Argyle United Methodist Church History

Argyle United Methodist Church – History

Residents of the Argyle area started to build the First Methodist Episcopal Church in the year 1883 on a site located one mile north of Argyle, Michigan (now M-19). The lot was purchased from Matthew Seder and was on the east side of the road. In the fall of 1883 the framework was completed but during the winter, winds blew it down. The band of faithful pioneers started the church once again and the building was completed in 1884. The building cost $524.25 taken by subscription. Much of the work for the church building was donated. Ralph Stephenson served as contractor and builder.

The first sermon was preached by the presiding elder, Rev. Jacob HORTON, of the Port Huron district, and the building dedication was on Oct. 19, 1884.

In 1900 the members decided to move the church from its original site to its present location in Argyle (on east Argyle Road) on land purchased from Frederick DOERR. The circuit than consisted of four churches: Ubly, Tyre, Cumber and Argyle. In 1936 the circuit was changed to Ubly, Holbrook, Wickware, Cumber and Argyle and later on with Elmer for a year. The Tyre, Cumber, Holbrook and Wickware Methodist Churches are now closed. The circuit now is Argyle, Decker, Ubly and Shabbona.

The pastors were partly paid by donations of hay, oats, potatoes, butter and eggs. Mrs. Andrew (Lowe) MCLAUGHLIN donated the first big bible.

An offshoot of the Argyle Church was the Argyle Union Sunday School, held in the Starr school house, which ran for several years and closed around 1964.

At about the time of the dedication a class was formed consisting of the following: Mrs. George ROSS, Andrew MCLACHLIN, Mrs. Andrew MCLACHLIN, David ROSS, Alexander KING, Mrs. Alexander KING, Mrs. Hattie DESJARDINS, Mrs. Sarah SEDER, Miss Hattie LOWE, Phillip MATHEWS, Mrs. Phillip MATHEWS, Mrs. George STEPHENSON, Richard LOWE, J. STARR, Mrs. J. STARR, Mrs. H. HOVEY, Mrs. I. WALKER, Edward WILLERTON, Mrs. Edward WILLERTON, Rev. DELONG, pastor.

Sunday School has been held continuously in the Argyle Church since 1884. The first superintendent of the Sunday School was Edward Willerton, who later became a Free Methodist minister serving at Hay Creek near Sandusky. Other superintendents of the Church school: Bert BROOKS, A. J. MCLAUGHLIN, Dan HENRY, James MCNAUGHTON, Grace STRIFFLER, James PALMER, Cyrus KING, John MCPHAIL, Grace SANDHAM, Peter MCRAE, Clara PALMER, Clara VADEN, Stella KING, Irene PRINGLE, Gurdon WATSON, Tom FOOTE.

Pastors:

A. H. DELONG, 1884

Unknown, 1885

Walter MARKS, 1886

James W. MITCHELL, 1888-1889

C. W. HUBBARD, 1890-1892

George NIXON, 1893-1894

Patrick MACAULEY, 1895

C. J. PECK, 1896

J. H. CARMICHAEL, 1897-1898

William CRIDLAND, 1899-1900

Dresden E. BIRTCH , 1901

George A. TYLER, 1902-1903

John C. GORDON, 1904-1905

Walter MCALLISTER, 1906-1907

Frank A. BLAKE, 1908-1909

W. C. L. PHILIPS, 1910-1912

John A. YEOMAN, Sept. 16, 1912 to Sept. 28, 1914 to Owendale

George W. SCOTT, Sept. 28, 1914 to Sept. 20, 1915

W. LESTER Card, Sept. 20, 1915 to Oct. 1, 1918 to Dansville

John AUSTIN, Oct. 1, 1918 to Oct., 1920

O. R. BOWMAN, Oct. 10, 1920 to March 1, 1920

Fred C. BIRCHAM, Oct. 1, 1921 to 1922 to Sandusky

George W. BEDELL, 1922-1923

John B. SLUYTER, 1923 to Feb. 1925

Jacob H. TURNBULL, Feb. 1925 to Sept. 1925

Willie FIRTH, Oct. 1925 to Sept. 1927

James BLACKMORE, Sept. 1927 to Sept. 1930

Herbert HICHENS, Sept. 1930 to Sept. 1934 to Peck

Bruce R. DAVIS, Sept. 1934 to June 1936

Erland J. WANG, Aug. 1936 to July 1, 1938

Marion GREEN, July 3, 1938 to June 23, 1940

Clifton W. SCOTT, June 23, 1940 to June 23, 1941

Fred WAGER, June 23, 1941 to Sept., 1945

Fred CLARK, Sept., 194t to Nov. 5, 1947 to Pinnebog

Sergei MOISEJENKO, 1948 to June 1951 to Deckerville

Susan PARR, June 1951 to 1956

Paul L. LOWRY, 1956 -1958

Thomas HENDERSON, 1958 - 1960

Richard WOOD, Summer 1960

Wallace ZINNECKER, 1960 -1962

Adolph BERGMAN, 1962 -1964

R. WOOD, Summer 1964

Maynard Q. KENT, 1964 -1977

Emerson ARNTZ, 1977 -1982

Hayden CARRUTH, 1982

James L. RUHLE, 1982 -1986 to Newberry

Wallace CRAWFORD, 1986 to May, 1991 to Swan Valley

Jan BEADERSTADT, 1991 -1993 to Sterling circuit

James RENCONTRE, 1993 -1997 retired

Jean RENCONTRE,1997 -2000

John HEIM, 2000 – 2001 to Owendale-Gagetown

Fred MCDOWELL, 2001 -

Names of Paul DESJARDINS & D.C. LITTLEJOHN – cannot ascertain a date as to when they served the church.

Contributed by Margaret Wegner & Deloris Willerton, 26 Oct 2003