Early Life of Bertha (Fortner) Bolender (1899 - 1918)
I was born October 13, 1899, the ninth child of Elijah Jefferson and Sarah Amanda Fortner, at Sunny Lane, Butler County, Kentucky. My memories are very limited until I was five, but one has always been clear, that I was standing by my father's side at his father's grave, as friends filled and rounded soil over the wooden box that protected the casket. No respectful family ever left a grave site in those days before the grave was finished. I may remember this so clearly because "Grandpa" was a man known to live all week what he professed on Sunday.
Birthplace of Bertha (Fortner) Bolender – Sunny Lane, Butler County, Kentucky
Fortner Family: L to R, Back Row: Lettie, Arthur, Jim, Vera, Tempie; Middle: Beatrice, Aubrey, Dillard; Seated: Elijah Jefferson (Bud), holding Bertha, Sarah Amanda (Foster), holding Myrtle.
When I was five a great revival came to the Methodist Church where our parents belonged. The pastor told the church board he would like to get his daughter, a Free Methodist preacher, to conduct the yearly protracted meeting, and the board agreed. Women preachers were seldom heard of in those days, and curiosity roused the surrounding neighborhood before the revival began. Sr.[1] Belle Apling proved to be a gifted speaker and not only that, she was wholly sanctified, endued with the power and wisdom of the Holy Ghost. Services were held twice daily. The teacher of the community elementary school next door to the church dismissed school each day and led the entire school to the church. All sat in respectful attention. Had any parent made objection, that parent would have been looked upon with scorn and classed as a heathen. Those from Baptist, Presbyterian and Christian Churches attended. The term Campbellite church was commonly used then instead of Christian Church in our part of the country. Our community had its own distillery[2], but generally speaking, public schools were open to any religious activity, though never required. Every service concluded with a call for a definite decision for Christ. Night after night the mourner’s bench[3] was occupied by sinners who had been moved by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit of God, as this prophetess proclaimed the gospel. Professing Christians who had backslidden or grown cold and neglectful, came forward for prayer and confession. Several who for the first time had heard sanctification preached as a second work of grace sought and obtained this glorious experience. Oh, what a revival that was. My sister, four years and four days older than I, was definitely converted in that revival. She lived a committed Christian life until her death at eighty eight years.
During that revival Sr. Apling introduced my family to God's Revivalist[4], published at Cincinnati, Ohio. That revival and the Revivalist completely changed the lifestyle of our home. While Father had read the Bible and prayed with his family before, he now had family devotions daily. My sister, Vera, who was a very attractive and popular young lady in the community and considered a Christian, began to realize her condition, but her heart, filled with pride, refused to confess her need. As she secretly resisted the Spirit's wooing, she realized her concern was leaving. This frightened her, for she had read and heard of the sin against the Holy Ghost. She cried out to God to not leave her. Needless to say the Father met the humble prodigal.
The meeting had closed, but the revival continued. Vera began reading the Revivalist, and a book that some one gave her, "The Dairyman's Daughter", which was a true account of a young lady who sought and experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Through the reading of this book Vera was led to seek to be sanctified. After days of diligent seeking, fasting and prayer at home, she prayed through and her soul was flooded with glory.
Shortly after this my Mother was stricken with a fast developing cancer. She had read testimonies in the Revivalist of people being healed, so she asked Father to take her to God’s Bible School in Cincinnati to be anointed for healing. This was asking a great and difficult thing in those days. The only way of travelling we had was walking, horseback riding, and in the farm wagon. They put a straw tick in the wagon with a feather bed on that, carried Mother from the house, laid her on the featherbed, and Father drove twenty miles to Bowling Green, Kentucky to the nearest railroad station. [Louisville and Nashville RR Map] They travelled in the day coach to Cincinnati and from the old Grand Central Station to the Bible School where they were graciously received and Mother was committed to the care of a widow by the name of Josephine Pugh from Kansas. She was a great blessing to Mother. A group of saints gathered in her room anointed her with oil and prayed for her healing. God definitely touched her, the pain was gone and she began to gain strength. A lump on her arm was still there, and she was told to continue trusting the Lord and He would take care of the lump.
