This is the original Warranty Deed dated April 29, 1905 from John & Mary Wilson which provided the site for the New Virginia Church.
Archives for December 2018
The Building of a Church
The settlers from Virginia viewed
This land their hearts desired.
Homesteading in the Seventies
On acres they acquired.
They had
In this fair neighborhood.
In that great distance from their homes
Hone had seen
They named it New Virginia,
Because of memory’s hold.
It still had all they wished for it
When they were gray and old.
With sod, they built their homes and school.
More immigrants arrived,
Bohemians, Germans, Swedes, and Danes.
At meetings held, the settlers urged
For Sunday-School and church.
The sod
To make Divine research.
The years sped on; the “soddy” was
Replaced by wood and nail,
But
Learned of the Holy Grail.
The Lord showered blessings on the land,
The people were devout.
Their savings they were glad to use;
And thus it came about
When at a meeting of these folk
A
That they might raise an edifice–
A building set apart
To worship God and hold a school,
Where all could study more
Or a lost faith restore.
The years were long and hard, but they
Made plans and funds soon grew.
And when they had enough to build
Construction fairly flew.
The day of dedication set,
The planning grew apace.
The preachers who were taking part
Knew all the populace.
The day drew near, all work was done,
The dawn would bring that day.
Alas! The night a story told
That swept all plans away
A fiery light flared to the sky!
The little group that gathered there
With shock and grief were numb.
The wagons creaked along the road
When came another dawn.
With
Brought with them Faith and brawn.
They journeyed to the frame school house–
Prom prayer they rose, to start
Another building on the site,
A House, to stand apart.
The small school house was more than filled,
Where services were held.
The call for building funds met with
Success unparalleled.
In scarcely more than half a year
They realized their dream,
Their church was built — a Holy place,
To worship God Supreme.
New Virginia Church Dedication
The dedication services of the New Virginia Methodist Episcopal church, seven miles north of Inavale, were held last Saturday and Sunday and were the occasion of great rejoicing in that community. For twenty years the people have worshipped in the school house and, summer and winter, have maintained a Sunday school. Two years ago they began a subscription to build a new church, and soon had the building under way. They were greatly delayed, however, on account of illness in the carpenter’s family. They finally succeeded in completing the building and were ready for dedication early in August of last year. Unfortunately, on the Saturday night before the dedication the church took fire and was totally destroyed. This was a great blow, as the building was only partially insured. It was with gloomy faces that the people came back to the old school house the next morning. Yet they were not wholly discouraged, and soon had subscribed enough to replace the building. Thus after two weary years of sacrifice and waiting they have as nice a little church as can be found anywhere.
The services began on Saturday afternoon when Rev. A. V. Wilson, assisted byt the pastor, laid the cornerstone. Rev. Wilson preached a short sermon from Phil. 3, 18, after which the corner stone, containing copies of a number of the county papers, the discipline, the names of the members, the names of the the trustees and names of the donors, the Lord’s Prayer and the church papers, was placed in the wall. This stone, a beautiful granite block, was presented by Mr. Ed McAlister of Red Cloud.
Rev. J. W. Embree of Superior preached the dedicatory sermon Sunday morning, taking for his text Eph. 5, 27. The church was dedicated free of debt. There was no begging for subscriptions.
There were services in the afternoon and evening, at which former pastors of the church presided. The church was filled to its utmost capacity and many were unable to gain admission. The following ministers were present and took part in the services: Rev. Embree, Rev. Fonch, Rev. Priestley and Rev. Wilson.
Source:
Red Cloud
Nebraska Newspapers Project
Johnny Wilson & Bonnie Skjelver Marriage License
This is the Certificate of Marriage for Johnny Robert Wilson and Bonnie Harriet Skjelver dated October 3, 1942.
