Nestled as it is between two mountains, the community surrounding the Locust Grove Mennonite church is isolated in many ways from the needs in the surrounding communities and world. Many members have been quite content to spend their entire lives within the peaceful community. Many others have ventured beyond the mountains, some in response to the call of God and the church to carry His message of grace and peace to others. The military draft provided the impetus for several other members to move beyond the mountains and serve the world in need. In this chapter we will explore several of the ways in which Locust Grove members interacted with a world of needs.

Children's Home

Ruth Akerman                    Bishop John L.  Mast
Helen Buchka ( later Peachey)   John Y.  Hostetler
Stepha Buchka (later Hostetler) Jonas D.  Yoder
Robert Johnson                  David Byler
Lester Johnson                  Jonas D.  Yoder
Johnie Kabina                   Yonie Peachey
Katie Kabina                    Christ Smoker
Robert Lipscomb                 David H. Byler
Mid Yoder (later Seiber)        John K.  Yoder
Edith Skidmore                  Salina (Smucker) Zook
Geroge Snider                   John Yoder 
Herbert Wilson                  John Y.  Hostetler 
Harold Wilson                   John Y.  Hostetler

John Y. Hostetler and David J. Byler, members of Locust Grove, served on the Board of Trustees of the Children's Home for several years. They provided the link between this first mission outreach of the conference and the home congregation. Until the home closed in 1938, Locust Grove provided money, food, and workers in support of that home. Mary & Ella Byler, sisters of David J. Byler, moved to Grantsville to help. Ella served as matron of the home and Mary as cook and housekeeper. Each spring a car load of young women drove to Grantsville to help with the spring house cleaning. One of those young workers in 1933 was Mildred Byler, daughter of Joseph & Mary Byler. While there she met a young man from that community, Harvey Miller. Their relationship grew over the next three years until Harvey moved to Belleville and married Mildred in 1936. They were later to become Locust Grove's first foreign missionary couple.

A benefit to the Belleville community was the privilege of inviting children from the home to come to the area for the summer or, as in several situations, to be welcomed permanently into a family. Herb Wilson, as a nine year old boy, along with his brother, Harold, came to the valley during the summer of 1928 to stay with Minister Jonas D. Yoder. He had been at the Children's Home since his mother had died five years earlier when he was four. After he returned to the home that fall, Jonas went to the Maple Glen Mennonite Church at Grantsville, near to the home, to hold evangelistic meetings. Before he returned to Belleville,a worker at the home, Fannie Yoder (now Swartzendruber) said to Jonas, "You take him (meaning Herb) along home. He's going to make something out of himself." Jonas agreed and Herb came to live with Jonas' family for four years. Later, he and Harold lived with the John Y. Hostetler family. Herb attended Sunday School and remembers with fondness his teacher Ray Peachey who became Herb's hero and role model.

World War I

Although the "Great War" early in this century did not directly threaten the peace and security of most members of Locust Grove, it did provide a challenge to the beliefs and values of some. One of those was Daniel K. Hostetler. He was required to register, along with several other young men over the age of 21, on June 11, 1917. He received his summons several months later to go to Camp Meade, Maryland along with several other young Amish and Amish Mennonite men from Big Valley. The U.S. government had no provisions for those who were conscientious objectors to war. As a result, many were harassed, subjected to hard labor, or imprisoned for refusing to wear the uniform or participate in training exercises. Dan, on one occasion, went to the officers' quarters seeking permission to "walk up town." After his request was denied, Hostetler left, allowing the door to swing shut. At that point he was accused of slamming the door in anger and given a month in solitary confinement.

However, another young man, not from Locust Grove but from the Conservative Amish Mennonite Conference, Emanuel Swartzendruber, suffered far worse treatment. He received his summons in the spring of 1918 to go to Camp Greenleaf in Georgia. Once there he refused to wear a uniform, receive training, or perform any form of military service. He received numerous appeals, threats, and insults. At one point he was thrown into a cesspool head first. Later he was imprisoned before being released at the end of the war. Once released, he described his experiences in a paper "Nonresistance Under Test" which was widely read within the conference and the Locust Grove congregation. His experiences and resulting testimony of God's keeping power served to strengthen many people's stand for nonresistance and peace, including many at Locust Grove.

Several years later this same Emanuel Swartzendruber was ordained first minister and then bishop of the Pigeon River congregation at Pigeon, Michigan. He then made several trips to Belleville. He assisted in the ordinations of Harvey Miller and Erie Renno at Locust Grove in 1951. Emanuel Swartzendruber also shared the responsibilities of Bishop of Locust Grove with Alvin Swartz in 1956-1958 in the period between Emanuel Peachey's retirement and Erie Renno's ordination as bishop.

World War II

By the time of the next war, the U.S. government established Civilian Public Service (CPS) as an alternate form of service for those who were opposed to participation in the military for religious reasons. However, not all who were drafted into the service chose to be Conscientious Objectors in spite of the efforts of the leaders to persuade all young men to refuse military service. Those who chose to enter military service were immediately excommunicated from membership.

Among those who chose to enlist in the service was Cletus Yoder, Chester Yoder, Harvey Hostetler(who became a Colonel), and Herb Wilson. Herb was baptized by Bishop John Mast when he was sixteen years old and became a member of Locust Grove. When he was drafted ,Herb chose to enlist and served nearly three years in the Air Force. Herb's memory of his experience during the war, painfully bitter to this day, is of being virtually disowned by his church and family. He received no letters from his family and when he returned from the service no one from the church family welcomed him home or invited him to return to church. He began to attend the St. John's Lutheran Church in Belleville and when he wanted to become a member he was denied a letter of transfer. Locust Grove's attempts to maintain a consistent position on demonstrating love and nonresistance to the national enemy could perhaps have been tempered with more grace and love towards some of her own members. As the result of renewed awareness of this inconsistency, the pastor and elders, in August 1998, presented an official letter of apology to Herb Wilson, on behalf of earlier members, for the unkind and unloving way in which he was ignored and rejected as a person by his church family.

