Early church services for the Shannon City area were held in the schools.
Grant Center Methodist Church was built in 1891 and dedicated on Januray 4, 1892. It was located in section 21 of Grant Township. Fire destroyed the church building in 1907. A new church was built one mile west of the old church. J. P. Crowell gave land for the new church. The church closed around 1922-1923 and was torn down in 1931.
Valley Chapel, located in section 11, was built in 1891 on land owned by the Oakes family. Lightning struck the church on July 12,1915. A new church was built and dedication took place on January 16, 1916.
The Evangelical church was merged with the United Brethren Church, and the church ceased to be used in the early 1950's. The last meeting of the South Valley Ladies Quilters was held in the church on November 4, 1959. Carl Eklund tore the building down in 1960.
One other church served the northwest corner of Grant Township, but was located in Highland township.The Pilgrim Congregational Church was built in 1875.
RURAL CHURCHES IN JEFFERSON Township
Mt. Zion - 1859-1870 - First Methodist church building located in Ringgold County.
Eugene UP - 1874-1890/1892
Pleasant Ridge Church - 1857-1874. This was the first church building in Ringgold County.
Shannon City Churches
Shannon City has supported five church buildings with six denominations. These being Christian, Catholic, Adventist, Methodist, Presbyterian and Bible Church.
Christian Church
The Christian Church was organized at Shannon City in 1898 by the Rev. Johnson. E. M. Pardee, a pastor during the early period. In 1903, a church was built in Cassady's First Addition, Block 1, Lot 9. W. L. Dunlavy was pastor during 1913-1915. The church supported 60 members and a Bible school of 35. Rev. Dunlavy died on October 28, 1915, just three weeks after he resigned as pastor. He is buried at Gravity.
John Roberts served the church in 1916. $400.00 was raised during the year for local work. From around 1922 to 1924, C. A. Blanchard was the pastor. He wrote a history called "Pioneers of a Great Cause - History of Church of Christ". He lived in Des Moines.
John C. Moreno, also of Des Moines, served the church in 1925. After 1926, no regular pastor served the church. The church was dropped from the rolls (of the Christians after 1929.)
Finally a committee of P.E. Bilderback. John Hunter, Henry Grant, and Earl Coaker suggested the church be sold. The Methodists used the building for some of their Sunday School classes. The building is believed to have been torn down in the 1940's.
Adventist Catholic Church
Adventists were reported meeting in the Shannon City area as early as 1889. In 1893, a church was built in Block 2. Lot 10 of Cassady's First Addition. They discontinued their services after a few years.
In 1907, the Roman Catholics purchased the building and used it as their regular place of conducting their religious worship. Father White is known to have come to Shannon City for a time. They discontinued using it in the twenties.
In 1934, Beryl Swank and Roy Crowell moved the fixtures from the building to a church north of Des Moines. The building was torn down in the spring of 1935 by Robbie Robertson and Mart Anderson.
Shannon City Bible Church
The Shannon City Bible Church started in 1959. Church services were first held in the cafe building and later at the home of John Reynolds.
A country school from the Lenox area was moved onto the former site of the Boyce home. First church services were held in May 1962. Lyle DeFord served as the pastor until June 1. 1963.Others serving as pastors of the church included: Orville
Osgood (several summers). Joseph McCall, Ted Stanbaugh,
Ersie Wilson. Richard VanTyle and William Shroyer. Rev. Van
Tyle was the last regular minister at the church and he left in the
Fall of 1977.
United Presbyterian Church
A part of the United Presbyterian Church Congregation from Mt. Ayr, Ringgold County, met at the church located near Mr. McClelland's on July 18, 1871.
They organized a separate church under the name of United Presbyterian Church Congregation of Pleasant Ridge, Ringgold County, State of Iowa.
The Rev. William Brown acted as chairman. After prayer and some remarks by Rev. Brown, the congregation proceeded to elect three elders, Mr. Alexander Pollock, Mrs. Asher Lorimor, and Mr. Alexander Elder. The constitution and by-laws were adopted and officers selected for the coming year, William Porter, chairman; John Coie, secretary; Richard McClelland, treasurer' and William Coie and Andrew Stevenson, trustees.The next meeting was held at Pollock's schoolhouse in October 1872. (Pollock's school was near where Tingley is now.) These meetings were held semi-annually. called meeting on January 25, 1873, was held to raise funds to erect a house of worship. A financial and building committee was appointed (J. Stevenson and Al Elder) and steps taken to erect a house of worship at Eugene immediately, when they had another called meeting on Feb. 23, 1874.
At a meeting of the congregation on Feb. 15, 1878, a motion was made and carried that the Pastoral Relation between Pleasant Ridge and Mt. Ayr be dissolved. Two persons were elected to attend the regular meeting to ask for a change of name from Pleasant Ridge to Eugene (June 9, 1878) in order that correspondence would be held with the name of the Post Office. At a meeting of the trustees and elders on December 5, 1879, a motion was made and carried to enlarge the church. Rev. Deinnan was pastor at this time.
