1807-1809: Alexander Campbell, of Ireland and Scotland, came to America to join his father, Thomas, who had come a few years earlier. They were Presbyterians. In an effort to take the gospel to the American frontier; Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio; they saw the need to restore the church as much as possible to the New Testament example. They joined with others such as Barton W. Stone and Walter Scott and restored the New Testament church, calling themselves “Not the only Christians, but Christians only”.

1830-1831: A Christian minister, H. Jones, preached in the Hipsher neighborhood near what is now Caledonia.

1834: Caledonia was incorporated.

1840: The first Christian church in the county was organized at LeTimberville, which is now Kirkpatrick.

1841: A hewn log church building was erected at a cost of $100 at Kirkpatrick. Mr. Dowling was the minister there for 14 years.

1860: Alexander Campbell preached in the Marion area and at Kirkpatrick.

1866: Mr. Beckley purchased a lot on Church Street in Caledonia, to be used by any minister of any religion, any time it was vacant.

1867: The lot was sold to a group of Universalists for $400 and later sold to the Presbyterian Church.

1916:  Silas Hill (Bob Hill’s grandfather), J. George, and Charles Likins; trustees of the Kirkpatrick Church of Christ, purchased the lot and frame building at what is now 300 N. Main Street in Caledonia for $501.

1928-1929: The building was renovated and a brick facing, to cover the structure, was completed in 1929.  

1930-1942: Through the depression years when money was scarce, the congregation here worked at various money making projects to pay off the indebtedness. John Pommert made some of the payments himself.

1942: The mortgage was burned. Silas Hill, the oldest member, burned it and Phyllis Longacre (now Disbrow, and still an active member), the youngest member, caught the ashes in a tray.

1948: A church organ was given by Frank Yager in memory of his wife, Minnie Pommert Yager, and dedicated.

1960’s: A basement was added behind the original structure for (4) classrooms.

1970’s: The lot south of Church Street was bought and made into a parking lot.

1978-1979: The upper classrooms were added to the bottom structure.

1979-Present: Various improvements have been made to the building; including central air conditioning, an elevator, new windows, and many repairs, as needed.   Other Information: Our church has helped many other churches get started in this area, Japan, and Haiti. In the 1950’s, Charles Likins’ nephew, Claude, and Claude’s sister Lori Walker and their families wanted to go to Japan as missionaries. We helped them get the funds needed. They were in Japan for several years teaching and preaching. In 1955, a group from our church started a church in Marion; the Hill Street congregation. They moved to Mt. Vernon Avenue in 1970 where they are today. Another group from our church helped start the Church of Christ in Mt. Gilead. We also helped start the Crestline Church of Christ with many of our members. Additionally, we have helped the Marion Road church in Bucyrus with financial aid on occasion. In the late 1990’s, a group called Haitian American Cooperative Christian Ministries (HACCM) arose from our church and we brought a young Haitian, named Job Hyppolite, to America and educated him at Johnson Christian College in Knoxville, TN. Job then started the Primitive Christian Church in St. Louis Du Nord, Haiti with a great deal of the funding coming from Caledonia. As near as we can figure by the roll books we have, dating back to 1929, about 500 souls have met the Lord in Christian baptism at Caledonia since then. Over 200 of those members have since met the Lord personally.  

A list of ministers and the year they began their service are as follows:

R.F. Strickler         1919                         Kenneth Huff         1956                                           David N. Braxton          2017

J.C. Kidwell            1923                        Jack Prentice         1959

Ray Wolford           1925                        Art Hanze              1962

C.A. Mitchell         1929                          Ron Brown            1965

W.R. Ellis               1933                         Jim Comstock        1966

G.L. Bateman        1937                         Bob Hayes             1980

E.H. Sturtevant      1943                          Tony Amerine        1985

Melvin Keeran        1947                         Ken Boswell          1992

E.J. Sparrow          1950                          Jon Lanier              2012

Ray Thomas          1953                          Donald Butters       2015  

Deceased:  (Dates have been added as they were recorded in the roll books. We recently found one of the roll books, so the death dates of many who were baptized in the 50’s and 60’s and have passed within the last 16 years were not recorded in it. Please let us know if you know the date of their passing. Listed in alphabetical order.)

