The Beginning

The beginning of the Sunnyslope church dates back to the summer of 1932 when William J. Campbell came with his tent to hold a gospel meeting and to set up regular worship services in the Hickory Ridge School following the meeting.  

He continued with tent meetings in the localities surrounding in the summers and made his regular “circuit” visits throughout the years.  He encouraged the men to study their Bibles, to prepare lessons, lead singing and make public prayers that they might carry on in worship when he was not present.  William Campbell held a daily Bible reading in his home in Davis City every winter lasting for several weeks.  Several men attended this and learned more about leadership in the worship services.  

During the year of 1941 the Christians meeting in the one-room school house known as Hickory Ridge began to talk about having a permanent meeting place of their own. With much dreaming and planning it was decided that there was indeed a need, and that it could become a reality.  A one-half acre of land was purchased from John Hayhurst at the crossroads south of the Confidence Cemetery for the price of seventy-five dollars.  A vacant house in Russell was bought from a family named Wright for the amount of three hundred seventy-five dollars.  The building was torn down and moved board by board to the newly acquired grounds.   With much enthusiasm and cooperation the building was completed quickly at a total cost of $1052.45.  At the time of moving in, all was paid for by contributions and offerings and the “slate was clean.”  They met for the first time in their own building in August, 1942.

Once the building was completed and all things were ready for business for the Lord, it became necessary that a name be selected.  Many suggestions were made; a name taken from the Bible was considered.  There was Antioch, Bethel, Beulah and on and on.  None seemed quite right and most of the suggestions had already been used.  On a beautiful Sunday morning as the congregation was coming out of the door, and observed the sunshine on the slight slope to the south of the building, Earnest Fetters remarked,

It’s a beautiful sunny slope, how about that for a name?”  All agreed and from that day on, it’s been a SUNNYSLOPE – even on a rainy day it’s sunny in the hearts of those Christians who were “proud” to have their own meeting place.

The following is a list of families who came to Sunnyslope from Hickory Ridge as it began meeting in the new building:

Dave and Lulu Fetters

                        Harley and Vera Fetters Bennett (children - Harold, Ronald, Doyle)

Oscar and Velma Fetters Bennett (children - Doris, Dixie, Carl)

Waldo and Josephine Fetters Brawdy (children - Mary Jo, Bernard, Jeanette)

Earnest and Irene Fetters (children – Joretta, Jerald, Janice)

Eldon and Dorothy Fetters (children – Marilyn, Marlene)

C.W. (Cornie) and Ruth Vanderlinden (children – Joan, Jean, Willard, Charlotte)

J.M. and Minnie Barker

Howard and Pauline Vincent (children – Elzan, Dianne, Jacob)

Myrtle Clark

Everett Fetters

Dwight Fetters

Carol Fetters

Soon afterward came:

Charles and Ila Bravard

John, Dorothy, and Loyal Stech

Mamie Stech

Cody Turbot (children – Pam and Debbie)

Jerry and Margie Ellis (children – Mitchell, Sue, Cathy, Debra)

Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Kratzer and Joyce

Lee, Marilyn and Laura Husted

Keith and Esther Fetters and two children
Bonita Pence (children – Janet, Jo, Jerry)
Bob Smith

Joy Ross

Ellen and Maryann Wilkie

With the spirit of encouragement, some time in the early 1950’s the members at Sunnyslope began laying aside one contribution each month for a building fund in order to make some improvements.  One of the first improvements was the installment of a furnace in the small basement room.  The building had at first been heated with a wood burning stove which sat at one side of the building.  Cornie Vanderlinden was the volunteer fire builder.  Many Sunday morning sessions began around that old pot-bellied stove waiting for it to heat the room.  Even though the furnace required a fire-man to operate it, it was a great and comfortable improvement.  In later years an oil burning unit was inserted into it and still later a new oil burning furnace was added and with it an electric timer clock that turned on and off without a human tender.  The original chairs were from the “Ritz” theater.  The seats folded up to make more room for passing through the isles.  Many a child upon standing in the seat would cause the bottom to flip up, thus letting his legs and feet slip through and entrapping him there until a mother or father lifted him out.   It was agreed upon that something needed to be done for the many children that were in the congregation and a children’s class was started.  With the building being only one room, the class had to be held in one corner of the meeting room – the one farthest away from the pot-bellied stove however, and separated only by a portable screen.  This naturally made for much confusion.  As the building fund accumulated, two class rooms were added to the west of the building.  Accordion doors were added to separate them from the meeting room.  The Barkers and Vanderlindens planted poplar trees to frame the building on the north and east sides.  These trees proved to be a land mark in the years ahead as they grew to heights above the building and were the first to come into view upon approaching.  The children called them The Lord’s Harp or the “The Harp of the Winds” after the painting by Homer Dodge Martin.

"The Harp of the Winds" by Homer Dodge Martin

The Lord's Harp

Revival meetings in those days lasted for at least two weeks, extended over the three Sunday's, and sometimes even longer.  Old timers like to tell of the time when they attended meeting for thirty-three consecutive nights, carrying small children in their arms, bedding them down on the ground in the tent or on the canvas tent benches, and not missing a single opportunity to hear the word of God preached.  William Campbell had pitched his tent in the New York cemetery parking lot following a two week's meeting at the church building.  People were eager to hear in those days.  

