A Few More Details on Church of the Ascension in Neodesha - part 2

Just as the early 1900's brought much life to Independence and Epiphany Church, likewise Neodesha and Church of the Ascension were similarly blessed. For Epiphany our good fortune came from the Sinclair Pipe Line Company and the Midland Glass Plant. In Neodesha's instance, the same period of time brought not only Standard Oil (in later years known as Amoco) but also a smelter, two brick plants, a glass plant, the roundhouse, and much oil and glass exploration.

From 1908-1925 Ascension was served by two archdeacons and four priests or rectors. Reverend Stowells was the first resident priest and one of the most popular. In 1929, Reverend Charles Davies, who with his wife lived in Coffeyville, began serving Neodesha on a regular basis. Fr. Davies was transferred to Chanute in 1931, but he continued to care for the missions in Coffeyville and Neodesha.

In the 1930's and 1940's, Fr. William Paul Barnds served both Epiphany in Independence, and Ascension in Neodesha. Fr. Raasch served Epiphany for 11 years in in the 1940-50 era as well as Neodesha. Then, Ascension had a resident priest, Fr. Boyer for a year and a half in 1949-50.

The Reverend John Fargher was the vicar at Epiphany from 1955 through 1959, and during that same time he also had charge of Neodesha with the exception of the two
years, 1957-58 when Reverend Warren H. Sapp was a resident priest at Neodesha.

Street Hall, the parish house at Neodesha was constructed in 1957-58 under the supervision of Fr. Sapp. There are a lot more details in the history of Church of the Ascension, but I will leave those up to the vestry there when they plan something for their hundredth anniversary in April, 2008.

But I thought that since Neodesha and Independence were so historically innertwined, you at least needed a bit of its history. At the present time (2006)
Fr. Gerry and our staff here at Epiphany serve them.