Pastors of Harmon Methodist Church Contributed by Karen Holt (Probably from a Centennial Booklet)
1879-81 Eldena, Harmon E. Breen
1882-83 Eldena, Harmon J. M. Griswold
1884 Harmon, Walton C. W. Ferguson
1885 Harmon, Walton W. H. Wood
1886-87 Harmon, Walton J. Hamerson
1888 Harmon, Walton Forest Bell
1889-90 Harmon, Walton W. H. Tuttle
1891 Harmon, Walton H. E. Colby
1892 Harmon, Walton W. J. Able
1893 Harmon (station) W. C. Scott
1894 Harmon (station) V. V. Cook
1895 Harmon, Montmorency L. P. Warrington
1896-97 Harmon, Monlmorency John Williams
1898-99 Harmon (station) D. F. Hardy
1900 Harmon (station) R. L. Griffin
1902 Harmon (station) O. E. Reide
1904 Harmon (station) P. A. Linaweaver
1905 Harmon (station) W. B. Rutherford
1906 Harmon (station) A. E. Bennett
1907-09 Harmon, Deer Grove, Montmorency I. J. Willstead
1910-11 Harmon Al Hitrick
1912-14 Harmon H. B. Green
1915 Harmon J. G. Roberts
1917 Harmon J. E. M. Chambers
1918 Harmon James B. Kenna
1919 Harmon Harry Culbertson
1920 Harmon J. R. Kirby
1921 Harmon E. O. AlIen
1922-23 Harmon Robert O. Bates
1924 Harmon A. B. Moffatt
1925-27 Harmon H. S. McKeown
1928 Harmon Wilbur Hopkins
1929 Harmon Donald Whetsell
1930 Harmon Leroy Klaus
1931 Harmon Hugh Archibald
1933-35 Harmon Herman U. Smith
1936-37 Harmon J. D. Deeg
1938 Harmon D. F. Baker
1939-40 Harmon H. J. Holverson
1941-42 Harmon Frederic E. Ball
1943-46 Harmon Webster Hobb
1947 Harmon Robert B. Smock
1948-49 Harmon William Coates
1950-53 Harmon J. Frank Anderson
1954 Harmon, Nelson J. Frank Anderson
1955-56 Harmon, Nelson Kenneth L. Dean
1957-58 Harmon D. J. McKinzey
1960 -61 Harmon, Nelson Waldemar Bobrowski
1962-64 Harmon, Nelson A. Harold Anderson
1965-66 Harmon, Nelson Ralph Wilson
1967-68 Harmon, (yoked Field),(Eldena E.U.B.)David E. Scott
1969-71 Harmon, Eldena Tom Parrott and Richard Melin
1972-74 Harmon, Eldena Ron Lindner
1975- Harmon, Eldena Paul Gerardy
The lake was used for baptisms, picnics, boating and swimming. Ice was even cut for baptisms.
Later meetings were held in the old Boston House, the old W.D. Packer farm home southeast of Harmon, then in the old Woodman Hall.
Erected through subscriptions, the present building on the east end of Harmon was built during 1879 to 1881 at a cost of $1,200 with a seating capacity of 150.
The first resident minister in what was then called the Methodist Episcopal Church was the Rev. Edward Breene.
After 1880, the church was part of the Harmon-Walton Circuit and salaries were small. Many folks paid in vegetables, eggs, meat, chickens, apples, and potatoes.
From 1891-1905, many of the pastors came as supply pastors and were at the church only a small time or on Sundays only. They came from nearby towns, and Evanston, Chicago and the Northwestern Divinity School.
Harmon separated from the circuit in 1907 and, in 1923, the Rev. and Mrs. Bates saw a need for expansion. A basement was dug for Sunday School rooms, for suppers and social activities and the old belfry was torn down and a new one constructed.
The Rev. J. Frank Anderson, a retired minister, gave the church a big boost and served until 1954.
The Rev. Kenneth Dean was instrumental for an addition which nearly doubled the size of the edifice. It provided twice as much basement area, space for two Sunday School rooms upstairs, a pastor’s study and a large hallway with sliding windows on the south wall which could be opened to accommodate overflow crowds in the main sanctuary.
During the late 1960s, innovations were made toward the merging of the Evangelical United Brethren Conference and the Rock River Methodist Conference, In 1968, it was called the Northern Illinois Conference, DeKalb District and United Methodist Churches.
Through this merger, the Eldena Evangelical United Brethren Church became linked with the Harmon church and it was known as the Harmon-Eldena Church. The Eldena church closed June 14, 1987, and Harmon is now a one-charge church.
Contributed by Karen Holt
