05/17/2026
Good Morning Friends and Family of Waubonsie Church!
We sure had a stormy night last night. We received an inch of rain in my garden. Needed for the vegetable and fruits but not for the weeds! Hope we have blessings of non violent weather in our next few days.
I should post some more history of The Waubonsie Church.
The next people in Marianne Giangreco’s book is Steve and Lois Buckingham. The Buckinghams are one of the first settlers in Lyons Township. They are, at the book’s writing in 2001, the only settlers who are still here. (I believe Steve has passed away since and I know Mark is one of our current trustees)
In 1853, Jesse Buckingham was granted 160
acres by President Franklin Pierce. Jesse’s son. Andrew Jackson was born in 1860. A.J. married Minerva Wolf who was the daughter of William and Mary Wolf, who donated the site of the Waubonsie Church. A.J and his wife, Nellie Harris were Steven Buckingham’s parents. There are numerous Buckingham’s buried here.
Side note: Many grave markers were wooden in the early years and most have withered away. At the writing of this book, there was one wooden marker left and many unmarked graves,
east of the church.
When the Methodists gave up on the church, Steve’s father assumed responsibility for it.
Jim and June Madison. June Powers Madison grew up in a home south of Waubonsie Church. After graduation, she began teaching country school and met James Merrill Madison. They married in 1943. June continued to teach and rode her pony to school. They moved to New Orleans with their first born, Bruce.
During WW II, James went overseas with the Coast Guard and June moved into with James’ parents on their Waubonsie farm. When Jim returned, they had daughter Trudy. They moved to Arizona in 1949 and Debbie was born. They also cared for many foster children. After retirement for both from the Post Office, they moved back to the beloved Waubonsie Hills. They solicited funds for, and did alot of the repair work on the church, building a Wayside Chapel in memory of their daughter, Trudy, who passed away in midlife. June passed away in 1999 and Jim has passed since the writing of this book. The Madisons and the Giangrecos were very close friends.
The Waubonsie Church was the result of 2 Methodist missionaries, by the names of Cannon and Witten, coming to the area from Missouri in 1849. The services were held in the log schoolhouse, every 2 weeks. The school was on the Manford Linville farm, west of the current church. The church was officially chartered in 1852, as Wahaghbonsy Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1854 Mary and William Wolf gave land for a church building. It was a log structure on the site of the current church.
Then the small pox came to the area in 1864 and the church was used as a hospital and burned to the ground after the epidemic was over.
Revivals were help at the church site. They were big social events and some lasted for several days. At one revival in 1814, it was decided to rebuild the church, and it was in 1886.
In 1906, the Waubonsie Church was rededicated as it had been repaired and repainted. The jubilee service began with preaching at 11 a.m., followed by a rally at 2pm and a jubilee service at 3pm.
In 1851, the membership was 42. By 1852, it was 101.
In 1838, the Methodist Conference relinquished its association with Waubonsie and offered it up for sale. A.J. Buckingham bought the church for $105.00 and made the church a gift to the community.
Next history report will be about Sunday school, the reorganization, and the first Memorial Day Service.
There will be a Memorial Day Service at the current church on Memorial Day, put on by the Tabor Veterans who travel to the country churches, providing a service for any cemetery who has veterans buried there. Our service will be at 7:30 am and we plan to have the church open for part of the day. Full Hours to be determined and announced but for sure open by 7:30. Come join us for the Memorial Day service!
