Reverend George De La Matyr
Sumitted to Inyo County GenWeb by Ruth Ann Montgomery of
Evansville, Wisconsin.
DeLaMatyr Family News Items
Rev. Mr.
De La Matyr left town yesterday for Oshkosh, whether he has gone to purchase
the materials for the new Methodist Church’ services will be held in the old
house next Sabbath for the last time.
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The
friends of Rev. De La Matyr will be pleased to know that he is continued on
this charge another year. The church
has exceedingly prospered during the past two years, under his spiritual care,
and greater hopes are in expectancy for the coming year. No other man could have been sent to this
charge so acceptable to the wishes of the people.
The
Revival in the Methodist Church. The
church is filled every evening and jammed on Sabbath. Nearly thirty have been converted or reclaimed; and interest
continues unabated. Last Sabbath the
Sunday School and General Class were
united and took the form of a Love Feast, minus the bread and water. The singing of the scholars added much joy
of the meetings; many of them also testified their personal and happy knowledge
of the Savior. Opportunity being
offered, five joined the church by letter and twenty-two on probation.
Donation—There
will be a donation and oyster supper for the benefit of Rev. G. W. DeLaMatyr at
the house of Mr.? at the brick school house in ?
There
will be a donation and oyster supper at the Methodist Church on Wednesday
evening March 6, for the benefit of Rev. G. W. DeLaMatyr. Tickets for admission 25 cents for sale at
the door. Tickets for supper 50
cents. Oysters extra, 35 cents a
plate. A general invite to all.
The
donation party held in the basement of the new church on Wednesday evening
last, for the benefit of Rev. G. W. DeLaMatyr, was a pleasant and highly
entertaining affair. Tables were spread
in the unfinished audience room and well supplied with everything the most
fastidious could desire. The ladies of
the society and those who aided them, did ample justice to themselves, in the
rich bounties provided, and in the excellent manner it was presented, deserve
more than a passing notice. The
committee who had the affair in charge done honor to themselves in their
unwearied attention to render the
Severe
Accident—As Mrs. Dr. DeLaMatyr and Mrs. R. R. Thomas of the Seminary, were
returning from Janesville last Tuesday, on leaving the Monroe train at Hanover
Junction, Mrs. DeLaMatyr fell to the ground by some mishap, and striking upon
her arm, broke the bone at the elbow joint.
Attempts were made by an inexperienced surgeon to set it, but was not
effectually done till some six or seven hours later by Dr. Evans, on her
arrival at home. Her sufferings were
very severe but at this time she is quite comfortable and will not lose the use
of her arm, as was first feared.
About a
year since, the Methodists sold their old building, which is said to be the
first church building begun in the county, are now completing a building of
white brick. Its size is 40 x 60 with
high basement and beautiful tower. It
will probably be dedicated the latter part of September.
The
membership is nearly two hundred. Rev.
G. W. DeLaMatyr, the pastor, is an able preacher and has proved himself an
active laborer. He has toiled
indefatigably in building the new church, and all regret that his labors among
us must soon close.
Married
in Evansville,
Rev. G.
W. DeLaMatyr leaves for Conference this week.
His pulpit will be temporarily supplied until his successor shall return.
Goes to
Delavan—We are glad to congratulate the good people of Delavan upon the
pastoral services of Rev. G. W. DeLaMatyr, for the coming year. He has been in this place for the past three
years, and has so endeared himself to the hearts of the people that we part
with him now with much reluctance. He
is an active, zealous working Christian.
The church in this place owes much of its success at the present time to
the indefatigable labors of Mr. DeLaMatyr.
In the
social circle his wife and co-laborer, has few equals; in the pastorate—her Christian
examples may be imitated with becoming grace by many. At the bedside of the sick she is ever found administering
comfort; to the stricken and desponding her heart is full of pity and kindly
words and heavenly greetings for all.
No effort is so great or task so arduous, when duty prompts her to
perform a needy work, that she is not found with a ready hand and a willing
heart. It is hoped they may meat with
the reception they so dearly merit.
-1867,
The Evansville Citizen, Evansville, WI
We learn
that Capt. W. A. De La Matyr, has resigned his position as principal of the
High School at Mazomanie, and will accept a similar one in Elkhorn.
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/ruthannmontgomer/Methodist%20Church.html
"Rev. George DeLaMatyr was assigned to the Evansville church
in 1864. DeLaMatyr remained at the church during its move from Main
Street to Madison Street.
Plans for a new church building began to develop in 1866. The site
of the church was needed for commercial buildings as Evansville's business
district expanded. The congregation had also grown and the church building was
too small. The trustees decided to sell the property and seek a new
location.
In the June 13, 1866 issue of the Evansville Citizen, editor Isaac
Hoxie, announced to his readers that the Trustees of the Methodist church had
sold their old meeting house and were planning to build "a more commodious
house fronting on Madison street, 40 by 60, of brick".
The Evansville Citizen wrote the eulogy for the old church.