Those who chose CPS instead of military service during World War II from Locust Grove included Jonathan Kanagy and Erie Renno who served at the Luray, Virginia CPS camp; Alpheus J. Yoder, who served at Grottoes, Virginia, 1941 to 1944 and at Rittman, Ohio, 1944 to 1945; John Mc Yoder, who served both at Wells Tannery, Pa and at Belton, Montana; and John N. Miller.

Erie and Verna Renno were married on October 6, 1940, just ten days before the day designated as registration day for all young men in the U.S. Many thought that the draft would not affect married men. However, four years and two children later, Erie was drafted and on September 13, 1944, went to Luray, Virginia. Once there he was assigned, along with six other men to the task of cutting fire wood to heat the ten buildings and approximately 200 men housed at the CPS camp. Erie was permitted an occasional visit home and he was able to be with Verna for the birth of their third child, Ruth Ann. But he continued to serve until January, 1946. He and his family received a total of $31.00 each month to support them during this time. But if the time was financially meager, CPS proved to be spiritually rich for Erie. His faith in and dependence upon God were tested and strengthened. He increased his involvement in the work of the church. In Luray he served as an assistant Sunday school superintendent. After he returned home he, along with Harvey Miller, began a midweek prayer meeting, the first ever at Locust Grove. The next year he was elected Sunday school superintendent. Erie is just one example of several young men in whose lives God used the CPS experience as a stepping stone into an active Christian ministry.

Mennonite Old Peoples' Home

One family from Locust Grove that accepted a call to service between the wars in 1938 was Aaron J. and Katie Peachey. During the mid 1930's Aaron had helped to teach Sunday school classes at the mission posts at both Rockville and Barrville. On the trip home after classes at Barrville one Sunday in 1938, Aaron Mast, pastor of Maple Grove, asked Aaron Peachey if he would consider serving as administrator of the Mennonite Old Peoples' Home in Rittman, Ohio. Aaron Mast had heard of the need for an administrator at the home which was soon to be opened. Workers for this home were being recruited and placed by the Mission Board of the General Board of the Mennonite Church based in Elkhart, Indiana. Aaron asked for time to consider that assignment.

In September 1938 Aaron and Katie Peachey met with the Mission Bard in Indiana and received their appointment a short time later. After a brief time of orientation, they arrived in Rittman, Ohio on December 19, 1938 to find an unfurnished building, and no detailed instructions on how to begin. Aaron was responsible for all supervision, financial accounting, and management of the facility, along with the need to solicit support from the local churches, some of which were not sympathetic with the project. God blessed the work and Aaron was able to meet expenses during the first year of operation. In the early years he could count on receiving $15.20 each month for each patient to cover all expenses except for medical expenses.

During the 1940's and 50's the congregation at Locust Grove maintained close contact with the Peacheys. Aaron retired from his administrative work on September 1, 1961 and returned with Katie several years later to Belleville. Aaron taught a men's Sunday school class and stimulated an appetite for serious Bible study within many current members of the congregation.

Woodland Chapel

During the 1930's a strong interest in missions grew within each of the three Mennonite churches in Big Valley. This interest was nurtured through quarterly missions meetings held in the Mennonite churches from the mid 1920's through the late 1940's. The interest was further focused by a thrust within the Mennonite church community that each congregation should have a mission station. In 1934 several men from the Allensville church, along with Aaron Peachey and Samuel K.Yoder from Locust Grove began holding Sunday school classes in an old hunting cabin near Rockville. In 1935 the Maple Grove congregation initiated biweekly afternoon Sunday school classes at the Barrville chapel. And in 1938 the Allensville church also began a mission work at the Otelia Schoolhouse near Mt. Union.

Interest in missions at Locust Grove was stimulated largely through sermons by the ministers on that subject. But when the ministers asked for volunteers to look for a suitable place in which to begin work, no one volunteered. Therefore in 1935 the ministers appointed Jacob P. Yoder and Aaron J. Peachey, who had previously been involved in both the Rockville and Barrville work, to explore possible locations for mission outreach. They explored five areas. They comprised the first appointed Mission Board at Locust Grove.

Lumber City, just south of Reedsville, was one point of early interest. Sunday school was held there several times, occasionally in an open area on Sunday afternoons. The first Sunday school was held on September 17, 1939 with 45 children present. A few times Dr. Getter, who operated the K.V. Railroad, loaned a railroad coach in which services were held. Interest in this work later died out when the Locust Grove members began to concentrate their efforts in Woodland.

Slate Hill in Stone Valley about five miles northwest of McAlevy's Fort was another site under exploration. On Sunday afternoons a minister from Locust Grove held preaching services in an old church building once a month. The first service was held on July 2, 1939 and they were continued during the summers for a few years.

Locke's Bank, located about eight miles north of Reedsville, was the site on further investigation. Aaron and Jacob found an abandoned church building that could have been used with the stipulation that someone would need to move into the community. No one was willing to make that commitment. Emanuel Peachey did preach in at least one outdoor service in the area on a Sunday evening in 1936 or 1937, but no regular services were held in that area.

Norman C. Yoder started a Sunday School in Hawstone in the Lewistown Narrows in an abandoned building. He continued this regularly in the late 1930's and into the early 1940's. Aaron J. Peachey and Jacob P. Yoder also visited several homes in Blacklog Valley, about five miles east of Orbisonia, but they never held any regular services.

Around this time, Gruver Rhodes, a resident of the small community of Woodland, two miles west of Milroy, asked Bishop John L. Mast if Locust Grove would consider teaching children's Sunday school classes in Woodland. An earlier group had taught the children of the community but they had abandoned the work. The Rhodes family were members of the Lutheran Church in Milroy and were not interested in the formation of a new church, only in the spiritual education of the children. Bishop John L. Mast and Minister John B. Zook in 1940 and 1941 visited the homes in Woodland and were encouraged by the interest expressed. In the spring of 1941 Bishop John L. Mast requested permission from the school master at the Woodland school to give tracts called "The Way" to each school child. Later, Bishop Mast and Frank Rhodes, received permission from the local school board to use the school house for worship services. The board granted permission so long as Frank Rhodes would hold the key. Sunday school classes began on August 17, 1941 and continued each Sunday afternoon with worship services alternating with children's meetings every other Sunday. Jacob P. Yoder was the first superintendent and Esther Yoder the first treasurer. Other early workers were Harvey Miller, Elam C. Peachey, Ruth Ackerman, Martha Byler, Verna Byler, Ray and Eldora Peachey, Pius and Turie Renno, Armilda King, and Louis Peachey.

