HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH PARISH

ON THE ROLLING LANDS EAST OF THE PLATTE RIVER AND ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, A NUMBER OF GERMAN AND IRISH CAATHOLIC FAMILIES SETTLED, PROBABLY IN THE 1830'S. ROOTED DEEPLY IN THE FAITH, THEIR FIRST CONCERN WAS A CHURCH. THE BUILDING OF A LOG CHURCH TOOK PLACE IN 1847. iT IS SAID THAT THE LAND FOR THE CHURCH AND THE CEMETERY WERE DONATED BY SEBASTIAN AND SCHOLASTICA KURZ KESSLER. ONCE A MONTH A PRIEST CAME FROM WESTON, MO. TO OFFER THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.

IN SEPTEMBER 1870, A SCHOOL WAS OPENED BY THE SISTERS OF HUMILITY OF MARY AT A SITE ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE FIRST LOG CHURCH. BOTH CATHOLICS AND NON CATHOLICS ATTENDED, MANY TRAVELING MANY MILES ALONG THE TRAILS WHICH LED TO THE THEN THRIVING TOWN OF EASTON. ABOUT THIS TIME A BUILDING IN EASTON WAS MADE AVAILABLE AND MASS WAS THE OFFERED IN THIS TEMPORARY STRUCTURE, MAKING IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR MANY TO ATTEND MASS HERE  RATHER THAN  AT THE SITE OF THE FIRST CHURCH. FATHER W.H. COLL, A CHAPLAIN AT AN ORPHANAGE IN ST. JOSEPH, CAME TO EASTON TO SERVE THE PEOPLE. IN 1886.

 WITH THE HELP OF THE DEVOTED PEOPLE, HE BEGAN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE  CHURCH AND WAS COMPLETED IN 1887. A PARISH HOUSE WAS BUILT ABOUT 1890 WHEN THE PARISH RECEIVED ITS FIRST RESIDENT PASTOR. ABOUT 1915 A PARISH HALL WAS CONSTRUCTED WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE EASTON COMMUNITY. PLAYS, DINNERS, DANCES AND MEETINGS WERE HELD THERE.

IN 1914 THE FIRST PARISH PICNIC WAS HELD AT WOGAN'S GROVE. FROM THERE IT MOVED TO THE FAIR GROUNDS AND LATER TO THE KEMMER FAMILY LAWN. IN 1945 THE PICNIC MOVED TO THE PARISH SITE. IN TIME THE PICNIC BECAME A LARGE EVENT, WITH A CHICKEN DINNER BEING SERVED TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE PARISH.

IN 1926 THE CHURCH WAS REMODLED AND ENLARGED. CHARLES FRANCE, AN ARCHITECT AND AN ARTIST, PLANNED THE BUILDING AND DID THE INTERIOR DECORATING. HE ADDED INTERIOR PILLARS, A SANCTUARY, WALL FRESCOES, AND OIL PAINTINGS. 

IN 1929 THREE SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS FROM CLINTON, IOWA, CAME TO EASTON AND OPENED A SCHOOL. APPROXIMATELY 65 CHILDREN WERE ENROLLED. THE SISTERS WITHDREW FROM THE SCHOOL IN 1948. THE CONVENT WAS ORN DOWN IN THE SPRING OF 1966 .

IN 1939 THERE WERE 290 CATHOLICS IN THE PARISH. THERE WERE 49 CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL TAUGHT BY TOW FRANCISCAN SISTERS. THERE WERE 80 CHILDREN IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION WHICH INCLUDED THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 

IN THE SUMMER OF 1964 INTERIOUR WORK WAS DONE IN THE CHURCH. NEW DOORS, CARPETING AND CONCRETE WALKS WERE INSTALLED. AFTER 1969 A NEW PARISH HOUSE WAS BUILT. AT THIS TIME THE PEWS IN THE CHURCH WREW CUSHIONED AND NEW STATIONS OF THE CROSS WERE INSTALLED. IN 1976 THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH WAS RENOVATED, ALUMINUM SIDING WAS PUT ON THE CHURCH AND EXTERIOR WOOD WAS PAINTED. BRICK WORK WAS TUCKPOINTED AS WELL AS THE STONE FOUNDATION. THE CHUCH WAS BUILT IN A "VICTORIAN" STYLE AND HAS BEEN LOVINGLY CARED FOR THROUGH THE YEARS.

OCTOBER 1987, THE CENTENNIAL WAS OBSERVED WITH APPROPRIATE CERMONIES INCLUDING PLANTING A PIN OAK TREE TO SYMBOLIZE THE FAITH OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.