102 Tuleta, Tex., 173 Turner Co., South Dakota, 119 INDEX 675 Twenty-sixth St. Mission, 292-305, 524, 525 U Union (Washington), see Wash- ington (Union) Vandalia, 111., 551 Vineland, Ontario, 307 Virginia, 19, 50, 93, 167, 262, 265 W Wadsworth, Ohio, 484, 576, 583, 584 Wadsworth, Ohio, Gen. Conf.. 583, 585 Waldo {Flanagan), Gridley Prai- rie, 187, 190, 191, 197, 210, 239, 244-252, 330, 335, 336, 338 Wall Church, Mt. Lake, Minn., Def. Menn., 588 Washington, Cent. Conf., 425, 513 Washington Center, Pompeii, Mich., Cent. Conf., 474, 475, 487, 513 Washington (Union), 94, 108, 114, 127, 134-141, 147, 168, 169, 201, 202, 309, 311, 324 Washington, 111., 201, 202, 20*, 206, 221, 413, 462, 463, 469, 480, 5(H Waterloo, Can., Gen. Conf., 583, 584 Wayland, Iowa, 308, 476 Wayne Co., Ohio, 101, 182, 183, 186 Weatherford, Oklahoma, 551 Wesley City, 81, 187, 335, 336, 338, 357, 358, 438 Wesley City, 111., 78, 79, 88, 91 West Liberty, Ohio, 308, 317 Weston, Cent. Conf., 466, 467, 468 West Point, Iowa, Gen. Conf., 581, 582, 583, 585 West Point, Iowa, 576, 581, 582, 586 West Swamp, Pa., Gen. Conf., 583, 585 West Union, Cent. Conf., 471 West Union, Wellman, Iowa, 171 Weston, 111., 468 Whiteside Co, 111, 151, 162, 564, 593, 602, 615 Wichita, Kans, 20 Willow Springs, Tiskilwa, 80, 82, 158, 190, 191, 197, 222, 236, 330, 335," 480 Witmarsum, Holland, 11 Wittenberg, Germany, 4 Woodburn, Ind, 345, 354 Woodburn, Ind., Def. Menn., 339, 354, 367, 375 Woodford Co, 111, 79, 86, 101, 107, 167, 184, 208, 212, 222, 228, 244, 342, 437, 438, 443, 593, 596, 600, 604, 607, 618 Wright Co. Nebr., 239 Wurttemberg, Germany, 597, 625 Y Yellow Creek, (Indiana), 113, 260, 280, 317 Yoder Church (see Rock Creek) Z Zion City, 111, 30, 60 Zion, Iowa, Gen. Conf., 582, 583, 585 Zion, Bluffion, Ohio, 273 Zurich, Ont., Can., Def. Menn., 339 Zurich, Switzerland, 4, 5 INDEX OF SUBJECTS Italics type indicates titles of books or periodicals. Adventists, Seventh Day, 30 Africa Missions, 341, 369, 370, 377- 392, 526 Aid Association, Brotherhood, 341, 373, 401, 426-430, 527 Aid Plan, Mennonite, 117, 193 All-Mennonite Convention, 484, 514, 534-536 Amish Conservative Amish, 552 "** General Conferences, 39, 179ff, 188, 242, 439, 449, 454 Immigration to U. S. A., 19, 34 New Amish, see New Amish Old Order, 34, 188, 53?flL^ Origin, 33 *^ Relation to Mennonites, 33, 131f Amish Mennonites, Origin of, 39f Amish Mennonites, Conservative, 40f, 552 Amusements, Worldly, 367 Anabaptists History, 4ff Principles, 7ff, 12ff Apostolic, Christian, see New Amish Argentine Mission, see Missions Avoidance, see Shunning Ausbund, 180, 183 B Ban, 8, 13, 47, 103, 183, 545, 560, 565 Baptism, 7, 27, 50, 55, 182, 183 219, 341, 348, 369, 566 Beams of Light, 138, 170 Bethany Bible School, 289, 300 Bible Conferences 130, 147, 193, 236, 258, 486 Bible Normal, 147, 149, 258, 511 Bible School Hymns, 139 Bible Study Classes, 145, 157, 164, 208, 256 Bishop, Office of, 42, 43, 100, 113, 115, 136, 180, 206, 231 Bishop, First Amish in 111., 79 676 Bluffton College, 353, 363, 374, 529 Board of Education, 124, 549 Board of Guardians, Mennonite, 270, 576 Board of Missions and Charities, see Mission Boards Book and Tract Society, 276 Brethren, the Church of the, see Dunkards Brighton Mission Chapel, 374, 422 r 588f Briidergemeinde, 54f, 591 C Cemetery, 149, 153, 