Rural church is gone, but its spirit lives on in its members
More information
Want to learn more about the history of Avon Community Church?
John Sill's Web page has photos and documents Avon's early days. Go to webpages.charter.net/jsill/Genealogy/Avon%20Wisconsin%20History.htm.
For an easier link, go to webpages.charter.net/jsill/ and click on "John and Cathy's Genealogy pages."
Photo
This photo, courtesy of John Sill, shows the Avon Community Church after it burned in February. The fire marked the end for the small church, which had seen declining membership recently.
Photo
A granite marker now sits at the site where the Avon Community Church once stood.
AVON TOWNSHIP — Mrs. Ella Gardner was the chairman of the refreshment committee.
Mrs. Chrissii Madru was in charge of the table service.
And Mrs. Ida Cox took care of the beverages.
That was Aug. 23, 1942, the day Avon Community Church celebrated its golden jubilee.
A yellowed clipping from the Gazette's files noted the particulars: "The Rev. J. W. Zimmerman will conduct the morning worship service at 10:30, his subject being 'The Value of the Church.'"
Later, Dr. John Holland of the "Little Brown Church of the Air" was slated to speak at the picnic in Gardner's Grove.
Now, more than 67 years later, the little white church by the crossroads has been replaced by a historical marker and memories.
In February, the tiny church with no indoor plumbing and only a handful of pews burned down.
The cause was probably an electrical fire that started near the church's trademark lighted cross, said Frank Cox, church trustee and grandson of Mrs. Ida Cox.
"Due to church trends, the economy, new building and lot regulations, declining attendance and insufficient insurance coverage, the remaining church members decided not to rebuild," the Rev. Mickey Rockey wrote in a news release.
Rockey served as the church's last pastor.
"The people were really friendly," Rockey said.
In a world of takers, the tiny congregation were givers, offering a tiny salary to everyone from the pastor to the people who cleaned up.
That's what it was like for Cox, too.
"It felt just like a family," Cox said.
His own family has been farming in the area since 1850, and "several generations" have attended the Avon Community Church.
As a boy, he remembers 50 or 60 people filling the tiny church.
There was a Sunday school for kids, and the church created a bond between isolated rural residents.
But over the years, the number of farmers decreased, and the younger ones "went to churches in town," Cox said.
In the end, attendance ranged between "less than 10" and 20.
After the fire, the trustees considered rebuilding, but there wasn't enough room on the lot for the proper setbacks and the septic tank.
The assets of the church were donated to a variety of local churches, Christian groups and charities.
The land was returned to the original owner's farm and his heirs, the Scullys. The Scullys made a donation toward the historical marker and agreed to provide the upkeep for the lot.
"At first, I was really discouraged," Cox said. "I had a hard time driving by the lot because it looked so empty. But now that we've reseeded the lawn and put the marker there, it looks really nice."
He and his wife, Julie, have found a new spiritual home at Afton Community Church.
On one of their first Sundays, the church pastor asked the couple if they knew anybody who played the piano.
"My wife just smiled and said, 'he does,'" Cox said.
He had been playing piano and organ at the Avon Community Church since sometime in his teens.
"It was almost like it was meant to be," Cox said.
Out at the crossroads where the church used to stand, a granite marker tells its story and ends with a hopeful quote from Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Nov 19, 2009 at 3:08 p.m.
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LOL - well done Callsit - Now if you will excuse me I am off to drown a sack of kittens.
Nov 19, 2009 at 8:34 a.m.
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I'm not a Christian, I am an agnostic. That means I can be a jerk like you all I want.
Nov 19, 2009 at 8:13 a.m.
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Kleej in reference to your other post which seemed to indicate that only christians had a conscience - check out callsit - calls me a bus full of children afficionado, and a potential church arsonist, then doesn't even apologize, is he not hearing the voice of god in his head?
Nov 18, 2009 at 5:02 p.m.
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matthew....., apparently you're not familiar with the psychological defense mechanism of projection.
Nov 18, 2009 at 4 p.m.
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gazettefan, I see. My belief system is odd because it isn't in line with your belief system? Debate to your hearts content. As Ben Franklin once said, "Any fool can condemn and criticize, and most fools do"
Nov 18, 2009 at 12:35 p.m.
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Kleej, newsflash: you are not being persecuted. Now, Jesus, that guy was persecuted. You, however, are merely offered the opportunity to engage in a conversation or debate regarding your odd belief system. Yet, at every turn you fail to truly partcipate.
Nov 18, 2009 at 10:20 a.m.
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"WE WORK HARD WITH OUR OWN HANDS...WHEN WE ARE CURSED,WE BLESS....WHEN WE ARE PERSECUTED, WE ENDURE IT"
Nov 18, 2009 at 10:17 a.m.
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prounion, sure you don't! ;)
Nov 18, 2009 at 9:05 a.m.
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I haven't even posted here but it looks like BikerJoe and hankjones are willing to employ the christian conversation tactic of physical confrontation.
When the words are based on nothing, they run out quickly, don't they?!!!
Nov 18, 2009 at 7:44 a.m.
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This was really interesting. I had been thinking that it was just when they could not provide evidence to support their claims about god that they removed themselves from the site after saying something "unchristian," looks like that behavior permeates all aspects of discourse with them. I guess they really can't afford to learn or be wrong about anything, otherwise the entire tower of cards fall.
