Turkey Creek Church

(1894-1918?)

The Gospel Messenger Oct. 16, 1894 page 653 Vol. 32 No. 41

A Trip to Oklahoma.

  I met with the brethren and sister of Indian Territory in council at A. K. Sell’s on 29, for the purpose of forming an organization, which was done in the following manner: the meeting being opened by singing, prayer and the reading of the Word of God, the members were then asked whether they were willing to be organized in the order of our general Brotherhood and be governed by the general council, to which all agreed. Their letters of membership were then called for and one minister in the second degree and two deacons were among the number. A. K. Sell, six miles east of Cross, minister; Samuel Anglemyer, six miles west of Cross and Michael Weland, five miles east of New Ponkie, deacons.  Bro. Jacob Hillinger is two miles west of Newkirk.  The organization was named Turkey Creek, and embraces all the County, to be recognized in the Southeastern Distract of Kansas.  Sister Margaret Anglemyer was chosen Secretary and Bro. Samuel Anglemyer, Treasurer.  They held a love feast Sept. 29.  Eleven sisters and ten brethren communed. All seemed to rejoice together.

  The brethren and sisters then all gave their votes for an elder, to take the oversight of the little flock.  The unanimous voice was in favor of the writer, and we are now ready to say that there is a large field open here where much good could be done if a minister was so circumstanced that he could devote this whole time to the spread of the Gospel.  One brother remarked to me that we did not do our duty as a church to preach the pure Gospel. He said, “ I am thirty-six years old and never heard a brother preach until I heard you,” and he joined at that meeting, also his wife and soon after his daughter.  While I was at the meeting at A. K. Sell’s I received a message to come up to Arkansas City to baptize Fannie Dicks on, daughter of Bro. Joseph Masterson, which was an impressive scene.  Right here in Arkansas City could be good work done if we had the means to do with.  There are seven or eight members there now.  Who will help financially?  The harvest is white but the laborers few.  May present address is as given below.  W. B. Sell.  Grenola, Elk Co., Kans., Box 71.

The Gospel Messenger July 13, 1901 page 448,

From Polo, Noble Co., Okla.

 Elder W. B. Sell, of Fredonia, Kans., and Joseph S. Masterson, of Tonkawa, Okla., and M. Weland, of Ponca City, Okla., recently came to us who reside here in the neighborhood of Black Bair Creek.

We had an enjoyable and soul-reviving love feast on June 29.  June 30 we met in council.  After the opening exercises, Eld. W. B. Sell stated to the members that the Turkey Creek church had sometime past in a regular quarterly council considered the propriety of the of the members her forming an organization.  He then took the vote and it was decided that an organization should be effected. The boundary lines is to be the with of Noble County north and south and west to the Rock Island Railroad, taking in a corner of Garfield county east to about eight or ten miles east of Perry or to meet the west lines of an organization in Southeast part of the strip, and this organization shall be known as the Bair Creek congregation.  As they had only one deacon they unanimously agreed to elect another, and Bro. J. D. fisher was elected.  He and his wife were then installed.

  Sister Ella Phrimmer was elected correspondent and secretary. For an elder the members voted by ballot, and Bro. W. B. Sell was selected.

Our elder stated to the church that he heard that there were some that thought it best for this part of the strip to be cut off from South-eastern Kansas and attach to Oklahoma Territory.  In order to have this satisfactorily settled he requested all the members to vote their mind by ballot, and they were unanimous in staying with the Southeast District of Kansas.

  The organization being effected, and our elder also being the District evangelist, and this now being a missionary point, he agreed to do what he could for us.  There are about twenty members in this organization. We are now in good spirits and feel that we have good reason to believe we will prosper.  Our elder will remain a week or ten days with us, as some are near the kingdom.

  Bro. Masterson lives at Tonkawa, thirty miles for here.  He and his daughter, Sister Fanna, were here, and we enjoyed ourselves well.  

 Ella Phrimmer,  July 1