HIS Story at Dickey

Although the Ashland Dickey Church of the Brethren was not officially organized until 1860, the Brethren began coming into the Ashland area as early as 1814, Henry Worst probably being the first. He purchased 160 acres in Perry Township, Wayne County, which changed to Ashland County in 1846. Soon he was opening his home to his neighbors for worship services. When the church transitioned from preaching in German to preaching in English, he was one of the elders who helped accomplish that.1

In the late 1830s Joseph and Susannah Roop were living in the eastern part of Montgomery Township and they also began opening their home for the Brethren to hold preaching services and observe the Love Feast. Joseph was zealous in bringing in Brethren ministers to speak, the first being James Tracy.2 It is likely that the following were present in these early meetings: Michael and Elizabeth (Myers) Thomas, William G. and Rebecca (Murray) Peters, John and Rebecca (Mohler) Studebaker, Moses and Elizabeth Weaver, Levi and Lydia (Weaver) Mohler, William Mumaw, Samuel and Elizabeth (Mohler) Foss, and Austin and Hetta (Wagner) Moherman.

The first presiding elder of the Dickey Church was Elias Dickey. He was born in 1808 in Nimishillin Township, Stark County, Ohio. His father and his maternal grandfather were early ministers in the German Baptist Brethren Church and Elias was reared in that faith.3 Also living among this group of Brethren was Elder George Hoke who was the strongest and most prominent elder in the 1840s. With a good command of both English and German he was an able minister and a profound and logical thinker. He was elected a minister, ordained an elder, and selected as moderator for eleven Annual Meetings.4 He crossed the Allegheny Mountains thirteen times in the service of Jesus Christ and His Church.5

George’s daughter, Elizabeth, exhibited the same zeal in serving the Master. So in 1830 it was no surprise that she and Elias would marry. Farming provided a good living for them, but Elias knew he had a higher purpose in God’s plan. Early in life he was called to the ministry and ordained as an elder. The only

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education he had was three months of German school and thirteen nights of English schooling. He could not read or write when he married; however Elizabeth taught him to read.6

In the 1830s Elias served as an elder and frequently ministered to a group of Brethren in Wayne County who referred to themselves as the Mohican Church, which was near the beautiful Mohican River. Elias also was mentioned as a frequent speaker for a group in Franklin Township of Richland County and was perceived as a natural-born leader. Because he had excellent organizational skills, he, along with Henry Worst, was quite involved in the formation of the churches in those locations.

He also actively ministered in East Nimishillin Township serving as minister prior to coming to the Ashland area. In 1834 the annual meeting was held in Stark County in his barn. During that meeting the two main issues that were dealt with resulted in encouraging the Brethren to lend to the poor without charging interest and discouraging preaching by the Brethren Sisters.

In November 1845, Elias and Elizabeth purchased land and moved to Ashland County-- probably in 1846. At this time the Dickey Church was known simply as the Ashland Church. There were at least three preaching points—those being Loudonville (Plum Run), Ashland (Dickey), and Maple Grove. The ministers made their rounds on horseback and were known as the ―horseback preachers‖. One year Elias kept a record of the miles traveled and it amounted to over 5,000 miles.7 Others of the early settlers began making their homes available for services, which would be daylong affairs, but also provided socializing as well as spiritual opportunities.

Hospitality was an important facet of German Baptist doctrine. One couple that was especially noted for their hospitality was John and Rebecca Studebaker--even though their cabin was only 21 feet long, 16 feet wide and 6 feet 6 inches to the ceiling. The innkeeper down the road was quoted as saying, ―Old Studebaker lives just a mile east; he is known clear to the Allegheny Mountains; his house is always full because he don’t charge anything. If he went out of the county I would do a good business.‖8 Once when John was in Rowsburg, thirteen nuns traveling to a convent in the west arrived at nightfall. John took

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them to his cabin where they slept on the floor for the night. The disgusted innkeeper grumbled, ―Old Studebaker‖ put up more people than he did.9

Since a few tombstones have deaths dated in the 1840s, it appears that burials occurred in the present cemetery before Elias Dickey deeded the land to the church. A booklet written in 1920, and in possession of the cemetery trustees, states, ―The said grounds were set apart about 1850 when the church purchased land for religious purposes.‖ As the years passed it was necessary to enlarge the cemetery. Additional land was purchased in the years 1886, 1903, 1920, 1930, and 1967. In 1920 its operations were separated from the church regulations by creating a board known as the Board of Trustees of Endowment Funds of the Ashland (Dickey) Cemetery.10

In 1853 for the sum of $50 Elias and Elizabeth deeded some of their land to three deacons of the German Baptist Church and a meetinghouse was built.11 These deacons were William Mumaw, Moses Weaver, and Levi Mohler. This first building was a wooden structure 40 X 60 feet with two front entrances, one for the men; the other for the women. Each group took their own side of the house sitting on backless benches. The one exception was the first Sunday after marriage when the husband was allowed to sit with his wife. The building had two large posts near the center to support the ceiling and roof; and two wood-burning stoves for heat, one on each side.12

