A Visit to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Drums, PA

#23: Faith - A Visit to St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Drums, PA

This is an article that appeared in the Hazleton Standard-Speaker. I found it, like most things Mom kept, glued into one of her scrapbooks. The article says the first service was held there on Feb. 18, 1874 so I am guessing the article appeared either February 18 or 19, 1999.

In the previous post we learned the history of the Methodists, and of the churches they built here in Drums, some with the help of Drums! We recall that the congregation began in 1833 and their first church building was put up in 1840. So, although the present church was 125 in 1999 (145 in 2019), the congregation, in 2019, is 186!

On March 9, 2019, I got to visit this church again. Unfortunately, my visit this time, was actually not for a happy reason. I was there to attend a funeral.

Carrie E. Fuehrer had been a long-time family friend. During a recent visit with Carrie’s daughter, Linda Fuehrer Yanac, I was reminded of how it was Carrie who taught my mother how to drive. Born in the same year, Mom and Carrie “connected”. They were good friends.

Situated where Drumyngham is in the valley, we can look across the valley toward Butler Mountain and see the Fuehrer/Yanac home sitting in the foothills just below Foothills Drive and just east of Sunset Drive. I remember going along with mom to this home upon many occasions to buy eggs when I was small. I’d play with the kittens, perhaps kittens my mom gave to Carrie, and the other animals they owned while Mom and Carrie would sit on Carrie’s porch and talk, and laugh.

Carrie departed this world on January 13, 2019. She was 92 years old. For those of us who grew up in the valley, her parting has left a hole in our lives that cannot be filled.

On March 9, 2019, Linda held a memorial service for her mother in the Drums Methodist Church. I was honored to be one of the many who was there to remember her. In fact, I was given an even higher honor. Linda asked me if I would be the greeter and hand out the funeral programs at the start of the service. I was proud to do so.

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Photo was taken during a previous visit
on July 29, 2018.

Now let’s have a look inside this 145-year-old building, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Drums, PA. Upon entering the building, memories of my mom singing in this church flooded my thoughts. Mom had a wonderful voice and would be asked to sing quite often; at weddings, birthday parties, Easter Services, Christmas Services, other special occasions, and sometimes funerals. As a teen I wanted to “capture” her voice so, when she would allow me to do so, I’d go with her and bring along a small cassette recorder. Somewhere in the Drumyngham house are those tapes, waiting to be heard again. At least one of them was recorded in the Drums Methodist Church.

When you first enter this church through those red front doors you do not find yourself in the Narthex or even the Nave. You find yourself looking into a social hall. To your left and to your right are staircases spiraling up to a second floor. It was difficult to capture that image in one photo. So, I climbed the 12 stairs to my right, up to the first landing and pointed the camera back down the stairs capturing the social room entry. Then I moved to the right and pointed the camera left and down toward the front door. Sitting the two photos beside each other gives one an idea of how the entry is laid out.

The light shining on the chair-lift in the photo on the right is the sun streaming in through the window above the front door as can be seen in the photo on the left. The light shining on the wall in the right photo is coming from a window in the Narthex on the second floor.

Then I climbed the next six stairs to arrive in the Narthex. The Nave is to the right in this picture. You can see one of the double doors to the Nave propped open. Straight in front of me is a display case and past that is the top of the other staircase. The stairs that continue up lead to a small room above the Narthex where the bell rope is located.

I didn’t photograph that room. It is located behind the round “window” that can be seen when looking at the front of the church, just below, of course, the belfry.

The display case is interesting. It contains documents, mostly Bibles, which I assume are from this church’s past. Along the back, however, upper left in the photo, is a member roster that I rather connected to, if one can connect to an old roster! The entries were all dated “1957” – my birth year.

Sitting on top of the case were two older hymnals.

The one I looked at, carefully, gingerly, was dated 1847.

Walking to the center of the Narthex and standing with the display case behind you, this is what you see. The Nave.

This is a handsome church built true to its traditions, not overly ornate. Plain white walls punctured by four clear windows on each side of the room allow no confusion as to where the center of attention ought to be. Your eye is drawn directly to the front of the room, directly to the Apse. To the right of the Apse is the church organ, just a corner of which can be seen in this picture.

