________________________
________________________
37
GRAND COULEE COMMUNITY METHODIST CHURCH
In 1933 Reverend Roy Murray came twice a week to hold Church Services in the schoolhouse. His congregation agreed to work for an interdenominational church. A request was sent to Washington Council of Churches saying, "We are in need of a spiritual program, a lot is held for church building when the money comes in."
Excerpt from Council Committee files:
The Council of Churches called a special meeting and a committee of three was appointed to look into the Grand Coulee Project: Chairman Rev. Rice, Finance Dr. King and Dr. Gertrude Apel. The latter was to communicate with the fourteen denominations affiliated with Council work asking for backing and authority. Seven denominations responded to the appeal: Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, Disciples, United Presbyterian and Evangelical Reformed.Construction started November 1934 and the building dedicated October, 1935. From 1937-1940 it was an active Community Center. By a showing of hands at a church service, twenty-three religious faiths were represented. There were five circles with over a hundred women helping the work. A mixed choir did community singing. A trained youth guide, Miss Grace Kendrick led the young people's group.
On October 20 and 21, 1945, a ten year anniversary program was held. Ministers who had served, old friends and a good representation from the Council of Churches came.
Pastors who have served are the Reverend Roy Murray, Morgan Gallaher, Eugene Wood, Laurence Granger, Dennis Savage, Vernon Brooks, David Stell, T. Askew Crumley. Present minister Reverend Robert Pruitt.
In 1957 Church members voted to change from an interdenominational Church to Methodist. Negotiations were approved by State Council in June. Reverend William Callahan, Methodist Superintendent of Columbia Basin, transferred seventy persons from the existing membership roll. His remark was, "This is the first time i have ever witnessed an entire church becoming Methodist all in one day. It is something one may never see again."
Mrs. Robert Woods
________________________
38
SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
First meeting was held in a rented hall in 1939, the location unknown. The minister was Elder Cole.
A church was built in 1939 where the Grand Coulee High School is located. Later moved to the hillside near the Spokane Highway coming from Almira. it was moved in September 1953 and a basement was put under the building at the present location Young and Continental Streets. The front entrance was added at this time. The first minister at this location was Elder Nathan Merkel, who is at present President of the Bolivian of S. D. A. at La Paz. The church now has eighteen members.
Elder H. E. Dawes
ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH
of Electric City, Washington
The first meetings were held in the present building which was smaller and completely unfinished. Gradually a basement, new Sunday School rooms and nursery were added.
The church was started about 1936, by an elderly man whom we call "Daddy Carlson". The congregation then was much bigger, now we have about 40 or 50 regular attendants. There have been about seven different pastors, the present one Reverend Wheeler.
Mrs. Wheeler
CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE -- STAR, 1947
The Nazarene church was formerly the Layman Church. It was purchased in 1940. The first pastor was Arthur Gillian. His nephew came and stayed for a year. Present pastor is Reverend Ben Alec.
CATHOLIC CHURCHES -- STAR, 1947
The Catholic churches of the community, St. Henry's in Grand Coulee and St. Benedict's in Coulee Dam, are the story of the Reverend A. Farrelly. Father Farrelly came here in early 1934 to organize the parish. He was then pastor at Wilbur and soon after beginning his work with this area, he was given an assistant pastor so that he could devote his full time to the Grand Coulee community. He said the first Mass in the new parish on March 18, 1934, in the school house in what was then known as the Elmore-Fleishman town site. Fifty members were present on that occasion.
________________________
39
Father Farrelly speaks of the humorous aspects of that time, telling how sometimes the key to the building could not be located and some husky parishioner would be called upon to break into the building so that services could be held at the appointed time.
Later services were held in the first American Legion Hall in Grand Coulee until St. Henry's church was completed early in 1936.
The first Mass was held in Coulee Dam on March 3, 1935, with Father Farrelly crossing the river by ferry. The mass was said in the Mason City theatre. In April of 1935 St. Benedict's Church was ready for use.
Reverend John M. Schindler contributed the following:
The Diocese was divided into Yakima and Spokane thus dividing the Parish. About September 1955 Father Dugan was appointed Administrator of St. Henry's Parish, also the Hartline and Coulee City Missions. He held Divine Service in the Carpenters Hall.
