"Memories from the first 150 years"
These special memories have been presented by members and friends of the church as part of the 150th Anniversary of the First United Methodist Church in Corvallis, Oregon.
Compiled in 1998 by Marian and Bill Veley
Table of Contents
"I Remember: Dr. W. M. Atwood"
by Ann Lincoln
In 1913, Dr. and Mrs. Atwood and their 2 daughters arrived in Corvallis and immediately associated with the church. Dr. Atwood was an instructor in botany, but on Sunday mornings he was the Sunday School superintendent. F. J. Hooks, a grocer, had preceded him as superintendent. I remember Dr. Atwood telling about many Methodist families eagerly awaiting the appearance of Mr. Hooks (in Santa apparel) in wagon (or sleigh) at their house on Christmas Eve. Dr. Atwood became the member of a new-building committee -- planning began in 1920, completed formation of the building committee in 1922. Dr. Atwood was head of the committee on equipment and organ. Although the church was dedicated in May of 1926, the dream of a great organ in the sanctuary, despite the depression, was realized in 1932. Dr. Atwood was justly proud of his efforts in securing the organ. J. A. Bamford of Portland had assembled 40 of the finest stops obtainable, some being duplicates of those in the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ. The organ was purchased with memorial gifts. Just 9 years after the church building was dedicated and only 3 years after the organ was installed a disastrous fire broke out in the basement of the church. The flames destroyed most of the roof and the beautiful oak ceiling of the sanctuary and the north end of Wesley Hall. Dr. Atwood, who lived on 7th street, used to tell of hearing the roof tiles crackle in the heat of the early morning fire. He joined other tearful congregation members in viewing the blackened ruins but was encouraged when he was the bulletin board beside the church: "We Carry On. Official Board Meets Tonight at the Home of the Pastor at 7:30." Work began immediately and by October, 1935, the church had been restored and even the acoustics had been corrected. (I'm sorry I never asked Dr. Atwood what acoustical problems they experienced.) Dr. Atwood's 2 daughters grew up in the church and were active members of Wesley Foundation. At that time Wesley Hall was filled with college students when activities were planned. In later years Dr. Atwood expressed disappointment that O. S. U. students didn't frequent the church like they had in pre-war times. Dr. Atwood continued to serve his beloved church during his retirement. He was a faithful committee member -- able to offer positive as well as critical suggestions. When I look at the light fixtures in the Martha Room I think of Dr. Atwood's crusty comments about the "ugly" light fixtures. Dr. Atwood was "crusty" but kindly. Crisp in speech but warm of heart. I valued his annual Christmas letter -- his many experiences and world-wide contacts. When you go to Camp Magruder please know that Dr. Atwood is remembered there, although he once remarked that he questioned the honor of having a bath-house named after one!
"I Remember: Dr. U. G. Dubach"
by Ann Lincoln
In 1913, Dr. Dubach came to Corvallis as head of the Department of Political Science. Dr. Dubach loved teaching and soon after arrival took over a youn men's Sunday School class -- which he led for more than 30 years. Attendance at this class was well over a phenomenal 100 men and according to church records the class won state recognition for attendance and activity records. In 1922, Dr. Dubach was elected chairman of the executive committee for the building at that time. For the complete record of the activities of this important committee, from its formation until its functions were relinquished to the official board in 1927, see a volume of minutes kept by the secretary, Dr. S. M. Zeller (grandfather to Rev. John Pitney and grandfather-in-law to Deborah Pitney -- former ministers in our church). The volume should be available in our church files. Dr. Dubach continued to teach at O.S.C. and was also Dean of Men. (Dan Poling followed Dr. Dubach as Dean of Men). Retirement was mandated at age 65, but Dr. Dubach felt that he could still contribute to campus life, so he moved to Portland in 1947 and became a part of the staff at Lewis and Clark College. A true loss to the Methodist Church and the community which made up Corvallis.
"I Remember: Dr. F. A. Magruder"
by Ann Lincoln
Dr. Magruder joined the Oregon State College staff in 1917 as an assistant professor in the Political Science Department and joined the Methodist Church the same year. In 1920, Dr. Magruder was elected chairman of the Plans Committee for a new church and in 1922, when the actual building was named, Dr. Magruder became head of the Plans and Specifications Committee. He was also very interested in stained glass windows and he chose paintings (and photos) on several European trips that served as "patterns" for stained glass windows that were produced in Portland (Povey Brothers) and "sold" to individuals as memorials for the sanctuary. Dedication of the finished sanctuary was held in 1926; just 9 years later a fire broke out in the basement of the church and destroyed the roof, the oak ceiling of the sanctuary and the north end of Wesley Hall. Dr. Magruder was again named to the building committee, and by 1935 a restored church was dedicated. In 1948, Dr. Magruder was the visionary who counseled buying the 4 lots fronting on Monroe Street; he envisioned a chapel and Wesley Foundation at this location. The lots have become a parking lot, while our church expansion involved buying 4 houses on 11th Street and building our education unit connected to the main church building. Dr. Magruder headed the conference movement for a young people's camp at Barview, Oregon. He had the vision and the dream for the camp that now bears his name ... Camp Magruder. Dr. Magruder was a small, bespectacled man who worshiped regularly in the down-front pews. At one time he taught a women's Bible class that was popular with O.S.C. students. He lived in a 2-story brick house on Monroe Street. The house has become home to a college fraternity. Fortunately Dr. Magruder was a prodigious writer of political science books; he profited from writing text books used in school class rooms across the country. Updating these books was an annual effort which resulted in extra book sales for the author and he shared this wealth liberally with the Methodist Church for more than 30 years. Dr. Magruder believed John Wesley's tersely expressed social duty in these words: '"Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can'"
"Moving Day, March 16, 1924"
from an Interview with Steve Besse
by Barbara Potter
My name is Steve Besse, and I was almost five years old when we marched from our old church at Fourth and Madison to our new church at Eleventh and Monroe. I remember coming down the steps of the old church. I was with my parents and my brother, who was seven. There was a big, long procession of people. We went down Madison to 5th Street. I knew it was 5th because 6th Street had the railroad tracks. Then we went down 5th to Monroe and marched straight down the center of Monroe Street to the new building. It's funny, but I don't remember going into the new building. What I do remember is that I knew that what we were doing was very impressive and important.
"Camp Magruder and Labor Day Week-End"
by Ann Lincoln
I think that the family weekend at Camp Magruder is still pretty much as I remember, except comfortable beds and bathrooms are more available now. I remember the rustic cabins, the paths to the comfort facility, the bell-ringing that signaled meal and meeting times, the smell of food wafting from the kitchen as meal time approached, the sounds of children, the din of table-ware and the conversation of adults while enjoying the food prepared by excellent camp cooks. Special activities were boating and swimming, volley ball and horse shoes, swinging off the cliff on the single rope, stilt walking, burro riding, kite building, and sand castle creations. Always there were memorable campfires with singing and story telling and sometimes the skies were perfect for star-gazing. These are activities that have been enjoyed at camp for 50 years. Plans are for Camp Magruder to continue -- even better -- into the next century.
"Martha Room and Patio"
by Ann Lincoln
When the present church building (at 11th and Monroe) was erected in 1922 (moving-in date of March 16, 1924) the women of the church were assigned a lovely room on the main floor (this room is now the library lounge). Even then the women's room was a popular multi-purpose room. When the women held their regular monthly meetings, they unrolled the area rugs and moved a few nice pieces of furniture into place. (Presto: The women's social room). With the end of World War II, veterans and their families flocked to Corvallis -- many became new faculty members at Oregon State College, others registered as students, and both groups became involved in the activities of the First Methodist Church. Even then the church was known as "the church beside the campus". Dedicated members of the church could see the need for expansion of the facility: More nursery and Sunday School space, a church library, a multi-purpose room with kitchen and large dining space on the ground floor, also a stage and possible gymnasium area for church and community use. The decision was made to buy the 4 vacant lots along Monroe Street (between 12th and 13th). So in 1948, with Rev. Dan Walker as the new minister, the first centennial observance was launched with a goal of raising $50,000 for an expansion program, and as the Centennial Observance 1848-1948 booklet states, '"the first 100 years of the First Methodist Church ends with a forward look, seeking further to serve the religious needs of its community and state.'" Instead of building on the 4 lots along Monroe Street, it was decided to acquire houses along 11th street, from the church to Jackson Street. At least one of these houses was used for Sunday School classes and youth activities while planning began for construction of the education unit and the women's room and kitchen. Chris Jeppsen, local architect, planned the 3 story addition (with stairways on the north end to provide for another addition later, when needed), and the daylight basement room and kitchen were planned for the women. After enjoying a main floor room in the "old" part of the church, women were not very pleased about having to go downstairs for their meetings. Construction of the new wing began, and having a "wall of windows" helped convince the women that the new room was acceptable. Several years passed and the need for a handicap ramp to the space became apparent. Plans were drawn by John Stewert, local landscape architect, to incorporate the small, narrow concrete walkway immediately outside the west window wall, but the laurel hedge would have to go. Many were reluctant to have the hedge removed but others saw the possibilities that enlarging the patio area could do for the women's room. Plans included a landscaped area behind a "fountain wall of water" falling into a shallow pool. Katsura Trees (also known as Temple Tree or Pagoda Tree), which are highly favored in Japan and often used in Japanese Gardens, lined the sidewalk behind the pool. A flowering cherry tree -- with wide spreading branches -- created welcome shade and a branching pattern to view the year around. The women's room was named the Martha Room and the patio outside the Martha Room was a memorial area, since memorials made possible the construction and plants. The patio was designed to be viewed at eye level from inside while sitting in the Martha Room and looking out. The cedar planter on the patio contains a Spider Leaf Japanese Maple which is a memorial planting -- especially colorful each fall. The lava sculpture, weathering on a pedestal in the patio area, is also a memorial. Since the patio is now also used by pre-school children with their trikes and wagons, the pool has become a planter and the area continues to evolve as "the church beside the campus" continuing to serve the church and the community.