163, 168, 218, 225, 254, 344, 564 Central Conference, 188, 202, 220 r 226, 230, 243, 246, 374, 378, 394, 404, 408, 413, 423, 424, 427, Book IV Charitable Institutions, see Home for the Aged, Eureka Old People's Home, Meadows Salem Orphanage Sanitarium, Bloomington Chicago Home Mission, see Home Mission Chicago Mission of General Con- ference, 586-587 Children, Teaching of, 181, 346, 396 Children's Day, 172, 215 Christian Endeavor Societies, 120, 156, 351, 444, 458, 462, 465, 477, 483, 484, 497, 502f, 521, 577 Christian Evangel, 385, 406, 415, 504, 508, 527, 534 Christian Missionary Alliance, 377, 380, 381 Christian Monitor, 164 Christian Workers' Band, 350, 362, 371 Christian Workers' Conference, 505ff Christian Workers' Institute, 465, 506f Christianity and War, 110 INDEX 677 Christlicher Bundesbote, 580 Christliches Volksblott, 580 Church and Sunday School Hym- nal, 140 Church Buildings, 65, 102, 104, 108, 144, 153, 163, 168, 176, 179, 180, 199, 204, 212, 216, 217, 224, 238, 246, 253, 282, 295, 344, 440, 460, 463, 467, 468, 470, 472, 474, 477, 478, 480, 564, 575 Church Manual, 372, 419 Church of God in Christ, 49f Clothing, Regulations and Cus- toms regarding, 34, 37, 39, 45, 60, 64, 99, 101, 132, 180, 181, 184, 189, 196, 227, 228, 229, 330, 337, 340, 352, 490, 543, 565, 572 Coffman, John S., 266 Communion Services, (Lord's Supper), 8, 13, 35, 122, 123, 141, 172, 192, 215, 242, 350, 360, 434, 450, 490, 566 Communism, Hutterite, 32 Conferences, see All-Mennonite, Bible, Christian Workers' Gen- eral, Pacifist Churches, Sunday School, Young People's Confession of Faith, 419, 489 Congo Inland Mission, 341, 380ff, 390, 420 Conscientious Objectors, 252, 534, 549 Cooperative Activities, 133, 305, 325, 423, 425, 526-537, 590 Creek Settlements, 76, 437 Customs Clothing, see Clothing, Regula- tions Courtship, 545 Early Illinois Mennonite, 441 Old Order Amish, 34, 179, 188, 542ff Pioneer, 98ff, 109, 142, 217, 244 D Daily Pantograph, 447 Daily Vacation Bible School, 512 Defenseless Mennonites, Book III, 36f, 133, 187, 220, 246, 434, 516, 590 Defenseless Mennonite Brethren, 56f, 119, 341, 374, 375, 394, 422, 423, 588-590 Devotional Covering, 45, 99, 181, 229, 340, 367, 543 Discipline, 65, 123, 192, 201, 543, 545 Divisions, Causes for, 47, 50, 61 f Divorce, 118, also see Marriage Doctrines, Mennonite, 59ff, 488 Dortrecht (Dort) Confession, 15, 39, 63, 64, 179, 489 Dowieism, 60, 220, also see Zion City Drinking, 51, 123, 124, 553 Dunkards (Brethren), 26ff Earliest Settlers, 595-598 Education, Attitude toward, 54, 63, 181, 193, 215, 251, 257, 330, 352, 363, 374, 528-534, 547, 584 Education, Early, in 111., 109, 444 Eighteen Articles, see Dortrecht Confession Eine Begebenheit, 453 Elder, Office of, 42, 43, 52 Elkhart Institute, 268, 529, also see Goshen College Enchiridion, 10 Evangelism, 137, 263, 264ff, 325, 458 Evangelisationsbote, 590 Evangelise he Botschafter, Der, 260 Evangeliumslieder, 349 Evangelizing Committee, 192, 271 Evangelizing Fund, 271 Evangelizing and Benevolent Board, 122, 123, 271, 276, 279 Excommunication, see Ban Farming in Illinois, 70, 99, 547ff Feet Washing, 39, 51, 54, 55, 60, 101, 103, 122, 141, 172, 353, 360, 365, 390, 434, 563 Foreign Missions, 377-392, 512 African, 377-392 Boards, 193 India, 200, 249, 251, 271, 300 South America, 125, 251, 288 Ft