The pulpit was a table about sixteen feet long. Here the elders and ministers sat and faced the congregation and read the Scriptures that would be used to illustrate the message. The deacons sat on the other side of the table facing the elders and ministers. A deacon or minister began the service by announcing the hymn. Because there were no hymnals he would ―line‖ the hymn. This entailed reading the first line or two, after which the congregation sang them. Then he read the next lines with song following, until the hymn was completed. There were no musical instruments, but the German singing was remarkably harmonious. Everybody knelt for the long prayer, which was always concluded by praying together the Lord’s Prayer. The preaching services were lengthy, singing was in German, and each minister from the oldest to the youngest, was expected to say something.13

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The Love Feast was the high point of the church year. It was always preceded by the annual visit of the deacons or ―visiting brethren‖ in each home. The following questions were asked: ―Are you still in the faith of the Gospel, as you declared when you were baptized? Are you, as far as you know, in peace and union with the church? Will you still labor with the Brethren for an increase in holiness, both in yourself and others?‖14 The deacons then reported back to the council that all were at peace or, if that was not the case, they would state the problem and that family would be visited in an effort to answer their question or resolve whatever problem existed.

At this time ―No salary was paid to ministers; although expenses might be reimbursed, they were seldom asked for. Church officers were chosen for life. Eldership required an extra sacrifice, for this involved much traveling to other congregations.‖ These men, who faithfully served Christ, had limited schooling, but they diligently applied themselves to Bible study. Since their salary was nonexistent, they had no reluctance to speak out on moral issues.15

Elias who was affectionately known as Father Dickey was an able defender of the plain teaching and doctrines of the Bible, and he advocated revival meetings long before the church in general approved such protracted efforts. Once a prominent elder from Indiana feared that ―wildfire‖ had gotten in among the brethren at Ashland and he came unexpectedly to Ashland to check it out. After attending several meetings, he became convinced of the propriety of Elias’ work.16

In 1854 the Annual Meeting of the Brethren was held at the Elias Dickey farm. The brick house and frame barn are still standing approximately one mile south of the church. Brother T.S.Moherman later described the meeting in his history: ―…Transportation facilities were quite primitive at that time, no railroads being closer than Mansfield, seventeen miles away, and Wooster, twenty-two miles away. Some few were met at these stations by the Brethren, some walked, and from every direction great crowds of people came on horses, in wagons and most any way that could be devised to make the trip. A ten-acre field south of the barn was reserved for the horses. The lodging was free

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and the farmhouses and barns were taxed to the utmost. The dining tent stood between the house and barn….Services were also held in the Dickey Churchhouse, about a mile distant from the regular place of meeting. This house was newly built. The road connecting these two places was literally filled at times with people going to and fro to hear the speakers of their choice.‖17

About that meeting the Ashland Times reported, ―On Sunday a vast concourse of people assembled to see and attend their services. The assembly formed the largest crowd that ever was gathered at one time in Ashland County, the number being estimated between ten and fifteen thousand.‖18 One of the subjects for discussion at this meeting was the matter of slavery and slave ownership. The delegates agreed that any Brethren who owned slaves must free them and also pay them for their services.

In 1855 Elders Elias Dickey and Joseph Showalter conducted the organization of the Black River Church. In 1856 the Loudonville Church gained enough members to begin meeting on a regular basis at Morgan Workman’s home. Elias was one of the elders present at the organization of this group. With Brother Workman taking care of the Loudonville group, Elias now began to alternate every other Sunday between the Ashland Church and Maple Grove.

In 1860 because of the increasing number of Brethren adherents, it became desirable to divide Maple Grove and the Dickey group into two separate congregations. Elias was chosen as the first presiding elder. Ministers living in the congregation at the time of organization were Joseph Showalter, Isaac Kilhefner, George Hoke, David Witmer, Henry Kilhefner, Moses Weaver, Elias Dickey, and I.D. Parker. At this time the two groups worked out a formal division of the territory for which each of the two churches would be responsible. During these early years services were conducted in German. The last sermon in the German tongue was preached at the Love Feast in the fall of 1887.19 Besides those mentioned

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previously, other resident ministers who proclaimed the message of Jesus Christ in that early building were Daniel Peck, Isaac Schmucker, James Tracy, and David N. Workman.

In 1861 the nation was engaged in a Civil War. The Soldiers’ Aid Society in Ashland solicited donations from the citizens of Ashland whose names were listed in the newspaper. Those from the Dickey neighborhood were Mrs. John (Elizabeth) Gault who gave a pair of boots; Mrs. E. (Elias ) Dickey gave one pair socks and mittens; Mrs.A. (Austin) Maucherman (Moherman) gave one blanket, mittens, and socks; Mrs. C. (Christian) Hess gave two blankets, and one pair of socks; Adam Baum gave 2 pair of socks; Mrs. John (J.A.) Zimmerman gave one pair boots, 4 cans fruit, 2 pair drawers, 2 under shirts, 1 pair mittens, 1 box of sundries for hospital, and 1 can apple butter; and Wm. Scott gave one pair of woolen socks.20

For the most part the Brethren remained passive during the Civil War giving their influence in favor of peace and union. When the Confederacy began drafting all able-bodied men for service, those who refused were imprisoned. This aroused the church and measures were adopted to give relief to those imprisoned. Special council meetings were called to provide funds to pay the $500 fines for those Brethren too poor to pay for their exemption from service.

