USA > Pennsylvania > Change and challenge: a history of the Church of the Brethren in the southern district of Pennsylvania, 1940-1972 > Part 43
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John F. Sprenkel, Jr.
SPRENKEL, JOHN FISHEL JR. Born: Dec. 15, 1894 in York, Pa. Son of John Fishel and Mary Catherine Graff Sprenkel. Education: York High School (1912), Pennsylvania State Univ. (B.S., 1916), United States Naval Academy (1918). Member of the York Second Church. Trustee of Elizabethtown Col- lege (1944-1969). Honorary trustee in 1968. Wrote History of the York Church, 1883-1930 and History of the Second Church of the Brethren (1897-1965). President of the Engineering Society of York, Pa. (1923). Married: Esther Louise Glassick (1919). Daughter: Esther Louise Sprenkel.
STATLER, HAROLD BOYD. Born: April 28, 1927 at Huntingdon, Pa. Son of Foster Boyd and Grace Brown Stayer
Statler. Education: Mount Morris, Illinois, High School, Manchester College, Bethany Biblical Seminary, and the Ecumenical Institute at the Boston University School of Theology in Massachusetts. Licensed and ordained to the ministry at Mount Morris, Illinois. Pastorates: assistant pastor of the Manchester Church of the Brethren (1947-1949) and pastor of the First Church of the Brethren in Indianapolis, Indiana (1952-1957). Assistant Executive Secretary of the Indiana Council of Churches in Indianapolis (1957-1958). Executive Secretary of the Kansas Council of Churches (1958-1969). Executive Secretary of the York County Council of Churches (1969- ). Secretary for the National Assoc. of Ecumenical Staff (1971- ). Married: Ruth Lucille Ludwick of West Virginia. Children: Michael Allan, Suzanne Kay and Amy Beth Statler.
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STERNER, GOLDIE WOLFE. Born: June 6, 1904 in Carroll County, Md. Daughter of Amos M. and A. Elizabeth Royer Wolfe. Education: Manchester (Mary- land) High School, Elizabethtown Col- lege (1925-1927) and B.S. in elementary education in 1939. Summer work at John Hopkins Univ. (1932, 1933, 1934). Taught public school from 1927 until 1965. Member of the Black Rock Church where she has been active as a director of children's work, Sunday School teach- er, president of the local Women's Fel- lowship. President of the Women's Aux- iliary of the Brethren Home (1960-1966), camp counselor and member of the Dis- trict Conference Credentials Committee Goldie Sterner (1963-1965). Toured the Holy Lands (1968), took a World Tour (1970) and a Scandanavian-Russian Tour (1972). Married: Joel W. Baugher (1944). Bro. Baugher died in 1967. Married: Paul L. Sterner of Manheim Twp. (1969).
STINE, DONALD E. Born: Nov. 28, 1925. Son of Ellis and Margaret Stine. Formerly a member of the Upper Marsh Creek congregation and a member of the Upper Conewago congregation. Licensed (1967) by the Marsh Creek congregation. Served in the nonsalaried ministry until 1972 when he moved his membership to the Upper Conewago Church. Married: Sarah J. Bowser. Son: Roger Stine.
STOUFFER, GLENN MITCHELL. Born: July 26, 1925 at Chambersburg, Pa. Son of Daniel Emmert and Anna Susan Lesher Stouffer. Educa- tion: Chambersburg High School (1943). Member of the Chambersburg Church and moderator of the congregation. President of the District Men's Work organization (1965). Local historian. Married: Dorothy Musser of Chambersburg. Children: Daniel, Marsha, Jere and Dale Stouffer.
STRITE, JAMES CARL. Born: Feb. 27, 1948 at Waynesboro, Pa. Son of Elmer C. and Ada F. Strite. Licensed (1965) at the Welty congrega- tion and ordained to the full ministry (1972) by the Falling Spring congregation. Served in the non-salaried ministry. Married: Ada Ruth Wildeson of Chambersburg, Pa. Son: Carl Dean Strite.
STRITE, KERMIT HENRY. Born: Aug. 26, 1918 near Hagerstown, Md. Son of Chester A. and Flora Mae Strite. Licensed (1958) and ordained (1960) at the Antietam congregation. Has served in the nonsalaried ministry. Assistant moderator of the Antietam congregation. Married: Sarah M. Keener of Paramount, Md. (1939). Daughter: Lois Ann Strite.