In a discussion with Glenn Limbaugh, who described himself to me as “the church caretaker”; but who also serves, by the way, as a part-time church pastor; told me that "the alter cross was made by a parishioner maybe 10 years ago". Pastor Limbaugh went on to say that the parishioner used wood he had harvested from the trees behind his home. It made for a simple, honest, and affecting reminder of the purpose of the building we were in. The cross holds a quiet and simple beauty.

As I stood there, in that hall, just enjoying the simple beauty of the room, my eyes turned to the windows. In many churches, the windows allow only light to enter because they are covered by pictures of saints or lambs; angels or church emblems; all green and red and blue and gold stained glass. But not in this church so filled with its simple elegance. Here we find clear windows that allow God’s world itself, to be the “Stained Glass” pictures found elsewhere.

As I was considering this thought, I realized that through these windows could be seen not just the world we live in, but the connection that exists between this church and the community. There, framed by the church window, was the building that was once the Drums Hotel; built by George and his son, Abraham, whose son, George, donated the land upon which this church is built.  That building is hard to make out in this photo due to the screen in the window (it was easier to see in person). It is the building above, and slightly to the left, of the blue car in the parking lot. Through these windows, the past connects to the present in ways I had not expected. 

I was there for a funeral which made the visit a somber one. Yet, as I stood once more in this hall of worship, I was reminded of so many happy moments I’d spent there listening to my mom sing. Woven through all of these conflicting emotions was the quiet spiritual beauty of the architecture and decorations. Carrie would have liked that. She would have liked that very much.

So too, I believe, would have Edward, who helped build the building, and Nathan, Edward’s brother, who once served as the President of the Sunday School Board. So too, would have Nathan’s daughters Lottie and Nora, the last Drums to be members of this church; as would have all of the Drums who worshiped God in this building through the years. Of that, I am very sure.

Now, are you ready to visit another church? For this one we will need to go over a mountain, the Nescopeck Mountain to be specific. That’s the mountain that stands between Butler Township and Hollenback Township. Hollenback Township is where we find the village of Hobbie and the church we want to visit. In our next post, St. Peters U.C.C., scheduled for May 6, 2019, we will tour the church Anna Margaret Rosina Drum Hart and her husband, John, were members of in the 1880’s and 1890’s. It is in this church’s cemetery where they were laid to rest. Their story, and the sad story of their four daughters, was told in an earlier post entitled The Story of the Hart Children.

Come along for the tour!

The Methodists

#22 Faith – The Methodists

In our previous posts covering Faith, we’ve seen how the Calvinist George Drum worked with his community to establish a “German Reformed Church”. We saw how members of the Drum family, including me, interacted with that church over the years.

However, not all of “us” remained “German Reformed”.

We may never know why, but some of the Drums of Drums began to follow the Methodist teachings. One can only imagine the reasons why this happened and how it was received by the elder Drums at the time. The record appears to show that the break might not have been harmonious. When the first Methodist instructions were heard in Drums in 1833, the feeling of the Reformed and Lutheran congregations in Hughesville (St. Johns) was “no Methodist need apply”![1] Looked upon with suspicion, to be a Methodist in the 1830’s had its discomforts and drawbacks!

Since no building was in place for Methodist services, followers of this faith held their services in the Drums schoolhouse just south of Drums Corner. Even that was controversial! Some community members suggested, “if the Methodists git in here once, the devil can’t git ‘em out!” In fact, after only a few services held there by the Methodist Missionary, Rev. Joseph Lee, school trustees held a meeting and announced they felt that it was “prejudicial to the cause of the Redeemer’s Kingdom here on Earth, and to the morals of this community, and against the wishes of the people to allow Methodist preaching in the school-house, and more especially so in the evening.” [2]

This is Drums Village as it appears on the 1873 Atlas map.
In the lower right corner appears the Union Church.
By 1874, the church was across the street
about where the “H” is printed on this map.
The home marked “A. Straw” was originally the
Hooven home. Smith’s barn was part of the
property marked “C. Straw” on this map

One of the men attending the meeting, a Presbyterian named James Gilmore, then told the gathering that his house was not controlled by the school trustees and that the Rev. Lee and his followers would be welcome there. So, the Methodists met in Mr. Gilmore’s home. They also met in Henry Hooven’s home and even in William Smith’s barn a few times, until, in union with the Presbyterians, they built a house of worship in 1840.[3]

Apparently, the idea was that the new church would be open to any and all denominations. The deed, dated Dec. 16, 1841, declared it was to be “a church to preach the Gospel (but to be an English Church) and the English appointments to have preference in all cases.”[4] Seems this was the Methodists’ response to “no Methodist need apply”! To their credit, they did not say, “no German speakers need apply”!

