|
The
following facts and fotos are taken from a book
which I had
failed to unpack since last moving. Forgive me for
including many items
that will be of no interest - unless you had known
them. Save those
that are of interest to you, and may you know the
blessing I feel
as I read of their lives in service to our Lord
and Savior. |
from: Visions of Hope
... a Hope Church centennial publication, year 1988
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1927,
Grandpa Thornton was invited to speak at Hope Church which
led to his pastoring the church for 23 years. Some activity
and influence this church had on our families and the
influence our ancestors had on that church are recorded in
this, their centennial publication.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
from p.2: They became known as Christian Home Circle ...., their arose a natural division according to denominational issues and the group came to a fork in the road, one became known as Grace Presbyterian Church and the other the Garfield Mission Church. The Garfield group first met over the butcher shop of Abel Jones on Easton Ave. His daughter, Mabel, later was sent out to the mission field in Africa by Hope Church. .... On July 4, 1890 the first officers were elected ... they drew up a constitution and on April 8, 1891 26 people present were enrolled as Charter members. They chose the name, Hope Congregational Church. .....
from p. 3: A lot was purchased on Belt Ave. and a white frame building was built and dedicated in May, 1891. In 1906 or 07 the group had grown and saw the need for a larger edifice. A lot was purchased at Semple Ave & Cote Brilliant and the building was sold to a Jewish group who pressed them into building a temperary structure as soon as possible...... In a letter supporting the 50th year celebration, dated October 13, 1941, Herbert Barrett wrote of his experience during the formative years of Hope. ....
from p. 7: Agnes Barrett Darragh is listed as one who attended weekly bible studies. Hugo Wurdack, philanthropist, attended and became SS superintendent, a position he retained for 57 years.
Chapter 2 of the
Golden jubilee account ends with the following statement
related to the period following the termination of the
pastor on June 11, 1905: "Hope was without a pastor
until the following January. For 8 years, the body of
believers had endured trying times. Like sheep in the
wilderness, they had wandered without leadership for periods
of time, they had been tempted to stray from the meat of the
Word, they had suffered from differing convictions and
fellowships were severed. They had struggled financially and
spiritually. But they had endured. Their faith, being tested,
was strengthened as they learned from all circumstances. On
God's timetable, Hope was ready to grow on."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Darragh / Barrett family is first listed in connection with Hope and the next family name recorded is Gash. Charles Gash came to St. Louis as a carpenter prior to the World Fair of 1904 and was part of the work force who built some 1500 structures - on 1200 acres, with 75 miles of roads and walkways.
Chapter 3 is tiltled Growing On
and tells of "new life, growing congregation, and
larger
quarters". p.13,
... p.14
-"church raising" ... p.15 - Half completed at dusk
... p.16 - Two carpenters in
charge ... p.17
- Mr Darragh presides ...
Chapter 6 covers the years 1922-1938. Page 35 tells us that: It became evident that Hope's special ministry was to support the Gospel message around the world. Several missionaries were being supported including Herbert Barrett, brother of Agnes Darragh, and in 1925 Amy Carmichael was the recipient of a large faith gift to assist the urgent need in India - that of feeding the babies in the nursery she managed.
Page 37 - ... God sent to Hope a pastor who was a missionary himself. Reverend Jesse B Thornton aptly suited Hope's missionary spirit. August 1926
Page 36 - ... By the end of the 20s there were 18 mission organizations listed on the Missionary Treasury. A report of the Missionary Conference held in 1930 describes the ordination of Mary and Watson Thornton for service in Japan, and field reports of several others .....
Page 38 - Grandpa's first annual report
Page 39 - 1930, Arthur Tylee and infant daughter martyred
Page 40 - Sunday School class in Geo. Neff 's basement was led by Walter Woerner
Page 43 - Growth continues - Aunt Lydia participant, grandpa statement
Page 45 - Learning to Love
Page 46 - Barretts & Gash Brothers
Page 47 - War within and War without
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Caldwell is much better informed in all this than I. I believe he taught a class at Hope for a time and I have read of his brother Gordon's involvement at some level. Paul now lives in Lincoln NE and is a Navy veteran of the war referred to herein. His input and correction is welcomed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 48 - Mondays @ Tadmor
Page 49 - Dorothy Clark. et al
Page 50 - Men's class, late 40s
Page 51 - the twins assist Bernadine with cooking
Page 70 - The segment of Visions of Hope that include the years 1959-1967 contains a foto of Uncle David directing a cantata at Hope on Brown Road, but gives no date or title for this Easter presentation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seems to me that David Thornton has been involved with Hope longer than most of those we are remembering here. He ministered there as a lad in the late 1920s, and was honored there in 1988 when his cantata, My Heart Is Glad, was presented, again, during the Easter season.
