Vol. 36. No. 2 April. 2010

ALMA The History of the Alma United Methodist tion, Albright was religiously awakened in con- Church is actually the history of two churches, the nection with the death of several of his children in Zion Evangelical Church of Herold, Wisconsin 1790. At about that time he was exposed to the and the Salem Evangelical Church of Alma, Wis- messages of several preachers of he United consin. With a strong German-Swiss back- Brethren in Christ, most notably, Anthony Houtz, ground, both of these tiny villages are located in who conducted the funeral for the Albright Chil- Buffalo County, in the hills overlooking the Missis- dren. sippi River. The young farmer and tile-maker, Albright, Ironically, the beginning of these two went through a long period of penitential struggle churches starts at the same place, at exactly the as a result of this awakening. In this protracted same time. However, over time, the two process, his neighbor Adam Riegel, a lay churches follow separate paths only to be re- preacher for the United Brethren, was a constant united again as the Alma United Methodist spiritual friend and director. After an extensive Church. period of repentance and spiritual exercise, Al- Our history, as well as every other pro- bright emerged with his “enlightenment” - an ex- fessing Christian faith, starts over 2,000 years perience of conversion marked by a sense of par- ago with the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Je- don for sin and the onset of new life. s newly found spiritual existence sus birth is the actual beginning of the Christian Albright Church. After his death and resurrection, Jesus convinced him of a need for a community of like- Apostles began spreading his Word everywhere minded Christians. Because of their rigorous and they went. Over many years, Christianity found its resourceful organization, Albright found such a way to Europe and then to the new world. The community offered most satisfactorily among the dominate church of the Christian faith was the English-speaking Methodists. Thus he joined a Catholic Church. However, in the early 1500 s, Methodist Class led by Isaac Davis that had been Martin Luther challenged the Catholic Church and organized near Davis home. With these people, Albright mastered enough English to acquaint was excommunicated for it. Luther began himself with their Book of Discipline. Eventually, preaching a message that stated that salvation he so progressed as a Methodist that he was was a gift of God s grace, attainable only through faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Luther also trans- called on to speak at their meetings. It should not lated the Bible from Greek into German. With be supposed that he actually “preached” in taking these two deeds, Luther reopened the door for a text and delivering a proper sermon, but he may other Protestant Faiths to be created. exercised a religious rhetorical device called ex- From this point on, in order to understand hortation or delivering long, dramatic, highly en- the Alma and Herold Churches and their faith ergized sermons in a lay capacity. For this func- journey, one must become familiar with the names tion, Albright was licensed as an exhorter by the Jacob Albright and George Miller. Jacob Albright Methodist elder. This role as an exhorter often is an important link in the extension of the served as a stepping -stone between status as a Wesleyan revival among the Germans of North full member of the Methodist Church and that of a America. Born May 1, 1759 near Pottstown, traveling preacher. Although he learned enough Pennsylvania, and raised in the Lutheran tradi- English to gain an understanding of Methodist doctrine and polity, we have no reason to sup- 2 pose that Albright could exhort, or did exhort, in tend to raise up German classes and German that language. His speaking appears to have congregations. Eventually it would probably lead been only in German for it was only with difficulty to a German Methodist Church, in effect a sepa- that he followed the English exercises of the rate denomination. Methodists. This turned Albright to becoming an Not unrelated to the first reservation is Evangelical Christian. one more directly related to Albright as a German. As an evangelical Christian, Albright ex- Albright was German-speaking and apparently perienced an ever-increasing concern for his fel- was unable to preach in any other language. As low German-Americans whom he regarded as such he would be unable to move from circuit to outside the influence- much less the experience- circuit in the Methodist pattern, but would be lim- of the Gospel as he now understood it. This bur- ited to his usefulness to such circuits as might den of concern finally brought him to contemplate be made up of German-speaking societies and his own responsibility, and eventually his vocation. preaching places. There is no definite indication In his personal testimony, Albright related the re- of Albright’s encounter with these issues and per- ligious experience in which he was called to haps other reservations of the Methodists regard- preach. Enlightened from within, he received a ing his vocation. One can, however, observe his direct challenge, then a command, to preach the protracted struggle with that vocation, one that Gospel to his fellow Germans. It is at this point would have been resolved with relative ease had that a second period of spiritual struggle began the path to it been open through the Methodist for Albright. In the great tradition of the calling of Church. divine spokesperson we find Albright protesting As things stood, Albright was brought