Serving 34 years in the conference, Rev. Henry Alonzo Waste was sent to Brooklyn in 1930. Born in Sparta May 27, 1870, he enjoyed singing bass. When a young man, he served in the 3rd Wis. Infantry of the Spanish American War. Coming home, he married Anna Aylesworth. They had four children; a son died in infancy. Waste was the chaplain for the United Spanish War Veterans at Madison.
Preparing for the new minister, the Ladies Society was busy. Repairs were being done in the parsonage–pump and furnace, and the walls were newly papered and painted in the parsonage. A new furnace was installed at the church.
Confined to the parsonage, Waste was recovering from surgery in June 1935 and additional illness. Many ministers spoke at the church. Waste passed in August. His funeral was here with his Sunday School class as pallbearers. A final service was held in Sparta, his resting place.
The parsonage was prepared for the new minister. Making room for the new minister, Anna moved out of the parsonage in September. Deciding to stay in Brooklyn, she rented the Jack Farnsworth house. She had accumulated many friends here.
A dedicated member, Francis Ames passed. With his wife, Alice, they were faithful members in the “Cause of Temperance.” A remembrance of his was told in his obit, “Attending the UW in the 1860’s, the boys studied at night with a tallow candle, kept warm from a green wood chunk stove and lived on home cooked food from home, conveyed to them by ox cart.”
Within our community, the locals performed in the WLS Radio Follies in Hanson Hall, upstairs (now Anchor Club). Giving their own special talents, the men dressed as women. The President’s Ball was held at the Playland, located on Market Street. Honoring President Roosevelt, the event’s proceeds went to help the crippled children at Warm Springs, Florida.
The following six years (1935- 41), our church welcomed Oscar L. Stanke and his wife, Zelda (Fritz). The couple were “very well-liked.” They reached out into the community and beyond. Spending 43 years in the ministry, Stanke retired in 1969. His burial service was held in Oshkosh March 1974 with burial in Belleville. During his tenure, much financial assistance came from the Ladies Aid Society. Their famous Chicken Pie Suppers (adults- 40¢, children- 25¢), Dutch Market, Father & Son Banquet (Mr. Baker of YMCA and Prof. Guy S. Lowman showed pictures of UW sports), Men’s Suppers funds were forwarded to repair the pump at parsonage, church furnace (1934), pump platform, and pay for a housekeeper at parsonage (Louise Christensen and daughter). The women served a Cafeteria Supper in September to complete the yearly budget, that featured Swiss Steak- 5¢, salmon loaf- 5¢, escalloped potatoes3¢, escalloped corn- 3¢, Jell-O salad- 5¢, goulash-5¢, pickles- 1¢, white and raisin bread- 1¢, butter-2¢, light and dark cake- 3¢, raised doughnuts- 3¢, pie-5¢, cheese-2¢, milk-3¢ and coffee-5¢. Reaching out to the community, the Ladies Aid (admission- 10¢) offered a 2-days Cooking School. Sponsors were Central Wisconsin Food Stores and Philgas Services with support from the Corner Store and Ellis Hardware in Brooklyn. The visual was the Pyres glass door on the oven, allowing you to watch the baking process. Each day, there was a different menu and cooking methods with door prizes. Helen Gray (wife of the local doctor) organized the Youth Choir (occasionally led worship) and the String Orchestra.
During Stanke’s assignment here, there was extended activity, north of the church. Fred Bund was dismantling his barn and stable, originally built in the middle 1800’s. This site was a stagecoach stop where teams of horses were exchanged. Coming plans were to build a structure where the community could gather. Assistance was reached through a WPA (Work Progress Administration) that helped many jobless. They dug 161 feet for water.