David City Legacy
Courage, Strenth, Generosity

Over 125 years ago, vast waves of European immigrants swept into Eastern Nebraska and with the help of the federal government, laid claim to the land, established farms, and raised up hundreds of villages, towns, and cities. Among them was our own David City. Those original immigrants built the Churches, opened the Schools, and developed the commerce necessary for this city to not only survive but to thrive.
This is a process that has been continued to this day by people who are no less courageous, strong, and generous as those who have come before them.

In the eight years that I have been assigned to the United Methodist Church here, I have noted with great appreciation several areas of excellence that have been developed that have made David City a remarkable place to live.

  1. When the small towns of our country were losing the retail business of their downtown areas, the leaders of our community were able to develop industrial sites that today employ many times the numbers that once worked in retail. We have over 500 people employed in David City industry and they circulate millions of dollars every year into the economy of the whole area. Hundreds of people are able to live in and around our town because we have been able to find and encourage manufacturing. Would we not resemble a ghost town without them?

  2. The building of our medical hospital, clinic, and wellness center is nothing short of a small town miracle. We have a health facility here in our midst that is the absolute envy of the state of Nebraska. The medical staff that we presently have is now drawing patients from all of the surrounding counties and the foresight of the Hospital Board must be credited with an outstanding achievement that blesses us with an excellent health facility. Other small towns are just fighting to keep the doors open and many have already lost the battle.

  3. David City presently enjoys what I believe is the best of all possible worlds regarding the education of our youth. Recent bonds have substantially improved the facilities of our Public Schools and our Catholic Schools continue to flourish in a town that many would say is too small for a duel system. Both Public and Catholic schools can be grateful for the support that has been given by the total community.

  4. Our new public library facility is the pride of the county! We have recognized the importance and the power of knowledge and have made this accessible to everyone. A remarkable list of generous donors have literally made our new library a gift to David City. Near the turn of the century another donor gave us a library and at this time in history we have in turn honored that gift by building a facility that will serve well into the century ahead.

  5. Another recent development has enhanced our community greatly. VAUDEVILLE DAYS is a joyous celebration in music, drama, and activity of our life together in Eastern Nebraska. Dedicated talent and hard work have produced a quality event that peoples of all ages can enjoy. In a day when mass media saturates our lives and keeps us in front of electronic machines, Vaudeville Days is a total refreshing event!

This is a list that could go on forever and I certainly have not mentioned all of them and there is not room in this newspaper to comment adequately on the five above. Other achievements such as the Thorpe Opera House, Youth Center, Senior Citizen Center, Fine Arts, as well as the development of technology that brought the Internet into our town, are all worthy of our appreciation.

Over the years, we have been blessed with people of vision, generosity, and strength. They have made us what we are and have given us what we have. Communities do not just happen! They are built by people who want something to happen and who want to make a contribution to the world in which they live. They are often not well thanked and they often must endure point-blank-in-your-face-criticism from those of us who give little and understand less. David City has much for which to be grateful and we live among those who have literally given up great portions of their days and years in order that we may have the quality of life that we enjoy these days. Let us live as those who are fully aware of how God has blessed us.

I recently attended a retirement party for my sister in law in Kansas. She spent her career in public service (clerk for the School board), and the most impressive comment made during the whole evening was that she had but one fault: "She didn’t know how good she really was."

At this point in my own life I can say with assurance that I believe that the most critical thing that I can say about this community that has provided my family and I with so much happiness is that"we probably do not know just how good it is."

Michael Conner, Pastor
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Bellwood United Methodist Church