1945
Liberty Methodist church east of Quitman off Hwy 154. Henry Crietzberg is the man in the picture
Liberty Methodist church east of Quitman off Hwy 154. Henry Crietzberg is the man in the picture
History of Liberty Church
By Gary D Duke, Historian, April 2011
In 1844, as a result of disputes over slavery, the American Methodist Episcopal Church split into two factions - the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The "South" church still permitted slavery.
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Oak Grove was established in the late 1860's and the Methodists had probably also established their own church about the same time as the Ebenezer church and they may have shared the use of the Ebenezer church building. The designation for the Methodist Episcopal Church South "at Oak Grove" indicates only that it was near the Oak Grove community.
The "Methodist Episcopal Church South at Oak Grove" existed prior to July 1881, as it is named in the deed along with three existing trustees. Apparently, the church had not owned its own building before 1881, and we do not know where the meetings had been taking place. The community of Oak Grove, now populated by only about 70 people, was established in the 1850's (about the time that Wood County was created) and is about two miles northeast of the Liberty Church location. Oak Grove initially flourished. In 1872 it constructed a school building. By the 1890s, the school had 122 students.
It is unknown exactly when the first people joined to establish a church group that ultimately became the present Liberty Methodist Church. The first known record was July 6, 1881, when John A. Callaway and his wife Emily deeded "in consideration of the love we base for the cause of Christ and from an earnest desire to promote his heritage on earth do give and grant ----- to trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South at Oak Grove" approximately six acres of their land "for a Church building to be situated upon ---". This land was part of 200 acres John and Emily Callaway had purchased on December 1, 1879. The land was situated generally along the north side of present-day State Highway 154 and was bisected by present-day County Road 3130. The six acres donated was 1/3 mile north and east of the present-day intersection of SH 154 and CR 3130.
William S. Hardy, John H. Williams and John H. Voorhees were the three trustees named in the 1881 land donation.
- William Hardy was born in 1826 in South Carolina, had many children, had lived in Georgia, then Arkansas, and came to Wood County about 1876.
- John Williams was born in 1842 in Georgia, had three children in Georgia, three more in Arkansas, and came to Wood County about 1877.
- John Voorhees was born in Florida in 1846 and came to Wood County from Alabama with his father Cornelius Voorhees after 1870 and married here about 1877.
- John Callaway (also spelled "Calaway") was born in 1845 in Alabama. He married there about 1866 and moved to Wood County in 1869.
- His father was James A. Calaway born in Georgia in 1803 and he had a brother James A. Calaway born in Georgia in 1842. They all moved to Wood County at the same time.
After obtaining the land in 1881, the members constructed a wooden single-room Church building. Unfortunately, no photographs of this building are known. The Methodist Episcopal Church South at Oak Grove met in that building continuously for the next 62 years.
Bishop John Wesley Hardt provided the following description the events surrounding the Liberty Church in 1942. At that time Bishop Hardt was a 20-year-old college senior and was appointed to the local “circuit.”
On the fourth Sunday of May 1942 he preached his first sermon at Liberty. (In April 1939, the "North" and "South" factions of the Church had reunited to become "The Methodist Church" and this church had changed its name at that time to "Liberty Methodist Church.")
Bishop Hardt recounted this story:
- “Liberty had only a few older people left as the young men had gone into military service or left for California or Dallas where there were jobs in the war industries. The old folk at Liberty could see they might have to close their church. A revival that summer, (and the efforts of Bishop Hardt) brought some surprising crowds and instead of talking of closing the church, members began talking of fixing up the run-down building, maybe even building a new church.
- Uncle Charley Malone who was living with his daughter and son-in-law (the Osborns) took his hammer one day and began tearing loose boards off the wall in order to start that new church building. Others convinced him to stop and replace the boards, but a building fund was started. Jim Malone started a savings account for the church.”
Uncle Charley Malone was born in 1865 and had joined the Liberty Church in 1924. By 1943, John and Emily Calaway had passed away and their heirs arranged for a new survey of the property. At that time, attorney Henry M. Crietzberg (a member of the Liberty Church) began negotiating with the heirs to trade the six acres owned by the Liberty Church for three acres 1/3 mile to the south so the Liberty Church would be located on the new State Highway 154.
Bishop Hardt recalls that “the old church was in such a deep bed of sand that in the hot dry summer of revival meeting time cars would get stuck in the sand.” Agreements were reached and the Alba Charge of the Tyler District, on June 25, 1944, authorized the Board of Trustees of the Liberty Methodist Church to make this trade. The trustees at that time were C.A. Malone, G. E. Snodgrass, and Arthur Sims. The land trade specified that the Liberty Church would retain "all improvements" on the six acres.
After the land exchange, members of the Liberty Church dismantled the old church building and constructed a new building on the new property using the same lumber and materials. Multi-talented attorney Henry M. Crietzberg was one of the men who enclosed the new building in brick. It was heated by a fireplace. The building was completed in 1945. At that time, State Highway 154 was still a dirt road.
