Historic `kirk' restored for first wedding in decades

BUFFALO, Wis. (AP) _ The Wee White Kirk, generally unused for 94 years, has been restored with three months of labor and 40 gallons of paint in time for a wedding Saturday.

The kirk, or Little White Church in modern English, was established in 1865 by Scot Presbyterian immigrants. Its builders included John McReath, an ancestor of the bride.

``It'll be the first wedding in this building in nearly 100 years,'' said Joan McReath, the bride's mother. ``It's all very exciting.''

Daniel Muir, father of naturalist John Muir, was one of the church's first pastors.

The building served as a church until a shortage of members closed the doors in 1905. Since 1951, it has been in the care of the United Presbyterian Cemetery Association, which paid for the restoration.

It lacks electricity or plumbing. Its source of heat is a wood-burning stove dating from when the church was built.

It has an antique organ that served as a home for mice prior to the restoration.

``We released them outside,'' McReath said. ``We didn't want to kill anything.''

The work included patching bullet holes left by a vandal in the 1960s.

One of the holes was in a print of the Last Supper. Another was in a print of Jesus tending sheep.

The 80 people invited Saturday to the Marquette County community for the marriage of Monica McReath of Montello and Bob Johnson of Endeavor include a bagpiper.

``We're thinking about opening up the church and let people rent it out for weddings and possibly even funerals,'' Joan McReath said. ``The money would go to the cemetery association so it can stay this fine of a church.''

The building was already attracting visitors during the restoration.

``We even had a woman from Scotland stop by,'' McReath said. ``She saw the sign `Wee White Kirk' and told the people driving to stop.

``There are many people who have seen this church every day of their lives who have never seen it when it was open. Hopefully we'll be able to give them a chance.''