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St. Anthony’s Cemetery

 

Cedar Creek Township

 

Article – St. Anthony’s is Razed

 

 

St. Anthony’s Is Razed . . .

Early Catholic Landmark In Cedar Creek Vanishes

Muskegon Chronicle   Muskegon, Michigan  6 April 1957  Page 5

Only a few weeks ago, little St. Anthony Catholic Church located on Obenauf road in  Cedar Creek Township was a familiar and loved landmark to the folk of the community  who once worshipped within its walls.  Now the little church is no more.  It was torn  down because of its dilapidated and forlorn look.  Truly, the little church did look the  worse for wear for it had been closed since 1933, when it was opened briefly for the  wedding of Mary Parker and Lawrence Obenauf, whose forbearers built the original  church.

EARLY IN 1880 when the little group of Catholic people earnestly desired a place of  worship near to them, John Schmitt, known as “Little Honess” donated 40 acres of land  for the project.  A little wooden structure built with wood taken from the land was  erection with pine benches, kerosene lamps, and a little potbellied stove at the back of  the church.                  The bell in the belfry was donated by Sears Roebuck Company when one  of the early members of the little church saw a church bell in the catalog and wrote to  ask for it.  During those early years, the parishioners had no Sunday morning Mass.   Rev. N. J. Irmene, a priest who had a church in town, came out by train on Saturdays  to conduct services.

IN 1912, the tiny wooden church was town down to make way for a cement block  edifice.  Men of the parish chopped timber into rail ties to raise funds and their wives  conducted baked good sales to do their part.  For nearly 12 years, the little church was  the center of social life for a handful of families in the area but the Automobile Age  sounded the death knell of tiny St. Anthony’s.  Brunswick, only 8 miles away, had a  priest assigned and the Cedar Creek residents motored the short distance for Sunday  Mass—even though many regretted transferring from their own little church.

FOR MORE than eight years—from 1925 to 1933 when Mary Parker insisted on being  married in the little church across the road from her home—St. Anthony Church  remained closed.  Then it was opened only for the wedding ceremony.  Vandalism, the  ravages of time and weather, created an eyesore of the small edifice.  Razing of the old  building was ordered.  Only a few scattered tombstones are left in the church cemetery.

Information donated by Matt Burns

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