Little Stranger Church is a registered nonprofit dedicated to the restoration, preservation, and maintenance of the church and its adjacent cemetery with the goal of creating a community gathering space.

Our Mission

To restore Little Stranger Church and Cemetery and reopen the building as an event and meeting space to serve the surrounding community.

Recent Accomplishments

 

2018

  • Foundation restoration is completed in February

 

2017

  • Several fallen and damaged headstones are repaired and reset

  • Electricity is restored to the building

  • Appx. $10,000 raised in fundraising throughout the year

 

2016

  • Received the highly competitive Kansas State Historical Society's Heritage Trust Fund Grant ($66,404) which covered 80% of the costs associated with restoring the roof and foundation

  • Replaced roof, repaired damaged soffit, removed deteriorating and historically irrelevant chimney

  • Appx. $10,000 raised in fundraising throughout the year

 

2015

  • The application to add Little Stranger Church to the Kansas State Register and National Register of Historic Places is accepted, opening up opportunities for grant applications

  • First annual Pie Social is held

  • Appx. $10,000 raised in fundraising throughout the year

 

2014

  • The Kansas State Heritage Society digitized several historic documents pertaining to the church including deeds, treasury records, and church attendance records dating back to the 1850s

Board Members

 

Dale Thomas, president

Dale Thomas has served as board President since 2005. He has maintained the church grounds for many years, mowing the field and doing any repairs when called upon. Most recently he added a panel to the security light pole to allow electrical access while we work on the property. The Thomas family has been a part of Little Stranger Church for over 60 years.

 

Carrie Ritchey, Secretary-Treasurer

Carrie has served as Secretary-Treasurer since 1997. She coordinates several fundraising events each year, is responsible for bookkeeping, is the point of contact for restoration projects, and has served as the caretaker of the churchgrounds for several years. As a lifelong Leavenworth County resident, she is passionate about local history, bringing people together, and re-opening the church to serve the surrounding community.

 

Tara Sloan, board member

Tara joined the board in 2014 to honor the memory of her grandfather, John Sloan, who served on the church board for several years. She helps organize the annual Pie Social, manages the website and Facebook page, and wrote the applications for the National Register of Historic Places and the 2016 and 2019 Heritage Trust Fund Grants. She enjoys photographing the church, cemetery, and events held onsite.

Community Support

The restoration wouldn't be possible without the incredible support of the surrounding community and our amazing volunteers.

Want to get involved? Volunteer or make a donation ›