Niobrara Church

(1890-1895)

The Gospel Messenger Oct. 28, 1890 page 669 Vol. 28 No. 42

From Hay Springs, Nebr.

 Our church here has been divided and it leaves us a very weak ministerial corps. Our age elder is in poor health, and Bro. Studebaker, owing to other labors, can not put much time to the ministry.  We need another minster that has his heart in Christ’s work.  A good work might be done here. The church here is in love and union.  One has been received by baptism since the division in the Rush Valley church. David K Hand.

The Gospel Messenger Jan. 30, 1894 page 78

Notes of Travel.

 I left home Nov. 23, to visit the mission post in Northwestern Nebraska.  My first stop was at Newport in Rock County.  Here there are yet eight members of what was once the Pine Creek church. This place has had but few visits by Brethren from elsewhere, and is in rather a discouraging condition.  On account of cold, stormy weather we had but few meetings.

  My next stop was with the members at Crookston. This is a new field for the Brethren, About eighteen months ago the first sheaves were gathered in, with the hopeful outlook for the future.

  My next stop was with the members of the Rush Valley church.  They have been losing heavily by members moving away, but the few remaining are good, faithful workers, and we think their outlook is encouraging.  Here we were kindly invited to preach in the Baptist church in Rushville, which invitation we accepted.  After the evening services I went to the depot, where I had four hours to wait for the west bound train.

  I arrived at Hay Spring at 2 A. M. Here friend Elias Hirner awaited my arrival, and soon we mounted the farm wagon ans truck south twenty-one miles to his home, where we arrived just at daylight. I had no sleep that night.

  Here we found nine members. – a remnant of what was once the Niobrara church.  We had a pleasant meeting and council-meeting. One was received by letter and one reclaimed.  At this place was, at one time, quite a number of members, but unfortunately the country did not prove as productive as was expected, and nearly all moved away. The interest manifested,

By the members and others, indicates a hopeful outlook for the future.

  My next stop was with the Brethren in Sioux County, north of Crawford.  Here there are sixteen members without an organization and no preaching, but the occasional visits of brethren.  Here, too, I think, that, by an earnest effort, the borders of Zion may be enlarged.  At this, as well as at some other places, we can say we occupy the land.  There is no preaching by any other denomination in the neighborhood.

  To sum up the whole I must say, I found things thus far in better condition than I had anticipated.  In all my experience I never met a happier people than the members at these places.  When they learned that they can now expect regular preaching and love-feast privileges, not only members, but others, seemed greatly pleased.

  All over this country crops have been short tor several years, especially so in the south part of Sheridan County on the Niobrara River.  People are very limited in means, and a box of clothing would be a great help to them.  In Sioux County they are still worse off.

  After five weeks’ absence I returned home to recruit, having traveled by railroad something over nine hundred miles, and by private conveyance, - mostly the farm wag, - upwards of two hundred miles.

Jesse Y. Heckler    Elmwood, Nebr., Jan. 6.

The Gospel Messenger Aug. 7, 1894 page 492 Vol. 32 No. 32

From Northwestern Nebraska.

  Leaving Rush Valley, Sunday, July 15, we came by wagon thirty miles to the southern part of Sheridan County. During the week we held seven meetings and one council-meeting. Two that had wandered away were restored again.

  When we first entered this field in December of 1893, we found nine live members, without an official or any one to look after them.  They are a remnant of the Niobrara church.  The officials not working in harmony, all moved away and left the field in a neglected condition.  Since then some have been baptized and others restored to fellowship. Several members have also moved in, so that altogether there are thirteen souls.

Several have moved away, leaving yet a membership of eighteen zealous members.  A love-feast was held here in May and another feast is appointed for September.

  Brother and sister Trump has set apart a furnished room in their spacious sod-house, for Sunday school and church purposes, where we enjoyed some pleasant meetings with the Father’s children.  We were also with them in their Sunday school.  The country here is thinly settled, and congregations necessarily small.  The wheat is ready for harvest but the crop is light.  Corn, potatoes and garden vegetables are doing very well.   

Jesse Y. Heckler.  Moomaw, Nebr., July 23.

The Gospel Messenger Oct. 1, 1895 page 645 Vol. 33 No. 40

From the Mission Field of Northwestern Nebraska.

  I arrived among the members of the Niobrara church in Southern part of Sheridan County, Sept. 3 and commenced my labor of visiting by day and preaching by night. We have one council-meeting, and also had preaching in the afternoon of Sept. 5, after which one young man was received by baptism.  On Saturday evening, Sept. 7, the members assembled at the house of Bro. B. Trump, where all once more participated in the ordinances of a Communion service, evidently for the last time in this part of the vineyard, for here the failure of crops has from year become more grievous, until this year not half of the seed sown has been reaped. The Brethren have all decided to move away. Several have already gone. Certificates of membership have been granted to all (Twenty-four certificates).

  All vegetation appears to be entirely dead, and one thing adds till more to the gloomy appearance of the county, - the ruins of sod-houses that people have vacated and left to crumble down.

  On Sunday forenoon we held our last meeting here. In the afternoon we again resorted to the waters of the Box Butte, where another young man was buried by baptism, to arise to walk in a new life.  There, by the waterside a solemn parting.  Our labors among the members here were always pleasant.

  We lodged for the night with brother and sister Frederick Weber, and the returned to Rush Valley to continue our labors there.   Jesse Y. Heckler,  Sept. 10