Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, Kinmundy, Marion Co., IL

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church

Kinmundy, IL (Alma twp.)

Located at 6634 Pleasant Grove Rd., (south of Kinmundy)

the Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church is still active today!

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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

(Click on the books below to open them)

Pleasant Grove Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church

United Methodist Church Homecoming History Scrapbook

(1849 - 1983)

Our History

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church

History & Memory Album

Alma, Pleasant Grove & Zion United Methodist Churches - Directory (1998)

Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church - 1949

Pleasant Grove Methodist Church – south of Kinmundy, IL

Pleasant Grove Methodist Church

“History of Salem, Illinois and Surrounding Territory” by the Continental Historical Bureau of Mt. Vernon, Illinois (printed circa 1961)

(Most of the following history of Pleasant Grove was given to us by the late Mrs. Sadie (WILSON) PURCELL.)

The first record of religious services being held in Pleasant Grove community was 1841. In that year John WILSON of Ohio came to Illinois with his sons, Richard Tilton and John Corwin WILSON, also Wilson WHITE, a grandson. This family, along with other scattered families in the community, had been having school in an old abandoned house; but during the same year a log school house 24 by 18 feet with a weight pole roof was built near where Pleasant Grove now stands on ground given by the WILSON’s. Thomas MILLER was the first teacher. Once a year Bishop ROBERTS preached in this house. Rev. Joseph HELMS and Rev. T.L. MIDDLTON were among the first ministers.

In the early days, Pleasant Grove was on the Salem Circuit (1870-1873) and on the Kinmundy Circuit from 1873 to 1890. In 1890, Alma was made the head of the circuit containing the four charges as it now is – Pleasant Grove, Cubbage Chapel, Zion, and Alma.

The deed to the church property states that on November 4, 1857 it was deeded by William HUTTS to John C. WILSON, Thomas A. WHITE, Samuel PHILLIPS, Thomas PHILLIPS and R.L. WILSON, trustees. This deed was recorded November 10, 1857.

Just what year the church was built we are not certain; however, we do have evidence that Joseph Henry SHAFFER helped haul logs to be used in the construction of this church, and at the time of his death was collecting funds to be used for repairs.

Henry SHAFFER joined the Union Army on Aug. 4, 1861, being in Company B, Fortieth Illinois, under Captain SPROUSE and Colonel HICKS, continued in the service until mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky on Aug. 5, 1865. He later moved to this community. At the present time his granddaughter, Mrs. Ray VANDEVEER and his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Anna SHAFFER, are active members of the church.

We have been unable to find the names of more than a few early worshippers. Besides those mentioned, the names of BROWNs and VALLOWs were given.

Pleasant Grove at this time is an active church, with Sunday School every Sunday, Prayer Meeting every Tuesday night, preaching services twice a month, M.Y.F. every Sunday evening. There is an active W.S.C.S., and six Sunday School classes are taught by competent teachers.

Extensive remodeling has been done, with the interior completely done over, new pews and pulpit furniture, and a basement under the entire building. May this church always be a lighthouse for spreading the Gospel and an inspiration to worship and serve God, to the future generations as it has been in the past.

-- Mrs. Bessie LYNCH HIESTAND and Mrs. Ruby LECKRONE HIESTAND

Pleasant Grove Methodist Church

Pleasant Grove Sudnay School anniversary cake 1849-1980

Pleasant Grove Methodist Church from the west side

Pleasant Grove Methodist Church - 1983

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church

by Evelyn Ford - 2007

"The first record of religious services being held in the Pleasant Grove community, 5 miles south of Kinmundy, was in 1841. In that year, John C. Wilson of Ohio came to Illinois with his sons, Richard Tilton and John Corwin Wilson, and his grandson, Wilson White. This family, along with other scattered families in the community, started having school in and old abandoned house, but during the same year, a log school house, 24 x 18 feet, with a weight pole roof, was built near where Pleasant Grove now stands. The road was then called the Omega-Litchfield Road. First, the abandoned house, and later the new school house, was used for worship. Just what year the church was built is not certain, but the Wilsons, together with other active members, began the task of building a church twice the size of the school, 36 x 46 feet, for a cost of $1600. The deed to the church property states that on Nov. 4, 1857, it was deeded by William Hults to John C. Wilson, Thomas White, Samuel Phillips, Thomas Phillips and R.L. Wilson, trustees. The deed was recorded Nov. 10, 1857. Three hitch racks were located in the yard of the church to accommodate the teams of horses. It was built, history says, in a wooded area of oak and maple - hence, “Grove”. A Sunday School banner, dated 1849, is said to have been carried to church picnics at a camp ground, and is now framed and hangs in the sanctuary. In 1932, a bell was located at Waltonville and hauled to the church. A belfry was built and Marion Shufeldt’s team of mules pulled the bell up a scaffold to get the bell in the belfry. In 1941, fuel for the lamps was recorded costing 50 cents.