"Church Fire of 1935" from an Interview with Steve Besse
by Barbara Potter
It was April 9, 1935, eleven years after we had marched so proudly and joyfully to our new church building. I lived about twelve blocks away from the church, up on 21st and a block off Monroe. I was a member of the Boy Scout troop that met in the church, and we'd had a meeting that night. Later, I was home and sound asleep when my cousin, who was living with us and going to college, woke me up and said she heard crackling noises. We looked out and could see smoke and flames toward the downtown area, but we didn't know where it was. We got dressed and said we'd go see where the fire was and what was happening. My mother decided not to go. My cousin and I were so excited we ran down Monroe Street, but a block and a half from the church we stopped. We were shocked to see that i t was our church that was burning. We couldn't believe it. We walked in a daze down to the church and stayed for an hour or so. The fire burned so fast that before the fire department was able to control it, most of the roof and the beautiful oak ceiling in the sanctuary were destroyed, as well as part of Wesley Hall and the educational rooms beneath. The crackling sound that had wakened us was the shingles on the roof popping. We went home and told Mother that the church had just burned. Her response was, "Oh the Boy Scouts!" That thought had crossed my mind too but not as quickly. It was not the Boy Scouts who started the fire. I think it had something to do with the furnace, but no one was completely sure. Everyone was horrified at the loss of our beautiful building. I was especially sad that the beautiful windows were lost. [There is a memorial plaque on the fireplace in the scout room, behind a closet door that reads "Bill Besse 'A Good Scout' 1917-1931". Bill was Steve's older brother.]
"Memories from Wheeler Calhoun" by Wheeler Calhoun
I joined the UMC as an associate member in November, 1936. I became a full member in 1945 after I returned from military service in World War II. While a student at OSU, I attended the Wesley Foundation functions, all in our church building. This included Sunday school class taught by Dr. Duback, dean of men at OSU. He was a dynamic teacher of one hundred students. The library lounge was the class room. Every Friday night over one hundred students enjoyed games, dancing, and conversation in Wesley Hall. Sybil Tucker was our talented and gregarious leader of the Wesley Foundation for ten to twelve years. The students prepared our worship service with attendance of fifty students for Sunday night. At the end of my four years of college there were as many as thirty couples, Wesley students, who fell in love and were married. I became a Sunday school teacher when my daughters were in the primary grades. I spent twenty seven years in youth work teaching and counseling of seventh, eighth, ninth, and senior high students. I served as Junior high Superintendent of youth too. I went to many Junior and Senior retreats and conferences. I also served as Dean of Experimental Camp at Suttle Lake. I served at the conference level on Camping Committee for three years. During those years of youth work I served as a member of the Council of Ministries. After I resigned from the youth work I served as Church School Superintendent for four years. Jean and I were among the first members of the "Young Adult" social group and we changed our name to the "39ers". This started about fifty years ago. Most of you know that I'm an OSU Agriculture Professor and spent six years in Ecuador, Iran, and Thailand. Because of these experiences I was asked to serve as Chairperson of the Mission Commission. Fern and I have been going to Arizona every winter for ten years and are associate members of Mesa Red Mountain Methodist Church.
"Reflections"
by Bonney Williams
In 1937 I transferred from Scripps to OSC. I was from South Pasadena. I started attending the Methodist Episcopal Church and became an Affiliate Member (student membership at that time). Immersed myself in Wesley Foundation activities, including meetings, parties, teas, and the student Sunday School Class (over 100 members) taught by U.G. Dubach. Wesley Foundation was the best dating service around. Lots of nice boys to meet. That's where I met Dick (Richardson). I was in charge of the Tuesday Afternoon Teas; Dick was in charge of the Friday Evening Parties. After one event I was cleaning up at the kitchen sink. Dick came up behind me, pushed something into the sink and I got soaked. I simply said, "For that you have to walk me home." We became an "item". Students have lots of energy. Foundation Director Sybil Tucker and Pastor Dan Stevens channeled that energy in creative ways. Just one illustration: Easter Sunrise Services were held on the Campus Student Union steps. One year Bishop Bruce Baxter was the speaker. Behind him was a living tableau. I was Mary Magdalene and I had to kneel motionless at the Tomb for 45 minutes. After graduation and marriage in 1940, we briefly lived in Cleveland where Dick had a job. Prompted by my mother's death and a transfer for Dick, we then moved to Southern California for a few years. We returned to Corvallis in 1944 and graduated from Affiliate Membership to "official" members of the now Methodist Church. Dick started teaching at OSC, eventually becoming Departmental Chairman of the General Engineering Department. Through the years Dick held many church offices. He was Lay leader, Chairman of Boards and Committees, and was Building Committee Chairman for the construction of the new Educational Wing in 1956. I participated in the W.S.C.S., was Leader of a Circle, taught 5th grade Sunday School, took on responsibilities such as the Mother-Daughter Banquets (once over 300 ladies were present), and raised four children in the Church programs. For many years I was the Corvallis Telephone Representative for Goodwill, our Methodist outreach. I recorded the calls from people during the week. Each Monday I directed the driver to the different addresses to pick up clothing and other items to be delivered to Portland. Many years at First (United) Methodist Church have seen many changes. They have been changes in programs, changes in the building (I still miss the stained glass window at the front of the Sanctuary which the fire destroyed), lots of changes in Ministers! I don't usually like change, but one constant for me is the picture of Jesus, that hangs in the Main Entry of the Church. I grew up with that picture. I was born in Japan of Methodist Missionary parents. The artist was a member of my Father's Bible Class in Japan over 80 years ago.
"Frank Mariner - Memories"
from an Interview with Frank Mariner
by Marian Veley
Frank was a freshman at OAC (Oregon Agricultural College, now known as Oregon State University) in 1936, where he attended for over four years to learn about farming and agriculture. He remembers Rev. Debbie Pitney's father-in-law, Jim Pitney, when he was a vice president of Wesley Foundation. Frank often went to the Wesley Foundation Friday night parties at the church. "We weren't allowed to dance in the church. They were what were called folk games which included the Virginia Reel." Sybil Tucker led the Wesley Foundation which was in the church, not at a separate building. There usually were about 20 to 30 students who attended. "We were a closely knit group," he says. "In good weather the students would stay together at the Boy Scout cabin at Camp Cone near Mary's Peak. My parents would often stay overnight as chaperones."
Frank has a news clipping from a 1940 Oregonian with the following caption: Oregon State College, Corvallis, June 15 (Special) -- The "pathway from the campus to the church" shown here has produced these three men this spring for the Methodist ministry. Kiyoshi Yumibe, Hood River, and Clark Enz, Corvallis, have been granted local preachers' licenses by the First Methodist church, and Harold Huff, Beaverton, was recommended to the forthcoming annual conference to be received on trial. Yumibe will enter Pacific School of Theology to prepare for ministry among American Japanese, and Huff will enter Garett Biblical institute this fall. Enz has one more year in college. All three are products of the Wesley Foundation student center here.
Frank pointed out an article in "The Wesleyan" newsletter from November 14, 1941, that mentions a "clank, clank" from the steam radiators. It interrupted the Wednesday night Wesley Vespers service.