Father Schindler was appointed pastor August 23, 1956, and with the help of volunteers remodeled the present building to be used for a church. There are about 300 people in the whole parish.
Father Farrelly was transferred to Colville and his church at Coulee Dam is taken care of by Reverend Cornelius Verdoorn of Wilbur.
LEAHY MISSION CHURCH
The history of the Grand Coulee area would not be complete without a story about the little Catholic Mission Church at Leahy.
The Mission, like the town, takes its name from the four Leahy brothers, James, Dan, Dennis, and Mike. The first three traveled from California, through the lower coulee country and settled on Foster Creek in 1879. The place became Leahy. In 1883 the fourth brother, Mike, from Quebec, came via Spokane through the Grand Coulee and joined them.
Before the little chapel was built, the Catholic people of the surrounding country held services in the home of James Leahy, coming by team and buggy, over rough and narrow, dusty roads. In April, 1906, Father Deichmann called a meeting of the Catholic women of Leahy Church to organize an Altar Society to start work of raising funds for a chapel. Thirty-four members belonged to this organization.
Early in 1907, Father Deichmann suggested that a church building fund be started. He made the first contribution. In March, a committee was appointed to arrange for the purchase and hauling of the material for the building. On the committee were Mr. W. O. Pringle,
________________________
40
Mr. M. R. Leahy, and Mr. Frank Potter. Mr. Rank Struntz and Mr. Tony Blessing were appointed to draw up plans, and the men of the parish volunteered the labor. The children contributed to the altar chimes.
Services were held in the building during its completion. The first High Mass was held in the completed building March 22, 1908.
Mrs. M. R. Leahy was organist for the choir. She is the only surviving member of the four Leahy brothers and wives. She now makes her home at St. Vincent's Home in Seattle.
Mrs. Horace Bozarth
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The first services were held in the Coulee Dam Community Church with Chaplain Kelly as minister. In succession they held services in the Legion Hall above the Co-op Store, then in the Community Building at Coulee Dam. Next in the Carpenters' Hall at Grand Coulee until Mrs. Winifred Bottorf offered the use of one of her buildings in Electric City, where we are now holding services. A new edifice is being built on Grand Coulee Avenue.
Others serving as our ministers have been Chaplain Parmer, Archdeacon Rowland Hills and the present minister Reverend Keith Dean. The served under the Spokane District Bishops, Cross and Hubbard.
We have about 37 members at present.
Mrs. Doris Angell
HISTORY AND GROWTH OF ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH
Grand Coulee, Washington
The first meetings of Zion Lutheran Church were held at the home of Mr. And Mrs. William Jensen, Grand Coulee; at the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Meyer; and, in the Inger Hartung's home, all located in Grand Coulee at that time. Pastor Georg was the organizer and served as Pastor.
Zion Lutheran was organized on October 4, 1937. The first Resident Pastor was the Reverend Hugo V. Gurney and he served from 1935 to 1939. Services during his time were held in the grade school house between C and D Streets in Old Grand Coulee and in Coulee Center. Then the first church building was dedicated on August 30, 1936.
________________________
41
The first congregation consisted of 30 baptized members. The communicant membership was 14. The present building was remodeled in 1950. The following pastors served Zion Congregation - Elmer F. Muhly, Roland A Kock, J. Einar Bach, Marcus L. Trosin, Theodore Siek, Herbert Shiefelbein, and John D. Frese.
In the fall of 1949 a Mission was started in Coulee Dam and continued to January 1, 1951. The Congregation in January 1958 numbers fifty communicants and out members, and 93 baptized members. Forty-six children are enrolled in Sunday School.
Zion Lutheran of Grand Coulee is a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Reverend John D. Frese
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SOCIETY, COULEE DAM
The first Christian Science Church service held in this area was in November, 1934 in the home of Mrs. Vernilia Baker in Grand Coulee.
In May, 1935 arrangements were made with the Bureau of Reclamation to rent the auditorium of the Columbia School, Coulee Dam, to take care of the growing congregation. This same month the Christian Science Society of Coulee Dam was officially organized, becoming a branch of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts.