"The Old Methodist Church that was erected nearly twenty years ago, as the
boasted pride, and quite an ornament to the village & almost the first
church edifice erected in the Territory of Wisconsin, west of the Rock River,
has now grown into rather insignificance by the more elegant buildings around
it."
In July, Rev. DeLaMatyr went to Oshkosh to purchase materials for
the new Church. The Citizen announced that the final services were to be held
in the old church on Sunday, July 8, 1866.
The Methodist property on East Main Street was sold to Nels Swager
in 1866. Swager moved the building slightly to the west and closer to
East Main Street so that it was in line with the other business buildings on
the block.
The Swager's new store and hall received a face-lift and an
addition so that it barely resembled the old church. An addition of fifteen
feet was built on the front of the building and a second story was added for a
public hall. The second story was known as Swager's Hall. The churches
often used the hall for Christmas programs and other fund raising events.
The village of Union also had a Methodist Church. In the fall of
1866, the Union Methodist church was dismantled and moved to Brooklyn.
Construction of the new Evansville church on South Madison Street began in July
1866 with the excavation of the basement. By October, the brick work was well
under way. The white brick purchased for the building was known as "Fulton
brick".
Moses Vervalin was the mason hired to lay the brick veneer for the
building. Only one other workman on the building is known and his name
was reported because an accident at the building site.
Erastus Enos was helping to build the roof of the church when he
fell to the first floor. Several of the wood pieces of the roof framing fell on
top of him, breaking his wrist. His other injuries were not serious, but the
mishap did give him recognition as one of the construction crew.
Cold weather prevented the brickwork on the exterior from being
completed. However, because the building was enclosed, the congregation
was able to move into the church.
From January to March 1867, the Methodists held a revival in their
new church. Every evening the pews were filled and on Sunday the building was
"jammed" according to Isaac Hoxie's newspaper, the Citizen. During
the revival, twelve people were converted and the new Methodists were baptized
at the next quarterly meeting.
The church could not fund activities and building programs without
raising money from its members and other members of the community. Fundraisers
were necessary if the new church was to be completed and furnished. There were
also the ongoing expenses of maintaining the church building and providing an
income for the minister.
In March, the Methodist trustees announced that an oyster dinner
was to be held. Supper was 50 cents and a plate of oysters cost 35 cents. The
donation party, as the dinner was called, was held in the new church. The
Evansville Citizen reporter attended the dinner and gave this notice:
"Tables were spread in the unfinished audience room and well supplied with
everything the most fastidious could desire."
As yet another means of meeting the church expenses, the pews were
rented. Jacob West, Lloyd T. Pullen and John Dawson served as the pew
renting committee. A seating plan for the new church was available for viewing
at Pullen's store and a special day was set aside for the people to sign up for
the area of the church they found most desirable.
The women of the church donated their time and talents to raise
money. In the winter months of 1867, the Methodist ladies' Sewing Society met
every Friday afternoon at the church and began making articles to sell at a
fair. "The ladies of that society are untiring in their efforts to
place the conditions of their church in the foreground of spiritual and
temporal success," the local newspaper noted.
The Ladies Fair and Festival was held on June 14, 1867. The women
served a strawberry dessert and sold bazaar items made at their Friday
meetings. The proceeds were used to purchase furniture and other items for the
new church.
In addition to the fund raisers there were many donations to the
building fund from members of the congregation and the community. The gifts
ranged from $1 to $200 and these relatively small amounts were enough to raise
the more than $6,000 needed for the building and furnishings.
In May 1867, with the funding in hand and the weather stabilized,
masons were once again at work laying the brick on the exterior of the church.
The chief of the mason crew was Moses Vervalin and the church was the last
build ing he built in Evansville. Shortly after the church was completed, he
moved to Marysville, Missouri.
The church seemed very impressive compared to the old frame
building. The main floor was a large auditorium with a choir loft at the east
end of the church. The pulpit was at the west end of the church, with the seats
facing to the west. The audience turned to face the choir and organist whenever
hymns were sung.
There were two classrooms, one on either side of the entrance and
the basement lecture room was 28 x 40 feet. The belfry tower with its 100 foot
spire was in the center of the roof of the church.
The exterior of the church was completed in June 1867. By early
July, the staging and mortar beds used by the masons had been removed and the
carpenters began putting seats into the main auditorium. Volunteers from
the congregation graded the grounds and removed the construction debris from
around the new church. Members also donated their time to build a wooden
sidewalk in front of the church. The entire project cost $6,250.
The local correspondent to the Janesville Gazette noted the new
church building. "The Methodists are now completing a building of white
brick. Its size is 40 x 60 with high basement and beautiful tower. It
will probably be dedicated the latter part of September."
The Gazette correspondent also gave special tribute to the
minister, Rev. George W. DeLaMatyr. "The pastor is an able preacher and
has proved himself an active laborer. He has toiled indefatigably in building
the new church and all regret that his labors among us must soon close."
Before the church was dedicated, the annual Wisconsin Conference
meeting was held and Rev. DeLaMatyr was reassigned to a church in
Delavan."
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