The morning after Mother arrived home she got up and cooked breakfast for her large family. Days passed and she saw no improvement in the spot on her arm. She remembered that years before she had helped her father-in-law gather herbs and prepare a salve that removed scabs and healed sores. She well remembered the process and reasoned it would do no harm to try it. She proceeded with good results, but soon the lump with all the irritation returned. Feeling she had made a mistake, she asked Father to take her back to God’s Bible School, which he did. No one seemed able to touch God for her healing. After returning home she clearly testified, “I am no better in body, but better in soul. I was sanctified.”
Mother’s health rapidly declined. As was the custom at the time neighbors began coming in to sit up all night to relieve members of the family. Her Christian testimony remained certain though she was convinced death was near. She talked with Father and sister, Vera, about how she wanted the younger children brought up especially giving Vera responsibility of training us younger girls. Vera was eighteen and there were four girls and two boys younger. About eleven p.m., December 24, 1906 we children were all awakened by Father and all surrounded Mother’s bed. As a seven year old, all I can recall of anything being said was when a neighbor said quietly, "She is gone." The next thing I clearly remember is when the wagon bringing the casket neared the house and Vera said "Come, children" and she led us into the adjoining room. There she knelt with us all kneeling around her, and she poured out her heart to God. I know not a word of that prayer, but I am confident of God's guidance that has been in my life since.
Our parents were strict disciplinarians. We early learned to give prompt obedience or suffer the consequence. After witnessing Mother's intense suffering from cancer, her death and burial, Father was quite a changed man. While he still demanded obedience there was a mellowness in his nature. He seemed to automatically release the spiritual guidance of the home to Vera. She spent much time in prayer. We knew not to disturb her at her regular times of devotion both in the forenoon and afternoon. We began having family devotions twice a day where formerly we had prayers only at night. Vera set Wednesday evening as prayer meeting night in our home, as the neighborhood church had no prayer meetings. We engaged in singing, scripture reading by one or sometimes all taking part. Then we had prayer; anyone or all were encouraged to give a witness for Christ. Vera always fasted on Wednesday night; she prepared the evening meal then quietly went to her place of prayer. We all gathered in the front room for our weekly prayer meeting after the evening meal. No wonder her life had so much influence in the home. Like Enoch of old, she walked with God.
I mentioned earlier that a widow lady by the name of Pugh cared for Mother when she went to God's Bible School to be anointed for healing. After Mother's return home, Mrs. Pugh kept in touch. After Mother's death Vera wrote Sr. Pugh. When an answer came, Sr. Pugh expressed a great desire to meet Vera and see us children that Mother had told her so much about. She was invited to bring her nephew, whose Mother was dead, and the father had given to Mrs. Pugh to raise. They stayed a short time. My sister, Vera, who was not yet nineteen and Sister Pugh who was in her early forties became intimate friends. They shared seasons of prayer and study on methods of dealing with the problems of rearing a family with Christian principles.
My father had absolute confidence in Vera's integrity and ability to govern our home, except in financial matters. He agreed for my sister Tempie, who was fifteen, to go to Cincinnati. She would be sponsored and accountable to Mrs. Pugh and live on the campus of God's Bible School. During the summer of 1907, Vera wrote regularly to Mrs. Pugh and also to Tempie.
On the first Monday of July 1908, I entered a new epoch of my life. At that time rural elementary schools had only six months of school, beginning in July. Also attendance was not compulsory. My mother had felt two and one half miles was too far and eight hours in school each day was too much for a six year old child, so we children never went to school till we were seven. All through that summer God was speaking to Sister Pugh, as we called her, about His plan that my Mother had told her about. Her desire for her children was for them to attend God's Bible School. At that time they had an elementary department, so she asked Vera if Father would permit two of us younger children to come to Cincinnati for the school year. He agreed. Aubrey, who was two years older than I, and I were chosen. Vera packed the few clothes we had in boxes, prepared food for us to eat on the way, and we left home long before daylight in the farm wagon going to Bowling Green, twenty miles away. When we arrived Father hitched the horses and together we boarded the train. He gave us necessary instructions, bade us goodbye, leaving us in the care of the conductor. After a long tiring trip, two children, weary and dirty from the coal smoke, were met by Sr. Pugh and Tempie at Grand Central Station. Overcome by exhaustion I began to cry; when asked, I blurted out "I want to see Sudie.” Sudie was my younger sister who later persuaded us to use her second name, Myrtle.
