Local Businesses

Border Bar and Grill

Small Town Came Together to Build Border Bar and Grill

First National Bank of Summerfield

The First National Bank of Summerfield was chartered on April 6, 1917. The following officials were selected: President, H. A. Berens; Vice-Presidents, J. H. Russell and William Scott; and Cashier, J. P. Murray. In 1923, the President was H. A. Berens; Cashier, L. C. Winkler; and Directors: J. M. Cameron, A. C. Cornish, Patrick Glynn, G. F. Hart, J. P. Murray, J. H. Russell, T. P. Smith, W. H. Fulwider and Harry Craven. In 1923, J. P. Murray was the Cashier and W. R. Tc.r was the Notary Public for the Records. Directors were A. C. Cornish, H. A. Berens and T. P. Smith. In 1930, L. C. Winkler was Cashier and Assistant Cashiers were W. E. Blakeway and Mrs. A. H. Gallagher. New Bank Officers - Fred V. Lunger was advanced to the presidency in July 1957 and Donald Rees had been advanced to Vice President and Cashier. H. A. Berens had been president of the bank from its organization in 1917 until his death.

In 1963, Fred V. Lunger, President with Donald Rees and the directors were C. A. Stueve and Roy Eastwood. The First National Bank was started in the Stewart building and moved to the old State Bank Building in the late 1920's. In 1967, the interior of the bank was remodeled. The high grill work was removed and low counters made a neat appearance. Other decorations were added. In 1966, Loren Breeding was President and Directors were Gerald D. Stitt, C. A. Stueve and Joyce Winquist. On March 30, 1967, the bank held an open house for its 50th Anniversary. On April 7, 1967 after the cele-bration, thieves must have taken the hint and robbed the bank of $12,000.00. The thieves gained entry to the building by breaking a basement door lock and then breaking a door into the posting room. The thieves took money but didn't disturb any papers or other items. It was the first bank robbery and as far as we can find the thieves were never caught. Over 200 persons attended the Open House held by the bank in Summerfield in observance of its 60th anniversary. The president at this time is Gerald D. Stitt. Prizes given for the day: Goldie Burger received first prize, Alta Burton 2nd prize, Marta Doty 3rd prize and Scott Fahsholtz won the 4th prize - April 1977. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

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Mike has provided quality service to our community since 2010. Mike specializes in tires, suspension, oil and lube, and engine repair. Mike’s focus is customer service. See Mike for your auto, truck, or farm machinery needs.

The Summerfield Post Office is a full service post office. Stop by and let Haley assist you with any shipping needs you might have.

Transition Plus

Targeted to create rural renewal, with stable housing, agricultural small business education, and a place for healing and learning for our transitioning military, we are now at the fundraising stage of our endeavor.

Our Mission: 

The purpose of Transition Plus Association and its chapters is to encourage Rural Community Development by creating education centers for transitioning veterans reintegrating into rural America to build Sustainable Agriculture and Community Economic Growth which are essential for National Security.

We provide assistance with housing, healthcare, employment, agricultural and small business education, plus the needed time to discover a new career path, purpose for life, and healing from visible and invisible wounds, all in a quiet area ready for rural renewal.

The City of Summerfield is allowing us to use the former school building rent free as we provide the maintenance.  We are developing a Shared Community Kitchen and will use the classrooms to house part of the Tower Farm that is being established.  The produce will grow under special lights.  The rooms will allow for storage and packaging and getting it ready for distribution. The gym will be for the community's use and the veteran's use. The football field will eventually house a full-size Commercial Greenhouse with state-of-the-art Aeroponic Towers for farming all kinds of produce. It will bring fresh, local produce to a food desert area.  

OUR TEAM:

• Gary Smith, Transition Plus Association President and Executive Director has extensive experience as a defense contractor and entrepreneur.He was project manager for a $43 M radar program for the US Army with installation and support of radars located across the US, Europe and in the South Pacific.  He has also served as CEO, Chief Technical Officer, and VP in the defense electronics industry and successfully complied with all applicable Department of Defense fiscal controls on several projects. He has a passion to come along side transitioning veterans and give them the career path support they need to succeed in a whole different world. Too many veterans don't transition well and so struggle for years, or even end their life.  We aim to change that!

• Linn Sunderland - Former college professor and ag devotee with strong roots to Summerfield and on its Alumni Board will oversee the building of the Commercial Greenhouse and the Tower Farm indoors as well.

• Ellen Barber, MCP4G Director.  She has helped raise $300k of tax credit pledges toward the project and helps with the direction of the project.

• Dick Brumbaugh - Highly experienced in the financial world, he serves as the treasurer.

• Jerry Zayas - West Point graduate and Veteran of 30+ years, a retired Colonel. Resides in Blue Rapids as mayor.

• Ryan Woodyard - Police Officer in Blue Rapids and Frankfort. 

