Iola’s Methodist Roots

Iola’s Methodist Roots. . , The informal inauguration of religious services in Iola occurred when J.J. Hatch, having arrived with his wife and six children on December 4, 1856, delivered a sermon to a small gathering. The exact date and location of that service was not recorded, but it is believed it took place on the site of the Iola Methodist Church today. At that time the community’s original schoolhouse stood on this site. The formal organization occurred in 1858. Church records indicate the first resident pastor of the parish was Mr. Alcott, a name not on the formal pastors list, Henry Orcutt being listed first, perhaps the result of a sloppy signature. , Having used the old schoolhouse building for some 20 years, sharing it with a Baptist congregation, the central portion of the present structure was constructed in 1879, according to the cornerstone of a 1955 classroom and fellowship addition, more than doubling the Church’s size. Originally a single-floor structure, featuring only a small narthex and the sanctuary, fronted tight on what is now W. Iola Street, in 1925 the structure was raised and set back several feet to the north, with the area beneath dug out to accommodate a fellowship hall, kitchen, and furnace/utility room. , (Continued on other side) , (Continued from other side) , The original 1879 structure has an open bell tower, rather than a steeple. In 1907 parishioners enclosed the bell, concerned that kids throwing stones trying to ring the bell might miss and break one of the stained-glass windows. A steeple with a lighted cross was later added atop the cupola. Two noteworthy developments are tied to the 1953 addition. , First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was solicited and remitted $1.00 to pay for a nail that was used in the construction. Then carpenter/parishioner Chet Krause undertook this $24,000 building project, donating his labors, but paying his hire help. , The heirs J.J. Hatch remained connected to the Church for over a century. Honored for supporting a 1948 installation of 26 pews: Walter A. Hatch; Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Hatch. Other enumerated: Albert Biedermann; Mr. and Mrs. William Wallace. Mrs. William G. Egner; Rev. and Mrs. H.D. Stone; Dr. and Mrs. C.L. Lee; Mrs. Mina H. Spooner; Fred C. Wipf; E.M. Tayor; Mr. and Mrs. A. Weinmann Sr.; Rev. George H. Willett; J.H. and Emma Leuthold; Frances Adams; Grace and Jeanette Wright; Charles E. Huffcut; William R., Earl H., and Louis E. Parks; Mrs. Margaret Scott; Mrs. Charles Morrison; Mrs. Minnie Wilker; Mrs. Lucy Siebert; Mrs. Fred Barker; and Mr. and Mrs. Florence C. Cleaves.