Reverend Alonzo Vannatter ~ Brethren In Christ Church, Frogmore, Ontario

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 17 (At Worship)

This week's prompt AT WORSHIP posed no hesitation on who I would feature. My husband's great grandfather was a Reverend in a small town in Houghton Township, Ontario. 

When I first started hearing the stories about Asa Alonzo Vannatter (known as Lonnie to those close to him) I loved that his church was in a town called Frogmore.

Brethren In Christ church in Frogmore, Ontario, Canada  ~ 2007

Throughout my husband's growing up he was close to extended family. All of his grandparents & great grandparents played a vital part in his formative years. His great grandfather Vannatter was a larger than life character for him. 

My husband with his great grandfather, publication and date unknown

This write up in a church document shows why that would be. 

"   Rev. Alonzo Vannatter is described in Roy V. Sider's introduction to the book as being "one of the great but little known men of the Brethren in Christ. No man could be more loyal in crisis than he was. Godliness and good humour rarely find a better mix than they did in Alonzo Vannatter." Vannatter's qualities as a person and as a pastor may be seen in this paragraph that he has given us: "Rose early, did my chores . . . got ready for church, about nine miles for the 10 a.m. Sunday School and preaching service at 11. At 12 o'clock started home and then changed horses and drove to Bethel, about 7 miles, for 2 p.m. Sunday School and preaching service at 3, them home to chores and supper and at 7:30 p.m. conducted worship service at Frogmore."   "(1)  

My husband at the Church in Frogmore, Ontario in 2007 in front of the pastors photos
(his great grandfather, Alonzo, second from left)

 Asa Alonzo Vannatter was the 5th of 6 children born to Benjamin Augustus Vannatter and Sophia Fidella Foreman. He was born on the 23rd of November in 1901 in Frogmore, Houghton Township, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada. 

On the 2nd of January 1923 he married Vera Catharine Williams in Cultus, Ontario, Canada.

Vera was born on September 27th 1902 in Norfolk County, Ontario Canada. Her parents were George Albert Williams and Edith Gertrude Brisseau. 

Alonzo and Vera were parents to 5 children: 4 girls and a boy. My husbands' grandmother was their 2nd born. None of their children strayed far from their parents. Most of the extended family still lives in the area. They stayed very connected to all their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. 

Alonzo died on April 8th 1976 in London, Ontario, Canada. Vera died on March 25th 1981 in Tillsonburg, Ontario. They were both buried in Cultus Cemetery, Cultus, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada.

Cultus Cemetery, Cultus, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

While working on this blog I decided to search for any entries I could find. I was able to find many records of Reverend Alonzo Vannatter in marriage and funeral records (a few copied below). The best find was this document about  the history of the Brethren in Chris church where there is much more information to read (link in the sources at that end). The book referenced below is written by Rev. Alonzo & Rev. Sider. We have a copy of. It was a gift to my husband from his grandmother who was very proud of her father. 

Retrieved April 28th 2019  from Brethren in Christ - History and Life archives  http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents18/1982-2-december_1982.pdf

Evangelical Visitor Archives, retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents9/1971-05-10_may_10,1971.pdf

Evangelical Visitor Archives, retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents11/1954-09-27_sep_27,1954.pdf

Evangelical Visitor Archives retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents13/1968-02-26_feb_26,1968.pdf

Evangelical Visitor archives, retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents13/1968-09-09_sep_09,1968.pdf

Evangelical Visitor archives, retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents11/1954-09-27_sep_27,1954.pdf

Evangelical Visitor archives,  retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents10/1948-10-04_oct_4,1948.pdf

Evangelical Visitor archive, retrieved April 28th 2019 from http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents12/1961-05-15_may_15,1961.pdf

Finding family history by searching for documents & details.

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources

(1) Brethern in Christ, History and Life, December 1982, Retrieved April 25, 2019 from
http://bicarchives.messiah.edu/files/Documents18/1982-2-december_1982.pdf

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