Harvey and Mildred Miller became quite involved in the work at Woodland. At the time they were living in Allensville, in the home now owned by Mayard and Margaret Beitzel on Water Street. They soon tired of making the trip many times a week to Woodland. The speed limit at that time was 35 mph the whole way. They decided they would be more useful to the mission effort in Woodland if they were to move into the community. In 1949 they built a two car garage in Woodland and lived in that for a year until their house was finished. They moved into their completed house a week before Christmas 1950. But just two months later, on February 27, 1951, Harvey and Mildred met with the conference mission board to discuss the possibility of going to Europe. Their call came on March 26 and on September 4 they were on their way to Luxembourg. Their home was later used by Jacob P. and Saloma Yoder who moved to Woodland and served in the outreach effort.

After Harvey and Mildred Miller left, Moses A. Yoder served as superintendent of the Sunday school. Mose had helped with the work since January 1947. In 1952 Locust Grove purchased the school building for $2,000. Mose Yoder did much of the work of renovating the inside of the building, including refinishing the floor, installing a new ceiling, pulpit and pews. The pulpit and pews were purchased from an old church near Crenshaw that Jesse Byler discovered in his search for another mission setting. After the building was prepared, services were held each Sunday morning. John B. Zook preached regularly at Woodland for a year or more, but the other ministers from Locust Grove took turns preaching there from 1941 until 1957.

In May of 1954 Mose and Katie Yoder returned to Locust Grove. Jacob P. Yoder then became the next superintendent of the Sunday school. The Mission Board from Locust Grove, consisting of Elam C. Peachey, Jacob P. Yoder, and Ivan E. Yoder met to decide who should go from Locust Grove to Woodland to help with teaching. The unanimous decision was that Ivan and Mary Yoder should go. For the next three years Ivan taught Sunday school until when he was ordained as the first official pastor of the Woodland congregation.

On April 14, 1957 Emanuel Swartzendruber from Pigeon, Michigan was at the Woodland Chapel to give leadership to the selection and ordination of a pastor. Bishop Emanuel B. Peachey was recovering from a heart attack at that time. The lot was used to choose between Ivan Yoder and Elam Peachey. The lot fell to Ivan who was promptly ordained. Later that year, in October, David Showalter from Kentucky helped the group to became organized as a separate congregation with 46 charter members. Elam C. Peachy was then ordained on October 12, 1958 by Emanuel Swartzendruber to assist in the work at Woodland and to be free to pursue his growing itinerant preaching and teaching ministry within the conference.

The establishment of the Woodland Mennonite Chapel as a separate congregation was a significant step for the emerging group. Before this time several people refused to become church members because doing so would place them under the membership expectations of Locust Grove. Those expectations included, at that time, cape dresses, large coverings with strings, and nonparticipation in labor unions and life insurance policies. Separate policies enabled Woodland to extend grace and a genuine welcome to all who became genuine disciples of Jesus Christ and Woodland's example in this area became a model for several other churches within the Conservative Mennonite Conference.

In 1974 the Woodland congregation constructed a new building closer to Reedsville and changed the name of their church to the Mountain View Mennonite Chapel. The first service was held in the new building on February 23, 1975. Their former church building in Woodland was sold, and in August, 1998, it was eventually dismantled.

Crenshaw

In 1951 the Mission Board, consisting then of Minister John B. Zook, Jacob P. Yoder, and Nelson Glick decided to look for another area in which to begin a new mission effort. Jesse Byler was then a student at Eastern Mennonite College and the board members asked him to look for a location and offered to reimburse him for his expenses. In August, as Jesse and Betty were driving through the mountains of Jefferson County, about 100 miles northwest of Belleville, they discovered a small, closed and boarded up church building in the town of Crenshaw. A lady was sitting on the porch across the street. Jesse and Betty began to talk with her and inquired about the building which had not been used for some time. She referred them to a local town leader from whom they eventually received permission to use the building for a Summer Bible School. Jesse and Betty became convinced that this was the location for a new mission effort.

Back home, the congregation was not as easily convinced. Some were reluctant to become involved because of the distance of 100 miles from home. Others were concerned about getting involved in a community made up of many Catholics. But when Jesse and Betty expressed their willingness to become personally involved in the work and move to Crenshaw, the congregation supported this new mission.

A lot of work needed to be done that first summer. The church had not been used for several years. Broken windows needed repairs. The inside needed intensive cleaning from anything from bird's nests to broken glass. Jesse and Betty found an apartment to rent in an old storefront that also needed to be cleaned. But many people made the trip from Belleville to help with these projects.

On one trip, Jesse's father David took along a used outhouse on the back of his truck. Their plans were to dig a latrine and use this as a temporary bathroom facility during the two weeks of summer Bible school for the children. However, the neighbors vigorously opposed these plans and David hauled the outhouse back home again. One neighbor offered the use of a bathroom in her house across the street.

In addition to preparing the church building for the Bible school, Jesse and Betty were keenly aware that unless they invited children personally to the school, all their efforts would be in vain. So they, along with Mark R. Yoder from Locust Grove, went throughout the town, door to door, visiting and inviting children to come to Bible school.

Their work was not in vain. Attendance at their first Bible school in June, 1952, was sixty, including an adult class. Beginning in July, Jesse and Betty, along with a carload of volunteers from Locust Grove, conducted a regular Sunday school and worship service each Sunday. Mark Yoder was the first superintendent.