At a meeting in July, 1892, of the Eugene congregation, a motion was made and carried that the Eugene congregation go to Shannon City as an organization, and that they move the church and parsonage to Shannon City. In August, they met to decide on a donation to help build the church at Shannon City. At the September meeting, it was decided to sell the church property or to move it from Eugene. Later in September, they met at Shannon City and decided to move the stable and the outbuildings at Eugene to Shannon City, but would continue their worship as usual until the new church was ready. In March of 1893, the Eugene congregation decided to hold their services in the "hall" at Shannon City, paying one dollar each time they met and used it. Mr. McNabb was the pastor at this time. He resigned in December of 1893, and in 1893 the Shannon City Presbyterian Church was established. They had established the cost of the church and the lots to be $2330.00. (Part of the congregation went to Shannon City, and part of it to Tingley, when the Eugene church was dissolved.)
On March 29th, 1895, they asked the Presbytery to change the name of the Eugene congregation to Shannon City. Rev. Tidgall was the pastor at this time, having been called in March of 1894. He served until March of 1898. In September of 1900 they voted to buy poles to build hitchracks. Rev. J. S. Tomson was the pastor from 1899 to 1901.In March of 1899, they traded the old parsonage to T. A. Fisher, a merchant in Shannon City, for his property, to be used for a parsonage.
Other pastors serving were: Rev. T. B. McKee, 1901-1904; Rev. J. M. Duncan, 1904-1911; Rev. J. M. Myers, 1911-1913; Rev. J. M. Ralston, 1913-1916; Rev. G. E. Carnahan, 1916-1926.
While Rev. Carnahan was here, the congregation decided to improve the basement, which had not been used for much more than a place for the furnace and a coal bin. They remodeled it extensively, making it into Sunday School rooms, a kitchen and an area for tables and chairs.
Rev. Fred McConnalee, 1928-1931
Rev. (Wallace) Willis Craft, 1932-1934
Rev. O. L. Lawson, 1934-1935
Rev. B. E. Dobbins, 1935-1937
Rev. A. J. McConnell, 1938-1941
Last service under Rev. McConnell was April 27, 1941
Dr. B. M. Dobbin, 1941-1943 (resigned Oct. 17, 1943)
Rev. H. Vincent Wright, 1944-1947
A substitute pastor, Dr. Dykhuzen, came to minister to them from 1947-1951, when they had no regular minister, at intervals.
Dr. B. M. Dobbin, 1948-1950
Rev. Charles Wilson - 1951-1956
After this time the church was served by student pastors:
Sidney Sanduskey, 1957; Jack Wyman, 1958; Alfred Martin.
1959.
At a meeting on January 7, 1958, they decided to sell the parsonage. On January 11,1959, they accepted an invitation of the Tingley congregation to worship with them.
In September 1959, they became a yoked charge with Afton. Under advice from Rev. Bierswinger of Creston and Rev. James E. Eddy, the larger Parish, was formed consisting of Afton, Tingley and Shannon City. This became effective Jan. 1, 1960. On January 20, 1960, a meeting was held with Rev. Langenburg of Des Moines in charge. It was decided to dissolve the Shannon City congregation, and put all of the affairs into the hands of the Presbytery.Roll of members as of January 1, 1960 was: Mr. and Mrs.
Archie McCahon and Leah Dell, Alice Templeton, Weldon
Speelman, Frances Anna Weeda and children, James and
Phvllis: Martin Anderson; Mr. and Mrs. John Z. Reynolds and
son, Marvin; Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Davenport; Mr. and Mrs. John
Z. and Mrs. John Dunlap, Mrs. Frankie Morgan, Maxine Petrie,
Mr. and Mrs. Orville Greene, Mrs. Viola Swinehart, Mrs. Helen
Oxenreider, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Long, Mr. Will Allen,
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Nurnberg and Miss Sylvia Neidigh.The books were closed and the bank account closed on December 8, 1962.
The following Missionaries and Ministers were ministers of this church: Mr. Will Merriam and Katherine Beattie (missionary society was named for her), Margaret Carnahan, Mary Carnahan, Florence Carnahan Bradshaw, Blanche McCartney Beattie, Rev. and Mrs. Ernest Beattie (whose son was pastor of the Shenandoah Presbyterian Church), and Dr. Clair Hawthorne.
The final funeral from the church was that of Mrs. Martin B (Berthal Anderson in 1957. A special last service was held in June 5, 1960.
The church was torn down in 1967. The manse was torn down in the late 1970's.
Compiled by Mildred Smith with help of others
The Shannon City Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1889. It was in the Charlton District of the Des Moines Conference, Henry W, Warren was the Bishop, W, C, Martin the Presiding Elder, and T, G, Aten was the preacher in charge. In May 1889, the Methodist purchased two lots and laid the cornerstone for their church. The church was built during the summer. A Methodist Sunday Class had been formed at the Wolfe School, north of town, several years before, On August 27, 1939, the Shannon City Church observed their fiftieth anniversary of the building of the church, At that time, the Shannon City church was a part of the Creston District of the Des Moines Conference, The bishop was J. Ralph Magee, the district superintendent was W, A, Morgan,
In 1924 Shannon City joined the Arispe charge and Rev, Clarence Moore served both churches, but lived in the parsonage in Shannon City. In 1968, the
United Brethren and Evangelical churches combined with the Methodist churches nationwide for a historic event, forming the United Methodist Church, At that
time the Diagonal Methodist Church joined the Shannon City and Arispe charges and the minister began living in Diagonal. The United Parish was formed. Later,
the Presbyterian and Christian Churches of Diagonal joined with the Diagonal Methodist Church, and also became a part of the United Parish. In the early forties,
the basement was put under the Shannon City church.