A new world was opening up to us. We were really at God’s Bible School. This brings to my mind what a cousin, Freeman Fortner, said to his mother in a very[5] mood, “When you all die you can go to Heaven, but I think I will go to Cincinnati.” In his childish mind Cincinnati and God’s Bible School were synonymous.
In a very short time I was awakened to the fact that all was not well. Before that, I had prayed, really prayed, not just repeated a memorized prayer. I had followed Vera's example and fasted on Wednesday night. This I can now clearly remember. But not until the autumn of 1907 did I realize I was a sinner. One night Aubrey had gone to bed, Tempie was taking a bath, while alone I fell on my knees, began to weep and pray for God to forgive and to come into my heart. I did not pray long, until the burden rolled away. I was filled with joy. I knew I was saved. When Tempie came in the room I said "Tempie, while you got clean on the outside, I got clean on the inside. I got saved."
After my conversion, I remember my first definite answer to prayer. The president of the school had a daughter younger, than I, who played with beautiful dolls. Most of the dolls we ever had were home made. Oh, how I wanted a nice doll. Without talking to anyone, I began to pray for a doll. After a while Sr. Pugh, my sister and my brother became aware of my praying, then my school teacher, Miss Merriman. One day she was visiting a friend who remarked “I have a strange feeling; I can’t get away from, the impression that I should get a doll for a little girl.” She said she could only think of Dorothea, but she knew she gets beautiful dolls every Christmas. Sr. Merriman responded, "I know a little girl who is praying for a doll." “And who is it?” she asked. “The little Fortner girl, who is in my class,” she responded. That cleared the doubts. On Christmas Eve she approached me after the evening meal, when she said, "I heard a little girl prayed for a doll." I was so utterly surprised, I did not know what to say. She bade me follow her, which I did, to the last room on the third floor of the same building. She entered the room. I followed, my eyes darting here and there. She said, "Look behind the door." There was a box. Next she said to take the lid off. There lay a doll, apparently asleep. Continuing to encourage me, she said to pick it up and when I did the eyes opened. The doll had long blond curls, reaching to her shoulders. Her dress was trimmed with lace that came below her knees, and showed her fancy stockings and her shiny patent leather shoes. I just knew she was the most beautiful doll in the world. Then I heard Miss Davis say “She is yours, you can take her to your room." With the best thanks I knew how to give, I did just that.
That was an important year in my life. I attended the afternoon services in the tabernacle. I recall some of the outstanding ministers, missionaries, and teachers: L. Milton Wilson, Byron Rees, Ed Ferguson, George B. Kulp, Godby[6], Fred T Fuge, Deward[7], Slater[8], Cowman[9], and others. Among the worthies[10] at the school in those days I recall Mrs. Martin Wells Knapp, the Standleys[11], Oswald Chambers, Nettie Peabody, and Professor McNeal[12], head of the music department.
[1] Sr. is short for Sister, a title similar to Mrs., but reserved for fellow Christians.
[2] Many of the communities in Kentucky had distilleries, but these were looked upon as heathen enterprises. I think the point she was trying to make here was that even though the community tolerated a distillery, they still had lots of respect for religion, even in the public schools.
[3] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mourners'+bench
[4] God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate, the official organ of God’s Bible School, is a magazine founded by Martin Wells Knapp in July of 1888.
[5] Bertha evidently inadvertently left out a word here. We don’t know what it was.
[6] William B. Godbey (1833 – 1920) was one of the most influential evangelists of the Wesleyan-holiness movement in its formative period (1880-1920).
[7] Fred DeWeerd
[8] Charles Slater, an evangelist.
[9] Charles and Lettie Cowman, founders of the Oriental Missionary Society
[10] A worthy or prominent person – Merriam Webster
[11] Meredith and Bessie Standley; Meredith Standley was president of God’s Bible School from 1911 to 1950.
[12] Robert Elmer McNeill founded the Conservatory of Gospel Music at God's Bible School in 1901.
