CEDAR COUNTY, NEBRASKA - FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF OBERT ==================================================================== NEGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the NEGenWeb Archives by Carol Tramp Permission granted by: Rob Dump, Editor, Cedar County News ====================================================================== CEDAR COUNTY NEWS OCTOBER 25, 1951 FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF OBERT FOUNDED BY THREE FAMILIES IN OCTOBER OF 1901 OBERT -- The First Baptist church of Obert, which is observing its 30th anniversary Sunday, was founded October 21, 1901 when Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Sorensen, Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Hansen and Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Christopherson met at the Sorensen home to conduct religious services. Meetings were continued in the homes and in 1903 the membership was increased by the addition of Mr. and Mrs. Anton Sorensen and Jacob Hansen. These people decided to build a church. The original church was built on a branch of the Old Lime Creek road on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Blatchford. This building was destroyed by fire January 4, 1920. Left without a place to worship the congregation met for a time on the Math Westberg farm and later at Obert town hall. NEW START June 2, 1920 at a special meeting of the congregation it was decided to found a church in Obert as the parsonage had already been moved there. However, funds were low and the congregation small, so the group purchased the Obert Hotel building on Main street and remodeled it to serve as use as a church. This building was still in use at the time of the 50th anniversary, but a new church will soon be ready for use. Numerous pastors have served the church down through the years. The names of these pastors follow, together with the year they began their service here: Ewald Nelson, 1902; C. Larson, 1904; C. Jensen, 1910; H. Ejlertsen, 1915; T. Thustrup, 1919, Lance Mantle, 1922; Rev. Grimes, 1923; Ernest Huseloslad (?), 1925, Rev. Tilford, 1926, G.E. Torsell, 1928, Rev. Carl Meyers, 1930; E.D. Torsell, 1928; Melvin Elving, 1936; Rev. Dan Petersen, 1937; Rev. Lefever, 1941; Luther Williams, 1944; Clay Ealum, 1947; and the present pastor, Rev. Reynod Van Buskirk, began his pastorate in 1949. In the 50 years of the church's history, only two weddings were performed in the church. The first one was the wedding of Math Westberg and Miss Tillie Johnson in the newly built church and on Febrary 2, 1951 Lowell Doxstad and Yvonne Flanders were married in the present church. The congregation which began with three families, has now grown until the congregation includes 33 families and 63 members. NEW CHURCH Recently the congregation began taking steps to provide a new new church home in Obert. The group purchased the Logan View Presbyterian church building located east of Coleridge and north of Laurel. This building together with its furnishings will be located in Obert to serve the Baptist congregation. Plans originally called for having the new church moved and completed in time to dedicate it for the 50th anniversary celebration. When this became impossible the dedication was postponed to a later date. Thus the group will start on its second fifty years in the new church building.