During the winter of 1890, the Brethren Church of Udell was organized two-and-a-half miles east of the community. In 1903, the congregation moved to a new building constructed inside the city limits of Udell, near the community school. They relocated again in 1961, this time to the building previously occupied by the Udell Christian Church, which disbanded one year prior. Purchased at a cost of $200, the building served the congregation for 45 years.
Due to dwindling membership and attendance, regular services ceased in 2006. The church building and its contents were sold in 2009, and today the building is privately owned.
The pictured church building was originally constructed in 1875 for the First Congregational Church in the Fayette County community of Waucoma. In 1928, the local Methodist Church merged with the Congregational Church to form the Waucoma Federated Church. Services were continued in this building until 1989, when the congregation disbanded. By the end of 1990, the Waucoma Historical Society was deeded possession of the building. Initial improvements were made to add restrooms, a kitchen, and a dining area, with many fundraising dinners held to raise funds for maintenance of the historic facility.
Further improvements were made in 2008 and 2009, when the interior was repainted, stained glass was restored, and a handicapped accessible entrance was added. The church is available for local groups to hold non-denominational church services and celebrations.
On February 22, 1877, a community meeting was held at the home of William Trammel to discuss the construction of a church on the site of Trammel Cemetery, which was established twenty years earlier. Trammel agreed to donate a plot of land to the east of the cemetery and by June 1877, plans were completed for construction of a $1,600 chapel building. The church was dedicated in December 1877 as the Lynn Grove Chapel, but was renamed Union Chapel the following year. Regular worship services were held until 1898; annual Memorial Day services continued through 1971.
The first Catholic worship services in the Ringgold County town of Maloy were held in 1864 in the home of Luke Shay, an immigrant from Ireland. As attendance grew, they moved to Shay’s barn and then to the first Catholic Church in the area constructed in 1874. A larger church was constructed within the Maloy city limits in 1903; the church was the center of social activity for the community, holding bi-weekly dances, dinners, and even weekly movies.
On June 17, 1931, a fire swept through Maloy destroying the church along with five businesses, a house, and a barn. The new church was constructed of yellow brick with a steeply-pitched roof in an English Rural Architectural style. After nearly 80 years of operation, the final mass was held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on May 3rd, 2009. The church was closed and sold.
Despite a tie with nearby LeRoy for being the smallest incorporated town in Iowa, Beaconsfield still has an active church congregation. The United Methodist Church in the Ringgold County community can trace its history to 1885, with the first church building constructed three years later. In April 1911, a new brick church was constructed at a cost of $7,000, and dedicated debt free on December 24.
Tragedy struck on November 19, 1949, when the brick church and all its contents were destroyed by fire. The congregation rallied together and began fundraising for a new building the next day. Within a few weeks, over $14,000 was raised, and the new church was dedicated in early 1951. Recent changes include a new roof and ramp for handicap accessibility. The congregation shares a pastor with the United Methodist Church in nearby Kellerton.
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