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Thursday, May 18, 1950
From "Capel St." came the Capels, Will and his lovely wife Belle, and the elder Mr. Capel to the Union congregation. Also were Bert Lee and his wife, Effie, faithful in all good works. Farther along, the Frank Stones could be depended on to help in every way. Their lives were permanently saddened by the death of their only son, Gerald, when he was quite young. The Leon Stones and his parents were for many years never absent from the "meeting-house." Up in Catherineville, Davis Trerise and his family, Wm. Fletcher, wife, and four children drove in every Sunday for worship together as good Congregationalists. Mrs. Henry Trerise and the three boys, Richard, Lloyd and Stanley, were as faithful as the sun. The Morris Page family on Old Road, father, mother and five little girls, drove in too, for morning services. All are still with us, except the father.
Intelligent and broad-minded, in a time somewhat narrow in their religious views, Vernon Kirk and his wife were beloved by all and dependable to the last. Frank Reed, his brother Charles, and their children took part in all church activities. Immigrants from Hopkinton to Our Town, Herbert Sanford, and his wife, Bertha Chittenden Sanford, were influential leaders financially and spiritually in Union Church. They inherited solid Congregationalist values from several generations before them in the noble community of Hopkinton. Bertha Sanford was the church organist and president of the Ladies Aid Society many years. The older members here—the few who remain to recall past days—remember when, with Bertha Sanford's leadership, the new pews, the carpet and the pulpit set were worked for and purchased. She it was who introduced rummage sales and labored night and day to further the interests of her church. I can still see at morning service, Herbert Sanford with his little boy on his lap, attentively listening to his pastor's sermon.
From time immemorial the Daggetts were devout Congregationalists. One can see in their old clerk's books the name of Herbert and David Daggett featured in all phases of the church life. Herbert Daggett married Meribeth Greene as related in the diary of Elisha Risdon of Hopkinton. As the new century dawned on the Parishville church, all but the Henry Daggett family were gone from here. They carried on the Congregationalist activities, and Grace Daggett Adams and children have an important place in the old church. All of the name and race have left now. It is a pity. Clark F. Adams supported his church liberally and faithfully, as Sunday school superintendent for many years.
Another old family was that of the Hoyts. Their children and grandchildren are loyally supporting their church to-day. It is a fine thing for families to have such a religious background as the descendants of those who toiled therein over a century ago.
I am not going any farther back than 1900 in Recollections and Ruminations although I might do so for all the denominations who have lived here. Strangely enough, the community has been almost entirely Protestant, very few other sects having settled in the town.
We can easily recall, too, many individuals as well as families who were Methodists or Congregationalists. Although the Union church alternated in its pulpit occupants, the members knew no differences in each other's creeds and do not to-day. Fifty years ago Nellie Young, now the widow of the late Attorney George Fuller, gave her musical talents freely to her church. No entertainment or money-raising project, no Sunday school picnic or prayer-meeting was held without the presence of Josephine Campbell. Possessing organizing abilities and speaking talents, her help was reliable. It was, too, Mrs. Martha Snell who kept the WCTU alive for years. Her son and two daughters were Methodists to be proud of. After their arrival in the village from Stockholm, the Tuckers were an important element in the church. The late Tom Tucker was a valuable member of the choir until his death. Several members of the Tucker family still work in the Union church. Members of the Dr. Parker family might be relied on to be present at all church functions, but all are gone to the better land years ago.
The lovely Christian spirit of Clara Simonds will never be forgotten. The cheerfulness, and the willing service of Frank and Minnie Cuyler, are alive in the memories of all who knew them.
(To be continued)
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