Osawatomie Graphic, Thursday, May 31, 1979

NEW PARSONAGE -- A new parsonage will be dedicated by the Spring Grove Friends Church Sunday afternoon. The old parsonage was destroyed by fire on June 23, 1977. Church members have raised money and donated labor to build the new home. In addition, the church will celebrate its 120th anniversary during special services.

Parsonage to Be Dedicated

The Spring Grove Friends Church will have two reasons to celebrate Sunday.

Not only will the church observe its 120th anniversary, it will also dedicate a new parsonage. The new structure was built with the labor and donations of church members after the old parsonage was destroyed by fire in June, 1977.

Dr. John Robinson, superintendent of the Mid-America Yearly Meeting of Friends, Wichita, will be the speaker at the dedication service to be held at 2:30 p.m. Rev. and Mrs. Charles Nutt, pastors of the Friends Church at Gardner, will provide special music for the dedication.

Dr. Robinson will bring the message at the church's regular worship service at 10:45 a.m. His wife, Betty, will present special music. There will be an open house and reception following the service.

A covered dish dinner in the church annex will be held at 12:30 p.m.

At 7:30 p.m. a service will be conducted by Phil Hickman and his father of Olathe.

The church began its services in one of the homes of a member who lived in the area. They worked with Indians and with the early settlers. When Osawatomie was burned in 1856, many of the early settlers fled to the home of Richard Mendenhall, one of the early Friends settlers.

The present church was erected in 1877. The annex additions were made in 1964 when the Leslie Wheelers were the pastors and in 1973 under the leadership of the present pastor, Rev. June Worden.

The old Parsonage, moved to the church property in 1946, was destroyed by fire on June 23, 1977. The new parsonage was occupied by Mrs. Worden in May, 1978.

The house started to be a completed basement when a house shell was erected. The money to finish the parsonage was raised by holding garage sales, walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon, candy sales, ice cream socials, bake sales, individual cake sales, and many gifts.

The ladies of the church are putting together a cookbook which will be published soon.