SWARTZ, SARA ALICE. Born: Sept. 30, 1923 in Cumberland County, Pa. Daughter of Earl Edward and Stella Moffitt Swartz. Education: Newville High School (1941), Elizabethtown College (B.S., 1949), George Peabody College For Teachers (M.A., 1960). Member of the Newville Church and public school teacher (1949- ). Director of children's work for the Southern District (1958-1972) and director of
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Christian Education at Camp Eder (1965-1966). Worked in Puerto Rico at a work camp (1954) and gave a year of volunteer service to the Nigeria Mission program as administrative assistant to Roger Ingold (1968-1969). Honored by the Horace Raffensberger Journalism award at Elizabethtown College and received the dedication of the South Middleton Township High School yearbook.
SWEITZER, WENDELL HENRY. Born: April 9, 1942 near New Freedom, Pa. Son of Carroll Henry and Marie Grace Sweitzer. Education: High school and Three Year Reading Course (1964-1966) and Bethany Exten- sion courses. Licensed (1962) and ordained (1967) by the Shrewsbury congregation. Has served as the co-minister of the Shrewsbury congre- gation (1963- ). Worked in Brethren Volunteer Service at Falfur- . rias, Texas (1961-1963). Secretary-Treasurer of the District Ministers' Fellowship (1968-1969). Married: Conchita Harriet Stambaugh of York, Pa. Daughter: Sharon Lea Sweitzer.
SWIGART, JAY LEON. Born: April 9, 1942 at McVeytown, Pa. Son of George Mitchell and Leona Aurand Swigart. Education: McClure High School, McPherson College and Bethany Theological Seminary. Li- censed (1960) and ordained (1970) by the Maitland congregation. Pas- torates: Minister to the youth at the Bethel Church of the Brethren, Naperville, Illinois (1967-1968), summer pastor to the Naperville Church (1968), assistant pastor and minister to youth at Naperville (1968-1970), Lower Conewago congregation (1970- ). Married: Leona Stains of Lewistown, Pa. Children: Suzanne Louise, Laura Diane and Carolyn Renee Swigart.
THOMPSON, EZEKIEL GERALD. Born: July 7, 1924. Son of Ezekiel G. and Mary Ruff Thompson. Member of the Pleasant View congregation. Education: High school and Three Year Reading course at Elizabeth- town College. Licensed (1961) and ordained (1965) by the Pleasant View Church. Served as Sunday School superintendent and deacon of his home congregation . Married: Florence V. Raver (1947). Chil- dren: Kathy J., Nancy A., Patty L., Larry A. and Randy E. Thompson.
TRIMMER, CHAUNCEY FRANKLIN. Born: Jan. 28, 1885 in Washington Twp. in York County. Son of Absalom and Maria Leighty Trimmer. Died on Aug. 3, 1971. Education: York County Academy (1902) and public speaking courses at the York Y.M.C.A. (1921-1922). Ordained (1920) to the ministry at the York First Church. Has served in the nonsalaried ministry at the York First Church, York Madison Avenue and York Second Church. Active as a Sunday School teacher in the York First and Madison Ave. congregations. Married: Nellie Wasler of Pen Mar, Pa. Mrs. Trimmer died in 1916. Married: Ida S. Longacre of Bucks County, Pa. Children: Ethel Mae (Altland), Grace Irene (Lefever), Hazel Viola (Barkdoll), Helen Ruth (Ziegler) and John Franklin Trimmer.
TRIMMER, JACOB E. Born: May 21, 1879 in Adams County, Pa. Son of Jacob and Elizabeth Miller Trimmer. Bro. Trimmer died in December, 1958. Helped to establish the Carlisle Church. Member of the District Organization Committee, chairman of the District Brethren Service Committee, member of the District Mission Board and Trustee of Elizabethtown College. Married: Elizabeth Pfaltzgraff. Mrs. Trimmer died in 1933. Married: Gladys Lyter.
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W. Wayne Tritt
TRITT, WILLIAM WAYNE. Born: June 28, 1922 in Penn Township, Cumberland County, Pa. Son of Albert C. and Elnora March Tritt. Education: High school (1940) and one year of college (1943). Deacon of the Mechanicsburg Church. Chairman of the Children's Aid Society. Married: Esther J. Mckinney of Carlisle, Pa. Children: Leonard W., Carol Ann and David E. Tritt.