Wayne Bible Training School, 353, 374, 433 Funerals, 103, 231, 549 Funkites, 45f 678 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Garden St. Mission, Peoria, 309- 314 Garrett Biblical Institute, 480, 511 General Conference, 42, 118, 122, 125, 192, 193, 323, 325, 330, 372, 582 General Conference Mennonites, 47f, 95, 97, 133, 423, 424, 450, 526, 574-587 Geography of Illinois, 67ff German Language, 100, 102, 108, 117, 137, 139, 146, 207, 213, 214, 233, 248, 254, 299, 346, 442, 444, 447, 461, 464f, 471, 481, 498, 532, 547, 592 Glaubenslieder, 417 Good Tidings, 374, 383, 386, 418, 567 Goshen College, 124, 125, 160, 161, 215, 251, 257, 268, 315, 330, 353, 529, 602 Gospel Banner, 419 Gospel Herald, 140 Gospel Hymns, 140, 349 H Happy Hour Mission 305, 374, 423, 527, 589 Harvest Meeting, 172 Heilsbote, 369, 372, 395, 417 Herald of Truth, 110, 140, 175, 176, 185, 259, 261, 262, 265, 324, 447, 450, 553, 601, 606 Her old der Wahrheit, 41, 261 Hesston College, 282 High Schools, 193, 215, also see Education, Attitude toward Holdeman Mennonites, 49f Holiness Movement, 356 Holy Kiss, 367, 563 Home Chapel, 508, 519ff Home for the Aged at Eureka, 235, 319-322 Home Life, 181, 543f Home Mission, Chicago, 114, 121, 123, 140, 141, 161, 194, 270, 275- 291, 302-305, 316, 318, 322, 325, 331 Home Missions, 123, 516-525 Hospitals, 402-410 Hospital Society, 404 Hutterites, 32f Hvmnbooks, 117, 139, 180, 349, 363, 417 Illinois Farming in, 70, 99 Geography of, 69ff History of, 71 ff Immigration to America, 18ff India Missions, see Missions Instruction Classes 218, 236, 248 Insurance, Life, 64, 192, 288, 367 Property, 194, 367, 549 Jewish Work, 373, 424 Jubeltoene, 349 K King's Business, 250 Kleine Gemeinde, 53f, 590 Krimmer Briider, 55f, 133, 423, 590-592 Labor Unions, disapproved, 123 Ladies' Aid, 458, 462, 465, 477, 482, 504 Lay Membership in Conference, 115, 328 Life Insurance, 64, 192, 288 Life Songs, 140 Lightning Rods, 184, 194 Literary Societies, 158, 172, 250, 316, 329, 458 Church, 259ff, 263 Literature, 417 Lord's Supper, see Communion Love, 64 M Manitobans, 56 Manual of Bible Doctrines, 122 Marion College, 353 Marriage, Attitude on, 64, 181, 250, 348, 365 Marriage, Intermarriage, 132 Martyrs' Mirror, 22, 544, 568, 606 Meetinghouses, see Church Build- ings INDEX 663 Perm, William, 18, 24 Peters, Isaac, 56, 58, 119 Pfile, William, 145 Philips, Dirk, 10 Philips, Obbe, 10 Pitsche, Abraham, 182 Plank, David E., 617 Plank, D. J., 541 Plank, Jacob, 550 Plassman, 577 Pletcher, 574 Pletcher, Jacob, 90 Plockhoy, Cornelius, 18 Probst, h. S., 379 Quinter, 295 Rabe, Henry, 395 Raber, 343 Ramseyer, 58 Ramseyer, Joseph, 363 Ramseyer, T. E., 431, 433 Ramseyer, Michael, 361, 470 Ramseyer, M. I., 485 Ramseyer, Nancy, 302 Ramseyer, Pearl, 522 Raynor, Jesse, 379, 382 Reber, Anna, 302 Reber, Joseph, 559, 560 Rebholz, Michael, 485 Rediger, 80, 246, 438 Rediger, Benjamin E., 345, 347. 