The 1840-41 Union Church was wood, 32’ by 41’, built by John Strunk. Money was raised by member contributions and through subscription. James Gilmore’s share, as apportioned and billed by Strunk, was $19.99 which paid for 11 sills and 24 joists of various thicknesses and lengths.[5]

The question that remains, specific to this family, is why did some Drums not only move away from the church of which George was so heavily involved in helping to start, but even the faith system of the German Reformed community? Although the true answer is covered by the dusts of time, it may just have been as simple a matter as proximity. The Drums who switched to the Methodist faith appear to have resided in the vicinity of the new church building located near Drums Corner.

Thus, without further documentation to alter this conclusion, it appears that Abraham’s sons Josiah and Stephan  just started to attend Methodist services instead of going all the way over to Hughesville (St. Johns). Likewise, for Philip II’s sons Nathan S. and Edward. However, Philip II’s son John, who lived further away from the Methodist Church, appears to have continued making the trip north to the German Reformed Church in Hughesville (St. Johns).

Same map as above except I’ve indicated, in red, the
road as it runs today and “moved” the church
across the street to its present location.
The cemetery is now located
where the original church once stood.

As usual, it is harder to track which of the female members of the family remained German Reformed or switched to Methodist. They are lost to us in the timeline as soon as they get married and/or move away. Of course, some switched to the faith system of their new husbands if the husband was not of the Reformed faith.

With use and time, the Union Church building that was new in 1840 had by 1870 grown beyond repair. The committee that made this decision in 1871 consisted of Rev. N.W. Colburn, Cyrus Straw, A. P. Goedecke, Andrew Straw, and Stephen Drum^{(Abraham, George, Jacob, Philip)}. So, a new building was built on what was then known as the “School-House Lot” adjacent to where the old structure had stood.

Abraham Drum had given this land to Butler Township School District in 1856 for a school to be placed there. The School District decided to move this school building in 1870 to a location a bit further south on the Old Turnpike Road. The land given by Abraham was then returned to the Drum family. Since, Abraham died in 1862, the land was deeded to Abraham’s son, George. In 1873, George gave “the school lot”, and an additional lot nearby, to the trustees of the Butler Methodist Episcopal Church for their use in building a church and construction began. The building, itself, was built by Andrew Straw, assisted by Carpenters John Reich and Edward James Drum^{(Philip, George, Jacob, Philip)} [6] for a cost of $7,500[7]. It was dedicated June 12, 1874. The small group of Presbyterians who were still worshiping in the Union Church at that time assisted with the building of the new structure and most transferred their membership to the Methodist congregation.[8]

This building, too, is a wood structure. It measures 34’ by 56’. Immediately upon entering the building it is apparent this is a special structure. One doesn't just enter into the Nave. To get there, one must climb a staircase; your choice of either the left or the right one; up to the second floor. There you will find the main chapel, consisting of a Nave and Sanctuary. A social room and kitchen is located on the first, or ground, floor. According to the booklet, Drums Methodist Church, the original building also had a basement which served as a Sunday school classroom and mechanical area. This basement area was expanded in 1948, according to the booklet, to provide additional space for recreation and worship. At that time, the original furnace was removed and replaced with a newer heating system. In 1952, largely through the efforts of Rev. Charles Pope, the Methodist pastor at that time, a Minshall Esty Electric Organ was installed in the Sanctuary.[9]

As part of the work of the church, a Sunday School was established in 1844 and continued at least through 1953. The first Board President was Isaac Drum^{(Jacob, George, Jacob, Philip)}. In 1880, Nathan S. Drum^{(Philip, George, Jacob, Philip)} served as President and as one of the Superintendents. In the Drums Methodist Church Notes Nora says that also serving as Superintendents at the time were Cyrus Straw and Philip Drum.[10]

Superintendent Philip Drum offers us a bit of a confusion.  I think there are only two candidates eligible to be the Philip that Nora mentions in the Drums Methodist Church booklet as being a Superintendent; John's son, Philip Alonzo, and Nathan S. Drum's son, Philip Leo Drum. Philip Leo would be nine years old in 1880. Alonzo would be 27. It seems unlikely that a nine-year-old would be serving in such a capacity, even if his father was President, so, therefore, I settled on Alonzo as the Philip that Nora suggests was a Methodist Sunday School Superintendent in 1880. However, Alonzo, who died in 1883, is buried in the German Reformed cemetery in St. Johns. I suppose it is possible he served the Methodist Sunday School but worshiped in the German Reformed Church or, perhaps, was Methodist but preferred to be buried in St. Johns. Either answer, to me, seems odd.

