St. Louis, Missouri (1940 - 1943)
Herbert, my husband’s brother, brought his truck to move us to St. Louis. Everything was a complete contrast. Instead of the clean little county seat town, we drove through the big congested smoky dirty city. We found the church and the old brick at the rear that served as parsonage. The church was an old brick building which looked to be at least 75 years old. It had been used as a paint shop for about 30 years. The congregation had sold their former church in South St. Louis to a colored group after the community had become mostly black. When they found this property in North St. Louis that would provide both church and parsonage, they bought it.
The parsonage had a first floor apartment that was rented. We, like the pastor before us, moved to the second floor apartment. There were also two small rooms in the attic type third floor. There was a small bathroom which opened into the hall instead of from one of the rooms. There was no water heater so we had to heat all water on the kitchen stove and carry it through the combined living and dining room. When we got moved in it was home and we adjusted as best we could. The congregation though was not as large as Elizabethtown. We had a fair sprinkling of all ages from those in the eighties to the small children.
We were received very graciously and tried to respond likewise. We received a $10.00 a week raise in salary, but how we missed our big garden filled with beautiful flowers and fresh vegetables, also the milk, butter, and eggs fresh from the farms; but we also appreciated the monthly poundings brought us each month, for now our people had to buy everything they brought. We have been so blessed by the attitude our children had always taken about our moving from place to place. They had always been agreeable, never fussing, regardless of disadvantages. They had both enjoyed the Elizabethtown schools. Warren especially enjoyed the school band and almost adored the band master. When they got to St. Louis, they both faced difficulties; all was so different. In Physical Education, all the girls were required to wear a uniform that Juanita felt she could not conscientiously wear. Had she been younger, we might have talked with her teacher, but she was no more a child, so now she was to pray for guidance and meet her problem. She had our prayers and encouragement. She talked things over with her teacher and a compromise was made whereby she could gain her credits for the class. The conditions caused some humiliation, but she chose that rather than violate her conscience. We were grateful for this.
The parsonage had a first floor apartment that was rented. We, like the pastor before us, moved to the second floor apartment. There were also two small rooms in the attic type third floor. There was a small bathroom which opened into the hall instead of from one of the rooms. There was no water heater so we had to heat all water on the kitchen stove and carry it through the combined living and dining room. When we got moved in it was home and we adjusted as best we could. The congregation though was not as large as Elizabethtown. We had a fair sprinkling of all ages from those in the eighties to the small children.
We were received very graciously and tried to respond likewise. We received a $10.00 a week raise in salary, but how we missed our big garden filled with beautiful flowers and fresh vegetables, also the milk, butter, and eggs fresh from the farms; but we also appreciated the monthly poundings brought us each month, for now our people had to buy everything they brought. We have been so blessed by the attitude our children had always taken about our moving from place to place. They had always been agreeable, never fussing, regardless of disadvantages. They had both enjoyed the Elizabethtown schools. Warren especially enjoyed the school band and almost adored the band master. When they got to St. Louis, they both faced difficulties; all was so different. In Physical Education, all the girls were required to wear a uniform that Juanita felt she could not conscientiously wear. Had she been younger, we might have talked with her teacher, but she was no more a child, so now she was to pray for guidance and meet her problem. She had our prayers and encouragement. She talked things over with her teacher and a compromise was made whereby she could gain her credits for the class. The conditions caused some humiliation, but she chose that rather than violate her conscience. We were grateful for this.
L to R: Juanita, Bertha, Warren, Harry
Warren also had his difficulties in changing schools. In Elizabethtown his pride and joy was the school band. He adored the band master. He was young and led the band in some fine competitive work. When we went to band practice in St. Louis, he came home very disturbed. He found the band so different and he felt the band master altogether unacceptable. He was then in his 18th year, so we felt it would be better for him to make his own decisions. He began at the bottom of the ladder applying for a transfer to a different school. He tried every approach he knew and he finally went to the St. Louis board of education where his plea was denied. He finally came to the conclusion to make the best of his situation. As the school year progressed, we learned that Warren’s feelings were well founded. It became a known fact that the band director often made weekend times for drinking bouts and coming to school on Monday mornings incapable of either teaching or directing. It was a long school year for both of our children. At the close, Warren proudly wore his cap and gown and received his diploma with the distinction of graduating from the oldest high school west of the Mississippi River.
We are sure the former pastor and people had done much to make the auditorium presentable for worship, but apparently nothing had been done to the exterior, the basement, or the belfry. It was a great pleasure to us that my older brother and his wife[1] lived in St. Louis. They belonged to the Nazarene Church, but that certainly made no difference in our fellowship. They were often visitors to our home and church services.
