Tag: harvest home

Unexpected Visitors and Harvest Home Sunday

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today: 

Sunday, September 9, 1913:  We got company today for a wonder. It was Alma and her folks. They took us by surprise.

Ruth and I went up to church this evening. They had Harvest Home services.

squash

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Alma was Grandma’s cousin—as well as a friend. In August Grandma visited Alma for three days.

A hundred years ago many families–including the Muffly’s–didn’t have phones, so if people wanted to let someone know that they were coming to visit, they needed to send a post card or letter.

Back then it was considered much more acceptable to just drop in than what it is now. . . and Sunday was considered one of the best times to go “visiting.”

Harvest Home

Harvest home Sunday was an annual event that churches held in the fall to celebrate, and to thank the Lord for, the bountiful harvest.

Often people decorated the church for the service with fruits and vegetables from their farms and gardens. After the service the food would be given to a needy family. Did Grandma and her sister Ruth take any produce to the service?

Harvest Home Sunday

17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, September 8, 1912:  Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Had Harvest Home services at church.

squash

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Harvest Home was one of my favorite Sundays when I was a child. Do any churches still have Harvest Home services?

I loved to gather fruits and vegetables for the beautiful display in the front of the church—and then during the service I enjoyed looking at the interesting squash, pumpkins and other vegetables. And, it always made me feel good that the food would be given to needy families after the service.

A hundred years ago did Grandma also gather produce for Harvest Home, and help create the display?