During that revival Sr. Apling introduced my family to God's Revivalist[4], published at Cincinnati, Ohio. That revival and the Revivalist completely changed the lifestyle of our home. While Father had read the Bible and prayed with his family before, he now had family devotions daily. My sister, Vera, who was a very attractive and popular young lady in the community and considered a Christian, began to realize her condition, but her heart, filled with pride, refused to confess her need. As she secretly resisted the Spirit's wooing, she realized her concern was leaving. This frightened her, for she had read and heard of the sin against the Holy Ghost. She cried out to God to not leave her. Needless to say the Father met the humble prodigal.
The meeting had closed, but the revival continued. Vera began reading the Revivalist, and a book that some one gave her, "The Dairyman's Daughter", which was a true account of a young lady who sought and experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Through the reading of this book Vera was led to seek to be sanctified. After days of diligent seeking, fasting and prayer at home, she prayed through and her soul was flooded with glory.
Shortly after this my Mother was stricken with a fast developing cancer. She had read testimonies in the Revivalist of people being healed, so she asked Father to take her to God’s Bible School in Cincinnati to be anointed for healing. This was asking a great and difficult thing in those days. The only way of travelling we had was walking, horseback riding, and in the farm wagon. They put a straw tick in the wagon with a feather bed on that, carried Mother from the house, laid her on the featherbed, and Father drove twenty miles to Bowling Green, Kentucky to the nearest railroad station. [Louisville and Nashville RR Map] They travelled in the day coach to Cincinnati and from the old Grand Central Station to the Bible School where they were graciously received and Mother was committed to the care of a widow by the name of Josephine Pugh from Kansas. She was a great blessing to Mother. A group of saints gathered in her room anointed her with oil and prayed for her healing. God definitely touched her, the pain was gone and she began to gain strength. A lump on her arm was still there, and she was told to continue trusting the Lord and He would take care of the lump.
The morning after Mother arrived home she got up and cooked breakfast for her large family. Days passed and she saw no improvement in the spot on her arm. She remembered that years before she had helped her father-in-law gather herbs and prepare a salve that removed scabs and healed sores. She well remembered the process and reasoned it would do no harm to try it. She proceeded with good results, but soon the lump with all the irritation returned. Feeling she had made a mistake, she asked Father to take her back to God’s Bible School, which he did. No one seemed able to touch God for her healing. After returning home she clearly testified, “I am no better in body, but better in soul. I was sanctified.”
Mother’s health rapidly declined. As was the custom at the time neighbors began coming in to sit up all night to relieve members of the family. Her Christian testimony remained certain though she was convinced death was near. She talked with Father and sister, Vera, about how she wanted the younger children brought up especially giving Vera responsibility of training us younger girls. Vera was eighteen and there were four girls and two boys younger. About eleven p.m., December 24, 1906 we children were all awakened by Father and all surrounded Mother’s bed. As a seven year old, all I can recall of anything being said was when a neighbor said quietly, "She is gone." The next thing I clearly remember is when the wagon bringing the casket neared the house and Vera said "Come, children" and she led us into the adjoining room. There she knelt with us all kneeling around her, and she poured out her heart to God. I know not a word of that prayer, but I am confident of God's guidance that has been in my life since.
Our parents were strict disciplinarians. We early learned to give prompt obedience or suffer the consequence. After witnessing Mother's intense suffering from cancer, her death and burial, Father was quite a changed man. While he still demanded obedience there was a mellowness in his nature. He seemed to automatically release the spiritual guidance of the home to Vera. She spent much time in prayer. We knew not to disturb her at her regular times of devotion both in the forenoon and afternoon. We began having family devotions twice a day where formerly we had prayers only at night. Vera set Wednesday evening as prayer meeting night in our home, as the neighborhood church had no prayer meetings. We engaged in singing, scripture reading by one or sometimes all taking part. Then we had prayer; anyone or all were encouraged to give a witness for Christ. Vera always fasted on Wednesday night; she prepared the evening meal then quietly went to her place of prayer. We all gathered in the front room for our weekly prayer meeting after the evening meal. No wonder her life had so much influence in the home. Like Enoch of old, she walked with God.
