Fairview Community Church renewed, renovated … history recounted

Fairview renovations are complete.

Fairview before the renovations.

The Fairview Community Church in Jefferson Township, Daviess County, State of Missouri, is located about five miles north of Winston.

This church was organized Aug. 1, 1874, and received by the Chillicothe Presbytery on Oct. 4, 1874, as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and was called “High Prairie” by the community. The congregation and board members met in homes and other churches, “Old Union” being one, until the present church was built in 1881 by members of the congregation.

The land the church is built on was bought from David A. Taylor and wife, Catherine, on July 25, 1881, for $30.

Before ministers, the church had leaders called “Moderators.” Rev. J.W. Ragan was the first minister of the church on Aug. 9, 1874, though not authorized as such by the Presbytery. Some of the first officers were Samuel Bouton, George Tipton, R.C. Smith and William Smith.

On Sept. 3, 1881, an authorized delegate of the Presbytery was appointed to employ a preacher. His name was E.S. Ragan. He resigned March 26, 1888.

On Oct. 20, 1883, a public collection was made to pour a platform across the front of the building just in front of the two doors.

In 1884 the pastor’s salary was $149.26 a year.

On Sept. 20, 1884, the church name was changed to Fairview. Other members added were W.J. Snyder and wife, J.T. Minor and wife, Fred Brownhill and wife and mother, Wright Taylor, David and wife, Joe Caldwell, Jessy Smith, Dan Fisher, Charles Nance and wife, William J. Smith and wife.

In 1886 each member was required to pay 15 cents to be considered an active member.

Some members recorded from 1901 through 1907 are Clytie Brown, Mellie Taylor, Lester Wardell, Lucy Everman, Tammy Weed, Myrtle E. Smith, Adealia Caldwell, Emaline Loop, Beulah Woodruff and the Joe Williamson family.

Rev. Clay Jackson was one of the ministers around 1908-1909. He was followed by Rev. S.B. Zarecor.

The church was not without its problems, and stood idle for about five years from about 1910-1915.

In 1915, the community began having Sunday School as well as church. A Methodist, Herbert Kaufman, was organizer and superintendent. Some of the ministers at this time were Rev. Charles Hand and Rev. Pryer Price. Attendance was good for a while, but in time there was not enough of one denomination in the community. On April 19, 1938, by a special warranty deed, the people bought the church from the Presbytery for $50 and it became Fairview Community Church.

Mrs. J.T. Minor, the oldest charter member at that time, died Jan. 14, 1938, just three months prior to the purchase.

Some of the later ministers were Revs. Vernie and Mary Welbaum, Rev. Bruce Clark, Rev. James Springer, Rev. John Payton, Rev. James Melish, Rev. Lyman Pierce, Rev. Phillip Mitchell, Rev. Wilson Harris, Rev. Stanley Smith, Rev. Lyn Davis, Rev. Gary Waller, Rev. Douglas Perkins, and Rev. Steve Mounts.

Several other members recorded in the early part of the 1900s were the George Smith family, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Smith, the Paul Spiers family, the Ed Willits family, Claude Plowman, Mr. and Mrs. Jess Conover, the Luther Morrison family, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Kaufman, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wolf, the Earl Parton family, Mrs. Earnest Caldwell and children, the Earl Olsen family, Viola Olsen, Leo Harms, Mr. and Mrs. Gib McFee, Mr. and Mrs. Rob McFee and son, George, Annis, Virgil, Nettie, and Bonnie McFee, the Charles McFee family, the Walter Holt family, the Roy Shaw family, Mr. and Mrs. Earscel Lewis, Mrs. Taylor Graybill and sons, Chester Claycomb, Leland Morrison, George Lepper, the Dewey Bowman family, Mary Margaret Willits, Pearl Bowman, Chester and Ray Collier, Evelyn Garrison, Roberts Caldwell, Leroy Moore, Ellen Frost, Rev. and Mrs. Clifford McFee and son, the Lavon Murphy family, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kaufman, Paul Beyers, Mr. and Mrs. Amos Piers, and Mr. and Mrs. George Uthe and son.

The church building was extensively redecorated in the spring of 1980. It continued as a non-denominational church with the congregation making most decisions by general voting, with major decisions going before the board.

Board members during that period were Earscel Lewis, George McFee, Frank Pittsenbarger, and Vern Bridgman. The minister was Richard Wilson from the Central Christian College of the Bible in Moberly. The Sunday School Superintendent was Bruce Bridgman.

Fairview celebrated its 130th birthday Sept. 21, 2014.

Pastor Ralph Davis and his wife Vanda were ministers at Fairview from March 1994 until his passing in April, 2015. Several different interim pastors filled in between 2015-2016. Beverly Lang was secretary for many years before her retirement.

Pastor Shadrach Landry began at Fairview in the spring of 2016. Shelly Mason is the current secretary/treasurer. Betty McFee is the current Sunday School teacher. George McFee was song leader for many years. Marsha Vanisko is piano player. Betty McFee and Marilyn Searcy are song leaders.