Westby United Methodist Church

Second Methodist Church

Ministerial activity among the Methodists in this area was begun in 1852, possibly even earlier, with the Reverend O.P. Peterson holding meetings in the homes. The conjugation was formally organized in 1854 by the Reverend O.B. Knutsen with 14 members. Among them were Even Svennestuen and his wife, Christine, Soren Paulsen and wife, Lars Bervig and wife, Johannes Spellum, Jens Gjertsen, Robert Olsen and P.J. Petersen.

An interesting tidbit about Johannes Spellum is that less than one year earlier, he had been a founding member of the Coon Prairie Lutheran Church. At age 87 he died and was buried in the Viroqua Cemetery.

In November 1862, a meeting was called by the Reverend C. Stensen to erect a church to be called the Methodist Episcopal church. The church was built in 1863 on East Coon Prairie, the site of the present Methodist Cemetery. The Reverend Bright of Sparta conducted the dedication service that year.

Prior to 1884, in anticipation of building a new church in the downtown area, the first church was sold and moved to the neighboring farm, owned by Sigborn Konstalie and his second wife, Eli, and made part of their house. It wasn’t many years later however, that this former church burned.

The second church, which was located at 202 East State Street, was built in 1884-85 under Reverend A. Petersen’s pastorate. It was dedicated December 16, 1888, by Pastor Ring who substituted for the Reverend A. Haagenson, District Superintendent, assisted by M.L. Kjelstad.

The first Sunday School organized in Westby was the Methodist Sunday School. Paul T. Paulsen was the first superintendent of the Sunday School after the second church was built and held that position for 28 years. The greater part of the young people in Westby attended this Sunday School since there was no other here then.

The parish, which at first consisted of the Westby church and one at Richland Center, bought a parsonage at Viroqua, which was sold in 1886. A new parsonage was built in that year beside the current church and was torn down in 2002 to make room for the new church built in 2003.

In 1979, added space was added for church restrooms, kitchen, nursery, Sunday School and a room for dinners and meetings. An addition was added in 1992 to enlarge the fellowship hall and add four Sunday School rooms

Current Westby United Methodist Church

Groundbreaking for the current church building was August 10, 2003. The first service held in the new sanctuary was on Christmas Eve 2003, but final construction was not completed until early 2004.