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HAMMOND, LA.Dailystar FRIDAY* OCTOBER 17,1975of First ChristianThe exact date of the founding of the First Christian Church of Hammond is not known. The first services were held in thecalledwastheAndrew Q. Tolle home. Mrhomes.In 1901 a erected and Tabernacle. Hammond High Commencement exercises were held in the TabernacleTolle was minister of Church and1887 from Ohio. Whenan ordained the Christian moved here in. . • . .Early Churchnew members the group, services were held in the differentin 1905.The second building, located at North Cherry Street, was an enlarged and remodeled building which was purchased from the North Methodist Church.Rally DayEarly history of church istoldIn 1887 the Andrew Q.Tolle family moved from Sinking Springs. Ohio, to Hammond. Mr. Tolle was an ordained minister of the Christian Church and naturallv was interested in trying to get a church of his faith here. The first services were held in the Tolle home. Thereafter services were held in the homes of the various members. Many of these members were of other faiths but joined the Christian Church because ofVin-forerunner of the dicator: and A1 Armstrongs ; the Miles Copas family ; A.A. Agnew and Woods families. Mr. Andrew Tolle died oftyphoid fever soon after 1900 so the members secured theservices of an evangelist to hold services for them. Theythe friendship of the Tolies and other earlv members.got the services of a Rev. George Devol who seemed to have been a powerful speaker. At this time the membership grew and a building was needed.In 1901 a building was erected and called theMayor proclaims CDA DayHAMMOND — Mayor Sam Saik, seated has proclaimed Sunday/ October 19/ as Catholic Daughter of America Day in Hammond. ThisSome of these earlv members were the Wolf brothers - Jake and Harry Wolf; the Bates family (Laura Bates married Jake Wolf); John Barnard and his wife lt;Mrs. Barnard was editor of the Louisiana Sun,Tabernacle. The very tirst to join the church after Rev. Devol came were Minervahusband Paris Stevens were the first to be married in the old Tabernacle. Hammond High Commencementexercises w’ere held in the Tabernacle in 1905.Four members in the church who are the direct descendants of the charter members are Connie Kidder and Helen Kidder Starnes, children of Ruth A. Kidder and grandchildren of the A1 Armstrongs; and Evelyn Tolle Borne and Marjorie Tolle Ott. daughter also of Albert E. Tolle and granddaughters of the Andrew' Q.Tolies.GilbertCopas (Stevens) and Bessie Tolle (Stevens). Miss Copas was a neice of the Tolies andMiss Tolle the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Tolle. Minerva Copas and herand Alice Mav Bercaw. parents of Gilbert Bereaw. came into the church in 1901. Mr. Bercaw-also is a member of the First Christian Church.After a remodeling program it was rededicated in 1921. Afew years later an annex was added. Members of this congregation heard the bellfrom the tower peal its call to worship for forty years.The Reimers MemorialdedicatedBuilding was March 19, 1950. It waspresented to the church by the F.W. Reimers family in memory of the Reimer’s son Lieutenant Frederick Fay Reimers, USNR., who was lost at sea March 1945, in one of the submarine disasters of World War II. The MemorialofBuilding consists ot an auditorium, a fellowship hall and kitchen, a library, a choir robing room, and the minister’s study.The present Educationpresent Building, also a gift of Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Reimers, Mr. and Mrs. Warren D. Reimers, and Mr. and Mrs.SchneiderHans scnneicier wasdedicated January 18, 1958. It consists of a youth lounge, parlor, kitchenette, nursery, eight Sunday School class rooms, and the necessary storage and service rooms. All the lumber used in the construction of theEducation Building - - - ash. locust, pine, select and pecky cypress, oak. and magnolia -- - was grown in Louisiana east of the Mississippi River.The present Sanctuary was erected w-here thesecond house ofworship stood. It was dedicated March (, 1960. The sanctuary is built along the architectural lines of a prize-winning church in Switzerland. In its design it combines cross. The nave accomodated the seating ofabout 150 people; thechancel, is devoted to the minister and those serving with him in the communion service; and the trancepts, to the seating of the choir and housing the pipe organ. The organ was a gift of theReimers family. Every en-% •deavor was made to beautifythe sanctuary with the*traditional symbolism thatmight be significant to those who worship here. Any old-timer can tell you the story of its symbolism. Almosteverything in the sanctuary has symbolic significance. The Rev. Mr. Howard E.III*IGrant Jr. is the presentreccc-iawt*The Dally Star Ch News* Local Church FeatiAbout Rell#lon*The‘Powlt;Church Feat lalFeatures*S^tf^^^|h jPower ofNewt* Retref^R^JTji-News*TheNewt* Localfiiurciff-«it About Rell!/7pn*The Powi 'he Oally Star Church Palt; •rch Features*SpecialSConvtToFURit*MAC
Newspaper Details
Hammond Daily Star
Hammond, Louisiana, US
Fri, Oct 17, 1975
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
LA, USA 15 May 2021
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