I mentioned earlier that a widow lady by the name of Pugh cared for Mother when she went to God's Bible School to be anointed for healing. After Mother's return home, Mrs. Pugh kept in touch. After Mother's death Vera wrote Sr. Pugh. When an answer came, Sr. Pugh expressed a great desire to meet Vera and see us children that Mother had told her so much about. She was invited to bring her nephew, whose Mother was dead, and the father had given to Mrs. Pugh to raise. They stayed a short time. My sister, Vera, who was not yet nineteen and Sister Pugh who was in her early forties became intimate friends. They shared seasons of prayer and study on methods of dealing with the problems of rearing a family with Christian principles.
My father had absolute confidence in Vera's integrity and ability to govern our home, except in financial matters. He agreed for my sister Tempie, who was fifteen, to go to Cincinnati. She would be sponsored and accountable to Mrs. Pugh and live on the campus of God's Bible School. During the summer of 1907, Vera wrote regularly to Mrs. Pugh and also to Tempie.
On the first Monday of July 1908, I entered a new epoch of my life. At that time rural elementary schools had only six months of school, beginning in July. Also attendance was not compulsory. My mother had felt two and one half miles was too far and eight hours in school each day was too much for a six year old child, so we children never went to school till we were seven. All through that summer God was speaking to Sister Pugh, as we called her, about His plan that my Mother had told her about. Her desire for her children was for them to attend God's Bible School. At that time they had an elementary department, so she asked Vera if Father would permit two of us younger children to come to Cincinnati for the school year. He agreed. Aubrey, who was two years older than I, and I were chosen. Vera packed the few clothes we had in boxes, prepared food for us to eat on the way, and we left home long before daylight in the farm wagon going to Bowling Green, twenty miles away. When we arrived Father hitched the horses and together we boarded the train. He gave us necessary instructions, bade us goodbye, leaving us in the care of the conductor. After a long tiring trip, two children, weary and dirty from the coal smoke, were met by Sr. Pugh and Tempie at Grand Central Station. Overcome by exhaustion I began to cry; when asked, I blurted out "I want to see Sudie.” Sudie was my younger sister who later persuaded us to use her second name, Myrtle.
A new world was opening up to us. We were really at God’s Bible School. This brings to my mind what a cousin, Freeman Fortner, said to his mother in a very[5] mood, “When you all die you can go to Heaven, but I think I will go to Cincinnati.” In his childish mind Cincinnati and God’s Bible School were synonymous.
In a very short time I was awakened to the fact that all was not well. Before that, I had prayed, really prayed, not just repeated a memorized prayer. I had followed Vera's example and fasted on Wednesday night. This I can now clearly remember. But not until the autumn of 1907 did I realize I was a sinner. One night Aubrey had gone to bed, Tempie was taking a bath, while alone I fell on my knees, began to weep and pray for God to forgive and to come into my heart. I did not pray long, until the burden rolled away. I was filled with joy. I knew I was saved. When Tempie came in the room I said "Tempie, while you got clean on the outside, I got clean on the inside. I got saved."
After my conversion, I remember my first definite answer to prayer. The president of the school had a daughter younger, than I, who played with beautiful dolls. Most of the dolls we ever had were home made. Oh, how I wanted a nice doll. Without talking to anyone, I began to pray for a doll. After a while Sr. Pugh, my sister and my brother became aware of my praying, then my school teacher, Miss Merriman. One day she was visiting a friend who remarked “I have a strange feeling; I can’t get away from, the impression that I should get a doll for a little girl.” She said she could only think of Dorothea, but she knew she gets beautiful dolls every Christmas. Sr. Merriman responded, "I know a little girl who is praying for a doll." “And who is it?” she asked. “The little Fortner girl, who is in my class,” she responded. That cleared the doubts. On Christmas Eve she approached me after the evening meal, when she said, "I heard a little girl prayed for a doll." I was so utterly surprised, I did not know what to say. She bade me follow her, which I did, to the last room on the third floor of the same building. She entered the room. I followed, my eyes darting here and there. She said, "Look behind the door." There was a box. Next she said to take the lid off. There lay a doll, apparently asleep. Continuing to encourage me, she said to pick it up and when I did the eyes opened. The doll had long blond curls, reaching to her shoulders. Her dress was trimmed with lace that came below her knees, and showed her fancy stockings and her shiny patent leather shoes. I just knew she was the most beautiful doll in the world. Then I heard Miss Davis say “She is yours, you can take her to your room." With the best thanks I knew how to give, I did just that.