349 351, 354, 414, 415 Rediger, Benjamin Jr., 90 Rediger, Christian, 345, 354, 453, 466 462, 474, 486 Rediger, E. A., 308, 618 Rediger, E. W., 488 Rediger, Jacob, 342, 343, 344 Rediger, John, 342, 345 Rediger, Joseph, 89, 91, 190, 203, 205, 338, 342, 343, 344, 345, 359, 363 n 363, 369, 377, 417, 628 Rediger, J. C, 370 Rediger, Mary, 370, 421 Rediger, Peter, 89 Reeser, 438 Reeser, Christian, 77 Reift, Christian, 158 Reimer, Klaas, 53, 58 Reinhart, 564 Reisner, John, 154, 160 Reisner, Mrs. Tohn, 157 Reisser, Christian, 218 Reisser, C. B., 205, 206 Reist, H. F., 290, 293 Reitze!, Jacob, 153 Reitzel, Mrs. Jacob, 154 Reitzel, Mattie 155 Reitzel, Sarah (Nice), 155 Reuber, John, 597 Reubiin, William, 5 Rhea, W. C, 587 Rhodes, Samuel, 161 Rich, 597 Rich, Christian, 597 Rich, Joseph, 413 Rickert, Etnma, 388 Rmgenberg, Jacob, 229 Rmgenberg, John, 234 Rmgenberg, Mary, 226 Rmgenberg, Otto, 234 Ringenberger, 343 Ringenberger, Christian, 236 Risser, 462 Risser, Christ, 184, 203, 205, 212 213 Risser, Christian, 597 * Risser, Emma (King), 313 Risser, Jacob, 584 Risser, John, 203 Rittale, Frank, 434 Rittenhouse, William, 18 Robbins, 286, 290 Rocke, 223, 343 Rocke, Ben, 234 Rocke, Emanuel, 339, 359, 361 Rocke, Jacob, 468 Rodgers, 132 Roggy, Christian, 78, 88, 357, 595 Roggy, Peter, 86, 89 Ropp, 79, 80, 216, 438 Ropp, A. K., 475 Ropp, Alvin, 168, 171 §2£* «"i rew * (not the bishop), 217 R^A rl? 17 ' 218 ' 220 « 227 » 228, 618 Ropp, Christian, 81, 83, 88 204 205 209, 212, 438, 446, 449, 597 ' ' Ropp, Ithiel, 474 Ropp, I. W., 217 Ropp, Jacob, 86 R °597' J ° hn ' 47 °' 479 » 517 » S30 ' 531 » Ropp, Joseph, 88, 217, 220 Ropp, Moses D., 359, 360 Ropp, Nicholas, 185 Ropp Peter, 89, 218, 220, 470 Roszhart, Aaron, 469 Roth, 343 Rn* R n ! reW ' 9 A 359 ' 360 > 39i Koth, Barbara, 421 Roth, Benjamin, 345, 362 Roth, Clara, 362 345 Danie1 ' 90 ' 184 ' 217 ' 219 > 225, R< 315 J ° hn ' 3 ° 6j 308, 309 ' 310 » 314 » Roth, Moses, 362, 372, 373, 413, 426 Roth, .Nicholas, 90, 184, 338, 358 Koth, Peter, 184 Rowe, E. T., 487, 512, 522 Royer, I. W., 258, 282, 290. 294 295 296, 299, 302, 308, 311 ' * 2 5 ' Rupp, 438 Rupp, Andreas, 184 Rupp, Ben, 339,. 367 Rupp, Benjamin, 354, 359, 369 371 Rifnn' M 5 ' 3 ?. 8 ' 3 "^ 40 °> 4 04, 409, 418 Rupp, Mrs. Benjamin, 394, 395 Rupp, Christian, 184 Rupp, Daniel, 365, 370 gupp, E E., 350, 367, 371, 418, 630 Rupp, John, 369, 466, 521 Rupp, Joseph K., 369 Rupp, Peter, 184 Rupp, Samuel, 339, 630 g u ^he, Joseph, 79, 88, 357, 595 664 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Rutt, A. B., 290, 508, 509, 510, 517, 519, 520, 521, 527, 531 Rutt, Mrs. Henry, 156 Rutt, Jacob, 153, 159 Rutt, John J., 161 Rutt, Tohn W., 153, 160 Rutt, Samuel, 153 Rychner, H„ 190 Saltzman, Christian, 236 Salzman, 343 Salzman, Andreas, 597 Salzman, Earl, 470, 487 Salzman, Joseph, 597 Sattler, Michael, 7 Sauder, Aaron, 372, 373, 418, 426, 428 Sauder, David, 339 Sauder, Jerry, 339 Schad, Jacob, 470 Schad, Joseph, 470 Schantz, 597 Schantz, Christian, 236 Schantz, Elizabeth, 313, 316 Schantz, Jacob, 491 Schantz, Jacob, 597 .„,... Schantz, Peter, 230, 403, 413, 446, 453. 456, 460, 469, 470, 471, 474, 476, 477. 478, 479, 481, 485, 486, 488, 490 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 498, 500i 508. 513 517, 519, 520, 521, 536 Schartner, Frederick, H9 Schertz, 78, 79, 80, 198, 211, 438 Schertz, Andrew, 89, 236 Schertz, August, 234 IcKzi Gb& »! 184. US, 199. 204. 207 Schertz, C. A., 207 Schertz, C. S., 206, 295, 618 Schertz, David, 78, 86, 88. 89, 203, 204. 