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“Squaw Township,” from The History of Warren County, Iowa, containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, & etc.; Union Historical Company, Des Moines, Iowa, 1879, p. 527
Tabor M.E. [Methodist Episcopal] church has a flourishing society and a comfortable church building.
“Country Churches,” from the History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908 by Rev. W.C. MARTIN, S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.345
The Mt Tabor Methodist Episcopal church was organized March 1855, with a membership of twenty-eight. The following have served this church as pastors: William BUTTS, William PRING, John REYNOLDS, Henry HADLEY, George and John CONRAD, Enoch WOODS, Archibald MURPHY, D. B. CLARY, D. THOMPSON, John HESTWOOD, Michael SHEETS, Joseph KNOTS, Joshua SMITH, George CLAMMER, M. R. HARNARD, Adam KERN, Arthur BARTON, W. C. SMITH, E. VOORHEES, M. R. STRYKER, H. C. PRESTON, C. A. FASSETT, J. D. DeTARR.
The first church building was erected in 1874 and dedicated on the fourth day of July, and cost nineteen hundred dollars. The society has a membership of thirty-six. It maintains a Sunday school, Epworth League and Ladies’ Aid Society.
A History of Mount Tabor Methodist Church was written by Neil and Carmelita MORRISON in the The History of Warren County, Iowa, compiled by the Warren County Genealogical Society, Curtis Media Corp., Dallas, Texas, 1987
Franklin and Ellen KELLER helped organize the Mt. Tabor Methodist church in March 1855. The people of the neighborhood held meetings in different homes until the spring of 1857 when the Mt Tabor school house was built on the southeast corner of the KELLER’S farm (section 19, Squaw Township) They worshipped there until 1874 when the church was built. The church continued to thrive and grow for many years.
Some of the early settlers who were regular attendees along with the KELLERS were the families of the WICKETT brothers: Fred, Walter, Frank and William; Ira and Ida TAYLOR; Alex and Rosa SANDERS; Lee and Celesta KELLER; Tirey and Ada GRAY; Clifford and Ruth NORRIS; Neil and Cyrena MORRISON. A few of the ministers to serve there were: Frank LISTER, Robert D. MORLOCK, Walter SEICK and James DeBUSK. Some of the last people to worship there were the families of Neil MORRISON Jr., George FENNER, Ernest CULLY, Charles CULLY, Everett FORMAN and Mrs. Ralph PEARSON. Rev. LISTER conducted funeral services there for Neil MORRISON, Sr., son-in-law of Franklin KELLER, on August 11, 1934 and for Neil’s wife, Cyrena, July 23, 1942. The last KELLER reunion was held there on Sunday, June 14, 1942 Oliver KELLER was President and Carmelita MORRISON , the Secretary.
In the mid 1940s, the church was sold to the Methodist conference and church services discontinued. The building was later purchased by Russell WRIGHT who used it for storage. The building is still standing on the farm of Bob BANGER.