Elias Dickey died in 1864 having lived a life of fruitful service to the Lord. In 1871 the name of German Baptist Brethren was adopted, but in the Ashland area they were commonly referred to by the term ―Dunkards.‖ In 1873 the first Sunday School was organized. David N. Workman and I.D. Parker were the first superintendents. In these early years it was conducted only during the summer months and there were no denominational helps for teachers. Brother Parker worked out a course of lessons to be used.21

In 1877 the local newspapers announced that there was a new Dunkard Church in the Dickey neighborhood. The entire neighborhood, both in and out of the church, willingly contributed toward the $4,000 building. It was painted white and had green window shutters. Back of the building was a large cistern and the Ashland Press stated ―among other conveniences were hard and

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soft water, and all the necessary cooking apparatus.‖ Elder James Quinter preached the dedicatory sermon on November 11. The whole building was turned into one big auditorium to accommodate the crowd. According to the newspaper ―The services were largely attended, the crowd in and around the church being variously estimated at from 1,500 to 2,000 persons. The meetings were continued from day to day until Thursday evening, when the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was celebrated. The attendance on Thursday evening was very large, scarcely half of those present being able to procure room inside the church. This society, known as the German Baptists, has increased rapidly in this county within the past few years. The new college, which is to be erected in this place next year will be under their auspices.‖22

The following winter Brother Jesse Calvert conducted a revival meeting during which sixty-five made a new confession of faith in Jesus Christ.23 As plans progressed for the college, trustees were selected. Those from the Dickey congregation were Austin Moherman and I.D. Parker. It was in the fall of 1878 that the local papers began to refer to the Ashland group as the Dickey Church.24 The first reference to that name in the minutes of the council meetings occurred in 1886.25

In 1879 a Sunday School Convention was held. The notice in the paper reported that for all desiring to go from town, conveyances had been secured to carry them for ten cents. A thousand participants came from various parts of the state.26 Also this year a group of members from Ashland Dickey joined some from Maple Grove in organizing the Ashland First Congregation in order to accommodate a number of their church members who had moved into Ashland.

The conference of 1881 was held on the Ashland College grounds. The auditorium was a large tent seating approximately three thousand people. A severe storm blew it down the first night, which caused a half-day’s delay in the activities.27 This was the first year that charges were

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made for meals—one dollar for a fifteen-meal ticket.28 The dining hall on the college grounds seated 1,580 persons at a time. A large number of waiters were divided into three divisions—the Ashland City Church, Maple Grove, and Dickey. E.F. Good was the foreman presiding over the Dickey group of waiters.29

The reporter for the Ashland Times was impressed to see not less than three thousand faces turned in close attention to the center of the tent where the Standing Committee and delegates sat, and to see twelve hundred sisters with heads covered with neat white caps present at all the sessions.30

The vexing question of dress came up and the discussion grew warm and forcible. D.N. Workman diverted the attention of the conference to the need for funds for the Danish mission with the result that $3,000 was raised.31 After this conference 4,000 ultra conservative members withdrew and formed the Old German Baptist Brethren refusing to accept any changes to the old order of doing things. The Progressive wing was pushing for rapid change and in 1883, when change didn’t occur fast enough, they also exited and formed a new branch called the Brethren Church.

Many of those wishing reform decided to stay with the larger central body, believing that change could be implemented within the church structure. They were reluctant to cause more disunity than had already happened.32 Their hope was that change could occur at a slower pace without alienating large sections of the membership. Even the local church minutes reflected the friction regarding ―fashionable or worldly‖ dress, attending fairs, political picnics and meetings, joining secret societies, wearing mustaches, and even gathering sugar water on Sunday. The mustache was an issue because it was the fashion of the politicians at that time, and the Brethren did not want to be mistaken for politicians. The majority felt it was important to keep the church ―unspotted from the world.‖

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In the local council meeting on April 29, 1882, a petition was formulated and sent to the Annual Meeting requesting that the ―cut of the dress among the Brethren‖ or the ―wearing of plain or modest hat‖ by the sisters not be a test of fellowship. On July 2nd the council passed a motion ―that we remain loyal to the church.‖33

Nationwide, problems continued to develop. The storm center of the 1882 division in the church resulted in huge difficulties for Ashland College. The Progressives gained control of the college. It had accumulated a debt of $18,000. Dickey members and former trustees, made up a group of five who remained faithful to the conservative faction and in the interest of peace withdrew from their positions as trustees. These five contributed $10,000 toward wiping out the original indebtedness of the college.34 According to the bankruptcy settlement Austin Moherman contributed $4,000 and I.D. Parker, $1,500.35 Also at this time the Ashland City Church was disbanded.

The Love Feast and communion varied over the years. It commonly lasted all day and in 1883 the following list indicates the needed supplies: Communion bread, 50 loaves regular bread, 150 pounds beef, 14 pounds butter, 3 gallon pickles, $1.00 for coffee, 75 cents for tea, $25.00 cash and 20 bushels of feed for the horses. Along with the above list they needed kettles, baskets, buckets, coffee pots and dishpans, ―with ten Sisters to arrange the dishes and ten Brothers to arrange the house.‖36 In 1904 those amounts increased with the addition of a cord of wood and a tank suitable for hauling water.