205, 357, 595 Schertz, Ed, 138 Schertz, Ferdinand, 201 Schertz, Henry R., 138, 199, 200, 282, 291, 618 Schertz, John, 89 Schertz, Joseph, 88, 89, 359 Schertz, Joseph D. 199, 207 Schertz, T. W., 485 Schertz, Mrs. Lena, 207 Schertz, Magdalene, 87, 208 Schertz, Mrs. Martha Imhoff, 291 Schertz, Matilda, 139 Schertz, Mattie, 322 Schertz, Nicholas, 236 Schertz, Peter, 88, 89, 199, 471, 472 Schertz, Peter D., 206, 207, 619 Schertz, Peter R., 139 Scruffier, Albrecht, 136, 161 Schimmel, L. O., 584 Schlabach, D. G., 542 Schlagel, Rev., 409 Schlatter, J. J., 369 Schlegel, 597 Schlegel, Benjamin, 597 Schlegel, Christian, 88, 184 Schlegel, Joseph, 190 Schmallenberger, B. F., 362 Schmallenberger, Fanny, 362 630 Schmallenberger, Mary, 362 Schmidt, Christian, 596 Schmidt, Johann, 575, 577, 596 Schmidt, John P., 184 Schmucker, Henry, 400 Schmucker, Mrs. Henry, 400 Schmucker, Jacob, 370. 373, Schmucker, J., 190, 339, 367 Schmucker, N. J., 339 Schneider, D., 584 Schneider, Marie, 378 Schnur, Peter, 361 Schoenbeck, 78 Schoenbeck, Johann, 595 Schoenheit, 379 Schrock, 216, 343 Schrock, Abraham D., 541 Schrock, Adam, 559 Schrock, Andrew, 199 Schrock, Andrew A., 619 Schrock, A. A., 191, 328, 329 Schrock, Benjamin, 475, 541 Schrock, Christian, 203, 205 Schrock, Daniel, 541 Schrock, Jeff, 551 Schrock, John, 230 Schrock, Tonathan, 183 Schrock, J. B., 480 Schrock, Joseph, 473 Schrock, Joseph D., 541 4 Schrock, Joseph L-, 542 Schrock, N. B.. 542 Schrock, Samuel, 551 * Schrock, Tobias, 550 " Schroeder, 296 Schultz, D. G., 347 Schultz, George, 290 Schultz, G. P., 347. 374. 396, 418, 419. 423, 589, 590 Schweitzer, John, 86, 88 Schwenck, Christian, 565 Schwenck, William, 565 Sears, Christian, 232 Sears, Emery, 234 Seeman, 284 Seidensticker, Oswald, 25 Shank, Mrs. Crissie Y„ 317 Shank, J. W., 296, 299, 302 Shank, Molly (Kauffman), 290 Shank, Ollie (Grabill), 302 Shantz, 167 Shantz, Barbara, 290 Shantz, Christian, 175 Shantz, John, 171, 172 Sharp, 438, 473 Sharp, Eli, 458, 502 Sharp, John, 91. 597 Sharp, Jonathan, 91 Sharp, Peter, 91 Shaum, Henry, 169 Shearer, Samuel, 171 Shellenberger, E. M., 144. 148, 154 Shellenberger, Joseph, 142 Shelley, A. S., 530 Shelley, W. S., 484, 487 Shelly, 175 Shelly, Addison, 164 Shelly, A. D., 584 Shelly, Henry, 174 Shelly, H. L., 120 Shenk, P. J., 328 INDEX 665 Shetler, 223 Shetler, S. G., 156, 328 Shoemaker, Benjamin, 142 Shoemaker, C. C., 145 Shoemaker, 15. B.' 145 Shoemaker, J. S.,' 114 115 122 1?1 J24, 126, 128, 136, 144, 146, H 9, 56,' 168, 169, I/O, 173, 248, 281, 294 ~ 29S . 311 320, 325, 328, 329, 332, 620 Short, Sarah, 400 Showalter, 175 Showalter, Christian, 584 Shultz, 564 Shupe, Bertram, 290 Sieberns, H. E., 596 il 1 aTel, S '80 Me i n 7 n 3°' 10 ' "' "' **> 562 « S69 Slagel, A., 218 Slagel, A. W., 287 Slag-el, Arthur, 252, 291 Slagel, Christian, 246, 248 Slagel, Daniel W., 169. 621 Slagel, John, 328 Slagel, Roy, 252 Slagle, Aaron, 339 Slagle, B. K., 345, 393 Slagle, Christian, 342, 343 SI 1fi e ; 3r&.V 39 ' " 9 - "*■ *«. Slagle, Emma, 421 Slagle, John, 345, 354, 369, 393 Sloan, Dr. Edwin P., 406 Smissen, C. H. A. van der, 577 Smith, 343 Smith, Christian, 79, 88 Smith, C. Henry, 287, 290 Smith, Henry, 128 Smith, Jacob, 136 Smith, fames, 204 Smith, Rev. James, 73 Smith, J. B., 290 Smith, Joel, 540 Smith, John, 119, 190, 205, 206, 207 o 208, 209, 219, 239, 253, 343 Smith, Joseph, 73 Smith, Joseph D., 200, 319, 320, 321, Smith, J. J., 309 Smith, J. P., 190, 246 Smith, Lydia, 171, 256, 318, 319 Smucker, Alma, 331 Smucker, Alvin, 234 Smucker, Frank I., 233, 234, 235, 308 Smucker, Mrs. Frank, 234 Smucker, John, 234 Smucker, Jonathan, 273 Smucker, Ralph, 331 Smucker, Ruth (Magnuson), 315, 319 Snavely, 152 Snavely, Christian, 144, 148 Snavely, Elias, 154, 159 Snavely, Henry, 142 Snavely, Jacob, 107, 152, 153, 154 Snyder, Christian, 142, 146, 148 Snyder, John, 136. 