to his incompetence for the task of preaching. But submit his destiny only through extreme spiritual this humility must be seen in light of the fact that and physical agony. Through a period of the most this conviction is as much an evidence of true vo- severe trials, he was brought at last to submis- cation as it is an argument, Such a common- sion. place objection can hardly be regarded as deci- Albright’s pursuit of his vocation as trav- sive in the long run, particularly in view of evi- eling preacher led him through a period of prepa- dence to the contrary. discovered in the process ration marked both by scriptural study and harsh of his function as a successful exhorter. ascetic self discipline/ In this process, we find no This brings us to Albright’s second objec- indication of the role that would likely have been tion to his vocation--the protest that he must go played by a senior colleague in the Methodist out alone with no credentials and no connection. System. Albright apparently carried through this As a Methodist exhorter he had already taken a preparation on his own. When he set out on his major step in the direction of becoming a traveling first preaching tour he set out alone. He obtained preacher in the Methodist connection. Though colleagues in the work only as he managed to he had but little formal education and was only a touch other Germans who were awakened, con- artisan-farmer, this alone would have been no verted and eventually drawn into the work by him. impediment to his being received as a Methodist Albright’s first tour of preaching began in preacher. Why then this objection on Albright’s 1796. His early work was met by a combination of part? Why did he not follow the well-trod path interested acceptance, indifference, and bitter from local exhortation to local preaching and fi- rejection, but by 1800, Albright was organizing his nally to itinerant preaching? This is an issue on first classes. In 1802, his followers had begun to which hangs the rise of the Evangelical Associa- gather in what were called “Big Meetings” which tion as separate ecclesiastical body. lasted for several days, and by 1803, these had The most adequate solution to this riddle led to the holding of the first conference session. is found in the relation of Methodist to ethnicity,at At this conference, Albright was ordained to the least ethnicity that is other than the predominant gospel ministry by his “evangelical friends.” At that one-- in this case,English. Reservations with time there were only five classes, all in Pennsyl- regard to Albright’s vocation to preach to the vania, east of the Susquehanna. At a second con- Germans could be anticipated in two directions, ference in 1806, a strong follower named George both of which would tend to threaten the Method- Miller, was sent to the area west of that river and ist principle of a general itinerancy, First, preach- managed to form ten classes there. ing in German to the German-Americans would 3 The first annual conference was held in ceived and approved by the Conference in 1810 1807, where the decision was made to become a and published by Johann Ritter of Reading, “newly-formed Methodist Conference” commonly Pennsylvania in 1811. known as “Albright’s People”. Albright was Already in 1808, Miller had experienced a elected its first bishop and was further commis- failure in his health, which very soon necessitated sioned to draw up its Book of Discipline. It ap- his withdrawal from the traveling ministry. This pears clear that Albright was uncertain that a new disability was a major contributing factor in his German denomination was to be formed, but this fruitful literary career. In 1815, he undertook the was in fact what had taken place. Yet Albright writing of his autobiography, which remained un- was not to be its leader, or the writer of its Disci- published until 1834. In 1812, he had been com- pline. His health had begun to fail, and he was missioned to revise the Discipline, but this revi- afflicted by consumption complicated by the sion was not yet finished at the time of his death. overwork of constant travel and preaching. In the That work was completed by John Dreisbach and spring of 1808, he was on his way home to die Henry Niebel before the General Conference of when he became to ill to travel any further. Al- 1816. George Miller died on April 5, 1816,of tu- bright spent his last days in a room provided for berculosis, when he was only 42 years of age. traveling preachers at the home of George Becker In 1808. at the time of Albright’s death, his in Kleinfeltersville, Pennsylvania. There he died followers were few and generally despised. In on May 18, 1808. Miller’s words ”Our enemies greatly rejoiced that At the time of his death, the Albright’s they were rid of the man...for they disliked him so People numbered about 300, all found in Penn- much.” The 300 or so Albright’s People would sylvania Dutch country of eastern Pennsylvania. soon be doomed to oblivion. It was proclaimed of His work was begun and had received its first this little group that “they are defeated now; Al- stamp by its founder, but it was far from definite bright is dead, and they are at an end!” “How- what it was to become. Its future was left to a ever,” countered Miller,”They greatly erred, for great degree in the hands of George Miller, to although Albright was dead, yet God, who was the whom it fell to write the Book of Discipline and to author of the good work, still lived, an ordered the confirm the foundation of the Albright People by a work as His, knowing how to carry it on and how representation of the life of its founder, Jacob Al- to