DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's the story as the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, out here in Burleson County, a good congregation doesn't just appear out of thin air. Somebody has to care enough to make it happen.
And in 1880, a woman named Anna Duewall came to Burleson County with her family, and she turned out to be exactly that kind of somebody. It didn't take her long to get to work. The very next year, 1881, a fellowship took shape, organized largely through her efforts.
It was built to serve the German speaking population in the area, and it carried the name German Methodist Church, Caldwell. The Reverend Jacob Ott stepped in as the first pastor. Now, they didn't have walls and a roof to gather under just yet.
For a spell, worship services were held in the members' homes. Think about that. Somebody's parlor, somebody's kitchen table pushed aside, neighbors crowding in to sing and pray and keep the faith alive.
That went on until 1883, when they finally raised a sanctuary of their own. The congregation kept growing, kept holding on, and somewhere in the 1940s they took on a new name: Cooks Point. And here's the thing about a story like this one.
It doesn't end with a building, or a name, or a date on a marker. This church continues to play an important role in the surrounding rural area. Anna Duewall came to Burleson County in 1880 with her family and a whole lot of determination.
Turns out, that was enough.
What the marker says
This congregation began in 1881 to serve the German speaking population in the area. Organized largely through the efforts of Anna Duewall, who had come to Burleson County with her family in 1880, the fellowship originally was known as the German Methodist Church, Caldwell. The Rev. Jacob Ott served as first pastor. Worship services were held in the members' homes until a sanctuary was built in 1883. The congregation adopted the name Cooks Point in the 1940s and continues to play an important role in the surrounding rural area. (1984)