Frank remembers OAC Dean of Men, Dr. Dubach teaching the college Sunday school class. "I got a job at Wagners restaurant washing dishes Saturday night, two bits an hour. I got home from work about 4am and came to Sunday school at 10am looking as bright eyed as possible, but you wasn't foolin' the dean, who asked where I was last night."
"Daniel W. Stevens was minister when I was a freshman", recalls Frank. "When war broke out he was called by the Military to be chaplain at Fort Lewis. Rev. Bunch was shifted from Forest Grove to our church in Corvallis."
Frank drove materials from Corvallis to Camp Magruder for construction projects. "This was war time and because I was a farmer I had all kinds of stamps to get gasoline. One time at the camp, they parked on both sides of the road. I wanted to leave before the rest of the crowd and had to have a man on both sides of the truck to help me squeeze through." Once Frank met with Dr. Magruder in Portland to pick up some hard mattresses and foot lockers from war surplus. He recalls that, "Some would complain about hard nights on those mattresses."
In more recent years Frank is remembered for performing his famous "Egg and Broom Trick" at the Labor Day weekend Magruder Follies. He is fond of the picture that Linda Meyers took of this event. He points at the expressions on the kids faces and laughs, remembering, Rev. Debbie Pitney thinking how she would catch the egg.
"I Remember: Art Hughes"
by Ann Lincoln
I worked with Art Hughes on the Memorials Committee and on the Board of Trustees and always appreciated his engineering expertise. Art was a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Oregon State University. He was also a professional engineer who had a consulting business after he retired from Oregon State. For decades he was the only church member who understood the complicated steam heating system in the church. With each remodeling and each building addition, there were modifications of one kind or another to the heating system. Art was the one who "babied" the intricate controls to keep the church warm. Art was also the person who checked on the sump pump when flood waters threatened in our church basement. Art volunteered to take responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the motor and pump that controlled the water fall on the Martha Room patio. Art was also a Boy Scout Executive and led a scout troop for retarded boys -- he had a special feeling for them, and they for him. Art has been gone from our midst for several years but we still think, "ART WILL KNOW"! [Arthur D. Hughes was Scoutmaster of Troop 2 from 1940 to 1943]
"I Remember: Beulah Carlson"
by Ann Lincoln
Beulah Carlson served as half-time youth director at the Corvallis Methodist Church during World War II. She, with the assistance of the Sunday School Superintendent, created a popular, effective youth program. Following the war, the church began planning for the challenges of the second hundred years and they invited a young minister from the California conference, Rev. Dan Walker, to lead them in their growth. His suggestion was to hire an associate minister who could have preaching responsibilities as well as the youth program. After her time as half-time youth director, Beulah devoted herself to helping her husband in their furniture business and also gave of her time to women's society activities. Later in life Beulah and her husband, Ted, organized the monthly meetings of the Sunday Noon Club. It was a potluck held on the last Sunday of the month -- immediately following the 11 a.m. church service. Beulah rationalized that one's food budget may be minimal at the end of the month and sharing what one has would be a fun experience! At first the Sunday Noon Club was primarily for senior citizens but it came to be popular with other ages too. The program and unhurried atmosphere were important to this once a month affair. After many years, the health of Beulah and Ted required them to limit their activity and the Sunday noon potluck ceased. I always admired the way Beulah faced her last years -- after the death of her husband -- always meeting challenges head-on. She was a "people" person, loved to entertain, was a wonderful cook, and when she was limited in these activities, she decided to go to the Country Kitchen (a restaurant on 9th street) each morning about 10 a.m.. She walked from her apartment on 15th street -- even using a walker when she deeded walking assistance. Her friends and even just nodding acquaintances often met her there -- to have breakfast or just coffee. Many people would be inclined to sit at home and feel sorry for themselves -- but not Beulah. A wonderful Christian lady who bridged the decades from our first century into the second!
"High School Youth - late 1940's"
by Barbara Weber
I grew up in the Corvallis Methodist Church. My name was Barbara Burtner, but you know me today as Barbara Weber. When I was young, camps were the big deal. I went to one at Silver Creek Falls in Junior High, and then there was Youth Camp at Magruder. At the end of Magruder, there would be a campfire in the fire pit ring; you'd pick up a stick on the grounds, and when you felt the spirit moving, you'd put the stick in the fire as a prayerful offering to symbolize your commitment, sort of, "this is what I hope to do." Or an, "I remember" something about camp. You'd write yourself a letter telling about your commitment or things you remembered, and these would be mailed to you by the camp staff several months later, after Christmas. Our church's Magruder Weekend in those days was a planning conference for the year; all the church commissions and boards would get together. There were fun times too, and everybody helped with KP, but serious planning was the main event. I used to attend Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) on Sunday evenings in the late 1940's. Before it was called MYF, it was called Epworth League; it might have been Epworth League when my brother Bob was in high school. It didn't become UMY until after 1968 when we merged with the EUB church to become the United Methodist Church. There wasn't as much going on in the church as there is today so usually MYF was the only thing happening in the building on Sunday night. We met at 6:30 in what is now the choir room, and we often used the fireplace. A table with a cross stood in front of the fireplace, and there was a piano on one side. We would begin with a worship service each time. There was lots of singing, not just hymns, but spirituals like "Dry Bones." One of my favorites that we often sang was "I Would Be True." Sometimes we'd have a program. Maybe someone would give a talk, based on a Bible verse, and be judged, and we'd enter these talks in competitions with other churches and advance to higher levels. The talks were inspirational - to help you to be good. We had lots of exchanges with other churches including Hughes Memorial Church in Portland, a black church. Marilyn Whaley came from that church and gave us a talk about being black in America, which was a real eye-opener to me because there weren't any blacks in Corvallis then. Beulah Carlson was our advisor; she was a good jolly sort, and we called her "Coach." There were maybe a dozen high school kids there, sometimes more; we were always trying to recruit people. We'd play games like Musical Chairs or Winkum; it was very exciting when a boy winked at you. Sometimes we'd do some folk dancing or square dancing. And there was always a snack at the end of the evening. I think "Coach" usually brought the food. She was a very good cook. Only 1 or 2 kids could drive, so they used to take turns taking everybody home, packing kids into the car. The place on 53rd where the road goes under the railroad overpass wasn't paved and was often full of water that splashed all over the car, so we called it "Hudson's Bay." At MYF meetings, "Coach" would give lectures when we weren't behaving, but we all liked her very much. It was always impressed on us that we were supposed to help people and be of service. We should obey our parents and be good.
"39ers"
by Ann Lincoln
I remember when Dr. Earl Litwiller's Sunday School Class partitioned a part of the furnace room so we could have a place to meet. We also laid tile, painted walls, hung curtains for better sound -- all of this activity to get a room in which to meet each Sunday morning. The year was 1947. I believe this group was the nucleus for what became the 39ers -- a monthly potluck social group. We met in homes for the potluck dinners until most homes couldn't accommodate the size of the group any longer. Then we moved to the Martha Room and the room across the hall -- using both rooms, one room for dinner and the other room for the program. Eventually the table and chair set-up, making and serving coffee and tea plus the clean-up proved to be too much for many of the members so the request came to vote for a change! The men of the group hated to see the potluck abandoned because they maintained "it was the best potluck in town"! The women were the most vocal in their vote to go to North's Chuck Wagon on 9th Street -- continuing on the second Wednesday of the month. Members who have moved away from Corvallis have urged our group to continue to meet -- it is important for the fellowship and support we give each other. The 39ers social group began in 1947 and several of the charter members still attend after 51 years.
"Minister: Daniel D. Walker"
by Ann Lincoln
Dan Walker was our first minister as we began the second 100 years -- he came in 1948. I was especially impressed with his organizing and planning. He liked to spend time each summer deciding on his sermon titles for the coming year. He created a file of 52 manila folders, one folder for each Sunday, placed the title of the sermon for that particular date -- then during the year as he found ideas, articles, poems, etc. that applied to that topic he would add it to the appropriate file. On Monday morning when he began to think of the sermon for the week, he could open the file and be pleasantly surprised when it contained help for the sermon he was preparing for the up-coming Sunday. I don't know if he ever opened the file and found nothing.
