USA > Ohio > Lorain County > Lorain > History of the First Methodist Church, 1856-1956 > Part 3
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Rev. Battelle McCarty: Sept. 1933 - 1939
In 1933 a kindly gentleman named Battelle Mc- Carty came to Lorain First Church to guide us in our religious life. His sermons had real spiritual substance, backed by sound thinking. Many people felt that his serious approach to religious problems would no doubt be carried out in his personal, social contacts, but he demonstrated that he had a happy wit and used it well. It seemed as though he en- joyed the surprised look it brought to our faces.
Rev. McCarty seemed conscious that a man of his years had to work hard to interest young people. He did just that and made many firm friends among them. We recall his teaching to the youth group the meaning of the religious symbols found in our beautiful church windows. The ancient religious background as illustrated by these symbols is often lost to us, worrying about present day affairs. A separate article on this subject should be in our History.
During Rev. McCarty's pastorate we were still struggling financially and we began to use Penny Banks to collect our thankful "mites" to help the church. In October, 1934, after eight months' try- out, we counted $777.94. In that same month, Rev. McCarty cancelled $1,100 due him in salary. Paying interest on borrowed money was a continuous head- ache. Financial campaigns were part of our daily exercise, but we had splendid help from our Metho- dist Church Campaign Bureau, coaching us on the touchy technique.
In 1935, the Penny Banks brought $1,055. In 1936, we slipped to $674. Mr. Earl McCaskey, our hustling Sunday School Superintendant, brought in a report which read, "Average attendance, 282; Sun- day School rates high socially; Not many outbursts spiritually." Sounds like one of "Mac's" football speeches. Short and right to the point. Mr. Herman Hageman's report on finance, "Best in six years." Another man of few words, but effective accom- plishments.
Mrs. McCarty, Nellie, I think he called her, always declared that she knew she was not the type of person who should be a minister's wife. By that I suppose she meant that she never could labor with the sinners or pray in meeting. We liked her just as she was. She exercised her praise through music.
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The McCartys went to live in Alliance after their retirement. On April 15, 1949, they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. At that time Dr. Mc- Carty was 82 years of age and Mrs. McCarty 80 years old. I wonder if we ever repaid him the $1,100 worth of salary he so kindly cancelled when we were hard up!
Rev. Alva I. Cox: 1939 - 1943
Rev. Alva I. Cox came to First Church, Lorain, in June 1939. This pastorate can be characterized as one of reorganization resulting primarily from the Uniting Conference of Methodist Churches held in Kansas City, May 10, 1939. "The Methodist Church" is the ecclesiastical and lawful successor of the three uniting churches, namely, the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Methodist Protestant Church. This reorganiza- tion not only affected the church at large, but every local congregation.
It became the duty of Rev. Cox to take care of the reorganization locally, resulting in changing the names of the organizations functioning within the local church, bringing with it, in most cases, a differ- ent emphasis: The Sunday School became the Church School; the Epworth League, became the Methodist Youth Fellowship, M.Y.F .; the Ladies' Aid, Women's Foreign Missionary Society, Women's Home Missionary Society, became the Women's Society of Christian Service; the Men's Club, became Methodist Men.
Early in the pastorate, Rev. Cox was assisted by Deaconess LaDonna Bogardus, who in turn organ- ized our Church School as we now know it, par- ticularly in the expanded session of the Beginners, Primary and Junior Departments. Throughout this pastorate Miss Bogardus proved to be a most effi- cient office secretary, as well as a worker with our youth groups.
Rev. and Mrs. Cox were the proud parents of five children, among them a pair of twins. That was the largest number of children that had graced the parsonage for some time and the house seemed to be bursting at the seams. The house needed con- siderable repairing. Rev. Cox suggested that a new home would be most acceptable and strange as it may seem, we agreed with him, after due deliberation. Consequently the parsonage on the northwest corner of Reid Ave. and 7th St., that had served around 35 years, was sold in March, 1941, for $4,100. A much better home at a much more desirable location was bought at 1134 6th St. It cost $8,500. A mort. gage of $4,500 was necessary.
Penny banks slipped to $38.44. No one boosted them. Joash Chest yielded $2,000 in 1941, $1,550 in 1942. With the complete church debt standing . at $41,660, we seem to, necessarily, keep working at top speed.
