18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, January 25, 1914: We didn’t have church this afternoon as there isn’t any preacher yet. Staid a while after Sunday school and then came home.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
What did Grandma do when she “staid a while after Sunday school?”
Did she chat with her girlfriends? . . .
Hmm . . . another random thought. . . On January 16 Grandma wrote that she had a good time at a party because “he” was there. Did “he” attend her church? . . . Maybe she “staid” to talk with him.
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This is the third Sunday that Grandma’s church didn’t have a minister. On January 4, 1914 she wrote:
Our minister is going to leave soon. He preached his farewell sermon today.
Was it difficult to get—and keep—ministers in small country churches a hundred years ago? . . . They probably couldn’t pay very much.
I am with you around the young man causing her to have ‘staid’. My guess is he will become a more prominent figure in the tale. 🙂
Hmmmm…..it’s nice to think that there may be a young man of interest in Grandma’s life!
I think it is difficult to get a good country pastor. My friend’s church is in that process now.
Small church face a lot of challenges. I hope that your friend’s church is able to call a good minister.
I would imagine it would be hard to keep country pastors like today…we have some historical records of some of our rural churches and the women of the church would go around to each home and collect money for the Pastors salary I think it may have been every quarter but can’t remember. This was around late 1800’s into the early 1900’s I would imagine. Maybe earlier…I can’t remember, I just can’t past that they had to collect extra to support the minister.
The historical records sound really interesting. I bet that it was a similar situation at the little Baptist church that Grandma attended.
Most likely – have you ever been the Presbyterian Church in Warrior Run, the one that I think is probably around 200 yrs old? They are part of the heritage festival. Anyway I love the pews with the doors on them. The Pastor at Watsontown Presbyterian Church does a yearly sermon there and dresses up as a pastor from days gone by, each year he chooses a different era. He enjoys doing living histories.
I haven’t been inside that church in years, but I attended a couple special events there when I was a child. A few years ago my Dad and I walked around the outside of the church, peaked in the windows, and took a few photos. It’s such a lovely historic church.
Many churches in our area are rich in history that is for sure.
“Staid” after Sunday School? Must have been the effect of the sermon!
I love it. 🙂
Hmm . . . Seems very likely Grandma did stay to talk with “him”! 🙂
Exactly what I think.
Pretty busy for a sunday hey? Church, Cows, Boys….wahooo not a dull moment.
Low key–but I imagine a busy Sunday for Grandma. 🙂