Town of two
Husband, wife only residents of area where Father Helias established a church

CEDRON, Mo. - Prior to the establishment of a church, several families, most of German heritage, settled near the western most edge of Moniteau County near the Cooper County line.

According to a history book written about the Cedron area, in 1838 Father Ferdinand Helias, also known as the “Apostle of Central Missouri,” visited the area and offered mass in the home of Mr. Weber, which would be the beginning of the church.

The church is said to be the oldest of its denomination in Moniteau County. It was the fifth of seven churches established by Fr. Helias before his death.

However, for Suzy Green, Cedron is more than a church, it's her home.

“I was born here, just down the road and over the hill from where I live now,” she said. “Years ago, when Cedron was at its peak, there were probably 50-60 families around here.”

The town itself is believed to have come in existence somewhere in the 1830s. The earliest record found dates the town to about 1838, when the church was organized.

At one time, the area was a busy area and served as home to several families and a few commercial businesses, including a general store and a blacksmith.

Today, the population of Cedron, or what would have been considered to be within the “city limits” is only two - Suzy and her husband, Tommy Green.

However, she says there probably are about a dozen people who live within a one mile radius of the church.

“Twenty or 30 years ago, I would say that number was a lot higher,” she said. “A lot of people moved away. But, it seems like some of the people are moving back to the country and building homes now.”

Green's family has been a part of the Cedron community since its beginning, dating back to her great-great-grandfather, Ignatz Becker.

Becker donated the original two acres of land where the first church was built in 1843. The log building served its congregation for several years. At the time, it was given the name “Becker's Church.”

On Aug. 15 in 1855, on the Feast of the Assumption the name was changed to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and later called the Assumption Catholic Church, for short.

In 1867, the construction of a new church was started and completed within five years. The new brick building was 50-feet by 30-feet and was built at an estimated cost of $3,000. Thirty-six years later, an additional 31 feet in length was added to the building, which included a sanctuary and a bell tower. The cost of the addition was just a bit more than $2,400.

In 1914, new windows were installed, a new metal ceiling and the inside of the church was painted. In 1951, the church had to undergo complete renovation, including new flooring. The work was completed by a large number of parishioners and friends as a volunteer mission for the church.

In the mid-1960s, various repair work was done, including installing new floors, new modern altars, shelves and new tile floors in part of the church and carpet in the remaining portions.

On Sunday, May 1, 1966, more than 500 people attended an open house and homecoming ceremony at the church after the renovations were completed. An advertisement read: “One of the oldest Catholic Churches in Missouri is now one of the most modern, after being remodeled and re-decorated in keeping with the wishes of the Second Vatican Council.”

An afternoon program consisted of an organ recital by various Protestant and Catholic groups, including Lincoln University Department of Music and vocal numbers by the Sisters of Notre Dam.

Although services are no longer held in the church, other than those of special occasion, several families still carry a strong interest in the church.

“There are certainly a lot of people who care a lot about our church,” Green said. Several fundraisers have been held, including ice-cream socials and the proceeds from a history book, to maintain the upkeep of the church and do repair work as necessary.

Since 2000, upon the discovery of major termite damage, a new floor was laid and the metal ceiling was taken down, stripped, cleaned, repainted and reinstalled.

Despite the decline in the parish population, several people retain an interest in the church.

“We only have church services here on special occasions,” Green said. “Weddings and funerals are often held here and we always have a Christmas Mass.”

Living and growing up in the Cedron area was a wonderful experience, Green said. She is one of seven children of the late Teel and Bertha “Toots” Imhoff.

The home the Green family purchased in 1965, two years after they were married, was built in 1884 as a Priest House. The 10-room frame dwelling was sold to the Greens, where they raised three children.

“You really have to want to live out in the country to live around here,” she said. “It's only a short distance to two small towns that have a lot to offer.”

Being only six miles from Prairie Home and six miles from Jamestown, Green describes the Cedron community as a nice little centerpiece.

“Both communities have nice little schools, a restaurant and a bank,” she said. “I think every denomination is represented in the area and both of the communities are very warm and inviting and very close knit.”

Fun Facts about Cedron

* The town is named after the valley on the east side of Jerusalem, between the Holy City and the Mount of Olives. The Valley of Cedron starts with a small depression near the Tombs of the Judges about a quarter of a mile northwest of Jerusalem.

* The Cedron Post Office was discontinued by the U.S. Postal Service on Jan. 2, 1907.

* There are three known cemeteries within close proximity to the area. One is believed to have been a slave graveyard.

* The first wedding ceremony that took place in the church was Peter Walterscheid and Genoviva Imhoff on May 6, 1884. The church is still today a popular place for weddings.

This sign, at the home of Tommy and Suzy Green, is the only marker, other than a common road sign, that the town of Cedron ever existed. The Green's are the only two people who live within one half-mile of what used to be a small Missouri community. (Ra'Vae Edwards/News Tribune photo)