extend it.” bright. Two years later, the Albright’s People had George Miller was trained in his Lutheran by no means disappeared. Still embattled, these family as both a millwright and a miller and was people were in danger of losing touch with their successful in his business dealings. In 1798, he founder and forgetting the sense of their name. resolved to stop building mills and to seek God. The oral tradition about Albright, his life and minis- Having embarked on this spiritual pilgrimage, try, still lived among his followers,but it was rapidly Miller met Albright and was awakened by his fading. It remained for the most literary among his preaching. It was not until 1802 that Miller once immediate disciples to document that tradition. more encouraged Albright and under his influence Thus in 1810, we find George Miller was experienced a gracious conversion. In 1803, Al- determined that the people should not forget their bright formed a class in Miller’s neighborhood and spiritual benefactor and that they should not for- Miller became its leader. get who they were as “Albright’s People.” Thus In 1805, George Miller became an itiner- he wrote a book about Albright entitled “The Life.” ant preacher under Albright and his colleague The Life was addressed in particular to ”the fruits John Walter. Miller traveled both with Albright and of Albright’s work.” More broadly the Life was by himself. In the two years that followed, Miller addressed to “every lover of truth.” had a busy and fruitful ministry, and in 1807 at the The Life seems to have had a twofold first Annual Conference, he was ordained an purpose. The first and most important was to spiri- elder. tually edify the reader. It was intended to be de- After Albright’s death, the work of com- votional literature. This is nowhere made as clear piling a Discipline fell to MIller. In December of as it is by the inclusion of an exhortation at the 1808 he began this, his first literary effort, and it end. Its second and also its secondary purpose was completed and published by the Conference was apologetic. It was intended to encourage the of 1809. His short biography of Albright was re- Albright’s People and to refute their detractors. 4 At the outset Miller renounced any intention to two week camp meeting was held. Families “construct a connected account” of Albright’s early would gather at these camps. which usually were life. He rather proposed “The task of briefly im- in some nice spot in a wooded area, bringing parting to the public the story concerning the tents and provisions for a two week stay. heart and the ministerial service of Jacob Albright. The camp grounds took on the appear- He proposed ” to provide a pleasurable exercise ance of a hollow square in an open spot in the to all those who with him were witnesses to the woods with tents all around it. A pulpit was built exemplary piety and tirelessness with which Al- with a roof over it. This is where the pastors sat bright dedicated his life. and it was also where they delivered their mes- The Life was widely read among German sages from in front of the pulpit. Logs were laid speaking people and its ideals were carried with lengthwise about 8 feet apart with planks set on these people as they migrated westward in the top of them to provide seating. form of the Evangelical Movement. One of the Also in 1855. three Evangelical Swiss places these German speaking people migrated families came to this area. They had traveled by to was Galena, Illinois where a prosperous Evan- ox-cart from Sauk County to settle in the Wau- gelical organization was established. mandee Valley. They were the Von Wald, Kind- In January of 1844, the Reverend J. G. schy, and Paul families. They joined the Runkel Miller and Bishop J. Seybert traveled from Ga- family who had arrived in the Valley in 1854 fol- lena by horse and buggy to Sauk County, Wis- lowed by the Helwig family in 1856. Ironically, Mr. consin. There they conducted a Sunday morning Von Wald’s brother was an Evangelical Pastor service in the school of Sauk City on July 28th named the Reverend Len Von Wald. He paid a with Bishop Seybert preaching. On Monday visit to his brother in the summer of 1856. During night, July 29th, a service was conducted in the his stay, the Reverend Von Wald preached farm home of B. Ragatz, where the first Evangeli- through out Buffalo County, strengthening the cal class in Wisconsin was formed. This was lo- presence of the church in the area. cated near Honey creek, in Sauk County. By 1857, the numbers of faithful in Buffalo In 1845, the Illinois ‘Conference formed County had grown to such a size that the church the Winnebago Mission which included all of Wis- governing body established the Buffalo County consin, Northern illinois,, and Iowa. During this Mission. In 1859, the Buffalo Mission was given time the Rev. J. G. Miller began preaching in Jef- its first resident pastor. Hi name was the Rever- ferson, Dane and Fond du Lac counties as well as end Lewis Seder and he preached in the Western cities along Lake Michigan. The Reverend Miller part of Buffalo County. was also the Evangelical Missionary in Western Several years passed and a number of Wisconsin. pastors were given one year appointments to the By 1845, the Sauk Circuit had been area. Having resident pastors drew more people formed and encompassed Southwestern Wiscon- to the church and in 1866, the Alma Mission was sin. From this point in time the Evangelical established and was made up of Alma, Alma Bluff Church, or the Evangeliche Gemeindschaft, as it (Herold), Beef Slough, Beef River, and Mondovi. was known. began spreading up the east side