His work there is recognized as a major fragment of their history. Page 85 depicts a MHIG program cover among other achievements. Page 89 displays a foto of Uncle David being recognized at the 1988 "Month of April" Special event.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aunt Lydia "Darragh" had a longstanding history at Hope, as seen elsewhere and, although not mentioned in Visions of Hope, we know that Aunt Elizabeth "Woerner" was involved with much activity at the church. As to Aunt Helen "Eckel" - she married while living in Japan (methink?) - I have no knowledge of her involvement with Hope?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nelson Darragh
(foto cir. 1975)
Uncle Nelson
authored an Introduction to Visions of Hope:
Fragmentary History of Hope Church
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The first paragraph of chapter 1
states: We can only imagine what took place in
those few families in 1888 who began to meet together for
worship, prayer, and Biblical instruction. .......One
of the homes they met in was Moore's. The paragraph
continues: "Two grandchildren of grandma Moore, who
held Sunday School in her home, became full time Christian
workers: Dorothy Clark, a missionary to Africa,
and Edith (Clark) Palm, who ministered in various home
missions efforts, including Hope's own Tadmor camp.
...... Fragmentary History of Hope Church
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
from p.2: They became known as Christian Home Circle ...., their arose a natural division according to denominational issues and the group came to a fork in the road, one became known as Grace Presbyterian Church and the other the Garfield Mission Church. The Garfield group first met over the butcher shop of Abel Jones on Easton Ave. His daughter, Mabel, later was sent out to the mission field in Africa by Hope Church. .... On July 4, 1890 the first officers were elected ... they drew up a constitution and on April 8, 1891 26 people present were enrolled as Charter members. They chose the name, Hope Congregational Church. .....
from p. 3: A lot was purchased on Belt Ave. and a white frame building was built and dedicated in May, 1891. In 1906 or 07 the group had grown and saw the need for a larger edifice. A lot was purchased at Semple Ave & Cote Brilliant and the building was sold to a Jewish group who pressed them into building a temperary structure as soon as possible...... In a letter supporting the 50th year celebration, dated October 13, 1941, Herbert Barrett wrote of his experience during the formative years of Hope. ....
from p. 7: Agnes Barrett Darragh is listed as one who attended weekly bible studies. Hugo Wurdack, philanthropist, attended and became SS superintendent, a position he retained for 57 years.
| I think
Agnes Barrett Darragh is Uncle Nelson's mother? My
mother, Mary Thornton spent vacation time with the
Barrett family when young. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Darragh / Barrett family is first listed in connection with Hope and the next family name recorded is Gash. Charles Gash came to St. Louis as a carpenter prior to the World Fair of 1904 and was part of the work force who built some 1500 structures - on 1200 acres, with 75 miles of roads and walkways.
| Charles
Gash is the father of Mary Thornton, Percy, and
Charlie Gash |
Chapter 6 covers the years 1922-1938. Page 35 tells us that: It became evident that Hope's special ministry was to support the Gospel message around the world. Several missionaries were being supported including Herbert Barrett, brother of Agnes Darragh, and in 1925 Amy Carmichael was the recipient of a large faith gift to assist the urgent need in India - that of feeding the babies in the nursery she managed.
Page 37 - ... God sent to Hope a pastor who was a missionary himself. Reverend Jesse B Thornton aptly suited Hope's missionary spirit. August 1926
Page 36 - ... By the end of the 20s there were 18 mission organizations listed on the Missionary Treasury. A report of the Missionary Conference held in 1930 describes the ordination of Mary and Watson Thornton for service in Japan, and field reports of several others .....
Page 38 - Grandpa's first annual report
Page 39 - 1930, Arthur Tylee and infant daughter martyred
Page 40 - Sunday School class in Geo. Neff 's basement was led by Walter Woerner
Page 43 - Growth continues - Aunt Lydia participant, grandpa statement
Page 45 - Learning to Love
Page 46 - Barretts & Gash Brothers
Page 47 - War within and War without
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul Caldwell is much better informed in all this than I. I believe he taught a class at Hope for a time and I have read of his brother Gordon's involvement at some level. Paul now lives in Lincoln NE and is a Navy veteran of the war referred to herein. His input and correction is welcomed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Page 48 - Mondays @ Tadmor
Page 49 - Dorothy Clark. et al
Page 50 - Men's class, late 40s
Page 51 - the twins assist Bernadine with cooking
Page 70 - The segment of Visions of Hope that include the years 1959-1967 contains a foto of Uncle David directing a cantata at Hope on Brown Road, but gives no date or title for this Easter presentation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It seems to me that David Thornton has been involved with Hope longer than most of those we are remembering here. He ministered there as a lad in the late 1920s, and was honored there in 1988 when his cantata, My Heart Is Glad, was presented, again, during the Easter season.
His work there is recognized as a major fragment of their history. Page 85 depicts a MHIG program cover among other achievements. Page 89 displays a foto of Uncle David being recognized at the 1988 "Month of April" Special event.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aunt Lydia "Darragh" had a longstanding history at Hope, as seen elsewhere and, although not mentioned in Visions of Hope, we know that Aunt Elizabeth "Woerner" was involved with much activity at the church. As to Aunt Helen "Eckel" - she married while living in Japan (methink?) - I have no knowledge of her involvement with Hope?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~