In 1986, a new roof was put on the church.
1987 the church was painted again.
50th ANNIVERSARY
On August 27, 1939, the Shannon City Methodist Episcopal Church observed the fiftieth anniversary of the building of the church in 1889.
J. Ralph Magee was the Bishop of the Des Conference, W, A. Morgan was the District Superintendent and L. M. Kirby was the pastor at this time. The day began with Sunday School at 10:00 o'clock, with Arthur Comer the Superintendent of the Sunday School. During the morning worship service they sang the hymns, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," "Sweet Hour of Prayer," and "Just As I Am", Special music was presented by a mixed quartet composed of Mr. and Mrs. Horace Oliver (superintendent of public school) and Mr. and Mrs. Russell Coppock (he taught and she was Florence Sanderson). They sang'Steer Thou My Bark", Miss Carol Edwards played "Ave Maria" on the cello.
A basket dinner was then served in the basement of the United Presbyterian church. A very informal program was in the afternoon giving guests a chance to speak if they cared to.
Remember When '" Harry Dippert, depot agent at Shannon
City, has a spot in my memories, Pushing the two-wheeled mail
cart to the depot. His greeting was always, "It's a fine day,
just like spring, can't hardly tell the difference,"
Ministers
Ministers who have served the Shannon City Methodist Church:
1889 - T, C, Aten
1890 - G, H, Bennett
1891-1894 - F, A, Wing
1894-1895 - G, W. Palmer
1896-1897 - C, C Culmer
1898 - J, E, Matheny
1899-1901 - S, E. Brown
1902 - G, W, Crafts
1903-19(}4 - J. L. Johnson
1905 - C. E, Bennett
1906-1908 - L, Bradford
1909-1911 - R, E, Mitchell
1912-1913 - U. p, Barton
1914 - Jasper Weber
1915 - M, H. Jordan
1916-1918 - Homer Fintel
1919-1921 - C. H. Marple
1922 - E. B. Borst
1923 - Carl Brown
1924-1928 - Clarence Moore
(joined with Arispe during this time)
1929-1935 - W. L. Hawn
1935-1937 - A. J. Matthews
1937-1939 - Lawrence Kirby
1939-1942 - A. C. Stark
1942-1947 - Orville A. Dillion
1947-1950 - Edna A. Whitson
1950-1952 - Ida Roberts
1952 (Summer) - Donald Moore
1952-1963 - Merlin Wilkins
1963-1966 - Lyle Dunham
1966-1968 - Ronald Kinzler
1968-1969 - Georqe W. McMullen
1969-1971 - Russel Schmitz
1971-1975 - Franklin Schwarm
1975 (Spring) - LeRoy Perkins
1975 (Summer) - Marta Wherry
1975-1977 - Bill Hodgson
1977-1980 - Gregory Creech
1980-1985 - Revs. Mark and Tricia Dykers Koenig
1985 - Edith L. Deal Stephens
Remembering .. ,
Shannon City MYF in the early 1960's -- MYF was going
strong. Members were Marilyn Peppmeier, Eileen Grimes,
Janet Eklund, Allen Webb, Marvin Webb, Rodney Stream,
Sherman Stream, Dennis Hailey, Dennis Peppmeier, Bobby
Eklund, Kathleen Hailey, Jeanne Eklund, Sharon Eklund, unca
Conard, Randy Hoffman, Mike Foy, Gary Hailey, Kathy
Eklund, Steve Werner, Suzan Terry, Lewis Terry, Jacque Hiatt,
Becky Hiatt, Marion Reece, Kenny Reece, Dennis Larimer,
Jimmy Hoffman and Arthur Luckinbill.
1970's
By the mid 1970's, Shannon City MYF had joined with including: Marla White, Vicki Ross, Paula Ross, Bill and Terrv Gilbert. Roxy Hoffman, David Corning, Ken Burgess, David Hoyt, Linda Underwood, Jon McCulley and several others.
The Tower Music
Sweetly o'er the hills of Shannon
Flows the music from the tower.
In clear tones the chimes and organ
Well proclaim the service hour.
With a joyous, sacred cadence
It uplifts the burdened spirit --
Brings in view the Holy City
-- With a bit of Heaven here.
Well conceived this innovation
Giving to the quiet village
All the best that art can offer.
Keep It sounding out good people
From its station in the steeple.
It will prove a Christian message.
Timely broadcast through the years.
Warren W. Petrie Methodist Church
Tower Music
Information from the Shannon City History Book