A Christmas Remembrance of Masham Youth

                Almost on a weekly basis, my mother, Bernyce Smith Gates, mentions, with admiration, some remembrance of the young people at the Masham Baptist Church in the late 1950s-early 1960s. She always characterizes them as “good” young people. Teaching these “good” teenagers, over 60 years ago, continues yielding an ongoing reward to her.

                In the latter 1950s, Pastor Ray Hart led some committed Christians to begin the Masham Baptist Church. He had pastored previously the Big Bend Baptist Church in the Big Bend community.

                Brother Hart implored my maternal grandparents, Calvin and Gladys Rainey Smith, and my parents, Edmund, Jr. and Bernyce Smith Gates, to come across the river and join the believers seeking to form a congregation in the Masham area in Pawnee County. He quoted from the passage of Paul’s vision in Acts 16:9 -10, using the words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

                In verse 10, Luke wrote “immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” After prayerful consideration, the four of them joined forces with the little flock in the rural community of Masham across the Arkansas River in Pawnee County.

                Almost immediately after joining the newly formed church, Mother and Dad began working with the youth of the church. Dad taught the Sunday School class for the teen boys with Mother serving as the teen girls’ Sunday School teacher. At that time Dad was 35 years old with Mother at 30 years of age.

                Recently, Mother located a remembrance of their Masham young people 61 Christmases ago. She found the names of 20 teenagers who purchased a beautiful, blue wool blanket as a gift at Christmas in 1958. Mother had written these names: Elaine Wills, Charles Wills, Gordon Laird, Vonnie Laird, Janice Wolf, Lance Ben Mitchell, Larry Mitchell, Nancy LeForce, Sue Schultz, Paul Warnock, Tony Warnock, Wayne Robbins, Roy Lee Robbins, Kenneth Woolery, Mary Jo Thurber, Reynolds Thurber, Johnny Thurber, Delbert Zolduske, Beverly Bright, and Linda Bright. The thoughtfulness of these young people continues warming Mother’s heart. 

Mother identified so many faces but here are the names that she could recall:
Beverly Bright, Dorothy Wills, Loretta Wills, Vonnie Laird, Nancy  LeForce, Gary
Moon, Sue Schultz, Janice Wolfe, Wayne Robbins, Lance Ben Mitchell, Roy Lee
Robbins, Paul Warnock, Bro. Jim Warnock, Gordon Laird, Mary Jo Thurber.
Dad is on the front right. This was taken in 1957. Mother is assured some of
these "young people" can identify every person in the photo.

                Mother preserved some snapshots taken during youth parties a year earlier in 1957.  Three of the photos have parents photographed during the parties. Most of the parties were hosted by parents inviting them into their homes. Usually the hosting family provided the refreshments.

Sue Schultz and Delbert Zolduske with Bea
Mitchell, a parent sponsor, smiling in the doorway

The young people anticipated playing silly, but fun games. One was a rhythm game which incorporated claps, pats, snaps and involved players calling numbers. The game demanded attentiveness and coordination. Another favorite activity called Airplane tricked the blindfolded player to think they were “flying.” Mother recalled these high school students had much fun and the photos confirm it.

In warm weather, they played outdoor games. Mother commented she could outrun all of them when playing “Flying Dutchman” with them. She can only dream about those days now as a nonagenarian!

                This era shines brightly in Mother’s memory because of committed parents who had taught their children to respect and obey them. These same parents willingly involved themselves in their high schoolers’ activities. They set and taught standards they expected their young people to uphold. As a result, she and Dad worked with teenagers open to the commands of God’s Word and easy to chaperone at parties.

Ernest Robbins, a parent host, and Reynolds
Thurber enjoying the eats.

Mother recalls Larry Mitchell, Janice Wolf,
Nancy LeForce getting a laugh as she gets taken
in one of the games. The girl standing on the
right is unidentified.

                Mother, at age 95, hopes “these young people” (all of whom are in their 70s and 80s!) continue to hold to the Biblical truths they learned at the Masham Baptist Church. The never-changing principles will steer all of us through the tumult of the 21^st century. The Christ we celebrate at Christmas is to be honored by our words and our obedience all year round. Each of us can impart to the youth of today the relevance of the same truths learned by these “good kids” over six decades ago.    

Sue Schultz and Charles Wills participating  in
a fun game.

           

  Mother wishes a blessed Christmas to the Masham Young People of yesteryear and success as they impact their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the principles of the Lord in 2020.

Other Links of Interest:
https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2015/04/easter-sunday-and-60-cent-trio-book.html

https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2018/07/not-putdown-but-badge-of-honor.html

Larry Mitchell, Roy Lee Robbins, and Wayne
Robbins (back to camera) take Beverly Bright on
the airplane ride.

Vonnie Laird, Roy Lee Robbins, Sue Schultz, and
others enjoy a good time

Gordon Laird, Roy Lee Robbins, and Paul
Warnock enjoy a "pop" - a rare treat