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Just for the record - I do not wish for busloads of children to be hurt, and upon hearing of a bus containing children I do not hope it was a full one, nor do I wish for churches to burn. Oh almost forgot, I only watch my freinds get beaten to death with railroad ties on special occasions.
Nov 17, 2009 at 3:59 p.m.
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Callisit - are you saying it wasn't a great story?
Nov 17, 2009 at 3:53 p.m.
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Boy Digriz, you are one quick witted fellow. Your clever banter is way too much for this fellow. I give up.
Nov 17, 2009 at 3:25 p.m.
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Actually, it was Napalm and that comment has since been "removed".
Nov 17, 2009 at 3:19 p.m.
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LOL. Do think maybe there are "pods" in the Janesville sewers, DiGriz? Do you ever get the impression people are being intentionally obtuse? Gee, I sure do hope there are pods...
Nov 17, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.
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Please, save the "Prounion said it was a great story and was sincere" for someone else. Everybody knows what he meant. Your little brotherhood of deist's and atheists can claim he meant good by it but anyone who has read his previous posts know his intentions. They were especially transparent before Brother Napalm's post was deleted.
Nov 17, 2009 at 3:01 p.m.
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NO, I mean the gazette man or gazzetefan or what ever. He could have left story alone but no he has to come here and mouth off.
Nov 17, 2009 at 2:53 p.m.
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Hank - by Gaz-man did you mean me? If so by step out do you mean to inflict pain upon me as a punishment for the as of yet unsupported claim that I did anything other than say it was a great story?
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So callsit says I wish kids harm, and you want to punch me, all because I said it was a great story?
Nov 17, 2009 at 2:28 p.m.
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He comes here under the cloak of anominity and just makes fun. It's just a little church Doesn't seem right. Maybe he should step out and we'll see what he has to say.
Nov 17, 2009 at 2:06 p.m.
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Usually I can see gaz-man's point of view. But for him to come here and make fun of this harmless little church is a bit much.
Nov 17, 2009 at 1:44 p.m.
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Say Callit, You called it without seeing anything of the sort. You should get your knuckles rapped for being wrong.
RAmen
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:55 p.m.
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Yes it WAS a beautiful story, full of special meaning to those who knew this church. Pro recognized that and said only that. Lets not ask for dissention where there is none. Even Gazettefan once commented on the peacefulness (or similar) of church bells. Let's celebrate our common ground, then maybe we can eventually understand each better, or at least get along better.
Wish I'd seen it from the inside, I love those little old churches.
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:52 p.m.
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Callit: Pro didn't write about it being "a good start" --Napalm wrote that. (Hence my sarcastic poke below, which, as it turns out, was quite prophetic, eh?)
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:51 p.m.
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Where did I say I was happy the church burned down?
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:27 p.m.
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Where do you draw the line then? A church burning down is a good start for you, why not take it a little farther?
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:17 p.m.
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Wow now I want children dead. Before I was accused of watching my friend get beat to death with a railroad tie, now I am hoping a bus of kids gets killed.
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All I said was this was a great story, now please stop attempting to hurt my feelings.
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:02 p.m.
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Sorry prounion, I forgot the link.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/cr...
Nov 17, 2009 at 12:01 p.m.
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Hey, here is an article where some parochial school kids were in a bus wreck on the Beltline in Madison. Maybe you can make some jokes and comments on this one as well. Unfortunately for Prounion, the bus wasn't full.
Nov 17, 2009 at 11:36 a.m.
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I am not sure how you come to the conclusion that I don't believe what I say. I do back up what I say with statistics, sources, biblical references, when I make a point I can defend it with logic and discuss follow up questions.
Nov 17, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.
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It is a great story - thats all I said. Please stop harrasing me or I will cry troll tears.
Nov 17, 2009 at 10:50 a.m.
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Just don't feed the Trolls... I said it in another post and I'll say it here.. The Likes of prounion, digriz and gazettefan.. They don't really believe in the garbage they post on here.. The anonymity of hiding behind there keyboards brings out the trolls.... If they actually believed in any of it they would be out there involved with those freedom from religion groups.. there are plenty to choose from..
Nov 17, 2009 at 8:58 a.m.
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How anyone can take joy in this communities loss is beyond me. I fully respect your opinions on religion but the cruelty and meanness is absolutely uncalled for. What did this tiny congregation ever do that hurt anyone? I'm sure prounion will copy and paste some Old Testament horror story but that doesn't answer the question.
Over the years this tiny church was used as a gathering place of good times and bad. There were weddings and funerals, it was the rallying point for a sick or injured neighbor. You jerks using this as another canvas for your snide remarks and disrespectful humor is disgusting. Why don't you put your efforts into something worthwhile for your community? I would suggest working at the homeless shelter but you obviously couldn't look past the location to see the good work done by a religion to help your fellow man.
Nov 17, 2009 at 7:54 a.m.
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It is a great story.
Nov 17, 2009 at 7:31 a.m.
Nov 17, 2009 at 7:27 a.m.
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Seeeee, there's that cyber-bully Prounion bashing Chri...
wait...
Never mind.
Nov 16, 2009 at 5:06 p.m.
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Good story Catherine. I'm glad you could use one of the pictures. And thanks for mentioning the website as well. I keep up the pages about Avon because so many of my ancestors lived there. Hopefully someone else will take a look and it will bring back some memories.
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