During Dr. Cox's term here, the Official Board approved recommendation to Conference for Alva Cox, Jr., a student at Baldwin-Wallace, that he be given a license to preach. Miss Theresa Powell, an invalid member of our church, gave a substantial Record Book to be used as a World War II service register. Rev. Cox was noted for his "Dare and Do" propensity. He successfully challenged the men of the church to liquidate Current Expense obligations.
The Dramatic Group presented the wonderful play, "Family Portrait," with Rachel McCaskey (Mrs. E. M.), our organist, starring as "Mary" the Mother of Christ. It was so well performed that we were asked to repeat it during the Lakeside Summer Season.
The changes instituted in the Sunday School pro- gram, to go along with the new look in Methodism, were not well received. Many of the faithful were hurt by the clean sweep. Rev. Cox was no wheedler. His sermons convinced us that he was a pacifist as far as war was concerned, but he exhibited real militarism in tearing out the old and putting in the new.
The writer would like to pay tribute to Mrs. Cox for her understanding, her friendliness and devoted service. In 1943, Rev. Cox was appointed Executive Director of the North-East Ohio Conference Board of Education, in which capacity he still serves.
Rev. Charles F. Jones: 1943 - 1949
Rev. Jones' manner of walking demonstrates that he is a man of energy. When you see him going down the street you know he is on his way to a busy day. When he was our pastor he had great concern for some of the members of our church and Sunday School whose ill health was causing them distress. He succeeded in creating interest in the case of Miss Theresa Powell, who had been bed fast for many years. Through efficient treatment and many prayers, Theresa was able to graduate to a wheel chair and finally to do a limited amount of walking.
In our Sunday School were two children who were born "blue babies," Leonora and Frank Valen- tini. Through Rev. Jones their illness was brought to the attention of that full of good works lady, Mary Lee Tucker, and the Lorain Journal. . Many willing people helped create the necessary funds to send these children to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where they were cured of their distressing heart trouble. For the great service done for them it would seem that Rev. Jones and our church should receive their everlasting gratitude, but we have lost them along the way somewhere. The parents and the children were all baptized into the church, but the parents say that they do not feel at home with us. Can anyone think of the reason for such a feeling? Where do we fail?
Many other thoughtful and gracious things were done by Rev. Charles F. and Mrs. Leta Jones. They had much concern for the boys in service and their parents. The "Messenger" of those years bears wit- ness to the gratitude of those boys for the many letters received by them from the church and for the "Messenger" also. The book, "Till We Meet Again," was sent to each one and we learned that each copy was lent many times to others in service.
While our church has always observed the usual Holy Seasons, Rev. Jones brought to our attention more of what is called the Church Calendar with more of the various Seasons of the Church Year. It has been said of us, that Methodists cannot live up to the Gothic architecture of our beautiful church. There's cause for a large argument, if you want to take over from there. Does the type of architecture necessarily dictate the type of service to be used?
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Rev. Jones thought that one way to acknowledge the Gothic idea would be to dignify the room called the basement dining room by renaming it "The Great Hall." That was hard going for some folks, to link the practical with the artistic. No person or thing is hurt by having dignity.
One of the real tests during Rev. Jones' pastorate was the necessity of having several financial crusades. The Official Board, whose members all through the years are worthy of special mention, worked diligent- ly, fiercely, at times, to wipe out our debt. The rec- ord of the burning of the church mortgage will be found in another article.
One of our members, Mrs. C. P. Dodge, gener- ously provided money for two wonderful additions to our church, the Dodge Memorial Chapel, men- tioned elsewhere, and the Deagan Chimes added to the facilities of the organ. Mrs. Dodge spent her last few years at the Methodist Home in Elyria.
The "Messenger" was brought in to being. The make-up of this leaflet took a great deal of time. It was mailed to all church members weekly, in time for us to acquaint ourselves with the next Sunday's services plus some church news. To conform to postal regulations, for the price paid for postage, the "Messenger" had to contain a certain percentage of general news. That curtailed the amount of our own church news.
Do you agree that Rev. Jones had busy, produc- tive years during his pastorate here? On leaving Lorain, Rev. and Mrs. Jones were assigned to the church in Cambridge, Ohio. Mrs. Kenneth Erb, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Jones, was a frequent visitor to Lorain. She made a splendid addition to our choir whenever she came. Mrs. Jones sang with us too. The music in our church received a great deal of encouragement and help from the entire family.
