Funks
Grove Church
& Chapel in the Trees
Funks
Grove Church
| Home | A Brief History
In 1824, brothers Isaac and Absalom Funk entered McLean County. Six month later Robert and Dorothy Funk Stubblefield followed from Ohio. Among the first settlers in the County, the Funks and Stubblefields put down roots in the area now known as Funks Grove. Adam Funk, Isaac's father, chose the location of the cemetery. In 1830, he was one of the first to be buried there. When the Funks and Stubblefields first came to the area, worship services were held in homes or the log school building in built 1827. A stone marker located just west of the church indicates the original site of this school. Robert Stubblefield insisted on a real church. In 1864-65, Isaac, Robert, and their sons erected the building from white pine shipped by railroad. The ceilings were made of plaster that contained horsehair and hog hair to hold it together. The Funk and Stubblefield families, through the support of stock, originally maintained the area. Since 1891 the Funks Grove Cemetery Association has owned the cemetery grounds and the church. The Association has purchased more land throughout the years. The land was used to increase the size of the cemetery as well as to reforest some of the area. The newest “Ollie Addition,” named for land purchased from the Olive Stubblefield Estate, is located on the west side of Timber Creek. In 1948 when Thaddeus Stubblefield passed away, he left his land in a trust to the Cemetery Association. The income from the farmland is used to maintain the cemetery, to provide for religious and educational benefits, and for beautification of the grove. The trust ensures perpetual care and continued growth for the cemetery. Today many of the original features of the church are
still in good condition. The original walnut pulpit and altar rail,
original white pine pews, and original glass can be seen in the building.
Due to age and the settlement of the building, the ceiling was replaced
in 2001.
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