In 1949, R.E.A. came along and the church was wired for electricity at a cost of $22.08. Another expense was for stove polish for the old Kalamazoo stoves.

It was always the custom of the men to be seated on one side and ladies across the aisle on the other side. In 1952 the two front doors were closed and replaced with a center double door entrance. In 1959, the church was raised and a basement dug.

There have been many ice cream suppers, and often the ladies quilted while the men cut wood for the two stoves. Baptisms were held at the lake south of Brubaker and at Roy Gregory’s Jollywood Park near Alma.

Pleasant Grove remains an active church having services each Sunday with Lillian Phillips serving as pastor."

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church - 2008

"The first record of religious services being held in Pleasant Grove Community was in 1841. In that year, John Wilson of Ohio came to Illinois with his sons, Richard, Tildon and John Corwin Wilson, and Wilson White, a grandson. This family along with the scattered families in the community had been having school in an old abandoned house. In 1842, a log school house, 24’ x 18’ with a weight pole roof was built on ground given by the Wilsons near where Pleasant Grove now stands. Thomas Miller was the first teacher, William Frederick Shaffer, John W. Shaffer and Joseph Henry Shaffer; sons of Andrew Shaffer attended this school. Once a year Bishop Roberts preached in this house. The first sermon in Alma Township was preached in Pleasant Grove School House in 1841.

The Sunday School was founded in 1848. Rev. Joseph Helms and Rev. T.L. Middleton were among the first ministers. A banner with the inscription of “Pleasant Grove Sunday School Organized in 1849” was framed in 1940 and continues to hang in the sanctuary. A small paper with inscription in their own hand scroll saying, “In Years Gone By This Was The Sunday School Banner And Was Carried To A Sunday School Picnic Held At Campground August 29, 1879” signed by Mrs. William W. Baggott. It was framed and hung below the framed banner by Emogene Shufeldt (Anderson) and Mrs. William Baggott, August 30, 1934. Herbert and Emogene Anderson had new frames applied to the banner and inscription in 1981.

About the time Abraham Lincoln was being heard of in Illinois, the church property was deeded by William and Lucinda Hults on November 4, 1857, to Trustees John C. Wilson (who lived on the present Robert E. Ford farm), Thomas W. White, Samuel Phillips, (who lived on the present John W. Shaffer farm), Thomas Phillips, and R.L. Wilson. This deed was recorded in Book N, Page 618-19 of Deeds and Records November 4, 1857. An enlarged copy of the original deed was framed by John W. and Ruby Shaffer in 1980 and hangs in the sanctuary. It is not certain but was printed in an 1881 History of Marion and Clinton Counties that the church was built in 1871 at a cost of $1,600.00. The church was surrounded by beautiful oak and maple trees in a wooded area and located on the old Omega Litchfield road in Section 14, Alma Township. It is still surrounded by oak trees along with a few new trees and cropland on all sides now. Joseph Henry Shaffer (son of Andrew, father to the late William Henry “Will” Shaffer, and grandfather of Lucille Shaffer Vandeveer) helped haul logs to be used in the construction of the 36’ x 46’ church. At the time of his death he was collecting funds to be used for repairs. Besides those mentioned above, the names of J.B. Abbott, John R. Slane, Josiah Gibson, Browns and Vallows were given.

In the early days, Pleasant Grove Methodist was on the Salem circuit (1870-1873) and on the Kinmundy circuit from 1873-1890. In 1890, Alma was made the head of the circuit containing the churches Pleasant Grove, Alma, Zion, and Cubbage Chapel, until June 1, 1965, when Cubbage Chapel was placed on the Trinity United Methodist Church charge at Salem, Illinois. Pleasant Grove and Zion remain on the Alma United Methodist Church charge of the Vandalia District of the Southern Illinois Methodist Conference.

