Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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PAGE 6—The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, Sept. 10, 1970 Mount Pleasant Methodist Church Dates Back To Revolutionary Days Mount Pleasant United Meth odist Church, located in the northeastern corner of Newberry County and about twelve miles from the city of Newberry, has a long and rich history. In the last months of the American Revolution settlers from Virgi nia and other states came into the area where Mount Pleasant Church now stands. Some of these pioneers had become ac quainted with Methodist prea chers and services in Virginia and Maryland, but when they reached the Broad River Val ley and made their homes, there were as of yet no Methodist churches or circuit riders there. Then in the last days of the Revolution there came into this wild, new land a horseman who crossed Broad River just south where Peak now stands and con tinued on to the area where the group of newly-settled Virgi nians lived. As if in answer to prayer, this man was a Meth odist preacher, James Foster. Foster was a dedicated minister who had served several circuits in his native state of Virginia; after the death of his wife, how ever, the heart-broken man plunged into his work with such fervor that his health was fi nally ruined. Thus forced to re tire, James Foster moved down the old Colonial Path and into the area where Mount Pleasant is now located. Once again this man was at work doing what he loved—preaching and instruc ting people in the gospel. He served as a local preacher to the area until his health fail ed again, and he was forced to retire once more. Although James Foster did not found the Mount Pleasant Church, his ef forts were certainly responsi ble for providing the climate that led to its creation. Mount Pleasant Church was actually founded in the year 1822. Before this date, however, the Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury found on the western side of Broad River a flourish ing Methodist congregation wor shipping in “Parrot’s Log Church”. Perhaps this 1 o g church was the forerunner to Mount Pleasant since a family i named Parrot was among the early members of Mount Plea sant. The church was organized in 1822. and soon the small con gregation undertook to build a permanent house of worship. On August 23, 1823, William and Agnes Hutchinson deeded one and a half acres of land to the Methodist Soceity for its church building. The building was de scribed as a small, unpreten tious frame structure. Some of the names associated with the church in the beginning were Goodwins, Oxners, Lyleses, Gil liams, and Hattons. A second building was erect ed in the 1860’s. There is no accurate record of what hap pened to the first building, al though one source does say that it was presumably destroyed by General Sherman during the Civil War. The new sanctuary was prettier and larger with a gallery for the slaves. It is re ported that Micajah Suber left in his will a gift of $1,000 for the erection of this church. Dr. Thomas Rutherford and the Rev. Dr. McCants were also li beral contributors to the build ing of the sanctuary and the support of the church. Promi nent names among the members of Mount Pleasant Church late in the nineteenth century were the Grahams, Eptings, Adam ses, Cromers, and Willinghams. Tragedy struck Mount Plea sant again when in 1943 light ning struck the church building and burned it down. Efforts were begun, under the leader ship of Mr. A. E. Reese, to raise funds for the building of a new church immediately. The present building was completed in 1949 and was dedicated in services led by Bishop Costen J. Harrell in June of 1950. The Rev. Quincy E. Gunter was the pastor at that time. Since that time a wing has been added to provide further space for Church School classes. Since there was a scarcity of preachers, the tradition in Meth odism was to have circuit riders who served several churches at the same time, and our church has shared in this aspect of Methodism. Mount Pleasant be gan as a part of the Newberry Circuit, but in 1890 it became a part of the Prosperity Cir cuit, which also included New Hope, Zion, and Prosperity. A- round 1910 Mount Pleasant was moved to the Broad River Cir cuit, which also included New Hope, Chapin, Morris Chapel and later Caper’s Chapel. In 1917 the name of the Broad Ri ver Circuit was changed to the Pomaria Circuit, which was re duced in 1940 to a four-point circuit when Morris Chapel left the charge. Finally, in June of 1967, Mount Pleasant left the Pomaria Circuit and became a station church with the Rev. Charles Rector as its minister. In July, 1967, the members had completed a beautiful parsonage beside the church for the pastor and his family. The local church at Mount Pleasant has reflected in its history the struggles that have taken place within Methodism itself. It began as a part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but in the years before the Ci vil War when slavery was such a fiery issue, there was a split within the denomination. Mount Pleasant then became a church within the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. When the major Methodist branches were united in 1939, the church became a part of the Methodist Church. Finally, in 1968, when The Meth odist Church and the Evangeli cal United Brethren joined to gether, Mount Pleasant became a church within the United Met ' odist Church. Through the years Mount Pleasant Church has been serv ed by.dedicated laymen and mi nisters. Present officials in the church