Mountain View Church Of God In Christ (Mennonite) Cemetery
This year’s walking tour took place at the Mountain View Mennonite Cemetery on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 1 p.m.
History: Mountain View Mennonite Church and Cemetery History
In 1932 and again in 1935, several men from the Copeland, Kansas Mennonite community came to Boundary County, Idaho scouting land opportunities. As farmers, they saw the need to relocate due to drought and dust storms during the Depression years.
They gathered for Sunday school and worship in each other’s homes. In 1937, Minister, Ernest Dirks and family arrived and services were held in the Odes Unruh home on the North Bench. By 1940, many more families had moved to the county. With the influx of the Mennonite population, permission was granted by the school district to hold services in the Sheridan School from 1941-1943.
Preparing for a church, timber stumpage from the forest service was purchased in 1941. The men voluntarily logged the timber and had lumber cut at Elton King’s Moyie Springs sawmill. The men worked at the mill to cover cost of milling. Two acres on the North Bench were purchase in 1942 from Mrs. Myrtle Winter. In a true labor of love, the Mennonite community, volunteering in their spare time, spent two years building their 28×44 feet “little brown” church. Sitting on homemade pews, 225 people attended the church dedication on February 20, 1944.
The first burial in the church cemetery was Carl Eugene Dirks, the one day old (infant) son of Noah and Martha (Butts) Dirks in 1948. Mennonite burials were at Grandview Cemetery, prior to this date.
A lot of time goes into making these cemetery tours. Research is done in the field (on site) and looking for and reading many obituaries, newspapers, and stories in the history book and Museum archives.
This tour was prepared with help from: Mountain View Mennonite Church members and families of people in the cemetery, many Historical Society volunteers and the Museum Curator, Susan Kemmis.
Thanks go out to them all.
The Registration fee of $5.00 per person was split between the Museum and Mountain View Cemetery.
Re-live the past
For more information about the past Cemetery Tours see our Society News page at this link: BoundaryCountyMuseum.org – Cemetery Walks