Nathan S. Drum’s daughters, Nora and Lottie, were the last Drums, to be members of the Drums Methodist Church. Nora was 78 when she died in 1954 and Lottie died in 1959 at age 80.

The photo to the left is of Memorial Day services held in the Methodist Cemetery, aka Drums Community Cemetery, in 1969. The stone marked "Drum" marks the location in the cemetery of the graves of Nathan, his wife, Elizabeth Hess Drum, and four of their five children: Elmer (died at age 4), Carrie, Nora, and Lottie.

Philip L. Drum
1871-1960

The fifth, and oldest, child was Philip Leo Drum. He was a prominent lawyer and practiced in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Helman[11] tells us he was an alumnus of Lafayette College as well as the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the Pennsylvania legislature 1901-1902. This photo of him was "lifted" from the Pennsylvania Legislature's website so I assume it was taken about 1901. When Helman published her Drum Genealogy in 1927, Philip was residing with his wife, Vida [12] Bowman Drum in Kingston, PA. In 1940 he published a book entitled "Procedure of the Law of Viewers in Pennsylvania".

On February 3, 1959, he wrote a short letter to Ella Drum to offer his condolences concerning her husband's (Elmer), passing. The return address on the letter is 415 Warren Ave., Kingston, PA. In it he wrote,

Mrs. Elmer Drum, Drums, PA

Dear Ella,
Although we never became much acquainted, I am going to address you as if I had known you always as "Ella".

I learned of Elmer's death from my sister, Lottie, and in your bereavement extend my sincere sympathy to you and your family.

Several weeks ago I thought of writing to Elmer to make some inquiry about your family but I have not been well and did not get it done.

Lottie sent me a clipping from the Hazleton paper. Our own paper did not have even the notice.

If my memory serves me right, the last time I saw Elmer was at my sister Nora's funeral.

With all good wishes, I am 
sincerely yours,
Philip L. Drum

Helman tells us that Nora was a graduate of "Bloomsburg Normal" and Elizabeth - Philip and Vida's daughter - was attending classes at Syracuse University when the genealogy was published in 1927.

The back of the marker in the Drums Methodist Cemetery includes the engraving:
Honorable Philip L. Drum
1871 - 1960
Beloved public servant to all
Husband of Vida Bowman  1870 - 1964

I am uncertain if Philip and/or Vida are actually buried in the cemetery or if this is just a notation concerning them and they are buried elsewhere, perhaps in Kingston. The other individuals included on the face of this marker have a stone of their own situated around this central marker, but I was not able to locate one for either Philip or Vida.

Philip was just three years old when the church building that became known as the Drums Methodist Church was dedicated. His sister, Carrie, was born the year the building was dedicated. Nora was born two years after the dedication and Lottie was born five years after the building was dedicated. That building, now 145 years old and counting, is the home of a congregation that is celebrating it's 186th anniversary in 2019.

In our next post scheduled for April 22, 2019, we will go inside this building, climb the stairs, and see the church that helped raise Philip, Carrie, Nora, and Lottie in A Visit to St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Come with us on our visit!

 The Drums Methodist Church as it looked in 1900. The steeple had been struck

by lightning and was being repaired when this photo was taken. The photo appears

in the booklet Nora Drum helped write called Drums Methodist Church and Valley Notes.

