Taken from the prologue to the High Altitude Cook Book (reprinted in 1993) by the Ladies’ Aid Society of the Methodist Church Jerome, Arizona originally published in 1922.
In The Beginning
The Methodist Episcopal group organized on March 18, 1900, with 25 members, and Rev. George M. Smith was appointed as pastor. The first preaching services were held in the O’Keefe Hall. Two thousand dollars was donated or pledged to build a small church together with a small parsonage on the corner of School Street and Center Avenue. This building serve the needs of the growing congregation until 1927.
Early in 1926 the expanding congregation inspired to build a new church. At this time, they hired H. V. “Kyrle” Kruse to draw the blue prints for a new church. Mr. Kruse had been born in Sweden and came to the U.S. when he was fire years old. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Civil Engineering. He stared his career working in the copper mines in New Mexico and later was employed by the U.V.X. Mines in Jerome. Mr. Kruse presented the group with his competed blue prints in September of 1926. These blue prints are on display in the church today.
The old church was sold and later was remodeled into apartments. The new church was built on property that was owned by the Douglas U.V.X. Mines. A devoted church member, Mary Beale, persuaded her husband, Clarence, who worked for the mining company to encourage the company to donate a rocky cliffside to the church. A woman occupied a little shack built there and for a period of time refused to move.
The new church was built for $15,000. Donations, pledges, and money from the sale of the old church was used to start the building. But the larger part of the mortgage was paid by the Ladies’ Aid Society of the M.E. Church holding cake and ice cream socials, Boston baked bean dinners, bazaars, and preparing lunches for the weekly meetings of the service clubs of the community – Elks, Lions, and Kiwanis Clubs to mention a few. These meals were prepared on an old iron kitchen range for the price of 50 cents a meal.
The new church was given the name of Haven Methodist Church Episcopal Church. The feeling being that it is an inviolable place of refuge and protection giving shelter to all who come.