Transcribed by Thelma Carlson.

History 1839 -- Asbury Methodist Church

The Asbury Methodist congregation was first organized in 1839, with a class of eight members who held their first services in the Carney School House, about one and a quarter miles west of the present church site on the road going north to Fisher, off 322 highway.

The class leader was Elias Gearheart, and the other members were Mary Gearheart, James Fox, John Fisher, Kate Gearheart, Ann Butler (colored) and Philip Jones.

The first preachers were Elijah Coleman and Ruben Peck.

The graves of five people are still discernable on the old Carney Farm, near where the school house stood and close by the road that leads to Fisher, about a mile North of Route 322.

June 14, 1849, Philip Jones is listed as class leader with a membership of thirty-eight persons.  Services were held in the Carney School House on the Carney Farm for a total of twenty years.

The graves near the road are:

• Andrew Carney, died Aug. 10, 1855, age 70 yrs.
• Barbara E. Carney, died Jan. 20, 184*, age 75 years
• Three small graves marked with field stones.
• Five graves in this small cemetery, two with grave stones or markers.

Then in May 24, 1858, John Ion, Sr., transferred by deed 150 perches of land to William Mendenhall, David Glenn, George Kahle, John Ion, Jr., and Philip Jones, Trustees.  This land was to be used for a "Church Building and Cemetery" and for no other purpose.

John Ion, Sr., came from England in 1818 to his tract in Armstrong County, Pa.  This was the beginning of the beautiful Asbury Cemetery in 1858.  Since then there have been additions added, North Side and West End.

The Asbury Meeting House, as it was then called, was completed in 1859 and regular services were commenced.  This building was remodeled once, and Asbury had a nice small church.

Then in 1955 this building was moved down by Theses, and the ground where the church stood was used as a parking lot for cars.

A new church edifice was built across the road (much larger) on land of Russell Elder.  So goes another old landmark.

Taken partly from the Asbury records and mine.

Signed -- Mrs. B. S. Ion

The cemetery was activated in 1859 when John Ion gave an acre of ground for a church and cemetery off a corner of his farm, which he settled in 1818, on his immigration from Bolton, Lee Moors, England.  There were some interments before 1859.  Ms. Carlson's transcription of the burials at the cemetery is also located on this Web site.  Use the Search function to locate it.