of And it is at this point we se the Alma Church and the Mississippi River. the Herold Church begin construction of their By 1855. the Evangelical Movement had own churches and become somewhat independ- reached LaCrosse and the LaCrosse Mission was ent. established. Preachers from the mission spread Om A;ma.services were held in member's out into other parts of the area including North homes or wherever a place could be found to Prairie, Fountain City, Buffalo City, Alma, Alma hold services. The Congregation was formally Bluff (Herold), Beef River, Gilmanton, Eagle Val- incorporated in June 1869 with the Reverend P. ley, (then known as Creek Tahl). Hensel Valley Speich acting a both pastor and president. Her- (Cortland), Arcadia. Independence, Wauamndee, man Bauman, Gottlieb Kurtz, John Marty, William Little Waumandee (Lincoln), Scotch Prairie, Mon- Herold and Fredeick Kaste served as the govern- tana and Mondovi. ing board. In July 1869. Gottlieb Iberg donated Preaching was usually done in farm a building site and A. J. Auer was hired to erect a homes or in school houses. Each summer, mostly frame church, the first church in ALma. The in the month of June, after corn planting time, a church was known as the Salem Evangelical 5 Church and is the same building that is used to- ist Church joined with the Pepin United Methodist day. A parsonage was also built for the resident Church to create the Pepin/Alma charge, served pastor who also served the Herold, Glimanton by the same pastor who resided in the Pepin Par- and Cochrane churches. sonage. The Alma Parsonage was rented out until Life in the Alma Church went on. On Feb- 1979 when it was sold. The Alma Parsonage was ruary 10, 1920, a Ladies Aid Society was organ- eventually torn down and the ALma Congregation ized. On April 5, 1922, the Ladies Aid became a repurchased the lot which is adjacent to the member of the Mission Aid society, allowing them church. to be connected with the mission work at home as The combined Alma/Herold church mem- well as in foreign countries. In 1944, extensive bers have always been very mission minded. Al- remodeling was done to the Alma Church and ice Johnson was an inspiring lifelong member new furniture was installed. In September, 1958, who served as a missionary for several years at the congregation celebrated its centennial year Red Bird Mission in Kentucky. The congregation and a new Hammond Organ was installed . The has been a Global Partner Church for ten years. church basement was also completely remodeled. Previous to the two churches combining they had Life in the Herold Church was similar to shared mission partners including Richard an that of Alma. On October 15, 1866, a business Caring Schwenk who worked in the Philippines. meeting of the Herold Church was called to draw For many year, Delores Herold faithfully corre- up plans to build a church. The building commit- sponded with them and she arranged several vis- tee purchased 1 1/2 acres of land for the price of its to Alma where they shared their experiences. $20.00. The present mission partners are Dan and Rachel On August 1, 1867, the first church build- Gabler who re now in South Africa. They too ing was completed, at a cost of $1,400.00. In that have visited the congregation and shared their same year, the Sunday school was organized with mission stories. G. Kurz as the first superintendent. However, the Kate and Harry Buck, Martha and Frank congregation soon outgrew the usefulness of the Kuhlman and Grant Seitz have participated in the first building and a second one was constructed in Volunteers In Mission (VIM) programs at a num- 1892 on the same location. The new building was ber of locations around te world. The VIM groups 38 x 50 feet, $2278.58 was spent on materials travel in the United States as well as overseas and the labor was largely donated. The building working to help build new churches and repairing was dedicated on October 30, 1892 by Bishop churches and homes, especially in disaster areas. Horn. Years continued to pass and the mem- Volunteers pay their own expenses and usually bership in the Evangelical and United Brethren spend two weeks on a project. Grant has gone faiths began to dwindle. Being of similar beliefs on ten overseas mission trips with thirteen differ- and customs, the General Conferences of the two ent groups. He has worked in seventeen states, faith groups joined together in forming the Evan- He has been to Biloxi, Mississippi three times fol- gelical United Brethren Church in 1946. The Her- lowing Hurricane Katrina. The longest was to old Church adopted the name of Zion and The Alabama where he worked with groups from Wis- Alma Church became Salem. consin and Pennsylvania for six weeks. In addi- Church membership continued to drop tion to other work he has helped cook for many and in 1968, The Cochrane Church closed and groups who always enjoyed his special meat loaf. part of their membership began attending the Members have been contributing to Heifer Alma Church. After 110 years of service, the International the past few years giving three heif- same was experienced by the Herold church ers and flocks of chickens, ducks and goslings. was well. They, too, joined the Alma Congrega- The congregation is very supportive of UMCOR tion. Situations similar to this were occurring all and other church mission works. They also sup- over the country, With this in mind, the Evangeli- port and volunteer for the Buffalo County Food cal United Brethren Church and the Methodist Bank, the Senior Citizen Meal Site, the Alma area Church merged in 1968, forming the United Schools and several local organizations Methodist