Sherman Gospel Hall, MI

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Area History

Wexford County is located in the northwest corner of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was established in 1840 as Kautawaubet County, after a Potawatomi phrase meaning "broken tooth", and the name of a local chief. In 1843, legislators renamed it Wexford after County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland, and formally organized in 1869.

As of 2020, it numbers 33,673 and has been consistently growing since 1960. It is part of the Cadillac MSA, which also includes Missaukee County, and considered part of Northern Michigan. Adjacent counties include Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Osceola, Lake, Manistee & Benzie.

Mesick

Cadillac is the county seat, and Manton is a neighboring city. Villages include Buckley, Harrietta, and Mesick. The latter has a 2020 population of 397, and was first settled along the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Michigan Railroad within Springville township in 1890, with a post office built in 1891, with Henry Brooks as the first postmaster, and incorporated in 1901.

Sherman

Unincorporated communities includes Sherman, which is one of the earliest permanent settlements in Wexford, and the first county seat. The earliest known permanent settler, B.W. Hall, settled near Sherman in the early 1860's.

A store was opened in 1867, initially known as Manistee Bridge. A post office was built in 1868 named Sherman, named after the Civil War General William T. Sherman. It was platted in 1869, and incorporated as a village in 1887. Fires destroyed the business district, and the village disincorporated in the 1920's. It was the county seat until 1881 when, as a result of the "Battle of Sherman", the seat was moved to Manton, then Cadillac.

Early Sherman Assembly

In 1933, four brethren used a bus and tent in Western Michigan in several cities starting June 18th, and continuing thru September. This was the start of the assembly at Pleasant Lake, as well as Lord's Day meetings in Sherman weekly for at least a few months. The four brethren were F.W. Schwartz, Leonard Sheldrake, Tom Wilkie, and W.J. Pell, helped by several younger brethren from Toronto, as well as J. Nieboer, T. Dobbin, William Ferguson and others. There was a paragraph written on it in an October issue of Assembly Annals, of which the transcription may be found at Visiting Ministry at Sherman Gospel Hall, MI.

Cadillac Christian Assembly

In 1943, there was an open brethren assembly meeting at 832 N. Mitchell St. in Cadillac, known as Cadillac Christian Assembly. Breaking of Bread was at 10:00am, Sunday School at 11:30am, and a Gospel meeting at 8:00pm. The correspondent was Charles Marvin, 816 Walnut St. He would later serve as the initial correspondent alongside F.W. Mehl for the Gospel Hall in Mesick. This assembly in Cadillac may have been fruit from the forementioned summer evangelistic efforts in 1933, as Gospel efforts were indeed in that city included.

Sherman Gospel Hall

In 1954, Frederick W. Mehl (1884-1979) did sixteen weeks of Gospel meetings in Wexford County, particularly Mesick and Sherman.

The first one to commit their life to Christ was Olive May Bulock Spencer, who was born in 1894, and died in 1970 in nearby Traverse City. She was active 1954-1970, and F.W. Mehl officiated her memorial service. She was a daughter of Homer M. Bulock (b. 1853 LaGrange Co., IN - d. 1919 Wexford Co., MI) & Caroline S. Davis Bulock (b. 1858 Clay, LaGrange, IN - d. 1949 Antioch, MI).

Olive's husband was Nelson Aaron Spencer (b. 1890 Antioch, Wexford, MI - d. 1973 Traverse City, MI), son of Charles Edburn Spencer (b. 1854 Dorr, Allegan, MI - d. 1926 Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, MI) & Lois Ica Woodworth Spencer (b. 1869 Leonidas, St. Joseph, MI - d. 1934 Antioch, MI).

The assembly was established in 1954 as an open brethren (OB) meeting, and initially known as Mesick Gospel Hall until 1958 when it relocated to Sherman, and its name changed accordingly. Its initial location was at the corner of Edward & Wallace Streets in Mesick, and in 1986, to 4901 N. 11 3/4 Rd., Mesick, and presently at 102 Sherman Street, also in Mesick. Their first annual conference was July 11-13, 1959 according to T&T.