Wood chopping days were held to supply the needs of both the church and parsonage. In 1886 four dozen hymnbooks were purchased37 and from time to time the Brethren would hold a singing school at the church. Even at this early date prohibition was a debatable topic. The Prohibition ticket for this year had Dickey member, Archibald Findlay, running for treasurer.38

In 1888 special meetings were held with twenty-one being received into the church by triune immersion. The correspondent from Pleasant Ridge described the meetings as ―an exciting revival at the Dickey Church.‖39

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At one time there were two separate horse barns (or sheds) built to the east and north of the church, probably in the period of 1888 to 1902, with the first section being built at a cost of around $15. The buildings provided shelter for the members’ horses while they attended church functions. It appears that the last section was built by individual members at their own expense. The first section was removed in the early 1920s and the last section burned during the middle 1940s.

Brethren weddings, like most at this time, were held at the bride’s home. When Libbie Moherman married David Bailey in 1881, it was reported that eight kinds of cake were served to the 75 guests in attendance.40 A few evenings after Frank Dickey and Mina England were married in 1885, thirty-five friends and relatives showed up shooting off guns, jingling bells, and making all kinds of music. Frank treated them and thanked them for their music.41 It was common for the newly wed couples to take the train to their honeymoon destination. Since 1959 the church has hosted a wedding shower for each couple from the church.

These early Brethren were some of the best farmers in the world, but they were also enterprising. In 1881 Levi Plank spearheaded a move to have a cheese factory located in the community.42 William Burkholder had a portable saw mill, which he moved from farm to farm. He also operated a mill, which was the first to introduce kiln-dried sifted cornmeal.43 His cider mill was noted for its cleanliness in keeping foreign material out of the cider.44 In later years Howard Hess was co-owner of Hess and Gault Lumber Company, and in 1966 John McNaull and Eldon Crone were partners in operating the Ashland Implement Company.

In May of 1889 the District Annual Conference was in session at the Dickey Church with about 25 churches in attendance. On June 11 tickets were available to travel by train to the Annual Conference at Harrisonburg, Virginia. The roundtrip cost $14. ―Many of the Brethren and friends expect to attend the meeting and enjoy another of those annual reunions of love and friendship which are characteristic of these people.‖45

At the Sunday School convention held at the Dickey Church in 1901 it was decided to charge 10 cents a meal or three

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meals for 25 cents, and give one lodging and breakfast free. Brother W.F. England was to act as foreman in providing for accommodating those who came.46

In 1901 the church council approved the organizing and maintaining of a young people’s meeting. They enjoyed sleigh rides and in 1904 it is noted in the newspaper that sixteen of the young people ate dinner and spent the day at Leander Thomas’ home.47 Harvest meetings were popular during this time period. In 1903 the trustees installed a hot air furnace to heat the whole church house.

Extensive missionary endeavors began in 1904 with the establishment of the Home Department. The territory to which they ministered extended over a radius of approximately six square miles, but they also reached some families outside this tract. There were about eleven classes formed providing Bible study and fellowship. These visitors also ministered to the residents of the Infirmary and went into Ashland in a quiet way, getting ready for the new church and Sunday School which was still in the future. This ―new‖ church was to be the reorganization of what is known today as the Ashland City Church and was the joint effort of Ashland Dickey and Maple Grove congregations. In 1914 this became reality when they purchased the Third Street property from the Evangelical denomination. Workers in the Home Department visited 80 members in 1906. Their petition was that ―by Almighty God we may be guided aright on entering the homes of our neighbors and friends, that we may say the things and do the acts that will stir them to action in their soul’s welfare. May God grant us strength and wisdom to go on in every good work.‖48

Until 1911 church expenses were funded by assessing members a percentage based on what they owned in land, livestock and grain, with debt being taken into consideration. In 1901 the church asked for a total assessment from the membership of $300 per year.49

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In 1912 the church granted a lease to the Ohio Fuel and Supply Company for which the church would receive $250 a year and free gas from the date of the lease. During this year Bert Scott may have been the first Brethren to drive a car to church. He was listed in the Ashland Press (December 11, 1912) as owning an Overland. Eldon Crone remembers in the late 1920s that there was a mixture of automobiles and horses and buggies in the parking lot at church. Albert Moherman who died in 1943 never owned a car, but always came to church with his horse and buggy. The newspaper reported the following accident: ―At the Dickey Church on Sunday morning A.E. Zimmerman’s auto struck R.H. Ludwick’s buggy, demolishing a rear wheel. Nobody seriously hurt. No blame attached to anyone.‖50

The first musical instrument that the church acquired was a pump organ. In 1913 a music committee was established, the members being Bert Scott, Eva Hess, and A.A. Moherman.51 Bert also became the church chorister at this time. He advocated purchasing a piano, but just when it was purchased is not known. This Times-Gazette news item on May 14, 1919 provides a clue for the early presence of a piano. ―Mother’s Day was observed at the Dickey Church….Little Irene Herschler impersonated the mother in the new lullaby song, ―Mother Take Baby to By-Lo Land‖. She is only six years old but her diction was very distinct…. Her sister Lois accompanied her on the piano.‖ The church minutes for 1936 mention in the list of elected officers a young music teacher, Roseanna Callahan, later Roseanna Leaman, as the church pianist. She served in that capacity for sixty-two years. The first electronic organ was purchased in 1962 and the present organ, in 1975. Many comment on the skill May Patalano exhibited at the organ.