"Parsonage at 555 Jackson"
by Ann Lincoln
I remember when we bought the house at 555 Jackson. Dan and Virginia Walker came to Corvallis in 1948. They and their 4 children loved the house and even the location near 6th street -- with the trains rumbling by -- even at night. Washington School was also nearby, proved to be a wonderful neighborhood school for the Walker family. Another plus for the Walker family was having Mae and Barney Carlson (County Boy Scout Chairman) as backdoor neighbors. This house truly was a parsonage. Virginia organized a young mothers group that met monthly in the parsonage; new members were entertained and felt welcomed to the church; "old" members were entertained in small groups and the youth were included in parsonage activities also. I remember helping paint the exterior of the parsonage when the Rev. W. O. Walker family lived in it. Scaling the ladder, (the house seemed tremendously tall), was only one of the challenges. I do recall that the house had some outstanding features: It had a good traffic pattern with a front hall and 2 stairways to the bedrooms (I grew up in a house with that convenience -- especially when one entertains). A large living room with fireplace and adjacent study plus a large separate dining room, and I shouldn't forget the large front porch -- which may be coming back in style! I can remember hoping we could sell the parsonage since the needs of the different ministers are so different (family size, age, etc.), but when the Burtners were appointed to the Corvallis Methodist Church, even though their children were grown, expressed a desire to live at 555 Jackson. So we kept the parsonage a while longer.
"The Methodist Smorgasbord"
by Ann Lincoln
A unique money-making and fellowship-creating idea was introduced to our church by Dr. Ray Balcom in the 1950's. (My recollection is that he brought the novel idea from the Methodist Church in Medford). I recall that one of the main ideas was for the church to buy the food -- even including packages of jello for the salads. Much of it then was prepared at home after the "cooks" had collected the ingredients form the church supply. They prepared salads, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, etc. at home and brought them to the church at a specified time -- ready for the serving table. The church rented extra refrigerators for the two dinner days so the salads and other perishables were kept safely. One activity that was done at the church (in a quantity amount) was boiling dozens and dozens of eggs and "deviling" them, the filled egg halves were placed on trays where they waited in the refrigerator until needed on the serving table. (They were a popular Smorgasbord food.) People doing scalloped potatoes, got a bag of potatoes and a large baking pan at the church, then did the actual preparation at home. At the specified time they brought the hot potatoes to the church for serving. It was the same procedure with baked beans, turkey, ham, etc. It was truly a big operation for a few days each year but with each person doing one small job, it worked! Men were delighted to carve turkey, slice ham and serve salmon at the smorgasbord table; the youth helped with set-up, clean-up, pouring coffee and tea and generally waiting on diners; and women who prepared food at home were responsible for one food at one particular time during the dinners. The secret was to give everyone a job and if they did their little part it wasn't a hardship. Many people did the same job every year and knew how to do it and seemed to enjoy it! Activity in Corvallis began in earnest when the University year opened each fall and October proved to be a perfect time to have the Smorgasbord. It was a chance for new and old members of the church to work together and thereby get better acquainted. So, many members felt a real part of the church after helping with the annual event. The Smorgasbord was always beautifully done -- even having a candlelight dining room and was a dinner that the entire community anticipated. Alas -- I'm not sure if it was lack of a willing chairman or if the County Health Department restrictions entered the picture but a great annual event for our church became history!
"Raymond Balcomb"
by Ann Lincoln
Ray Balcomb was a Bible scholar, a Lincoln memorabilia collector, and clever in coming up with attention-getting sermon titles. A favorite stewardship sermon was "Don't Cut The Buttons Off", which he confessed he borrowed/stole from another ministerial colleague (perhaps it was Rev. Earle Riddle, a former Wesley Foundation Director in Corvallis). I recall that Ray had a tradition of "Repeat Sermon" -- one Sunday a year. The congregation voted on the sermon that they wished to hear a second time! The most votes won.
"Hazel Balcomb"
by Ann Lincoln
Hazel Balcomb (Mrs. Ray Balcomb) organized the first cooperative pre-school in our church about 40 years ago. Hazel was trained in young children's educational activities and could see a need in our church and the community for enriching the lives of little children in their very formative early years. A cooperative meant that parents were involved in the daily operation of the school. The program carried on even through Hazel moved to Portland when her husband, Ray, became minister of First Methodist Church there.
"Bubbles and Giggles"
by Sharon Calhoun
Bernice Balcomb ("Bubbles") and I were friends in high school. One Sunday she and I were sitting in the balcony and got the giggles. You know how bad the acoustics are in the sanctuary? Well I guess we didn't. Dr. Balcomb was preaching his sermon, in the middle of it he stopped and asked us girls to please keep quiet. Being teenagers and being focused on that way left us feeling so utterly embarrassed, plus a multitude of other feelings, too, I'm sure. I'm sure there were other people there who are still in our congregation but who don't remember the incident as vividly as we (or I) do because it was so devastating to me at the time. I'm glad the service wasn't yet being broadcast over the radio!
"Necia Buck Memorial Library"
by Grace Rozendal, June 1968
Revised February 1978 (typed by jb)
It was in 1949-50, when Mrs. Ted (Beulah) Carlson was president of the Women's Society of Christian Service, that she had an idea. What was the idea? It was that books belonging to the Society be gathered together and made available for use by the women or anyone wishing to read them. So it was that a small book shelf was found and placed in the former Martha Room (the present Library-Lounge). Mrs. Carlson asked Mrs. Necia Buck, a lady always interested in books and a great reader herself, if she would take on the responsibility of organizing the books and be the Society's Librarian. This duty she eagerly accepted and the nucleus of our present church library was thus developed. In June of 1950 the first $25.00 was budgeted for the library. Little by little, the members of the Society donated books upon appeals from Mrs. Buck, and the book shelf filled. So much so that a few years later two book cases were built, costing $50.00. These were placed in the hallway by the Eleventh Street entrance. When the building project took place in 1956, the books were stored away and the book cases were placed, one in the study of Wesley Foundation and the other in the study of the Minister of Education, Rev. Kenneth Mitchell. Plans in the building program included the Library-Lounge that we have in our church today. Open House for the Educational Wing and Library-Lounge was held March 24, 1957. Mrs. Buck foresaw growth of a library and was disappointed when upon completion, book shelves were constructed only along the east wall of the Lounge. At that time there seemed little need for more shelf space than the one side. In the spring of 1957 Mrs. Buck asked Mrs. Peter H. Rozendal to serve on her library committee and to be responsible for classifying the books according to a standard system. Previous to that time a committee chosen to help Mrs. Buck included Mrs. Orra Kuhlman, Mrs. Harriet Jones, Mrs. Ted Carlson, and Mrs. Lyle Layman. Books were organized and classified by accession. By this method each book was given a number and recorded according to that number. As additional copies of one book were donated, they would have different numbers and would be placed in different sections of shelves. Four books of one title and author might be found in four separate places. Mrs. Rozendal began classification under the Dewey Decimal system. The Methodist Publishing Company, upon request for aid in classification, sent materials and a copy of their standard system for church libraries. Much help was given by the Corvallis Public Library. Mrs. Layman, Mrs. Dean Dorsey and Mrs. Beulah Richards spent many hours typing cards for the files. It was a time-consuming task. Appeals for books were made by all members of the committee and the library began to grow rapidly. Many people donated; some gave many volumes. With the passing of Mrs. Necia Buck on September 9, 1960, Mrs. Rozendal became Librarian. It was at this time that the name of Librarian was changed to Library Coordinator by our minister, Dr. Raymond Balcomb. This change made the Library responsible to the Education Commission and not to the Official Board. By way of explanation, previous to this time the Women's Society had given over their responsibility for the Library to the Official Board of the church. With growth and development, a larger budget was needed, so it became the Church Library. During the pastorate of Rev. Chester Earls, Education Minister, the Church School Library was transferred to the Church Library. There was reclassification of books once again, with much time and effort being spent on this task. It was at this time also that the budget included money for purchase of new books for the first time. Bishop A. Raymond Grant became much interested in our library early in its development. He donated some 75 or more books from his personal collection during the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Daniel Walker, and about that many more during Rev. James McCobb's pastorate. In May 1960, dedication of the Library in honor of Mrs. Necia Buck was observed by church members at Sunday services. It became known as the Necia Buck Memorial Library. In September 1961 the fireplace appointments in the Library-Lounge were given in her memory, also. In 1963 Mrs. Rozendal gave up her duty as Library Coordinator but continued the work of classification and cataloging of books. A year later, Mrs. Marleau Harris became Librarian. Members of the Library Committee included Education Minister Rev. John Wood, Mrs. Rozendal, Mrs. Dean Bruce, Mrs. Steve Roberts and Mrs. Ella Smith. On June 1, 1967, Mrs. Bruce became Library Coordinator. Mrs. Rozendal and Edward Brazee and Rev. John Wood served on the Committee. At the present time, [1978] Library Committee members include Rev. Bob Burtner, Mrs. Rozendal and Mariol Peck. At the end of 1977 Library holdings included over 5100 books, and about 40 phonograph records.