• Jim McNeal - Roots in Summerfield and a veteran chaplain with a mental health specialty. Will be available to our resident veterans.

Summerfield Transition Plus Project Receives $300K Grant

The Event Center rents an auditorium seating 400 people, a catering kitchen, conference rooms, and a regulation size basketball court. These spaces have been used for family gatherings, basketball tournaments, advanced coaching for volleyball and basketball, and would be ideal for a retreat center, for corporate training and for banquets.

Pot O’Gold Thrift Shop

More information coming soon.

Churches

Holy Family Catholic Church

The first church was erected by Reverend John Hurley in 1892. St. Bridget, founded in 1858, served Summerfield as a mission church until that time. About twenty-one families attended the Holy Family Church. In 1895, Father Patrick O'Sullivan came and remained for twelve years. In 1907, Summerfield was made an independent parish. As Summerfield grew in population, the parish grew until over sixty families attended services. Father E. R. Embleau was pastor here when the present church of Gothic Architecture was built. The interior has a beautiful center altar with side altars, life size statues of St. Anthony and St. Rita, and the Stations of the Cross are mounted on the walls. The altars, stained glass windows and stations were dona-tions from the parishioners. Names of the donors are printed on them. The church cost about $46,000.00 and most of it was paid for when it was erected. The Catholic Cemetery was purchased in 1919. About 1963, St. Bridget was made a mission church out of Summerfield. After 1967, Summerfield Holy Family Church became a mission church to Axtell, and the St. Bridget Church was closed. The old church hell, which was the original church, was burned because it was struck by lightning. The new, modern, parish hall was built by Father Pickert and it has served the parish well for community affairs as well as Catholic classrooms. Holy Family Catholic Church is now served by Father Frank Horvat from Axtell. A total of nineteen priests have served this community between 1892 to 1976. Miss Mary Plunkett has researched the material found in this report. The Reverend James F. Wright is the Pastoral Leader of 16 Catholic parishes in Nemaha and Marshall counties. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

For even more history please see: https://holyfamilyks.com/about-us

First Lutheran Church

The Lutheran Church Thirty years ago, in 1947, Pastor J. J. Timkin (retired and living in Nebraska) came to Summerfield and canvassed the community concerning the possibility of establishing a Lutheran Church in Summerfield. After an affirmative response, Reverend Timkin held the first Lutheran service in a rented Methodist Church on Sunday, May 18, 1947. Nine days later the First Lutheran Church was formally organized, a Constitution adopted, with seven laymen accepted into the new church as charter members. Those seven laymen were Raymond Jurgens, Bill Ehmen, George Helmerichs, Louis Rohmeyer, George Menninga, Paul Scheele and Walt Peters. In the fall of that year, a recreation building was purchased for nine hundred and ten dollars into which the congregation moved. The building was dedicated in May of 1948. On January 3, 1959, an annex was added to the original structure by the purchasing of a school-house for two hundred and ninety dollars. It was remodeled and dedicated on May 14, 1961. A few years later the present pulpit, lectern and pews were all purchased and installed, and an organ added. In 1967, a complete set of altar books were purchased with memorial donations of the members of the church in memory of George Meanings. Than in 1971, the entire church edifice was enlarged and remodeled. The interior of the church was redone with beautiful oak paneling tastefully accentuated by red carpet covering the aisles of the nave and chancel area. The church basement was also enlarged and lovely new kitchen facilities in-stalled. As the church continued its march of progress, an additional all-purpose room was added contiguous to the sanctuary. The pastors were: Pastor J. J. Timkin, Pastor Walter H. Landgraf, Pastor Wilson R. Mauer, Pastor Donley Hesse, Reverend Mauer returned, Pastor Charles Kuhl, Pastors Arnold Griesse and Harold Stelzer served until Pa.m. Paul Cooper was installed. They have Sunday School sessions, a vacation Bible School, a Youth League, a Ladies Society, Dorcas Society and a Men's League, and each of these departments makes a meaningful and significant contribution to the social and spiritual well-being of our church. The present pastor of the First Lutheran Church is Pastor David Ericksen. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