Arthur had done some building and a lot of renovating. He took great interest in helping to improve the appearance of the ancient appearance of the church. Together they tuck pointed the building with some help from men of the congregation. The basement was cleaned and bushels upon bushels of old papers and junk were carried out. Then the belfry was cleaned. For years pigeons had used it as a roosting and nesting place. I really feel no desire to go farther describing the difficult job. After cleaning and some painting, we felt that we had a place of worship more honoring to God. We were blessed with some good evangelists while on the St. Louis charge. Our good Superintendent, Rev. O. W. Bottenburg, and his capable wife were a blessing. They had conducted two very successful revivals for us at Elizabethtown. We also had Rev. and Mrs. Doll from Kansas. Rev. and Mrs. R. R. Sharp, precious friends of long standing, were used of God as they preached with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
One thing we greatly enjoyed was the Holiness Association services. This included Nazarene, Free Methodists, and Pilgrim Holiness Churches. These services were held once a month on Sunday p.m. They were well attended and a sweet spirit of fellowship prevailed. Not long after we went to St. Louis, Bro. R. Beltz came to pastor an interdenominational group. They had a nice church and a sizeable congregation. He and his group joined with the Holiness Association. He was an educated man, a good speaker, and a talented leader who afterward served on the General Board of the Pilgrim Holiness Church.
Great changes came in our home. God opened the way, partly by a generous gift from our nephew Richard Poe, for Juanita to go to Bible School at Colorado Springs. This left a vacancy not only in our home, but also in the church; but we rejoiced to God that she was developing spiritually and would be under godly instructors. She was soon a member of the girls’ quartet and made occasional trips representing the school over the District. After high school graduation, Warren and his cousin, Arnold Bolender, who had come from Ohio, attended aeronautics school after which they obtained jobs at Curtis Wright airplane factory. He progressed rapidly and was promoted to inspector as planes left the assembly line. World War II was declared after Pearl Harbor. It was a sad day when Warren received his classification card Class #1. The whole nation was in a turmoil. All homes that had young men of draft age shared our concerns. Soon the notice arrived for his induction date. I prepared an early breakfast. We had family devotions committing our only son into the heavenly Father’s keeping. We drove him to the Area Induction Center, went as far as we were allowed, and watched until he was out of sight. We got back in the car with heavy hearts, but thankful he was a Christian. God was so gracious to us, for after we went to St. Louis, Betty Sutherland (that I mentioned before in connection with our pastorate at Carrolton, Ky.) came to St. Louis to help our Sunday School Superintendent’s wife in her home. Later she obtained a better position and came to board with us – what a comfort she was and a great blessing in the church.
[1] Arthur and Helen Fortner
We are sure the former pastor and people had done much to make the auditorium presentable for worship, but apparently nothing had been done to the exterior, the basement, or the belfry. It was a great pleasure to us that my older brother and his wife[1] lived in St. Louis. They belonged to the Nazarene Church, but that certainly made no difference in our fellowship. They were often visitors to our home and church services.
Arthur had done some building and a lot of renovating. He took great interest in helping to improve the appearance of the ancient appearance of the church. Together they tuck pointed the building with some help from men of the congregation. The basement was cleaned and bushels upon bushels of old papers and junk were carried out. Then the belfry was cleaned. For years pigeons had used it as a roosting and nesting place. I really feel no desire to go farther describing the difficult job. After cleaning and some painting, we felt that we had a place of worship more honoring to God. We were blessed with some good evangelists while on the St. Louis charge. Our good Superintendent, Rev. O. W. Bottenburg, and his capable wife were a blessing. They had conducted two very successful revivals for us at Elizabethtown. We also had Rev. and Mrs. Doll from Kansas. Rev. and Mrs. R. R. Sharp, precious friends of long standing, were used of God as they preached with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
One thing we greatly enjoyed was the Holiness Association services. This included Nazarene, Free Methodists, and Pilgrim Holiness Churches. These services were held once a month on Sunday p.m. They were well attended and a sweet spirit of fellowship prevailed. Not long after we went to St. Louis, Bro. R. Beltz came to pastor an interdenominational group. They had a nice church and a sizeable congregation. He and his group joined with the Holiness Association. He was an educated man, a good speaker, and a talented leader who afterward served on the General Board of the Pilgrim Holiness Church.
Great changes came in our home. God opened the way, partly by a generous gift from our nephew Richard Poe, for Juanita to go to Bible School at Colorado Springs. This left a vacancy not only in our home, but also in the church; but we rejoiced to God that she was developing spiritually and would be under godly instructors. She was soon a member of the girls’ quartet and made occasional trips representing the school over the District. After high school graduation, Warren and his cousin, Arnold Bolender, who had come from Ohio, attended aeronautics school after which they obtained jobs at Curtis Wright airplane factory. He progressed rapidly and was promoted to inspector as planes left the assembly line. World War II was declared after Pearl Harbor. It was a sad day when Warren received his classification card Class #1. The whole nation was in a turmoil. All homes that had young men of draft age shared our concerns. Soon the notice arrived for his induction date. I prepared an early breakfast. We had family devotions committing our only son into the heavenly Father’s keeping. We drove him to the Area Induction Center, went as far as we were allowed, and watched until he was out of sight. We got back in the car with heavy hearts, but thankful he was a Christian. God was so gracious to us, for after we went to St. Louis, Betty Sutherland (that I mentioned before in connection with our pastorate at Carrolton, Ky.) came to St. Louis to help our Sunday School Superintendent’s wife in her home. Later she obtained a better position and came to board with us – what a comfort she was and a great blessing in the church.
[1] Arthur and Helen Fortner