Drum, Nora, Miss; Mrs. R. S. Small, and Mrs. Millard Shelhamer, Drums Methodist Church and Valley Notes

(Drums, PA: St. Paul’s Methodist Church, 1953)

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

Drums, PA

July 29, 2018

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[1] Munsell on Butler Township, 1880, History of Freeland, PA, https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/ct0u/munsell_butler.html accessed 8/11/2016

[2] Munsell

[3] Munsell

[4] Drum, Nora, Miss; Mrs. R. S. Small, and Mrs. Millard Shelhamer, Drums Methodist Church and Valley Notes (Drums, PA: St. Paul’s Methodist Church, 1953)

[5] Munsell

[6] Drum, Nora

[7] Munsell

[8] Drum, Nora

[9] Drum, Nora

[10] Drum, Nora
[11] Helman, Laura M., History and Genealogy of the Drum Family (Allentown, PA: Berkemeyer, Keck & Co., 1927), pp 12 & 13.
[12] Helman uses the spelling "Veda". See page 13 of her book. However, the Drum Marker in the Drums Methodist Cemetery shows her name spelled: Vida".

Mom joins the church and gets married

#21 Faith – Mom joins the church and gets married

My mom, Eleanor, had a beautiful singing voice and she loved to sing, singing any and every chance she could get. Almost everyone always asked for a song and no one ever argued. Although my mom and Harry, my dad, both belonged to the same church, and she was a member of the choir, they didn’t meet there. They met at a Halloween party. Dad did notice her in the choir, however. He once told his mom, Ella, while pointing out my mom in the choir, “I’m going to marry that girl.” They were married in the St. Johns Reformed Church in September of 1950, but I’ll let her tell the story; of how she joined the church and lost her dad in one week, met her future husband later that year at a Halloween party, and then, a year later, got married.

At this time my family was living near the St Johns area of Drums along the Nescopeck River. I started singing in the choir at Harry’s church in 1948, a church my dad and I joined in 1949, but it wasn’t until I attended a Halloween Party held at the Log Cabin Inn, at Rumbles Corner in Drums, in October of 1949, that I actually met Harry.

I worked at the Kaplin Shirt Factory on McKinley Street in Hazleton. By 1949 I’d been there for 6½ years, having started out when we were living at 672 Lincoln Street in Hazleton (I had to get work papers due to my age to work then). I started as a Sleever and did that for three years when I was promoted to Floor Girl doing trimming and so forth. I did that for three years. Right before we moved to the Valley, they made me Fore Lady so I hung on to that job!

After joining the choir in 1948, I began thinking of becoming a member of the church. What I didn’t know was that Dad had wanted to join the church as well. We never talked about it because we were never home at the same time with our work schedules. His plan was to join the church on my birthday, February 6, 1949. When we learned of his interest in doing this, we, Mom and I, convinced him to wait until the following Sunday, February 13, and he and I would join together. That Sunday he was so happy he had a smile from ear to ear.

The next week was a normal week. I took the bus, or as we used to call it in ‘49, the “Tooterville Trolley”, to work and back.

On Sunday, February 20, Rev. Hesson announced to the congregation that Elton and Eleanor Shearer had become members of the church.

All was as normal as things could be. On Monday, the 21^st, I got home and started the wash (washing clothes). When Dad got home he said he wasn’t feeling well. He complained of pains in his shoulder and arm. I kept doing the wash while Mom tried to help him by rubbing liniment on his shoulder and back.

But the pain just got worse. We knew then that something very bad was happening, of course we didn’t know about heart attacks at that time. Mom tried to contact Dr. Raddon but he was out, so she left a message. Then she told me to try and get Rev. Hesson, the church pastor. My cousin, Emerson, drove me to St. Johns and we did find him, it was late so we had to wake him up. We got back to our house just before mid-night and just as the doctor arrived.

Dr. Raddon went in to see my dad and then came back out, called Rev. Hesson over, and told him Dad had just died. Rev. Hesson said a prayer and offered what comfort he could. Emerson took Rev. Hesson home again and I went back down stairs to finish the wash. It had to be done. Of course, I was just moving through the paces by then, as my mind was elsewhere, with Dad.

Rev. Hesson said that in all the years he had served that church, I think close to 40, this was the first time he announced someone had joined the church on one Sunday and then that the same person had died on the very next Sunday. Dad was 50 when he died, two weeks shy of his 51^st birthday, March 4, 1949.

The next eight months were difficult for my mom. She focused mostly on church and work, just to keep herself together. Come October, the last thing she wanted to do was go to a Halloween party.

Willie-Mae, my brother Clayton’s wife, made me go to the Halloween party because she was worried that I had pushed everyone away when Dad died and was staying too much to myself. When we finally got to the Log Cabin Inn, the party was in full swing and everyone was having a jolly time. But I had worked all day and was very tired and the longer the evening went, the tired-er I got!

