PAST planning holiday tour Nov. 17

Three historic homes and the First Baptist Church of Anna are scheduled to be open for touring on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

That is the date for a holiday tour sponsored by the PAST organization of Union County.

Tickets and maps ($15 for all or $5 per home) will be available at each of the homes belonging to:

Joel and Marie Dallas, 408 W. Spring, Anna.

Tyler and Kasey Clutts (the former Lingle School), 4290 Lingle Creek Rd., Jonesboro.

Bob and Elaine Crain, above the funeral home at 135 W. Vienna, Anna.

Members of the First Baptist Church at 409 Morgan St. in Anna plan to host a display of nativity scenes and will guide visitors through a tour of the oldest part of the church.  

Activities at the church actually are scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More than 100 nativity scenes are scheduled to be on display. Many of the nativities will be from foreign countries.

There will be no charge to tour the church and refreshments will be served. Illinois had been a state for only 40 years when the church was organized.

Ruth Anne Keistler is the church's oldest member. She has been serving in the church since 1936.

"The Heritage of Anna First Baptist Church," printed in 1984 for the 125th anniversary of the church, includes the following from the Jonesboro Gazette, Union County and City Newspaper, Nov. 27, 1866:

"Anna Items:  Anna seems to be the quivive (quiver?) in all kinds of improvement of which our reporter will from time to time make due and proper mention.  

"For the present we shall only say that three chapels for Christian worship–one Baptist, one Methodist, and one Catholic–are in full blast, each furnished with a pastor and a respectable size of congregation; and steps are being taken for the organization of a Presbyterian Church.

"Anna First Baptist Church was organized January, 1859 (only 5 years after the town was begun) with 27 charter members from the Jonesboro Baptist Church: Tolbert A. Brown, John Hunter, Thon Mangold, Daniel William, M.W. Inman, John Humphrey, Josiah Bean, E.C. Green, D.L. Phillips, Martha Inman, J.W. Hunsaker, A.J. Read, S.R. Brown, Rhoda Hunter, Mary E. Musgraves, Mary A. Simonds, Mary A. Musgraves, Susan Mangold, Anna E. Mangold, Sara I. Maginnis, Mancy Williams, Barbara Mitchael, Saphrona A. Brown, Eliza Humphrey, March C. Clary, Almirah (Almy ) Boyd, Charlotte Phillips.

"The Heritage of Anna First Baptist Church" states:

“The First Baptist Church of Anna, Illinois, was organized in 1859 in an old school house (behind) where the Davie School now stands.  

"Services were held in this building until a (wooden frame church) house was built on the lot where the present building stands.

"In 1914 the members saw the need of a larger and better building. Because of World War I, the building was not begun, but the people kept adding to the fund.

"While the new building was being erected other churches, lodges, and business places offered their buildings for services.  

"The first service held in the new (present) building was the Christmas program, Dec. 25, 1923."