From Sunday School to Sanctuary

by Trinity Gruenberg

trinity@inhnews.com

The Hope Chapel Church originated from a Union Sunday School started at the Wing River Town Hall in May 1902 by Reverend George McCombs, a missionary of the American Sunday School Union.

For many years, a Methodist minister from Verndale came out every other Sunday to preach at the town hall in the afternoon after Sunday School. Two of these ministers were Reverends Green and Parmenter, followed later by Reverends Craig and McCrae from the Methodist church in Wadena.

In 1925, the community decided to organize and build a Union Church. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Shearer donated an acre of land in the southwest corner of Section 16. Jesse Hess and J.M. Hagerman took on the responsibility of the project. The acre was covered in hazel brush and small oak trees, which the community cleared with the help of local women.

While a group of women were working, Reverend Hendwood, the American Sunday School missionary, drove by. He asked the women what they were doing, and they shared that they were preparing to build a new church. The Reverend was impressed by their efforts.

Grant Allen of Verndale was hired as the head carpenter, while the rest of the labor was donated. Many men who had never attended services worked on the project. Special mention was made of N.P. Anderson, who attended church at Blue Grass and took on the responsibilities of building the chimney, plastering the building, and creating the cement porch—all were donated efforts.

A bill of lumber was arranged with Oscar Nelson in Lyons Township, and one day, five or six men with teams and wagons went to haul it to the site all at once.

Although the church was finished in August, there was no furniture ready for it. Charlie Folkestad informed them about a country church near Hutchinson that was closing and they wanted to sell the furnishings. Jim Hagerman and Ivan Wells were chosen to drive down and negotiate a deal, where they purchased everything—pews, pulpit, organ, stove, maps, and kerosene lamps—for $75.

They stayed overnight at a hotel and arranged for a boxcar to transport the items the next day. The pews in the front of Hope Chapel are from this original furniture purchase, approximately 75 to 80 years old.

The church was dedicated in September. Reverend Hendwood of the American Sunday School Union preached the dedication sermon, and a male quartet from the Methodist church in Wadena performed...

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