Clayton had been waiting for one of his war buddies so when this fellow came in dressed like a farmer, I thought it was Clayton’s buddy. But it wasn’t. He never went to Clayton’s table. Well, I was about at the end of my rope so I finally went over to Clayton’s table and said, “I just cannot stay any longer. Who will take me home?” No one said a word. Four drivers and none of them would take me home. I wanted to cry. So I said, “Ok, if no one will take me home, I’ll walk!”

I turned around to head to the door and right behind me was this fellow dressed like a farmer. “I’ll take you home,” he offered. I was ready to drop so I said, “Oh, thank you!” and my eyes welled up so I was afraid I’d make a fool of myself and start crying right there.  I knew I shouldn’t accept rides from strangers but I was so tired I just didn’t care.

On the way home, Dad asked Mom if she’d like to go out with him that Saturday. She thanked him but said no. She wasn’t looking for a relationship. At that point, all she really wanted was to just get home! But then Willie-Mae found out about the invitation for a date.

Then on Saturday, Willie did make me go out with the fellow. We sort of hit it off and we started seeing each other more regularly.  I guess it was late November of 1949 when Harry took me to meet his parents, Elmer and Ella Drum. I knew his father because I’d seen him at Church but for some reason had not connected him with Ella, Harry’s mother. When I did on that visit, I realized she was the same woman who sat on the bus all the time talking about this person and that person, seemed like she talked about just about everyone in the valley, and all sorts of scandal and gossip. Well I didn’t like that but I couldn’t tell that to Harry!

Then I met Grandma Mary (Elmer’s mother) and had a very nice conversation with her. Seems Ella had nasty things to say about her too a lot but that was something else I wasn’t telling Harry! Then it was out to see the farm, 2 BIG pigs, 2 cows, and a pen of chickens. I looked and “admired” and said things like, “Oh yes,” and “Oh my” and “my goodness!”

Then I saw the bee hives. I didn’t like them at all. To me they were murderous! Harry just laughed.

At Christmas Harry gave me a Coo-Coo Clock. It was beautiful and still is; it still hangs on our wall. I have no idea how he was able to afford it. Harry asked me to marry him on Mother’s Day in May, 1950. I almost said no because I didn’t want mom to lose my pay. Since my father died, I was the only full-time wage earner. Once I explained, Harry said my continuing to work was no problem and that we’d continue to help my mom as much as possible.

Mrs. Drum (Ella) wasn’t very sure about the wedding. She had herself so worked up over it the doctor had her taking pills! I almost backed out a few times myself but Willie-Mae always talked me right back into it. Mrs. Drum wanted the wedding reception in the church social room but my brothers wanted a lot of space for dancing and drinks. All Mom said was, “Who is the bride?” “Me!” I said. “Then it should be your way!” and that’s how she left it!

Harry married me on September 17, 1950. Rev. Hesson performed the ceremony and I cried all the way out of the church because it was all just so beautiful.[1]  For the reception, my brother, Nelson, supplied all the beer and so forth. Clayton paid for the cake. Harry bought me my wedding gown and somehow Mom found the money for the Butler Township Fire Hall. My singing teacher, Mrs. Gladys Deis, was the soloist. In 1953 Harry built us a house on land his parents owned and which his mother sold to him in 1959, property Elmer and Ella had bought from Calvin Schaffer in 1941; six and one third acres on West Butler Drive in Drums.

The house Dad built as it is today, front and back. I call it “Drumyngham”.

Mom’s Black Forest Cuckoo Clock.

Return to Drums of Drums, PA on April 8, 2019 for a look at the Drums as Methodists in the post: The Methodists.

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[1] For a photo of Mom and Dad leaving the church after the ceremony, see the previous post: #20 Faith – Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, oh, my! …and maybe a party or two.

Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, oh, my!

#20 Faith – Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths, oh, my! …and maybe a party or two.

In our previous posts we’ve learned the history of “George’s” church and “toured” it as well. All I can say is that it’s a good thing that church was there. We Drums used it for all it was worth! Over the years, members of the Drum tree were baptized in this church, confirmed into this church, married in this church, socialized in this church, served the church in various ways, and were buried by this church’s congregation. What follows are just of a few of the ways the Drums served this church and this church served the Drums.