The Oak Grove Church, located approximately one-half mile south of Steamtown, was a part of the Dickey congregation. Until 1906 the Dickey congregation had been paying two-thirds of

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the cost of ministerial help with the Oak Grove members paying one-third.52 In 1891 the church directory in the Gazette stated that the Oak Grove and Dickey Churches were having services every alternate Sabbath at 10:30 a.m. Sabbath School was at 9:30 during the summer and church services were conducted by I.D. Parker, D.N. Workman and William Murray. In 1916 the Oak Grove building was sold for $130.53

During the ministry of Walter Keller, there was increased involvement with the community. The annual picnic of the W.C.T.U. (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) was held on the church lawn with 120 present to enjoy the beauty of the setting and the bounty of the meal. Mrs. Keller gave the welcome, which included the children from the Children’s Home as special guests. Autos for their transportation were kindly furnished, free of charge, by Richard’s Garage.54 During these early years of the automobile era nothing could have been more exciting for a child than to have an opportunity to ride in a horseless carriage.

A few weeks later the Pioneer Historical Society met for their annual picnic on the church grounds. Autos began arriving at 9:30 with everyone trying their best to provide rides for the old folks. After the morning service 80 sat down at the picnic tables. Later the men enjoyed horseshoes while the women cleaned up the tables. The program began at 1:30 with Pastor Keller welcoming the crowd, which had increased to about 120. A number of the early settlers shared their experiences and the difficulties they encountered. There was much interest in the display of relics.55

Also during this year Goldie Swartz left as a missionary to India, where she served as an educator and evangelist from 1916 to 1955.56 In 1926 she was followed by another missionary, Sister, Clara Harper, who went to Nigeria and served for 34 years in medical, educational and evangelistic work. At the age of ten Clara joined the Ashland Dickey Church and often shared how ice was broken on the creek to hold her baptism.57

Baptisms were performed in the neighboring creeks until 1913 when the baptistry under the floor in the present entrance room was built. When that baptistry became unsafe in the early

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1940s baptisms were held at the Ashland City Church of the Brethren until 1963 when the present baptistry was built.

The attendance in 1914 was ―upwards of 250 souls.‖58 In 1922 a parsonage fund was established with an initial amount of $2,229, but it was not until 1924 that the parsonage was completed. George Dickey donated one-fourth of an acre on the south side of the churchyard in exchange for three cemetery lots to be chosen by his heirs. One of the stipulations of this gift was that ―the church shall build a chicken yard to restrain the pastor’s chickens from my premises.‖59 The parsonage was built at a total cost of $4,129.

Through the efforts of Sister Ella Moherman, the Sisters’ Aid Society was organized in 1894.60 A typical day meeting would consist of quilting or other sewing in the morning, a covered dish meal at noon and a business meeting in the afternoon. These ladies kept busy with their good works and the list of what they did is quite impressive. They sewed for Samaritan Hospital and Bethany Hospital. They rolled bandages for the Red Cross. For the local church they sewed curtains for the Sunday school rooms, gave money for varnish for pews and woodwork, and had days for cleaning the kitchen and other areas of the church. They papered the parsonage and put down linoleum in the kitchen. They contributed to the pastor’s retreat expenses.

The Ladies’ Aid Society sent their relief materials to the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Maryland. Church World Service also used the Maryland facility as a collection point. So several other churches in Ashland would bring their relief items to be stored at Dickey until the semi arrived to load up and take these relief projects to New Windsor. In 1959 Annual Conference changed the name of this group to Women’s Fellowship. Following is a list of just a few of the projects undertaken by Dickey’s busy and compassionate ladies.

Collected $300 for the war sufferers of Armenia and Syria (1919). The Sunday School also contributed $73 toward this work. (This is particularly noteworthy because it marks the first time the Church of the Brethren donated money and aid to a group of people who were not Brethren.)

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Supported work in India with monthly donations to Goldie Swartz’s work there Contributed to Spanish Civil War relief (1937) Gave for China relief after the Japanese invasion (1938) Rolled bandages for a hospital in Puerto Rico Provided regular gifts to Clara Harper in Africa Sent $29 to Garkida Hospital in Africa. This hospital was the first and largest station of the Church of the Brethren Mission in Nigeria. Provided school supplies for children’s hospital in South America (1944) Russian relief – layettes for babies; dresses, and blouses for the girls (1945, 1947) Made skirts for Belgian girls (1946) Made boys’ wool trousers (1945);made boys’ pajamas (1947) Made sheets and pillow cases from feed sacks. (1946) Went to Creston to can meat for relief (1947) Shirts for the Leper colony near Garkida Hospital (1951) Made blue wool dresses for Greek relief (104 pounds of clothing sent in 1948) Sewed for the Mumaw triplets (1949)61

Much of this relief work was to assist people who had been impoverished by World War I and World War II. Money for the various projects was obtained by selling vanilla, Jello, cookbooks, cards, thread, aprons, oven savers, Smilin’ Scot, homemade soap, Danny Duzit and Sunshine boxes. The group received the proceeds from providing food at auctions, from Mother-Daughter banquets, and from gifts. Saving and redeeming state sales tax stamps was also a common way to make some money. In December of 1945 the group packed seven boxes containing twelve comforts, two new blankets, thread, pins, needles, soap, home-made soap, shoes, women’s dresses, women’s coats, men’s clothing, underwear, knives, forks, and one baby box.

