Family and friends of St. Oswald's in-the- Fields Episcopal Church of rural Skidmore return each fall for a special service.

This year's celebration is the 126th Harvest Festival and will begin at 11 am, Sunday, October 6. Presiding at the service will be Bishop Provisional of West Missouri, The Rt. Rev Diane M. Jardine Bruce.

A potluck dinner will follow the service. Table service and drinks will be provided. Those attending should bring a dish to share, if possible.

St. Oswald's, located at 30996 X Avenue, was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The building was modeled after the founding families' home church, St. Oswald's in Grasmere, England. It was said by the early founders of the church, that if the church did not continue, it would make a good sheep shed. St. Oswald's was built using the gable front variant of the shingle style, first used in the suburbs on the east coast at the end of the 19th century. Many churches in the north of England are dedicated to the Sainted King Oswald, including the one at Grasmere, of which the Missouri St. Oswald's is the namesake. Today, traditions are maintained, including the Harvest Festival, which began in 1897.

St. Oswald's is located in southeast Atchison County. Directions from Mound City are Route N for five miles north and then north on Keystone Drive for four miles. From Maryville, the church is 19 miles west on Highway 46 and then four miles south on EE. From Fairfax, take Highway 46 east seven miles and then four miles south on EE.