In 1968, when the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to become the United Methodist Church, this small church in Wood County became the Liberty United Methodist Church.
The building constructed by the members in 1945 is still in use today although central heating and air conditioning have been added and the interior has been remodeled. A steeple was added in the mid-1990's. In 1959, a house was purchased by the congregation for $800 and placed on the east side of the Sanctuary, to be used as a Fellowship Hall. In 2004, the old Hall was moved away and a new, much larger, Fellowship Hall was constructed in the same spot. In 2014 an addition to the Hall was completed, which doubled its size.
There have been many additional upgrades to the Sanctuary building in the last few years.
Since 1902, records list 52 Ministers who have served the Liberty Church. Rev. Keefe Cropper is the present minister. The Liberty Church is thriving. Membership is now at 115, finances are in good shape and Sunday services are well attended. There are two adult Sunday Schools, a Prayer Circle, a Women’s Bible Study group, choir, Liberty Bells, monthly fellowship dinners, and the Crafty Christians sewing group.
We give all thanks to GOD for His blessings on our church!
History of Founding Families
Our best knowledge to date is that Liberty Church was founded not long after the conclusion of the Civil War. Many southern families left the destroyed southern economy and moved west. Some of them came to Wood County, Texas, and some of their descendants are still members of the Liberty Church.
Present members: Eva Marie Harris Swann, Marie Osbourn Folmar, Alice Fay Harbin Lee, Mary Harbin Halbert, James "Buddy" Clanton, Neva Harbin Potts and Ronnie (Clanton) Taylor are all direct descendants of some of these founding families.
The first to come were several families named Harris who were all brothers and sisters and who came to Wood County from Georgia in 1859 in a large wagon train. There were two subsequent groups also named Harris who came later. They were all, at least remotely, related to each other.
The founding families were:
Wood County was created in 1850 and, considering the transportation and communication in those days, it is not surprising that children from these families met and intermarried:
Our best knowledge to date is that Liberty Church was founded not long after the conclusion of the Civil War. Many southern families left the destroyed southern economy and moved west. Some of them came to Wood County, Texas, and some of their descendants are still members of the Liberty Church.
Present members: Eva Marie Harris Swann, Marie Osbourn Folmar, Alice Fay Harbin Lee, Mary Harbin Halbert, James "Buddy" Clanton, Neva Harbin Potts and Ronnie (Clanton) Taylor are all direct descendants of some of these founding families.
The first to come were several families named Harris who were all brothers and sisters and who came to Wood County from Georgia in 1859 in a large wagon train. There were two subsequent groups also named Harris who came later. They were all, at least remotely, related to each other.
The founding families were:
- The John P. Harris family came from Georgia in 1879.
- John W. Harris, born in Tennessee in 1867 and married to Mary Holleman, brought his family from Tennessee in 1880.
- The Malone family came from Alabama in 1868.
- The Callaway family came from Alabama in 1869.
- The Chrietzbergs came from Alabama in 1875.
- The Harbins came from Alabama in 1876.
- The Clantons came from Alabama in 1895
- The Osbourn family came from Alabama in 1905.
Wood County was created in 1850 and, considering the transportation and communication in those days, it is not surprising that children from these families met and intermarried:
- John A. Callaway, born in 1845, married Sarah E. Malone in 1865 when both families still lived in Alabama.
- Also, while in Alabama, Harriet Malone (sister to Sarah) married John H. Voorhees. He was born in 1846.
- While in Alabama, John H. Malone, born in 1845, (brother to Sarah and Harriet) married Emily A. Osbourn.
- John and Emily Malone were the parents of Charles A. Malone who married Mary Day in 1885.
- Mary Day's mother was Christina Crietzberg.
- Euna Pearl Malone, daughter of Charles and Mary Malone, married Harvey L. Osbourn.
- John Clifton Malone, son of Charles and Mary Malone, married Ida Mae Harbin.
- Arthur Sanford Harris, born 1895, was a son of John W. and Mary Harris, and he married Rosa B. Harbin.
- Arthur Sanford and Rosa Harris were the parents of Arthur Sanford Harris, Jr. and Eva Marie Harris Swann.
- Alta E. Harris, daughter of John W. and Mary Harris, married James W. Harbin (brother of Rosa).
- James W. and Alta Harbin were the parents of Alta M. Harbin, Alice F. Harbin, and Mary Harbin.
- Mary Harbin married John Halbert.
- Alice Harbin married Clarence Lee.
- Alta Harbin married J. W. Dopson and they were the parents of James D. Dopson.
- James W. and Alta Harbin were the parents of Alta M. Harbin, Alice F. Harbin, and Mary Harbin.
- Henry Miles Crietzberg, born in 1869, married Naomi Callaway.
- Harvey L. Osbourn, born 1887, married Euna Pearl Malone.
- Their son, Rupert Osbourn, was the father of Marie Osbourn Folmar.