Page I. THE GAZETTE-TIMES, Hrppncr. OR. Thursday. Spt. 39. I97t
Lexington News
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THE GAZETTE-TIMES.
Amicifio club meets
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Flood-displaced Methodist Church, 1903. Parsonage in background team and others are shown cleaning up the debris around the
was floated across the street to its present location. Henry church. Courtesy Morrow County Museum
Scherzinger (father of museum curator, Rachel Harnett) and his
Methodist Church washed
away in big flood of 1903
The Heppner United Meth
odist Church approaches the
celebration of its centennial on
October 16 and 17.
Many descendents of one of
the principal founders of this
church still live in the county.
In 1853, Albert Wright started
across the plains to Oregon
with his family. Their travel
ing companion was the Rev.
H.K. Hines, an illustrious
Methodist missionary. The
two churchmen were staunch,
life-long friends.
After Albert Wright brought
his family to Umatilla County
from their first Oregon loca
tion in the Willamette valley,
they settled above Rhea Creek
near where some of the fifth
and sixth generation still live.
The Albert Wright family ar
rived here in 1872, the year of
Heppner's birth.
As more people began to
come here, several joined to
gether for church meetings ,
and to offer their children
religious education. Through
his friendship with Rev.
Hines, a state leader of the
Methodist Church. Albert
Wright and others encouraged
the founding of a Methodist
Episcopal Church in Heppner.
Mr. Wright long held many
offices in the early church.
Along with Julius Keithly,
C.E. Fell and A. Mallory, he
served on the first board of
trustees.
Records show that in 1876
J.C. Kirkman was in charge of
a circuit that included Hep
pner, where he preached
regularly. From that date the
record of continuous service
has been preserved. Rev.
Kirkman served here until
1879 when he was succeeded
by Samuel Hope who was
followed by H.B. Lane, and in
1882. Dr. N.W. Skipworth
came to preach here. After
him came George C. Roe and
Henry C. Moys who were
followed in 1886 by Dr. Henry
I. Rasmus who served here
four years.
In 1888 Dr. Rasmus super
vised the building of the struc
ture still being used by the
Methodists. The building was
dedicated that November.
There were six other pastors
assigned to Heppner between
Dr. Rasmus and Rev. ILL.
Reightol, who came in the fall
of 1WW. The church was
growing and functioning very
well, when according to
church writing. "On Sunday
evening, the Hih of June,
Heppner was visited by one of
the most auful disasters
''With no warning other than
(he rain that had preceded, a
resistless avalanche of water
swept through the town,
carrying everything In its
path, and leaving in its track,
waste, ruin and desolation
S" of were carried
away and demolished and
many of our friends were
ruhod into eternity by the
irrrindMr trrs."
The church building was
carried rcih of its rightful
K"ca!Mi and was turned side
ways by the flood It wa
dragged hmk Into fsilion by
hard orkin mri and their
team of fioctr The old
p4rtit ixmiImwH at
the west of the church on the
N.W. corner of Gale and
Church Streets where it still
stands and is presently used
as a residence.
After the community and
the church recovered from the
flood, they both continued to
grow. Three pastors came
between Rev. Beightol and
Rev. Walter L. Airheart, who
arrived in September 1908.
In 1909 the entire church
building was raised four feet
above its old foundation and
"an addition was built to
provide the choir loft, class
rooms and the pastor's study,
and the interior of the entire
building was remodeled. A
important factor in our ma
terial progress; the Woman's
Foreign Missionary Society
and the Standard Bearers are
making a splendid record in
their work for foreign peoples,
and the extensive improve
ments made on the church
give us room to carry forward
our work systematically and
effectively."
Some very interesting pic
tures and mementos have
been promised for the centen
nial exhibit in the church
basement on October 16 and
17. One of the special, original
treasures of the church, its
fine, old, cast-iron bell will not
be on exhibit as it hangs in the
bring their items to the church
before Thursday afternoon,
October 14.