Church and thus, the Alma United and clubs. Methodist Church. As in the past,church members work well 1968 also brought another significant together to maintain and keep the church func- change. The newly formed Alma United Method tioning. One member, organist Ruth Breitung, 6 has played for over 70 years. The church is also as payment for wood, fixing up the basement, fortunate in having members who are lay speak- purchasing new stoves, fixing the parsonage, ers. Irene Turner was a lay speaker for many purchasing a new piano plus many gifts to charity years. Carol Craig continues doing lay speaking and missions. And whoever the pastor happened in both our River Valley Charge and other Circuit to be, his wife worked side by side with Aid mem- 8 churches. A new member of the Alma Con- bers. gregation, Mary Beth Scow is a candidate for During World war II, the Ladies Aid did Methodist Ministry and is also an able speaker much for those people serving in t he Armed and conducts services occasionally. Forces. These activities included sending pack- On July 1st, 2007 yet another important ages overseas and providing money for mis- change took place. The Arkansaw United Method- sions.. After the war a German family was ist Church joined with Pepin and Alma to create adopted by the ladies Aid. The ladies provided River Valley United Methodist Charge. This new clothing and money for missions. These activities three point charge has prospered greatly from this continued until 1857 when they started tackling union and has faithfully served their communities a new problem. for a combined total of 461 years. In 1957 and 1958 the Ladies Aid assisted The history of the Alma United Methodist the church in remodeling the basement of the church would not be complete without mention building,. They were entirely responsible for of the various women’s organization that have planning and furnishing the new kitchen. Addi- existed within the church. tionally they donated a total of $390.96 for mis- The Women’s group story begins on Feb- sionary work while also sponsoring the Boy’s and ruary 10, 1920. when group of women gathered at Girl’s fellowship groups as well as the youth the parsonage to form a Ladies Aid organization. fellowship group. Ironically, Pastor Emmanuel G. Glkaeser was ap- After the November rmerger of the Evan- pointed Chair of the group until the permanent gelical Church and the United Brethren in Christ- officers were elected. At the meeting $1.75 was Church, the women’s missionary society was collected and the next meeting date of March 3, changed to the Women’s Society of World Serv- was selected. ices. In June of 1958, The Women’s Societies of The first official meeting took place on the Herold and Alma churches were combined., March 3, at the parsonage due to poor road making it possible to further their efforts to bring conditions., The first order of business was the the Word of God to more people and to enrich election of officers. Mrs. Annie Glaeser was their faith. Upon merging with the Methodist elected President. There were thirteen charter Church in 1968, the group was known as the members Mrs. Mary Walter,who had passed Women’s Society of Christian Service. Later this away shortly before the Ladies Aid organized was changed to the present name of United was given an honorary membership. Of these Methodist Women. original members, Alice Johnson became a The Alma Women’s group has also teacher at Red Bird Mission. In many ways, this played a vital role in the World Day of Prayer. In set the stage for the Lady’s history of global mis- 1956, the sponsored the First World Day of sion work. Prayer service to be held in Alma. From 1968 to This global mission work received a big 1971, the World Day of Prayer alternated be- boost on April 5, 1922. Acting on the suggestion tween the United Church of Christ and this church of the Rev. G. Kunz, the Ladies Aid became a Then in 1972, The Alma Lutheran Women as- member of the Mission Aid Society and since that sisted in the World Day of Prayer Service. In time has been connected with mission work 1980, the Catholic Women hosted the Service at throughout the world. St. Lawrence Catholic Church. Today services During the first years of the Ladies aid alternate between five different churches consist- Association with the Mission Aid Society, the ing of four different denominations. treasury was built up from literally nothing to the Today the UNited Methodist Women of point where the were able to assist the congrega- Alma are still a significant part of the church. tion in many ways. Numerous Bazaars were They have an outstanding record of supporting held and comforters and quilts were made with the World Day of Prayer. This incredible group of the money going to offset church expenses such women has participated in the ecumenical 7 Christmas tea for many years in cooperation with south, a church was constructed in 1894, and the three other Alma churches. They are also served for fifty years as our house of worship. It proud of making their financial pledge to the Dis- was destroyed by fire in January, 1944. The Rev. trict UMW and being a five star Unit for many S. B. Lewis was the minister in charge and imme- years, In recent years members of the unit have diately started a campaign for a new building. been both district and Conference officers. In 1918. the Spring Lake church was The women also support local needs added to the Wautoma charge. The Raymond such as the Food Pantry. At present the women congregation was already a part of our circuit for the women volunteer to sort and count milk caps several years. In 1952, the Raymond