Friends of Paplin, Inc.

Our Mission: "Repair, Restore, and Preserve the Historic Paplin Church Property"

About the project image
Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Paplin, (Choynice) Howard County, NE was founded in 1883. Choynice is suggestive of Chojnice, a city in northern Poland. Other sources list this place as Paplin (suggestive of Pelplin?) in Poland. The parish closed in 1987. Prior to then, it had been a mission of St. Francis Church in Ashton, NE.

According to local legend, the Paplin church was blown off its foundation by a tornado in 1896. Then, before repairs could be made, a strong wind blew the 50-by-100-foot church back in place (Hammel, World Herald 2018).

Many local residents have been doing their best to preserve the church, hall and surrounding property, but it had become a monumental task. As with all things, teamwork is the best approach.

The Loup City Entrepreneurship Club (LCEC) saw a great opportunity to reach out and help the “Little Church that Did”. After a September meeting with those interested in preserving the church, The LCEC lent their expertise and set up a checking account in Ashton for tax deductible donations. And, with the help of Heather Sikyta of the Sikyta Law Firm of Loup City, they were able to set up Articles of Corporation for the Friends of Paplin, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

This ultimately led to the first annual meeting of the Friends of Paplin, Inc. on October 28, 2018, at the St. Francis Church in Ashton in which officers and a board of directors were elected. Now, the church property officially belongs to the Friends of Paplin, Inc.!

We have achieved our goals of putting a new roof on the church and hall, restored the stained-glass windows, sided the church,  updated the electrical panel in the church, lowered the ceiling in the hall, painted the interior of the hall, and sanded its floors.  This past summer, the statues and altars were professionally restored.  To keep these improvements from deteriorating, a new furnace was installed because the old one was not working. Our future projects include air conditioning and the monumental task of removing peeling paint from the interior tin walls & ceiling, and concrete columns. This daunting task will be complicated with the heights of the ceiling and columns. Consider donating to the cause--the church our ancestors worked so hard to build 140 years ago--the church many were baptized, received their communion, confirmation,  were married or had a funeral. Your contribution is tax-deductible. If you can not give money, then maybe you can lend your talents by helping in some other way. Please let us know! Thanks and God bless!

Click here to go to our Go Fund Me page. 

OUR MISSION IS TO REPAIR, RESTORE, AND PRESERVE THE HISTORIC PAPLIN CHURCH PROPERTY

Join us today and help us make a change!

  • Loup City, NE 68853
  • 123 N. 8th Street, P.O. Box 53

Mike Gappa

President

Mike is president until October 2026.

Joe Jonak

Vice-President

Joe Jonak is Vice-President until October 2026.

Rose A. Kowalski

Secretary

Rose holds the office of secretary until 2025.

Diane Chelewski

Treasurer

Diane serves as our treasurer until the end of October 2026.

Janelle Mostek

Board Member

Janelle is a board member until October 2026.

Stacie Gappa

Board Member

Stacie is a board member until October 2026.

Diane Jonak

Board Member

Diane serves as a board member until the end of October 2026.

Bonnie Badura

Board Member

Bonnie will serve as a board member until October 2025.

Mike Ference

Board Member

Mike was elected to serve until October 2026.

Betty Poss

Board Member

Betty will be a board member until October of 2025.

Travis Jonak

Board Member

Travis will be serving as a board member until October of 2025.

Below are links to the most recent "Friends of Paplin, Inc." 

Minutes_8_18_24.pdf Meeting Minutes

We also have links to the Grain Commodity Donation forms:

