Alma Christian Church

Alma Christian Church - Alma, Illinois

Located at 307 High Street, the Alma Christian Church is still active today! (Phone: 618-547-7771)

Check out their Facebook page by clicking on Alma Christian Church Facebook Page

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We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma. Can you help?

Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"? What do YOU remember?

The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories. We also have the

equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!

We would love to hear from you! For more information, please contact:

Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com

208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL 62530; (217) 625-7527

Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com

408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731

Alma Christian Church (1867 - 1992)

"History of the Disciples in Illinois"

Alma

"Organized 1867, by John Ross; present membership, 50; value of property, $2, 500; Bible School began 1867; present enrollment, 83. There were fifteen charter members. The church grew steadily for a time. It, like many others, came under the reactionary spirit of the early seventies, by which the numerical growth and spirituality were crippled for years."

Alma Industrical Christian College: Alma, Marion Co., IL; circa 1898

Myron Headley, Fred Headley, Aaron Ross, Andrew Ross, Kirk Albert Williams

Original copy of "The Plow and Hammer" - published by the Alma Industrial College Printing Co - May 20, 1898

(Click here to read)

Alma Industrial College / Alma Christian College; Alma, Marion Co., IL – Spring 1898

1-Marion Bowles; 2-Virgil Stoner; 3-John McNeil; 4-Prof. Laughlin; 5-Clara (Boles) Mills; 6-Harriet "Hattie" (Boles) Stephenson; 7-Lonnie See; 8-Homer Frank; 9-Will Shaffer; 10-________; 11-Lester Telford; 12-Otto Hannawalt; 13-________; 14-Clarence See; 15-Kirk Albert "K.A."Williams; 16- Rev. William H. Boles; 17-____ Mercer;

18-Noah Dean; 19-________; 20-Bessie (Huff) Wham; 21-Clara Hefton; 22-Bessie (Brasel) Vursell; 23-Charlie McCartan; 24-Roscoe Brasel; 25-Roy See;

26-Frank Coffin; 27-Guy Clark; 28-______; 29-Fred Clow; 30-Charlie Harris; 31-Roy Telford; 32-Justin Parr; 33-Fred Headley; 34-Rolla Marshall;

35-Emery Telford; 36-Mr. Tom B. McCartan; 37-Mabel Marshall; 38-Pearl (McCartan) Lowdermilk; 39-Grace McCartan; 40-Cora Boles; 41-Burgess Boles;

42-Prof. William Aydlott

“Alma Industrial College” - “The thought of an industrial school at Alma originated with Mr. W.S. ROSS, a graduate of Abingdon College, and pastor of the Alma Christian Church. The proposition was heartily favored by the community. Subscriptions were secured. Four acres of land were bought, and a good two-story, eight-room frame building was erected thereon. The title to this property was vested in a Board of Trustees. The school opened in September, 1896. It was coeducational and aimed to help worthy young people to start well in life. An option on 420 acres of land was secured, and a printing-office was bought and installed in the building. The aim was to have the boys work part of the time on the farm and the girls in the printing-office, and thus pay part of their expenses. In addition to this labor, every pupil paid $120 per annum. This work and cash secured for each and every pupil during the school year board and lodging, instruction and books. Experience proved that the school could not be maintained on this financial basis. Appeals for assistance in localities from which the school was easily accessible met with meager responses. Debt accumulated; hence, in 1900, the school was discontinued. The property was sold, for public uses, for $3,000, which was said to have been one-half of its value. All debts were settled. The averaged attendance during the four years was about one hundred per year. The men who served as head of the school or president were H.Y. KELLER, W.H. BOLES, A.A. HIBNER, Clark BRADEN, W.B. BEDELL, P.J. DICKERSON and Thomas MUNNELL. Mr. MUNNELL died just before the final closing of the institution. His body is buried at Alma. This enterprise was most commendable.” - "History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois – 1915”

Alma Industrial College - Catalog information & History (1897 - 1900) (pdf file)

Alma Industrial College

Contributed by Mrs. Laurelie L. Reddy, Box 728, Orion, Ill. 61273

One of the papers in Isaac Maulding’s pension file was on letterhead from the Alma Industrial College.

I don’t know how long this college was in existence, and don’t recall having read much about it, but maybe it will help someone.

The following names were included on the letterhead:

Trustees:

W.S. Ross, President

W.H. Boles

J.W. Ross

N.D. Laughlin, Sec.

S.C. Pullen

Faculty:

W.H. Boles, A.M., Pres.

Marion Boles, A.M. V. Pres.

W.F. Aydlott, A.M.

N.D. Laughlin, A.M.

A.J. Hayes, M.D.

Miss Jessie E. Day

T.B. McCartan, Sec.

The only one I can identify is T.B. McCartan. He was Thomas B. McCartan who married Nannie Spitler.

Thomas and Nannie were the parents of Charles E. McCartan.

Charles married Elsie Maulding and after she died, he married her sister, Sarah Etta Maulding.

The Maulding sisters were my great-aunts. Aunt Etta died in Centralia 9 July 1977, at the age of 99.