John Wesley Shaffer, the first, was church treasurer in 1890-1891. Upon his death, his widow, Amanda Cathrine Vallow Shaffer, continued as church treasurer. During the early 1900’s, the church Pastor and Conference claims were paid quarterly. This procedure was referred to as “quartering”. In 1949, Francis Sipes (a dedicated member all his lifetime) told of a funny incident that happened in the early 1900’s. He offered to assist Widow Amanda Shaffer Branch with the collecting to make the spring quartering payment. He rode a horse belly deep in mud to a church attender’s house to collect the quartering for the church. The lady at the house gave him just a quarter. He thanked her realizing she thought he had asked for a quarter. Later, Amanda Branch’s son Ernest Shaffer was elected treasurer until his death. At that time, Guy W. Shaffer (another of Amanda’s sons) continued as treasurer until his retirement in the late 1940’s, when Guy’s son John W. Shaffer returned from World War II and was elected treasurer.

Other interesting events recalled concerned the oldest trees around the church. John Brown (ancestor of Ethel Stephens) and the Rev. Frank Brown around 1910 planted them. After 1930’s, Claude Hiestand continued to set the shade trees. Mrs. Everett Powell (nee Myrtle Hiestand) that lived on the hill east of the church suggested the two Kalamazoo pot bellied heating stoves. For quite some time around the 1920’s Burdette Walkington (the Rev. L.B. Walkington) walked to the church at least an hour prior to services and started the wood fires in the Kalamazoo heating stoves so the church would be nice and warm for the services. Francis Sipes recalled a box was used for the lectern in the earlier days. Francis Sipes also recalled an incident when he was a small boy (that was only funny to a boy of his young age of around 9 years). “Some leaves burning around the church had caused the bark of the logs at the base of the church to start smoldering. Henry Shaffer was chopping the smoldering bark off to stop the burning when Mr. Clabe Sipes went outside the church and told Henry to quit making so much noise – the preacher was praying! Henry replied, “The preacher can pray some other time; I helped build this church, and I’m not gonna let it burn down.”

The church services were held every other Sunday afternoon during the teens and 1920’s. Walking, riding horses, and horse drawn buggies were the modes of transportation during these years. One of the three hitch racks was located on the west side of the church extending east and west to accommodate three to four teams of horses. Another hitch rack was northwest of the church along the west yard border. The other rack was about the length of the church straight east of the church on the east yard border. The hitch rack west of the church was constructed by setting posts with a hole through the post near the top and a log chain laced through the holes. The posts were set about eight to ten feet apart. The chain was made out of a different iron than regular log chains because it didn't need to be as strong to stand excessive pulling.

During the early 1920’s when the numbers were few, the families of Francis Sipes, Will Shaffer, and Guy Shaffer along with the others in the community continued to support the church. The following is an excerpt from Will Shaffer’s diary (Lucille Vandeveer’s father):

After the great revival conducted by evangelists Rev. McKays (twin brothers) and a daughter, Ruth, in 1928, many conversions were witnessed and the attendance began to grow. Claude and Ruby Hiestand and family and Clyde and Bessie Hiestand joined the church at this time. The Epworth League was started about 1931. Some of the young people that attended Epworth League in the 1930’s were Marion Sipes (Garrett) pianist, Martha June Hiestand (Robinson), Lucille Shaffer (Vandeveer), Willadene Shaffer (Ritter), Ray and Herbert Vandeveer, Herbert Anderson, John and Paul Shaffer, Wilma Shaffer (Vandeveer), Emogene Shufeldt (Anderson), Dan and Ralph Hiestand, Geneva Sipes (Boyd), James Sipes, Wilma Hiestand (Monical), Bobby Lonnon, Gladys Rose (Hiestand), George and Viola Meyer, and Ruth Meyer (Phoenix). Claude Hiestand was sponsor for a time.

The bell for the church was located at Waltonville, Illinois, by Rev. E.M. Dycus’ brother who brought it to the church in the back of an old pickup truck, at the request of the chairman Marion Shufeldt in 1932. The Hiestands, Shaffers, Sipes, and the Shufeldts and sons assisted by John Garner, carpenter, built the belfry and Marion’s team of mules pulled the bell up a scaffold that was built for the purpose of getting the bell in the belfry. Marion Shufeldt collected contributions for the bell and construction of the belfry. After the installation of the bell, the bell ringer usually started the fire in the wood stove to warm up the church and it was his duty to ring the bell 30 minutes before services. In the early years when families heard the first bell ring, they knew they had to hurry getting the team of horses hitched to the buggies or wagons and the children loaded to arrive at church on time for the last bell for the start of services.

For several years in the late 1930’s and 1940’s, George Meyer would ring the bell 30 minutes before service and at time of service. Every generation of young people have enjoyed a time at ringing the church bell and found it to be quite an art to be able to pull the rope just right to get the ding dong.

The ringing of the bell was an accent at the wedding of Brian and Marilyn Vandeveer Britton Sunday, September 11, 1983.

