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Centennial History Book
Religion was important to the people, there were CHURCHES
HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The first mass in Farnam was offered on June 20, 1887, by Father Burke of Lexington, Nebraska. It was held in the home of Anthony Garven. This is the house Mrs. A. B. Thrasher lived in.
Those present were P. Wrin and family, including Agnes Agnew, a niece, and Fred Waltberg, his clerk, Mrs. E. Murphy and family, Mrs. P. Moran, Mary McDonald and Anthony Garven and family.
The second mass was celebrated by the same pastor in September, 1887. From then on our spiritual wants were attended by priests from the Lincoln Diocese generally coming from Minden, Campbell or Hastings. The priest would generally start from Holdrege by train and go through to Grant stopping at each town where a few Catholics could attend mass. Catholic Church Dedication, 1917
Services were generally held in the homes of Mrs. P. Wrin or Mrs. E. Murphy. Sometimes it was held in the town hall. Bishop Bonacum of Lincoln made one tour of the Highline in 1890 and administered Confirmation to a class in Farnam.
The Pastor, Rev. Joseph Blacha considered us deserving of a house of worship. Through his persistent efforts and financial help from Catholics and non-Catholics of Farnam our present church was built in 1916. The church was dedicated to St. Joseph by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Tihen of Lincoln.
(This was a write-up in The Farnam Echo, dated May 24, 1917, concerning the dedication.)
The St. Joseph Catholic Church will be dedicated next Monday, May 28, 1917, at 10:45 A.M. by the Rt. Rev. J. Henry Tihen D. D., the Bishop of Lincoln. The Bishop will arrive on the morning train with a number of clergy. They will be met by the Pastor Rev. Joseph Blacha of Curtis and shall proceed to the church. The ceremony will start immediately. After the prescribed prayers mass will be celebrated by Father Blacha, assisted by other priests. After mass the Bishop will preach the sermon.
The St. Cecilia Church choir of Hastings will come to Farnam especially for that day and will sing in the church during the mass. Everybody, Catholics and non-Catholics are cordially invited. No specially reserved seats except the first few on the right side in the church. There is also a number of seats free in the gallery. (End of write-up.)
The dinner for this celebration was served in the Stebbins Hotel. Bill Wrin, Tom Dillin and John Murphy made the plans. A table was especially set for the Bishop and Priests. Another for the choir and the organist, Miss Kerran. There were other tables for the rest. They were all ready to serve the meal and couldn’t find the Bishop. He was out back of the Hotel among the garbage cans. He had taken his coat off and hung it on the fence. He was playing hop-scotch with Lelia Powell and Margaret Dillin. Margaret’s Mother was very disgusted with them as they did get a little dusty.
The St. Joseph Church of Farnam has always been a mission. In the early days Rev. Joseph Blacha, who lived in Curtis, came once a month to say mass. He would ride the freight train from Curtis on Saturday night. The Murphys or Wrins sometimes met him and he stayed with them. Other times he would walk to the Hotel or to the Church (in the summertime) and spend the night. He usually ate his meals with the Wrins or Murphys, but at times ate them at the Hotel. He would return to Curtis on Monday via the freight train.
Much could be said and written of the early day Catholic spirit. The congregation assembled from all directions to a distance of 12 miles. Wind, weather and a jolting lumber wagon held no fears for them. They came to worship as taught in their infant days.
The church was built by donated labor at a cost of around $1200.00. The beautiful windows were donated by many of the pioneer families. Those donating were: John W. Murphy, Patrick Wrin, Rev. Joseph Blacha, Tom Dillin, Henry Gaudreault, Cornelius Garven, James B. Murphy, James Carr and John Roukal of Madrid, Nebraska.
The first beautiful altar is still in the front of the church. A modern one was donated by the Vernon Brouillette family and placed in front of the other one.
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the congregation was comprised of the following families: Mrs. E. Murphy family, Tom Dillin family, Anthony Garven family. Henry Gaudreault family, Alcid Gaudreault family, John Dalton family, John Murphy family, Jim Murphy, Arthur Clouatre family, Del Clouatre family, George Guerin family, Henry Brouillette family, Jimmy McDermott family, Mrs. D. D. Case and family, Mrs. Magdalena Klehn and John and the Henry Derra family.
Vernon Brouillette has been attending the Farnam Church the longest. He came here in 1922. Mrs. Alcid Gaudreault who resides in Cozad, Margaret Dillin in Gothenburg, and Eva Chandler in Lincoln are the only ones still living who attended the church dedication.
In almost 65 years of the Catholic Church existence in Farnam many changes in pastors and members have come and gone but the faith continues on. At one time only five families kept the church going. Now we have twelve families attending the services. Several of these families come from Eustis.
Since 1916 many things have been done to keep the building in good condition. A new roof, new lights, new furnace, new carpet and redecorating were many of the improvements, made. An electric organ was given to the church by the Whistler Family of Eustis in memory of their mother. A generous donation from Mrs. Magdalena Klehn has helped the congregation.
Around 1930 during the time of Most Reverend Louis B. Kucera, D. D., Saint Joseph has been attended by the priests stationed in Curtis. At first mass was said every other week. Now mass is held each week and on Holy Days at the church. Father John Mika is our present pastor. He has two missions, Farnam and Wellfleet, besides the church in Curtis. He is kept busy attending to our spiritual wants, yet is sufficiently qualified to meet the joys and disappointments of life with a smile.
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