Mehl lived in Ellsworth, MI and served as a correspondent from the beginning until at least 1966. Charles Marvin of Cadillac also served as another correspondent 1955-1960. In 1961, Nelson & Olive Spencer's son Chancy A. Spencer, aka Chan, became a correspondent who served until his homegoing on Aug. 15th, 2022. He was born March 29, 1933, and was saved in meetings in 1956.

Chan was also the founder of two successful plastic injection firms that serve the auto industry, Mesick Mold Co. (1966) & Spencer Plastics (1998), both of which continue to this day, under the leadership of his descendants. Also see Chancy's obit.

The assembly experienced a decline into single digits at one point, but in recent years has tripled to over thirty breaking bread.

Other Area Assemblies

Moddersville EB

In 1878, Wynand Modders (b. 1831 Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands - d. 1907 Moddersville, Missaukee, MI) emigrated to nearby Missaukee County to a place known as Clam Union, then as Vogel Centre in the southeast Holland township of the county. He was affiliated with the exclusive brethren, likely introduced back in the Netherlands, and was listed in fellowship in 1879. The assembly may have become affiliated with the Kelly exclusives in 1881, and may have met thru at least 1910 when his wife Dirkje passed away.

When a post office was established in 1890, as other families emigrated there, mostly from the Netherlands, it was named for Wynand's family, as Moddersville, and he became its first postmaster. The office was closed in 1934, and the area disincorporated. Wynand's wife was Dirkje Modders (b. 1833 Harlingen, Neth. - d. 1910 Moddersville, MI), and together they had at least five children:

  • Johanna W. Modders VanderWal (b. 1866 Harlingen, Neth. - d. 1890 Moddersville, MI). Husband: Evert VanderWal (b. 1864 Neth. - d. 1942 Moddersville, MI). 8 children including surnames Hemmes, Gruenberg, & Visser.
  • Dirk Wynands Modders (b. 1855 Harlingen, Neth. - d. 1939 Holland, Ottawa, MI). Wife: Jantje Thyses Modders (b. 1864 Herbaijum, Neth. - d. 1912 Moddersville, MI). 2 children including surname Herweyer.
  • Johan W. Modders (b. 1861 Harlingen, Neth. - d. 1937 Moddersville, MI). 1st wife: Mina Wijma Modders (b. 1867 Neth. - d. 1890 Moddersville, MI); 2nd wife: Alice J. Wyma Modders (b. 1870 Neth. - d. 1931 MI). 6 children.
  • Margarethe W. Modders Spitsbergen (b. 1860 Friesland, Neth. - d. 1945 Moddersville, MI). Husband: Hendrick Spitsbergen (b. 1856 Zeeland, Ottawa, MI - d. 1938 Moddersville, MI). 13 children including surnames Morris, DeRuiter, Mead, and Durkee.
  • Anna W. Modders Wyma (b. 1865 Neth. - d. 1943 Moddersville, MI). Husband: Henry Wyma (b. 1865 - d. 1932 Moddersville, MI). 5 children including surname Quist.

Lake City & McBain

In the same county, there were open brethren Gospel Halls in Lake City (1901+) and McBain (+1901-1904+), the latter had a correspondent of Alexander McBain, Sr. in 1904.

Boyne City, Bellaire & Harbor Springs

Further away, there was also a Boyne City Gospel Hall (OB) in 1927 in Charlevoix County with a correspondent of Robert W. Block. There was also a Bellaire Gospel Hall (OB) in 1943 in Antrim County, that met on the George Benedict farm on M88 between Bellaire and Mancelona, with a breaking of bread at 10:00am.

Finally, there was a Gospel Chapel (OB) that met 1965-1966 on Nelson & Third Sts., Harbor Springs, in Emmet County, with a contact of A.R. Pontius. Breaking of Bread was at 9:30am, Sunday School at 11:00am, Gospel meeting at 7:45pm, all on Sunday, and a prayer meeting and bible study on Tuesday evenings at 7:45pm.

Also See

Sources

  • Wikipedia
  • Truth & Tidings (T&T)
    • 1970-5
  • Words in Season (WiS)
    • 1987-1
  • Ancestry.com
  • Findagrave.com
  • AB's
    • 1904 AAB
    • Walterick: 1943, 1955-1960;