However, all the hard work and stress took its toll. The following year, first Jesse, and then Betty experienced health problems. Jesse experienced severe abdominal pain resulting from intestinal adhesions and Betty experienced complications in her pregnancy, likely due to her heavy stress load. In August 1953, Jesse and Betty moved from Crenshaw to Lancaster, Pa where Jesse began teaching at the Lancaster Mennonite High School, much to the disappointment of many both at Locust Grove and at Crenshaw. For the next seven months Deacon Louis Peachey, along with the carload of faithful teachers traveled the 200 miles round trip each Wednesday evening and Sunday to continue the work. Several of those who assisted with the work at Crenshaw during this time included Janet Byler, Leonard Byler, Verna Byler, Roy Hartzler, Ferne Hepner, Tomas Hostetler, Tom Kauffman, Esther Peachey, Miriam Peachey, John Spicher, Ruth Stayrook, Allen and Anna Margaret Yoder, and Mark Yoder. Those teaching Sunday school usually left from Locust Grove's parking lot at 7:00 a.m. to meet in the Crenshaw church building for a time of prayer before driving out into the surrounding area to bring people to the 10:00 a.m. service. They began with Sunday school classes, then sang with the children and gave them a lesson on the flannel graph, followed by a sermon. During February, 1954 Ministers Louis Peachey, Raymond Peachey, Richard Moyer, and John B. Zook all preached. In the afternoons the group often visited in homes in the community.

God's gracious provision of a pastor for Crenshaw is evident by how He began to prepare a young couple to replace Jesse and Betty. Richard Moyer studied at the Eastern Mennonite College for three years, 1947 - 1950 and was a college roommate of Jesse, along with James Hess. Richard was from Franconia, Pennsylvania, and between his first and second year of studies at EMC he attended a youth meeting of the Franconia Conference held at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church during the summer of 1948. In one of those sessions the speaker, Milo Kauffman, challenged those present to be obedient to the call of God upon their lives. Specifically, he mentioned the fact that there were many churches in northern Pennsylvania which were closed because no one was available to serve as pastor. Richard Moyer sensed God's call for him to serve as pastor of one of those churches.

In 1950, after Richard's third year of college, he and Ruth were married. He then was licensed to serve as pastor of a small mission church in Lambertville, New Jersey. Around Christmas time in 1953, Richard and Ruth attended a program at the Lancaster Mennonite High School where Richard met Jesse Byler who had been teaching there for nearly half a school year. In their reminiscing about college days and catching up on recent events, Jesse told Richard about the small, formerly closed church in Crenshaw, with no one to pastor it. Immediately Richard remembered Milo Kauffman's challenge over five years earlier and was eager to learn more about the work. In February 1954 he and Ruth went to Crenshaw where Richard preached one Sunday. By April 1954, Richard and Ruth Moyer moved to Crenshaw to assume pastoral oversight of the work. Richard was ordained to the ministry on November 24, 1954 at Locust Grove by his former bishop, Joseph Gross, who was assisted by Emanuel Peachey. God blessed Richard's ministry and in the summer of 1955 the summer Bible school attendance averaged 125 students.

God's graciously provided finances for the work at Crenshaw in an unusual manner. On March 21, 1952, Rachel Hostetler, the widow of Sam Hostetler of Walnut Street, Belleville, died and in her will bequeathed a sizable donation to the Locust Grove Mennonite Church. A "revolving fund" of $7,800 was invested in the property at Crenshaw, to purchase the land and to provide materials to build a house for Richard and Ruth Moyer. The fund was called a "revolving fund" because it was understood that when the property would be sold, the proceeds would be used for another mission related purpose. This unusual contribution of such a large sum of money at that time was a clear evidence of God's grace not only when the house was built, but also when Richard and Ruth Moyer purchased the house from Locust Grove later in 1977. The proceeds of $14,000 from the sale of the house were then used, along with additional donations and offerings, to purchase a cottage at Valley View Retirement Community for Mildred Miller, the widow of Harvey Miller after he died in Luxembourg on October 27, 1976. The understanding now is that when Mildred Miller no longer needs the cottage, $10,500 is to be refunded to the Locust Grove Mennonite Church to be used only for another mission endeavor. The Mission Board from Locust Grove provided the leadership in building a house for Richard and Ruth Moyer. Members of Locust Grove donated much of the labor. John S. Zook left Belleville early one morning before daylight with a truck load of lumber, intending to arrive in Crenshaw early in the day. He was stopped by a state policeman on his way and detained because he did not have adequate rear lights on his truck. He was impatient to be on his way, but the policeman warned him that if he would leave, one of his friends was up the road a bit further and would also stop him. Upon hearing that, John decided to wait for daylight before completing his trip.

Esther Peachey and Ferne Hepner, a friend of the Moyers, also moved to Crenshaw to teach Sunday school and assist with the church work on Sundays. Through the week they were employed in the community. They first lived in a small house for a time until skunks, living under the floor, rendered that location unsuitable. After washing their clothing thoroughly, the women moved into a mobile home provided for them by the Mission Board. Verna Byler also lived at Crenshaw and assisted with the church work for a time. Esther Peachey continued to help with Sunday school, a girl's club, and Bible school programs in Crenshaw until 1968 when she moved to Ohio.

By 1959 the church at Crenshaw no longer needed Locust Grove teachers for either Sunday school or Bible school. For some teachers like Miriam Peachey and Mark Yoder, this ended five years of leaving Locust Grove at 7:00 a.m. each Sunday, driving 100 miles to Crenshaw in time for worship services, eating a quick lunch, and returning to Belleville in the afternoon. In 1970 the church building was renovated with a new drop ceiling and furnace being installed. The church then became financially and organizationally autonomous from Locust Grove. Richard and Ruth Moyer have been serving faithfully in Crenshaw to this day with Sunday morning attendance averaging about 30. On May 31, 1998, Richard Moyer baptized eleven people, including five adults in the largest ever baptismal service at Crenshaw.

Lewistown Heights

In the July 20, 1958 church bulletin the following announcement appeared.

It has been called to the attention of the Ministers and Mission Board that there is no church in the Lewistown Heights area. Some of the children in the area had the privilege of attending summer Bible school in one of the Lewistown churches, but many of them did not attend any Bible School and do not attend church or Sunday school. Please pray for the Mission Board as they endeavor to meet the needs of these people with the Gospel.

