Old St. Mary's Catholic Church in Eddyville

I am looking for persons who might know something about the old St. Mary's Catholic Church in Eddyville which I have learned was torn down in 1997. When my mission church of St. Patricks's, Leopolis in north central Missouri outside of Chillicothe closed and was torn down our beautiful altars were sold to St. Mary's, Eddyville. This would have been circa 1990. My sisters and I would love to see the old altars again, but we are unable to find out what happened to them when your St. Mary's was torn down. I have been in touch with St. Mary's in Oskaloosa, but have not been successful as of today. If anyone knows of the whereabouts of these old altars, please contact me at tcox@lvnworth.com. I could describe them to you if necessary. I would be so appreciative. God Bless. T. Cox

My mother Teresa Singleton was born in Eddyville in 1898 or probably 1899. She had an older sister Mary. Her father was Dan Singleton and he worked on the railroad (Rock Island?), mother was Mary Kelly. My mom might have been baptized at Old St. Marys. Anyone know if those records are still available. Or she may have been baptized in Oskaloosa.

Her family ended up in Valley Junction (West Des Moines).

Thanks for any info you might have...frank

The old St. Mary Catholic Church in Eddyville, Iowa is still standing. I believe it is owned or under the control of a gentleman named Jerry Sullivan who lives in rural Oskaloosa.

Frank Burge wrote:

My mother Teresa Singleton was born in Eddyville in 1898 or probably 1899. She had an older sister Mary. Her father was Dan Singleton and he worked on the railroad (Rock Island?), mother was Mary Kelly. My mom might have been baptized at Old St. Marys. Anyone know if those records are still available. Or she may have been baptized in Oskaloosa.
Her family ended up in Valley Junction (West Des Moines).
Thanks for any info you might have...frank

All old baptismal records were transferred to St. Mary's Oskaloosa, phone number is at masstimes.org .

T Cox wrote:

I am looking for persons who might know something about the old St. Mary's Catholic Church in Eddyville which I have learned was torn down in 1997. When my mission church of St. Patricks's, Leopolis in north central Missouri outside of Chillicothe closed and was torn down our beautiful altars were sold to St. Mary's, Eddyville. This would have been circa 1990. My sisters and I would love to see the old altars again, but we are unable to find out what happened to them when your St. Mary's was torn down. I have been in touch with St. Mary's in Oskaloosa, but have not been successful as of today. If anyone knows of the whereabouts of these old altars, please contact me at tcox@lvnworth.com. I could describe them to you if necessary. I would be so appreciative. God Bless. T. Cox

Linda Lewman (Eddyville) was in charge of the dismantling of the church.

I am trying to locate baptismal records from the Congregational Church that was in Eddyville, Iowa. The Church was across the street from the Catholic Church. If anyone can help me I am trying to locate my mothers baptismal certificate, maybe dated around 1930-31.

The Congregational Church joined with the Reformed Church in town to form Faith Community Church. That church is still operating in Eddyville. Perhaps the records from the Congregational Church are there. Hopefully they were careful about transfering records.

Paula Atchley wrote:

I am trying to locate baptismal records from the Congregational Church that was in Eddyville, Iowa. The Church was across the street from the Catholic Church. If anyone can help me I am trying to locate my mothers baptismal certificate, maybe dated around 1930-31.

Frank Burge wrote:

My mother Teresa Singleton was born in Eddyville in 1898 or probably 1899. She had an older sister Mary. Her father was Dan Singleton and he worked on the railroad (Rock Island?), mother was Mary Kelly. My mom might have been baptized at Old St. Marys. Anyone know if those records are still available. Or she may have been baptized in Oskaloosa.
Her family ended up in Valley Junction (West Des Moines).
Thanks for any info you might have...frank

Mr. Burge, the above name you may recognize. I came across yours on the net and after putting some thoughts together I can pretty well assume we were "friends" in the early "50's. I wrote an email but the email address that was available is not current. If you so choose , please respond.
valance @ comcast.net Respectfully, Ann Celine O'Hallaren Wydeven

My husband's family helped build St. Patrick Catholic church at Leopolis; five generations of the many McKenzies are buried in the cemetery there---my name is on a marker, too, for future use. I have often thought I'd get some of my children and go on a jaunt to Eddyville to see the old altar that I knew went there when the church was razed. I have a few souvenirs from the structure. If anyone finds out what became of the altar, I'd love to know that information. As a child I went through Eddyville many times going to see my grandparents in Black Hawk county from Linn county, Missouri. I was sure glad to see the old bridge was replaced the last time I was there, probably in the 1980's.

I just stumbled on this site because I was wanting to see what I might find for St.Patrick's at Leopolis. I knew many people in the Chillicothe and Leopolis area---many of them gone now. I no longer live in the area but I take the newspaper from Chillicothe. Maybe you get news from people you know there, but in case you don't you may not know that both Gert (Gertrude Dorney) and her husband, Dub (E. W., Jr.) Timmons have both passed away; she last December and he last week. If there were any pillars of that church, and community, they were. You spoke of Leopolis being the mission church; at different times it was served from Chillicothe or Trenton. When my father-in-law was a boy, they had a resident priest and a couple of nuns who ran a school from a building called the convent; there was a post office there for four years before Rural Free Delivery came about. If you would, please write me about what you remember about the Leopolis church and anyone you remember from there. Thanks so much for reading my letter.