Nebraska Church Women Demanded New Building, Made History

A century-old church in Geneva, Nebraska just earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, thanks to determined volunteers who spent two years digging through its remarkable history.

The First Congregational United Church of Christ has always been shaped by strong women. In 1925, the female members put their foot down about preparing meals in a tiny parsonage kitchen and demanded something better.

"The women told the men they were tired of doing all of the food preparation in the parsonage," volunteer Gail Chapman explained. "And the women said, 'We want a new kitchen. We want a new church.'"

The women didn't just ask. They made it happen by selling meals at the county fairgrounds, helping raise funds for the new $56,000 building.

Community members physically moved the original 1887 wooden church to the fairgrounds so the women could use it as their fundraising hub. Their efforts helped bring prominent Colorado architect Eugene Groves to design the new sanctuary.

The building itself tells stories at every turn. The organ traveled from Lawrence, Kansas, and took five men four hours to haul from the train station for 40 cents each.

The original stained-glass window at the front came from the women's fundraising efforts at $4,000. Side windows were painted with help from a student who trained under Louis Tiffany himself.

The Ripple Effect: The church's impact reached beyond its walls during World War II. Volunteers discovered that congregation members regularly welcomed servicemen from nearby Fairmont Air Base, bringing them to services, serving them dinner, and even sending them to the movies.

Sisters Diane Heath and Karen Kohler represent the fourth generation of their family to worship there. Kohler now leads the music program using that century-old organ.

Chapman led the research effort that secured the historic designation, refusing to give up until the job was done. "That's how much I feel that it needed to be done for this church and for this community," she said.

The timing couldn't be more perfect as the church celebrates its 100th anniversary with newfound recognition of the women who demanded better and built something that would serve their community for generations.