On August 29 - September 14, 1958 Myron Augsburger was the evangelist in a Crusade for Christ campaign in a large tent at the old Mifflin County Airport along 322 near Milroy. Hundreds responded to the preaching and invitations by making commitments to serve Christ. Among those who responded were several people from the Lewistown Heights area who requested that a church work be started in that area. Thomas and Teresa Stuter, along with Elam Peachey from Woodland Chapel, assumed much responsibility for the work along with Enos and Lois Peachey and Allen and Anna Margaret Yoder from Locust Grove. Locust Grove and Woodland jointly purchased a building in the area and began to hold regular services at what became known as the Princeton Street Chapel. Enos Peachey was the Sunday school superintendent. They also held summer Bible school and erected a tent in which they held evangelistic meetings.

In 1960 Enos Peachey died very suddenly. Elam Peachey was involved in a teaching and preaching ministry in many churches in the conference, making him too busy to continue giving much leadership to the work. Allen and Anna Margaret Yoder continued to visit in the community, but eventually the work was abandoned. In 1972 and part of 1973 Gerald Peachey attempted to revive the work at Lewistown Heights, but this too was short lived. Later when the property wasn't being used, it was sold, and the money was given to the Woodland congregation. They used the money to help build their new church building at what became the present Mt. View Mennonite Chapel.

Valley View Haven

Nannie's request and Erie's growing awareness of the need led him to initiate a meeting on September 13, 1962 at the residence of Urie S. Peachey. Those present at the meeting included Bishop Erie Renno, Preacher John B. Zook, Aaron J. Peachey, Urie S. Peachey, and Percy S. Yoder. Aaron J. Peachey, the oldest brother of Urie, and former administrator of the Old People's Home in Orville, Ohio, was in the area at the time. Erie invited him to share his input and advice about the operation of a retirement home. Aaron J. Peachey challenged those present with the Christian obligation they had in serving both the spiritual and physical needs of people. He reminded them that when a family hosts another person in their home that the resulting change is stressful. The home is no longer theirs, but neither does it belong to the guest.

At the conclusion of the meeting those present agreed that Erie should share the need for a ministry to the elderly with the ministers of the other area Mennonite churches. Such a ministry would require the participation and support of the entire Mennonite community, beyond that of Locust Grove.

Those present at that first meeting were clearly unaware of the implications of their discussion and decision that evening. Many other people responded to the challenge of meeting the spiritual and physical needs of people within this community. Five years later Valley View Haven was born. The Valley View Haven Retirement Community presently consists of "The Haven," a total of 122 beds, 34 private rooms, and 44 semi-private rooms, "The Village" with 112 cottages and approximately 162 village residents, "Assisted Living" with 29 suites and 10 studio suites for a grand total of approximately 323 guests. Valley View Haven today employs over 200 people and is governed by a Board of Directors that includes two-thirds of its members from churches in the Anabaptist tradition.

Those present at that first meeting were also most likely unaware that, with the exception of Percy S. Yoder, they or their spouses would each be a resident of some facet of the Valley View Retirement Community.

Eastern Kentucky

Many times over the next few years Emanuel traveled to the area to hold evangelistic meetings. He usually invited a group of young people to accompany him and then to sing at the services. In May of 1950 Janet (Byler) Brenneman, Cora (Byler) Byler, Esther Yoder, and Enid Yoder formed a quartet and made the trip to Kentucky. Around the same time a men's quartet that included Thomas Kauffman, Thomas Hostetler, Dwight Glick, and Allen Yoder provided the special singing. The singers in 1951 included Bob Hartzler, Leo Kanagy, Ray Byler, and Mark King. In 1955 the group was Leonard Byler, Louis Peachey, Quil Peachey, and Urie Sharp.

In 1949 a group from Locust Grove including Miriam Peachey, Lydia Peachey, Bertha (Peachey) Sharp, Mark R. Yoder, and Thomas Byler taught Summer Bible School at Turner's Creek. Later in the 1950's a group which included Elam Peachey, Jr., Margaret Neer, Shirley Peachey, Miriam Peachey and Tresse Stuter joined friends from Bart, Pa, in teaching at Turners Creek.

Tragically, the house originally built for the Alvin Swartz family was destroyed by fire in the summer of 1998. But Locust Grove's involvement in that mission continues to be evidenced by a financial gift and plans by congregational members to assist in the rebuilding project.

A Bible school was also held at nearby Gays Creek in July, 1950. David and Rhoda Showalter, with their family of four children moved there on December 1, 1950. Ruth Yoder from Locust Grove moved to Gays Creek in 1951 to assist the Showalters with the work. In 1958 a government flood control project claimed the land occupied by the church, forcing the Showalters to leave the area. But a few years later Ruth moved back into the Gays Creek community and she continues to live and serve there today. She holds the longest tenure of any mission worker with the Conservative Mennonite Mission Board.

After Ruth returned to Gays Creek, John S. and Minnie Zook, Ruth's sister and brother-in-law, began taking a group of young people to Gays Creek each summer to teach Bible school. The school was held in two large tents. Annual trips to Kentucky provided many young people from Locust Grove with their first experience in a mission setting.

Sunday school was begun in nearby Barwick, Kentucky on May 11, 1969 as an outreach of the Turner's Creek Mennonite Church. The next year three women, Pauline Yoder, Mabel Maust, and Francis Nisly moved to the area to assist with the work. But in 1971 the conference mission board invited John S. and Minnie Zook and their family from Locust Grove to give leadership to the work. On June 1, 1972 the Zook family moved to nearby Chaves. On March 11, 1973 John S. was licensed to the ministry for the work by David Showalter, but he died suddenly on November 15, 1973 at the age of 49 years. The Zook family returned to Belleville in June 1974.

But Locust Grove's involvement in Eastern Kentucky has continued. In May of 1991 a group of men went to Bethel Camp in Clayhole, Kentucky to build a cabin. The group included John W. Byler, Irvin Hartzler, Lynford King, Sanford King, Valery & Ilya Shindyapin, and Lyle Yoder.

Austin, Indiana

Austin, Indiana lies about 30 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. It was the site of a summer Bible school in 1950 by some workers from churches in the Conservative Mennonite Conference, among them, Frank Dutcher, from Bowlings Creek, Kentucky. Several people had moved from the eastern Kentucky area in search of employment. The work in Austin grew out of relationships with people who had attended mission churches in the eastern Kentucky area.