Crop_Commodity_Transfer_Form.pdf

Crop_Commodity_Transfer_Long_Form.pdf

**Donor is advised to consult his/her legal/tax advisor regarding the tax effects of the transfer of any asset.

FACEBOOK link to Paplin Church

FRIENDS OF PAPLIN, INC. LIFETIME MEMBERS 
Mary Jane Atkinson
Chase Becker
Donna Fells
Mike Ference
Adeline Jonak
Cheri Kowalski
David Kowalski
Donna Kowalski
Rose A. Kowalski
Phyllis Piechota
Betty Poss
Paul Radke, Jr.
Ron Sack
Deloris Stanczyk
Jim Stanczyk
Michael Stearns
Judith Trader
Maurice Grudzinski
Al Kowalski
Roberta Kowalski
Mike Chelewski
Diane Chelewski
Richard Gappa
Fred Roy
Joe Jonak
Diane Jonak
Matthew Jonak
Breann Jonak
Mitchell Jonak
Amelia Jonak
Joey Jonak
Travis Jonak
Troy Jonak
Tyler Jonak
Rose Mary Kowalski
James Roy
Mark Czaplewski
Rita Czaplewski
Terrin Jonak
Delbert Jonak
Renee Jonak
Kathy Carson
Emily Gregoski
David Ference
Fr. Richard Piontkowski
Ed Kowalski
Alice Lily
Cyril Skorupa
Ken Pokorski
Gwen Redemer
William Kelley
John Mudloff
Sandi Mudloff
Drew Kowalski
Donald Gappa
John Klein
Lawrence Mostek
Kathy Mostek
Sandra Kraft
Linda Polski
Maxine Lewandowski
Paul Wadas
Jim Krance
Linda Lewandowski
Diane Loeffelbein
John Eastlund
Melissa Berkheimer
Jennifer Kopsa
Raymond Chelewski
Sharon Petrytus
Alicia Gappa
Krista Slobaszewski
John Gappa
Steve Slobaszewski
Donna Gappa
Steve Ference
Bernadette Ference
Phyllis Gappa
Edigna Herold
Delores Roy
Amy Kowalski
Bonnie Badura
LJ Kwiatkowski
Jane Keating
Virgil Jonak
Marilyn Jonak
Eric Wittwer
Jacqueline Wittwer
Kathy Burr
Marty Kowalski
Joe Kowalski
Nalalie Kohler
Ericson Wittwer
Suzette Garrison
Jonak-Packer Wittwer
Marc Wittwer
Koanui Wittwer
Leilani Wittwer
Jonna Wittwer
Brock Wittwer
Kjerstin Stanavige
Cameron Stanavige
Annika Wittwer
Mike Gappa
Stacie Gappa
Mary Gappa
Alan Dush
Steven Brumbaugh
John TurekLarry Scheper
Diane Dailey
Mike Ference
Tina Dush
Janelle Mostek
Ruth Gappa
Catherine Spellman
Lynn Chelewski
Phil Lukasiewicz
Tracey Lukasiewicz
Fr. Dave Rykwalder
LeRoy Baker
Amy Christiansen
Frank Krolikowski




Individual lifetime memberships are available for $100. Annual memberships are available for $15 for an individual and $25 for a family. Complete the membership form found below and send a check to Friends of Paplin, Inc. P.O. Box 53, Loup City, NE 68853-0053. Funds are used to repair, restore, and preserve the Historic Paplin Church property.

Membership Application Form.pdf

There are Baptismal, Confirmation Wedding, and Death Records for Paplin from 1882 to 1907 available. If you are conducting searches for family, please let us know. We have had to take our PDF records down because of their size and privacy laws.


Russ Czaplewski of Shawnee, KS, compiled a deed research of the Paplin Town Lots, Paplin Church history from local newspapers, and found interesting material from Polish newspapers. 

From the e-mail he wrote me: "My research has also found interesting and forgotten material in Catholic newspapers published in Winona, Minnesota. The titles were "Katolik" and "Wiarus". Both newspapers had international and national news. Reports from Polonia include--get this--some signed columns submitted from people from central Nebraska! The material I have found is from 1894 to 1913. My personal connection is that some of the columns (including poems) were contributed by Mike Mendyk, my grandmother's uncle! The attached files are samples and the file name includes the date of the issue and the column to look for. I am sorry that I do not have translations but right off place names and surnames can be spotted. and other interesting information!" 

Mendyk--Paplin lot sales_owners.pdf

Church history--Chojnice.pdf (Chojnice)

Wiarus 1908-04-02 p8 col5-6--Mendyk.pdf (1908_04_02_p8_col_5_6_Mendyk)

Katolik 1894-04-05 p1 col4--Chojnice.pdf (1894_04_05_p1_col_4_Chojnice)

Below are links to a document Rose Mary Kowalski found in the belongings of her father, Cash Radke, a former member of Paplin Church. It is dated 1923. On the Expense sheet, the "Dochod" or income for the parish (left side) is listed; "Rozchod" or expenditures are listed on the right side. "Razem" means "Together" which are basically the totals of $3,689.39.  In the lower center portion of the page, "Dlugu bylo" means "the debt was"; "Splacono" means "Repaid", and "POZOSTAJE" means "Remains". Page 2 & 3 of the document lists the parishioners and the amounts they donated for the year. I don't think you would do this in today's world! Enjoy!

Paplin_expenses.jpg

Paplin_Donations_1.jpg

Paplin_Donations_2.jpg

2025 Paplin Calendars Are Here!

2025 Paplin Calendars Are Here!

This is the picture that adorns the cover of the 2025 Friends of Paplin calendar. They are available at the Polish Heritage Center in Ashton, NE or you can call Rose Kowalski at (308) 750-2807 for information on how to get one. They are affordably priced at $10. They also make great gifts!

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A Conversation with a Friend from Poland

There is an attached PDF file with a conversation between myself and Robert Starczewski, our new friend from Chojnice, Poland.

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Palm Sunday Breakfast a Success!

Palm Sunday Breakfast a Success!

It was a rainy, dreary Palm Sunday, but those who braved the weather were treated to a breakfast of ham, sausage, pancakes, egg casseroles, fruit, rolls, coffee and juice. Thanks to all who helped in any way to make the day a success. Funds raised will help pay for the newly installed furnace in the Paplin Church. God bless you all. The cash raffle winners were: $100....Mitzi Kuszak $50.... Libby Ference $25...Kirk Harrington Congratulations!

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Celebration a Hit!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Celebration a Hit!

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