Around the pot
belly stove
CENTENNIAL
Heppner Methodist Church
100th celebration Oct. 16-17
basement was constructed
under the whole building
which includes classrooms, a
large dining room, a kitchen
and a furnace room. These
improvements were made at
the expenditure of Sa.OOO."
When Rev. Airheart was
about to leave Heppner in 1911
he wrote, "During the two and
a half years just passed the
Lord has graciously blessed
us: the church membership
has increased more than one
hundred per cent; the Sunday
School enrollment has in
creased more than one hun
dred and twenty per cent; the
Epworth League has been re
organized and is carrying
forward its work most ef
fectively; the Ladies Aid
Society continues to be a very
bell tower where it is still
being used each Sunday morn
ing and on special occasions,
ial occasions.
Mrs. John Wood (who was
Louise Moyer) will be in
charge of the exhibit. Louise
and her sisters Lucille, Caro
line and Miriam first attended
Sunday School in this church
in the early 1920's. Their
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest
W. Moyer, who lived where
the Woods live now, became
contributing members of the
church a few years after their
four daughters started. Lu
cille Moyer (Owens), now in
Portland, was the Sunday
School and church musician
for years. She also taught
piano to Heppner children.
Anyone w ho wishes to add to
the exhibit should plan to
Gary Morgan and Mrs.
Keith Peck of Portland visited
their parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Milton Morgan and attended
the Fairview School dedica
tion. Also visiting the Morgans
were Mrs. John Armington
and Marti Armington of Hol
lywood, CA and Mr. and Mrs.
Claude Brashers of Lyle, WA.
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Pettyjohn
had guests for the weekend of
their grandson's rodeo bene
fit. They were Mr. and Mrs.
RayTettyjohn from Greshanpu,
and Mr. and Mrs. Chuck1
Anderson and daughter Man-'
dy from John Day.
Mrs. Lowell Ernst of Long
view, WN spent Friday night
with her son and family, Mr.
and Mrs. Chuck Ernst. The
previous weekend Mr. and
Mrs. Chuck Ernst and child
ren spent visiting her sister
and family, Mr. and Mrs.
Chuck Alexander in Madras
and her parents in Summer
Lake, Mr. and Mrs. Jim
Foster.
The home of Ida Coleman
was the meeting place for the
Bunchgrass Rebekah Lodge
on September 16. The order of
business was conducted and
plans for an October 21 card
party and food sale was dis
cussed. A letter from Vida
Heliker was read. Refresh
ments were served to the
eleven who were present. Mrs.
By Julie Nelson
Berl Akers will host next
month's meeting.
Cassy Chapel has returned
to LaGrande's EOSC for her
third year.
An evening of "What is
Evil" was given by Linda
La Rue at Beta Omega's
social. Dreams were ana
lyzed, an ESP test was taken
and the Ouija Board was made
use of. It was held at the home
of Judy Osmin with two
The Amicitia Club met at
the home of Mrs. Bob David
son on Wednesday for their
regular meeting. Those play
ing were Annetta Klinger,
Phyllis Piper, Vonnie Love
gren, Marjory Wright, Linda
Padberg, Eileen Pad berg,
Delpha Jones and the hostess.
Winning prizes were travel
ing, Eileen Padberg; low,
Annetta Klinger; and high,
Delpha Jones.
Catie Padberg has been
visiting with a daughter and
family, Mr. and L.D. Vinson of
Monument. Mrs. Vinson
motored over after her mother
one day last week.
Carolyn Howard Is a patient
in Pioneer Memorial Hospital.
Wm. J. VanWinkle has re
turned home after a few days'
stay in Pioneer Memorial
Hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Rick Johnson
and children were Portland
callers over the weekend.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry M.
