Congregational United Church of Christ (Hallam, Neb.) [RG4007.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG4007.AM:  Congregational United Church of Christ (Hallam, Neb.)

Records:  1868-1982

Hallam, Lancaster County, Neb.:  Congregational church

Size:  17 volumes on 2 reels of microfilm

HISTORICAL NOTE

The present-day Congregational United Church of Christ of Hallam, Nebraska, was formed on December 28, 1927, when the Hallam and Olive Branch Congregational Churches held a joint meeting for the purpose of uniting the two churches. At this meeting, the German Evangelical Church adopted articles of incorporation which named the newly-formed church the United Congregational Church of Hallam. On September 19, 1965, the congregation voted to change its name to become the Congregational United Church of Christ. A week later, it agreed to affiliate with the Cortland Congregational Church for the purpose of securing a full-time minister.

The Olive Branch Congregational Church had been organized in March of 1875, under the guidance of Rev. William Suess and Rev. Veitz. Rev. Suess was elected pastor in 1877. At first, services and Sunday School were held in schoolhouses. In 1878 the church was incorporated, a two-acre plot was purchased, and a frame church building was erected. The congregation was never large and the church often had to share a minister with other churches, primarily with the Princeton church. Because a minister was not always present, church services were often abandoned, sometimes for months at a time. Many members drifted away, most to the Congregational Church at Hallam.

The German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam had been organized on April 24, 1893, under the guidance of Rev. Jacob Morach, who was then pastor of the Olive Branch Church. The first church building, a frame structure, was built in 1893. United with the Olive Branch Church in 1927, the newly-formed United Congregational Church of Christ of Hallam, the church contrives to “bind together the followers of Jesus Christ for the purpose of sharing in the worship of God.”

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of 17 volumes and a fractional amount of loose manuscripts on 2 reels of microfilm, and arranged in nine series: 1) Historical Material, 1929-1930 and 1968-1979; 2) Minutes, 1875-1968; 3) Church Registers, 1868-1977; 4) Financial Records, 1893-1907; 5) Service Circle Materials, 1929-1972; 6) Ladies Aid Society Materials, 1915-1935; 7) Christian Junior League Materials, 1904-1918; 8) Christian Endeavor Materials, 1919-1929; and 9) Miscellany, 1980.

This material relates to the history, religious events, and programs conducted by the Congregational United Church of Christ of Hallam, Nebraska. Records of the German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam and the German Congregational Church of Olive Branch, the two churches which joined to become the United Congregational Church of Hallam, are included. The records also cover the time period when the church was known as the United Congregational Church of Hallam, December 1927-September 19, 1965, as well as the papers of the church under its present name. Therefore, this collection consists of papers of the present-day church’s predecessors, as two separate institutions and as a joint institution.

Series 1 is comprised of Historical Materials relating to the Congregational United Church of Christ of Hallam, Nebraska. Included is an undated constitution of the church when it was known as the United Congregational of Hallam. It provides information on the church’s purpose, polity, doctrine, officers, members, meetings, and finances. A Church History provides information on the Hallam and Olive Branch churches, as well as material on the church after the two groups were joined. A diamond jubilee program, historical documents, and historian’s reports, 1968-1970, are also included. Two commemorative programs are also provided in this series. One is a dedication program for the United Congregational Church of Hallam, 1929; the other commemorates the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Olive Branch Congregational Church and the first anniversary of the United Congregational Church of Hallam, 1930.

The Minutes, 1875-1968, of Series 2 record business conducted at church meetings. Volumes 1 and 2 relate to meetings of the German Congregational Church of Olive Branch, 1875-1926. Volume 1 also has some information on births, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, cemetery lot purchases, and members. Both volumes are written in German. Volume 3, 1893-1959, covers the time period when the church was known as the German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam (through December 27, 1927) and when it was the United Congregational Church of Hallam (on and after December 28, 1927). Entries include information on officers, committees, budgets, trustees reports, building funds, salaries, and policy. About half of this volume is in German. Volume 4, covering the years 1960-1968, relates to Church business when the institution was known as the United Congregational Church of Hallam (through September 18, 1965) and as the Congregational United Church of Christ of Hallam (on and after September 19, 1965). This volume provides information similar in nature to that of Volume 3. This volume is entirely in English.

Series 3 consists of Church Registers, 1868-1977, which detail ceremonial events conducted by the church. This includes information about baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths and burials, families and membership, and collections. Volume 1 is an alphabetical index of persons affiliated with the church. Volume 2 relates to the Olive Branch Church. Volume 3 relates to the German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam. Volume 4 covers a time period, 1890-1977, when the Hallam church was known as the German Evangelical Church, the United Congregational Church, and the Congregational United Church of Christ. Subject headings for all four volumes are in German.

