Five

CHURCH LIFE

St. John’s Lutheran Church is located on Riley Road in Liberty Township. The original church, founded by German immigrants in 1865, sat on the corner of Pine and Riley Roads. Renovations of the building took place after it was moved to its current location in 1941. Many pioneer settlers are buried in the cemetery directly west of the church, which is pictured here in October 2014. (Photograph by and courtesy of Phil Whitmer.)

On January 23, 1966, members of the Walkerton Methodist Church walked from their closed church in a symbolic move and joined the Evangelical United Brethren congregation. This was the start of the newly created church body known from that day forward as the Walkerton United Methodist Church. That Sunday, after the blending of the churches, Rev. David E. Eiler led services. The below image shows the overflowing congregation listening to the choir on that day. It soon became apparent that the congregation needed a new, larger church. Shortly thereafter, the members of the Walkerton United Methodist Church broke ground on Georgia Street at the location where it remains today. (Both, courtesy of Walkerton Area Historical Society.)

The first Catholic mass in Walkerton was performed when a Holy Cross priest from Notre Dame offered it at the log cabin of Kyran Devery in 1856. Fr. Anthony Letko helped bring St. Patrick’s Catholic Church to the area and was the resident priest when this photograph of the church was taken in the mid-1950s. (Courtesy of Walkerton Area Historical Society.)

When it first opened in 1955, St. Patrick’s School consisted of just four classrooms and a kitchen. In June 1956, the Sisters of St. Joseph, shown here in front of the school, helped commemorate the centennial of the first mass in Walkerton. (Courtesy of Walkerton Area Historical Society.)

In 1904, C.S. Benjamin, a Wabash Railroad conductor, moved to North Liberty. Unable to find a church that fit his spiritual needs, he began holding church services in area homes; this became the genesis of the North Liberty Christian Church. In 1917, the congregation built a newer church at the corner of Harrison and Jefferson Streets. That building, which is now a private residence, is at left in this 2014 photograph. (Photograph by and courtesy of Phil Whitmer.)

On August 27, 1972, the ever-growing North Liberty Christian Church broke ground for a new building to be located just south of Osborne Road on State Road 23. The church, shown here in the 1980s, was dedicated on October 28, 1973. It is now known as the North Liberty Church of Christ. (Courtesy of Gil Hughes.)

Feeding hungry parishioners is an important task for any church. Pat Edison (left) and Janet Swihart are pictured undertaking that task at the North Liberty Church of the Brethren in 1960. (Courtesy of Thomas Peterson.)

Sounds of praise from both the choir and the congregation filled the air of the Lakeville United Methodist Church in this 1998 photograph. David Cross was the pastor at the time. (Courtesy of Jeanne Geyer.)

In the fall of 1982, the North Liberty United Methodist Church celebrated its sesquicentennial. On the day of the celebration, parishioners dressed in old-fashioned attire and turned the pulpit area into a pioneer setting. As she did on many Sundays, Betty Peddycord read the children’s story that morning. Dressed to fit the part, she asked her eager audience questions about various pioneer household items. (Photograph by and courtesy of John Wilcox.)

North Liberty United Methodist Church, located at the intersection of Tamarack Road and State Road 23, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in town. Isaac Reamer and his wife donated this majestic stained-glass window to the church in 1911. (Photograph by the author.)

Rev. Gaylord “Salty” Salzgaber served as the minister of the North Liberty United Methodist Church from 1975 until 1988. During his time in North Liberty, Reverend Salzgaber had a tremendous impact on the hearts and souls of the community. He also authored the book Genesis of North Liberty. In this image, the choir watches as he preaches to the congregation during the church’s sesquicentennial in 1982. (Photograph by and courtesy of John Wilcox.)

The second of the two large stained-glass windows at North Liberty United Methodist Church is shown here. This window, depicting Jesus’s early education, is located on the Tamarack Road side of the church and was donated by the Junior League, a youth group affiliated with the church. (Photograph by the author.)

The Walkerton Presbyterian Church held its first meetings in February 1876 at the site of the old Baptist church on Tyler Street. The church was later moved to the corner of Van Buren and Indiana Streets in Walkerton. This 1969 photograph shows the construction of the current church building, located on Georgia Street, which was dedicated on December 7, 1969. (Courtesy of Walkerton Area Historical Society.)

After the Walkerton Presbyterian Church moved into a new building in 1969, the old church was a hollow former shell of itself. It stood vacant at the corner of Van Buren and Indiana Streets for many years before finally being demolished in 2013. (Photograph by and courtesy of Shelly Platz.)