A well kept country church located just northwest of Red Oak, IA. The Stratton United Methodist Church was established 1890.

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Taking a trip back to the old home town and I always look for this church steeple in the distance to know I am close. It sets high on a hill in Stanton, IA and at night the steeple is lighted. I've never been inside but would like to one day. It is a small and Swedish town that is known locally as "The Little White City" as all the houses are painted white. There are two water towers that are shaped like a coffee pot and a coffee cup since Mrs. Olson from the Folgers commercials, Virginia Christine, grew up here.

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Driving down a Nebraska highway when I notice a steeple above the trees. Outside of a water tower, the steeple was the only thing way above the tree tops. The country churches and the small town churches are always a sight I enjoy photographing. Here is St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wisner, NE.

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Next to this church is a sign marking the location of the Oaks School. Amid the countryside are still the artifacts of what built this country. The schools are long gone but there are still a few of the churches still in use. And they are well kept by the congregation. A close look and you can see the fields have been planted and are growing.

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It doesn't matter how cold the winter, a country church represents a warm welcoming for the community it serves. It is good to this one in good shape. As the size of farms increase less farmhouses saturate countryside leading to less people to support countryside and small town churches.

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Small town Iowa has some great churches. They may not set thousands or ever hundreds but they have all been built with love. Here is one with a great steeple reaching to the heavens.

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All across the Midwest the countryside is dotted with what built this nation, the country church. Many of them are still in use but as the farms get bigger and less people are about these small personal country churches are declining.

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Out and about in Wahoo, NE and I ran into this church. The old small town churches are the best. Here is St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church.

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Across the road from the First Trinity Lutheran Church is the Ev. Lutheran School built in 1931. Two key elements needed by the rural community, religion and education, were built across the road from each other.

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First Trinity Lutheran Church established 1911 in rural Nebraska south of Wayne, NE. It is always great to see these country churches. You can just see the loving care given to it by its' members.

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So much of this country is built on the backs of these small country churches. It is always good to see a well kept one on a country drive.

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One of the great things about driving the Iowa country side, any time of the year, are the country churches you encounter. There is usually a cemetery very near which outlines the history of the area. Autumn just makes them pop!

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You can drive the county roads and find the small country churches. Turn into a town and you will also find you will find at least one church but more often than not multiple churches. Here in Lewis Iowa is another fine example of the rural church in the small Iowa town. Look close and it appears the bell is still active.

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The one room schoolhouse started the education process in this country. Some of these buildings still exist today having been returned to the farm where the land was donated. They became another farm building. The one on the farm I grew up on was used to raise chickens and we roller skated in it. As you drive the country roads they are easy to spot. You will find a one room building off by itself between a couple of farms. Often time the coal shed is still standing. If the buildings are gone you can still spot where there was a schoolhouse and it is a small section of land, with a driveway from the road and a lot of time it is fenced in. Also, there are usually trees enclosing the section. This school was found in Cass County Iowa. I haven't been able to find out the name of the school from looking at old plats of the country.

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It may not be a ancient cathedral, but the Oakland Sharon Presbyterian Church in SW Iowa has been serving the local community for years. These country churches are a key element of life and a source of pride for the rural folks.

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Wheeler Grove Church is located in southwest Iowa off of highway 92. The church was named after Silas Wheeler and this is the second church as the first church was located across the road in the center of the current cemetery.

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Not all country churches are still used as churches. This one has a good roof but most of the windows are gone so I can only assume it is mostly used as storage for the farmer. It would have been nice to know the name of the church. It is located in southwest Iowa just a couple of miles north of Wheeler Grove Church.

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One of the churches near my home town in Iowa. This steeple always stands out in the countryside as you approach the town. As I past by it today I had to stop and grab a quick photo as the rainy sky provided a new backdrop for the church.

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Mt. Hope United Methodist Church on a clear fall day. Another rural church that is very well taken care of by its members. It is great to see these as one drives around the countryside.

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Bluffs Trinity Lutheran Church in Nebraska was a great find. You can tell it has a long history of community support from the size of the cemetery.

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The Lyman Assembly has been taking care of the community needs for a number of years.

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The Grant United Methodist Church is still standing and taking care of the Grant community. The small rural communities continue to downsize as the farms upsize but the rural church is almost always the last to go.

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The Wales Presbyterian Church is just one of the many rural churches you can find in the Iowa country side. While the churches are not huge they house a huge amount of faith collectively. Within just a few miles of country driving I have found four active churches which when put together, represents the faiths of a number of people over several square miles. If you stop and visit one of these country churches you can almost see and feel the past that created these churches.

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United Methodist Church has been in this community for a long time. You can tell how shaded the church is. Most churches in the small community are covered by trees. I assume it is because it would be cooler for the summer services.

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This United Methodist Church is located just off the main street on a nice shady lot. It gives the people leaving the service a great opportunity to chat with their neighbors to find out if Sally had given birth yet or how the new team of horses are doing for Tom.

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Just one of the many churches you can find in rural Iowa. You can tell this was built as a labor of love and it is still maintained that way today. It shows how important religion was to the settlers and is today.

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A drive in the country will show you how important faith was the settlers. While life was hard they still made time to build a church. Many of these rural churches are still in use today. However, as the farms get bigger there are fewer rural people to support these small churches. Often you will only see the cemetery remaining.

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It is hard to imagine how this country came about with all the computers, big machinery and satellites of today but take a ride in the Iowa country side and it becomes apparent. There will be a sign with a school name about every two miles apart. Then there are the many churches and their cemeteries along side the road. A lot of faith, hard work and education to build this country. A look in the cemetery will tell you how hard life was. One family had five children only two survived childhood.

