Oral History Interview with Bob Schmerbeck, December 4, 2018 Page: 4 of 61

                                
A UNION CHURCH WAS BUIII
When sufficient money was raised, the church
was built for one hundred ninety dollars. The
building, thrity-eight feet by fifty feet, was con-
structed on two lots (100 feet by 208 feet) which
were given to the Union Church Association of
Kerrville by Capt. Charles Schreiner. The hand-
written deed for this transaction, dated Septem-
ber 10, 1885, was registered in the Kerr County
Courthouse. The building was located at the north-
east corner of Main and Clay Streets. It is inter-
esting to note that a cash balance of twenty-nine
dollars and fifty cents remained and was used for
chairs. The pulpit bible for the new church was
given by Nick Tengg, a book store owner in San
Antonio, and was used for many years.
A church agreement was reached: one trustee
was chosen to represent each participating de-
nomination. "Methodist Episcopal Church South
shall have the use of the building on the first Sab-
bath of each month and the ensuing week. The
Cumberland Presbyterian Church shall have the
use of the building on the second Sabbath and
ensuing week; the Missionary Baptist, the third
Sabbath; and the Christian Church the fourth Sab-
bath and ensuing week." Others were to use the
building by permission for religious services.
The first service held in the Union church was
on December 24, 1885, with all four denomina-
tions taking part. This started a long and conge-
nial relationship between the churches of
Kerrville, which exists today through the Church
Women United and the Ministerial Alliance.
As each denomination grew and prospered, it
built a church of its own. Presbyterian in 1888,
Methodist in 1891, and Baptist in 1897. Finally
only the Christian Church of the original four re-
mained in the Union building. Later, the building
was shared from 1901 to 1914 with the Zion
Lutheran Church; from 1918 to 1924 with the
Church of Christ; and the Jehovah Witnesses used
the building when there was a 5th Sunday in a
month.
The town of Kerrville was incorporated in 1889
with a population of about 1,000. Thus the Union

Church was older than the incorporated town.
Throughout the state at that time other Chris-
tian churches were being organized. Carter E.
Boren in his book, "Religion on the Texas Fron-
tier", states that "the entire decade of the eight-
ies was devoted to the slow pains of establishing
churches in Texas."
Little is known about the early years of First
Christian Church other than the fact that Mrs.
Adeline Coleman and her daughter, Mrs. J.R.
Trussel, along with Mr. and Mrs. Green Surber,
were actively carrying on the church program.
The church register shows that Mrs. Green Surber
joined the church in 1893. (Surber Street in
Kerrville was named for this family.)
In 1978 Ida Flennikan (1888-1979) was in-
terviewed in the Colonial Nursing Home. Some of
the remembrances of her childhood in the Union
Church follow: "My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry
E. Morgan, went to the First Christian Church
which was in the old Union building, and I re-
member going with my mother and grandmohter
to quilting meetings of the Ladies Aid Society. My
father made the quilting frames. Sometimes we
children would thread the needles. I learned to
play the piano when I was quite young; and since
often no one could play at the church, I would
play even when I was so small my feet would
hardly reach the pedals of the organ. I played for
other churches, too. We liked to sing, and I can
remember when J.D. Patton held a singing nor-
mal once a week We all attended and had a good
time and learned a lot. Later Mr. and Mrs. Osborne
joined the church, and they were good singers.
She played the organ. I remember kind and gentle
Thornton Shirley, who taught the little folks of the
church. He lived east of town, and we would have
picnics on his place. Some of these were large
Union Church gatherings, and everyone would
come. We had such good times I was sorry when
the Christian Church stopped. There was no bap-
tistry in the church, and Mr. Shirley cleaned out a
section of the creek on his place for baptisms. I
was baptized there when I was about ten. I think
it was in 1899." Later members recall seeing bap-

tisms in the Guadalupe River at Robb's Crossing
near the present State Hospital.
This story has come through the years, but
there are no records to verify it. The first com-
munion set was given by two ladies who rode
horseback to San Antonio to purchase it. The dis-
tance was great so the women spent the night at
Boerne each way. Later on another communion
tray was purchased from Montgomery Ward that
had individual cups, since there was a man at
church who had a moustache and beard and oth-
ers did not want to drink from the cup after that
man had been served. One church lady always
baked fresh unleavened bread for communion ser-
vices.
PRESBYTERIANS BUIlT IN 1888
There seems to be no records of the three
churches besides the Chirstian Church, of any
work or memberships of their own. The Presby-
terians stayed at the Union building three years
until they left with about a dozen members and
established their first building in 1888. The
wooden building was placed at the southwest
corner of Jefferson Street and Main Street. Later
it was moved and now stands on Jefferson Street
between Galbraith and Lemos Streets on the south
side. It was made into a residence.
As the congregation grew, services were held
at Westminister Encampment in the summer
months. By 1923 with 160 members and Kerrville
at over 5,000 population, plans were made for
the new brick building at the same location. Beau-
tiful stained glass and leaded glass arched win-
dows adorn the east and west sides of the sanc-
tuary, the most beautiful of any Kerrville church.
Many additional buildings were built with a large
recreational auditorium which furnishes space
to have musical programs and other functions.
In 1987 a recorded Texas Historical Marker was
attached on front of the Sanctuary in honor of
their 100 years of existence.
In 2002 a new larger sanctuary was built on
the eastern end of the block facing on Jefferson