United Presbyterian Church

On the first Sunday of June 1882, some members of the United Presbyterian Congregation of the Mission Creek, Nebraska Church and others, not members of any church, living in the vicinity of District No. 90 schoolhouse in Marshall County, Kansas -- located south of Summerfield on the A. L. Hutchison farm, met to organize a Mission Sunday School. C. F. McCulloch was elected superintendent. During the summer of 1882, Reverend Marion Morrison preached occasionally in the schoolhouse. That fall a prayer meeting was organized to meet from house to house. Members of the United Presbyterian Church from other localities settled in the vicinity and feeling the need of the stated Ordinances in their midst, petitioned Pawnee Presbytery to organize a congregation. The petition was granted at a meeting in Exeter, Nebraska on April 2, 1883. Reverend Morrison was appointed to organize the congregation with the help of C. F. Mc-Culloch. The 24th day of May 1883 was agreed upon as the time for organization. Twenty-four members were received into fellowship. The congregation was named "Vermillion". January 12, 1889, the name of the congregation was changed to Summerfield. The required state charter and deeds for lots on the present site were obtained. The contract for the new church building was let to the Webster Brothers and work began June 1, 1889. In a regular meeting of Presbytery on September 4, 1889, the new church was dedicated with Reverend J. A. Duff of Minden, Nebraska officiating and on October 20,1890, Reverend W. T. Waneck was called as the first pastor. Over the years much renovation has been done to the building. At one time the building was raised and moved back from the street and a basement added. In more recent years the bell and tower were taken down and the bell placed on concrete beside the church. Inside the building new floor, carpets, lighting fixtures and furniture have been added. The congregation looks ahead to its one hundredth anniversary in 1983. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

Mission Creek United Presbyterian Church

On or about July 8. 1873. the United Presbyterians living on Mission Creek in southwestern Pawnee County contacted the Nebraska Presbytery expressing a desire to organize a church. Under Reverend R. J. McCready and Elder W. F. Wright, a group met at a schoolhouse and a congregation was formed. A church was planned and built by 1873. In June, the Presbytery appointed Reverend Marion Morrison to preach in the new church: John E. Stewart, a church member, went east and collected money sufficient for a parsonage. It was built one and one-half miles north of the church: Reverand Oscar Jenne moved his family into the new parsonage and served Mission Creek and Johnson Creek (Lone Grove) until March 1878. Mrs. J. D. Barr wrote in an article, The Mission Creek Presbyterian Church has weathered the four D's -debts, despair, drouth and depression during the past 100 years. Migration westward increased and a large number of the settlers were Presbyterians from Pennsylvania, and membership increased. Because of distances in traveling to church services, the Mission Creek Church became the mother of three offshoot congregations established at Liberty and Burchard, Nebraska and Vermillion or Summer&Id, Only one of the three remains active, the Summerfield church organized by Reverend Morrison in 1883. The church became the focus of a settlement and Mr. Halderman opened a small store, a harness shop, black-smith shop and at least five homes were built in the area east of the church. The church was enlarged in 1893 when the Ladies Mission Circle canvassed the congregation and raised 81,000. On January 23, 1910, the church building burned to the ground and five days later a building committee was appointed. Church services were held in District 66 school. The new building was dedicated November 20, 1910. Pastors who served the church after Reverend Morrison were: J. S. Colvin, W. G. Comin, Albert E. Kelly, Elbert L. McCreery, J. Russell Dugan, J. B. Story, Paul M. Dinsmore, Thomas A. Hogg, Hugh E. Marsh, Neil Stevenson, Charles Ashmore, G. Fred Hauman, Douglas D. Barnes - 1970. This information was taken from an article written by Mrs. J. D. Barr. The seventyfifth anniversary of the church was a two-day observance with church services and a picnic held on Saturday, August 30.31 1947. A new parson-age was built in 1947. The decision to remodel the church building was made in 1958. A large crowd attended the dedication of the remodeled church on September 20, 1959. Reverend and Mrs. Paul Russell are at Mission Creek. Reverend Paul Russell takes care of Wymore, Nebraska, Barneston and Mission Creek Churches. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

Richland Center Church of the Brethren

On October 27, 1883, the church was organized. The first meeting was held in the Smith schoolhouse -District 87. Afterwards services were held in the Bark-low schoolhouse on the first and third Sundays, and at the Fairview and Cook schoolhouses the second Sunday of the month and in the Totten and Smith schoolhouses on the fourth Sunday. The church was built in 1890 and dedicated on July 15, 1890. The land was purchased from S. W. Stedman for the building site and the cemetery. The name "Vermillion" was given to the church. Mrs. Mary Eby Studebaker was a daughter of one of the Charter Members of the church. Also, Charles Barklow, Marietta, Kansas, is a son of a Charter Member of the church. Charles is able to attend church occasionally. On June 21, 1915, the name of the church was changed to Richland Center Church of the Brethren. In 1917, the church was remodeled, a room was added on the west and a full basement was made. During the 1920's and to the early 1940s member-ship increased rapidly. And community sports such as baseball, volleyball, tennis and other activities were enjoyed.

