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R. C. CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONBy Rev. John Nemmerstil 1S54 icn young men coming west from Dubuque and other parts ease made a stop at a I'Oim nine miles southeast of present Waterloo on the east bank of tbe beautiful Cedar river. T.ieir object was to consider this part of the country and its prospects. They at once occupied i hut, a home, the first in Gilbertville built by Nicholas Marks. It was a hut put up with rotten itccs, branches, stakes, covered with wild hay and leaves, similar was the floor. There they lived Together in one little room and styled themselves The Company/' Peter Feiten being the cook ;mil housekeeper. They were: Nicholas Marks. Peter and John Feiten, John Cham beaux, Nicholas Robert. Peter Blasius. Sebastian and F. Hemmer, Nicholas Feiten, Frank Mingo, who '/cU- ;-oun joined by Hubtcr Frost, John Mangrich, Mathias Kirsch, Jacob Ambrosy, John achiiKMter and Mr. Haul.These first settlers were some Frenchmen, some Germans, hence the place was called French town and later Gilbertville. They soon acquired real estate, either prairie or timberland ^rii ijiv.e lots. A townsite was selected hy Mr. Chambeaux, laid out in blocks and Jots, streets a public square in a regular order of business: a map was drawn of the townsite and sent n'n a spicy scope to the large cities of the country, New York. New Orleans, Chicago, St. Paul sad other places, soliciting investment in the new enterprise; single lots selling for only $50 in Said. Many did answei this request and this placed the company in a condition to start business.A brickyard was started, limekilns operated, a tannery sent forth its unpleasant odors, a satnale factory, a sawmill and a flour mill broke the solitude of the quiet town: a brewery and till cries quenched the thirst: also a printing office with a small French press provided ibv great use of free time. This was all business and hope. The Company had two teams, which were on the road to and from Dubuque all the time selling goods and bringing home the ~iCtsaries of life. Such was the activity of the new settlement for some years. Then the Ijknois Central railroad was built from Dubuque to Waterloo, forgetting, however, to touch at bdberiville, and the bubble of a big city exploded. Gilbertville gave up longing after business.i ttc first of April, 1S56. the first marriage in Gilbertville took place when Mr. N. Marks and Mare.iret Feiten were joined in holy wedlock by a traveling priest.IS55 Bishop Loras of Dubuque accompanied by a priest. Rev. Mas of Hatlenberger, visited tec ^;dement and promised the people that he would see to their spiritual wants. Mass was Kid V_v the Bishop in a small stone house belonging to the Company.Rev. Baumgarten came in 1856. He remained for eight months occupying a small room eight si I'.'vlvc ns sitting, dining and sleeping apartments. Rev. Orth of New Vienna, occasionally i the place in 1S56-57. In 1856 a small church was built of the local sawmill slabs. This css:.-.: was lined inside with calico. In 1S5S a stone church was liuik, sixteen feet wide and i^ea'.y.four feet long, which served quite a number of years. Twelve families constituted the jris* a then. In 1874 a frame church was erected, thirty-six by sixty feet. . This church was ’’tdk -order the direction of Rev. Seal Ion. Rev. Shields visited the mission occasionally in 1S59.REV. JOHN NEMMERS. (Pastor.)In 1863 Rev. Gasger of Independence attended to the mission from that place until 1872 when Revx.N. Seal I on of Waterloo attended to the mission until !S75,_ when the present pastor Rev. John Nemmers was appointed as the first resident priest of Gilbertville, the parish then numbering 55 families. _As years passed, by the congregation received new members yearly until in 190they numbered 210 families. In 1906 a division of the parish was made' and about thirty families^ formed a new parish in Raymond under the guidance of Rev. H. Rottler. When Rev. John ^Nemmers took charge of the parish in IS/5, he at once organized the parish, established 3 parochial school, which he taught himself the first year in the old stone church. He also organized a choir, enlarged the frame church, procured the necessary church furniture and the parish prospered. The place became an attraction for Catholic families; from many distant places they came and settled in and about Gilbertville- Soon it became evident that the church was too small to accommodate all the faithful. So in 1SS9 a new brick church, fifty by one hundred and twenty-eight feet, in Gothic stvie, was built, and furnished with up-to-date furniture. - The cost or the church was about $22,000, the oak pews about $1,100, the Stations of the Cross about $1,100, the pipe organ $1,200. the main altar $2,600. and other furniture about $1,200. _The Parochial school was taught successfully by Peter Hess, John Peter Nemmers, Eugene Marion, and Henrv Nemmers until 1892 when the school sisters of Notre Dame of Milwaukee were obtained, who are in charge of the school up to the present time with best results. In IS91 a residence for the Sisters was erected at a cost of over $6,000. School was taught in the old frame church till 1S95 when it burned down, and in the same year a new two story brick school building was erected at a cost of $10,000, accommodating 250 children. At present this school is frequented by about 160 children. . , ..In 1876, after Rev. Nemmers had been, boarding for six months with a tanner one-bait mile awav from the church, a small parsonage was built which he occupied till 1901 when a large modem residence took the place of the old parsonage. The cost of the new-building was aoout$9,000. i^oi' Rev. Wm. Nuebci was appointed assistant to Rev. John Nemmers. In 1903 Rev. Nuebel being absent. Rev. Henry Meyer acted as assistant. In 1905 Rev. Nuebel returned but in 1906 he was appointed pastor of St. Donatus. In 1906 Rev. Joseph Quinn became assistant and in 1907 he was appointed pastor of Parkersburg. Since 1907 Rev. Joseph Zeyen fills theplace^of ass^an^pnest, ^ priest born, in the state of Iowa, was bom in Jackson county October 16. 1S47, pursued his studies in Milwaukee for eight years, and finished the same m Dubuque. He was ordained a priest on the 19th of December, 1S75. .The whole church property or Gilbertville is estimated at least at $60,000 and is now entirelyfree from any debt.
Newspaper Details
Illustrated Atlas of Black Hawk County Iowa
Waterloo, Iowa, US
Sat, Jan 01, 1910
Page 136
Full Page
Clipped by
Jon S.
NA, NA 18 Jul 2024
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Illustrated Atlas of Black Hawk County Iowa