The congregation from the beginning at Hickory Ridge under William Campbell's instructions was organized with the so-called practice of mutual edification.  Without a located preacher the men of the congregation were responsible to conduct the worship services and to bring lessons or exhortations to precede the observance of the Lord's supper on the first day of the week assemblies.  At first after the public reading of a scripture each man in the assembly was given opportunity to comment on the passage read, in somewhat of a roll call manner, each being called by name after which he arose to speak or asked to be excused.  This method of conducting the Sunday morning service was carried on for a number of years.

From the time that William Campbell first came to Hickory Ridge and as he continued to work with the church in their new location at Sunnyslope, he brought news of the mission work being done in foreign countries, particularly in Africa where he had personal acquaintances and was in direct communication with the missionaries there.  The Sunnyslope women, those who were so inclined, began collecting clothing, sewing, making quilts and regularly sending large packages off to Africa, along with the small amounts of money that they were able to send.  That began a personal correspondence with the missionaries as they sent their thanks and reported on how they had made use of the gifts.  Particularly did the women send children's clothing.  The missionaries would often send photos of the children wearing the clothing that they had received.  It was very exciting to see those little African children in clothing that the women would recognize.

Sunnyslope had many gospel meetings, helped many missionaries, had neighborhood Bible studies and vacation Bible schools, and hosted a campaign for Christ in 1966.  During this campaign a group of workers from Harding College came and helped canvas the area inviting people to church and asking for home Bible studies.  Those baptized at this time were:

Walter & Caroline Faulconer – Chariton

John & Dorothy Funk – Melrose

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Davison

Georgiana Cochran – Russell

Leon Cochran – Russell

Jeanette Cochran Buckalew – Russell

Ricky King – Melrose

Teena Mason – Russell

Harold Peck – Corydon

Geraldine Becker – Corydon

Opal Littleton – Millerton

Linda Allard – Russell

Anna Mae Deahl – Plano

Carey Smith – Russell

Amy Wilson – Russell

And a short time later four more were baptized:

 Linda Faulconer – Chariton

Ronald Funk – Des Moines

Janice Funk – Des Moines
Minnie Williams – Russell

In the following years additional names were added to the list of folks attending Sunnyslope including:

George and Lonnie Maxey

Clifford and Ethel Lane

Wayne and Mickey Stanley and daughter

George and Pat Hemenway (children – Lorie, Marla, Stanley)

Melila and Bernerd Kastner

John Drake

Bob and Evagene Harris (children – Tommy, Becky, Dennis)

Virgil and Berniece King (children – Nicky, Ricky, and Kevin)

Melvin and Willetta Stafford (children - Cheryl & Janette)

David and Jeanette Johnson

Odess and Maudie Holt

Homer and Dewey Robertson

Holly and Venus Buoy

Larry and Susie Freeborn

Delmar and Earline Lewis (children – Randy, Sheila)

Dorothea and Linda Allard

Lloyd and Jessie George

Bruce and Diane George (children – Derek and Courtney)

Earnest and Alta Sharp

Warren and Alberta Ekholm and Steve

Elmer and Vicki Klataske (children – Kristina and Andy)

Alan and Lorie Pearson (children – Michelle, Joshua, Eric)

Jim and Debbie Seals (children – Karen, Jacob)

Wilbur and Jeannette Dawson and Carolyn

Carey and Sandy Young (children – Lauri, Cathy, Jimmy, Sarah)

Ruby McWherter
Patsy and Donna McKinley

Lloyd Hardesty

Paul and Marjorie Percell
Lowell Hellyer

Pansy Anderson

Roy Cummins
Tim and Linda King (children – Greg, Audrey)
Lavelle Hodge (children – Cheryl, Karen, Elaine)

In 1974 Articles of Incorporation were established.

In June of 1977 construction was begun on an addition which would include two rest rooms, almost an un-dreamed of convenience at the little country church building.  The baptistery was purchased at a price of $2600 and as soon as the rest rooms were completed, work continued on the addition at the east side of the building which would have three class rooms that would do double service as dressing rooms for baptisms when needed.  At the end of that year $7,340 had been spent on the building.  When the work was finished up early in 1978 an additional $1,166 was spent making the total $8.500.  At some date around this time the old theater seats were exchanged for oak benches.  These are still being used today.  In 1981 steel siding was added to the building.

Later additions include a new furnace and air conditioning, carpet in the auditorium, padding on the pews, a handicapped accessible bathroom, and a new deck with steps and a ramp.

There were occasional summers, or short periods of time when a minister would come and help the church, but not until 1993 did a man to come to work “full time”.

In 1992 Harold and Dianne Mitchell moved to Iowa and in 1993 Harold became a part-time worker for the church.  Now in 2014 there is a new list of members at Sunnyslope.  All of the original adult charter members have passed on to glory.

In 2020 Harold retired from preaching at Sunnyslope and the men of the congregation are leading worship along with occasional guest speakers.