"Len Weber's Memories"
by Len Weber
When asked about some of the memories I have about our experiences in this church, one of the first things which came to mind was a common Sunday morning event for Barbara and I. We had returned to Corvallis in 1954 after living in New Jersey for two years. We had a nine-month old daughter then, Sharon, and we always brought her to church. The nursery was very important to us. As she grew a little older, I remember her playing in the sand box in the nursery room and having much fun. That box was located just about where the office secretaries have their desks now. All of that space was for the little children, and the office space was directly upstairs next to Wesley Hall. Sharon was well taken care of by the folks who worked in the nursery. We hope all the folks who help in the nursery areas know that they will be remembered years and years after those little children are grown up. The next thing which came to mind as I thought back over the years were the facilities which we had at that time for church school rooms and youth evening meetings. The current educational wing had not been built then. To the north of the main building then were three houses along 11th street. They were used for Sunday School classes for the younger age school children. Since they were old buildings, we could use only the downstairs rooms for classrooms: usually the living room. The house on the corner of 11th and Jackson was used for the youth meetings on Sunday evenings. When the building of the new Educational wing was started in 1956, one of those houses was moved. I don't recall whether the others were moved or torn down. The new wing was completed in 1957. I remember we had lots of people in the congregation then. On Easter that year there were three services with 2,167 in attendance and there were 551 in church school that day. Most amazing!
In 1955, Dan Walker, our pastor, asked me to be Church School Youth Division Superintendent. I didn't feel I knew enough about church school work to accept this position, but Dan was very persuasive. I said yes. It worked out OK and proved to be interesting. My memory is a little foggy on this, but I think the youth division was 7th, 8th and 9th graders at that time. I taught the 7th graders then and found them to be just great. They were old enough to be interesting people and young enough not to be so sophisticated that they wouldn't participate in class. Well, that is almost true.
The format for the Sunday morning church school classes for the youth was to have an opening session with all three classes. We met in the large top floor room on the west side of the new educational wing. There were folding doors which split the room into three smaller classrooms. We would open the session with hymn singing and general information for the youngsters. They did pretty well with the singing and since the session was relatively short, they didn't fidget too much. One Sunday we finished the opening session, the chairs were rearranged and the two folding doors were closed to make the three classrooms. My seventh graders were closed off in the northern most room. Of course, I was a very stimulating teacher of this class of about 15 to 20 youngsters. Part way through the class I noticed that one of the boys I recalled seeing earlier was not in the room. I thought, "That is odd, I'm sure he was here when we were having the hymn sing." His name was Guy, the son of Cal and Beth Monroe. The Monroes were loyal supporters of the church until they died. There was nothing I could do to find the boy then, so I continued on with our class. A little later I heard some rustling over by the windows. There was a long cupboard that was about window high on that side. Then I heard some more rustling and this time I located it as coming from inside the cupboard. If it was a mouse, it must have been a big one. Not being afraid of mice, I went over to the cupboard, opened the door, and guess what I found? It was the missing Monroe youngster. He had been quiet as long as he could and then didn't know what to do about his situation and had been squirming. He came out with a funny look on his face and then sat quietly in class the rest of the hour. I thought to myself, "Well, so much for being a stimulating teacher of seventh graders. They will do anything to get out of listening to me." Really, now they were a grand bunch and so was this youngster. He grew up to be a fine citizen. Moral of the story is this. Be a church school teacher even if you aren't sure you can do that. You will rise to the occasion. You will have fun, help youngsters grow up and store away many happy memories to be recalled as your hair turns gray.
Barbara and I have had so many wonderful experiences in our church and feel fortunate that we have been able to work there, sing together in the choir for some twenty seven years, and be stimulated and supported by our many friends in the congregation. We have enjoyed and much appreciated the inspiration and leadership which the ministers have given us since 1950 when I first started attending this church with Barbara. We have been away from Corvallis five of those years but have always looked forward to our return to the First United Methodist Church of Corvallis.
"This Big, Old Church Building" by Judy Jaquith
I love this big, old church building. I have felt comfortable in it almost from the first time we came here twenty-nine years ago. That doesn't mean I could find my way around or even knew where whole rooms were from the very beginning. I don't want to tell you how long it was before I discovered the church office behind those pleated doors of the Library Lounge! Those doors were closed on Sundays and when I was here mid-week it was for WSCS (Women's Society of Christian Service - the forerunner of UMW) which was in the Martha Room and that lower level so I never saw them open. The first time I saw it all lighted up with people working in it I could hardly imagine where it had come from. I do remember one time that I was not comfortable in the church. One evening we had finished a CPBL (Corvallis Program for Biblical Literacy) class and everyone had gone home but the minister, Bob Burtner, and me. I told him I would stay to finish putting away the materials. He said he was going up to his office and asked if I were sure I would be all right. "Of course," I said. Well, the sound of his footsteps walking away had barely faded when I began to hear other sounds. This is, after all, an old building, and it began to do what old buildings do: make noises. I think I lasted all of three minutes before I grabbed my belongings, ran down the hall, and called up the stairs to him, "Bob, I think I'll just go home now after all." From then on CPBL materials were put away at a later daytime. Being in this building often reminds me of the people who have used it before me. I remember when Neva Otto was the church secretary (this was after I found the church office). She was extremely efficient and I was sometimes a bit intimidated by her. Shirley Kingsbury, Carol Walker, and I were working on the WSCS rummage sale when we spotted an unusual donation: an adult sized pink bunny rabbit suit. Shirley coaxed Carol into trying it on, and then Carol grabbed me and the two of us went upstairs to the church office where pink-suited Carol asked Neva Otto to please phone Carol's pastor husband, Bill, and tell him that she was about to send someone up to his office. I was shocked that Carol would dare to ask this of the efficient secretary, but Neva phoned Bill and told him he was about to have a visitor. When he asked the identity of the visitor, she (Neva Otto!) hung up on him. Carol and I climbed the stairs (no elevator then), I opened the door, and bunny rabbit Carol took a running jump and slid across the slippery top of his big desk. They met nose to nose and it was a sight to see! Ted and Beulah Carlson were stalwart members of this church when we first came to Corvallis. About a year after that my husband, Glenn, and I were in charge of planning his parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration. I didn't have a clue what to do, but Neva Otto told me that the Carlsons had recently celebrated their golden anniversary and I should phone Beulah. I was afraid Beulah would ask me what kind of upbringing I had had that I didn't know how to entertain for such an occasion, but I phoned her. Nothing would do but that I go to the Carlson home where Beulah gave me all sorts of ideas, answered all my questions, and even loaned me a gold tablecloth for the party. The festivities went beautifully, thanks to my church friend's help. It always amazes me how each of us helps the other on our faith journeys. For instance, Glenn and I were in an Advent study class one year with Mildred Albertson, in her nineties with white hair in braids wrapped around her head and little granny glasses. This former missionary of course shared theological insights, but one of the best helps she gave was during a discussion of the scripture passage telling of Mary's visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. We talked about the fact that Mary would have walked there and wondered about it. Mildred told us that, when she was in India and had to get from her school to another village, she walked. She told us that she could cover about twenty-two or so miles a day, depending on the terrain. Somehow the picture of Mildred hiking across the countryside in India helped make Mary's walk to see Elizabeth come alive. In another class, a Lenten study of Marcus Borg's book, Jesus: A New Vision, I met John Wager for the first time. Whenever I see him in coffee hour or greet him in the passing of the peace, the sharing that we participated in for that class is part of the warmth of our relationship. This old building has recovered from two horrible arson caused fires. That first Sunday after the 1977 fire we met upstairs in Wesley Hall. Bobbie Holsberry's Children's Choir had prepared (before the fire) a song to sing for the service. They sang We Are the Church! How appropriate! Of course, God's people are the church. Still, this old church building, dreamed of and built by people like you and me, used for all these years by more people like you and me -- and by you and me! -- has been our church; home for our community of faith. A place that allows us to meet together for worship, baptisms, meals, education, fun, weddings and memorial services. A place that allows us to make available space for people of all ages in Corvallis for things like concerts, meetings, day care, and safe shelter. Thanks to those who built it, to those who use it, and especially to God, who blesses it and us as we try to do God's work.
"Cherry Trees on Monroe"
by Ann Lincoln
The cherry trees in front of the church were planted in October of 1972. Each original planting square was a memorial planting of Akebono Flowering Cherry and a ground cover of Ceanothus Gloriosus (blue flowered in April). The cherry is a double flowering tree which grows 15 to 20 feet tall. During the past 26 years, the greatest hazard to their survival has been vandalism, sometimes so bad that replacement has been necessary. Unless care is taken in getting the original named variety of tree, differences show up dramatically in their flowering pattern. One can notice the size of trunk and realize the differences in their time on Monroe Street. The trees are becoming increasingly beautiful each spring, and although the blooming period is short, depending on weather conditions, we can almost experience a little bit of Washington, D.C. in cherry blossom time.
