History of St. Johns 1861 to 2001. Church Organizations

Introduction

Early days in the Wilderness

Early settlers; John and Laura Aubrey and others

First Church Built in White Bear Lake

Church gets its name; Aubreys leave. 1861-1874

Move to a New Location in 1874

Early money raising events and other activities.1874-1893

Vestry Meeting Minutes

Items of interest from 1892 to 1925

Events after 1925

The old church is demolished and new church built

Stained Glass Windows

Windows from 1926 to 1999

Church Organizations

Early guilds and clubs

Events from 1928 to 1946

Rev. Davenport; Fulton Memorial Hall; World War II

After World War II

Mortgage retired; Rev. Barr; Rev. Haynes; Rev. Swenson. 1944-1982

Some Reports from Annual Meetings and Other Events

Rev. Campbell; selected reports of various activities. 1982-1999

A New Pipe Organ

George Mairs gift; dedication Oct. 2000

Epilogue

Some Recollections by Dorothy Haas

Clergy Who Have Served

Plates

Church Organizations

Early guilds and clubs

From the Feb. 19, 1937 issue of the White Bear Press:

“In the period of duration of the church, many organizations were established, names changed, discontinued, new ones replacing the old. The St. Agnes Guild established in 1860, was active until 1928, then the name changed to St. John’s Guild. (In the 1940’s, the name, St. Agnes Guild, was again in use.) In 1897 there was the Ladies Aid Society, 1907 the Women’s Auxiliary, 1910 the Little Helpers and in 1911 the Junior Auxiliary. The present organizations are the St. John’s Guild Auxiliary, with a membership of eighty-five, an Altar Guild, St. John’s Men’s Club and a Church Club. Mrs. Aubrey organized the first Sunday School of ten members about 1860, and the present membership in 1937 is about 125. The first congregation consisted of about 25, the present membership, 350.”

“E.C.W.”

The Episcopal Church Women organization in the Minnesota Diocese started around 1881. All Episcopal church women were eligible to be members. At St. John’s in the Wilderness, before World War II, it was called St. John’s Guild and had two groups, the St. Agnes Circle and the St. Elizabeth Circle. Members of St. Agnes were generally the older women who put on rummage sales and related events, and the younger women in St. Elizabeth handled parish dinners. Sometime, around 1950, the two Circles were combined and the group became known as the Episcopal Church Women or E.C.W. In 1953, the Cornelia Whipple Award for the St. John’s Church Woman of the Year was started by E.C.W. President, Mrs. Betty Slade. This was also the year of the first annual Christmas Bazaar. This organization has always been hard working and effective in handling the needs of the church. Meetings were held every Thursday morning right after a 10 a.m. Holy Communion service. Featured activities for the year included the Christmas Bazaar, the Lenten Study Program, Spring and Fall rummage sales, weekly Thursday luncheons, Deanery Luncheon and a Birthday Luncheon. The money raised by the E.C.W. over the years has provided a very large part our church’s outreach programs.