History of the McKellar United Church
A most pleasant feature of the early settlers was that they felt their settlement incomplete without a church in which they might worship. The material for the first church, built in 1869, was donated by them and it still stands to-day, 1947, as a memorial to their faith.
The Rev. Mr. Hanson came from Parry Sound every three weeks to preach. His week-ends were spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James McKeown.
The first church trusties were Messrs. Chas. Stewart, David Patterson, Samuel Armstrong and John Armstrong.
During the winter the Rev. Mr. Hanson would often spend a week in the settlement and hold revival meetings.
In 1870 the first minister to be stationed at the McKellar was Rev. Samuel Tucker. There wasn’t a parsonage then so Mr. Tucker made home with Mr. Chas. Stewart, Squaw Lake. Thay had been the first wedding ceremony, a double one, was performed. David Patterson and Sarah McKeown, Samuel Armstrong and Catharine Taylor, were united in marriage by Rev. Samuel Tucker.
During this year a long line of tea meetings was held by the settlers. The entire proceeds went to the support of the church.
Rev. Samuel Tucker located on the farm where Garfield Jackson lives at present and the hill on this side is known as Tucker’s Hill.
Mr. Tucker was succeeded by Rev’s. Torrance; Toye (who married a sister of Mr. Jas. E. Taylor. She and her family still reside in Toronto); Geo. McKinley; Wm. Nixon; D. Franks (whose son was here last summer); Thos. Snowden (after whom the Snowden Road is named); H. L. Partridge; Farrer. C. A. Belfrey, 1900 – 1903; A. Richard, 1903 – 1907; J. Nelson, 1907 – 1910; W. W. Anglin 1910 – 1912; A. Laycock; 1912 – 1916; H. Kippin and his mother, 1916-1917; R. J McCarten, 1917 – 1918 (when parsonage was burned); Mr. Ackland, July 1918 – Dec. 1918; Mr. Jarrentt of Orillia, Dec. 1918 – June 1919; Rev. A. Bushell, 1919 – 1922; H. Kippin and wife, 1922 – 1923; Rev. A. A. Janner, 1923 – 1926 (during the pastorate of Rev. Jenner the church was renovated and new pews and alter rail installed); Rev. T. W. W. Lane, 1926 – 1932; Rev. Geo. McVitty, 1932 – 1935; Rev. Geo. Fish, 1935 – 1938; Rev. Geo. McVitty, 1938 – 1941; Rev. E. E. Sykes, 1941 – 1946; Rev. D. Harris, 1946 -1947.
The first recording secretary was Andrew Teneyok, who resigned in 1902, when C. J. McKeown was appointed to this office. Mr. McKeown rendered faithful service for 44 years and in Jan. 1946 he was obliged to resign on account of ill health. C. J. Angst was then appointed as secretary and the Quarterly Official Board expressed their deep appreciation of Mr. McKeowns’s long and faithful service in a tangible way, by gifting a reclining chair and an address written and read by the pastor, E. E. Sykes. Under the leadership of J. L. Moore, everyone in the village contributed willingly to such a gift. A tribute of appreciation appeared in the church paper, “The Observer”, and after Mr. McKeown’s death on Oct. 11th, 1946, a review of his consistent Christian life was also sent to the paper.
Mr. John Angst passed away on March 4th, 1946, after a long and useful Christian life passed in contributing generously of his time and talent and money to the workd of the church. He will always be missed.
The present trustees are George Angst, Clarence Angst, John McKeown and Wm. McKowen. The two elders are C. J. Angst and me J. L. Moore. The others, C. J. McKeown and Miss Vallentyne passed to their reward last year.
Mr. John Angst left in his will one thousand dollars for the repairing of the McKellar church and Parsonage.
We had two very interesting weddings in the Church in the early days, Mr. and Mrs. John Patterson were married December 25th, 1874 by Reverend Rueben Toye. Mrs. Patterson still resides at Sunny Slope and is eighty eight years old. Reverend Toye married Elizabeth Taylor on New Year’s Day in 1975.
