June 19, 1913 The Bellwood Baptist Church was struck by lightning shortly before 9 on Sunday night and was burned to the ground. Lightning struck the steeple and the fire started there. The Fire Co. could not reach the fire until all chance of saving the building was gone. The church organ and a number of chairs were saved. The loss of the church property was $3,500 and insurance was only $300.00. The church was built in 1888 and it is probable another church will be built on the same site. By vigorous work by the Fire Dept., the Nick Linden home was saved from serious damage.
   On July 15, the church committee plans to build a new church on the same site.
   On August 27th the corner stone was laid for the new Baptist church. A copy of the Bellwood Gazette and three church papers were placed in the corner stone. Also the lists of officers of the members of the church, school board and village board.

     Baptist Church, located on site of Jack Selzer house.

   The first Catholic settlers and pioneer workers in the community were the respected P. N. Meysenburg and his wife, Mary Barbara (Dehner). To them must go the credit of drawing together the group of Catholic settlers from which eventually St. Mary's Parish developed.
   Mr. Meysenburg was born in Luxembourg, Europe in 1838. He came to this country during the Civil War, going directly to Cascade, Ia., where many of his countrymen had already settled, making his home here until 1868. He married Mary Delmer in 1869. They finally settled in the Platte Valley area after having traveled through Missouri, Indian Territory, and Kansas. They met a man, Michael Demuth, who was a carpenter and helped them build their first home. This home was used as a church for the surrounding community.
   Catholic settlers began to come in the numbers. In 1870 John Sprunk, John Marx and Bernard Schlentz arrived and established homes. Later others arrived, among them John Birkel, Peter Medinger, Nicolaus Steiner. Of the charter members, only nine survive. Of these, four still live in the parish.
   The first pioneers of our settlement were entirely without religious services for four years. Missionary Fathers were sent by the church in the wake of the settlers. There is a record of Holy Mass offered in the sodhouse of Joseph Sanders in 1872. In 1872 Father Bobal, who had charge of all the Bohemians of the State, is said to have offered Holy Mass in Linwood. The pioneers occasionally attended service there. In 1874, Father Uhling, then pastor at St. Charles, near West Point, Nebraska, held services in the dugout of Michael Ebel at what is now known as the Mission of St. Joseph. Mr. Meysenburg, having been informed by Mr. Ebel of the presence of the priest, made arrangements to have him brought to the Luxembourg Settlement, offering his home for a place of worship. Here Father Uhling offered the first Holy Mass in this community in 1874.
   In 1874, the Rev. Father John Bernard, arrived here to make arrangements for regular visits. In the absence of a church, the house of P. N. Meysenburg was chosen as the most suitable place to hold services. For three years Father Bernard attended the mission monthly, making exceptions only to severe winter weather.
   For two years people gathered at the Meysenburg home for worship, coming from all over the county. They came from David City, where three years later the Franciscan Fathers built a church. Here finally a meeting was held in which the people established themselves a community and drew up plans for the first church building within many miles.
   Mr. Meysenburg donated land for the church. Two carloads of lumber arrived in Schuyler on December 19, 1876. Progress in building was slow but was completed in 1878. In June, 1877, when Father Bernard left, the new mission became attached to the Franciscan Monastery at Columbus. The Rev. Cyprian Bauscheid, O. F. M., was placed in charge. He witnessed the completion of the church and its dedication on November 25, 1878, by Bishop O'Connor, who on the same day administered the sacrament of confirmation for the first time in this mission. Nine children were confirmed. The church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of her Presentation with the patronal feast on November 21. For the next five years Franciscan Fathers had charge of the mission.
   The Franciscan Fathers completed a mission church in David City in 1878 and continued to hold services there until December, 1882, when the charge was given to Rev. F. A.

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Reisdorff, with the Luxembourg church as a mission. He left in April, 1883, followed by Father Boniface. In the following September, Father Boniface gave the charge over to Rev. John Mueller. A parish house was built at the Luxembourg church. The residence of the priest was then officially changed to Luxembourg, and for the next three years, David City was a mission to the new parish. Father Mueller served here three years.
   With the increase of the Catholic population in the vicinity, the church was fast becoming too small. It wasn't until under the charge of the Rev. Hansen, did the problem get solved. A new church near Bellwood was built, dedicated in 1891. Less than three weeks after the completion, the new building burned to the ground, completely destroying all its contents. The structure was insured and a new building was erected over the ruins of the second church. This building is the present church.
   An additional piece of land was donated by Mr. Meysenburg for the construction of a badly needed school. The building was dedicated in 1905, with an enrollment of 26 children. It also contained a home for the Sisters, and conveniences for a few boarders. This was guided by Rev. J. J. Hoffman. In 1916, a new school building was built. Enrollment was 42 children, increasing to 91 by 1922.
   Father Rutten has been pastor of Presentation Parish since June, 1971. He was ordained a priest June 5, 1958.