Congegra- and Campbell soup labels as a fund raising effort tion was removed from our circuit. The official for the Alma school district. The women work to- closing day of the Spring Lake Congregation was gether to provide food for funeral meals and other December 31, 1994. January 8, 1995 was their events. They also plan a summer picnic and a last service. December Hanging of the Greens enjoyed by all World War II was just ending in the church members. Hat’s off to the Ladies to the summer of 1945 but the shortage of materials, Alma United Methodist Church. labor, etc. held up construction, Through the So in this, the 150th year of service to kindness of the Norwegian Lutheran Church (now God and the Community of Alma, it is only fitting known as Hope Lutheran Church) we were able to say to the members of the Alma United Meth- to conduct services in their building, then on East odist Church, past, present and future, job well Main Street. done. Mr. Marvin Weeks, chairman of the build- This history was written by Irene Turner ing committee, and other men removed the old and Bruce Gardow. walls and built the new footings, but it was not until the summer of 1947, that services could be held in the basement only, In 1951, the church WAUTOMA building was completed and formally dedicated by Bishop H. Clifford Northcott. The total cost of this In 1859, The Methodist Episcopal Church building was approximately $70.000.00. and the Congregational Church were each seek- The Evangelical Church was started in ing to form followers of Jesus in the Wautoma Waushara County on August 18.1875 in the Vil- area. lage of Dakota by Gustav (Joe) Zinke. Alfred The Rev. M. D. Warren was sent here as Mueller and William Daye, who lived in that vicin- a circuit rider preacher to Wautoma in 1859 and ity. In 1903, an Evangelical church building was during this time, a lot was purchased on Oxford built about four miles south of Wautoma, near the Street, near Main Street. Although the Civil War present airport, also in the Township of Dakota. It was at its height, a church building was erected served them in that location for 35 years, then it by the Methodists on this site in 1863. This build- was moved to Wautoma on West Elm Street. ing served until 1893 as our place of worship, There it was enlarged and remodeled. In the when it was sold and moved away. meantime, the Village of Dakota Church closed It was decided to build a new church on services there and moved to Wautoma. The the same place, which would be larger and more building was sold to another denomination. A modern. This new building was dedicated in Feb- Deerfield church of the Evangelicals was torn ruary, 1895, with the Rev. F. G. Parish as pastor. down and some materials were used in the re- The total cost was $6,000.00. It was believed to building of the Wautoma Evangelical Church. be equal to any in northern Wisconsin. The win- Pastors of the Wautoma =Spring Lake dows were nearly all stained memorials and the Methodist Circuit included, Kenneth Engleman in bell was donated by lawyer Levi Soule. 1954-58, Guy Holiday, 1954-61 and Barry Shaw A House was purchased in 1902 on the in 1961. Pastor Shaw also served the Raymond southeast corner of Main and Oxford Streets at Congregation until it closed. Ministries from this the cost of $1,500.00. It was near the church time included that the Wautoma Methodist Church building. This two story house was moved away held special joint services and youth events with and is no longer owned by us. On the next lot the Wautoma Evangelical United Brethren Con- gregation. There was strong youth ministry for 8 junior high and senior high youth. One of the part of the celebration of the first church service in youth fund raisers was getting 17 youth into a the new building. The cost of the new building Volkswagen Beetle. There was also a cross cul- was $451,443.00. tural exchange of youth between Wautoma and Virgil Holmes became pastor in 1986. A an inner city Chicago youth group. A young cou- bell choir was started while he was here. He bap- ples ministry was also started during this time tized his first set of twins. He promoted Camp called “Methodist Merry Mates.” Pastor Shaw Budsin. During his time of ministry, Grace UMC also helped with the local Boy Scout troop. It was continued with a strong mission emphasis and during this time that downtown stores in Wautoma music ministry. He also presided over the burning started to open on Sunday. Pastor Shaw moved in of the church mortgage complete with a hot air 1964. balloon on site to celebrate. Pastor Holmes re- Over the years there have been three tired from Grace UMC after 42 years of ministry. EUB church building locations: Dakota, Deerfield, Graham West became pastor in 1992. He and Wautoma. There were three Methodist was only here few weeks when Wautoma had a church buildings located on South Oxford Street, tornado and there was damage to the church and the present building at Southgate Terrace building. Fortunately, the windows that had been In 1967, the Wautoma Methodist brought over from the church building on South Church and the Grace Evangelical United Breth- Oxford Street were only slightly damaged. Dur- ren merged in Wautoma under the new name of ing his time, the “Quiet Waters” ministry to care Grace United Methodist Church. facilities was started. The first youth director was Norman Silvester was appointed the first hired. The youth program and other various minis- pastor to served the new congregation and tries were strengthened during this time as the served from 1968 to 1973. During his time, the congregation grew. A new parsonage was pur- congregation