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This festive motor coach tour took guests through the rolling countryside of Osage County to four historic country churches, each beautifully decorated for Christmas and rich with history. Though each church has its own story and traditions, every stop shared the same spirit of the season — warmth, generosity, and a deep sense of community that has welcomed Christmas for more than a century.

And of course, the tour favorite — the Cookie Trail! At each church, guests were treated to a dozen homemade cookies, making the day even sweeter.

Our Christmas Church Stops Included:

Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rich Fountain

Founded in 1838, Sacred Heart welcomed visitors into its stunning 1880 church featuring Gothic Revival and Romanesque design elements. Guests admired the beautiful stained-glass windows and festive decorations in both the sanctuary and rectory.

Pilot Knob Baptist Church in Belle

Organized in 1863, this historic church offered Christmas music, lovely seasonal décor, and a warm lunch served in the fellowship hall — along with cookies, of course!

Mt. Zion Baptist Church – Rural Osage County

Visitors experienced the meaningful Hanging of the Greens ceremony, an old English tradition where each ornament symbolizes part of Christ’s birth, beautifully shared in this charming country church.

Evangel St. Paul’s Church – Cooper Hill

Founded by German and Swiss settlers in the 1880s, this church is home to a stunning brass chandelier dating back to the original log church. The history and holiday ambiance made for a memorable final stop.

Thank you again to everyone who participated and to the church communities who made this tour so special. It’s traditions like these that make the holidays in Osage County truly magical. We look forward to welcoming you again next year!

Comfort, joy, and cookies — the Osage County way.

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December 13, 2024

This wonderful holiday tour takes you by motor coach to five country churches in Osage County. Enjoy Christmas music, beautiful decorations, and learn the history of these churches. The tour bonus is the Cookie Trail—the ladies of four churches will have a dozen cookies for you! You will also enjoy a meal at a church!

Please fill out and submit reservation form found on the bottom of the flier.
Cost $65 per person. (The tour cost includes a $3 per person donation to each church on the tour.)

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September 14– Taste of Osage County – Linn City Park – Linn, MO  –  At this event visitors have the opportunity to explore the local products, foods, businesses, groups and opportunities Osage County has to offer.  

September 28 – Farm to Table Dinner – Prairie Star Farms – Bland, MO – This meal features Osage County grown meat, fruit and vegetables and is served in a beautiful setting at Prairie Star Farms.    

December 13 – Christmas County Church and Cookie Trail –   This remarkable holiday tour takes you by motor coach to five country churches in Osage county.   Enjoy Christmas music, beautiful decorations, and learn the history of the these churches.  The tour bonus is the Cookie Trail…the ladies of each church will have a dozen cookies for you!  

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We will be accepting submissions at the OCHS during our normal business hours from October 4th to December 16th. For more detailed information, see our prior posts.

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May 6, 2020, Osage County will be hosting 45 senior citizens from Cole County’s Learning in Retirement program on
May 6. First stop will be a tour of Osage Industries in Linn to view the production of custom made
ambulances and emergency vehicles. Next stop will be a tour of St. George Catholic Church which
started in Linn in 1866. Homemade lunch will be provided by St. Ann’s Sodality. A short drive south of
Linn on Highway 89 will take the guests to Seven Thunder Bison Farm. Continuing south on Highway 89
will bring the bus to the Chamois river bottom and the Paulsmeyer Family Farms. This sixth generation
farm raises corn, soybeans, sweet corn, melons and pumpkins and they will demonstrate some of their
farm equipment. The final Osage County visit will be Dudenhoeffer’s Countryside Gardens near the
small community of Frankenstein. Our guests will have plenty of opportunities to purchase flowering
plants. Kay Schwenke of Osage County Agritourism Council helped pull together this trip with Wendy
Hansen of Learning in Retirement – we look forward to future collaborative tours.

If your group would be interested in scheduling a tour of Osage County, please contact our Tour Specialist, Kay Schwinke at events@visitsoagecountymo.org

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The June 2019 Tour of Osage County attracts 30 out of county participants! What a wonderful turn out!

Sixty-two participants in the June 13th “Tour of Osage County” were blessed with perfect weather and six interesting Osage County sites.  

Osage County Agritourism Council (OCAC), under the guidance of Kay and Arlen Schwinke since 2003, hosted another successful tour. Melissa Hoskins from Mid-America Bank recruited over 25 participants for the tour.  Half of the participants were from outside of Osage County, including 15 from Cole County and 7 from St. Louis.

Sites visited during the day included: the David and Carl Troesser farm on Route W just west of Linn, Joe and Allice Dudenhoeffer displaying their basket making skills on their hill-top farm, and the Alfred and Sonya Brandt Dairy Farm just south of Linn.   Shopping opportunities were provided at Deutches Heim/Busy Bean Cafe and Sprouts Bakery in Linn as well as the Old School Antique Mall and Flea Market. Mid-America Bank was the financial sponsor for lunch that was hosted by Community Christian Church in Linn. Osage County 4-Hers under leadership of Patsy Luebbert provided the pulled pork lunch.

Naturally Meramec, an 8 county regional tourism promotion coalition, shared the cost of fabric “goodie” bags with Osage County Agritourism Council.  The goodie bags included a list of upcoming Osage County events as well as listing of Osage County restaurants. The bags also included contact information about OCAC members; Argyle Catering, the Epple House (bed and breakfast), Simply Scrumptious Cakes and Catering, Where Pigs Fly Farm, State Tech, business card and candy from the Old School on the Hill B&B, and the Business Card directory for Maries/Osage County created by the Unterrified Democrat. Diamond Pet Foods provided sample dog and cat food for the participants. 

OCAC will be hosting its next tour on Thursday, October 17 that will feature “southern” Osage County points of interest.  For more information on the October tour, contact Alice Scheulen scheulenal@missouri.edu or 573-897-3648 at the Osage County University of Missouri Extension office.

Written by John Gulick – University of Missouri Extension Office

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June 13, 2019, USA Tours will take you on a bus tour through Osage County:

• Tour of the farming operation of David Troesser and his son Carl. They specialize in cattle hogs and crops.
• Visit with Joe & Alice Dudenhoffer on their picturesque farmstead. Baskets, pottery and woodcarving.
• Lunch will be provided by the Mid-America Bank at the Community Christian Church in Linn.
• Tour and presentation at the Community Christian Church.
• Dairy Farm tour at the Brandt Dairy Farm. Dairy cows & the milking barn.
• Visit Dudenfoeffer Countryside Garden & Nursery. Beautiful plants!

Cost for the entire day is $35.00per person and includes transportation by USA Tours of Rolla, guides and lunch.  Meet the coach at Old School Antique Mall 1204 East Main in Linn, MO at 8:00 a.m. 

We will be leaving PROMPTLY AT 8:30 A.M.

RESERVATIONS can be made by calling Osage County Extension at 573-897-3648.

Please contact the Osage County Extension Center at 573-897-3648 if you have questions. You can also pick up a registration form there.

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