Submitter’s note: This story, in part, was taken from “Brown County Remembers.”
Mrs. Laura Larkin came to Brown County from Indianapolis to live in 1914. There were so many young people without a church, she felt compelled to start a Sunday school.
Mrs. Larkin asked permission of Tyner Myers to use his woods, since they were centrally located. Men cut down some trees, brought boards and made seats. Sunday school was held on Sundays at 2 p.m. during the summer months.
The next summer, 1915, Mrs. Larkin suggested we build a church. It was agreed we would, provided it could be built at the cemetery on Bear Creek. Sunday school was moved to Bear Creek and held under the big trees. Again, seats were made, and a speaker’s platform was built.
The first business was to elect three trustees. Milt Richards, Frank Fritch and Leander Weddle were elected. When they discovered there was not enough ground to build the church, Mrs. Hanna Richards deeded the land that was needed. Pledges of money, material and free labor were made.
The church foundation was put in that fall, and the building was started the following spring. There were no seats, so once again temporary seats were made of boards and blocks.
When the church was completed, a meeting was held to see how many people wanted to become members. Mable Richards, a 16-year-old, was the first to pledge. Many more became members.
Money was scarce. The women held suppers, served at sales: young people gave a party asking the girls to bring dressed chickens, the boys to bring dressed rabbits to Indianapolis to sell, and the money was given to the church for the purchase of a stove.
In October of 1917, the church was dedicated. It was built to be a Christian church, but was dedicated a Church of Christ. There have been Christian ministers, Baptist, Church of Christ and Nazarene. People of all denominations helped to build the church and support it.
Next to this church you will find the Bear Creek Cemetery. By the year 1838, several marked and unmarked graves were in this cemetery. On a round-top, sandstone rock carved by hand we find the inscription: “T.W. Weddle born February 2, 1776 and died August 20, 1838 age 62 years 6 months.” There are five generations of Weddles.
Bear Creek Cemetery has two Civil War soldiers, William F. Thompson and Sam McFarland. World War I soldiers are Leo Fleener, Everett Gill, Elmer Tutterrow and Sidney Alford Judd. World War II soldiers are Floyd Mann, Edward K. Eaton, Melvin Richards and Maurice Richards. This story was written several years ago, and no doubt there are more veterans in this cemetery than those mentioned.
The Bear Creek Cemetery has a cemetery association that manages and keeps the cemetery well maintained in honor to those buried there. They have an annual meeting in July. The Brown County Cemetery Preservation Society works in close association with Bear Creek and other cemeteries in the county. If you want to attend either meeting, just let us know. The cemetery society meets the second Tuesday of every month at the History Center at 4:15 p.m.
— Pauline Hoover, Brown County Historical Society