The wooden communion set used for many years was made by Willadene Shaffer (Ritter) until a new set was presented by Ruby Leckrone Hiestand, Communion steward, in the late 1960’s. Sunday School teachers serving from time to time during 1938 through 1942 were Bess Lynch Hiestand, Clyde Hiestand, Martha June Hiestand, Herbert Anderson, Gladys Rose Hiestand, Amy Hults Sipes, Helen Mulvany Meyer, Claude Hiestand, Lois Lonnon Alderson, Rev. Wigham, Rev. Cozad of Bloomington, Francis Sipes, Roy Miller, Mrs. Hershel Maxey (nee Gaston), Lucille Shaffer Vandeveer, and Ray Vandeveer. Sunday School secretaries during this time were Wilma Shaffer (Vandeveer), Marion Sipes (Garrett), and Martha June Hiestand (Robinson). Bess Lynch Hiestand was Sunday School treasurer. The average attendance in 1940 was 25 and in 1941 was 31. William “Will” H. Shaffer was secretary for several early years at Sunday School organization meetings. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, organists were Madeline Wells Shaffer, and later Bess Hiestand, Gladys Rose Hiestand and Ruby Hiestand were pianists. Harriet Miller and Ray Vandeveer were among the choir leaders for the 30’s and early 40’s.

New sills were put under the church along with Celotex applied to the walls and a new floor installed in 1940. The construction at this time prevented the wedding of Lucille Shaffer and Ray Vandeveer being held in the church building.

Marjorie Hiestand Deadmond was chairman of the committee to select and construct the colorful curtains used to separate Sunday School classes. She was assisted by Emogene Anderson. Marjorie and her mother, Ruby Hiestand, crocheted the beautiful scarves for the communion table, podium, and piano.

Fifty cents was paid for the fuel for the lamps in 1941. When World War II was declared in December 1941, the Sunday School bought New Testaments for each young man entering the service and sent one to John Wesley Shaffer who had enlisted a year prior.

Maxine Cox Barksdale was in charge of the selection and purchase of new songbooks “Christian Service Songs” in 1947. Pleasant Grove joined the Alma charge churches each December for several years in the late 1940’s and early 50’s and sang Christmas Cantatas at Alma Methodist Church. Maxine Barksdale of Pleasant Grove and Lelia Ford of Alma coordinated the projects. During the 1940’s some of the teachers were Lois Alderson, Rosalie Alderson Maxey, Oran Alderson, Claude Hiestand, Clyde C. Hiestand, Bessie Hiestand, Herbert Anderson, Gladys Hiestand, Amy Sipes, Ray Vandeveer, George Meyer, H.J. Barksdale, Jessie Long Weyhrich, Marjorie Hiestand Deadmond, Lillian Gaston Currie, Esther Buchhorn Shaffer, and Maxine Barksdale. The electric light fixtures were purchased May 8, 1949, for $56.95 in preparation for the wiring of the church. The church was wired for electricity November 20, 1949, and cost $22.08. The same fall, tar was used on the roof to prevent leaks and the ceilings were painted.

During 1952 through 1954, the old large sheets of Celotex on the church ceiling were replaced with beautiful fur car siding wood. It took six months to get the wood after H.J. Barksdale and Ray Vandeveer ordered it. Fred Collet, carpenter, helped them put it up. The following year Mr. Collet (who lived on the old Shufeldt place) made and replaced the windowsills with sycamore lumber furnished by H.J. Barksdale. During and prior to the winters, stove repairs had to be made such as buying and replacing belts and pipes each year, bowl replacement, and polish for the two Kalamazoo heating stoves. So in 1951 a new oil floor furnace was purchased and placed in the southwest corner by the rostrum where one of the Kalamazoo stoves set. Oran Alderson rebuilt the seats so each side wouldn’t have a divider in each pew. It had been the custom for the women to sit on one side of the church and the men on the other. Doing away with the dividers brought a more sharing responsibility for the fathers to help keep their children quiet during the services. About that time, the lighted picture of Christ that hangs in the sanctuary was presented by the W.S.C.S. in memory of their deceased members.

In 1952, the two front entrance doors to the church were closed and center double doors were made. In 1954, our members voted 10% of total Sunday School collections excluding the fourth Sunday World Service Collection to be placed in the Building Fund for future repairing or remodeling. H.J. Barksdale was the Building Fund Treasurer. Emogene Anderson was Sunday School Treasurer. A lighted cross was made by Marion Currie for Bessie Hiestand to place in the sanctuary in memory of her husband Clyde in 1958.