In 1968, the United Presbyterian Church of Summerfield and Richland Center Church formed a yoked parish; the same minister preached at each church. At the present time someone from Tarkio College fills the pulpit until our pastor arrives on August first. Mr. Clarence Smith is the present minister. In 1972, the walls of the church were paneled, the ceiling insulated and painted and new outside doors were installed. The Ladies Aid meets once a week for quilting, sewing carpet rags and other work in preparation for the annual bazaar and supper that is held every fall on the first Tuesday of October. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

St. Bridget Catholic Church

St. Bridget Catholic Church, Rural Marshall County, Kansas. St. Bridget, oldest Catholic Parish of Marshall County, First Settlement, 1857. First Mass offered in 1859 in John Coughlin home. First church, a log cabin, 1862. 1864 - a frame church was built on the present cemetery site, later moved north to the Hill. Stone church was built in 1871. The present brick building was begun 1905 and dedicated 1909. St. Bridget became a mission of Summerfield in 1949. The church was closed in 1967. The Historical Society organized to preserve the church in 1970. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

Local Cemeteries

Summerfield Cemeteries

Much of this information has been taken from the research made by Mr. Raus McDill Hanson. He had lived in the Summerfleld and Bookwalter area when he was a child. From the inside page of the record book of the Summerfield cemetery appears "Incorporated September 13, 1890". On page 1 was the record of 33 persons who paid 85 each for lots between December 12, 1890 and March 13, 1891. The price was raised from $8 to $10, $15 and $25. With the drought and hard times, it was difficult to pay for cemetery ground. Five children buried in Mission Creek Cemetery were brought and reburied in the western part of the Protestant Cemetery. They were Charles F. McCulloch, Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Hutchison's three children; infant son, Anna May and Clara Pearl. The W. R. Glasgow family lived near the well-known corner of the Ninety school. The grave marker tells "Ralph, son of W. R. Glasgow, and wife died in 1888." Fourteen graves have G.A.R. markers. Markers were sent here from Washington D. C. April 20, 1916 to be placed on the old soldier's graves. The markers were large brass stars with the three letters G.A.R. on them. They were placed on the graves of eight soldiers by Captain James Hemphill and Sterling Keck. One of the fourteen has this record: Harrison Smith, December 25, 1822 and October 30, 1891. He was perhaps the first of the Civil War Veterans to rest in the Summerfield Cemetery. Others are George Finlayson, John M. Graham, William A. Graham, Alexander Hart, Samuel L. Hedrick, James Hemphill, A. P. Hungate, Oscar H. Jameson, Charles Fulton McCulloch, William M. Montgomery, John N. Welch, Sterling Keck, E. S. Wagner, Henry D. Maitland, Chauncey F. Ream and George W. Small. There is a G.A.R. marker without a gravestone in the lot; the cemetery plot has the name W. A. Wymore. Seven graves have American Legion markers because they served in World War I. Their names areCecil W. Alexander, Olio A. Garrison, Albert L. Voile. Henry L. Voile, Lee Austin Voile, Frank Ruben Winquist and Ernest R. Young. Four men who had military records in World War II have had taps sounded and salutes fired. They are Leland W. Braddock, Donald Wayne Frazee, Dan C. Craven and Harold Richardson. The Korean Conflict has one serviceman's record. His grave marker has this information: Robert Wayne Tan 1926 - 1959. Memorial Day is for "them" as well as for our relatives and friends. The Presbyterian Cemetery was purchased in 1890 and in 1903 it was voted to fence the cemetery. A man was hired to dig the graves, and in 1907 the pasture land on the north side was leased out. In 1913, it was decided to assess each lot owner one dollar per year for keeping up cemetery - mowed and cleaned. The plot shows that lots 1 and 26 bordering on the state line were designated for pauper burials. A roadway was planned for the east and the west boundary of the cemetery and another one midway in the cemetery. In 1940, there were arrangements to aeea the ceme-tery to the city of Summerfield. It was 5.92 acres. When Reverend E. R. Embleau was pastor of the Holy Family Church, the Catholic cemetery was pur-chased about 1919. Before that many from this parish were buried at St. Bridget. Father Embleau was the priest when a fair was announced by which money was secured to apply on the burial area according to George Smith. The first one to be buried in the new cemetery was Gerald Edward Wenzl, then Mr. Meybrunn. The markers with military service are: Francis P. Nester, Joseph W. Reinsch and Norbert H. Berens. The Catholic cemetery joins the Protestant cemetery directly on the east. Dr. L. H. Stephens was the president of the Com-mercial Club when plans were made to put a cement sidewalk from Front Street to the cemetery. Trees were planted along the sidewalk. A good fence was placed around the cemetery to protect the large gravestones from damage. Both cemeteries have large and beautiful monuments in memory of the dead. Source: The History of Summerfield by Harriet Hughes Wright and Lydia Palmer Jones.

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City and County Government

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Lodging and Recreation

This lake is 135 acres in size and is used exclusively for fishing, No boat speeds over 5 mph on the lake so no jet skis or water skiing allowed. Anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish including Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch. A Nebraska fishing license is required. Prairie chicken booming grounds next to the lake. Free Camping below he dam.

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