A History of the "Little White Church on the Hill":

Part II

The Cemetery Association and Memorial Garden

In 1927, the church resolved to incorporate a cemetery association in order to handle the affairs of the cemetery. The committee was comprised of L.W. Orr, Mr. Mills, and Mr. Oldham. September 30, 1930, almost a year after the stock market crash of 1929, Mr. Oldham was elected chair of the cemetery association while E.B. Hetherington retained cemetery records.

The task of the association is to allocate space and make sure that the cemetery is maintained in good condition. Owners of individual plots incur the responsibility to maintain markers. Some people buried in the cemetery were born in the Revolutionary War.

A memorial garden was incorporated into the cemetery in recent years. It has been used for services and is quite suitable for those who wish to meditate in this beautiful environment, where those who have gone before provide their enduring witness to the Christian faith.

The Centennial of St. Mary's, 1964 and More Recent History

In 1962, a new red carpet was installed in the church, while roughly at the same time a new furnace was installed. Milton Orr was the benefactor covering a large part of this cost. In 1964, the stage was removed from Guild Hall.

For many years, the church was left open for all to visit and offer prayers. Like most churches, that practice has been abandoned but a key is generally available across the street at the Herman farm for those who wish to spend some time in the "Little White Church on the Hill."

In 1964, the church was elevated and a full basement was placed under the church. It continues to be used for a Sunday School. In 1972, a new Narthex was added to the front of the church. It provides access to the basement and room for parishioners to gather before and after church. In 1983, the old outhouses were given a respectable Christian funeral, their mission literally fulfilled.

A feature news story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press by Gareth Hiebert featured St. Mary's. The title for the Oct. 4, 1964 edition was "Little White Church Celebrates Century of Service Today." Mr. Hiebert wrote that "St. Mary's is much as it was on Oct. 3, 1864, when it enclosed the first service. The heavy, carved rolled back pews, the altar railing, the wainscoting along the walls, the beamed arches--just as they were."

The following prayer was originally written to be given at the Centennial Observance, but had to settle for inclusion in the Press article by Hiebert. It was composed by Mrs. Russell Keene, member of the familty descended from the original Orrs. It reflects some of the language and piety of the day, but what is remarkable is its expression of the sense of respect, even admiration, the people of St. Mary's had for the gritty faith of the pioneer women and men:

The founders of St. Mary's probably would not have guessed that it would be around five generations later or that a history about their times would appear on something called an "Internet." Then again, given the prayer above, the twenty-first century may at some point be viewed as the early period of St. Mary's history. That is our prayer today.

The pews cost a grand total of $148.00, which, of course, was a considerable sum when they were purchased in 1878. On April 5, 1878, John Burton, George Holt, Mark Wright and Simon Fetterly drove to Minneapolis for the church pews. It took three loads to get them and they were packed, according to church records, in hay for the return trip!

The original church windows, which are now over the altar and at the rear of the church, were purchased in 1864 at a cost of $189.00. The window in the south chancel is in memory of Arthur Chard who served for twenty-five years (1907-1932) as the parish priest. The side windows commemorate the Wright, Gallinger, Davies, Orr and Hetherington families. At the rear of the church is a window in memory of the Rev. Timothy Wilcoxson, the first priest of the parish.

The round window over the door was very carefully selected and is the finest window in the church. It was placed there by the Rev. William P. Anna, who served the church during the depths of the depression, 1932-1937.

The two wooden crosses on either side of the altar were carved from black walnut trees from Lou Louden's farm.

Note: this history is a work in progress. Additional items of historical interest should be sent to Fr. Crockett, who maintains the St. Mary's web page. Special thanks go to Ms. Sandy Berglund of the Afton Historical Society Museum, as well as all the "crew" at the Museum, for their assistance with this history. Click on the image at right to go to its delightful page.