169, 175 Snyder, Peter B., 168, 171 Soldner, G. T., 577 Solin, Frank B., 424 Sommer, 77, 211, 597 Sommer, Emil A., 382 Sommer, Mrs. Emil A., 382 43 Sommer, George, 199, 200 Sommer, I. A., 535 Sommer, Jacob, 487, 521, 522, 523 bommer, Kate (Troyer), 298, 302 Sommer, Lizzie, 302 Sommer, Peter, 199, 466, 597 Sommers, John, 474 Sommers, Joseph, 358 Somney, Tacob, 347 Speicher Matilda, 302, 313, 322 Spies, Adam B., 565 Springer, 80, 96, 198, 438, 459, 619 ^pringer, Benjamin, 239, 308. 314 Springer, David, 91 Springer, Edward, 234 Springer, Joseph, 238, 239, 359 Springer, J. VV M 240 Sprunger, Agnes, 382, 389 Sprunger John A., 347, 377, 402, 420 Stanley, Martin, 485 St jjjley, Stephen, 452, 467, 469, 486, Stahly, John, 456, 485. 486 Staker, Daniel, 361 Stalter, 322, 343 Stalter, Daniel, 412 Stalter, John, 597 Stalter, Joseph, 456, 492 Stauffer, 154, 354 Stauffer, Benjamin, 107, 152, 153 Stauffer, Henry, 234 Stauffer, Jacob, 48, 58 Stauffer, Jake, 234 Stauffer, John, 234 Stauffer, Lena, 290 Stauffer, Omar, 234 Stehli, Johannes, 184 Steiger, George, 35 Steiner, Adam, 163 Steiner, Mrs. Clara E., 317, 319 Steiner, M. S., 265, 266, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276 277, 278, 289, 378, 526, 622 Steiner, Vernon, 158 Steinman, 343 Stemen, Henry, 260, 264 Stemma, 284 Stevenson, Alvin E., 354, 371 Stevenson, A. J., 380, 381, 382 Stevenson, Mrs. 480 Stoltzfus, Nicholas, 77 Stork, 284 Stormer, Charles, 253 Streid, 438 Streid, Elizabeth, 477, 503, 520 521 Strock, Homer, 138 Strubhar, 77, 438 Strubhar, Christian, 89 Strubhar, John, 78, 86, ^34. 440 441 442, 456, 486, 492, 595 Strubhar, Jonathan, 498 Strubhar, Lyle, 504 Strubhar, Peter, 89, 462, 463 Strubhar, Valentine, 89, 206, 446 464 472, 474, 480, 486, 487, 501, 516, S20,' Strupphar, Johann, 595 Stuckey, Peter, 77, 445, 452 Stucky, 343, 438 Stucky, C. N., 339 Stucky, C. R., 446 Stucky, Joe, 360 666 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Stucky, Joseph, 38, 58, 82, 91, 184, 186, 187, 188, 202, 228, 246, 440, 441, 442, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451, 453, 454. 456, 457, 458, 463, 464, 466, 467, 469, 471, 474, 481, 482, 485, 486, 488, 490, 491, 492. 493, 498, 518, 519, 526, 536 Stuckv Nicholas B., 345, 347, 367, 393 Stucky, Peter E., 462, 463, 464, 499 Stucky, Sam, 403 Stucky, S. M., 485 Stutzman, 77, 438 Stutzman, Daniel, 551 Stutzman, Fannie (Hershberger), 302 Stutzman, Joash, 456, 486, 492 Stutzman, Tohn W., 542 Stutzman, Lydia B. (Miller), 290 Summer, 80, 198 Summer, Geojge, 88 Summer, John J., 138 Summer, Joseph, 79, 88 Summer, Mrs. J. B., 139 Summers, J. T., 307, 308, 309 Sutter, Christian, 238 Sutton, Mrs. Omar L., 383, 384, 388 Swartz, Michael, 85 Swartzentruber, 438 Sweet, 284 Sweitzer, 80 Sweitzer, John, 79, 358, 462 Sywulka, Emil, 378 Thiessen, H. C, 433 Thiessen, Mary, 591 Thiessen, Susie, 591 Thut, Alice (Page), 277, 284, 287, 289 Thut, Dr. B. F., 287, 290 Thut, John, 290 Tinsman, 175 Tischer, John, 203 Troyer, 77, 82 Troyer, Amos, 196 Troyer, A. P., 328. Troyer, David A., 542 