"Corvallis Program for Biblical Literacy" by Judy Jaquith
The vision of previous members of this congregation amazes me! Of course, the buildings they planned, paid for and worked in, are tangible reminders of that vision and dedication. The programs they designed and carried out are sometimes harder to see. I remember a story from Bob Burtner, a former member of this church and later its pastor and district superintendent. The details were fuzzy for me so I asked Bob to tell it to me again: Dr. F. A. Magruder, was a political science professor at OAC (as it was called then) who was a very active member of the Corvallis Methodist Church. He traveled widely in Europe and while there made a study of Biblical Criticism that was gaining a reputation in German and Swiss universities. It was a method of studying the Bible from an historical point of view taking into account the language used in Bible books, the historical setting of the books, etc. Magruder had a large Sunday School class in the church to which he passed along this new way of interpreting the Bible. At least one member of his class testified that Magruder had "saved" the Bible for him - he found he could now read it with some understanding. This was a time when the literal interpretation was pretty much taken for granted as the only way to view the Bible. Biblical Criticism was looked upon nearly as heresy in some church circles at that time. That, basically, is the story.---------------Robert W. Burtner
The reason I found this so interesting is that we currently have an adult Bible study program in our church which uses, among others, the methods that Dr. Frank Magruder first used all those years ago. In 1973 our church's Adult Ministries Council, chaired by Bob Layton, decided that Bible study for adults should be a major emphasis for this church. After extensive research they concluded that our church could best be served by a program designed and written just for us. The Council on Ministries and then the Administrative Board agreed. Thus was The Corvallis Program for Biblical Literacy (CPBL) begun. I have worked with this program since 1973 as we designed it, produced it, and have used it all these years. It's a class designed to give the class participants an experience which would provide a basis for life-long Bible study. Many classes have graduated, much friendship generated, and a lot of Bible study accomplished over the years. It's been a joy to work with the program. Along with hard work has come fun, fellowship, a sharing of beliefs and a new-found fascination with the scriptures for many, including me! Just when I think that I know all about, for instance, the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis, I find some new insights that make me go back to read it again with fresh eyes. Now those snippets of the Bible that we hear read and preached about each Sunday during worship have come alive. That is because I know much about the context from which they are taken. I have learned when they were first passed along by oral tradition or written tradition, why they were written and for whom, how they got passed down to later times. With that as background, I have been able to decide for myself what they mean for me. The many leaders and class members along the way greatly enriched the journey. What a gift! I hope that our visions for the next 150 years are as fruitful as those of the last 150!
"My Recollections" by Marian Veley
I've been a member of the Corvallis First United Methodist Church for about twenty-two years. As I think back through those years I realize our family has been connected in many ways with the church. I remember uplifting, moving music. Almost every Sunday I am moved to tears by the words we sing in hymns or a beautiful selection sung by the choir, played on the piano or organ, or a special vocal or instrumental solo. I remember my husband Bill singing in the Folk Choir and playing his coronet on many occasions, especially at Easter. I am often moved by the words of the ministers in their sermons. I have always enjoyed seeing the familiar faces of those in my church family. I may not see most of the people during my week, but on Sundays I am comfortable and pleased to see and talk to many. Our sons Alexander and Zachariah grew up in this church. They both received their Bibles when they were in the third grade. I taught church school many years. I think of the children I knew who were my sons' ages. I wonder how they are and what they are doing. Many of their families have moved on to other communities or churches. Sadly, some of the parents don't attend church anymore. Several times I took Alex and his friends to church camp at Camp Magruder. I can see in my mind Alex and Zach, in different years, playing in the bell choir directed by their piano teacher Jean Proctor and her sister Joan Gathercoal. I see Alex acting and singing in his four armed long sleeved T-shirt in a musical directed by Sally McBride. Alex and Zach enjoyed the years that Francis Lawrence and Bill and Ellen Ford were their church school teachers. They were especially happy when they got a break from my teaching! Halloween parties organized by Dorothy Hyde were really fun. After playing some great games we turned the lights down low and Earnie Bell told a Halloween story he'd written about a cat. We were all directed to help with sound effects. Our family got to know a few other families and individuals a lot better through "family cluster" meetings that we participated in for a number of weeks when Zach was very young. The week after Zach was born we attended church services in Wesley Hall, due to the fire in the sanctuary. I had been fighting a terrible sinus infection for several months. Dr. West had instructed me to wear a surgical mask around the baby, just in case. He seemed to be very surprised when I wore the mask to church! "Sardines" was a favorite game of our sons when they attended United Methodist Youth meetings. Both Alex and Zach were Scouts in Troop 2. Both of them worked their way to Eagle Scout. J.J. Jones was their Scout Master. Bill was also the Scoutmaster for three years followed by Mike Wyse. Karen Slotta asked me to design a drawing on plywood. The church school children took all summer gluing tiles on top of the drawing. The mosaic at the end of the north main floor hall is the result of their efforts. Alex, now 25 years old and living in Seattle, Washington, doesn't attend a church currently. He told me recently he was missing being a part of a church. He said, "where else does one have the opportunity to get to know people of all ages?" Alex's life presently is filled with people mostly of his age. There are many other people that gave and give their talents to our church. I'm so grateful for all of you. Attending this church helps me feel I belong - to a church family and to Methodists and Christians all over the world. Thanks for the memories and for your caring. Thank-you very much for sharing God's love with our family.
"Our Stained Glass Windows"
by Steve Shields
(self portrait) An insight on our stained glass windows in the First United Methodist Church, Corvallis. When one attends a worship service, it would be difficult not to look at the stained glass windows inside a church. Our church has a beautiful sanctuary with large stained glass windows that are pretty to observe. The artistic illustrations on the stained glass windows are depicted from 19th-century paintings. There is a booklet, which is titled "The Life of Christ as told in Stained Glass Windows," among the church's brochures and bulletins. This booklet describes the Biblical interpretations relating to the illustrations in the stained glass windows. The congregation notices the windows on the left relate to the early years of Jesus, and the windows on the right relate to Jesus when he was a man. Bob Burtner, one of our past ministers (1976-1986), once presented a series of sermons about the stained glass windows in our sanctuary. He provided an interpretation and detail of the illustrations in the windows. Jim and Rebecca Wenger-Monroe reserved some time during services one summer to gather the children together and describe the pictures in the windows. One can only see the windows inside the sanctuary during the daylight hours. During some Christmas Eve services in the past, a floodlight outside the building illuminated the window that illustrates the nativity scene. During the winter, the sun shines on the south windows. The sunlight brightens the largest window, "Jesus in the Temple," and gradually enlightens the other south windows during the 11:00 am worship service. I believe the best window in the sanctuary is the illustration of the empty tomb as the angel informs the women of the resurrection of Jesus. Another interesting window is under the balcony. The window has two different images of Jesus: one is a shepherd with a lamb and the other is a crowned savior with a lantern ("The Light of the World"). The booklet does not note three small windows. One window shows the illustration of mother and infant child (Mary and Jesus, I believe) inside the "crying room," an enclosure recently built by volunteers. The second window can only be seen in the balcony. The right side of the window is an illustration of Jesus speaking to a woman; there is also a maidservant handling a bowl of fruit and a flask at a table in the background. The left side of the window reveals a verse: "How many a poor one's blessing went,
With thee beneath the low green tent,
Whose curtain never outward swings."
Under the verse is a design in the shape of a chalice with different colors. The third window is a set of three windows in the lobby. Two of the windows are pictures of lilies. The third window provides and inscription in memory to John Stewart, an Oregon pioneer. It is interesting to see the sun shine in the afternoon and brighten the windows in the lobby. The front cover of the booklet shows a stained glass window that no longer exists. It was the largest window, but it was not restored after the fire damaged the sanctuary in May 1977. I have a small memory of the window that illustrated Jesus preaching "The Sermon on the Mount." This window was behind the altar and above the choir's section. The stained glass window that is above the organ has been in its place since August 1980. The design resembles the image inside a kaleidoscope. I look at this window every Sunday, and I found a pattern in this design. I always believed the tinted colors of red, pink, yellow, and orange at the bottom of the window to represent the earth. The blue and violet colors in the middle of the window appears to be the sky. I see a cross among multiple colors with a white background at the top section. In theory, this top section appears to represent a holy place. The sun shines through the multi-colored window above the organ, especially during the spring and summer. Like holding a glass prism to the light, the light from the sun projects colors on the wall. Once I photographed the angel in the resurrection illustration covered in various colors projected from the window above the organ. I enjoy a time to stand in the empty sanctuary during a sunny afternoon. The sun shines through the windows to provide daylight in the sanctuary without turning on the lights above. I feel the best designed buildings in a community are churches and libraries. Libraries are an example of achievement and progress in a modern society. The church has a beautiful design to reveal tradition and the ability to preserve its heritage. A paragraph in the booklet notes: "In our own sanctuary, we have both beauty and
strength, The beauty is free for the taking; we may
accept it freely, just for the looking. It is cheerful,
pleasing, and gives glamour to our place of worship.