The Financial Records of Series 4 record expenditures and income of the German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam, 1893-1907. Information on salaries, subscriptions and the building fund is included. Headings and entries are in German. Series 5 consists of Service Circle Materials, 1929-1972. This organ of the church was begun “to unite the women of the parish for effective work in the church…”. Included is the group’s constitution which discusses its purpose, officers, committees, membership, and meetings. Minute entries, 1929-1945, record information about projects, finances, committees, and members. Yearbooks, 1943-1972 show officers and committees, as well as topic, program committee, business, and hostesses for each meeting.

The Ladies Aid Society Material of Series 6 consists of a volume of Minutes, 1915-1935. Entries provide information on finances, committees, and projects. Approximately half of this volume is in German. A constitution and membership list is also provided. Series 7 is comprised of Christian Junior League Materials. This includes minutes, 1904-1918, a constitution, and a membership list. Approximately half of this material is in German. A volume of minutes, 1919-1929, and a membership list of the Christian Endeavor group are included in Series 8. The Miscellany of Series 9 is comprised of Order of Worship sheets, March-May 1980. These are programs, in rough note form, for Sunday worship services.

Note: A folder of misc. loose manuscript materials was added to the end of the collection after microfilming was completed. Materials include a remembrance book, historian’s reports, misc. clippings, and materials relating to the Olive Branch Cemetery. These materials are not available through interlibrary loan.

DESCRIPTION

Series 1 – Historical Material, 1929-1930, 1968-1979, n.d.

Reel 1

Folder/Volume

1. 1. Constitution of the United Congregational Church of Hallam, undated

1. 1. History of the Congregational United Church of Christ; also includes Historian’s Reports, 1968-1979

1. 1. Dedication Program for United Congregational Church of Hallam, March 17, 1929

1. 1. Program for 55th and 1st Anniversaries of United Congregational Church of Hallam, June 15, 1930

Series 2 – Minutes, 1875-1968

1. 1. German Congregational Church of Olive Branch, March 26, 1875-December 13, 1913 (in German)

1. 1. German Congregational Church of Olive Branch, January 23, 1913-March 6, 1926 (in German)

1. 1. German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam and United Congregational Church of Hallam, 1893-1959 (1893-1921 in German)

1. 1. United Congregational Church of Hallam and Congregational United Church of Christ of Hallam, January 10, 1960-February 11, 1968

Series 3 – Church Registers, 1868-1977

1. 1. Index (alphabetical) of persons affiliated with church – cities volume and page number to be checked

1. 1. German Congregational Church of Olive Branch, 1868-1921 (subject headings in German)

1. 1. German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam, 1893-1914 (subject headings in German)

1. 1. German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam, 1890-1977 (subject headings in German)
      
      United Congregational Church of Hallam, 1890-1977 (subject headings in German)
      
      Congregational United Church of Christ of Hallam, 1890-1977 (subject headings in German)

Series 4 – Financial Records, 1893-1907

1. 1. German Evangelical Congregational Church of Hallam, 1893-1907 (in German)

Series 5 – Service Circle Materials, 1929-1972, n.d.

1. 1. Constitution, undated

1. 1. Minutes, February 1929-September 1945

1. 1. Yearbooks, 1943-1972

Series 6 – Ladies Aid Society Materials, 1915-1935

Reel 2

Folder/Volume

1. 1. Minutes, October 14, 1915-August 8, 1935 (approximately half is in German); also includes constitution and membership list

Series 7 – Christian Junior League Materials, 1904-1918

1. 1. Minutes, June 7, 1904-October 5, 1914 (approximately half in German; includes constitution, also in German)

1. 1. Minutes, January 19, 1915-January 9, 1918

Series 8 – Christian Endeavor Group Materials, 1919-1929

1. 1. Minutes, October 26, 1919-December 27, 1919 membership list

Series 9 – Miscellany, 1980

1. 1. Order of Worship Sheets, March-May 1980

Folder

Remembrance Book, 1961-1990 (xerox copy)

Historianís Report, 1980, 1981, 1982

Clipping on Annual Meeting, January 1981

Miscellaneous clippings

Olive Branch Cemetery – plat maps and list of plot owners (xerox copy)

 

ADDED ENTRIES:

Congregational Church in Nebraska

Congregational United Church of Christ (Hallam, Neb.)

Germans in Nebraska

Hallam (Neb.) — Churches

Lancaster County (Neb.) — Churches

 

Revised 04-20-2009   TMM