50 Years of Weddings and Baptisms
Between Dedication Sunday (August 25, 1957) and 50th Anniversary Sunday (September 16, 2007), 134 wedding ceremonies and 465 baptisms were performed in the church.
Third Merger and Name Change
1968 – The Evangelical United Brethren Church of Berthoud became the First United Methodist Church of Berthoud due to the merger of the two denominations.
Bell Carillon
1971 – In honor of his parents Alfred and Margaret Bimson, who were involved in the life of this congregation and in the Berthoud community from 1889 until their deaths, Carl Bimson donated the Chime Atron carillon, which combines two chromatic octaves of chimes with two chromatic octaves of Schulmeric harp bells.
Alfred Bimson was a local blacksmith and wagon maker who also shoed the horses of Berthoud-area residents. Bimson, whose shop is the stone building currently housing the Berthoud Historical Society Museum, worked in Berthoud for more than 60 years. If he needed a tool or piece of equipment and didn’t have it or perhaps it didn’t exist, he created what he needed. Many of his knives were used in battles in the South Pacific in World War II. The Berthoud Main Street Project will incorporate recreations of his artistic wrought-iron pieces into the sidewalks that are part of the downtown improvement project. Margaret Bimson, an active member of the congregation, was known for her beautiful quilts.
Due to the Bimsons’ love of music and his father’s frequent comment to his children about how much he enjoyed the “fine tone” of the bell in the steeple of the church at 4th and Mountain, Carl Bimson wanted to honor his parents’ memory with the gift of the carillon, which signals the hour and provides sacred music to the community at noon and 6:00 p.m. daily.
Retiring The Debt
1972 – Fifteen years after moving into this building, the congregation was able to retire the construction debt. The following is taken from the program of that day’s service: ” … We gather together to burn the note on this building. As we come to this page in our history, we are eternally grateful to God for leading us to this point and pledge ourselves to continue our work in whatever the Lord intends. Our gratitude extends also to those pioneers of Christianity who have dwelt among us and have gone to their eternal rest. Those of us who remain have the privilege of serving, worshiping, and believing in God as well as providing opportunities for our descendants to have these same privileges. Again, deep appreciation is expressed to all those who have contributed in many and various ways to the development of this church.”
Celebrating 100 Years
1974 – To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the beginnings of our church in the little log cabin on the banks of the Little Thompson River, the congregation held a centennial celebration.
Highlights of the event included a costume contest in which people wore clothes like those worn in the 1870s, an auction to sell antique and other items that members donated, the planting of a tree on the south lawn, and a banquet honoring those who had been members for at least 50 years. Regarding the latter, 13 of the 14 in that “50-year club” were women; the three with the longest memberships had belonged 64, 72, and 78 years. (Shirley French holds the record for our congregation today – 67 years.)
Elevator Installation
1976 – Responding to the needs of those for whom climbing the stairs into and within the church was difficult and also to facilitate the movement of caskets into and out of the church for funerals, the congregation determined to build an elevator. Designer and architect Bill Weaver offered his services at no charge to the congregation, and plans proceeded to build the elevator. The construction debt for the elevator was retired in 1980.
Quarter Century at 9th and Lake
1982 -The congregation observed the 25th anniversary of the completion of this building with a fellowship dinner and a special service which included affixing homemade or purchased crosses to a large banner which was then displayed in the sanctuary.
Stained Glass Windows
1986 – Four stained glass windows – celebrating the Nativity, the Last Supper, the Resurrection, and Pentecost – were installed on the west wall of the sanctuary to enhance the beauty of the church’s worship center. Windows were given by the families of Margaret Glantz, Mary Sterkel, and Reverend O.A. Gayley; the fourth was a gift from several members of the congregation.
Sanctuary Renovation
1989 -With the completion of the sanctuary beautification project, the worship center of the church took on a beautiful, unified appearance. The $35000 venture was driven by the mission statement for the project,” … To uplift, to give dignity and serenity to the atmosphere, and yet to retain the integrity of the modern architecture of the sanctuary.” The final design was a compilation of ideas created as the result of a Colorado State University interior design class assignment and included the following: erection of a 20-foot arch to accentuate the cross, redesign of the altar area, replacement of the carpet, and installation of two stained glass windows on the south wall of the sanctuary. The windows include geometric patterns and colors similar to the windows on the west wall. One window was donated by the families of Bill Johnson and Lillian Gayley and the other by many members of the congregation. In addition, the cinder block walls were covered with a stucco-like material, and several pews were shortened to allow wheelchair seating and also to accommodate the baptismal font. The project was completed due to an outpouring of gifts from the congregation and the donation of many hours of volunteer labor.
125 Years In Berthoud
1999 -The congregation observed the 125th anniversary of the founding of our church with a special service and the publication of a booklet highlighting the event.
NOTE: Over the years, the Church has been the beneficiary of many Eagle Scout projects. Each project involved the Scout proposing their project to the Church followed by design, fund raising, and construction supervision. Projects have included: a display case, kitchen cabinets, various indoor and outdoor storage enclosures, and new landscaping to name a few.