The 1956-57-58 Church Official Board members were Trustees Claude (also chairman of official board) and Dan Hiestand, Ray Vandeveer, Francis Sipes, Herbert Anderson, and Robert Ford, Parsonage Committee – Oran Alderson, Maxine Barksdale, Avanelle Long Hiestand (also secretary of official board); Communion Steward Ruby Hiestand; Church and Sunday School Treasurers – John W. Shaffer and Lucille Vandeveer; Sunday School Superintendent, Elmer Weyhrich; W.S.C.S. President, Anna Holman Shaffer; Membership and Evangelism Committee – Helen Meyer, Chairman, Rosa Smith, Francis Sipes, Elmer Weyhrich, Mary Jane Anderson (Musgrave), and Suzanne Hiestand (Garrett); Education – Jessie Weyhrich, Sammie Hiestand, John Shaffer and Rosa Smith; Mission Committee – Mabel Kaiser Smith, Nellie Brasel Hiestand, Lois Alderson, and Viola Meyer; Audit – H.J. Barksdale and Herbert Anderson; Committee on Nominations – Jessie Weyhrich, Rosalie Alderson (Maxey) and Viola Meyer.

The “All American Church Hymnal” songbooks were purchased by the W.S.C.S. in the late 1950’s. Frank E. (Bud) Helm, Richard (Dickie) Deadmond, with Rev. Frank Tredway made our wooden cross and candle stick holders in 1950 during Bible School. H.J. Barksdale, Ray Vandeveer and Claude Hiestand were the committee to select the new light colored oak furniture for the church in July 1955 and purchased in 1956. Oran Alderson built the coat and hat rack for the church in December 1956.

In 1959, the church was raised and a basement dug and constructed by the Okaw Valley Construction Co. costing $4,012.23. Ray Vandeveer got the estimates for building the basement for additional educational class space. John W. Shaffer also assisted Ray. The lawn was graded and leveled by Henne and Shuler of Salem. Avanelle Hiestand selected the first curtains for the basement. Dan and Avanelle Hiestand later presented a large tapestry of the Lord’s Supper to the church. Emogene Anderson and Avanelle Hiestand took their Sunday School students to the cinemascope wide screen picture, “Seven Wonders of the World”.

Maxine Barksdale, member and musician as well as Sunday School teacher has taught many of our young people to play the piano, organ and other musical instruments. From the middle 1950’s through 1977 the church had a teenage singing group which she led and encouraged. The group grew in experience and brought joy to all that heard them. Music lives in our souls all our lives. Many of the following have been taught music by Maxine and having had experience in our church are pianists now in many other areas of the state: Rojean Alderson (Kline), Mary Ann Vandeveer (Rhoades), Frances Hiestand (Smith), Rosalie Alderson (Maxey), Janet Barksdale (Harmon), Susan Shaffer (Patterson), Diane Ford, Joanne Hiestand (Blackburn, Tennyson), Judy Barksdale (Edgington), Roma Barksdale (Larson), Marilyn Vandeveer (Britton) and Andra Wilkins (Devore). Many musical programs were performed such as “Hanging of the Greens” in which the complete decorating of the Christmas tree and church was done while singing appropriate Christmas music. Another Christmas program performed was the “Little Blue Angel”. Dolores Ford, age 4, sang solo after climbing to the top of the Christmas tree and was the beautiful Little Blue Angel with all the youth and children in different singing groups. The church traditional Christmas programs are held on Christmas Eve and have been for the last 35 years.

Rosalie Alderson (Maxey) sponsored the UMY from 1956 to 1959 and her mother Lois Alderson took over sponsorship after Rosalie’s marriage and continued until Lois and Oren moved to Kinmundy in April of 1963. Ruby Shaffer was sponsor from 1963 to 1978. The 1962-63 UMY officers were: Nellie Mae Hiestand (Hughes), President; Janet Barksdale (Harmon), Vice President; Nancy Kay Smith (Arnold, Diss), Secretary; Sammy Shaffer, Treasurer; Carl and Sammy Shaffer, Fellowship; and Susan Shaffer (Patterson), pianist. Other members in 1962 and prior were Joanne Anderson (Bauer), Mary Jane Anderson (Musgrave), Dick Deadmond, Frances Hiestand (Smith), Ruth Currie (Cross), Patsy Deadmond (Sill), and June Wilkins (Woolridge). The UMY attended subdistrict meeting monthly and did services for the church such as painting the basement in 1959 and 1962.

