Marquette
District
Detroit Annual Conference
Pastor: |
|
Rev. Paul
J. Mallory |
Sunday
Worship : |
|
11:00 am |
CONTENTS
Gallery
News
History
GALLERY
NEWS
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NEWS AND VIEWS
BAKE SALE ON MEMORIAL DAY
The members of the Grand Marais UMC are once again sharing
their talents in the kitchen at their annual Memorial bake
sale. Doors open at 12 noon. The first in line gets the
best pick. The sale is usually over in an hour or two.
The Chat Room is still holding weekly gatherings
on Fridays 1-3, at the church for any able to get out. Anyone
is invited to attend for good conversation and great snacks!
The snowbirds who are beginning to return add their adventures
to the group!
On February 16th the people of Grand Marais UMC participated
in the annual dog sled race excitement
as they sold small bags of cookies from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
to the racers and their supporters, as well as those watching
the activities in Grand Marais. The cookies sold for $1
a package.
HISTORY
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During the latter part of the 1800s,
Grand Marais was a bustling town with many businesses, stores
and services of all types available to the area. With the
influx of so many people coming into the “Boom Town”,
the population really started to grow, making it a necessity
for various congregations to build local churches.
In 1894, the First Methodist Episcopal
Church of Grand Marais was organized with the Rev. Richard
Hancock as pastor. Having no church building, services were
held in the hall over McBain’s Meat Market, which
originally stood south and east of the Post Office.
By 1895-96, a church building had
been erected on the south side of Veteran Street, near Crawford.
It was of frame construction with a vestibule and an auditorium.
Since the congregation could not afford pews for their new
church, they used chairs. But, if they did not have pews,
they did have a mortgage and it was a happy day when they
met to “burn the mortgage”. The congregation
then moved on to getting carpeting and purchasing a new
organ. Shortly after this, pews were installed. These pews
are the ones still being used in our present church building
on the hill on Main Street.
After the pews were installed, a
parsonage was bought on October 17, 1899 from John Chisolm
for $6,000. As the church proper had no rooms to use for
meetings, two rooms were reserved in the parsonage for the
use of the Ladies Aid. This parsonage (on Main Street across
from the Superior Hotel) was sold in 1928 and was later
destroyed by fire.
As the years passed and the church
became in need of many repairs, it was decided to sell the
building and purchase the vacant Presbyterian Church (built
in 1898). The pews and other furnishings from the old church
were installed in the new location which became known as
the Community Methodist Church. The name was subsequently
changed to the Grand Marais United Methodist Church.
The year 1910 was a memorable year
for Grand Marais, for that was the year the railroad was
removed. By 1915, so many families had moved away it became
impossible to pay a resident minister.so the congregation
became Presbyterians. After 1915, Grand Marais was supplied
with guest speakers, lay preachers and ministers through
the Marquette District of the Methodist Church. For three
years (from 1938 through 1941), the McMillan Circuit supplied
speakers and ministers. From 1942-46, the Munising Circuit
provided a minister.
There were many very lean years from
the 1970s through the mid 1980s when the church simply could
not maintain a “winter schedule”. Jim and Faye
Gribbell of Engadine faithfully led services from September
1983 through December 1986. Their dedication, along with
that of Charles and Karla Bugg, was instrumental in holding
the church together. During the summer months student ministers
served, ministering to the tourists as well as the community
residents.
Rev. John Grenfell III served as
pastor from 1987-1991, and since rental housing would no
longer fill the needs of this growing ministry, plans were
made to build a parsonage. With funds from the Marquette
District “Mission of the Year” program, and
a generous bequeath of $35,000 from Archie and Mary Jane
Newberg, land was purchased and construction was begun by
members of this congregation and members of the United Methodist
Church of Plymouth, Michigan. Construction was completed
by November of 1989. The parsonage is located on Brazel
street (right across from Woodland Park and Lake Superior).
In the year 1994, the Grand Marais
United Methodist Church celebrated its 100th anniversary.
With a small but vital membership, we are confident that
the United Methodist Church will be a part of the community
for many years.
Grand Marais United Methodist
Church
M-77 North
PO Box 268
Grand Marais, MI 49839
(906) 494-2751, (888) 218-4653
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