In 1928 there were 172 names on the membership list.62 In August of that year the District Conference was held at the Dickey Church. The local members housed the delegates in their homes and meals were served at the church. One of the delegates was hurt when her car upset at the sharp curve near the entrance to the church. This was the sixth car to upset at that

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curve during the 1928 summer.63 The delegates voiced their support of prohibition, urged a continued campaign on the evil effects of liquor; urged that the church continue to teach against the use of tobacco in any form, believing it to be detrimental to the physical, mental and spiritual welfare of all people; and affirmed their position to outlaw and abolish war as unchristian in spirit and totally contrary to the mind and life of Jesus.64 The audience of 550 overflowed the church during the missions program on the last night. Every room was utilized with about 50 forced to listen from outside the building. Reports were given on the work in China, India, Denmark and Norway.65

In 1929 a well was drilled on the church property. Prior to that there was a ―dug‖ well. Shortly after that Pastor Delauter put in a fishpond next to the well to accommodate the interests of his son Leon. It had sides of stone built up around it.

The work of the church continued during the depression years. During 1931 steps were taken to heal the rift between the Progressives and Conservatives by granting the privilege of asking anyone who belongs to the Progressive Brethren to ―commune with us.‖66 In 1932 Council approved sending $75 to support a native worker in China.67 They also decided that one- half of the missionary moneys should go to Home Missions and one-half to Foreign Missions.68

Once a quarter a class from the Sunday School would conduct the opening exercises. Each child in that class would recite a Bible verse. One child would lead the singing and one would have Scripture and prayer. At Christmas time there was usually a program the Sunday evening before Christmas. There was a Christmas tree and every child would receive an orange and sometimes a candy cane.

In 1937 with the approach of the Rural Electrification lines, the Ladies Aid Society was granted permission to have electricity installed in the parsonage. Shortly after that the Ohio Edison Company made it possible to replace the kerosene lights in the church with electric lights. As this decade ended the church was still giving toward Chinese and Spanish relief efforts.

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Brethren Service had a Heifer Project in the 1940s, and the Dickey group sent several heifers abroad. Arthur Crone was

the area chairman of this project. Relief efforts were done through Church World Service. Other groups who benefited from local support were the Navajo Indians, West View Manor Nursing Home, and Camp Inspiration Hills. In 1945 the men cooperated in the ―Wheat for Relief‖ program. Each man was to sell his own wheat and give the money to Arthur Crone who would forward it to headquarters, where it would be reinvested in wheat and shipped to the destitute Netherlands country.69

This church in its beautiful rural setting had a large proportion of farm families among the congregation. In the old days the dairy farmers milked their cows by hand, kept the milk cool in a springhouse, and wrestled the heavy ten-gallon cans onto the milk truck. Today dairy farmers are not so plentiful, but can provide a great quantity of milk with their milking parlors, and refrigerated cooling systems, which can pipe the milk into the tanker truck. Some of the old–timers remember plowing with horses, then the arrival of tractors and three-bottom plows. Today many use the no-till method. Harvesting one acre of wheat used to take a week; now 75 acres can be harvested in a day. Agriculture has become a science with careful records being kept on the feeding of livestock and the fertilizing of the fields. The use of high-tech farm machinery is coming on the scene such as the tractor Jim McNaull uses. It is equipped with a G.P.S. (global positioning system) and auto-steer.

After the hard work was done, Sunday was set aside to worship God, to be a day of rest, and to visit with family and friends. Many remember the enjoyable times when members of

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the congregation gathered at Harley and Portia Moherman’s pond or at Earl and Floy Shank’s pond.

In 1945 the sanctuary and chancel area were remodeled and decorated for approximately $2,000. At this time the church was turned ―end for end‖. Prior to the remodeling a raised platform for preaching stood in front of the sliding doors. At this time the entrance was moved to the north side of the church. The rededication service was held in October, 1945.70

Because of the church’s active belief in peace, a young man could declare himself a conscientious objector and be assigned to alternative service. During World War II Donald Thomas made this declaration and worked in the area of agriculture and forestry in Wisconsin.

In 1950 a building fund was established for the church basement project and the work began in 1957. It involved blocking up the church and digging out the basement. Eldon Crone started the project with a tractor and loader, and when he had gone as far as he could, Harley Moherman finished the job using dynamite. Basement walls were built, the floor cemented, and a new water system completed for indoor restrooms and new kitchen facilities with built-in cupboards. During this time services were held at the Montgomery School cafeteria, with ―classrooms‖ for children on the different stairways. In 1959 the church was incorporated in order to facilitate borrowing money to finish the project.71

The congregation sponsored the Conrad Kohn family from Germany in 1956. In 1979 through the combined efforts of the three local Churches of the Brethren, Mam Ray was able to emigrate from Cambodia. The following year the local churches provided for the Vay Duong family to come from Viet Nam. The

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Duongs now have six children and are presently (2010) living in California.

In 1977 the Dickey congregation supported May Hays who did summer mission work with World Gospel Missions at the Fairhaven home in Sacramento, California. In the 1970s a radio ministry over the local radio station was provided with preaching, music and recording done by local members. For the last 60 years Bible School has been faithfully provided.

