Our history: The Mitchellville United Methodist Church has been around since 1876. Before the church was built, the people of the congregation use to meet in the Universalist Church until they could build their own building.

Back in the day, people would hitch up their horses on the south and east side of the church. People in town would walk.

During funerals back then, the janitor would toll the bell for as many rings as the person was alive. So if they passed at 85, the bell would ring that many times!

Some memories from the church were how Louis Schnabel recalled how his mother would get him up on cold Sunday mornings to go start the furnace. The basement held the furnace and a small room where basket dinners could be held.

There was a choir, and Thursday night was choir practice. Allegedly there use to be a pump organ back of the pulpit. Later a piano took its place and the organ was moved to the floor level.

Back then they still held Strawberry ice cream socials on the church lawn which was how they would pay the preacher. The ice cream was made at home and brought to the church in containers. 

They also held taffy pulls then and a Mrs. Keister made the candy. She would never tell how she made the taffy, but when it was done she would pour some into a plate to cool, then each child would choose a partner and pull until it was white and ready to cut into bite sized pieces. "It was always so good!"

The first minister which the congregation recalls was Reverend J.P. Morley. He was a scholar and a very quiet man, but had a good sense of humor. 

Next was Reverend Ross. He was described as tall and thin with a wife who was short and plump. Then several pastor's existed in those early days: Rev. Manning, Rev. Palmer, Rev. MacCartney, Rev. Rarrick and his wife Jennie who apparently preached better than he did according to the records. Unfortunately the last reverend and his wife were killed in 1920 after driving over a railroad track and getting hit by a train in their car.

Many pastors at Mitchellville UMC have come and gone over the past 149 years.

For many years the church was called the Methodist Episcopal Church until it became the United Methodist Church, then the word Episcopal was dropped. 

In 1976 the church celebrated one hundred years. There several previous pastor's came and they had special events for the week. Two hundred years we will celebrate in the year 2076. That's a long time from now and i am hoping that by then our small congregation will once again have small children, middle aged children, and our older congregation, all coming to Sunday services here at the Mitchellville UMC.

Until then, have a blessed day!

Teri Weeks, LLP