Troyer, Emanuel, 403, 404, 405, 413, 470, 480, 485, 486, 487, 488, 493, 495, 500, 501, 506, 512, 513, 531, 533, 535 Troyer, Mrs. Emanuel, 505 Troyer, George D., 302 Troyer, Hiram, 471, 472 Troyer, John, 551 Troyer, Jonas, 91, 596 Troyer, Levi, 551 Troyer, Manassas, 470, 485 Troyer, Noah, 551 Troyer, Samuel, 551 Tschantz, Daniel, 450 Tschetter, Rev. Joseph W., 591, 592 Tschetter, Mrs. Joseph W., 591 Ulrich, Viola, 310 Ummel, Abraham, 470 Unsicker, Jacob, 89, 184 Unzicker, Daniel, 86 Unzicker, Jacob, 464 Unzicker, John, 462 Unzicker, Kate, 230 Unzicker, Peter, 168 Unzicker, Roy, 472 Unzicker, William, 239 Ulrich, 343, 597 Ulrich, Andrew, 212 Ulrich, David, 206, 207 Ulrich, Emanuel, 467, 487 Ulrich, Joseph, 345, 393 Ulrich, Ludwig, 597 Ulrich, Peter, 89, 204, 597 Valentine, 388 Van Dyke, Dr. G. H., 285, 290 Vercler, 343 Vercler, Andrew, 403, 413, 453, 468, 469, 472, 474, 485, 486, 487, 509, 513, 518 Verkler, 101, 596 Verkler, John, 101 Verkler, Joseph, 101, 198 Virkler, Joe, 79, 88 Virkler, John, 79, 88, 198 Voelcher, 284 W Wagler, 343 Wagler, Christian, 360 Wagler, Gideon, 360 Wagler, Harry, 362 Wagler, Jacob, 184 Wagler, Peter, 360 Wagner, Christian, 206 Wagner, Joseph, 205, 206, 207 Waldo, Peter, 568 Wall, Aaron, 57, 119 Warkentin, Bemhard, 20 Warye, J. H., 300, 302 Warye, Mrs. J. H., 300, 302 Watson, 564 Weaver, John, 136, 564, 565 Weaver, J. M. R., 170 Weaver, William B., 307, 457. 483, 487, 510, 512, 529 Weber, H. F., 374 Weber, John F., 155, 157 Weckesser, John, 565 Weilder, Fred, 234 Wenger, A. D., 289 Wenger. Chester, 171 Werner, David, 471 Weyeneth, Benedict, 101, 103 Whitmer, Paul E., 290, 295 Whitmore, 175 Whitmore, Dr., 285, 290 Wiebe, Jacob, 56, 58 Wiens, A. F., 294, 302, 587, 589 Wiens, Mrs. A. F., 587, 589 Wirkler, Jacobine, 86 Wisler, Jacob, 50, 51, 58, 61 Wittmer, 574 Witmer, Amos, 426, 427 Wolber, Jacob, 212 Wortz, 343 Wuest, 58 Wurst, George, 597 Yeackley, Phoebe, 302 Yoder, 77, 82, 211, 438, 459 INDEX 679 Membership Qualification, 255 Mennonite Bible Mission, 589f Mennonite Gospel Mission, Chi- cago, 519-522 Mennonite Gospel Mission, Peoria, 522-524 Mennonite, The, 535 Mennonitischer Friedensbote, 580 Menno Simons' Works, 544, 606 Mennonite Brethren in Christ, 50ff, 372, 374, 427 Mennonite Brethren Church, 54f Men's Missionary Meeting 307 Mergers, 195, 196, 324ff Military Service, 17, 33, 110, 126, 141, 158, 198, 208, 243, 252, 355, 363, 372 Millennialism, 51 Ministerial Association of the Central Conference, 498, 511 Missionary Worker, 433 Missions Boards, 125, 146, 193, 271, 274, 281, 293, 294, 301, 306ff, 309, 311, 317, 321, 375, 378, 379, 492, 517f Foreign, see Foreign Missions Home, see Home Missions Influence of, 303f Rural, 270, 314 Support of, 121, 146, 193, 251, 255, 257, 272, 300, 350, 458 Mission Study Classes Encour- aged, 125, 129, 156 Missionary Church Association, 38, 341, 356, 363, 369, 431-434, 593 Modernism, 60, 196 Moody Bible Institute, 289, 293, 353, 363, 374, 528, 591 Mormons, 73 Musical Instruments, 39, 65, 117, 184, 192, 194, 235, 250, 257, 363, 490 N New Amish, 34ff, lOlff, 187, 202, 215, 220, 473, 593 New Birth, Menno on the, 12ff Non-Resistance, 6, 13, 32, 63, 103, 109, 126, 252, 260, 355, 366 Nurses' Training School, 402-410 Oath, 6, 9, 32, 63, 182, 366 Office-holding, 6, 8, 35, 54, 62f, 116, 192, 366 Old Order Amish, 34, 