I had the privilege of spending time with Beulah Parnell Lemly not long ago. She is 95 years old and has lived all of her life in Rowan County, in the communities of Dukeville and Trading Ford. She was kind enough to share some interesting tidbits about her life that afternoon, some of which were included in an earlier article. I decided to divide her story into two parts because of the wealth of information.
This article is about the history of Beulah’s church, Bethel Methodist. I remember, as a child, riding by Bethel Methodist Cemetery and wondering why the church was not there too. Little did I know, the original church building used to sit beside the cemetery. When the “new” church was built, on the corner of Dukeville and Long Ferry Roads, the “old” church was torn down. Of course, it was not feasible to move the cemetery. The situation seemed strange to me as a child full of questions and not knowing this history. It’s always a good thing to have those who lived the history provide the answers.
When I was in Beulah’s home, she showed me a Bethel Methodist church pictorial directory from the year 2002. Looking through the pictorial, I recognized family names that had been in the community for generations, such as Parnell, Loflin and Miller. Beulah feels it’s important to record historical information and took the time to write a summary of the church history for that year. Following are Beulah’s words, written by her daughter, Bobbie Loflin, and used with their permission.
“The first Bethel Methodist Church was started in 1884 and completed in 1885. The cost of this church was $260.00. Lumber for building the church was cut from the church property by some of the members.
“In the beginning, the original church did not have water, electricity or bathrooms. A kind neighbor let the church members run one water line to the left side of the church lot with one faucet attached. Due to the lack of electricity, there was no night services until Duke Power was established, and ran power lines along Long Ferry Road. Several years later, two outdoor toilets were constructed, one for the men and the other for the ladies.
“Heat was provided by the woodstove in the church. The wood was cut from the trees that were on the church property, then stacked behind the church by the members. The church was cooled in the summer, by opening the doors and windows, and by hand held fans found in the song-book rack. These fans were very colorful and given to the church by a funeral home.
“For Sunday School Classes, the church was divided into seven sections by curtains hung from water pipes mounted to the ceiling.
“Christmas services were a very exciting time. The tree was decorated by handmade paper chains and popcorn strings made by the children during the month of December. The adults fixed the Christmas bags, and after the Christmas program they were given out by Santa Claus, John L. Parnell, along with a hug or pat on the head.
“The people attended church either by walking or in horse drawn buggies or wagons. During church services, the horses were tied to trees and usually each horse to a certain tree. Some of the owners stayed by the windows to keep an eye on their horses. As times progressed, some members went from horse drawn carriages and wagons to Model T’s.
“Homecoming was a big event at Bethel Church. It was celebrated the second Sunday in August, when watermelons and cantaloupes were ripe and the crops laid by. Saw horses were put out under the big shade trees and boards were placed on them. Each family brought a tablecloth, and their dinner was put out for all to enjoy. Big barrels of lemonade, with large chunks of ice, was served to drink and the people thanked God for the fellowship.
“These are fond memories of Beulah Parnell Lemly of ‘Earlier Days.’ ”
Taking this trip back through time with Beulah has been educational for me. Now when I drive by the cemetery, I can almost see the wooden church with the horses tied up waiting patiently. I can almost see the shade trees under which homecomings were held, as people dipped cool lemonade out of buckets to quench their hot August thirst.
Even though the move for the church was long ago, it was the right move, because Bethel Methodist Church still stands proudly on the hill overlooking the community. Drive by, any day, and the sign out front always has encouraging words. A few weeks ago the sign read, “Exercise Daily….Walk with the Lord.” Like a lighthouse standing tall, this church, provides not only a beacon but also a haven for all who walk through its doors. What more could anyone ask?
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Dicy McCullough is a freelance writer and poet who lives in Rowan County. She can be reached at 704-278-4377.