include Mr. Roland Ki- bler as Chairman of the Admi nistrative Board, Mr. Charles Doolittle as Chairman of the Council on Ministries, Mr. Andy Morris as Treasurer, Mr. Ray mond Smith as Financial Se cretary, and Mr. A. B. Cooper, Mr. Robert Glymph, Mr. Jake Ringer, Mr. J. C. Doolittle, Mr. Louis Ringer, and Mr. Grady Leitzsey as Trustees. Under the leadership of the pastor, the Rev. George M. Riser, the 212 members of this church seek to fulfill its mission as the Body of Christ. It has been said that we are so indebted to the past that we are merely midgets who stand on the shoulders of giants. At Mount Pleasant United Metho dist Church we recognize that we build upon the labors of those giants who have preceded us in the 148-year history of our church. We thank God for the dedication and service of such people and ask for His guidance in the years to come. mem* er of tht v*. s. C 2 long as re- nealth permitted. Her husband, Clarence F. Adams, died twu years ago. Surviving are five snn, James W. Adams, Rockledge, Fla., Al bert M. Adams, Sumter, Ralph Adams, Saluda, N. C., Dewey Adams, Union, Thurmond Adams, Newberry; two daugh ters, Mrs. Homer (Bertha) Tay lor, Saluda, N. C., Mrs. Ray (Doris) Wicker, Saluda; one bro ther, Willie O. Hawkins, New berry; two sisters, Mrs. Hey ward Sease, and Mrs. Ben Hamm, Newberry; 15 grand children and 11 great-grand-chil dren. Funeral services were held Monday at 3 p.m. from Wight- man Methodist Church with Rev. Raymond Brock conducting the service. Burial followed in New berry Memorial Gardens. Houser named to 0-1 position Mother of local man succumbs Mrs. Daisy Mae H e a 1 e n Moose, 88, of Greenville, widow of John Wesley Moose died Tuesday in White Rock. A native of Lenoir, N. C. she was a daughter of the late Pinkney A. and Sarah Jane Starnes Healen. She had made her home in Greenville since 1923. She was a member of Saint Michaels Lutheran Church. Surviving are three daugh ters, Mrs. F. M. Gray of Char lotte, N. C., Mrs. George B. Derrick of Greenville and Mrs. Dewey E. Brock of Fountain Inn; four sons, J. Blake Moose of Greenville, Rev. John Shel ton Moose of Charlotte, N. C., Harry E. Moose of Newberry and Ralph H. Moose of Greens boro, N. C.; one sister, Mrs. Perry Cloer of Lenoir, N. C.; one brother, Ed Healen of Rock Hill, 18 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Funeral services were con ducted at Saint Michaels Lu theran Church Thursday morn ing at 11 a. m. by Rev. Harold G. Skinner. Burial was in Wood- lawn Memorial Park. C. F. Boland rites Saturday Cephus Freddie Boland, 84, of Pomaria, died Thursday night at a Columbia Hospital. Born in Newberry County, he was a son of the late Patrick and Texanna Frick Boland. He was a retired farmer and a member of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church. He was twice married, first to the late Lillie Chapman Boland, secondly to Myrtis Mer chant Boland, who survives. Also surviving are four sons, Milton F. Boland of Pomaria, J. C. Boland of Batesburg, W. P. Boland of Laurel Hill, N. C., and W. L. Boland of Muskogee, Louise Madison of Ware Shoals and Mrs. Inez Hasty of Char lotte; three sisters, Mrs. Cleo Metts of Little Mountain, Mrs. Decie Slice of Chapin, and Mrs. Lera Mills of Prosperity; two brothers, Bounce Boland of Lit tle Mountain, and Ned Boland of Pomaria; also surviving are five step children, 19 grand children and eight great-grand children. Funeral services were Satur day from Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church with Rev. Rudolf F. Lud wig conducting the service. Bu rial was in the church cemetery. G. W. HUNTSINGER DIES IN COLUMBIA Gay Walter Huntsinger, 72, of Chester, died last week in Veterans Hospital in Columbia. Among his survivors are two daughters, Mrs. Mary Sandel and Mrs. Virginia Sanford of Newberry. Funeral services were held Wednesday in Chester. MRS~McCARTY DIES TUESDAY Mrs. Margaret Estelle Perry McCarty, 81, of Rock Hill, died Tuesday of last week in a Lan caster hospital. Among her survivors are four sisters, including Mrs. Paul Perry of Prosperity and Mrs. Jim Perry of Newberry. Funeral services were held Thursday in Rock Hill. John W. Houser, formerly of Columbia, has been appointed Sales Manager for the Owens- Illinois Forest Products Divi sion’s Newberry, South Caro lina corrugated box plant. He formerly served as a Corrugated Sales Representative for the Newberry plant. Mr. Houser joined Owens-Il linois in 1965 as a Corrugated Sales Trainee at the company’s Memphis, Tennessee box plant and in August, 1966 joined the Newberry sales force. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mr. Houser is a 1965 Economics gra duate of the University of North Carolina. He is married to the former Gail Wesson of New berry. Mr. and Mrs. Houser re side at 943 Cline Street, New berry. Mrs. Adams dies in Saluda Mrs. Mary Hawkins Adams, 73, died early Sunday morning at the Saluda Nursing Home in Saluda. Mrs. Adan.'S boro and reared in Newberry C .unty and was the daughter of he late Luther and Adella Boozer Haw kins. For a number of years, she had made hex home in Pros perity and was a member of Wightman Methodist Church, a Jit. Grejhoimd Announces NEW BUS STATION IN NEWBERRY The address below is the place to go for all informa tion on Greyhound travel. Your new Greyhound agent —a member of your community—has full details on low Greyhound fares, frequent schedules, scenic routes, charter buses ... Greyhound Package Ex press, too! Stop in and say hello...today! GREYHOUND BUS STATION Robert Coats Caldwell and Boundary Sts. GO GREYHOUND .and leave the driving to us