History 

of the

First Spiritual Church

of 

Bay City

   The church was officially started in 1947 when Clara Trombly and a few close friends, who had been meeting for some time prior to that date for seances, decided to organize the group and conduct weekly services.They met in Clara's basement at her home on Hart Street in Essexville, Michigan, for the next two years before moving to a hall above Fowleys drugstore at 610 1/2 East Midland Street in 1949.

   Some of the original members during this period were: Fred and Ethyl Smith, Lottie Carr, Ralph and Jessie Hertel, Joseph Machulis, Clara Stegman, Ted and Irene Carr, Nora Abels, Cliff and Agnes Piper and Mr. Scherzer.As time went by, more new members joined the church and they enjoyed potluck dinners, dances, seances, development classes and regular church services.This meeting site had a single steep stairway for access and the only parking was alongside Midland Street, so it was not convenient for the older folks to attend when the weather was bad.

   The membership discussed the available options and finally decided to move to the I.O.O.F. Hall located at 211 Linn Street in April of 1952.It was on ground level, had some off street parking available, a kitchen facility and the rent was reasonable at $25.00 per month for Sunday Services.A Sunday school was started with Maria Snider serving as a teacher and approximately 8 youngsters attending.During this period there were about 30 church members with about 60 people attending church each week.

    In May of 1956, the church applied for a charter in the Michigan State Spiritualist Association with the church named to "Congregation of Spiritual Unity".The original officers were as follows:President - Clara Trombly, Vice President - Irene Carr, Secretary-Treasurer - Erma Butler, Associate Sectretary/Treasurer - Fern Bildstein, 1 year Trustee - Fred Smith, 2 year Trustee - George Bildstein, 3 year Trustee - Ralph Hertel, Chairman of the Building Association - Clifford Piper.The members of the new church were as follows: Nora Abels, Frieda Bernthal, Fern Bildstein, George Bildstein, Ben Butler, Erma Butler, Irene Carr, Ted Carr, Lottie Carr, Gordon Halliday, Wilma Halliday, Ralph Hertel, Jessie Hertel, Ruth Osier, Joseph Machulis, Fred Smith, Ethyl Smith, Romy St. Onge, Ed Trombly, Clara Trombly, Clifford Piper and Agnes Piper.

Pictures of some of our spiritual leaders and congregants are HERE