Beauty has endured because it has strength, and
when we search for that strength, we discover that
we must study to find it."
"Methodist Voices May 31, 1977 and Afterwards"
by Barbara Potter
From a letter I wrote to my parents in early June 1977: "We had kind of a different church service this morning, but in spite of an assortment of hymnbooks, a borrowed small organ, folding chairs in the upstairs social hall of the church, and a sermon for Trinity Sunday which 'explored many mysteries, but not the mystery of the Trinity,' the congregation was enthusiastic and supportive. We could only wish it were a summertime experiment, done for a change of pace, but unfortunately the signs telling us not to touch the soot-begrimed walls and the acrid smoke smell that permeated the entire bulding made the reason much more serious - a fire early Tuesday morning that gutted the sanctuary, destroying the pipe organ (only about six years old), severely damaging the lovely stained glass windows, and also damaging the pews (heat blisters); the fate of the lattice of ceiling beams is still uncertain, and there is smoke and water damage throughout the rest of the building. What is especially sad is that it appears to have been arson. The greatest damage occurred in the area around the altar, but the intense heat did much of the rest of the damage." This arson-caused fire occurred in the early morning of May 31, 1977. Kathy Smith heard about it at work when a colleague told her there had been a fire in a church on Monroe Avenue. "Surely," she thought, "it must have been the Baptist or Presbyterian church; it couldn't have been ours." When she learned that it was indeed the Methodist church, she put her head on her desk and cried. The day before had been the Memorial Day holiday, and nothing had been going on in the church building except a Sr. UMY ice cream party. Kathy and Rollie Smith were UMY's advisors, and Kathy began to wonder if she had turned off that big old stove in Wesley Hall. Although she was devastated to learn the fire had started in the sanctuary, she couldn't help being a little relieved that it hadn't been the stove in the Wesley Hall kitchen. While older members of the congregation recalled the images of the April 1935 fire in disbelief, Ivan Burkert decided to go take pictures. "They let people in fairly soon when they were sure things wouldn't drop on them, like the wood pineapples in the ceiling beams. I could walk right in, but the first thing I noticed was that the intense heat had blistered the varnish on the pews, even the ones in the back, under the balcony. Some of the pineapples had fallen out of their sockets and dropped onto the floor, mainly the ones near the front. Some of the pews were mashed up from debris falling on them." "The fire had started in the vestibule behind the altar. Candles were stored in the middle of the vestibule on the south side, and that's where it started. Some of the windows were blown out, and there were smoke streaks clear to the roof on the window showing the young Jesus with the elders in the temple. The organ was completely destroyed; the coverings on the keys were all curled up. The pulpit and lectern were smoke-covered, but they were able to be refinished, and I think they are the same ones we have now. I'm not sure about the ceiling beams; they were also badly scorched, and they may have had to make all new ones. The wooden beams covered the steel work, you know. I got pictures of everything - the area where the fire started, the badly charred choir pews and hymnals, the pulpit and lectern, the organ keyboard, the heat-blistered pews, windows, ceiling beams - everything! I wondered how they were ever going to fix it up." Because rebuilding couldn't begin until an insurance settlement was reached the following April, services were held upstairs in Wesley Hall for nearly two years. People who were unable to climb the stairs to the second floor watched the services on a closed-circuit TV system coordinated by Dr. Agnes Colley who taught TV production at Crescent Valley High School. On Christmas Eve, the 11 p.m. services were held at the Presbyterian Church, which held its own services earlier in the evening. We had our first service in the restored sanctuary on Palm Sunday, April 8, 1979. Insurance money covered about $750,000 of the restoration costs with the congregation having to raise an additional $250,000. It was only two or three years earlier that the trustees, at the urging of Ivan Burkert, had decided to insure the stained glass windows. Most of them were taken apart and carefully cleaned and restored at a studio in Boston. But the large Resurrection window in front was completely destroyed and had to be replaced with the lovely rose window design that we have now. Peggy Field recalls that one of the unusual experiences during the restoration was walking around on the scaffolding getting a close-up look at the woodworking being done on the ceiling. Looking at the beams that closely was fascinating, unless you looked down. "They let everybody go up. You know how flimsy it was. The kids, 2nd and 3rd graders, were running around, flying all over the place, having a ball. Nobody hanging on to them. I don't remember if the old people were able to climb up there. But there was a lot of faith in going up there. I wonder now if they'd let you do it these days. Things were looser then." The new organ was installed in 1980 and dedicated on June 22. A tracker organ, where the connection between the keyboard and the pipes is mechanical, not electrical, it was built by Fritz Noack in Georgetown, Massachusetts. Dick Field's parents lived nearby and kept a photographic record of the work. They also were able to hear it test-played there in a recital before it was disassembled, carefully packed in the "largest U-Haul truck" available and driven by Noack from Massachusetts to Oregon.
"A Very Special Christmas, 1977"
by Bill Veley
Yes, it was the first Christmas after the fire. Our son, Zachariah, was born on Monday morning, December 19, 1977. His first service in the church was Christmas Eve, just five days later. The service was held upstairs in Wesley Hall. By then we had figured out that the best arrangement for chairs was in a semi-circle facing the west wall with the minister at the center. This allowed more people in the congregation to sit near the front. I don't recall it being all that uncomfortable. I know it took a long time for the odor of the smoke to be gone, but I believe on this day there was the pungent odor of fir boughs in the air. What I do remember very clearly, is exactly where we sat and how full of joy I was to be there with my new son. That sweet memory comes back to me every Christmas time when the story of the patriarch, Zechariah, is retold.
"Issues and Ethics Class"
by Rollie Smith
The adult "Issues and Ethics" class had its genesis in the late 1970's, along with "Personal Positives" and several other classes aimed at providing an enriched adult curriculum aimed at substantially increasing adult participation in Sunday morning classes. Originally conceived as "Current Issues and Christian Ethics," it was determined early that that title was just too cumbersome and the title quickly shrunk to "Issues and Ethics" and Issues and Ethics it remained until just a few years ago, when it evolved into the Adult Forum. Early classes featured fairly in-depth looks at such issues as Corrections and Health, stretching out over many weeks. Guest speakers for the former, included Hoyt Cupp, then Superintendent, Oregon State Penitentiary, as well as local law enforcement officials and people seeking alternatives to incarceration. Health issues drew guest speakers from the Benton County Health Department, a representative of Blue Cross-Blue Shield, Good Samaritan Hospital and others. Mental Health and other social issues also received attention. Ann Lincoln recalls that an early avid participant in "Issues and Ethics" was Beryl Zondagh, a graduate student from South Africa, who, apparently, found it to be an important learning experience. Then as now, attention prior to state and local elections was focused on election-related issues and, sometimes, local candidates. Then as now, a ballot measure guide prepared by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon has helped us to bring a Christian ethics perspective to our consideration of state-wide measures.
"Personal Positives Class"
by Margaret Ewin-Grainger
Personal Positives, an adult church school class, existed between 1979 and 1994. Since it met between 10 a.m. and noon, it drew its membership from the first service, although several members came from outside groups, such as Unity Church. The class studied books of the time chosen by the members; for example, one on Meditation, John Bly's Iron John, and Sanford's Caring. The members took turns leading the discussion. The class role soon became a support group for hurting members, in addition to a study group. Several were undergoing a divorce with the trauma that brings; others suffered the death of a spouse and the great change that brings to a family. Women's return to education and a new profession brought a new role for men. The return to "regular life" by the friend of a friend gave the group a chance to shepherd a man with a long-term prison record. Finally, the group disbanded when it felt it had served its purpose for 15 years.