Rev. John Green, D.D .: 1949 - 1956
We could describe him as a man with a decisive step and a forward leaning as if there was something important ahead for him to do. And there was and he did it well. His natural ability, quick perception and alertness are wonderful assets. His study and reading are so extensive that he is master of many subjects. His preaching is full of assurance. Dr. Green is a tireless worker for the church. Often we could not measure up to his ideas and that was a disappointment to him. We lesser lights do feel our
inadequacy about things spiritual, but we do have a knowledge of our special work and attendant sub- jects. Church work is not always first with us. There-in is a problem for the pastor. Dr. Green was an acknowledged leader among the other ministers in Lorain. It would be interesting to get a mouse-eye view of one of the Ministerial Association discussions. Do you think -? No, they could always agree on one subject, anyway.
During Dr. Green's pastorate there were many Lorain people, not members of our church, who came to listen to his sermons. He made people think. Dr. Green was fond of music and his voice rang out in the hymns. It was his custom to have people express their preference in hymns and he would set aside certain Sundays when we could spend time to sing several of the old favorites. He also spent time to bring to our attention the newer hymns (we Methodists get "revision" on hymns quite often). By carefully analyzing them he would arouse our interest to learn them.
Dr. and Mrs. Green took a great deal of personal interest in forming young adult groups. There were many new people of that age who came to join us.
Mrs. Green came to Lorain highly recommended as a reviewer of books. Another of her interests was drama. Her talents were employed extensively while she lived here. She was also well read in the litera- ture of the church and conducted many classes among the women. Those who attended the classes profited greatly but the attendance was somewhat disappoint- ing to Rev. and Mrs. Green, who worked so hard to keep church work and church subjects first in our lives. It was a bit different to have the parson- age lady so interested in drama. What minister's wife of not so many years back could come forward and make known her intense liking for that form of art? Do you recall how the early, early church used drama to teach the interests of the church?
Rev. John and Mrs. Ethel Green were assigned to the Norwalk church this year (1956). We were happy to have had them serve our church that extra year that was accorded us by the Conference. Dr. Green came to Lorain in 1949 after having served a term as the superintendent of Mansfield District of the Methodist Church. Mrs. Wyatt, the former Marilyn Green, still resides in Mansfield.
It was Dr. Green who urged the completion of this Methodist Church History for our 100th year celebration.
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They Also Served
THE HISTORY OF this church would not be complete without mentioning some of our members who were especially dedicated to preaching the Gospel. There were five retired ministers who made their homes in Lorain and became a part of our congrega- tion, assisting in the work of the church where ever they were able.
Rev. John Pitezel, missionary to the Northwest Indians, has been mentioned elsewhere in our story.
Rev. William Painter, mentioned elsewhere.
Rev. Albert N. Harris, former pastor of Delaware Ave. church. Last place of residence, Elyria Metho- dist Home. Died in 1944.
Rev. J. H. Smith, former pastor of Grace Church, South Lorain. Father of Mrs. Robert Burke.
These four men wore the older type pastoral garb, the Prince Albert coat. That was in the days before robes were used.
Rev. Boyd L. George, former pastor and district superintendent in another part of Ohio. Father of Mrs. E. M. McCaskey. A valued Sunday School teacher of adult class. Mrs. George lives at the Mc- Caskey home. Dr. George died in 1956.
Then there were five local preachers: Mr. George Wickens, Sr., story elsewhere; Mr. Samuel Butler; Mr. Edwin Lewis. These three received their licenses in England and did service in small churches there. Mr. Butler scrved in many offices of our church. He was a great reader and was always ready to further the great cause of religion anywhere, anytime, with argument or persuasion. His wife and one daughter served as presidents of the different women's organi- zations. The other daughter, Mrs. Flora Butler White, still lives in Lorain and serves in Circle work. Mr.
Butler gave a great deal of time to serving as supply pastor for Simpson Chapel and the church at Vincent. Where ever he worked at his daily work, the men who were associated with him respected him as a good Christian man.
