Denver Catholic

6 I PARISH NEWS July 3, 2013 I Denver CatholiC register Plains parish marks 100 years of faith in farming community st. Peter Church near Fleming, Colo. marked its upcoming centennial anniversary with a Mass June 9. The church was dedicated July 13, 1913. By cinDy Brovsky For Darlene and Kathleen Bornhoft, St. Peter Church near the northeastern farming community of Fleming has been a home away from home since birth and part of their family legacy. Their grandfather, Peter Lousberg, donated 4 acres and $1,000 to build the church, which was dedicated on July 13, 1913. Both women were baptized there; were taught by the nuns at the nearby former school; married their husbands, brothers Paul and Tom, in the church; and their combined 17 children were raised in the parish. Last month, the two families and their extended relatives gathered from as far away as Florida with other current and former parishioners to com- the busy harvest season in July. much, well for everything." memorate the 100th anniversary Darlene, 81, tended to the altar "I can't image my life without of the parish. The celebration St. Peter's," Kathleen, 80, said. and flowers for 20 years. took place on June 9 because of "Farmers depend on the Lord so "The church has been part of my everyday life," she said. "I think our grandfather would be happy to see it reach its 100th CommerCial & anniversary." residential Father Bill Jungmann, who serves as pastor of Christ the King mechanical & Plumbing services since 1906 HVAC Mission in Haxtun and St. Patrick Plumbing in Holyoke, travels 40 miles each Refrigeration Sunday and Tuesday evenings to A+ ACCREDITED Faithful conduct Mass at St. Peter's. BUSINESS Rating Parishioners Building Maintenance "People in this parish take a lot of pride in the church," Father Jungmann said. "They keep the church and parish hall in good repair." As large farms have gobbled up many family farms in the area, the congregation has dwinSerious personal injury, workers' dled from about 100 families in compensation, criminal defense the early 1920s to an average of 60 to 30 at Sunday Mass. Howand general civil litigation. ever, on holidays like Easter and Christmas the Masses swell to Phone: 303-295-8988 more than 100, Father Jungmann said. E-mail: chris@christopherfelton.com "That's when family members 2616 W. Alamo Ave., Littleton, CO 80120 come home," he said. ® 303-777-3037 • Braconier.com Christopher C. Felton, P.C. Photo ProvIDeD The anniversary celebration attracted about 220 people, including Father Dennis Grabrian and Father Jim Purfield, both former pastors, said Mary Unrein, a member of the parish council. Msgr. Thomas Fryar was the main celebrant of the anniversary Mass. "This is a congregation that totally supports its church," Unrein said. Unrein moved to the area six years ago with her husband, Larry, whose family has farmed there since the 1930s. The couple bought the church's rectory, with 10-foot ceilings and crafted woodwork, after it sat empty for 10 years. They discovered boxes of scrapbooks and historical papers in the rectory, which were put on display during the anniversary. "It tells the story of faith on the Plains," said Unrein. With help from the historical papers, area author Jean Gray chronicles the history of St. Peter's in her recent book, "Homesteading Haxtun and the High 3.25% APR* 10-Year Low Fixed Rate Loan FREEDOM Mortgage Achieve financial freedom with this loan, which will help you pay your mortgage years in advance. Are you perhaps retired or readying for retirement? This may be just right for you, as it is designed for well-qualified borrowers in a good equity position, who owe $150,000 or less on their mortgage. The low 3.25%*APR interest rate will help you save money while paying off your mortgage sooner. Call 303-424-5037 See if the FREEDOM Mortgage is right for you! DISCLOSURE: *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting criteria. Not everyone will qualify. The New FREEDOM Mortgage is a 10-year real-estate loan. Qualifying terms include loan amounts not to exceed 60% of the value of the property. Value to be determined by ValueCheck. If no value can be determined, a property appraisal may be required at the borrower(s) expense. Other qualifying terms apply. Contact the Credit Union for details. Plains: Northeast Colorado History." The Platte Valley Land Company, founded by brothers Henry, Anthony and Matthew Bernard of Nebraska, advertised farmland about 10 miles southeast of Fleming, for a Catholic settlement in 1911. The land cost $27.50 an acre and the buyer was required to sign a $50 note for each section purchased to go toward construction of a Catholic church. The few Catholics who lived in the area had to travel more than 30 miles of sand hills by horse and buggy to Sterling once or twice a year to celebrate Mass, Gray writes. Lousberg traveled from Nebraska to Colorado in 1912 to establish a homestead for his wife, who died shortly after he left, and their nine children. He and other homesteaders— Chris Potthoff, Ed Stiblyheld, Matthew and Henry Wagner— commissioned J.W. Bentley to oversee construction of the church, which cost $1,550. The new church with a 12-foot ceiling was given an altar previously used at St. Anthony Church in Sterling. Before a rectory was built, a visiting priest from Sterling stayed at Lousberg's home overnight before the Sunday Mass. The school opened in 1920 with 88 students and was funded by Logan County until a lawsuit challenged taxpayer money for a religious school. Parishioners kept the school going until 1967 and later the building was torn down. By 1952 about $12,000 was raised by 50 parishioners to build a parish hall. "At one time, the church was our main social life," Darlene recalled. "During Lent, we'd look forward to saying the rosary on Wednesday evenings and the Stations of the Cross on Fridays because that's the only time we'd get out." In recent years, many young families have left the area because of the hardships of farming. But both sisters and their husbands, along with their brother Larry Schaefer, continue to feel a deep connection to the church, they said. Kathleen's son, one of her seven children, recently was an usher at a Mass where her daughter-in-law was the lector and her grandchildren were servers. Several of Darlene's 10 children, 23 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren attended the anniversary celebration. The Mass was followed by a hog roast in the parish hall. "It was a blessing for everyone to come together to celebrate the anniversary," Kathleen said. Cindy Brovsky: lou5213@aol. com; www.twitter.com/DCRegister

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