The Rev. Mr. Hanson came from Parry Sound every three weeks to preach. His week-ends were spent at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James McKeown.
The first church trusties were Messrs. Chas. Stewart, David Patterson, Samuel Armstrong and John Armstrong.
During the winter the Rev. Mr. Hanson would often spend a week in the settlement and hold revival meetings.
In 1870 the first minister to be stationed at the McKellar was Rev. Samuel Tucker. There wasn’t a parsonage then so Mr. Tucker made home with Mr. Chas. Stewart, Squaw Lake. Thay had been the first wedding ceremony, a double one, was performed. David Patterson and Sarah McKeown, Samuel Armstrong and Catharine Taylor, were united in marriage by Rev. Samuel Tucker.
During this year a long line of tea meetings was held by the settlers. The entire proceeds went to the support of the church.
Rev. Samuel Tucker located on the farm where Garfield Jackson lives at present and the hill on this side is known as Tucker’s Hill.
Mr. Tucker was succeeded by Rev’s. Torrance; Toye (who married a sister of Mr. Jas. E. Taylor. She and her family still reside in Toronto); Geo. McKinley; Wm. Nixon; D. Franks (whose son was here last summer); Thos. Snowden (after whom the Snowden Road is named); H. L. Partridge; Farrer. C. A. Belfrey, 1900 – 1903; A. Richard, 1903 – 1907; J. Nelson, 1907 – 1910; W. W. Anglin 1910 – 1912; A. Laycock; 1912 – 1916; H. Kippin and his mother, 1916-1917; R. J McCarten, 1917 – 1918 (when parsonage was burned); Mr. Ackland, July 1918 – Dec. 1918; Mr. Jarrentt of Orillia, Dec. 1918 – June 1919; Rev. A. Bushell, 1919 – 1922; H. Kippin and wife, 1922 – 1923; Rev. A. A. Janner, 1923 – 1926 (during the pastorate of Rev. Jenner the church was renovated and new pews and alter rail installed); Rev. T. W. W. Lane, 1926 – 1932; Rev. Geo. McVitty, 1932 – 1935; Rev. Geo. Fish, 1935 – 1938; Rev. Geo. McVitty, 1938 – 1941; Rev. E. E. Sykes, 1941 – 1946; Rev. D. Harris, 1946 -1947.
The first recording secretary was Andrew Teneyok, who resigned in 1902, when C. J. McKeown was appointed to this office. Mr. McKeown rendered faithful service for 44 years and in Jan. 1946 he was obliged to resign on account of ill health. C. J. Angst was then appointed as secretary and the Quarterly Official Board expressed their deep appreciation of Mr. McKeowns’s long and faithful service in a tangible way, by gifting a reclining chair and an address written and read by the pastor, E. E. Sykes. Under the leadership of J. L. Moore, everyone in the village contributed willingly to such a gift. A tribute of appreciation appeared in the church paper, “The Observer”, and after Mr. McKeown’s death on Oct. 11th, 1946, a review of his consistent Christian life was also sent to the paper.
Mr. John Angst passed away on March 4th, 1946, after a long and useful Christian life passed in contributing generously of his time and talent and money to the workd of the church. He will always be missed.
The present trustees are George Angst, Clarence Angst, John McKeown and Wm. McKowen. The two elders are C. J. Angst and me J. L. Moore. The others, C. J. McKeown and Miss Vallentyne passed to their reward last year.
Mr. John Angst left in his will one thousand dollars for the repairing of the McKellar church and Parsonage.
We had two very interesting weddings in the Church in the early days, Mr. and Mrs. John Patterson were married December 25th, 1874 by Reverend Rueben Toye. Mrs. Patterson still resides at Sunny Slope and is eighty eight years old. Reverend Toye married Elizabeth Taylor on New Year’s Day in 1975.