Breeding and children of
Gresham were Lexington and
Heppner visitors over the
I . I
Heppner
ELKS CALENDAR
Wed. Oct. (
Pinochle Tournament
Begins 7:30 p.m.
weekend. They attended the
Ayres Anniversary party Sat
urday in Heppner. Lydla
Wilson, mother of Mrs. Breed
ing, returned to Heppner with
them after a visit In Gresham
and Portland with relatives.
Lola Breeding of Irrlgon,
mother of Mr. Breeding,
returned with them from Hood
River where she is staying
with a granddaughter for a
few weeks. A daughter, Mrs.
Floyd Smith, motored to
Lexington to get Mrs. Breed
ing, taking her Saturday to
Irrigon where she spent the
night. She returned to Hood
River on Sunday with her son
and family.
Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Jones
were dinner guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Ray Eckles In Pendleton
on Sunday and visited with
Mrs. Eckles daughter, Dixie
Streeter, and two children
from San Francisco. Earlier
in the week another daughter,
Joyce Wojack, and daughter
Tanya had been there but
were called home on Saturday
as her husband had been
injured in a car accident and
was hospitalized. Mrs. Wojack
and Mrs. Streeter were form
er Lexington residents, at
tending achool here.
Maureen Davis is employed
in Boardman In the potato
processing plant. -
Irrigon j
visitors ;
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Cook of
York, Pennsylvania, were
visitors in Irrigon Saturday,
They were looking for infor
mation of the Cabbage family
who lived here between 1910
and 1915 on the Guy Riddle
farm.
They called at the home of
Mayoi Chester Wilson who re
ferred them to Batie Rand, 73,
who has lived here continu
ously since 1906. He was
personally acquainted .fwith
the Cabbage family, who were
Mrs. Cook's aunt and uncle.
, guests, Christy Crowell .and
Lisa Nelson in attendance.
Mr. and Mrs. Del La Rue,
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Nelson and
Judy Osmin traveled to Eu
gene this weekend where the
three ladies attended an
E.S.A. Leadership Seminar.
Judy was able to visit with her
brother, David Taylor, and
returned home with the Hep
pner Sorority ladies. The
La Rues and the Nelsons took
the occasion to dine out and
dance Saturday night in Port
land and returned home Sun
day. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Bristow
have returned home from a
week's trip to Lincoln City.
While there they were visited
by Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Mc
Cabe of Heppner, Pam Do
herty and Laurie McCabe
from Portland, Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry Bristow and family
(Continued on Page 10)
Thurt. Oct. 7
Ladies Nile
Dinner (:" p.m.
Barb-e-qued Chicken
Cards 8:00 p.m.
Lodge 8:00 p.m.
Friday Oct. 8
Happy Hour 5-7 p.m.
Dinner by Jim t-8 p.m.
D.P.O.E. -'f
Trl-County Seed Cleaning Co.
Hep.-Lox. Highway
J
Grains Cleaned and Treated
1!
jl Serving
Morrow, Umatilla, Gilliam
Counties
Joe Halvorsen Ph. 422-7143
rank Halvorsen Ph. 422-7107
MqIc crf Gin you?
Socio! Security check
is gIwgys on time
with our Direct
Deposit Service.
36
off
reg. $22.00
5-pc. place setting
Hours 8 to 6
Choose from 4 popular patterns in
gleaming stainless steel now in stock.
American Colonial Michelangelo
Shelly and Rembrandt. We can special
order Will O'Wisp and Dover. Savings
also on 4-pc. hostess set or 4-pc. serving
set.
Phone 676-9158
s v.
HEPPNER OREGON
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And you won't have to be concerned about de
positing your check the times when you're on vacation
or away from home.
When you have your Social Security checks sent
directly to us, we will automatically credit your check
ing or savings account for the amount due each month.
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right on the date you expect it. We guarantee it.This
means you can pay bills and write checks without
delay.
First National's free Direct Deposit Service is tho
safest, most convenient way to receive your Social
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out how easy, just call or visit your First National
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for everything.
ULj HEPPNER BRANCH
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
or on coow
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