“Footprints in Marion County”

Marion Co. IL Genealogical & Historical Society

Vol. VI; Summer 1981; No. 1

P. 43

Alma Christian Church - First Ladies Aid group - ca 1898

Back row - women standing: Mollie Williams, Nancy Clark (Guy's mother), Tom McCartan, Lunie Day, Mable Eagan, Daisy Holman, Lou Ella Williams, Laura Winks, Auntie Loyd "Rebecca", Hattie Sanders

Front row - seated: Emma Sprouse, May Collins, Mark Ross (child in lap), Frances Ross (woman seated holding child), Merle Day (woman seated facing left), Lizzie Williams (woman seated behind), Mollie Dugan, Nettie Day, Vera Day (child standing - Myrtle's daughter), Emma Claytor

Alma Christian Church Alma Illinois Thomas B. McCartan

Alma Christian Church – 1908 – Thomas B. McCartan in front of church

Alma Christian Church Alma Illinois

Alma Christian Church - circa 1950's

Alma Christian Church Ladies - 1948

1)Rosa (Ross) Winks, 2)___________, 3)Lila (Osborn) Jones, 4)Jackie Lee Jones, 5)Wayne Jones, 6) Nell Clark, 7)__________,

8)Ethel Allmon, 9) Rene (Gammon) Wilson Broom, 10)Beatrice Spitler, 11)Myrtle (Robinson) Day, 12)Evelyn (Williams) Bouseman Sullivan,

13)Bertha (Smith) Beard Newman, 14) Orie Osborn, 15)Essie (Day) Mazanek, 16)___________with 17)Mary (Getts) Winks, 18)Molly Dugan, 19)Agnes Claytor,

20)___________, 21)Lulu Winks holding Bobby Winks, 22)Frances (Mulvaney) Smith, 23)Grace (Cunningham) Day, 24)Allie (Mayberry) Eagan, 25)Blanche Austin,

26)Leta (Atkins) Mazanek, 27)Elgie (Robinson) Gammon Ross, 28)Ruth Wilson, 29)Sylvia (Neal) Brasel, 30)Leota "Dutch" (Rhodes) Harris

Alma Christian Church - Congregation photo - 1948

Alma Christian Church congregation – 1948
Back row (standing): 1) Frank Day, 2) Andy Winks, 3) Blanche Austin, 4) Nell Clark, 5) Rosa (Ross) Winks, 6) Leota "Dutch" (Rhoads) Harris, 7)___________,

8) Ethel Allmon, 9)__________, 10) Essie (Day) Mazanek, 11) Allie (Mayberry) Eagan, 12) Beatrice Spitler, 13) Leta (Atkins) Mazanek, 14)Elgie (Robinson) Gammon Ross,

15)___________, 16)__________, 17) Ruth Ann (Winks) Hawkins 18) Mary (Getts) Winks, 19) Lulu (Nelson) Winks, 20) Bobby Winks, 21) Bertha (Smith) Beard Newman, 22) B. Elwood Smith
Third row (on knees): 37)_____Johnson, 38) Mary Brasel, 39) Marian Brasel, 40)___________, 41) Evelyn (Williams) Bouseman Sullivan, 42) Sylvia (Neal) Brasel
Second row (sitting behind little kids): 49) Geraldine (Smith) Sullens, 50) Mary Lou (Winks) Goodall
Front row (sitting on ground): 58) ?Marva (Cobb) Swarthout, 59)___________, 60) Margaret (Bouseman) Olden, 61) Mary Alice (Beard) Jones,

62) Joyce (Smith) Crow, 63) Brenda (Smith) Lyerly, 64) Jackie Lee Jones, 65) Patty Gamblin, 66) Wayne Jones, 67) Francis "Frank" Brasel,

68) _________, 69) Clifford Allmon

Alma Christian Church congregation – 1948
Back row (standing):23) Frances (Mulvaney) Smith, 24) Rene (Gammon) Wilson Broom, 25)Myrtle (Robinson) Day, 26)___________, 27)?Grace Day,

28) Molly Dugan, 29) Frances (Mulvaney) Smith, 30) Lila (Osborn) Jones, 31)___________, 32) Ruth (Purcell) Wilson, 33) Imogene (Puffer) Feather, 34) Arthur M. "Shine" Wilson,

35) John Puffer, 36) Stanley Johnson (preacher)
Third row (on knees): 43)_____Hays, 44) ?_______Cobb, 45) Keith Smith, 46) Virgil Powell (or Ralph Sullens), 47) Marvin Cobb (or Lawrence Cooley), 48) Bill Beard
Second row (sitting behind little kids): 51) Joy Johnson (preacher's wife), 52)____________, 53) Mary (Bouseman) Kneemyer,

54) Eileen (Beard) Malekovic, 55) Betty (Bender) Duncan, 56) LaVern (Crutchfield) Hall, 57) Kenneth Smith
Front row (sitting on ground): 70) Richard Winks, 71)__________, 72) Russell Eagan, 73) Rolla Sullens, 74) Ray Cobb,

75)___________, 76)___________, 77) Ronnie Swift, 78)___________, 79)___________

Alma Christian Church congregation – Early 1950’s

Alma Christian Church congregation – Early 1950’s - (left half of photo)

Alma Christian Church congregation – Early 1950’s - (right half of photo)

Alma Christian Church Alma Illinois

Alma Christian Church – 1958 – new classroom added

Alma Christian Church Gleaners Class - 1966

Back row standing: Imogene (Puffer) Feather, Ruth (Purcell) Wilson, Flossie (Jackson) Altom, Lottie (Dugan) Getts, Ann (Mazanek) Arnold and guest Edith (Mazanek) Johnson.

Middle row seated: Hattie (Garrett) Green, Essie (Day) Mazanek, Allie (Mayberry) Eagan, and Emma (Logue) Wiley.

Front row seated: Elsie (Powell) Smith, Grace (Cunningham) Day, Beryl (Statton) Smith, Lela (Williams) Schoonover

"Alma Christian Church - 1867 - 1967 - Centennial"