Como's First Catholic Church - Como, CO - Roman Catholic Churches on Waymarking.com

This quaint building was erected in 1881 by the Italian immigrants to become the first Catholic Church in Como, Colorado. It served the local congregation until 1896. It now serves as a private residence. (adapted from Historic Como Walking Tour brochure)

"Andy Anderson - Interview by Tom Klinger, Linda Bjorklund, and Bob Schoppe; September 29, 2005

Tom: Andy, why don’t we start off this morning and talk about you. How did you get here? That means that we need to get a little background on your mother and dad. And that probably would include a little bit of what we know about your dad and introduce your dad and introduce your grandparents, the Gibbony’s. And we’re going to let you do some of the talking.

Andy: Well we’ll start out with my grandparents. My grandparents on my father’s side (ed. Carl Anderson and Anna Ahrens) came from Sweden. They were married in Golden, Colorado, in 1872. They moved to Georgetown in 1884. And Dad’s father (ed. Carl Anderson) and his brother Nels walked from Georgetown to Kokomo and set up a claim. And then my dad (Albin A. Anderson) was born in Kokomo in 1887. And his mother (ed. Anna Ahrens Anderson) died in 1899. His brother Axel—he had two brothers, and a sister--Axel and Albert, and one sister named Anna. Anna was fourteen years old, so when she died (ed. Mother, Anna Anderson) she had to raise Albert and my dad, Albin. So she’s buried in Breckenridge, Colorado. And I think Dad’s father is buried in Leadville. On my mother’s side they both came from County Cork, Ireland. And they came through Canada. He worked on the Grand Trunk railroad. He was about twelve years older than my grandmother. They, Pat Gibbony and Delia Walton, met in Como. And they were married in the Catholic Church, there, the first ones married in the catholic church. Then he went to work for the C & S, I think it was in 1892.

Tom: You know you mentioned that they were the first to be married in the catholic church in Como. I just recently talked to a man whose father bought the catholic church in Como from the Archdiocese in Denver. And I thought that was rather unique. I’m to visit with him in a couple of weeks. Well, continue, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.

Andy: Well we’ll get back to my grandparents on my mother’s side. When he (ed. Pat Gibbony) went to work for the railroad there and he became a car foreman, what they called a ‘car whacker.’ They ran the boarding house and the restaurant there (ed. today’s Como Hotel). Uncle Tom Gibbony was born in the Stone Row that was in 1892. I think they started in the hotel in about 1896. The rest of the children were born in the hotel. (ed. original hotel burned in 1896) Alice Gibbony was noted as the pie maker at the hotel. They had ten children, four girls, four boys and two of them that died at birth. He (Pat Gibbony) died in 1930. And he was buried in Como and my grandmother was buried in Como. Tom Gibbony, the oldest son, went to work for the railroad about 1913 as a call boy. Bill Gibbony went to work for them as a fireman. Then Aunt Gertrude she married Joe Delaney and he became a fireman on the railroad. And the two Gibbony brothers, Emmett and Frank, were fireman and brakeman. So there was a little bit of nepotism in those days." (excerpted from (visit link) )

Type of Church: Church Status of Building: Building converted to another use Date of organization: 01/01/1882 Date of building construction: 01/01/1882 Diocese: Colorado Address/Location: 6th and Spruce Street Como, CO USA Dominant Architectural Style: Not listed Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed Archdiocese: Not listed Relvant Web Site: Not listed

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