The oil furnace was converted to gas and moved by Dunlaps of Kinmundy to the basement during 1960, and later in 1968 another new wall floor furnace was installed in the rear of the sanctuary. It was purchased from Rothe Hardware of St. Peter, Illinois. H.J. Barksdale and Ray Vandeveer served on the furnace purchasing committee. John W. Shaffer purchased and installed an automatic timer on the furnace. This eliminated members taking turns going early to turn on the furnace.

A piano was given to the church by Charles and Elsie Brown Ford in 1960 and placed in the basement. The Children’s Department was organized, and singing started following Sunday School classes led by Ruby Cantrell Shaffer with Janet Barksdale (Harmon), pianist. Thirty small folding chairs were donated by the Baggott sisters – Alice B. Hammer of Kinmundy, Ann Baggett of Albion, Illinois, Mary B. Fletcher of Charleston, Illinois, and Mr. and Mrs. B. Gubbins of Muncie, Indiana, because this was their children and parents’ (Mr. & Mrs. W.W. Baggot) church home. Every little chair was filled with a child.

A movable screen was made by Chester Perry of Bee Branch community and was covered by Ruby Shaffer and Maxine Barksdale. A vestibule was added in August 1961, to the front of the church under the leadership of Ray Vandeveer and H.J. Barksdale and other men of the church. Storm windows were also installed on the west side of the church with the east side done the following year. Leo “Mike” Deadmond painted the exterior of the church in 1960 and 1965. Harrie Young painted the name of the church on the sign for the front of the church.

The basement sump pump and an automatic timer heater were installed during April 1962, with the leadership of John W. Shaffer. Martha June Hiestand (Robinson) was one of the generous sponsors of a well dug by Joe Brimberry assisted by Sammie Hiestand and other men of the church. In March 1963, a new bathroom with fixtures and plumbing was installed by Cecil Harvey and the church men. A range and refrigerator were added to the basement by Jessie and Elmer Weyhrich. Oran Alderson and Gene Helm put ceiling in the basement, June 1963.

The officers of the 1963 Official Board were Claude Hiestand, Chairman, Robert Ford, Vice Chairman, Nellie Hiestand, Secretary. The 1965 official board officers were Claude Hiestand, Chairman; Robert Ford, Vice Chairman; and Edith Smith, Secretary. Other official board members attending during the late 1960’s were H.J. and Maxine Barksdale, Avanelle Hiestand, Sam Hiestand, John W. Shaffer, Robert and Mabel Smith, Ray and Lucille Vandeveer, Elmer and Jessie Weyhrich and Lester Basom.

Nellie and Sammie Hiestand, Ray and Lucille Vandeveer and Herbert and Emogene Anderson donated large folding tables for the basement. The sanctuary was papered in the summer of 1968 and cost $138.00 with Avanelle Hiestand selecting the wallpaper. The UMY assisted with the collection for a new piano for the sanctuary. On December 18, 1967, Maxine Barksdale selected and had delivered a beautiful piano to match other new furniture. The UMY continued to be very active from this time through 1977. They helped with more strenuous service for the church since there were several boys the same age. When youth became 12 years old, they joined. This continued to keep the membership active as others grew into adults leaving the group. We found by experience that as active as this group was in church, school, other organizations and community work, that meeting the second Sunday evening each month they had better prepared programs and attendance. Their executive committee met yearly to plan and name members responsible for each program and the scope of it. They also planned the type of monthly party they were to have. Some of their service projects were as follows: providing church service the second Sunday afternoon each month for the 80 residents of Bryan Manor Shelter Care Home at Salem, Illinois for five years (1967-1972) and three more years of alternating months between Bryan Manor and Doctors Nursing Home in Salem. A resident of the home and a member of our church, Clifford Fulfer, requested they sing at his funeral in 1975 and they did.

Rev. Richard Schmidt, pastor 1970-75, was their first Pastor to assist them. He did the sermonette at the nursing homes so that the youth could do the singing. Every December the youth spent the second Sunday afternoon taking goodies they had fixed around to shut-ins and members of our church in the neighborhood and nursing homes and sang Christmas carols to the people. The youth ended the afternoon and evening at the church enjoying sandwiches, cake, and drink prepared by a parent. Sometimes they celebrated the December birthdays of members then. In later years they topped the evening by going out for pizzas, a treat of their sponsor, Ruby Shaffer. New UMY songbooks were purchased (Susan Shaffer, Ch.). Plantings were done by the group around the church grounds. Broken glass windows and storm door sashes were replaced (Dale Ford, Ch.). A new rope for the church bell was purchased. Jim and Charles Shaffer installed it, with the assistance of Allen Barksdale, Susan Shaffer, David and Dale Ford. The UMY selected the paint and painted the basement in the late 1960’s and 1977. They were responsible for the selection and overseeing of the carpet installation in the church sanctuary in 1977. The committee was Allen Barksdale, Rolland Vandeveer, and Charles Shaffer with Delores Ford as collecting treasurer. Group members Dale Ford, Jim Shaffer and others got their first experience at hanging wall paper, repairing the walls of the church sanctuary supervised by Maxine Barksdale and sponsor Ruby Shaffer in 1977.