Albright, Caroline  1936

Albright, F.W. 

Baer, Jack E. 2-20-2015

Baird, Edwin 

Baird, Irby  1942

Baird, Lemuel  1936

Baker, Simon 

Beckel, Gary  1967

Birch, Maude  1959

Blaney, Vada 

Bollinger, Nellie 

Boterf, Ida  1933

Boterf, Nina  1934

Boterf, Vernon 

Boterf, William  1935

Brocklesby, Emma  1947

Brocklesby, Eva  1972

Brown, Maxine   2014

Cain, John 

Cain, Shirley 

Caldwell, Dorothy  1961

Caldwell, Jess 

Carpenter, Katherine 

Chiles, Mary E. 7-18-2007

Clarey, Malissa 

Clark, Florilla 

Clark, Sherrie 

Clark, John

Clouse, Clinton  1971

Clouse, Fern  1959

Crissinger, Bertha  1945

Collins, Roy 

Comstock, Jim  2016 (former minister, not a member at time of death)

Crock, Jacob 

Crock, Kensel 

Daniels, Agnes 

Daniels, Clarence  1956

Davis, Elma 

Delauder, L.E.  

Delauder, Margaret  1967

Dice, Bertha  1999

Dilts, Emma

Disbrow, William E. "Bill"  2012  

Doyle, Ethel 

Dutton, Damon  1971

Dutton, Stella  2002

Fink, Mildred  Fulton, A.D.  1942

Fulton, Lou  1944

Furniss, Art 

Furniss, Lula  1965

Galleoges, Zella 

George, Alice 

George, John  1927

Goings, Cliff  1996

Hall, Dewey  1974

Hall, Roberta J. 11-30-2002

Hall, Vesta  1981

Harrington, Florence 

Henry, Marjorie E. 7-8-2001

Henry, Mary 

Henry, Orpah 

Henry, Viola 

Hetrick, Rose Ann  2001

Hildreth, Mallory A. 9-2-2001

Hill, Alta  1947

Hill, Floyd  2007

Hill, Hattie  1941

Hill, Ray 

Hill, Edith 

Hill, Sarah  1964

Hill, Silas 

Hill, Thomas  1981

Hipsher, Dessie 

Hipsher, Forrest  1989

Hipsher, Karl  1990

Hipsher, Lafayette  1936

Hipsher, Laura  1944

Hipsher, Linda  2002

Hipsher, Oren 

Hipsher, O.W.  1929

Hipsher, Reta Grace  9-26-2006

Hipsher, Sylvan 

Hipsher, Teresa 

Hoffman, Harold  1994

Hoffman, Irva Helen 1-19-2017

Housekeeper, Terry L. (Longacre)  1-19-2007

Howell, Eunice 

Hunt, Robert (Bob)  2004

Hunt, Eugene 

Hunt, James

Hunt, Linda A. 4-16-2012 

Huffine, Howard  1937

Iden, Delmore  1976

James, Gladys  1984

Jerew, Ernest  1967

Jones, Mary

Jury, William  1958

Kaiser, John  

Keirns, Darrin K. 8-31-2001

Keirns, Janice L. 11-24-2012

Kennedy, Carol  11-10-2014

Kightlinger, Harold  1975

Kightlinger, Quinn 

Kightlinger, Wilma  1995

Kile, Dorothy 

Kile, Homer 

Landes, Kathryn  2011

Landes, Michael 

Landes, Robert 

Lee, Ira  1956

Lee, Pearl  1968

Lemaster, Caleb  

Lesher, Jannie 

Lesher, John  1928

Likins, Charles 

Likins, Rena 

Longacre, Allen  1983

Longacre, Elizabeth  1982

Longacre, George  2013

Longacre, Lola 

Longacre, Marjorie L. 2-13-2009 

Longacre, Ruthella M. 4-3-2007

Lyon, Rob 

Martin, Dora  1962

Martin, Hayes  1990

Martin, Herbert 

Markle, Glenda D. 9-8-2016

Markle, Philip L. (Elder) 8-7- 2002

Marky, Hazel  1991

Mason, Cora  1978

Mason, Evelyn  2013

Mason, Harvey  1968

May, Harold  1969