had three church buildings and chased. Grace Roots was started during this time. three houses at its disposal for ministry. One of Doris Hanson became pastor in 1997. the houses was used for Sunday school to ac- She brought drama to the pulpit through various commodate the size of the new merged classes. skit performances and extended the church’s The former EUB Building upstairs became a presence with the “Burden Bear.” A stuffed bear gathering place for ministry with mentally chal- would be passed around during worship to re- lenged adults. The basement was used for a ceive hugs and then taken to those in need with a community nursery center in the mornings. In the special note. Also during this time, a tape ministry afternoons it provided class space for special for shut-ins was started. Discussion began on needs children. This was an outreach ministry in offering a contemporary service in addition to the community and done in conjunction with the traditional worship. Employee policy manuals Waushara County Social Services Department. A were also created and staff job descriptions were major focus of Pastor Silvester was helping the written and up dated. The newsletter was redes- two former congregation to become one new igned to increase its communication effective- congregation. Pastor Silvester also did an ex- ness, much of which is still in use today. change with Siegfried Eisenmann in Germany for Dale Hanaman came in 2000. During his six weeks in the summer of 1972. He liked to time a puppet ministry was started. The congrega- play guitar in worship services. He composed li- tion’s mission ministry was strengthened, includ- turgical music that was published and recorded ing an increased participation in ”Habitat for Hu- nationally. manity.” Pastor Dale also went twice to help build About 1979, it was decided that the build- in Mississippi to repair damage from Hurricane ing consecrated in 1951 was no longer suited for Katrina. He offered a clown ministry and helped our growing congregation and the location was the contemporary service to begin. not the best for expansion of the building. Also, George J. Kafer was appointed in 2007. parking was becoming a problem,. After 100 He is very energetic and is helping the congrega- years at this location with our church building, a tion continue strong ministries such as missions, new building was built south of Wautoma on while working to revitalize other areas of ministry , Southgate Terrace. In 1981,the Rev. Robert Hays including a revitalization of the youth group minis- and the congregation walked from the old church try. A current area being revamped is Christian to the new building , carrying a large cross as a education, In the fall of 2009, we will offer youth 9 and adult classes on Wednesday nights instead of THE BAY VIEW INCIDENT ON Sunday mornings as a way to try and increase SEPTEMBER 9, 1917 participation. During this time the congregation FBI documents and other sources reveal how has been reflecting on its identity. begun a four Ella was linked - directly and indirectly - to these years ministry plan, increased stewardship, is communities. She was even connected with the getting more involved with the community , and is wave of grizzly assassinations and bombings that making shifts to increase our outreach and effec- swept through the land from 1901 - 1920...... tiveness at our mission of loving God, loving and And yet, just as people’s destinies ar of- serving others and forming followers of Jesus ten changed forever on the whims of others, it’s Christ. entirely possible that Ella and the Bay View anar- The celebration of 150 years of the con- chists would have led quiet lives and gone on gregation was held on September 27, 2009. In unoticed if the Reverend Augusto Giuliani hadn’t addition to a number of musical presentations, the decided to hold a series of open air “loyalty” ral- scripture found in Psalm 23 was read from a 140 lies in the Bay View soon after the United States year old Bible,. Seven former pastors were pre- entered the European War in 1917. Giuliani was sent for the service. The Rev. Steve Polster, As- the pastor of the Italian Evangelical Church in sistant to Bishop Lee, preached the morning ser- downtown Milwaukee. A former Catholic priest mon. The service was followed by a festive din- and a recent immigrant, Giuliani had guided the ner. church and its nearby mission with his wife, Kath- Material supplied by Phyllis Grebe,Church erine Eyerick, until she died in 1916. Giuliani Historian. wasn’t a stranger among the several thousand A THREATENED Italian and Sicilian immigrants in the city’s Third Ward just a short walk from his church. But he PASTOR must have been somewhat skittish about ventur- The Winter 2009-2010 issue of Wiscon- ing into new Bay View territory. He surely knew sin Magazine of History, a publication of the Wis- that the anarchist club was just a block away consin Historical Society, has an interesting article from the spot where he planned to gather. He about the Anarchist Scare in Milwaukee in 1918. would have been aware of the other neighbor- Included in this material is the description of the hood residents who were not anarchists who also threats made to Augusto Guiliani, the founder of dropped by the club to play cards and music or the Italian Evangelical work in Milwaukee. The listen to radical speakers and who might be editor has consented to the reproduction of some nearby when he arrived to speak. What he of the article for Flashbacks. probably didn’t know was that the Bay View’s an- archists apparently had ties to anarchists in Chi- The Italians anarchists were a