So, we begin with someone who is not a Drum. Elmer Drum married Ella Santee in 1919. The Confirmation Certificate below, written in German, belonged to Ella’s Aunt, Sarah Santee. It is dated December 5, 1858 and signed by John Berhard Poerner, Evangelical Reformed “prediger” (preacher), “St. Johannes” in “Butler, Luzerne Co., PA.” 

I suppose I should have started with this photo because it is of a slightly earlier date than Aunt Sarah’s certificate but I just couldn’t bring myself to begin another post with a gravestone. George’s son Philip, or “Philip II” as we’ve been calling him in these posts, died on February 27, 1858. He was 71 years and 12 days old, according to the stone. Of George’s eight children, only Abraham and Margarett died later. None of the siblings lived longer, except we are unsure of Margarett’s date of death. Therefore, we can’t be sure if Margarett or Philip lived the longest. All of them, like Philip, were buried in the St. Johns Cemetery along with quite a number of their decedents, and their mom and dad, of course.

And since I went here, I guess I can toss in one more gravestone. This one is for Alonzo Drum. Alonzo was his middle name. His first name was also Philip. Philip Alonzo Drum was born February 24, 1853. He was the second son of John and Anna Drum. I am curious to learn where the name Alonzo came from since I think this is the first time the name appears in this family’s tree. After Philip Alonzo, who apparently went by his middle name since his first name is not included on his grave marker, the name is used by the Drums a few more times as a middle name, the most recent to my knowledge being my grandfather, Elmer Alonzo Drum. Philip Alonzo Drum died rather young, living only 30 years, dying May 8, 1883.

Elmer Alonzo Drum was born July 6, 1895. His baptismal certificate says he was baptized July 28, 1895 by J. B. Kerschner, “Pastor Ref. Ch.”

That Christmas, Nathan presented his wife, Mary, with a “Pictorial Family Bible”. To be specific, the actual title of the volume is: The Pronouncing Edition of the Holy Bible Containing the Authorized and Revised Versions of the Old and New Testaments, arranged in Parallel Columns, Giving the Correct Pronunciation of Every Proper Name Contained in the Bible.[1] It provides a synopsis of various Christian and non-Christian denominations; biographical sketches of reformers and bible scholars; plants and animals as found in bible times and lands, biblical cites, holy land maps, histories of the old and new testament books, ancient alphabets, and on and on. It even includes pages for photos, places to list family members and their births, their deaths, children; even a page where family members could swear off consuming acholic beverages. Oh, and it also has the old and new testaments. The only page completed, however, is the Presentation Page shown here. “Presented to Mrs. Nathan Drum by her husband December 25^th, 1895”.

The book is approximately 11” by 12” by 5”. Maybe she couldn’t lift it. I did find a four-leaf clover, Peacock tail feather, and a yellow Aster bloom pressed between its pages. 

Well, now that I’ve gotten out of the cemetery, for some reason I feel the need to go back into the cemetery, I can’t seem to stay away! Next, we see the Memorial Day services of 1909 being held, of course, in the cemetery. 

This picture was taken by Edwin Finstermacher. I like to think that Mary and Nathan are in that crowd somewhere, Elmer and Christie, too! It must have been breezy that day. The flag in front is fluttering pretty strongly which probably made it a memorable Memorial Day, too.

My wife, Phyllis, and I also had a few memorable days. Our first was the day we got married, July 2, 1983. If I’d known, I’d have waited a day so we could have had the same anniversary day as my Grandfather! Rev. W. D. Stoyer performed the marriage ceremony for Ella and Elmer on July 3, 1919.

In 1921, everyone dressed up to perform the Christmas Cantata! Well maybe not “everyone” but quite a few! And here they are!

I zoomed in a bit and circled Elmer and Ella for you so you could find them in the picture. 

Everyone seems so happy! Merry(?) Christmas!

“Ok, men, everyone out on the front lawn for our 1923 Bible Class Photo. Now Remember, men, Bible Class is a serious business, so nobody smile! Got it?!” 

It must have been a warm day. The windows are open. The door is propped open too. I circled Elmer for you. The hexagon marks his father, Nathan. Also note the boy to the far right. His name is Herbert Wenner. Herbert, apparently, invented “Photo Bombing”!

 

If you are going to be promoted from the Primary Department into the Junior Department of Sunday School, THIS is the promotion certificate you are going to want!! For sure!! Harry made it from Primary to Junior on October 16, 1932.

