The first ministers I remember were the Massons. They had a daughter Martha and about all I remember of them was Martha showing off her new patent slippers and being so proud of them. They were here in 1906. The next one were the Perrys. The was a tall man and she was a tiny petite lady. They were older people and everyone liked them on I'm sure we did. Union Chapel, Malot Park [Malott Park was the area around 56th and Keystone today, see map below from 1904 with it spelled Mallott Park.] and Castleton were on a circuit. We had morning services one Sunday and evening service the next week. Dad often drove the minister to the other churches and Mother and we girls stayed at the parsonage with the lady of the manse. I remember being at the Perry's for Sunday dinner rather often. She didn't think any work should be done on Sunday so she prepared her dinner on Saturday. I still remember the cold beef sticking to the roof of my mouth. I was in the third grade (we were going to Castleton school then) when some of the kids decided one noon to go see the Perrys. The parsonage then was the house where the Curtiss's lived across from Criglers. Mr. Perry had a type-writer which was quite a novelty to us and he insisted on typing our names for us. We heard the school bell ring and thought it was the first bell but alas! It was the second bell and we all went in tardy at the noon hour. Stella Hoffman was the teacher and we all had to stand on the floor with our nose in the corner. I was petrified for fear my dad would hear about the episode for he had promised added punishment at home if we were punished at school. To my knowledge no one ever told on me.

After the Perrys came the Lewis'. He was another tall gangly fellow. Before they moved he spent a night with us. He had such big feet and sat by the stove with his legs crossed and his big feet stuck up and we kids started giggling when we sat around the stove in the dining room and finally were sent out of the room by our embarrassed dad. We were at the parsonage often while he was here also. In about 1908 Edith and I were "converted" at a revival meeting and joined the church.

          end of part eight

A list of all of Edna's columns