More than likely we are working with two different Brethren congregations, both named Long Branch. When the 1881-2 divide occurred, some of the congregations in Missouri which divided both retained the name of the original congregation. This may be what we are seeing with the Long Branch congregations since the Long Branch congregation I have worked on is located in Harrison County, not Gentry County. This group organized September 23-24, 1874 at the Long Branch School House, located 4 miles north of Martinsville in Harrison County. Elder S. A. Garber, Leon, Iowa, was present for the organization. Early Brethren near the Iowa border but in Missouri relied heavily on Elders Garber and Kob for help before they had a resident minister nearby. They also were included in early district meetings and Love Feasts with the Iowa brethren if they were closer to Iowa than Kansas. W. B. Sell moved to Harrison County locating 5 miles north of Martinsville March 2, 1874. This group never had a church building, but met in the Long Branch School House. By 1881, Sell writes that the congregation had 16 members, no resident minister, 3 deacons, and were scattered over a large area. Sell moved to Gentry County in 1879 but continued to preach for this group for 4-5 years afterwards. He writes of the 20 miles distance he often walked because he had no other conveyance. Members associated with this congregation were: George Robins and wife, Jacob Fry, Sister Fadley from Indiana, and Sister Showalter. Ruben Ralley was called to deaconship. Other members include Christ Fansler and wife [daughter of Jacob Fry]. The Frys and Fanslers were from Virginia. A W. W. Hendricks and a Brother Pefley are also mentioned in connection to this group. Brethren were often some of the earliest persons to settle in a new territory opened for settlement. As a religious group I found they were often not included in the early county histories due to their rural settlement with few buildings and organizations in towns or communities. Two other German groups in Missouri are often confused with our "Dunker" Brethren. All three groups are similar in that they are ethically German, used the German language in religious services and at home, and had similar names. The United Brethren and the German Baptists have no ties to the German Baptist Brethren (Dunkers) of Schwarzenau heritage, however. Jane Davis.

Jane, Is the Sell mentioned in the writing a descendent of the Sell family from Bedford Co, PA? Lynn Sewell -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jane Davis Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 4:33 PM To: Brethren Genealogy Network Subject: Re: [BRE] Long Branch congregation, Missouri More than likely we are working with two different Brethren congregations, both named Long Branch. When the 1881-2 divide occurred, some of the congregations in Missouri which divided both retained the name of the original congregation. This may be what we are seeing with the Long Branch congregations since the Long Branch congregation I have worked on is located in Harrison County, not Gentry County. This group organized September 23-24, 1874 at the Long Branch School House, located 4 miles north of Martinsville in Harrison County. Elder S. A. Garber, Leon, Iowa, was present for the organization. Early Brethren near the Iowa border but in Missouri relied heavily on Elders Garber and Kob for help before they had a resident minister nearby. They also were included in early district meetings and Love Feasts with the Iowa brethren if they were closer to Iowa than Kansas. W. B. Sell moved to Harrison County locating 5 miles north of Martinsville March 2, 1874. This group never had a church building, but met in the Long Branch School House. By 1881, Sell writes that the congregation had 16 members, no resident minister, 3 deacons, and were scattered over a large area. Sell moved to Gentry County in 1879 but continued to preach for this group for 4-5 years afterwards. He writes of the 20 miles distance he often walked because he had no other conveyance. Members associated with this congregation were: George Robins and wife, Jacob Fry, Sister Fadley from Indiana, and Sister Showalter. Ruben Ralley was called to deaconship. Other members include Christ Fansler and wife [daughter of Jacob Fry]. The Frys and Fanslers were from Virginia. A W. W. Hendricks and a Brother Pefley are also mentioned in connection to this group. Brethren were often some of the earliest persons to settle in a new territory opened for settlement. As a religious group I found they were often not included in the early county histories due to their rural settlement with few buildings and organizations in towns or communities. Two other German groups in Missouri are often confused with our "Dunker" Brethren. All three groups are similar in that they are ethically German, used the German language in religious services and at home, and had similar names. The United Brethren and the German Baptists have no ties to the German Baptist Brethren (Dunkers) of Schwarzenau heritage, however. Jane Davis. ------------------------ Search the Archives at http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/BRETHREN ------------------------ Support Our Sponsoring Agency The Fellowship Of Brethren Genealogists (FOBG) For further information contact Ron McAdams mailto:[email protected] ------------------------ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message