Stained Glass Windows

CHURCH – Leona (1871-1937)

Sanctuary (Right) – Right Window, Iris

Leona Church was born in Kirksville, Missouri, or pioneer stock. She married George Church (1902). They moved to Loveland, Colorado in 1905 and Estes Park in 1907, where they remained until they dies in 1937 and 1939 respectively. In 1913, George Church opened a harness – leather shop and together they owned a confectionary-cafe-tourist shop.

Mrs. Church was active in the Community Church of the Rockies, a leading church woman in Northern Colorado, and a fifty year member of Eastern Star and Rainbow. In an Estes Park Museum program, Charles Eagle Plume recalled Mrs. Church as one of the “great kind old ladies in Estes.” Eagle Plume arrived in Estes with limited resources and the kind old ladies supplied meals. he also related that during tourist season, she would braid her long hair, dress as an Indian, and become a walking advertisement for her shop.

Leona Church died in an auto accident in the Big Thompson Canyon and was buried in Longmont, the Reverend Floyd Kuykendall, Community Church of the Rockies, presided. The Churches and Kuykendalls often dined together.

CLATWORTHY

Emma Payne (1853-1936) and Linda May (1876 – 1933)
Columbine Window – Sanctuary, Outside Door

Fred Payne Clatworthy Sr. was an internationally known early color photographer who obtained a law degree, and then bicycled around the United States taking photos. He was a self-taught photographer and was known for his black and white, auto chromes and hand-colored photographs. Clatworthy promoted his scenic photos of the area to tourists visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park and was a regular contributor to National Geographic. He arrived in Estes Park in 1904 and stayed until his death in 1953.

He married Mabel Leonard in 1911 and the Clatworthys spent summers in Estes Park with their three children: Helen, Barbara, (Bobby Clatworthy Gish, a current member, 2007), and Fred Jr. The family helped with the photo business and their commercial outlet on Elkhorn Avenue, “Ye Lyttel Shop” (or “Ye Little Shoppe”).

Fred Sr.’s Mother, Emma Payne joined them, establishing rental cabins on the Riverside Drive property. She attended church with “enthusiasm” and played the organ. The window also commemorates Fred Sr.’s sister, Linda May Clatworthy. As well as being the second mayor of Estes Park, Fred Clatworthy Sr. was Church Roll #62, Fred Jr., #63 and Helen, #64. Clatworthy’s studio, an early Estes Park Craftsman style, remains in the family.

GODFREY, D.F. (Dougal Floyd) (1882-1941)

Chancel Area – Right, Lily

Known simply as “D.F.”, Douglal Floyd Godfrey was a prominent merchant in Estes for over twenty years, from 1919 to 1941, and active in the Community Church of the Rockies, serving as Elder, 1919-1924, Trustee, 1936-1939, and a long time Superintendent of the Sunday School. Born in Cedar Mills, Ohio, an orphan raised by his aunt and uncle, the Warren Godfreys, he attended Denison University, taught for several years in rural Ohio schools, and worked in a bank in Manchester, Ohio.

D.F. continued banking in Eaton, Colorado , from 1911 to 1913, and also opened a men’s furnishing store. He married Lora Bryant in Denver in 1918, moved to Estes Park and started a retail clothing business. A social man, who was politically active in Northern Ohio, he held church meetings at his place of business. His handwriting was very neat, as attested to by his work as Church Clerk.

Lora Godfrey, Church Roll #14, was involved in the church, Red Cross drives, P.E.O. Chapter AV and the Estes Park Women’s Club. She died in 1977.

HAYDEN

Emma Cornelia (?-1935) Albert (?-1911) Julian (?-1951)
Sanctuary Right, Left – Lily Window and Center – Rose Window

The Hayden Family left their legacy in Estes Park based on many contributions to the community, both in their business transactions and their philanthropy.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert (Emma Cornelia) Hayden came to Estes in 1901 from Chicago where Emma taught school. They were seasonal residents in Estes until 1911 when Albert died. After his death, Emma moved to Estes. She married Albert’s brother Julian (Jude). They raised Albert Jr., Jude, and Sally. Later, she spent her winters in California.

In Estes Park, Emma was a member of P.E.O Chapter AV, The Rebekkahs, American Legion Auxiliary, and a charter member of the Estes Park Women’s Club. She had a lifelong curiosity and intellectual interest. Children were ofter invited to the Hayden home to watch Mr. Hayden’s extensive train collection.

After Emma’s death in 1935, the Hayden name continued with Julian and wife Louise and the Albert Hayden Jr. family. Julian owned a real estate and cottage rental business.

Louise, Church Roll #29, (1923), Trustee 1939-1942, 1949-1952. Elder, 1942-1945, 1946-1949, served on the Building and Grounds Committee, personally caring for flowers and landscape. She died in 1965 and is buried in Longmont, Colorado.

Julian was an Elder in 1948-1951. Albert Jr. was a Trustee from 1921-1924, 1926-1929, to 1931-1935.

