100 / Growth-and Some Decline-of the Churches

services, no Sunday school, and no English preaching. In his last years he held services at his home near Paradise Hill instead of the meetinghouse. Occasionally before his death in 1893 at the age of eighty-seven, he returned to Chester Township in Wayne County where he worshiped with the Wisler Mennonite Church.

The lack of strong leadership and a challenging church life seems to have opened the way for members to join other churches and this they did.' About the year 1840 members of the Brethren in Christ Church had moved into the community. They emphasized an inner experience and sanctification while insisting on baptism by immersion. Many of the Mennonites were attracted to them and joined them. Certain families also removed to Indiana and to other western states.

To the credit of Abraham M. Boyer it can be said that he made valiant efforts to revive the congregation and even succeeded in having Mennonites and non-Mennonites build a new meetinghouse at Pleasant Ridge. The effort, however, failed and Boyer died in 1915, the last surviving member.

The Seneca County community never had a resident bishop. Henry Stemen of Fairfield County was in charge of the church. His successor, John M. Brenneman, in 1888 reported "a small flock of fellow believers" at Seneca but the number never seemed to increase. The congregation was always steadfast in its loyalty to traditions. Services were in German and when the Wisler schism (see below) came, the Seneca congregation along with most of the other congregations in northern Ohio followed Jacob Wisler and Bishop Abraham Rohrer of Medina County. The last service was held in 1879. Members of the church before and after this time moved to Medina, Wayne, or Mahoning counties. Descendants of remaining members united with the Reformed and Methodists.;'

The Wood County community apparently was once a thriving and industrious Mennonite settlement. The story of its decline centers around unhealthy climate, epidemics, and the lure of cheaper land. Disease-breeding pools of water stood on the floor of the forest, mosquitoes bred in swarms, and malaria and typhoid fever took their tolls. In the spring of 1884 a number of families moved to Alanson, Michigan, near what is the Maple River Church. Only eight members were left and in the two following years four of these moved away. The community was nearing its end.:"'

In addition to the climate and economic factors there was also,