Eight miles south-west of Paris this
church is found, it having been organized in 1833. Our efforts to
secure additional data proved unsuccessful in this instance.
Mt. Zion M. E. Church South.- W. H.
Violet and wife, Philip Schrader and wife, Harry Patterson and
wife, M. F. Mason and wife, D. Miller and wife, and William Miller
and mother were among the original members of this church, which
was organized in 1858. There are now about 60 persons connected
with its membership. The pastors of the congregation have been:
Revs. William Fenton, John Taylor, Loving, Root, William Sutton,
Collett, J. McErvin, James James, William Shackleford and Walter
Tool. The same year of its formation a building for worship was
erected at a cost of $800. There are 40 scholars in the Sabbath -
school, superintended by Jacob Schrader. The location of this
church in the center of section 8, in Jackson township.
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Memories of Mt. Zion, An “Old County
Church”
Mrs. C. J. Shrader, Shreveport, LA in
writing to subscribe for the Appeal, sent along an article of her
“Memories of Mt. Zion, an old Country Church,” as she recalls
it from 67 years ago. She formerly lived southwest of Paris. Her
article follows:
My name is Mabel Hoffman Shrader. I was
born in 1889. July 19, 1979 I’ll be 90 years old. My husband was
the late Clarence Jacob Shrader. My parents were Mr. and Mrs. John
Adam Hoffman, all of the Paris vicinity and lived their lifetime
near the Mt. zion Methodist Church. As I recall, the family never
missed Sunday School or preaching services when held in the
beautiful church of Mt. Zion.
From 5years of age, I remember Mt. Zion
church, the stile blocks, the big tree, the friendly fellowship,
taking the young preacher home for a good country dinner (the
preachers were students of Fayette College where they studied the
ministry). Such happy days of my youth I recall with joy. At first
the church was a very old building, but in 1905, a new church
house was built. It was beautiful, with a wide front door at the
front entrance. There, after services, the young people gathered
to talk over the week’s events, couples mostly. It was in this
young happy group I met my future husband of a lifetime. The
church was painted white outside and in.
The church was dedicated the summer of
1906 (I was 16 years old then) with an all day service and dinner
on the grounds. Most of my young life centered around Mt. Zion
Church, which I joined at an early age. We had choir of about 10
young girls. I must have sung the loudest, I was so happy. I had 2
good parents who always sat smiling in the third pew on the north
side, brothers and sisters also. My father used seasoned maple
wood to build the podium. He finished it with polish lacquer. All
our song books were kept inside (ice cream suppers held in the
church yard paid for them). A huge Bible was left open on the top
of the podium. There was a good organ. Its music helped us sing.
Also there was a huge wood and coal stove near the center of the
church on the north side, the pews arranged on three sides for us
to warm up after our 5 mile ride in zero weather. The huge round
chandelier was our pride and joy. It hung in the center of the
church and could be pulled down so we women could fill it with oil
for the 12 built in coal oil lamps and keep the chimneys
sparkling.
The men kept the fires burning in the big
heating stove.
There must have been about 50 members in
the early days that I recall, Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman, my
grandparents, were among them when I was young, later there was
the Mason family. I remember Abe Mason. He was one of the great
leaders in Mt. Zion Church, must have been 3 or 4 Shrader families
(I knew all the young folks), the Carter family, the Ab Howell
family, the Henry Scott family (Ola Bell was my best friend and
neighbor), the Henry Luttrell family, my relatives, Fred Luttrell
was custodian of the church after it was closed. The Luttrell
family (my mothers folks) and others. . .
The cemetery back of the church is very
old. I have four relatives buried there near the center of the
path on the north side, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Luttrell, my
grandparents, a brother Johnny Hoffman age 8 close by, also quite
near a cousin Roy Ball. I visited the old church for the last time
in 1966.
I was married in 1912, left Missouri to
live in Texas the rest of my life.
Just lately a group had gone to the old
church site, cleaned up the grounds where the church stood, using
the foundation stones to raise a monument near where the front
door entrance was as a memorial, to a happy, joyous place of
worship.
I am sad the church is gone.
Mabel
Shrader
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