▁finished ▁until ▁som etime ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁church ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁through ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁However ▁membership ▁began ▁to ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁until ▁finally ▁the ▁last ▁regularly ▁scheduled ▁services ▁were ▁held ▁there ▁on ▁February ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁October , ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁a ▁group ▁from ▁the ▁First ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁of ▁Kir ks ville ▁dedicated ▁a ▁large ▁b ould er ▁with ▁pla que ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁its ▁status ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁church ▁in ▁the ▁county . ▁ ▁The ▁c emetery ▁continued ▁in ▁use ▁long ▁after ▁the ▁church ▁had ▁ceased ▁regular ▁services , ▁the ▁last ▁known ▁bur ial s ▁being ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁Among ▁the ▁local ▁not ables ▁buried ▁in ▁the ▁Bear ▁Creek ▁c emetery ▁is ▁Samuel ▁With row , ▁the ▁first ▁post master ▁in ▁Ada ir ▁County , ▁buried ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 . ▁In ▁May , ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁a ▁non - pro fit ▁corpor ation , ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁Bear ▁Creek ▁C emetery ▁Association ▁of ▁Ada ir ▁County , ▁was ▁established ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁property ▁and ▁building . ▁Among ▁their ▁first ▁projects ▁was ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁site ' s ▁pla cement ▁on ▁the ▁National ▁Register ▁of ▁Historic ▁Places . ▁The ▁Bear ▁Creek ▁Church ▁surv ived ▁a ▁close ▁call ▁with ▁Mother ▁Nature ▁in ▁ 2 0