   In 1974 the first mass was said in the Austrian settlement now known as St. Joseph's parish. Father Frederick Uhling came from West Point to celebrate mass on April 16, 1874 in the Michael Ebel home. It was the first Holy Day in the colony. Every member of the settlement dressed in the pioneer Sunday style and devotedly assisted in Mass and received Holy Communion.
   When M. Meysenburg from the Luxembourg settlement heard what Father Uhling had done, he invited him to say mass in his sod house. Then for two years St. Joseph's joined them and mass was said at the John Meysenburg home.
   In February, 1884, P. Boniface, O. F. M., of Columbus

Presentation Parish

wrote to Bishop O'Connor and asked to say mass once a month on the fourth Sunday of the month. This was said in a school house. Joseph Zwiener donated land and in 1887, the first church was built in St. Joseph's parish. The corner stone was laid on July 14, 1887. St. Joseph's Mission parish was later transferred to Bellwood.
   St. Joseph's has been a mission of Bellwood, Pilzno, and now Marietta, with Father Rutten in charge. In 1945, a fund was started for a hall and in 1946, four wooden government grain bins were bought to build the hall under the direction of Father Edward Jaworowski of Pilzno.
   In 1954, a building committee was again formed and headed by Msgr. Adam Szmydt. Under his direction, the present church was built.

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   In the beginning the Catholic people of the Bellwood community held services in their homes. In 1880 a Benedictine monk called upon the Catholic settlers, while traveling through the area. During the 1880's, the faithful attended services at St. Mary Church, Luxembourg, located five miles east of the newly-formed town of Bellwood.
   As time went by the Catholic population grew and in the year 1889, Father Shraffel began a movement for construction of a new building and Rev. Dr. J. H. Hansen, pastor of St. Mary's completed the arrangements. The site on which the Catholic church was built was donated by Mrs. Hattie M. Bell on May 31, 1889.
   Work and construction began June 10, 1889, with the framework completed by July 18, 1889. On August 2, the bell, pews, and other items were purchased. The interior was finished and the newly constructed church was ready for dedication, which took place on Oct. 2, 1889. The ceremony was solemnly performed by Bishop Thomas Benacum D.D., and placed this church under the patronage of St. Peter. Bishop Benacum was the first bishop to serve in the Lincoln diocese.
   Bellwood became a mission on Oct. 2, 1889, attached to St. Mary Parish Luxembourg. This arrangement lasted till 1913 when Bellwood became an "Independent Parish" with St. Joseph, six miles west and one mile north of Bellwood, becoming a mission.
   On Oct. 15, 1913, the Rev. Joseph Flukinger was appointed the first pastor of the newly formed parish. As there was no rectory in Bellwood, he rented the "Derby House," and lived there until the expiration of his pastorate on March 29, 1914.
   The Rev. J. V. Hoffman was the next pastor. On August 1, 1914, the building committee which consisted of Matt Besch, Sr., John P. Didier, Sr., John McGowan, and Henry Schields, met with Rev. Hoffman. They let a contract to build the present rectory to E. R. Watson of David City. Father Hoffman moved into the new building in the fall and enjoyed its comforts till June 15, 1918.

   On August 16, 1918, Rev. Paul Frans arrived in Bellwood to take charge of St. Peters. His administration continued until May of 1919. Father Mock served Bellwood's need till August 5, 1919, when Rev. John J. Reddy was appointed by Bishop Charles Riley to take care of St. Peter's and St. Joseph mission.
   During his 16 years, Father Reddy established the League of the Sacred Heart and the Holy Name Society. He organized the Merrymakers Club, the St. Peter's Dramatic Club, and a boy's baseball team. On May 9, 1935, St. Joseph mission was attached to St. Mary Pilzno. Father Reddy remained in Bellwood until his death in 1936, when Rev. F. J. Haskamp was appointed pastor. He was succeeded in the fall by Rev. D. B. O'Conner.
   Father O'Conner organized the first C. Y. O. in the parish. It was under his leadership that the first parish bazaars were established. On March 16, 1948, Father O'Conner was elevated to the rank of Domestic Prelate. Upon his death in 1949, Rev. G. C. Messman was appointed the pastor.
   In 1958, St. Peter parish joined thirteen area parishes to build Aquinas High School which is located near David City, Nebraska. In September of 1964, St. Peter's marked its Diamond Jubilee.
   In 1965, Mrs. Louis Moell passed away and she bequeathed a generous sum of money to St. Peter's to be used toward the erection of a new church and a social hall, in memory of the Louis Moell family. Construction of the new church was completed in 1968, and was dedicated by Bishop Glennon P. Flavin. The Chapel Shrine, where daily mass is said, was donated by Mrs. Rosa M. Didier in memory of her parents, Peter and Mary Schmit.
   Father Messman was pastor during the building of this new church. He retired in June 1975, and on July 1, Rev. Robert A. Roh was appointed pastor. Father Roh is presently serving as parish priest of St. Peter's and also teaches at Aquinas High School in David City.
   The reed organ used during the beginning years of parish life was replaced by a Baldwin electronic organ, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Kosch in the early 1950s.
   A beautiful pipe organ was given to the church in

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