TURNER, ROBERT. Born: May 24, 1913 in Philadelphia, Pa. Son of William and Sarah Turner. Education: Eastern Men- nonite High School, Elizabethtown Col- lege, Lancaster Theological School and Eastern Baptist Seminary, Millersville State Teachers' College and Franklin and Marshall College. Licensed and or-
dained at the East Fairview congregation. Pastorates: Second Church of the Brethren (1954-1959), Stevens Hill Church (1960), Salunga Church (1961-1965), Maiden Creek congregation (1966-1968) and the Swatara Hill Church (1968- ).
VOLLAND, MARY ELIZABETH WOLFE. Born: Dec. 11, 1897 in Carroll County, Md. Daughter of Amos and Elizabeth Royer Wolfe. Member of the Lower Conewago congregation. Member of the Southern District Board, Regional presi- dent of the Church of the Brethren Wo- men's Fellowship, District Women's Fel- lowship president and vice-president, founded the Senior Citizen's organization at East Berlin, Pa., and chairman of the District Family Life Committee (1961- 1963). Married: W. Carroll Volland of Baltimore, Md. Children: Helen (Seal- over), Robert and Donald Volland.
Mary Volland WAGAMAN, B. FRANKLIN. Born: Sept. 12, 1911 in Franklin County, Pa. Son of Ambrose R. and Mary Alice Binkley Wagaman. Called to the min- istry by the Falling Spring congregation where he has served for the past thirty-seven years in the nonsalaried ministry (1936- ). Mar- ried: Verna E. Mower of Franklin County. Children: Esther Elizabeth, B. Franklin, Jr., Ralph Mower and Lois June Wagaman.
WALIZER, GERALD ELWOOD. Born: Oct. 30, 1932 at Mill Hall, Pa. Son of Clifford Horace and Thelma Violet Walizer. Education: Cleve- land Bible College and Bethany Training School. Licensed (1955) and ordained (1957) by the Sugar Valley congregation. Pastorates: Fairview in Middle Pennsylvania (1957-1962) and King's Ferry, New York (1962- 1968). Married: Grace Geraldine Salamone of Loganton, Pa. Children: Gerald Ross, David Eugene and Ronald Gale Walizer.
WAMPLER, GUY EDGAR JR. Born: April 19, 1935 at Salisbury, Pa. Son of Guy Edgar and Ruby Kathryn Oellig Wampler. Education: Bassett High School, Va. (1952), Bridgewater College (B.A., 1956), Bethany Theological Seminary (B.D., 1960) and Lancaster Theological Seminary. Licensed and ordained to the Christian ministry by the Mount Herman
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congregation of Bassett, Va. Pastorates: Interim-pastor of the First Church, York, Pa. (1958-1959) and pastor of the Ephrata Church of the Brethren (1960-1972). Married: Linda Binkley of Dayton, Ohio. Chil- dren: Jill Danine and Beth Elaine Wampler.
WASTLER, LEROY EDWIN. Born: Jan. 13, 1929 at Hagerstown, Md. Son of Charles R. and Lillie Hemlin Wastler. Education: High School, Hagerstown Junior College (1957) and the Philadelphia School of the Bible (1960). Licensed (1955) and ordained (1961) at the Welty congre- gation. Pastorates: Ringgold Union Church and Welty congregation (1955-1971) and a shared pastoral program at Sharpsburg and Beaver Creek (1971- ). Married: Janet Louise Kline of Franklin County, Pa. Children: Vernon Lee and Karen Ann Wastler.
WEST, MURRAY GUY. Born: July 25, 1901 at Vesta, Va. Son of Andrew Eldridge and Exonie Elizabeth Akers West. Education: Bridgewater Col- lege (A.B., 1926), Bethany Theologi- cal Seminary (B.D., 1931) and Yale Divinity School (B.S.L., 1935). Eliza- bethtown College honored him with a Doctor of Divinity degree (1959). Licensed (1922) by the Nokesville, Va. Congregation and ordained (1938) by the Roanoke, Va., Church. Pastorates: Bridgewater, Va. (1926- 1928), North Liberty, Indiana (1928- 1931), Central Church, Roanoke, Va. (1935-1942), Uniontown, Pa. (1945-1952), First Church, York, Pa. M. Guy and Naomi West (1952-1968) and San Diego, Califor- nia (1968-1973). Regional evangel- ist for the Southeastern Region (1931-1934), member of the General Brotherhood Board for ten years, moderator of the Southern Dis- trict Conference (1953, 1959, 1964) and moderator of the Annual Con- ference of the brotherhood (1968). Married: Noami Elizabeth Mil- ler of Bridgewater, Va. Children: James Murray and John Miller West. WEST, WALTER AARON. Born: Nov. 11, 1894 in Franklin County, Pa. Son of Harry E. and Mary Yeager West. Called to the ministry and advanced to the full ministry by the Antietam congregation. Ministered in the nonsalaried ministry of the Antietam congregation. Married: Carrie Elizabeth Sites of Franklin County, Pa. Children: Melvin Earl, Helen Louise (Simmers) and Clarence Raymond West.