The UMY kept their treasury replenished by spring and fall paper drives and more often if needed. The older members did the driving of their family trucks, and other members helped with the loading. They planned the project by usually taking up to four trucks and each truck taking a different area. They also served food at some farm sales as money-making projects. They always appointed their own committees for projects, parties, etc. They had many interesting parties such as taffy pulls, pizza parties, ice skating, sled riding, roller-skating, popcorn, hayride, and cookie bakes. All the group was taught to water ski by Bob Ford who furnished the boat for August skiing parties at Forbes State Park about four miles from the church. It was decided that every other month the party was for invited guests and members. The other parties were for members only so they could share happy times with each other. Their youthful energies in many projects, their service and devotion to the church will be remembered for the talents, happiness, and joys they shared with the elderly and shut-ins and members of the church. The UMY group during those years were Diane, David, Dale, Delores and Dena Ford, Allen and Roma Barksdale (Larson), June Wilkins (Woolridge), Kim Wilkins (Harper), the late Myra Wilkins, Andra Wilkins (Devore), Susan Shaffer (Patterson), Jim and Charles Shaffer, Marilyn Vandeveer (Britton), Rolland and Russell Vandeveer, Kirk Wilkins, Coletta McRoy (Sztagjer, Lane), Judy Barksdale (Edgington), Gary, Don, Terry, Nita and Sandy Barksdale. The encouragement and backing most of the parents of this group and with the help of God helped make their accomplishments a little easier.

In 1974 Robert Ford contacted Joe Middleton to paint the exterior of the church. Some of the Sunday School teachers during the 70’s are as follows: Evelyn Ford, H.J. Barksdale, Robert Ford, Lucille Vandeveer, Russell Vandeveer, Marie Basom, Mabel Smith, Joyce Wilkins, John Shaffer, Myra Wilkins, Andra Wilkins, Dolores Ford, Carolyn Vandeveer and Edith Smith. Lester Basom has been Parsonage Trustee for the past several years. In the past few years, W.S.C.S. has ceased to meet due to members moving away, some passing away, and working mothers unable to attend, leaving too few to meet. Some of the past presidents were: Avanell Hiestand, Gladys Hiestand, Anna Shaffer and Jessie Weyhrich with secretary-treasurers Nellie Hiestand and Mabel Smith.

Recording Secretaries of the Alma Charge were Stella Laswell, Lottie Williams, and Ruby Shaffer. In 1963, the flagstands and flags were donated to Pleasant Grove by the members of Young’s Chapel Methodist Church located in Iuka Township, Marion County, Illinois, at the time of the closing of their services in May, 1963. In 1978, the flags were replaced. Maxine Barksdale conducted the dedication of the flags.

The Sunday School Superintendents and the years they served are listed to the best that we are able to verify as follows:

Our church in 1980 still had structural problems such as the south wall of the basement was buckling and needed immediate attention, replacement of the wooden siding to avert spot repairs as well as repeated and continually more expensive painting and insulation was needed to help prevent wood fixtures from cracking and to reduce the need for fossil-based heating fuel. Carolyn Vandeveer and Ruby Shaffer were appointed to send a letter to our church members and past members still interested in the home church stating our problems and financial need of $5,000.00. The following were among those contributing: Claude and Ruby Hiestand, Harriet Miller Willey, Mabel Embser, Virgil and Martha June Robinson, Jene L. and Barbara Robinson, Marion Garrett, Herbert and Wilma Vandeveer, Louis Jones, Madeline Shaffer, Sammy L. Shaffer, Lucille Vandeveer, Carolyn and Russell Vandeveer, Marie and Lester Basom, T.J. and Nelda Wilkins, Kim and John Harper, Robert and Evelyn Ford, Marilyn Vandeveer, Jim Shaffer, David E. Ford, Ivan and Joyce Wilkins, Lois and Oran Alderson, Maxine and H.J. Barksdale, John and Shirley Conrad, Rolland Vandeveer, Allen and Kathy Barksdale, Natures Acres, Gary and Susan Shaffer Patterson, Mabel R. Smith, Herbert and Emogene Anderson, Rev. James and Ethel Barnett, Ken and June Woolridge, Merle Jones, and John and Ruby Shaffer. Our church was grateful that under the leadership of Robert Ford and Russell Vandeveer we were able to have insulation blown into the walls and attic. Curt Jones and Jerry Craig were hired to put the white aluminum siding on the building and was completed in 1980.