HIGBY, Nina (1865-1965)
Rose Window – Sanctuary, Outside Door

Nina (Mrs. H.L.) Higby homesteaded near Manville, Wyoming in 1886. She was a charter member of Wyoming WCTU and instrumental in acquiring Carnegie Libraries for several towns, including Cheyenne and Laramie. Nina was born in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1865, married H.L. there, where they both taught school. They had three sons, Clifford, Reed, and Lester. Clifford and Reed arrived in Estes Park in 1914, operated the Hupp Hotel, and involved themselves in a variety of businesses, including the Fern Lake Lodge in Rocky Mountain National Park and opened the National Park Outing Company, located next to the Community Church of the Rockies downtown. This might explain Nina’s membership on a committee to paint the church.

She came to Estes to run the store, 1919-1945, and became an active member of Community Church of the Rockies. H.L. was an Elder, 1916-1919. Clifford joined in 1915, served as a Trustee 1917-1918, went to war, and was replaced by Fred Clatworthy Sr. Clifford later became a minister. Reed was a clerk for the church. Mrs. Nina Higby lived to over 100 years old, and died in Thermopolis, Wyoming in 1965.

JAMES, W.E. and Ella

Dr. H.E. James – Howard Peary James
Chapel – Angel with Children

The James family window honors five members of a pioneer Estes Family prominent for establishing and operating the Elkhorn Lodge, for awhile, the largest in Estes, and for many contributions to Estes Park life: schools, the Community Church of the Rockies, the library, business, and the general well being and camaraderie of the community. William E., (1842-1895) and Ella James, the Estes Park patriarchs, arrived in 1974 via Denver and a W.E. hunting trip. They had two sons, Homer E., Howard Perry and later a daughter, Eleanor Estes James, marrying Pieter Hondius. (When Charles Edwin Hewes (of the Hewes-Kirkwood Inn) beseeched friends and patrons to help him save the Inn, it was Pieter Hondius and his wife Eleanor who came to his rescue.)

W.E. James wanted to be in the cattle business and homesteaded twice before trading for what he thought would be a grand cattle ranch on West Elkhorn Avenue, site of the current Elkhorn Lodge. Tourism paid, cattle did not! W.E. was known as a genial host and storyteller, especially at the evening bonfires in front of the lodge during tourist season.

Homer E., MD degree, University of Colorado, 1892, practiced briefly before returning to the Village, establishing his reputation as “The” fisherman, and as a businessman. Howard Perry was the Lodge manager, leaving a hotel management legacy. After he died, Eleanor managed the Lodge, contributed to many organizations. She was a charter member of the Estes Park Women’s Club, P.E.O. Chapter AV, and helped start the library. She also left a colorful written memoir. The family is currently represented (2007) by surviving members in town, Eleanor and Pieter’s so, Pieter Hondius and wife Helen. Howard P. James Jr., (Bud) lives in Steamboat Springs.

SCHWARTZ, Julian Foss (1881-1936)

Chancel Area – Right, Blue Flower

Julian Foss Schwartz of Wooster, Ohio, arrived in poor health at the Agnes Phipps Sanatorium in Denver. Health restored, he visited Estes Park and homesteaded land in the Tahosa Valley. (1905) He and his wife named the land Schwartzwald, a resort he built in memory of his son killed in the war and devoted to the entertainment of news and other boys of Denver.

Schwartz worked in logging and milling operations and for Enos Mills at the Longs Peak Inn. He sold Schwartzwald to William McPhee, a Denver  lumberman, who eventually gave the land to the Catholic Diocese of Denver, who developed the land into the current St. Malo Center.

In 1910, Mr. Schwartz acquired a lumber company from Dr. Homer James, and Schwartz operated the company until 1928. This was the predecessor to the Estes Park Lumber Company. His community involvement included serving on the Estes Park Bank board, the Town Council, and started the Estes Park Boosters. He purchased the D.C. Donovan Lumber Company in Longmont, Colorado and was residing there when he died in 1936. He is buried in the family plot in Wooster Ohio.

He was a church officer from 1911-1915.

TALLANT (Louise Bellamy Macdonald)

Narthex – Main Entrance – Holy Bible Window

In 1914, according to church records, the young men of the Park wished to contribute a memorial for Mrs. Tallant, who, by several accounts, was well liked by the young people of the village.

Louise Bellamy Macdonald Tallant of Denver married Richard (Dick) H. Tallant, the noted artist (1852-1934), arrived in Estes by wagon in 1898 with two sons – a pioneer family who married a pioneer family. Son Lee married Rhoda Service and son William married a Service sister. Louise’s daughter-in-law, Rhoda Service Tallant is #10, 1901, on church rolls and her husband, Lee, is #26, 1920. Louise was a sister of J. Edward Macdonald, Paula Steige’s grandfather. (Macdonald Book Shop.)

Louise and her husband owned a business on Elkhorn Avenue – the Pine Cone Inn, a sandwich shop, and an Indian Curio Shop. Upstairs was Mr. Tallant’s art studio. They sold the building in 1931.

Among the many written tributes to Louise Tallant was an especially touching article by Enos Mills, printed in The Estes Park Trail, July 18, 1914, praising her perseverance, work ethic, kindness, sincerity, fairness, and undying love for the Estes Valley… “This good woman was my friend. Her virtues, her heroic life won my highest admiration and trust through the years I had the inspiration of her unfaltering trust.”