Jesse and Edna Zook moved to Austin on November 5, 1952. Jesse was the son of Minister John B. Zook and had studied at the Eastern Mennonite College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Jesse had earlier been contacted by the conference mission board about the possibility of moving to Gays Creek, Kentucky, but he wanted to receive training before he began an assignment. After two years in Virginia he was ready.

Services were first held in a home, but a building was soon constructed. Jesse Zook was ordained as a minister on December 20, 1953 by Alvin Swartz at Locust Grove for the work in Austin. In January 1954 the group officially organized as a congregation. Locust Grove assisted the work in Austin financially, with gifts of food and other supplies, and during the remainder of the 1950's through 1971, a group of summer Bible school teachers traveled to Austin each summer.

Jesse Zook died suddenly on May 13, 1970 at the age of 43 years. His widow, Edna, continues to live in the community. For several years during the 1980's Andrew Eversole served as pastor. Andrew is married to Joy (Yoder), formerly from Locust Grove.

Luxembourg

As already noted, Harvey and Mildred Miller were actively serving the mission project at Woodland. But at a missionary conference in the late 1940's Harvey and Mildred volunteered to serve with the Mennonite Board of Missions in some foreign setting, possibly Argentina. However, their application was rejected because of their lack of education and their age. Harvey, born in 1916, was by that time in his 30's and the mission board was looking for younger candidates. The Millers then assumed that Woodland was the place they were to serve.

On February 27, 1951 the Millers met with the Conservative Mennonite Mission Board. They received their invitation from Eli Swartzendruber, Chairman of the Mission Board on March 26, 1951 and responded affirmatively on April 4. Harvey and Mildred left Belleville, drove to New Jersey, and sailed from the U.S. on September 4 as the first foreign missionaries sent by the Conservative Mennonite Conference. They were accompanied by the Clarence Fretz family from Philadelphia who were being sent by the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities in this joint missions venture. Their trip took 7 ½ days by ship.

One year later on October 5, 1952 they started their first Sunday morning worship service in their apartment. The next summer they conducted two Bible camps for children and that fall they started children's craft classes in their home on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons when children were not in school. Mildred also was responsible for cooking for guests, cleaning, running errands and entertaining people, missionaries and others. Harvey, among other things, helped to form the Luxembourg Mennonite Association in 1965 to involve the local Mennonites in the responsibility for the many mission projects. Harvey was also director for 12 years of a Christian radio broadcast aired on Radio Luxembourg which broadcasted into East Germany and Russia. Ann M. Yoder, daughter of John and Enid Yoder, went to Luxembourg in August, 1976, to assist Harvey and Mildred with their work in the camp. After Harvey died later that year, Ann was asked by the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions to continue helping with the work. She returned home in February, 1978.

Harvey and Mildred Miller were in Luxembourg for 25 years and 2 months until Harvey's death on October 27, 1976. He was buried at the Locust Grove Cemetery in Belleville. Later Mildred moved into a cottage at the Valley View Retirement Community in Belleville, purchased largely with money from the proceeds of the sale of the Crenshaw property, supplemented by additional donations.

Central and South America

Dave sensed God's call to service as a junior in high school when, on his way home from the Junior/Senior Banquet, he wrecked his dad's truck just above the Locust Grove church. After that brush with death he felt clearly that God had a plan for his life. That summer he committed his life to the Lord in a new and complete way. Dave remembers accompanying Mark Yoder in visiting in a home in Mill Creek, Urie Peachey in the work at Crenshaw, and Emanuel Peachey in visiting at the Lewistown Heights. His work along with Tom and Theresa Stutter, Enos Peachey, and Elam Peachey at the Lewistown Heights as a youth leader provided him with an exposure to missions and involvement with people who were not Mennonites. After graduation from high school he attended the Berlin Bible School and later Eastern Mennonite College where he first met and dated Pat Headings, daughter of Ivan Headings and sister of Richard Headings. Dave and Pat were married in 1965 at Locust Grove after his V.S. term of service in Costa Rica.

Dave continued his studies at EMC in the late 1960's and after Curtis was born he worked as a mason in the Harrisonburg area. However, Mark Peachey, secretary of the conference mission board contacted Dave and Pat in 1972 and invited them to return to Costa Rica to plant a church in the Talamanca area. Dave, Pat and their family were then sent by Locust Grove in 1974 to Cost Rica. They served for almost five years and returned to Belleville in 1979. Upon his return he served a three months student pastor role at Locust Grove before he was ordained by lot to pastor the nearby Rockville Mennonite Church. In recent years Dave and Pat have returned to Costa Rica where they continue to teach and serve as overseer of several area congregations.

While in Costa Rica, Dave and Pat hosted groups of workers from Locust Grove on more than one occasion. In February 1976, a group, consisting of Jay and Ruth Ann Metzler, Ivan and Lou Glick, Vic Yoder, Tom Stuter, and Mark Zook spent two weeks helping to build a house for them in Shiroles. A second group of workers, consisting of Jeff Hartzler, Joy (Kauffman) Horning, Miriam Peachey, and Ken A. Yoder, followed the first to complete the project.

Dave and Pat have spent the past few years in Costa Rica, teaching and assisting the local church leaders. During the winter of 1997-98 two members of Locust Grove, Dion Peachey and Christy Zook, were part of a REACH team from Rosedale Mennonite Missions that assisted Dave and Pat Sharp in their work in the Shiroles area. While they were there, the house that Dave and Pat Sharp were living in was destroyed by fire, likely set by a group of burglars. The Sharps were blessed by the contribution by the local church of a parcel of land for the construction of a house which has been nearly completed.

Several other members of Locust Grove also served in Central and South America. Although not members of Locust Grove at the time, Leon Miller served in Nicaragua from 1970 to 1973 and Alan Miller served in that country from August, 1976 to July 1979. Jay A. Yoder was also in Nicaragua in 1978-1979 until he was forced to leave because of a civil war. He served the remainder of his term with Rosedale Mennonite Missions in Cost Rica and returned home in March, 1981.