Mr. Edwin Lewis was one of the older generation who also wore a Prince Albert coat to designate his ministerial calling. His grand daughter, Miss Ada Leitenberger, is one of our members who came to us from Grace Church. Mrs. Louisa Lewis Leitenberger, his daughter tells of going out with her father, when she was a young girl in England, and that they would walk many miles from one small church to another so that those in the rural districts could have a church service. That is real devotion to a cause. Mr. Lewis was killed here in Lorain while at work at the Lorain Lumber Co. sawmill. We find the Lewis family names as subscribers to our 1892 church.
Mr. H. D. Root and Mr. E. A. Read were our other two local preachers. Mr. Root's family story is given elsewhere in this history. He was born here in Black River township in 1833. He was a master ship- builder. Little is remembered about Mr. Read's back. ground. He was a quiet, devout man whose testi- mony in meeting was always ready.
A word of praise should be given to our newest type helpers, the young theological students who come to gain experience for their future work. They were Mr. Charles V. Ireland, Mr. DeForrest Winner (now assistant in a Cleveland church), Mr. Rodney Vernon, Mr. Paul Gibbons. These young men came to us from the Oberlin School of Theology.
Mr. Finney of long ago Oberlin, who wanted to discourage the Methodists, would be surprised. if he came back, wouldn't he?
The Lake Captains
OUR CHURCH ALWAYS had a good supply of lake captains in the early days. Their numbers have been fewer since the ships became larger and the big companies took over, but the line did not run out in our church till the 1930's. They were a most interesting breed of man, good-natured, hearty individuals noted for a twinkle in the eye, but very forceful personalities with a strong sense of respon- sibility and steel in the voice when need be. Capt. Ralph Lyons was the last of them unless or until we grow a new one. He was a tall, handsome man, graceful and gracious, who sailed the giant freighters for the Great Lakes Steamship Co., the youngest son of W. S. Lyons, brother of Mrs. Bowen, and the father of Mary Lyons Brandt. He was raised in our church, became a charter member of the Congre- gational Church when he was a young man associ- ating with the Gillmore young people, returned to the Methodist fold when he married Jeanette Vorwerk, and remained a Methodist until his death in 1945 at the age of 85. He was one of Great Lake's outstanding captains, and brought out most of their new ships.
Among the earliest ones were Armstead Lumm and Steve Ketcham who sailed the old schooners Capt. Lumm was a class leader and steward from the organization of the church until his death in 1859. Capt Ketcham lived long enough to be one of nine lake captains who contributed very substan- tially to the building fund of the brick church on Reid Ave. in 1892.
Later captains who sailed the freighters included Capt. J. R. Robinson who lived in the old parsonage at the West Erie and Washington Aves. with his family after it ceased to be a personage, Capt. Truman Moore who was the grandfather of Harry Jones and Esther Jones VanArnam, and Capt. In- gram who lived on the East Side and became very interested in Anti-Saloon League work. Capt. Simon Gillmore was among the contributors to the church building fund but he left religion to other members of his family; he was an uncle of Mrs. Bratenfeld.
Capt. C. B. Chapman and Charles M. Swartwood were both among the outstanding tug Captains. Chapman was the oldest son of Elizabeth and James Chapman, and the step-grandfather of Mrs. George
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Damon. Swartwood was a step-son of Mrs. W. S. Lyons. Capt. Swartwood's tug used to tow the big fellows across Tawas Bay, known to the lake sailors as a "mean place to cross" in Lake Huron. One night the tug captains all got together for a sociable evening while thirteen ships were waiting for a tow, agreeing among themselves not to talk business with the ship captains till the next morning. Capt. Swart- wood was an early riser, and when the other tug captains awoke they were greeted with the sight of Charlie's tug towing all thirteen vessels in a string. behind him across the bay. Someone took a picture of it, and for many years copies of that picture of Swartwood's famous tow decorated more than a few living room walls.
After 1872 we had to divide our lake captains with the Congregationalists and we split a pair of Bullock brothers exactly between us, they getting Capt. Orlen E. while we got Capt. Austin E. Inas- much as the two brothers married sisters the division seems strange, but it came about very naturally. Their father, Asa Bullock, was a Congregationalist of old New England stock who married a Baptist wife in Columbia Center. The Columbia Baptist church had a closed communion, and the Sunday after their wedding all non-members were asked to step out into the vestry when communion was served. Mrs. Bullock went out to the vestry with her husband, and when someone afterward protested, she said, "Where Asa goes, I go" and joined the Congrega- tional church there. They came to Lorain in 1865 and joined our church, there being no other choice at the time. When the Congregational church here was organized they transferred to it and Capt. Orlen went with them. Capt. Austin and his wife had made so many friends in our church, however, that his wife did not want to leave so that family stayed with us. Capt. Austin E. was the father of Florence Bullock who married Fred Johnson, and also raised his niece, Mrs. Ralph Hurst, after her mother died.