In 1979 Peter Isola came from Southeast Nigeria to study at the Ashland College Seminary. During his term of studies at Ashland, he and his wife, Titi joined the Dickey congregation. In 1983 Peter and Titi were commissioned and returned to Nigeria to teach and do missionary work among their fellow Nigerians. They have four children: Soji, Bose, Dayo, and Tosin. As of 2010 the church is still financially supporting their ministry and praying for them.

In the early days of telephone usage most people contacted the pastor at his home when the need arose. Phones in the church building itself were slower to arrive. It appears that the first telephone installed in the Dickey Church building was in 1980 so that Dr. Kathy Hess could be reached by the hospital when she was on call. In the year 2002 Pastor Tom Zuercher became the first Dickey pastor to avail himself the use of a cell phone. The prophet, Daniel, said knowledge shall increase and these new communication technologies have made that evident in this present day.

While serving as pastor and subsequently as pastor emeritus Durward Hays emphasized the need for each one to be in a right relationship with Jesus Christ so as to always be ready for Christ’s second coming. Idabelle, his wife, was appreciated as a provider of sweet treats at the board meetings.

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In 2010 the Dickey congregation participates in several local ministry groups. These are the Ashland County Food Bank; Ashland Partners in Housing (previously Habitat for Humanity); Hospice, North Central Ohio; Ashland Care Center; Ashland Intercessory Ministries; Pump House Ministries; Ashland Christian Health Center; and Ashland Transformation Network.

Highlights and projects during the last fifty years are listed below:

1960 – Installed hardwood floors in the sanctuary and Sunday School entrance room. 1961 – Changed the upstairs kitchen into nursery. 1962 – Organized an All Church Evangelism Program. 1962 – The youth went to Estes Park, Colorado. 1963 – Installed present baptistery. 1965 – Completed present entrance with stairs to basement. Prior to this time the entrance to the basement was through the south and east doorways. 1970 – Remodeled the sanctuary including the present windows and lighting. At that time the arch at the pulpit was changed. 1971 – Purchased new pews. 1983 – Members on the roll numbered 127. 1983 – Mike and Muriel Bah spoke about work in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. 1985 – Nursery available during the church service. 1985 – Purchased a copier. 1987 – Men’s Fellowship attended a Cavalier’s basketball game. 1990 – Began capital improvement project creating handicap accessibility, pastor’s study and additional educational space. The $170,000 cost was raised by donations and completed without debt. 1990 – Purchased a computer. 1999 – Jody Dallas donated a full-length wood carving of the figure of Christ. 2002 – Parsonage became church office and additional Sunday School room. 2005 – Vacation Bible School incorporated discovery learning in an interactive format (continuing to the present time). 2006 – Purchased 3.362 acres increasing church property. 2008 – Dedication of new addition and elevator.

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2009 – Air conditioned entire church building. 2009 – Average attendance at worship services was 158 and average Sunday School attendance was 88. 2010 – Members on the roll numbered 162.

In the early years the congregation was served by a free ministry; then some were hired half time. Often two or three ministers were actively serving at the same time. In 1954 the congregation committed to hiring a full-time minister. The following list contains the names of those believed to have ministered at Dickey:

Elias Dickey W.H. Miley (1945-1954) Joseph Showalter Claudius Pyles (1954-1956) Moses Weaver Orlin Frey (1956-1958) David Witmer A.B. Pierson (1958-1961) George Hoke Durward Hays (1961-1977) Henry Kilhefner Steven Wagoner (1977-1981) Isaac Kilhefner B. Eugene Shaver (1981-1985) D.N. Workman (1880-1894) Mervin Cripe (Interim 1985) I.D. Parker (1890-1910) Harlan Grubb (Interim 1986) W.F. England (1886-1907) James Johnson (1986-1990) T.S. Moherman (1886-1907) Wendell Thompson (Interim 1990) David Weidler (1897-1906) Ray Hileman (1990-2001) S.U. Snavely (1906-1908) Durward Hays, Pastor (1993-present) W.D. Keller (1908-1921) Emeritus Ora Delauter (1921-1933) Durward Hays, Interim (2001-2002) Charles A. Helm (1933-1943) Tom L. Zuercher (2002-present) Fels Lamb (1943-1944)

To paraphrase what Bonita McNaull wrote, ―Our history is rich with memories that have brought us to this 150th celebration. Jesus Christ is the foundation of all that is good in the history, and the future, of the Dickey Church. Recent accomplishments are exciting, but God’s Word beckons us to keep pressing forward. There is still work to be done, both spiritual and physical.‖ Time has washed many names from present memory, but God remembers those whom he found faithful as they worshipped at the Ashland Dickey Church of the Brethren. May God find the present generation faithful in lifting up the name of Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

History Committee: Shirley Boyd, Martha Coffman, Kathy Hess, Sarah Koch, Beckie Parsons 21