J. Irvin Zook was Locust Grove's first member to extend God's grace to South America. He served a term of voluntary service with Rosedale Mennonite Missions working in the field of agriculture development with the Wycliffe Bible Translators organization at Lomalinda, Colombia. While there he met his wife, Karen (Steen) whose family had served with Wycliffe for many years. After their marriage, J. and Karen became members of Wycliff Bible Translators and were in Colombia from 1978 until 1980. They returned home when the farm project was discontinued because of the increasing violence of the guerilla groups. Joe and Shirley Renno from Locust Grove also spent a few years in Colombia assisting the work of the Wycliffe Bible Translators until they were forced to return home because of Joe's failing health. But while these families were in Colombia, their presence opened the way for several work teams from Locust Grove to travel to the country for work assignments during the 1970's.

The first group spent two weeks in Colombia in 1974 working on several construction projects on the farm. Members of this group included Allen Yoder, Richard Yoder, Thomas Peachey, Ivan Zook, Robert Zook, Lloyd Hostetler, Percy Yoder, Paul Renno, Larry Yoder, Nelda Peachey, and Jay Yoder.

In January 1975, Irvin Hartzler, Raymond Hartzler Aquilla Kanagy, Sanford King, Nelda Peachey, Tom Renno, Robert and Virginia Renno, R. Glenn Yoder, Paul Yoder, and several other persons not from Locust Grove spent two weeks in Colombia building a house for Joe and Shirley Renno. Allen Yoder spent a total of six week there, managing the complete construction project.

Another group completed an office at the farm in 1977. Members of this group included Ken M. Yoder, Allen Yoder, J. Mark Yoder, Lee S. Yoder, Roy Yoder, Jr., and Paul T. Hostetler.

Papua New Guinea

Locust Grove's involvement in missions was enlarged and strengthened in recent decades through the involvement of Mark and Gloria Zook. Mark, raised in the Valley View Amish Mennonite Church, and Gloria, from the Maple Grove Mennonite Church, began attending Locust Grove in the spring of 1971. Mark taught Sunday school a few years later and started a class for young married couples, the class which has recently been taught by Ray Byler. Later he served as superintendent of the adult Sunday school department. Mark gained his first cross-cultural experience as part of work crew to build a house for Dave and Pat Sharp in Costa Rica in February 1976. Through both studying the Bible and some exposure to the existing needs for tribal church planting as presented by missionaries from several mission agencies, Mark and Gloria sensed God's call to tribal missions. They were first rejected by one mission agency because of their age and also because Mark did not have a college degree. However, after learning about the New Tribes Missions agency, Mark and Gloria became interested. When they discovered that its mission statement focused on doing church planting among unreached tribal groups and that NTM provided needed training to do this kind of work, they applied to enter the training to become tribal church planters.

In August 1979, Mark and Gloria Zook entered New Tribes Mission's primary missionary training program at Rochester, PA. Then they spent a year and a half in linguistic training at NTM language school in Missouri followed by Mark teaching a year at the school. On July 25, 1982, Mark was ordained to the ministry by Erie and Chuck Turner from NTM who brought the morning message that Sunday. Finally, in August 1983, the Zook family, consisting of Mark, Gloria, Rick and Nichole, moved to the NTM base at Hoskins, which is on the island of West New Britain in Papua New Guinea. During October and November of that year Mark made his first contacts with the Mouk tribe of people and received their invitation to move into the area and begin learning their language.

In February 1984, Rod Kauffman and Alan Metzler from the Belleville area went to Papua New Guinea for a few weeks to start building a house for the Zooks in the Mouk village of Gigina. In May 1984, Zook family moved into the Mouk tribe where they spent the next two years in full-time language and culture study.

In March 1986, another group, consisting of Alan and Jill Metzler, John and Connie Hartzler, R. Jim Yoder, Wilma Byler and Kevin Byler spent a few weeks with the Zooks completing several projects relating to the completion of an airstrip. The airstrip was officially opened while they were there. For the next three months Mark and Gloria started to translate the Bible, prepared Bible lessons, and prepared a literacy program.

From September through December 1986, Mark taught an overview of the Bible to the Mouk people, using the chronological teaching method. When Mark presented the gospel to them on December 3, the first Mouk church was born as nearly the entire village expressed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. This way of teaching the Bible became a standard process by which village after village heard the Gospel and was freed from the fear and bondage of traditional tribal religion. The story of God's grace to the Mouk people, their response to the Gospel, and Mark and Gloria's work among them, has been captured in two widely used videos, EE-TAOW, and EE-TAOW, The Next Chapter, produced by New Tribes Mission in 1989 and 1993.

In addition to the work of translation and teaching the Bible, Mark and Gloria began teaching the people, in September 1986, to read in their own language. Three months later the first Mouk literacy school graduated 12 men. These men then assisted the Zooks with the literacy project.

Mark and Gloria returned to the states from May of 1988 through the spring of 1989 for their first furlough. Upon their return and for the next three years, ten more churches were planted in Mouk villages for a total of 14 Mouk churches. Over the next few years literacy teachers were developed and schools were set up to serve all of the Mouk area. The Bible translation was also in progress and Mark wrote Bible lesson commentaries to help the Mouk teachers present the Bible in all the Mouk villages before they returned for another furlough in 1993.

In August 1994, Allen and Anna Margaret Yoder, and Max and Brenda Zook attended the dedication services for the Mouk New Testament translation. More than 800 Mouk New Testaments were distributed that day and the entire tribe rejoiced to have received the complete New Testament in their own language. Two years later, in April 1996, the first seven Mouk elders were ordained in Gigina village church, followed by six more in a neighboring village in August 1997.

However, in July 1997, Mark and Gloria returned to the United States for an emergency medical furlough. During the summer of 1998 Mark returned to PNG to conclude their work with the Mouk people. There are now 14 Mouk village churches with more than 1400 believers. One thousand Mouk people are now able to read and write their own language. More than 1,100 Mouk New Testaments have been distributed along with countless Bible lesson commentaries which are still being produced. Currently, Mark and Gloria live in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, where Mark teaches in the New Tribes Missions Training School. Mark and Gloria are also preparing manuals dealing with church planting and literacy work for use by other future New Tribes missionaries.