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The rural churches are becoming fewer and fewer. This church however had a full parking lot on my way past. On my way back, I stopped to photograph it. Later in the day I attended a funeral lunch in one of these still functioning rural churches. Sites like these always remind of the faith our forefathers must have had to settle this country.
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This church has seen better days. History of the church can be found at http://iagenweb.org/fremont/churches/KnoxChur2.htm
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The Strand Evangelical Lutheran Church is located in rural southwestern Iowa and is still in use today. You can just tell the type of congregation by it's well kept grounds and cemetery. More information at http://swimwebsite.weebly.com/strand-lutheran---strand-villisca.html
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Built in 1872, NE of Creston, IA, it was in use until 1966. McKinley Park in Creston, IA contains many preserved structures.
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With the exception of the fans and electric lights this has to be close to how the church looked when it was first built. Spaulding Methodist Episcopal Church in Creston, IA is a super job of preservation.
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This church was built in 1878 in Spaulding, IA. It is now located in Creston, IA.
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An early Iowa schoolhouse located in Corning, IA and is part of the preservation of French Icarian Village. It wasn't too long after that the thunder showers started.
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This is the only remaining structure of Guss, IA, a place where my roots started.
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A lot of leaders got their education in a room like this.
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It is so nice to see these old schools preserved.
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Being able to see the inside of a restored country school is a real treat. Here is the inside of Harmony Country School house located just south of Nebraska City NE. The upper part of the wall and ceiling is covered in tin.
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Being able to see the inside of a restored country school is a real treat. Here is the inside of Harmony Country School house located just south of Nebraska City NE. The upper part of the wall and ceiling is covered in tin.
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Not to far south of Nebraska City is another fine country school known as Hazell Dell. It appears to have been converted into a fine home.
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Not far south of Nebraska City, NE is a one room brick shool house known as Hazel Dell. As it has been converted to a home it should remain for a long time.
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Center School served the surrounding area from 1864 - 1937. You can still see the old pump handle where the kids could refresh themselves on the hot days.
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Another rural country school being preserved.
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It is good to see these structures preserved. This one is in Glennwood IA.
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Oak School established 1870 in Mills county Iowa is still standing but the classes are no longer in session.
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More information is availalbe at http://indiancreekmuseum.org/

As you stand in the road to see the church through the trees you can almost see the horse and buggies pulling up.
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Golden Hill School in operation from 1860 to 1958. A great little building that helped build a nation.
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This a shot from the rear of the church which highlights some of the finer points of the structure.
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A rural church comes a live on a bright autumn day.
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Some conversion work has been done on the school but it still stands and reminds us of how our large schools got started.
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If you are careful as you drive the back roads you can see an old structure that served our educational system in the horse and buggy days. Serveral of the old schools have signs as to the school name, this one didn't.
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It is good to see some of these old schools protected and restored. A lot of our nation's past leaders got started here.
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There were lots of these schools around this country educating the nation. Education has been and is key to success. Pittsburg Dist. No. 8 schoolhouse is located in Red Oak, IA. The inside is restored also.
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The church was formed Dec. 16, 1870 with this structure being erected in 1877 and is still in use today.
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As the country grew so did the school systems. The old Cramer School is in the background with the new school system in the foreground. The old school was built in 1875 and the new school built 1886. Today, the new school serves as a museum.
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Cramer schoolhouse was built 1875 near Stanton, IA. A lot of past community leaders got their start here.
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Another country church on the way from my birth place to home. I assume the bell outside is from a previous church on this site.
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Still in use and just down the road from the last church. Lots of warmth has been generated here for the community.
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Just one of the many country churches still in use today as you drive the country highways.
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The Sciola church is still in good shape as the community still cares for it. A nice little scene as you drive the highway.
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The history of this church can be found at http://iagenweb.org/montgomery/church/sciolachurchhistory.htm

It is always good to see a country church still in use today. This is just up the road from my high school friend's farm.
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This is a side view of the Tabor, IA Luthern church with just a hint of the bright sun.
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Farm, church and school, pretty much what built this nation.
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Iowa has an association to preserve the old country schoolhouses. This one is still in need of repair.
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Out looking for old country schools and found this church that has seen many things over the years.
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Driving down the road and I saw the steeple rising into the sky. It is still in use today, built in 1881.
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The Harmony Schoolhouse held sessions from 1869 until 1997. More inforamtion can be found at http://ocgs.homestead.com/Harmony-School.html . I had seen a PBS show that had featured this country school and I went looking for it.
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The heart of the rural life was the church. As time has gone by, more of these structures have fallen by the wayside.
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There are times when a picture can bring so much to mind. The celebrations of family and community and hope. It all comes together under a steeple.
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Back in the days when this church was built only black and white photos could be had.
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Established 1899 and it is still in use today. The brown line is the high water mark from the Missouri River flooding.
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You can tell this was built for the country farmers to come and worship as it is built in the rual area.
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Found out about this church about an hour from Omaha, NE so I went looking for it. It sets about a mile off of Highway 15.
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The old country churches are going by the way as the country schoolhouse. There are a few still standing.
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A lot of happiness and sadness has pass these doors over the years. Still memories are alive of what took place in this church.
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Black and white provides a haunting view where you wait for the horse and buggy to show up.
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Every day some of the past fades. This was a mighty fine church in it's day.
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You can see this for miles at night when it is lighted.