part of the cago, who in turn were connected to Valdinoci first Italian radicals that began trickling into the and other intimates of Sacco and Vanzetti. country in the 1880s. In Milwaukee there was a On two consecutive Sundays in late small group of anarchists living in Bay View as August and early September of 1917, Giuliani early as 1880. A more sizable group settled in brought a small group of musicians and other fol- the Third Ward after 1892. lowers to the corner of Bishop and Potter Ave- Anarchist groups flourished as Italian nues. His goals for his visits were ambitious. He immigration to the United States surged from hope to attract other Italian converts to Protes- 1900 until the government crackdowns and de- tantism, and to spark support for America’s recent portation of radicals during the World War I era. entry into the European Wars. He also planned One of the most widely known anarchists to urge Italians to comply with the new Military was a woman named Gabriella Antolini who was Conscription Act, which required men between usually known just as Ella. She had been arrested the ages of twenty-one and thirty to register with when she was carrying thirty-six sticks of dyna- their local draft boards even it they weren’t U. S. mite while traveling by train to Chicago. citizens. On both Sunday afternoon visits to Bay View, Giuliani’s aide, organist Maude Richter, ac- companied by two cornetists, began the rallies with religious and patriotic tunes. The music 10 pierced the quiet afternoons and drew gatherings to the building and showed it to her mother. Guili- of from fifty to one hundred persons to see Guili- ani was out of town and his aide, Maude Richter, ani’s group. Catcalls and threats leaped from the was busy elsewhere. Richter didn’t notify police crowd soon after the pastor began to speak. about the bomb until mid=afternoon. When the Catholics at the rally were livid that this former authorities hadn’t arrived by early evening, Rich- priest now renounced their religion. One later ter sent an eighteen=year-old boy to police head- claimed that Giuliani had called the pope “a pig.” quarters with the twenty-pound bomb. The boy And the anarchists were incensed when Giuliani delivered his package and left. Minutes later the urged them to support the government, which bomb exploded, killing nine policemen and a they believed caused much of their misery. woman who had come into the building to file a Many anarchists raised their fists as they complaint. Police rounded up and questioned screamed epithets. Giuliani later claimed that dozens of Italians, but no one was charged and during his second visit, some one in the crowd the case was never solved. In December, the called him a “coward a man paid by the govern- eleven defendants were convicted and sentenced ment,” and said “we do not want to listen about to twenty-five years in state prison. The famous the war because we have our own brothers in the Chicago Attorney . Clarence Darrow, successfully war in Italy, we will smash your face, we will de- appealed their case to the Wisconsin Supreme stroy you, and will throw you in the lake if you Court and all of the defendants were eventually come again.” released and deported. Such threats didn’t deter Giuliani from making a third Sunday visit to the same street Editor’s note:A detailed account of the life and corner with fifteen followers on September 9. This work of Augusto Giuliani can be found in the his- time police were there to protect him. As the tory of the Italian Evangelical Church work in group stepped off a streetcar just after three Wisconsin can be found in the book “I MUst, I o’clock, fifteen to twenty Italians were in the anar- Must, I Must,” written by UNited Methodist Pastor, chists club rooms listening to a talk by John Anthony Farina. Pastor Farina has a detailed ac- LaDuca, the executive secretary of the Federazi- count of the above incident of the bombing in Bay one Socialista Italiana, a syndicalist organization View. His book is available from the Wisconsin affiliated with the Socialist Party of America. Oth- Conference Archives headquarters. ers chatted on porch stoops or strolled by the lake. News of Giuliani’s arrival sizzled through ...... the neighborhood. A crowd quickly pressed to- A reminder: Printed copies of Flashbacks will be ward the minister. Just as police began frisking a sent only to those who have subscribed. But this few of the men for weapons, someone fired a re- issue and the previous issue can be found on the volver, and in seconds police shot and killed two Wisconsin Conference web page. men. Two detectives and several bystanders were wounded. Police arrested eleven Italians I am interested in church histories, biographies from the crowd and charged them with conspiring and other articles of interest. We are also working to murder Giuliani and the police. Police also on a history of missionaries from Wisconsin. If confiscated literature and other items from the someone in your family or your congregation anarchist club and from the houses where some served on the mission field, Please send me in- of the anarchists lived...... formation and details. Lois C. Olsen, editor Where would anarchists strike next? Were anarchists who ostensibly led quiet lives in neighborhoods like Bay View secret;y plotting fresh attacks throughout the land? In fact, anar- chists hatched at least three bomb plots to avenge the arrest of their Milwaukee Comrades. They first surfaced on November 24, three days before the trial of the eleven defendants was to begin. Late that morning, the daughter of a clean- ing woman at Giuliani’s church found a bomb next