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 
Probably the smaller boy on left kneeling. Also could be the one on right although can’t see face.
Sent from my iPad
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I felt pretty sure that’s Grandpa on the left. Looks like him! 😄
I was trying to examine his eyes since he was blind in the one eye, and they do look a bit different from each other.
I hope someone helps you identify the boys in the photo. Do you think only boys went to Sunday School back then? Were girls in a separate class? It must have been nice to be part of such a small and close-knit class.
I am so curious about that! Why were they only boys? Was there a separate girls Sunday School class or not? It’s amazing to me that this photo is 100 years old . . . .
If the church still exists, I wonder if they could answer your question. And I bet they’d be interested in the photo!
I actually emailed them this morning. I didn’t ask about the classes, but if they respond, I will do so! Maybe they even have the photo!
And maybe it is labeled! When we were in Denver, we visited the synagogue where my grandmother’s family once belonged, and they all the confirmation photographs on the walls going back at least from when my grandmother’s older brothers were confirmed in the early 1910s. And they had all the names! Our synagogue also has a whole wall with class photos displayed going back at least 50 years.
That would be wonderful. How exciting to find that! I haven’t heard back from the secretary. If I don’t, I might write to one of the pastors.
It was so amazing!
That photo enlarges well enough to stir anyone’s memory
I am so hoping it does, Derrick!
The photo of the boys is absolutely priceless. It makes me wish I had family there but, alas, no such luck.
Stories about old churches always fascinate me because they tell us much about ourselves.
Great post.
I agree about the history of churches. In fact, I don’t know if you know this but for awhile as a grad student my focus was religious history or history of religion. Aren’t the boys a hoot? They look like Huck Finns with angel smiles.
I definitely did not know that you studied history of religion – but it makes sense. Fascinating.
And yes the boys look exactly my images of Huck Finns with angel smiles. Perfect.
The photo could be a still from an old B&W movie, but although it’s older than most movies it looks a bit more modern than the movies I am thinking of.
The boy’s photo is so precious. It made me smile and think of snips and snails and puppy dog tails – that’s what little boys are made of…hope someone can id the photo and who is in it 🙂 fun post Luanne
I hope so, too, Sharon! I know what you mean about the boys. They all look like little Huck Finns and Tom Sawyers waiting to put a frog down the back of the girl sitting in front of them ;).
LOL ~ love it!
How fun to compare the current photo to the old!
I know! Thanks for stopping by!
I enjoy reading old church histories. It’s fun to see what the church looks like now.
I always thought it was such a pretty church. There is a lot of history tucked away in our churches.
A lot of congregations had separate classes for the boys and girls. Can you imagine the chaos of put a bunch of prissy ten-year old “young ladies” in with that bunch of hooligans?! And then, when they all get to be teenagers, they’re too busy making googly eyes to pay attention to their teacher.
I think you must be right. We had combined classes, but that was already the beginning of the 60s.
[…] I wrote about the church here: Bethany Reformed Church, circa 1918 […]
[…] I wrote about the church here: Bethany Reformed Church, circa 1918 […]