St. Clair County Missouri
Churches

This is the old Church of the Brethren (Dunkard) and congregation, located at Pleasant Mound..

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN
 Located at Pleasant Mound Cemetery, NE of Osceola.

History from St Clair Courier-Appleton City Journal, 15 December 1988,
(Part of article contributed by Teresa Walker)

The little Church of the Brethren northeast of Osceola, Missouri owes its history and
beginning to Thomas Jefferson Simmons and Rosa Ann Cripe.

The Simmons and Cripe families were Dunkards of long standing. When the small congregation
in St. Clair County needed a preacher in 1882, they advertised in the church paper and Thomas Jefferson Simmons was called from Tennessee as a “temporary” minister until an older more experienced man could be found. This man was the only preacher they would have for the
next 51 years. He soon married Rosa Ann Cripe and they served the church faithfully.

When Rosa’s parents died, T. J. Simmons bought out the other heirs. He gave the piece of
land for the church and cemetery to his congregation. His sister, Rachael Simmons Henderson
visiting from Tennessee, was the first burial in the cemetery which is now known as
Pleasant Mound Cemetery.

Submitted by Mary Zeiler