For a number of years, the church group tried to find suitable quarters outside of the school house in which to hold services, but none could be found. In the fall of 1954 an approach was made to the government which resulted in a lease being granted on one of the demountable houses in the hilltop area of Coulee Dam. This building, at the corner of Central Drive and Civic Way, has been completely remodeled, a new entrance made, a steeple added, and the grounds landscaped. The property will be bought when the Town of Coulee Dam is sold.
Among those who regularly attend services are several families from Wilbur and downriver to Nespelem, since there is no church in these localities. Since moving into the present church building, church attendance has been on the increase.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES - GRAND COULEE
Before 1940 itinerate ministers passed through the Grand Coulee area preaching and making contacts with any of the earlier residents who were seeking instruction in Bible study.
________________________
42
About 1940 a headquarters and Kingdom hall was established at Second and B Streets in Grand Coulee. Later, in 1943, when many people were leaving the area, the headquarters were moved to a private home. It was here that the circuit riding minister came once or twice a year for public talks and for a week's concentrated effort in missionary work.
In 1948 Lawrence L. Woodall came to establish a congregation of trained Bible preachers dedicated to reaching the people.
Since 1950 the meeting place has been in the Odd Fellow's Hall in Grand Coulee. A new building is being constructed one half block off the Brewster Highway in Grand Coulee. Funds and Labor have been donated by local people and also those from Spokane and Ephrata.
Luverne D. Woodall is the presiding minister of the local congregation, which numbers about fifty. Active preachers in 1950 numbered fifteen.
ITEM OF INTEREST
Although, apparently an isolated community, our churches have reached far and have been instrumental in bringing several world famous men to speak to us.
Dr. Kagawa, a spiritual leader in Japan, spoke before a large audience. His social reforms have added greatly toward Christian Japan.
Charles Wells, a Quaper who publishes the Newsletter, a nationally known magazine, has twice appeared here in one of our churches. He illustrated his lectures with chalk drawings.
Dr. Marcus Bach, head of the Department of Religion at Iowa State University, has given the vicinity his inspirational lectures several times. Many autographed copies of his books are to be found in home libraries.
Another progressive aspect of the churches in the area is that for years they have united in observance of world wide Christian activities even though all are not members of the Council of Churches.
On World Prayer Day representatives from most of the churches gather in quiet observance of this spiritual occasion which stresses peace and harmonious relationship.
Again, ever since the establishment of the local communities, many of the churches have met together on World Community Day and have sent bundles of clothing to needy people around the world.
________________________
43
Many look forward each year to the friendly meeting with their neighbors in the church on May Fellowship Day, when local and national problems such as slum clearance, clean-ups, and school problems are discussed.
For years, in December, the Coulee Dam Community Church has held a dinner and Bazaar which is attended by those of all faiths. Recently, the Ladies Altar Society of St. Benedict's Catholic Church have also put on a similar dinner with similar results.
COULEE DAM COMMUNITY CHURCH
The history of the Coulee Dam Community Church, from its inception, is closely related to the building of the dam.
The original church and manse were built by funds contributed by the people of the area and volunteer labor. The same "Do it yourself" idea that did so much in the early days is responsible for the building of the present beautiful native-rock edifice which faces on Central Drive.
Much of the beauty of the new church is due to the exquisite workmanship expressed in the stone work, the hand carving of the gables, and the towering steeple.
The Community Church began as an independent community church. In 1938 after the Reverend Daniel E. Peterson affiliated with the Washington State Council of Churches and Christian Education the church became officially interdenominational.
First minister in 1835 was Chaplain Parks and the first services were held in the primary school at Coulee Dam. The present church building and manse belong to the congregation but they stand on government leased property. About 300 members at the present time. No resident minister at the present time.
GRAND COULEE COMMUNITY CHURCH
In the summer of 1934 when construction of the Grand Coulee Dam was getting underway and families were moving here, Reverend Roy E. Murray, who was pastor of the Almira Methodist Church, and Mr. Carpenter, came down and held services in the schoolhouse. The Continental Land Company, through its agent Fred M. Weil, gave the lots for the church building.
A group of interested people formed an organization, purchased some lumber and with donated lumber the Grand Coulee Church was started. The property across from the church was purchased for a parsonage.
________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment