The Mail-Journal, Volume 23, Number 22, Milford, Kosciusko County, 28 May 1986 — Page 22

THE MAIL-JOURNAL — Wed., May 28,1986

Bethel Church dedicated in 1905

Bethel Church of the Brethren, located at the corner of East and Catherine Streets in Milford, was dedicated on the afternoon and evening of November 12,1905. An overflow crowd of about 500 people was present for the ceremony. | During the first year of the new church the annual Bible Institute of Northern Indiana was held at

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Bethel from August 18-25. The Bethel congregation worked with the Pleasant View Chapel congregation until February, 1915, when the chapel was disbanded. After the two groups separated, 98 members remained in the Bethel congregation. In 1881, before the church was built, Elder W.R. Deeter moved into the Milford area from

Delaware County. There was a movement at that time to divide the Solomon’s Creek district. In 1884 this was accomplished and the southern part of the district became known as Bethel. In 1902 Brother and Sister L. M. Neher came to Milford from North Manchester. Preaching services started and planning for building a church began. The new church was built mainly by volunteer labor. James Arnold

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FIRST BETHEL CHURCH — Mainly volunteer labor, donated lumber and cement blocks made on site were used to build this first Bethel church on Catherine Street in Milford. It was dedicated on November 12,1905. The original church bell is still used in the belfry.

Spanish Americans come to Milford

The Milford area has for a number of years, been a popular place in which to live for SpanishAmerican families. One of the first Spanish-American families in the area was the Avalos fami-

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donated much of the lumber used in the church including lumber for the original tables and benches used in the church for communion. The bell presently used in the church belfry is the original bell donated through gifts from several local merchants when the church was built. The church has bad several improvements over the years. The dedication service for the new

ly, which was brought to Milford by Henry Beer. Two of the Avalos children who still live and work in the Milford area are Frank and Pete Avalos. In the early 19505, Don Cecil,

ed icational wing was held on Su iday, September 15, 1968 and on October 5, 1975, the church he d a double celebration, its 70th an liversary homecoming and de iication of the newly remodeled sanctuary. The current pastor of Bethel Cl urch is Rev. Roger Eberly and the congregation currently numbers ill members. In 1985 the average attendance was 85 each week.

who operated the canning operation, Cecil Foods, in Milford, would go to Texas on vacation, while there he would recruit other Spanish-American workers to come to Milford to help with the tomato harvest for his factory. In the spring, before the tomato larvest, some of the workers would travel on into Michigan to work harvesting fruit. Then after be tomato harvest in Indiana was over many would go either to Tlorida or Texas to work in the produce fields. Don Enyeart, who was Milford town marshal from 1950 to 1953, remembers the years of Cecil Foods well. Os the SpanishAmerican people he said, “They are good people. I got along with them fine. They were always clean and well-behaved. ” He added that since the workers were hand picked in Texas by Cecil, only the good people came to Milford. Enyeart remembers that, since he could not speak Spanish, if his marshal duties involved Spanish speaking people he would take Frank Avalos with him as an interpreter. He said the theater in Milford would often show Spanish movies which were very popular. Pete Avalos said that although he worked mainly for Henry Beer in his greenhouse and tree nursery operation he as well as other members of his family had worked for Cecil Foods. He said he had a great love for Beer, who was teaching him a trade all the time he worked at the Beer’s Nursery and Greenhouse. “Henry Beer planted a seed in my life,” said Avalos. “He helped bring me to be a Christian and I respected him a lot.” Harvest Festival Many old post cards show photos of Milford Day. It has been learned it was a harvest festival and was a community reunion, a time when those who moved away came home to be with friends.