WHITACRE, HOWARD ALPHAEUS. Born: April 20, 1906 near Short Gap, Mineral County, West Virginia. Son of Jerome and Lacy Ann Abe Whitacre. No formal training beyond public schools. Three Year Reading course and Bethany Extension School courses. Licensed (1931) and ordained (1932) at the Old Furnace Church of West Virginia. Pastorates: Artemas, Amaranth and Glendale Churches in Middle Pa. and Maryland (1938-1945), Juniata Park (1945-1948), Glendale and Artemas Churches (1948-1950), Mechanicsburg Church (1950-1959), Maple Spring congregation (1959-1965) and Conewago Church (1965- ). Modera- tor of the Southern District (1956), member of the District Board and a Standing Committee member on five occasions. Married: Orpha Marie Bennett of Altoona. Daughter: Velda Ann (Cassel) Whitacre.
WHITACRE, THEODORE EMMANUEL. Born: April 18, 1933 at Harris- burg, Pa. Son of Joseph E. and Bertha Ryan Fike Whitacre. Edu-
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cation: High School at Petersburg, W. Va., Manchester College (A.B., 1956), Bethany Theological Seminary (B.D., 1961), Clinical-Pastoral education at Topeka, Kansas. Licensed (1951) in the Petersburg Church and ordained (1960) in the Waynesboro, Pa. congregation. Pastorates: Sterling, Illinois (1956-1959), Lone Star, Kansas (1961-1964), Green- castle, Pa. (1964-1966), associate pastor at Lancaster, Pa. (1966-1968) and pastor of the Woodbridge, Va. Church (1968- ). Married: Margaret Ann Young of New Windsor, Md. Children: Edward John and Ellen Joy Whitacre.
WIDDOWSON, WILLIAM LOGAN. Born: April 18, 1886 at Dixonville, Pa. Son of Ebenezer Bexon and Susan Ober Widdowson. Education: Juniata College Academy (1905) and Juniata College (A.B., 1910). Deac- on of the Waynesboro congregation and is a charter member of the congregation. Served as a camp counselor at Camp Eder (1961- ). Married: Susan Kathryn Stevenson of Ringgold, Md. Children: Thelma Marie and Harold Ray Widdowson.
WILDASIN, MARK ARTHUR. Born: April 5, 1906 at Brodbecks, Pa. Son of Calvin A. and Lila J. Baumgardner Wildasin. Education: Codorus Twp. High School at Glenville (1925) and Elizabethtown College (1929). Licensed and ordained (1945) at the Black Rock congregation. Served in the non-salaried ministry of the Black Rock Church. Married: Miriam Gazella Jones of Han- over, Pa. Children: Marlyn A. and Romaine Gazella Wildasin.
WILSON, DAVID C. Born: April 13, 1931 near Three Springs. Pa. Son of Esco and Olive Cutshall Wilson. Education: Mechanicsburg High School (1949), Mark A. Wildasin Elizabethtown College (B.S., 1954) and Bethany Biblical Seminary (B.D., 1957). Licensed (1952) and ordained (1954) at the Mechanicsburg Church. Served as a Brethren Volunteer Service worker at Castaner, Puerto Rico (1951-1952). Pastorates: Newville (1954), Fairchance (1939), Salkum-Richland Valley, Washington (1956), Codorus Church (1957-1963) and the Hartville, Ohio, Church (1963- ). Married: Sara Gross- nickel of Myersville, Md. Children: Dean, Diane, Donna and Douglas Wilson.
