When I scan old family photos I always think it’s particularly cool when photos include other people in Kalamazoo (or elsewhere) because if I post them online, there is a chance the descendants of these people can find their relatives’ photos. This has happened before, and I hope it continues to happen.
The photo for today is of a Sunday School class of young “men” at Bethany Reformed Church in Kalamazoo. If you click on the next photo you can be taken to the church history on the church’s website.
The church began as a tiny chapel near the corner of Burdick and Maple in 1905. By 1907, the building above was built to house the rapidly growing congregation. By 1910 there were 69 member families, all of the Reformed denomination (and presumably Dutch or of Dutch ancestry).
As you can see by the back of my photo, it was taken around 1918 (so imagine the church growth by then).
The sticker was put on in the 80s, I imagine, by my grandparents.
Here is the front:
Let’s look at it a little closer:
The church was probably right by houses, but I don’t know whether the photo was taken outside the church (with a house behind the boys) or if it was taken in someone’s yard. They do look dressed for church here.
Do you think my grandfather was one of these boys? He would have been about ten in 1918.
Mom? Uncle Don? Anybody? There is only one boy here who I think looks at all like Grandpa.
About the church: although it was the Great Depression, the new building that still stands today was dedicated in 1932. It continued to be added on to for many years. In the 1960s, I attended Vacation Bible School for one summer. My grandmother was babysitting while my mother was working, so it was easy for me to go to Bible School across the street, although our church was out in Portage. Unfortunately, in 1972, vandals set fire to the sanctuary, which was completely destroyed. It was rebuilt within a year.
I took a screenshot of the church as it looks today on Google Maps. Same building where I went to class 55 years ago.
The Family Kalamazoo 