"Outstanding Leader: Darell Carlson"
by Bill Veley
I first became aware of our scout troop in 1984 when our oldest son Alexander was ready to move from cub scouts into boy scouts at age 11. There had never been any question but that we would participate with our own Methodist scout troop. At that time, J. J. Jones was the scoutmaster and he was very helpful in getting us started. I planned to go along with Alex for awhile to make sure that the program was being run safely. It only took me a short time to discover that this was going to be a lot of fun. J. J. gently nudged me into becoming part of the program and suggested that I should go through the basic training to find out what scouting was all about. That was when I met Darell Carlson who was serving as the Benton District Training person. He had set up regular training sessions to ensure that new adults coming into the scouting program would know what the rules were and how the program was supposed to work. Darell was very good at this job because he loved the outdoors and he believed in the methods and aims of scouting. He knew that there was no better way to teach young people the art of leadership and to help them gain a sense of responsibility, self reliance, and to grow strong Christian character. When Darell found out that I was a Methodist I believe he gave me a little extra. He brought to my attention that there was a national organization of United Methodist Scouters that had been formed to foster scouting units among our churches. He also made me aware that our scout troop was one of nearly 11,000 scouting units sponsored by United Methodist Churches nation wide. Talk about being connected! Darell stressed that, for Methodists, our scout troop was one of our most successful outreach programs, serving not only Methodist families, but all of the community. After that basic training session with Darell I was hooked. From then on, where ever my sons went in scouting I was there also. It has been most rewarding for me and my family. In 1986, I attended the Woodbadge course for adult leadership training. Darell was fighting a battle with cancer but still found the strength to visit the training session over at Camp Baker south of Florence. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my assigned patrol name was the same Owl patrol that Darell had been part of. This was very meaningful for me as he had been so inspiring when my love for scouting was being sparked. When Darell finally lost the battle with the cancer his friends and associates attended a standing room only memorial service for him in our sanctuary. I'm very sure that everyone of us had similar memories of how this strong Christian man had so influenced our lives. Darell Carlson was the scoutmaster for Troop 2 from 1976 to 1979.
"The Rainbow"
by Steve Shields
I used to spend some hours a week cleaning up the parking lot along Monroe Avenue. I picked up trash, raked leaves, and pulled weeks. I was in the parking lot one afternoon in August 1994. It was sunny with scattered clouds. Some dark clouds passed overhead and it rained. It was a short rainfall. The dark clouds drifted to the east, and the sun appeared again. The dark clouds continued to release raindrops east of Corvallis. When the sun shined from the west, a rainbow appeared in front of the clouds. This rainbow appeared as a full arch with clear and visible colors. Another rainbow appeared with a full arch and slightly visible colors. From my viewpoint in the parking lot, both rainbows stood above the church as if they spanned directly over the old tower. It was a beautiful sight to see the church with the rainbows in the background. This image lasted about fifteen minutes. I wish I had my camera, but I looked at those rainbows long enough to remember it. 
"Methodist Softball"
by Curt Cook
Our daughter Angie (who did Park and Recreation score keeping in the summers) asked why the church didn't have a softball team? I mentioned the idea to Rev. Jim Wenger-Monroe and he said, "Let's do it!" In the first year, 1994, we played in the lowest league and easily had some of the oldest players. We won about two games that year. Two people suffered career ending injuries. Joanie Stevenson hurt her shoulder throwing the ball. Rev. Rebecca Wenger-Monroe hurt her knee.
A continual problem has always been a shortage of female players because we play in a coed league.
In a couple of seasons we had a 500 winning record. We were moved up a league because we did so well.
The most important things are the fellowship and interaction between players, including meeting people you haven't met before and getting to know each other better. Certainly the score isn't the most important thing.
"Looking Back"
by Barbara Burtner Weber
It is 1935, Daddy takes me to church.
I walk into my room at Sunday School, see the small chairs, charred and black.
I cry, but Daddy says we will get new ones. The Church is being rebuilt.
We are welcomed to the Congregational Church at 8th and Madison: now the city municipal building.
I jump up and down on those steep steps leading to the doors above. It is a new adventure.
We are in a big room where the Library Lounge is now.
The chairs are in rows facing the south windows.
My dad, John Burtner, is standing up in the front directing the hymn singing with a pen or pencil like a baton.
These are the "opening exercises" before Sunday School.
We sing the hymns with joy and vigor.
I like "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name." I don't know what "ransomed or wormwood and gall or royal diadems are, but I love to repeat "and crown him lord of all" and "Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball." Daddy tells me that means the earth.
Then we all disperse to various classes.
It is a warm and friendly time.
I am sitting in the big sanctuary with my mother, Martha Burtner, and my brother, Gordon (3 1/2 years older) during worship.
My feet can barely reach the back of the pew in front of us.
I slowly let my feet slide down against the back again and again.
Mother passes us Life Savers.
Hymns I remember are "Holy, Holy, Holy," "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing," "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," "When Morning Gilds the Skies," "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy."
After Sunday School class I go to the "Cradle Roll" room where the staff offices are now.
Mother is the teacher. She loves children.
Even though I am a "big" girl, I like to play in the sand box after the toddlers get picked up by parents or brothers and sisters.
1941 - I come home after school at Harding elementary in the afternoon.
There is the smell of coffee and Mother's cinnamon coffee cake.
The ladies of the Women's Society of Christian Service circle sit in the living room, talking and laughing.
Mother says, "Come in and say 'hello,' Barbara."
Then I eat my cake and drink milk.
1945 - Mother has had an operation and is home recovering.
Dad must be away from home on Oregon State College business.
Mrs. Zeller, a friend from church and our neighbor, comes every day to see mother and help. Often she brings food.
Now we are in high school.
On Sunday mornings, our teacher is John Day, a graduate student with a family.
We meet in the Wesley Hall kitchen.
He puts a string on the board, with pins stuck at intervals to explain the time line of events in Christianity and the church.
I am fascinated by the concepts.
Mr. Day makes us want to think about life and our relationship to God.
We are in MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) in the "Friendly Room," now the choir room.
We sit in chairs facing the fireplace.
Helen Stansfield is leading us in worship.
We sing: I would be true, for there are those who trust me. I would be pure for there are those who care. I would be strong, for there is much to suffer. I would be brave, for there is much to dare. I would be friend of all, the foe, the friendless. I would be giving and forget the gift. I would be humble, for I know my weakness. I would look up, and laugh and love and lift.
This hymn is in the category DISCIPLESHIP AND WITNESS. I will always remember it.
Then our advisor, Beulah "Coach" Carlson says, "OK, kids, now we can have refreshments."
We REALLY LIKE HER! She isn't our buddy, but she understands us!
"Growing Up In The Corvallis Methodist Church"
by Betty Zeller Pitney
I, Betty Zeller Pitney, grew up with my sisters at 206 North 30th in a Dutch Colonial home that my folks built. My Mom and Dad were Free Methodist Minister's kids in Michigan and Illinois. They had moved every year or so when they were growing up, so "Our Home" was very important to them for raising their family. My sisters are Mary Zeller who lives in San Francisco; her twin sister Margaret Zeller Hayes who lives in Corvallis; and Joanne Zeller McMicken who loves in Florence, Oregon. I live in Junction City. My Mom and Dad were Sanford Myron Zeller (known as S. M. Zeller) and Ethel B. Zeller. Stories tell us that when the congregation moved from the Methodist Episcopal Church downtown to the present church that a double baby carriage led the procession with Mary and Margaret riding and Betty walking beside the carriage. It must have been a great day!
I can remember going to Sunday School and church; and a couple of my Sunday School teachers were Mrs. Vance and Mrs. Sikes. Our Sunday evening youth counselor was Mrs. Ted Carlson. Two ministers that I loved as a child; Bill Hints who picked me up and threw me into the air; Dr. Milligan who brought me a large bag of the biggest oranges that I had ever seen and a myrtlewood dish that he had made himself, when I had my appendix operation. Dr. Milligan loved working with myrtlewood, and I believe that a cross and pair of candle stick holders that he made are in the church chapel.
I have fond memories of "my church". After the first fire, my father took me to look at the burned sanctuary, and I can remember standing in awe and holding tight to my Dad's hand as we gazed at the charred surroundings, and looking up at the ceiling the acorns (as I called them) were all black and popped open. The fire was in 1935, so I was 14 years old. Thinking back, I thought I was much younger.
I went through the grades with Mary Magruder Smith, her father was Dr. F. A. Magruder for whom Camp Magruder was named. He also wrote the Civics and Government text book that we all studied in high school, and that our grand daughter, Erin Pitney, says she studies at Boise High. Many days after school, Mary and I walked home together.
My Dad was chairman of the Wesley Foundation Board for years, but when I started college he decided it was time to step down. My Mom was active in WSCS, and was treasurer for a number of years. I had very good role models to follow.
My Dad was in the Botany Department at OSC and worked in the Experiment Station on small fruit diseases. He was actually world known for his work with Gasteromycetes (under ground puff balls). It was a hobby with him. If the family went for a walk in the woods, daddy would be far behind, digging with a child's garden rake finding those fascination underground fungi.
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