YINGLING, DAVID ADDISON. Born: Oct. 4, 1940 at Hanover, Pa. Son of Charles Petry and Meriah Marie Masimore Yingling. Education: Eichelberger High School (1958), York Junior College (1958-1960), Elizabethtown College (A.B., 1962), Bethany Theological Seminary (B.D., 1965). Licensed (1961) and ordained (1965) to the Christian ministry in the Hanover congregation. Pastorates: County Line Church in Western Pa. (1965-1968) and the West Green Tree Church in Lan- caster County, Pa. (1968- £ ). Married: Judy Imilda Kuntz of York, Pa. Children: Jeffrey David, Jonathan Michael and Jodi Lynn Yingling. YOHE, MILTON WILLIAM. Born: June 29, 1918 at York, Pa. Son of Alfred N. and Clara Yohe. Licensed (1946) and ordained (1947) to the Christian ministry by the Pleasant Hill congregation. Served in the nonsalaried ministry. Married: Margaret M. Miller. Children: Samuel M., Stephen, Elizabeth M., Mark P. and Malinda A. Yohe.
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ZIEGLER, EARL KELLER. Born: March 4, 1929 at Sheridan, Pa. Son of Abraham and Rhoda Keller Ziegler. Education: Newmanstown High School (1947), Elizabethtown College (A.B., 1951), Bethany Biblical Seminary (M. Th., 1953). Pastorates: Licensed (1948) and ordained (1950) by the Heidleberg congregation. Pastorates: Springfield Church (1949, 1950-1951), the Milk River Valley Church, Kremlin, Montana (1953), the Woodbury Church (1953-1960), the Black Rock Church (1960- 1970), and the Mechanic Grove Church (1970- ). Authored a book- let: So You Want To Be A Christian? (1957) and contributed frequently to The Gospel Messenger and Messenger. Member of the Southern Dis- trict Board, District Conference moderator (1963, 1969) and honored by Elizabethtown College with its Alumni citation (1964). Sponsored a Tour to Ecuador, an Around the World Tour, a Tour to the Holy Lands, and a Scandanavian-Russian Tour. Married: Vivian Snyder of Mount Joy, Pa. (1951). Children: Karen Louise, Randall Earl, Doreen Kay and Michael Wayne Ziegler.
ZIEGLER, EDWARD KRUSEN. Born: Jan. 3, 1903 at Royersford, Pa. Son of Harry H. and Mary Hunsberger Ziegler. Education: Bridge- water College (B.A., 1929), Bethany Biblical Seminary (B.D., 1947) and was honored by the seminary with a Doctor of Divinity degree (1950). Served as a missionary to India (1931-1939). Ordained to the ministry at the Shamokin congregation (1921). Pastorates: Onego, W. Va. (1924-1926), Johnson City, Tennessee (1929-1931), York First Church (1940-1945), Bridgewater, Va. (1947-1951), Williamson Road, Va. (1955- 1961), Oakton, Va. (1961-1966) and Bakersfield, California (1966-1971). Director of Evangelism for the Brotherhood Board (1951-1955), assistant professor of Bible at Manchester College (1945-1947), delegate to the Federal Council of Churches (1941-1945) and the World Council of Churches (1960-1966) and moderator of the Annual Conference (1960). Editor of the journal, Brethren Life and Thought (1955- ). Author of seven published books and numerous articles in The Gospel Messenger, The Christian Century Pulpit, The Pulpit Digest and Christian Ministry. Married: Ilda M. Bittinger of Eglon, W. Va. Children: Robert Edward, Donald Mark and Ruth Ann (Baird) Ziegler. After decease of Mrs. Ziegler, Edward K. Ziegler married Mary Grace Vivolo of Seattle, Wash- ington.
ZIEGLER, LEVI KING. Born: Oct. 2, 1888. Son of Daniel Connor and Katie E. King Ziegler. Completed High School education by corres- pondence. Graduated from Juniata College (B.A., 1929). Called to the ministry at the Ridgely Church (1911) and ordained to the full ministry at the Denton, Md., Church (1919). Pastorates: Shamokin Church (1914-1917), Denton, Md. (1919-1924), Williamsburg, Pa. (1924- 1930), Waynesboro, Pa. (1930-1941). Superintendent of Morrisons' Cove Home at Martinsburg, Pa. (1953-1958). Served short term pas- torates at Roxbury, Johnstown (1960), and the Lake Ridge congrega- tion, N. Y. (1961-1962). Director of Civilian Public Service work at Camp Kane, Pa. (1941-1943) and at Oneida, N. Y. Executive Secretary of the Eastern Region (1944-1953), with offices at Lemoyne, Pa. from 1947-1953. Married: Grace Ulmer Kline (1912). Mrs. Ziegler died in 1935. Married: Mamie Keller Leiter (1936), widow of Dr. Laban W. Leiter and daughter of Elder John H. Keller of Shrewsbury, Pa. The Zieglers reside at Portland, Maine.