That was an important year in my life. I attended the afternoon services in the tabernacle. I recall some of the outstanding ministers, missionaries, and teachers: L. Milton Wilson, Byron Rees, Ed Ferguson, George B. Kulp, Godby[6], Fred T Fuge, Deward[7], Slater[8], Cowman[9], and others. Among the worthies[10] at the school in those days I recall Mrs. Martin Wells Knapp, the Standleys[11], Oswald Chambers, Nettie Peabody, and Professor McNeal[12], head of the music department.
[1] Sr. is short for Sister, a title similar to Mrs., but reserved for fellow Christians.
[2] Many of the communities in Kentucky had distilleries, but these were looked upon as heathen enterprises. I think the point she was trying to make here was that even though the community tolerated a distillery, they still had lots of respect for religion, even in the public schools.
[3] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mourners'+bench
[4] God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate, the official organ of God’s Bible School, is a magazine founded by Martin Wells Knapp in July of 1888.
[5] Bertha evidently inadvertently left out a word here. We don’t know what it was.
[6] William B. Godbey (1833 – 1920) was one of the most influential evangelists of the Wesleyan-holiness movement in its formative period (1880-1920).
[7] Fred DeWeerd
[8] Charles Slater, an evangelist.
[9] Charles and Lettie Cowman, founders of the Oriental Missionary Society
[10] A worthy or prominent person – Merriam Webster
[11] Meredith and Bessie Standley; Meredith Standley was president of God’s Bible School from 1911 to 1950.
[12] Robert Elmer McNeill founded the Conservatory of Gospel Music at God's Bible School in 1901.
Martin Wells Knapp
|
W. B. Godbey
|
Robert Elmer McNeill
|
GBS faculty of 1907: Miss Lovett, Miss Nettie Peabody, Miss Elizabeth West, and Oswald Chambers
|
Charles and Lettie Cowman
|
M.G. Standley
|
Perhaps the most outstanding student in my memory is Irene Blyden, from the West Indies. Her noble character, disciplined life and yet tender spirit of Christ made her unforgettable, even to an eight year old. In the years to come she married Alfred Taylor. Their son, Wingrove Taylor is now General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church in the West Indies[1].
School was followed by the great yearly camp meeting, after which we were returning home. I requested a supply of gospel tracts, so I could give to each one on the train. This was granted and as well as I can remember, I was treated with respect as I passed them out. My young heart was longing to do something for Jesus, who I loved.
While we were in school in Cincinnati, my father sold his farm and purchased another one that had some very fertile land, through which a large creek ran. He also had about forty acres of woodland. I was absolutely unprepared for the change. The house was over one hundred years old and had been neglected. I cried and wanted to go home.
This soon wore off, for in a few days we were starting school at the Toy Springs School, one and one half miles from our house. The walk in the early morning was pleasant, but July and August were hot months to sit for hours in a house, trying to study. We were given a half hour break each morning and afternoon as school started at eight a.m. and closed at four p.m. Soon…
The hand written manuscript of the early life of Bertha Fortner Bolender was found after her death. It stops with the word “soon”.
[1] Wingrove Taylor was General Superintendent from 1974 – 1994.
School was followed by the great yearly camp meeting, after which we were returning home. I requested a supply of gospel tracts, so I could give to each one on the train. This was granted and as well as I can remember, I was treated with respect as I passed them out. My young heart was longing to do something for Jesus, who I loved.
While we were in school in Cincinnati, my father sold his farm and purchased another one that had some very fertile land, through which a large creek ran. He also had about forty acres of woodland. I was absolutely unprepared for the change. The house was over one hundred years old and had been neglected. I cried and wanted to go home.
This soon wore off, for in a few days we were starting school at the Toy Springs School, one and one half miles from our house. The walk in the early morning was pleasant, but July and August were hot months to sit for hours in a house, trying to study. We were given a half hour break each morning and afternoon as school started at eight a.m. and closed at four p.m. Soon…
The hand written manuscript of the early life of Bertha Fortner Bolender was found after her death. It stops with the word “soon”.
[1] Wingrove Taylor was General Superintendent from 1974 – 1994.
