The Denman Freewill Baptist Church may very well have been the oldest building in Denman. Its' first minister was a Rev. E. M. Chase in the year l890. There were ten more by 1907.

The church first set on the railway right-of-way when the Hastings and North Western railway went through about 1912. In a warranty deed dated the twenty-fourth day of May, 1913, Francis M. Denman and wife Julia A. Denman transfered to the trustees of the First Baptist Church of Elm Island, that certain tract or parcel of land shown on the official plat at the town of Denman and designated "church property".  (legal description followed) The warranty deed was signed and sealed by Niels Mikklesen, Notary Public. The church was then moved to this half acre, more or less, parcel of land.

At a September 15, 1912 meeting of the First Baptist Church of Elm Island, Nebr. Marcus Morse acting as chairman, all prior amendments were amended and a new copy submitted, carried by unamimous vote.

Lillie Lippincott, Maggie Morse, Marcus Morse were nominated for trustees and declared elected. Marcus Morse also nominated for Decon and declared elected.
 
 

At a special meeting held at the Freewill Baptist Church on July 7, 1962 and only three members comprising its membership, being Geo. H., Fred W., and Marcus E. Morse; the church properties, including grounds, building and contents were sold to the American Sunday School Union for the sum of $1.00. With three affirmative votes.

“On Sept. 29, 1962, Geo. H. Morse and I delivered today to Paul Johnson or the American Sunday School Union the deed to the church property"  - signed by Fred W. Morse, Sec.

It is very interesting to note that Marcus Lincoln Morse, mentioned earlier in the church history, and father of above boys, was the first white boy born on Elm Island, the date was Dec. 30, 1872 and the place a dug-out in a pasture two miles East of Denman. The indentation where the dug-out was can still be detected.

Marcus' mother died when he was 3 years old, his mother lies in one of two unmarked graves in the cemetery in Juniata, Nebraska.

For awhile young Marcus was cared for by Sara Miller, wife of Walter and mother of Elmer. Later he was sent back to New York, by rail and alone with only a tag for identification, to be raised by an aunt.

As a young man be returned to Nebr. to live with his father, who had remarried. Sometime later, after marrying Margaret Gerdes, from Gothenburg, he inherited a piece of land East of Denman, from an uncle Marshall Morse who had homesteaded it. Here he raised his family, became a decon in the Baptist Church, and was Denman postmaster, bringing the mail out from Shelton each day. It is only recently that the land has left the Morse name.
 
 

 
Back three: Lois Wiese, Irene Sorensen, Maggie Morse.
2nd Row: Darlene Woodman, Marcille Woodman, Orpha Woodman, Charlene Sorensen, Emma Smith, Vic Smith, Geo. Morse.
3rd Row: Karen Schneider, Josephine Smith, Diana Eddy, Vaughn Smith, Kirk Smith.
Front Row: Allen Schneider, Patricia Schneider, Verene Smith and Colleen Eddy.

 

	A Sunday School Class in 1918 or 1919 Left to Right: Lavern McMullen (our editor), Helen Callison, Frank Vogel, Myrtle Elliot, Floyd Woodman.
A Sunday School gathering   at the Chas. Cruse home	Far Back, Left to Right: Walter Humphrey, ___________, Lloyd Morse, Ernst Heinzman, ___________ Center: Bill Bombeck, Clifford Woodman, Willie Heinzman, Kenneth Ramsey, Richard Block. Front: Wayne Cruse, Bernard Snyder ,Keith   Snowden, Julius Heinzman, Lyle Whiting.

10
 

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