You err a bit on no 3. Old Bethel is 1807,with the present building,1817. It is 4-5 miles west of Bethel,not Felicity. Settlement started in the Felicity area 30 years before there was a town. My Rev George Brown rowed the river to preach, and my Adam Simmons was class leader of Mewthodists at Rural,5 miles s of Felicity,in 1798. The Sargent's who had mills sw Felicity,were Methodist leaders of 1800, and a cemetary listed today as DR WOODS,was theirs. On north past their mills and west of ,now,Felicity, was Hopewell Methodist,,of about 1806,and it's cemetary survivies out Hopewell Rd west of Felicity a long mile. It closed,when the town of Felicity devoloped. Another early Methodist church is Mt Zion Methodist,on RT 756 n e of Felicity at the Lewis Twnsp line . It' s a hair in Brown Co. Rufpeg@aol.com might date it's cemetary. Her John Siims m 2nd Richardson,was 1st[?] buried there. Maybe an acre. Smyrna Presbyterian Cem is a mile east of Felicity. 2 acres ? West and south of Felicity were Dunkard>Christian cemetaryies, and Shinkle's Ridge Cem, in s mid Lewis,3 miles north of Augusta Ky, is a few acres of Church of Christ. Most of those churches moved into Felicity,but left mowed cemetaries, Lewis Township has a big Methodist [?] cemetary called Eden,near Feesburg. Never seen it. n Lewis Twnsp. My own Rev Jesse Justice,from this farm w of Bethel,seems to have ridden 10+ miles to be Mt Zion's minisrter,near his 1826 death. Sayfrom 1815-20. Bethel Methodist does hold the deeds of Old Bethel,but I doubt further records. djabrams@gateway.net is one of Bethel Methodists most active members. carlely@juno.com headed up the group preserving Old Bethel,and might have comment on it's records. On Mon, 14 Aug 2000 12:41:47 -0400 "J.J. Long" <jtennis@earthlink.net> writes: > Good Afternoon Hermon, > > I'm still on my quest for information on my brick wall - John Long, > b. 1864 > somewhere in VA and died in Clermont Co. on Sept. 10, 1808. > > You have always impressed me with your knowledge of Clermont County > and I am > wondering if I could share the following with you just to get > another > perspective. Of course, if there are any suggestions you might be > able to > make, I would be most appreciative. > > I am descended through his son Richard who was married to a > Margaret. The > family moved into Clermont Co. around 1804 and then to Illinois > around 1835. > Margaret's obituary from IL. states that she had been a member in a > Methodist Church since 15 years of age which would mean 1808. So I > am > trying to find this church. > > Richard and Margaret raised several children there, Eleanor (1810), > John B., > Rebecca, Nancy, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Martha, Richard > Jr. > (1834). > > I have just spoken with Pastor Johnny Phillips of the Felicity > United > Methodist Church. His church wasn't formed until 1832 so he > suggested I > contact Pastor Lowell Crabtree at the Bethel UMeChurch which I am > about to > do by letter and I'll then follow-up with a phone call later. > Pastor > Phillips says the Bethel church was formed around 1808 so there > might be a > better chance to find membership records there. > > Pastor Phillips also stated that there was a Bethel Methodist > Episcopal > Church that was founded around 1817 in Felicity. The congregation > is now > closed although the building is still there and sits physically on > the > grounds of the East Fork Lake State Park. He also stated that there > is a > cemetery by the church building. He boldly assumes that maybe the > church > records were transferred to Pastor Crabtree's church. > > My questions to you: > 1. do you know anything about this Me Episcopal Church? > 2. would you have any idea where the membership records might be? > 3. do you know anything about the cemetery there? > 4. would you know where the burial records of this cemetery might > be? > > I know this is asking an lot of you but any suggestions that you > might have > that would guide me towards answers to these questions would sure be > appreciated. > > Thank you very much, > > John J. Long > Winter Haven, FL >