|
|
|
|
Louisiana Homes The Rev. G.N. Funk House The house at 523 Cary Avenue in Jennings was built about 1900 by a Congregationalist minister named G.N. Funk. Although the exact date that the Funks came to Jennings from the state of Iowa and built this house is not known, it is known that they came south during the large migration, brought here by financier-land promoter, Jacob Bunting Watkins, just before 1900. Today, this Victorian Stick two story house at 523 Cary Avenue, is owned by Keith and Marcia Wall, who bought it in 1984. They have completely refurbished the outside and painted it a soothing gray color. It has twin porches with nice gingerbread trim on each. Typical of the homes built by the Midwesterners, who not only brought mental plans of their old homes, but were also able, because of the railroad shipping, to get pre-cut decorative pieces for their eaves and porches. Sometime in the early 1890s, the Michael Funk family, with two sons, Reverend George N. Funk and Lee L. Funk, came to Jennings form the state of Iowa. Michael Funk and his son, Rev. George N. Funk stayed in Jennings, while Lee Funk moved to and lived out his life in the town of Iowa. The father, Michael Funk, later went back to the state of Iowa where he died in 1899. Rev. George N. Funk was the minister of the Congregationalist Church in Jennings. "The Congregationalists," Jabez Bunting Watkins told his salesmen, "are honest, hard working people. So make every effort to bring them south." So many members from one of the Iowan churches came south that people wondered if there were any left in Iowa. The Jennings Congregational Church was the first in Jennings. It was also the first to have a church bell, which was donated by J.B. Grinnell, President of Grinnel College in Iowa. Very proud of that bell, some of the Congregationalists were quite upset when the Methodist Episcopal Church moved into Jennings and got a bell that was louder than the one at the Congregationalist Church. So the sexton of the Congregationalist Church took action. Taking his church's bell clapper to a blacksmith, he had an iron ring added to it. This increased the noise power about 50 percent. That was fine for a while. Then suddenly, the bell lost its voice altogether! The terrific beating from the extra iron had made a deep groove in the rim and it finally broke! Rev. George N. Funk, who was minister of this Congregational Church, also built several houses in Jennings. Among them, the house at 523 Cary Avenue. After the Funks sold the house, it was bought by a man named Elliot, who had a tin shop in Jennings. Then Horace Black bought it as an investment. When Black's son, Joe, came back home from World War II, he lived here for a while. Then it was sold to a Rider family who sold it to the current owners, Keith and Marcia Wall, in 1984. They have done an excellent job of maintaining the landmark house. Want
to read more ? Why not purchase a copy of the book?
|
|
|