1-W and Voluntary Service Assignments

As part of the research for this book, the editor conducted a survey during the summer of 1998 to compile a list of people who served, the dates and locations of their assignments, and any significant memories or ways in which their lives were affected by their assignments. The following chart lists the names, dates, and locations of service for persons who indicate that they served in 1-W service. They are listed in the order in which they served.

IW Service

Allen & Anna Margaret Yoder     Jan. 1954 - Jan. 1956
        Brattleboro Retreat,    Brattleboro, Vermont

Ernest & Sadie Byler            1955 - 1957     
        Norristown State Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mayard Beitzel          	1955 - 1956
        Norristown State Hospital,  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ray & Arlene Byler              1957 - 1959     
        Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Ivan Glick                      1958 - 1960
        Indianapolis Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana

Leonard R.  Peachey             1960 - 1962
        Eastern Mennonite Convalescent Home, Souderton, PA

J. Lorne Peachey                1961-1964
        Western Mennonite School, Salem, Oregon

Aquilla & Ann Kanagy    June 1963 - July 1965
        Newport, Kentucky

John & Rhoda Byler              December 1963 - December 1965
        Covington, Kentucky

Irvin Hartzler 	         	April 1964 - March 1966 
        Mary Hitchcock Hospital,  Hanover, New Hampshire

Gideon Yoder            	Feb.  1966 - Feb.  1968
        St.  Joseph's Hospital,  Lancaster, Pennsylvania        

Tom Zook                	Dec.  1966 - 1968
        Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital,       Hanover, NH

L.  Marlin Yoder                Jan.  1967 - Jan.  1969
        Venice Hospital, Venice, Florida

R.  Robert Peachey              June 1966 - June 1968
        Venice, Florida

Loren Byler             	Jan.  1967 - Dec.  1968
        Penrose Hospital, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Frank Hartzler          	July 1967 - July 1969   
        Iowa Methodist Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa

Ray J.  Zook            	Aug.  1968 - Aug.  1970 
        Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center, Fishersville, Virginia

Glen W.  Byler          	March 1969 - March 1971
        Rush Foundation Hospital, .Meridian, Mississippi

John D.  Peachey                Oct.  1970 - Sept.  1972        
        Penrose Hospital, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Glenn W.  Byler         	1970 - 1972     
        Amarilla, Texas

Paul Yoder              	July 1971 - July 1973           
	Kentuckiana Children's Center, Louisville, KY

Dennis R.  Peachey              Oct.  1971 - Sept.  1973        
        Goodwill Industries, Flint, Michigan

The following chart lists the names, dates, and locations of those who indicated they served in a voluntary service assignment.

Voluntary Service

Arlene (Peachey) Byler  	1955 
        Hannibal, Missouri

Sara (Renno) Hartzler   	1964 - 1965
        Kentuckiana Children's Center, Louisville, Kentucky

Twila Kauffman Peachey  	May 1965 - May 1966 
        Appalachian Regional Hospital,  Hazard, Kentucky 

Rita Yoder              	1969 - 1970
        Peace Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Leon Miller             	1970 - 1973     
        Nicaragua 

Edith Hartzler          	June 1970 - June 1971
        Eastern Mennonite Missions,  New Haven, Conneticut

Joann Zook              	1971 - 1973
        Appalachian Regional Hospital, McDowell, Kentucky
                                                                
Becky Peachey           	Oct.  1972 - May 1973
        Homestead, Florida

Gerald & Pat Yoder     		Jan.  1975 - Aug.  1976 
	Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Browning, Montana

R.  Glenn Yoder         	April - Nov.  1976      
        Agri-Business Assoc., Mississippi

Alan Miller             	Aug.  1976 - July 1979  
        Nicaragua

Susan (Byler) Parker   		Jan.  1978 - Jan.  1979
        Eastern Mennonite  Missions, Homestead, Florida

Wilma Byler            		Jan.  1981 - Jan.  1982
        El Dorado, Arkansas

Tim Yoder               	Jan. - July 1981
        New Life Foundation Prison Ministry, Atmore, Alabama

Max and Brenda Zook     	March 1981 - August 1982
        New Life Foundation Prison Ministry, Atmore, Alabama

Anne Yoder Martin               Jan. - July 1983
        Nursing Home in El Dorado, Arkansas

Dennis & Becky Peachey & family Jan.  1986 - Jan.  1987
        El Dorado, Arkansas 

Kim (Kauffman) Yoder    	May 31 - Sept.  1, 1988
        Day Care Center, Beatrice, Nebraska

Cristin Zook            	Oct.  1989 - Jan.  1990
        Little College Day Care Center, London, Ohio

Leon & Lynda Miller & family    Sept.  1993 - Aug.  1994
        Eastern Mennonite  Missions, Birmingham, Alabama

Other Mission Assignments, Including Short Term Mission or Service Assignment

Allen Yoder                	Nov.  1949 - Feb.  1950     
	Construction project at the Mennonite Hospital School Of  
	Nursing,  La Junta, Colorado

Merle Yoder             	Jan. - March 1947
        Construction of a Mennonite school in Culp, Arkansas

Percy Yoder             	November  1947  
        Hannibul, Missouri
 
Charles Yoder                 	February 10, 1974 
	Ordained as Assistant Pastor for Mt. Morris Mennonite Church.  
	In 1986 installed as pastor.

Jesse Glick, Jr.                1964 - 1968
        Associate Director of 1-W Services, Men. Board of Missions
                                1988 - 1995
        Director of Church Relations, Mennonite Board of Missions
                                1996 - Present
        Tri-State Director for Church World Service

Ilya Shindyapin                 June 21, 1996 - August 18, 1996
         Teen Missions in the Ukraine.

Andrei Shindyapin               Summer of 1997
        Eastern Mennonite Missions in Germany

Valery Shindyapin               October 1994 - 10 days 
        Moscow, Russia, serving as a counselor with the Billy
        Graham crusade.

Becky Miller            	June, 1998 
        YWAM trip to Cancun, Mexico for 10 days