File:Union Sunday School (Clermont, Iowa) plate.jpg

History of the Union Sunday School

The organization called the Clermont Union Sunday School was organized before the Civil War in 1857, and until its closing in 1963 was the oldest continuing organization in Clermont. Its first meetings were held in the home of Mrs. Edwin Stedman, the first of seven superintendents; the others being Mrs. Loomis, Mrs. William Larrabee Sr., Mrs. Fred Cline. Mrs. Cline gave 30 years of service in that capacity. The bell used on the superintendent's desk to call the first meeting to order in 1857 was the same one used to call the last to order in 1963. It is engraved with the names of the superintendents in order of their service.

After the Presbyterian Church was built and dedicated in 1863, the members of the Sunday School met in that building. The Presbyterian group soon disbanded, and an agreement was entered into by Governor Larrabee and the Presbyterian Synod that the building should be used by the Sunday School as long as it was kept in good repair. At one time the enrollment was over 80. The beautiful pip organ was a gift from Governor Larrabee to his daughter, Anna, who presided at that instrument for over 60 years.

The highlight of the year in the Sunday School was the Christmas program, with a pine tree reaching to the ceiling decorated with tinsel and many white bells and silver chains. This was used as a community tree, and in many instances families not affiliated with other churches were privileged to participate in the gift exchange at the school. The program always closed with the traditional "Song of the Pine," with Miss Larrabee at the organ.

In the early days libraries were unheard of in towns as small as Clermont. Mrs. Loomis, then acting superintendent, and Mrs. Larrabee Sr. felt the need of a library and decided to do something about it. It is not definitely known when it was started, but the records show that in 1880 Caroline Riser, later Mrs. H.H. Follet, was named as librarian. There were many books in the library at that time, and in 1939 the books were catalogued numbering 800. It was in this building during a morning service in 1865, that a rider appeared and announced the death of Abraham Lincoln.

Through lack of interest the Sunday School organization was discontinued in 1963.