[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 84 (Monday, June 8, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FINAL SERVICE OF SPRINGER COMMUNITY CHURCH IN DIX, ILLINOIS

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                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 8, 2009

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to note the final service of 
the Springer Community Church in Dix, Illinois.
  For 85 years, the Springer Community Church has been an important 
part of the Jefferson County community. In the 1920s, with 
transportation sparse, the church was founded in the old Springer 
schoolhouse so that local children in the surrounding area would have a 
place to attend Sunday School. It was 1946 when the church had a 
building of its own, about a half mile away.
  Over time, Springer Community Church became known as ``the little 
pink church,'' and it was truly a community project. The building was 
constructed on donated land from the material of an old store which was 
being torn down in a neighboring town. Members of the community built 
the church, and put additions onto it in the 1950s and 1970s. It was 
served by missionaries from the American Missionary Fellowship. Over 
the decades it became a place for generations of local community 
members to come together and worship.
  Sadly, the building fell into disrepair, and last weekend, the little 
pink church held its last service, a Remembrance Service, to allow 
members to gather together and celebrate the church's history. Amidst 
the sadness of seeing such an important institution close its doors, 
the church treasurer, Carole Barton, exemplified the perseverance that 
has carried Springer through these last 85 years, telling the Mt. 
Vernon Register-News, ``we hope some day we can get organized and put 
in another church.'' I join with my colleagues in the House in wishing 
the Springer Community Church family all the best, as they seek a new 
location from which to continue the important work which they have done 
so well.

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