Tadmor  1934-1937

 Much information and all “quotes” are taken from Go and Tell, a book by Edith C. Palm and compiled here by Alberta Thorpe, wife of Larry Thorpe.

 Bob and Hulda Thorpe may  have moved  to Tadmor in 1934 after living in Illinois, where they were both born.

He farmed the land under the direction of Rev. Jesse Thornton, pastor of Hope Church in St. Louis, MO.  

Bob was the son of Edwin L Thorpe, grandson of Ben and Lydia Thorpe and nephew of Mrs. Eliza (Dot) Thorpe Thornton.

1960s photo - Hulda, aunt "Dot", and Bob

Frank Robinson "Bob" Thorpe, b. 11-11-1907, married Hulda Armstrong, 5-2-1931

This image was submitted by Rev. Charles Thornton of Soldotna, Alaska. The
original, or it's copy, is displayed in the home of Vince and Elsie Thornton
Marquess of Hopkinsville, Kentucky . Martha Miller believes that Mr.Whittemore, father of Ann Whittemore, was the artist .  Alice Hees properly points out that the painting does not include the front porches that existed on the home when she resided therein.It is also obvious that the shop that was built by Chas. Heuchans and the Provinse boys in 1943 was not included at the time of painting.

They (Bob & Hulda) lived in the farmhouse with their son Bobby who was born in February of  1933 and their son Kenny, born in September of 1934. Kenny died  in April of 1935 and is buried in the Morrison Cemetery at Tadmor.

George Palm was born in Colorado and Edith in St. Louis, MO.. They met in 1927 at the Denver Bible Institute and after their marriage in 1933 served in mission work in the rural areas of Colorado.

After receiving a letter telling of the need for Christian workers in the Ozarks they moved to St. Louis in 1934.   They served at  Cherryville and then Turkey Ridge, MO, before returning to St. Louis.( Edith was the sister of Dorothy Clark, missionary who later served 30+ years under the Sudan Interior Mission).

Dorothy Clark

While attending Hope Church, Pastor Jesse Thornton told them of a missionary project he had started in the foothills of the Ozarks near St. James, MO. “In April, 1935, Mr . Thornton took us down through St. James and over some of the roughest roads we had ever encountered, through tangled oak forests, over washed out, bumpy roads, nearly straight up or straight down, through creek beds and out into an open expanse of farm land in the fork of Benton Creek and the Merrimac River. This was ‘Tadmor in the Wilderness’ where Mr. Thornton already had a number of Christian projects underway and with dreams for more.”

 Others living and working at Tadmor during the Thorpe years included   J. C. Kammerer and his wife and  George and Edith Palm.   Rev. Kammerer was director and a teacher of the self-help Bible School and George Palm was Business Manager and handy man mending fences, repairing the local telephone line and helping Bob on the farm.  Edith Palm was a teacher and cook.  At this time there were three students in the school.  Both of these families lived in the Big House, except for the time the Palms lived at “Poverty Hill, a ramshackle place up the hill” from Tadmor and they ministered to many people in this rural area. “Mr. Thornton’s dream for a thriving bible School was never realized, but there were still many activities at Tadmor”, including summer camps for various ages.  “He and his wife  spent every Monday at Tadmor and in the evening Mr. Thornton held a service for the community which was well attended.”

     

 “We (the Palms) continued conducting a Sunday School we had started in a one-room school house on Benton Creek.

As we passed Tadmor we would pick up little Bobby Thorpe and take him with us. He was one of those who asked Jesus to come into his heart. One day a couple years later he expressed the desire to his mother:’ Mamma, I want to see the real Jesus.’ Not long after that Jesus  called him Home.”  He died in January of 1939 while the Thorpe family lived in Stallings,IL.

 “Another came to the Thorpe home, Larry, whom I helped deliver—in fact, I was alone with Hulda when he came. I held the little fellow in my arms until a neighbor lady, who  had been sent for, arrived and cut the cord.” ( I believe that was Mrs. Riefenstahl, who lived in the first house south of Tadmor.)  Larry was born in February of 1936.

Larry Thorpe b. February 1936
1959 photo

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George and Edith Palm had lost three babies in miscarriages and in February of 1937 they were blessed to  receive Jimmy, aged seven, and his little sister, Bernice, aged five, into their family.  They loved these children and thoroughly enjoyed having them in their home.  After leaving Tadmor, they lived near St. James and then shortly after moving to  a small house in Dixon, MO the orphanage took the children back when they did not meet the requirement that each child must have a separate room, even though they had hung a curtain in their room to give them their own space.  They were told rules were rules and not to be broken. They eventually moved back to Colorado to minister.

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1937 - 1946

This photo depicts Watson & Mary's family
prior to moving to Tadmor (cir. 1935-36).

              

The following photo shows the screened porches on the home. Originally an outer staircase was utilized to reach the second  floor. It's removal left a distinguishing mark leading from the sidewalk to the upper southwest bedroom.
The sidewalk connected two houses together. The one lived "in" and the other one, the "out" house.
The tube shown along the wall is the drain from the porch gutters to the cistern which was located just outside the kitchen window. One of my "good memories" was to haul water in open barrels, with team and wagon, to refill the  cistern during periods of dry weather. I would not go so far as to suggest that this was a "good memory" for those who actually did the work!

      

These photos were submitted by Beth Provinse and show the interest that her family took in developing the property. The building of the "shop" was done under the auspices of the Provinse boys and Charlie Heuchans and under the watchful eye of Ruth, or Alice (?),  Thornton. The same group also assisted with butchering and when time permitted enjoyed riding on the saddle horse, properly referred to as "Pinto".

       


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1947 - 1954
During a portion of this time Mr Bob Staples and family resided in the home and were responsible for the farm operations. It is also possible that the Veach family lived here during a portion of this period.

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1955 - 1961
Larry Thorpe returned to the place of his birth with his bride, Alberta (Turner), residing in the farmhouse from 1955 through 1961. They managed the farm at the time. Their daughter, Sandra, was born during this period. Larry was born in the farmhouse at Tadmor in 1936 while his father was the farm manager.

This photo was submitted by John Snarrenberg. John visited with the Thorpes at Tadmor in 1955 and related several enjoyable memories with them. A memory that he emphasized greatly was the breakfasts prepared by Alberta during his visits.

These photos submitted by Alberta Thorpe, resident - 1955-1961.
 

This home continued to be used beyond 1960 as a multi purpose structure. Whether a bunkhouse or a home, many who knew the place recall the "good memories" that come to mind when we think of it! The replacement structure at the site is the WWBC/Bible Impact Org. administration building and provides some sleeping quarters, among other services. 

.... it was Tadmor	.... it is Whispering Winds Bible Camp
.... the way it was (a Whittemore painting)	.... the way it is  (a Thorpe photo)

.... the "purpose" remains the same - teaching  "THE WORD OF GOD"


   Bible Impact Ministries (WWBC) website