188, 539ff Old Order Mennonites, 50 Old People's Home at Meadows, 341, 364, 412-416, 497, 511, 593 Ordination, Methods of, 43, 122, 206, 231, m Orphanage, see Salem Orphanage Pacific Garden Mission, 423 Pacifist Churches, Conference of, 29, 484f Pathway of Praise, 140 Pensions condemned, 192 Pentecostal Hymns, 349, 363 Periodicals, see titles Persecution, 6, 15, 33 Philharmonia, 417 Photographs discouraged, 117, 121, 184, 366 Pleasant Hill Rural Mission, 314- 316 Prairie Settlements, 106, 440, 455 Prayer Head Covering, see De- votional Covering Prayer Meeting, 123, 283, 311, 312, 347, 397 Preacher, Office of, 8, 113, 200, 231 Prohibition, 118 Proselyting, 29, 30, 104 Publication Board, 194, 509 Publication Work, 109, 133, 260, 364, 417-419, 508, 579f, 606 Quakers, 24ff, 533, 543 Reformed Mennonites, 46f, 97, 133, 151, 561-572 Relief work, 165, 195, 243, 249, 252, 300, 374, 533, 534, 550 Religioser Botschafter, 580 Retreat, Young People's, 536 Revivals, 137, 156, 170, 236, 248, 265ff, 292 River Brethren, 44f Rural Missions, see Missions 680 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITES OF ILLINOIS Sacred Songs, 139 Salem Orphanage, 341, 374, 393- 401, 497, 593 Salem Gospel Mission, 341, 370, 420-422 Sanitarium at Bloomington, 341, 402-410, 497, 511, 593 Schools Church, 346 Early, 109 German, 109, 248, 346, 481 Secret Orders, 64, 367 Separation from the World, 8, 64 Sewing Circles, 138, 147, 157, 164, 171, 201, 207, 214, 234, 242, 249, 256, 313, 316, 322, 351, 363 Shunning, 33, 47, 102f, 104, 132, 179, 183, 189, 545, 560, 565 Simplicity, 60, 64, 125, 543 Singing, 50, 102, 139, 180, 235, 257, 287, 349, 546 Singing Classes and Schools, 139, 250, 442 Sleeping Preacher Group, 41, 194, 205, 552-560 Smoking, 54, 552 Social Attitudes, 61ff Staufferites, 48f Sunday School Conferences, 126ff, 193, 194, 258, 268, 273, 275, 375-76, 399, 425, 590, 602, 622 Early, 108, 138, 144, 154, 164, 170, 200, 207, 214, 220, 232, 240, 248, 255, 348, 360, 442, 457, 461, 498, 577, 579 Field Worker, 128 Lesson Helps, 170, 206, 233, 255, 268, 434, 499, 602, 621 Libraries, 129, 146, 155, 171, 250, 352, 361, 376 Mission S, S, 145, 155, 207, 307 Normal, 125 Organization, 120, 145, 155, 361, 499f Statistics (Central Conference), 501 Teacher Training, 129, 171, 240, 361, 478 Sunday School Association, 500 Sunday School Times, 250 Tobacco, 51, 116, 368 Tabernacle Hymns, 349, 363 Tongues Movement, 356 Travel, Early Methods of, 74 Twenty-Sixth St. Mission (Chi- cago), 292-305, 512, 524f U United Brethren, 45, 57 Universalism, 448ff W Wadsworth School, 576, 584 Wahrheitsfreund, 591 War and its Evils, 109 Western District Conference of Gen. Conf., 585, 586 Wheaton College, 374 Wisler Mennonites, 50 Witmarsum Seminary, 353, 374, 477, 533 Woman's Missionary Society, 256, 316-319, 326, 577 Words of Cheer, 138, 170 World War, 165, 243, 252, 355, 363, 372, 534, 549 Yearbook, 510 Youth's Christian Companion, 138, 170 Young People's Conference, 159 Young People's Institute, 351 Young People's Meeting, 125, 138, 146, 171, 192, 201, 209, 214, 234, 241, 249, 256, 259, 268, 287, 361 ff, 458, 602 Young People's Paper, 276 Young People's Retreat, 536 Zionsbote, 55 Zion's Call, 371, 373, 374, 395, 418, 419, 590 Zion City, 30, 60, 220 Zions Tidings, 341, 362, 374, 3S7 t 389, 415, 419, 590 Zur Heimath, 580