Gar
Creek United Methodist Church
Introduction to Gar Creek Church
This is a quick loading condensed version of the history of the Gar Creek churches. It will permit readers less interested in history to quickly locate the names of their ancestors who were members of those churches.
Those who still wish to view the full text file can do so. It is maintained on-line as GARTEXT.
Pastors, Membership and Surnames
Photograph of Gar Creek Church
Location and History of Gar Creek Church
The Gar Creek church is located one quarter mile south of the old Wire Road on the old road to Ozark. There has been a church on that land about 140 years. An even older church stood 75 yards in front of the present building.
That building was log construction with split log seats and no ceiling. Generations spoke of how cold the building became in winter. There is a small stage for the choir and minister at the back. The building must have been one of the last in Franklin County to have been constructed with square nails.
The original building served as both a school and church. Teachers at this school included Mrs. Newberry, whose daughter, Plurie Newberry, married Benjamin Edgin. Several of the students who attended school in this building and positively identified are Samuel Andrew Edgin, father of Raymond Edgin and Ada Edgin Kearns; Tempest Ann Tomberlin, mother of Ozema Dunford Campbell; Tom Scott, Mrs. Plemmons and Bill Conatser. There, however, were several others not yet identified.
One preacher of the older church is identified as Rev. B. H. Greathouse who came to the church in the fall of 1872. Rev. Greathouse was 24 years old at that time. He served five churches, Lone Elm, Bonds Springs, Gar Creek, Grenades Chapel and Hickersons Chapel, and traveled to each church by horse and buggy.
Things were extremely difficult during the Civil War in Franklin County. Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers roamed the countryside. The Gar Creek community generally supported the Confederacy, but support for the Union was strong in other parts of Franklin County. Many families fled Franklin County during the war to the greater security of Texas along the Red River and northwest Texas. Some families returned after the war, but many did not return.
Within twenty years the local economy improved and New Hope School was constructed about one mile north of the old combination school and church. Gar Creek Methodist was one of four churches constructed along the Old Wire Road. The others were Pleasant Grove, Grenades Chapel and Bethlehem. The new Gar Creek church was built in 1884.
In August 5, 1882, Isaac J. Cook and his wife Mary S. Cook donated land for the new church. It sets just north of the old church, next to Gar Creek Cemetery. The deed was made to W. R. Nave, W. G. Davis, and M. L. Hallum, trustees of the Methodist Church South and to their successors in office. Deed was recorded by James O. Alston on the August 8, 1882.
The Gar Creek Cemetery predates the present church building by several years, the oldest marked graves dating to the 1850's. However, many of the unmarked graves are probably much older.
Of the three original trustees, W. R. Nave is buried along with two members of his family in graves marked by native stones just outside the fence on the north side of the cemetery on land now owned by Harley Edgin. Two of M. L. Hallum's children have clear markers in the cemetery. No further records for W. G. Davis have been found.
Records which survive from 1884 are mostly in the handwriting of the late Ed Shuller and the late E. Z. Dickerson. Mr. Shuller kept the records from the early 1900's until the 1930's when Mr. Dickerson assumed responsibility. The original records are in the possession of Harold Dickerson who still lives in the Gar Creek Community.
On September 19, 1895, the church acquired 40 acres of land from B. D. McWhorter for $140 deeded to trustees W. W. Read, W. C. Conatser and D. C. Logan for use as a church parsonage. The idea of the church owning its own parsonage failed, however, the property, now owned by Kemper Edgin, is still known as the "Old Parsonage Place."
In the late 1940's the original pews were replaced by pews made by a wood shop in Ozark. The original keepers to hold kerosene lanterns are still attached to the walls. Electricity for lighting was added in 1943 and a ceiling fan was installed. The old wood burning stove was replaced during the 1950's with a butane heater. Last remodel was in the 1990's.
The Pleasant Grove church closed during the 1950's and the church building was moved to Gar Creek to serve as a community building. A kitchen was built and plumbing for running water added to the building, which was then used for community dinners and meetings.
A Cemetery decoration day was started before 1900. On the second Sunday in May each year the church pews were moved onto the lawn after church, covered with table cloths, and dinner was served. Ceremonies included a sermon, singing and recitations by the community children. Attendance at early cemetery decorations was heavy, but gradually tapered off. Dinners were discontinued in the 1950's, but Cemetery decoration ceremonies are still held.
The minutes of the last Church Conference are as follows:
A Church Conference was held at Gar Creek United Methodist Church at 2 p.m. on March 20, 1988. In attendance were District Superintendent William Cheyne, Pastor DuBois Pettit, members E. S. and Hazel Milton, Oscar and Quita Debes, Joe Parker, Ozema Campbell, Bonnie Dickerson and Ada Kearns.
Rev. Cheyne opened the conference with a prayer. He then asked for a nominee to serve as secretary. Rev. Pettit nominated Quita Debes and she was elected. The purpose of this conference was to make a decision regarding the continuation or closing of the church.
A letter dated March 6, 1988, to this effect had been sent to members. Options offered by the District were that the church might continue as a member of the conference with a 5th Sunday service, abandon the Church, or continue as is.
E. S. Milton moved that Gar Creek United Methodist Church discontinue services on May 31, 1988. Second was by Oscar Debes. The motion was amended to recommend that the property be sold to the Gar Creek Cemetery Association with mineral rights to be retained by the United Methodist Conference. Second to the amendment was by Bonnie Dickerson. Motion and Amendment passed. "Rev. Cheyne said he would recommend to the board that governs such transactions that the property be sold to the Cemetery Association for $200.
The Church membership roll books would be stored in Fort Smith District Superintendent's office. Closing prayer was delivered by Rev. Pettit. /s/Quita Debes Acting Secretary" The last regular church service was held May 29, 1988, 104 years after the original dedication. A dinner was held in the community building following the service. Over the next two weeks Jul 31 thru Aug 6, 1988, most members transferred their membership to the First United Methodist Church in the city of Ozark.
Among the long term members left when the Church closed were the following:
Name and Date they originally joined Gar Creek Church:
Ada Edgin Kearns August 2, 1911; Raymond Edgin August 14, 1921; Ozema Dunford Campbell August 21, 1921; Hoyt Lee August, 1931; Esther Lee August, 1931; Bonnie Dickerson May 10, 1932; Quita Campbell Debes August, 1933; Hazel Dickerson Milton September, 1935.
Thanks to Ozema Campbell, Harold Dickerson, Quita Debes, Raymond Edgin, Ada Edgin Kearns, Dr. Thurman Shuller, Janice Edgin and other persons who checked typing and offered corrections to the Church records. Much of the information is from oral accounts from older people in the Gar Creek Community and are available from no other source.
In addition, a debt of gratitude is due to those who faithfully kept the records of the church for over 100 years.