Amanuensis Monday - Mayfield: Then & Now - Chikaskia Presbyterian Church

Chikaskia Presbyterian Church

Chikaskia United Presbyterian Parsonage
P. 93 - Mayfield: Then & Now

   The history of the Chikaskia United Presbyterian church, near Mayfield, was prepared by the pastor, Rev. O. L. Lawson, in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of that church.  Re. Lawson's account follows:

   This is the fiftieth year since the Chikaskia United Presbyterian Church began as a Union Sabbath School in 1878, i an old house, then owned by John Baker, just north of the Union school house, very near the present site of Dr. Neel's farm home where Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Knight now live.

   On Sept 6, 1879, i a sod house which was the home of Nicholas Burnside, the members of the United Presbyterian Church of this vicinity met for the purpose of taking initiatory steps towards the organization of a United Presbyterian congregation.  The site of this farm home is one and one-half miles west of the Chikaskia River, which was then the west part of Dixon township. The exact location now is the northeast quarter of 66-32-4 West.  Rev. R. S. McClenahan had been appointed moderator for this meeting by the Neosho Presbytery.  After having church services and after the moderator had offered prayer, Mr. W. B. Hanlon was chosen clerk.  At that first meeting the following members were recognized as eligible to take part in the election of elders:  W. B. Hanlon, Mrs. Nancy Hanlon, Matthew Young, Mrs. Eliza Young, Nicholas Burnside, Mrs. Sarah Burnside, Mrs. Hatta Bower, James Burnside, and Mrs. Rebecca Burnside.

   The following men were elected as the first two elders:  W. B. Hanlon and Nicholas Burnside. Matthew Young was the third elder, chosen in 1880.

   The new congregation met for a short time right after this at Union school house in a Union Sabbath School and continued meeting there until 1883 when they moved to Long Branch school in order to have their own separate organization.  John Calvin Heasty, W. B. Hanlon, and Archie Anderson were the chief leaders for this move.  At Long Branch, Archie Anderson was chosen the first Sabbath School superintendent of the proposed new church.  Rev. Ferguson was the first minister at Long Branch.

   After the death of Nicholas Burnside, Mr. Newton Swartzel was chosen elder in his place.  Archie Anderson was also chosen as an elder to fill this office left vacant by Matthew Young.  The new congregation continued to meet at Long Branch until the new church was dedicated, August 31, 1884, 46 years ago last Sunday.  Rev. Cooper preached the dedicatory sermon.  The charter members of the church , as nearly as can be determined, were: W. B. Hanlon, Mrs. Nancy Hanlon, Matthew Young, Mrs. Eliza Young,Nicholas Burnside, Mrs. Sarah Burnside, Mrs. Hatta Bowers, James Burnside, Mrs. Rebecca Burnside, John W. Vincent, Mrs. Elizabeth Vincent, Walter Vincent, Miss S. E. Vincent, A. R. Anderson, Miss Ella Anderson, Miss Agnes Anderson, J. C. Heasty, Mrs. Elizabeth Heasty, Charles L. Heasty, Robert M. Heasty, John G. Heasty, Miss Mary C. Heasty, Miss Caroline Anderson, Miss Dora Ann Anderson, George Milne, Mrs. Margaret Milne, Herman Amman, Joseph Ammann, Joseph Kairns, Evira Swartzel, Miss Ida Heasty, Miss Evaleen Anderson, Miss Mary A. Heasty, John F. Heasty, James W. Heasty, and Miss Theresa E. Ammann.

   The Manse was built in 1909 but was not fully completed until 1910, which as during the ministry of Re . Siege.  Rev. A. M. Steveson was the fist pastor to live in the new manse.

   This church has one life work recruit, Alfred Heasty, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Grant Heasty, who now live near Caldwell, and who are still with us today.  he was reared i this community and was graduated from Wellington High School after which he was graduated from Sterling College and finally from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.  He was a pastor at Ewing, Nebraska for three years but is now a missionary oat Doleib Hill, Soudan, Africa.

   This church has also greatly enriched other churches by the many faithful workers it has sent out.  It is very inspiring to be a member of a church such as this, because it has not lived for itself alone, but has lived chiefly to give its best help to others.  Those who so labor and live will not have lived and worked in vain for they show by their fruits that they have served the Lord.

The above new article, written in 1930 appeared in the Wellington Daily News.