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APPENDIX
OLD FORT STOVER
The editor of this volume found an interesting comment concerning the Antietam congregation in the History of Franklin County, Pennsyl- vania (1887) in his research for the new history book. The editors of the Franklin County volume said of the Antietam congregation:
"It existed in the days of Indian forays and massacres. The congregation for years carried their guns regularly to church, stacked them by the door, and placed a sentinel by them to give the alarm, so that the men could rush to their arms."
The editor wrote to Kermit Strite to confirm the accuracy of the statement. Bro. Strite contacted Mrs. Willis (Ivy P.) Rice to determine her recollections of the early years of the congregation. Mrs. Rice, who united with the Antietam congregation in 1906, is the oldest member of the church (1972). She claimed that she had never heard the account before, but has no reason to question its accuracy. She had heard many accounts of the ways in which early Brethren had made provision against possible Indian attacks.
The Record Herald (June 20, 1957) carried an account of Old Fort Stover close to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. This home was restored as an historic site in Franklin County through the efforts of Mrs. J. W. Paxton of Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
The German-speaking William Stover, a bishop of the Church of the Brethren, moved into the area about 1754 "hand-in-hand with his wife Judith and two sons, George and William." Here, surrounded by for- ests, he built a limestone house, one and a half stories high. When his family gradually increased in size to twelve children, he added another story to the home and constructed a new front wing, all of stone.
A tremendous wall, 110 feet long and 96 feet wide, connected the original section of the house with a stone barn-long since vanished. There was a gate in the wall large enough to admit wagons into the enclosure. Once inside the fortified wall, the family did not need to leave its confines to care for the farm animals. It was a snug retreat for this pioneer family and large enough to accommodate neighbors in case Indian marauders came with scalping knife in hand. The wall was twenty-two inches thick and twelve feet high.
William Stover also provided space within the home for religious services. Two rooms on the second floor were divided by a movable partition. Up until 1795 when Prices' church was built, the congregation was accommodated in the Stover home by raising a hinged partition and attaching it to hooks in the ceiling.
The mother of Miss Sudie Wingert, a member of the original his- tory committee in the district, was born in the historic homestead. Her mother Prudence Stover, who told her daughter of experiences in baking at an outdoor bake oven. She also cooked over an open fireplace inside the huge stone house.
The original stone wall was built about 1756. It was converted into a stone fortress in the face of the Indian crisis of the age. However, there are no records that Indians ever attacked or that people ever used the old home as a fortress.
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APPENDIX
THE BLACK ROCK CONGREGATION AND NOAH S. SELLERS
In 1936, following the Hershey Annual Conference, E. G. Hoff, his wife, and H. A. Brandt spent several days with Noah S. Sellers and his wife in the Black Rock community. The September 5, 1936 issue of The Gospel Messenger carried a cover picture of the home in which Noah S. Sellers was born. It also carried a description of the Black Rock church's early history, and of the experiences of Noah S. Sellers as "one who stayed behind."
Some excerpts from this article are printed here because of their relationship to this History:
"The grandsons came to see one of those quietly efficient men who are the unheralded but real hope of every problem community. For every community has its builders-some in durable stone; others in wood and stubble. The builder in this case was born in an old- fashioned stone house set on more than a gentle slope. . .
"The builder took the grandsons here and there about the com- munity, but first of all to the Black Rock Church. The church is a simple and commodious brick structure built some sixty years ago. Since Black Rock had nothing to do with the building, it is assumed that the name must have been suggested by some outstanding land- mark of the community . About the church are many trees. At the near end of the building is a watering place and cup where piped spring water pours forth in its cool graciousness. At the other end of the church is the graveyard, resting place of builders all, whether they specialized in stone, or wood and stubble.
"The true church of this community antedates the sixty-year-old Black Rock church house. Long before there was a church building there were services in the homes and schoolhouses of the neighbor- hood. It is interesting to see how some of the larger homes were built to accommodate a group of worshipers. Double doors were used to make it possible to throw two rooms together, thus providing a sizable audience chamber. On special occasions when the audience was large, it was necessary to meet in a barn, or even in summer time in the shelter of spreading orchard trees. One such spot was pointed out. The site still boasted several venerable apple trees, mute reminders of other days and other uses, as they towered above glistening stubble and shocks of wheaten sheaves. Yet before the church was in the homes it was in the hearts and lives of men.
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