Ferndale United Methodist Church recently celebrated its 85th anniversary with a dinner and special worship service.

The church was founded in 1924. In January of that year, The Rev. George Fielding, the pastor of Wesley Grove Charge met with several families to organize a Methodist church in Ferndale. The first initial worship services were held on Sunday evenings in different homes until Ferndale Elementary School was built in 1925.

The late Ethel Schmidt, for whom the church's lower level meeting room is named, was one of the founding members of the church. Her daughter, Louise Layton, is the oldest member of the...