In September of 1981, the vestibule and entrance steps were carpeted under the direction of Carolyn Vandeveer. Also in September 1981, Allen Barksdale, Russell Vandeveer, Carolyn Vandeveer and Ruby Shaffer were appointed to redecorate the inside of the church. After much discussion of applying wallpaper versus wallboard it was decided to use wallpaper thus continuing the church’s historic appearance. The wallpaper cost $713.58. It was a problem to find a paperer that would tackle hanging 20 foot lengths of wallpaper plus a couple of 20 foot ladders to use to apply the paper. Lois and Oran Alderson graciously loaned their ladders to us and knew they would work because Lois had papered the church before. Ruth Ann Wilkerson and assistant Mona Widemann did a wonderful job of hanging the wallpaper in October 1981.

John Harper removed the old chimney, and the following assisted in loading and cleaning the yard from the falling bricks: Kim Wilkins Harper, Dawn and Stacy, Carolyn Vandeveer, Michelle and Michael, June Wilkins Woolridge, Adam, Amy and Alica, and Ruby Shaffer.

Mr. Alois Booher changed the stove pipe so it would not go through the sanctuary from the furnace in the basement. The baseboards were repainted to match the wallpaper in the sanctuary. The bulletin board was papered and painted. The old paint was removed from the threshold entering the sanctuary and revarnished. The vestibule, railing down stairs and coat rack were cleaned and revarnished. New window blinds were installed in the sanctuary. Jim Shaffer rewired the heating thermostat.

The carpenters enlarged the bathroom in the basement, built a storage area, put doors on the sump pump room in the basement along with a new pressed board ceiling in the entire basement. Formica tops were put on the class tables and new guttering was put on the building. The cracks in the walls were filled and then painted. New curtains for the basement were selected by Evelyn Ford and Carolyn Vandeveer. The ladies of the church along with John Harper did the above painting and staining of the woodwork. Jeannett Hammel removed most of the old paint from a small oak table and Clifford Parrill completed refinishing the table. The finished product is beautiful.

Oran Alderson constructed three class storage and one utility cabinets. His good deeds continue and would not charge for his labor.

The men of the church in the winter of 1981-1982 laid tile under ground on the south, east, and west side of the church to help keep the basement dryer. They installed an outside sump pump purchased at Woolford/Marsh for $200.00. Robert Ford and Russell Vandeveer took the responsibility of the work. Other young men of the church assisted.

In the summer of 1982, the members voted to have carpet installed in the basement (it was guaranteed for five years not to mildew). Joyce Wilkins and Carolyn Vandeveer made the selection.

Maxine Barksdale, June Woolridge, Joyce Wilkins and Kim Harper were appointed to select new hymnals for the church this summer, 1983.

On October 9, 1983, a committee of Ruby Shaffer, Rolland Vandeveer and Herbert Anderson was appointed to have new shade trees planted around the church.

Over the many years of the church’s activity many souls have dedicated themselves to the Lord’s work and several have gone into full time service for the Lord. Some of these members were Burdette (L.B.) Walkington, George Meyer (1950), Dwight Kline (1952), and Viola Meyer.

Mrs. Amy Sipes who is 101 years of age is our oldest living member. Laura Rose, Jean Griffin, G.W. Shaffer, Claude and Ruby Hiestand continued to support our church until their deaths.

We will miss the faithful members that have passed away. Their memory will take a prominent place in the long history that helped keep Pleasant Grove Church a force for God in the community. Their lives have left an indelible mark on the religious and social fabric of the Pleasant Grove Community.

The church worship services are every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. and Sunday School at 10:45 a.m.

Compiled by Ruby Shaffer and Maxine Barksdale – October, 1979 and revised July and October, 1983

History of Salem, Illinois and surrounding territory by the Continental Historical

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church Records (books of secretaries, treasurers

Weddings at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church

Janet Sue Barksdale to Thomas F. Harmon – June 9, 1968

Ernest O. Shaffer – 1917

A list of ministers who have served the Pleasant Grove Methodist Church is as follows:

Rev. Earnest M. & Geraldine Dycus at Pleasant Grove Methodist church homecoming. He was a former minister.