Osceola County Stauffer Mennonite Church, now extinct, was founded by Stauffer Mennonites from Waterloo County, ON, and from Lancaster and Snyder counties, PA, who wished to establish a congregation far removed in distance from other Mennonites. The first of these families arrived in Osceola County in 1887. Among the early settlers were Jesse S. Bauman, bishop of the congregation, Josiah Martin, minister, and Elias Bowman, deacon, with their families. Other family names in the congregation were Brubacher, Weaver, Stauffer, Auker, Gingrich, and Gehman. These settlers made an attempt to follow a uniform style of architecture in the construction of all of their buildings. This distinctive style marked the location of the former Mennonite community years after the settlement had disappeared. Attempts to enforce uniformity in many areas of life brought about disagreements and the eventual extinction of the congregation. The church was dissolved in 1911, and during the next four years some families moved to Ontario and Michigan, but most located in Lancaster and Lebanon counties, PA.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 89. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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