So, is it me or do these guys scare you too? This is the Reformed Church Consistory of 1947. Once again, I’ve circled Elmer for easy identification. Rev. Hesson is two seats to Elmer’s left. When Elmer died in 1959, Edward Longenberger, as President of the Consistory that year, signed a tribute the Consistory wrote about Elmer to Ella. Edward Longenberger is the third man from the left standing in the back row.

No need to comment on when, what, or where. The picture is worth a thousand words on that account, or around 15 words, anyway. I did point out Eleanor (Mom) and Harry (Dad) for you, both in back of the crowd. Mom is just peeking from the very rear between two heads. Dad is a little less hidden. Mom said she hadn’t met my Dad until a Halloween Party (in October) in 1949 so it is reasonable to assume that they were not acquainted when this photo was taken in August. Maybe they should have tried harder. They are only six people apart in the photo! And one of those was my dad’s mom! I zoomed in so we can see them all better. It appears Elmer didn’t attend this picnic. 

Mom and Dad got married, in the St. John’s Reformed Church, September 17, 1950.

Of that day Mom said, “I cried all the way out of the church because it was all just so beautiful.”

Of course, Reformed Church membership is not all fun and games! It is also apparently men wearing Easter Bonnets in the Easter Parade! Here is Dad in the church basement’s children’s classroom showing off his Easter Bonnet of 1964.

In 1969, I got to be an Acolyte. Acolytes do the odd job stuff during the Sunday morning services such as light the candles and snuff them out again. Here I come ready to light some candles!

In 1982, St. Johns U.C.C. celebrated it’s 190^th Anniversary. There was a big program in the Social Hall that evening and I was asked to be the MC. I got to introduce a whole bunch of Ministers from all around the area while, in between, telling all sorts of corny puns and jokes. People laughed – WITH me – so I guess I did OK.  That’s me, 6^th in from the left, surrounded by men with funny collars. I circled myself because you may not be able to see the small arrow Mom drew on the photo pointing at me from the floor.

These are the folks who attended the celebration. I’ve circled my Dad. I thought Mom took the photo, leaving the empty chair there in front as her placeholder but upon closer examination of the photo, that looks like my mom sitting beside my dad so maybe Nathan, my brother, took the photo and left the empty chair!

And we had cake! This just proves that you CAN have your church and eat it too!

You know, now that I think about it, my Dad really was a pretty good sport.

This is my dad, Harry, playing Santa for the church in 1982. Dad passed away in 1986.

People are proud of their membership in this church. There was even a page in the 200^th Anniversary booklet that honored those members in 1992 who were “baptized, confirmed, and married in St. John’s U.C.C.” Phyllis wanted to get married in her home town of West Springfield, Massachusetts or I’d have been in that picture, too. 

And then, On October 8, 1995, my son Philip was baptized in the St. Johns U.C.C.

In the back row, L to R, are Phyllis’s sister, Susanne Emanuelson; Phyllis’s mom, Mary Dupuis; Phyllis’s dad, Joe Dupuis; Phyllis’s sister, Jane Dupuis; and John Emanuelson, Susanne’s husband.

In front, L – R, are my mom, Eleanor Drum; Philip’s mom, Phyllis; me; and Philip.

And that’s how it’s been now, for 227 years and counting. Babies being baptized, people being married, social gatherings being held to celebrate special occasions (like Easter, Christmas, even Halloween!), clubs to be a member of, classes to learn in, and special services and funerals to honor and remember those who have passed away. Oh, and Sunday Morning Services, of course.

In our next post, we go from taking a page out of the 200^th Anniversary Book to taking a page out of Eleanor’s book, literally. Between 2006 and 2011, Mom wrote a book about hers and her mother’s lives. Since we’ve hinted a bit about her joining the church and meeting/marrying Dad in this and earlier posts, I thought I’d share that portion of her story with you, as she wrote it, literally taking a page out of her book.

Mom joins the church will be the next post to appear in the Drums of Drums, PA saga; March 25, 2019.

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[1] Williams, Prof. S. W., The Pronouncing Edition of the Holy Bible Containing the Authorized and Revised Versions of the Old and New Testaments, arranged in Parallel Columns, Giving the Correct Pronunciation of Every Proper Name Contained in the Bible. (Phila.: A.J. Holman and Co., LTD, 1895)