May, Joe  1957

May, Nora  1953

McColley, Marge  1999

McColley, Richard 2004

Medley, Janie 

Medley, Vencil  1971

Merchant, May  1985

Miller, Charles  1977

Miller, Cleophas 

Miller, Donald  1965

Miller, Elsie 

Miller, Hattie 

Miller, Ormond  5-18-2008

Miracle, Eugene "Gene" V. 7-20-2005 

Murphy, Cecil 

Murrath, Francis  1957

Myers, Sarah 

Nance, A.J. & Mrs.

Northrup, C.A. 

Osborn, Asbury  1962

Osborn, Luella  1971

Osborn, Majel  1952

Osborn, Nellie  1958

Osborne, Milton

Osborne, Ruth L. 4-23-2016 

Pace, Charles 

Pace, Elizabeth 

Pace, David 

Pace, Maggie 

Paxton, Theresa 

Paxton, Roy  2015

Pickett, Mrs. Harold  1978

Pommert, John 

Pommert, Minnie  1940 Price,

Clarence  1989

Pursley, Reedy T.  1-30-2003

Pursley, Anita F. 8-29-2006

Rambo, L.A. 

Ray, James 

Redman, Evelyn  1973

Reed, Ada  1971

Rice, Arilla  1947

Rice, George  1940

Richards, Charles 

Richards, Jennie 

Richards, Susan 

Rorick, Emerson  1961

Rorick, Jessie 1971

Rorick, M.R. 

Rorick, Sarah 

Ross, Delpha  1993

Ross, Mrs. Frances 

Ross, Mrs. W.E.  1934

Rowe, Marian "Mary" G. 12-25-2015

Samply, Roy  1978

Seaburn, Betty  2001

Schorr, Chuck  2018

Schorr, Evelyn L. 5-14-2004 

Sharrock, Edna  1977

Sharrock, Elza  1970

Sharrock, Wayne  1975

Shelton, Waddie 

Sherer, Wilford (Bud) 

Sherer, Lola  2002

Shoemaker, J.F. 

Shoupe, Ruby  1956

Showers, Eleanor  11-11-2014

Showers, Paul 

Sickel, Lewis 

Sickel, Ruth  1974

Smith, Cora V. 9-9-1996

Smith, Larry  2007

Smith, James M. 5-22-2005

Smith, Jean  2011

Steele, Lilly  1969

Steele, George 

Steele, Raymond 

Straw, Dannie   2018

Straw, Myrtle  2019 (Jan.)

Sullivan, Arlene  1975

Sullivan, Wayne  1975

Swearingen, Ray 

Taylor, Ruth  1954

Thomas, Manuel 

Thompson, Chester  1992

Thompson, Loretta  2002

Timinson, Mrs. Lee 

Tubbs, Jeffrey A. 2016

Underwood, George 

Underwood, Mary 2017

Underwood, Melvin 

Underwood, Mildred  2005

Underwood, Minnie  1969

Underwood, Paul  1996

Vaughn, Dean 

Vaughn, James 

Vaughn, Jerry  2013

Vaughn, Ruth  2005

Vaughn, Shirley M. 4-25-2007

Walker, Lois 

Ward, Pearl 

Waterhouse, Willard 

Watt, Nellie Mae  2016

Watt, Ted  (Elder) 2017

Weir, Charles  1970

Whiteamire, Nancy D. 9-9-1996

Winch, Dora 

Winters, Nellie 

Woolum, Mildred  1-15-2016

Woolum, Wilber  1978

Yarger, Frank 

** This information was originally compiled by Ken Boswell. Information was gleaned from old church roll call books and records he kept while ministering at the church from 1992-2012.  ** Names have been added to the deceased list by Jackie Vaughn based on personal records she has kept while performing the church treasurer duties. If anyone has any additional information or corrections to any of these records, please notify Jackie at 740-244-3283 to have it added or corrected. Thank you.