Among the most respected captains who sailed the biggest ships were Captains Henry Wallace, Richard Thew, Robert Cowley, and Thomas Wilford. Capt. Wallace came to Lorain as an immigrant from North Ireland in 1850, and his lake career spanned the change from sail to steam. He had three daughters, Mrs. Hills, Mrs. Lillie MacElfresh, and the third wife of George Wickens, Sr., Elizabeth Wallace Wickens. Many people who grew up in the church can well remember Mrs. MacElfresh and Mrs. Wickens. There was also a son, Harvey, who drowned in a tragic accident shortly after his graduation from high school when he slipped and fell into the hold.
Capt. Thew was probably the most successful of all captains for he invented the Thew Shovel and helped to found the Thew Shovel Co. here. He brought his family from Caledonia to Lorain to live around the turn of the century, and was always a generous contributor to the church. Many church people remember his daughters, Susan and Carol, who sang in the choir.
Capt. Cowley and Captain Wilford were especially notable among them. Robert J. Cowley was a second- generation Manxman, served in the Union Navy toward the end of the Civil War as Bos'n's Mate on a brig with the Farragut Fleet at Mobile Bay, and
married Celia Lyons, a daughter of W. S. Lyons. He sailed for the Corrigan Line and eventually became Commodore of the Fleet, a job which as his daughter Katherine Wire explained, "meant he had to look after the boats in the winter when they were tied up." He was deeply devoted to the church and to Anti-Saloon League work. He was a tall, thin rangy man and in church always sat at the end of the pew with his long legs stretched into the aisle. Capt. Wilford and his family usually sat directly in front of the Cowleys in the choirloft of the old brick church on North Washington Ave. The ministers of that period were rather given to nautical illustrations in their sermons, presumably to appeal to the con- gregation's interest, but not always with full under- standing of the nautical terminology involved. When a particularly inept illustration of that sort emanated from the pulpit, Capt. Wilford used to reach down and tweak Capt. Cowley's trouserleg. Both retained properly serious and sober expressions throughout, but the congregation were watching, and used to enjoy it hugely. The Cowleys had three children but only one, Mrs. Wire, remained in Lorain. One son, Dr. Robert Cowley, who grew up in the church, became the college physician at Berea, Kentucky, and received several honorary degrees for his medical research.
Capt. Wilford was a man of stockier build than Cowley. He was born in Northamptonshire, England, and was brought to this country as a child by his parents. He came to Lorain to work in the shipyard and married the schoolteacher, Fanny Gilmore, the only Gillmore incidentally who remained in the Methodist church after the Congregational church was organized. They had two daughters, Cora, who married Charles Bartenfeld, and Adelaide, who died at 16 years of age. The Wilfords and Bartenfelds have been so active in the church and given so much that few people realize that Capt. Wilford was one of the long line of "hold-outs" who have attended church faithfully, served it willingly, and supported it generously but who never actually joined it. His family all belonged, of course. He sailed for the Richardson Line, and ultimately became Commodore of the Fleet.
All of the older captains used to take their families sailing with them frequently, and the children became well conversant with the lore of the lakes. Capt. Wilford had his family and one of their friends along with him on the steambarge Osborne in the summer of 1884. They started down the lakes from Marquette on a beautiful Sunday morning on July 27th. Quoting from the account in the Lorain Herald "as the afternoon hours came on, the company grouped themselves in the cabin and united in such exercises as seemed suitable for the day, and as suited their tastes and sentiments. . .. Many of the songs used in Sunday Schools and social meetings were sung, the scriptures were read and the Sunday School lesson studied, the first steward acting as teacher." As night came on, a thick fog arose. The children (Mrs. Bartenfeld was then eleven years old) were put to bed, but Mrs. Wilford, again quoting from the Herald "Whose motherly instincts and affections would take alarm at any indications of danger, more for her little ones than herself. . . . took her place
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