APPENDIX

German Baptist Brethren in Ashland County, Ohio, prior to 1860

Baum, Jacob and Catharin (Harnley) Beeghley, John and Catharine (Peck) Burkholder, William and Susannah (Witwer) Clark, Jesse, and Hetta Dickey, Alpheas Dickey, Elias and Elizabeth (Hoke) Dickey, George & Susan (Simanton) Dickey, Levi and Nancy (Priest) DeShong, Peter and Asenath (Bender) DiShong, John and Anna Dorothy Dolby, Maria Findlay, Archibald Foss, Reuben and Louisa (Horn) Foss, Samuel and Elizabeth (Mohler) Foss, Samuel, Jr. and Mary (Kline) Frantz, Samuel and Mariah (Snyder) Goard, Hannah (Brubaker) Hess, Christian, Sr. and Charity (Plank) Hoke, George Kilhefner, Henry and Elizabeth Moherman, Austin and Hetta (Wagner) Mohler, Levi and Lydia (Weaver) Mumaw, William Myers, John and Barbara (Miller) Peters, William and Rebecca(Murray) Plank, Isaac and Lydia (Lewis) Plank, Levi and Margaret (Filson) Roop, Joseph and Susanna (Willis) Saner, Susanna (Willis) Schmucker, Isaac and Leah Scott, William and Mary Ann (Young) Shidler, John and Sarah Ann (Myers) Stover, Catharine (Foss, Fulk) Studebaker, John and Rebecca (Mohler) Thomas, Michael and Elizabeth (Myers) Weaver, Moses and Elizabeth Weidler, George and Elizabeth (Weaver) Willis, John and Elizabeth (Grogg) Willis, Henry and Susanna (DeShong) Witmer, David Workman, David N. and Lavina (Dickey) Workman, Morgan and Junitia Worst, George and Margaret (Martin) Worst, Henry and Barbara (Donet)

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NOTES

1. Eugene G. Diehm, TheChurch of the Brethren in Northeastern Ohio, (Elgin, Illinois, The Brethren Press, 1963) 116, 146. 2. George W. Hill, History of Ashland County, Ohio, (Williams Bros., 1880) 92. 3. The Brethren Encyclopedia Donald F. Durnbaugh, editor, (1983) 383. 4. James H. Lehman, The Old Brethren, (Elgin, Illinois, The Brethren Press, 1976) 180, 182. 5. The Ashland Press, May 19, 1887, (Elizabeth Dickey obituary). 6. T.S. Moherman, et.al., A , History of the Church of the Brethren: Northeastern,Ohio, (Elgin,Illinois, The Brethren Press, 1914) 140,141. 7. Moherman, 140. 8. The Ashland Times, October 13, 1877, (Pioneer Days). 9. Walter Carlock, The Studebaker Family in America, (Tipp City, Ohio, Studebaker Family National Association, 1976) 81. 10. Rules, Regulations, and By-Laws of the Ashland (Dickey) Cemetery Church of the Brethren (Ashland, Ohio, 1920). 11. Deed from Elias Dickey to Deacons of German Baptist Church, 1853. 12. Moherman, 140. 13. Donald F. Durnbaugh, Church of the Brethren: Yesterday and Today (Elgin, Illinois, Brethren Press) 17. 14. Durnbaugh 17. 15. Durnbaugh 15. 16. Moherman 141. 17. Moherman 141. 18. Ashland Times, June 15, 1854. 19. Diehm 37. 20. Ashland Press, October 31, 1861. 21. Diehm 38. 22. Ashland Press November 22, 1877. 23. Diehm 38. 24. Ashland Times, October 25. Dickey Council Minutes, July 31, 1886. 26. Ashland Times, September 25, 1879. 27. Ashland Press, June 9, 1881. 28. Moherman, 282 29. Ashland Press, June 9, 1881. 30. Ashland Times, June 9, 1881. 31, 1878.31. Moherman 283. 32. Durnbaugh 28. 33. Dickey Council Minutes, April 29, 1882. 34. Moherman 294. 35. A.L. Garber notes, Ashland University Library Archives. 36. Dickey Council Minutes, October 13, 1883. 37. Council Minutes, February 6, 1886. 38. Ashland Times, April 1, 1886. 39. Ashland Press, February 9, 1888. 40. John M. Bailey, The Descendants of Austin Moherman and Hetty Wagner Moherman, (Columbia, Maryland, 2000) 17. 41. Ashland Times, January 15, 1885. 42. Ashland Press, October 20, 1881.

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43. Ashland Press, August 26, 1903. 44. Ashland Times, October 24, 1886. 45. Ashland Press, May 30, 1889. 46. Council Minutes, April 19, 1901. 47. Ashland Times and Gazette, August 31, 1904. 48. Bonita McNaull, The Ashland Dickey Church of the Brethren: A Brief History. (1991) 9. 49. McNaull 5. 50. Ashland Times-Gazette, June 25, 1919. 51. Council Minutes, April 24, 1913. 52. Council Minutes, January 9, 1908. 53. Council Minutes, November 15, 1916. 54. Ashland Press, August 28, 1916. 55. Ashland Press, September 13, 1916. 56. Diehm 208. 57. McNaull 10. 58. Moherman 139. 59. Council Minutes, May 19, 1921. 60. Moherman 138. 61. Records of the Ladies’ Aid Society, (1904-1917). 62. Council Minutes, April 19, 1928. 63. Ashland Press, August 29, 1928. 64. Ashland Press, August 31, 1928. 65. Ashland Press, August 30, 1928. 66. Council Minutes, September 24, 1931. 67. Council Minutes, April 8, 1932. 68. Council Minutes, April 23, 1931. 69. Council Minutes, July 29, 1945. 70. McNaull 13. 71. McNaull 14.

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