HENRY SCHOOL

(Information Provided By Ray Gold)

The Henry Family
The Primitive Baptist Church
And The Henry School District #11

 It is believed that Joseph  Henry came to what is now Stone County, Missouri, when it was still part of Taney County,  Stone County was organized June of 1851.

His parents came from TN. and his wife was from Carrol County, Arkansas. Where the idea of the church came from. It is thought that Joseph Henry had the idea to build a school to get financial help to build the school and create interest in the neighborhood and also perhaps he could use the school as a place to have church.  And apparently it worked for him.  All the details will probably never be known for sure. The school was probably built in the early 1890’s or before.

Joseph came from Tennessee with his parents to Caroll County, Arkansas in the 1830’s. He grew up there, this is where he met and married his wife, Martha Jane Miller in the early 1850’s. History of the Ozarks says they had 16 children. But not all have been found at this time. Joseph fought for the North during the Civil War.

In 1895 he was living less than ½ mile southeast of the Henry School.  The first Primitive Baptist Church in the area was organized, and church was held in the Henry School House, sometime during that year. Joseph and Martha Jane were charter members of that church. Some of the Long and Gwaltney families were also charter members of the church.  In a few years the first Henry School burned and the church was moved to Walnut Grove, which was also a School building.  Church was held there until the year of 1920 when a new Primitive Baptist Church was built in Hurley where it is still located at this date; November 29, 2002.

Joseph Long Henry and Martha Jane Miller were the parents of [1] Susan C. Henry, she was born in Missouri in about 1855. She married Stephen Carr who was born in about 1856 in Arkansas. They were married Oct.11, 1877 in Stone County, Missouri. Other children of Joseph and Martha Jane were; [2] Elizabeth, born in about 1863 in Missouri. [3] Joseph S., born in about 1866. [4] Nancy L., born in about 1867. [5] Martha F., born in about 1869. [6] Isaac M. born in about 1871or 1872, he married Mary Ellen Choate, November 30, 1891, in Stone County, Missouri.  Their Children were; [1] William E. “Bill” Henry, born August 22, 1892 and died June 12, 1976, buried in Short Cemetery. [2] Zeller C., born in about 1895. [3] Werner S., Born in 1899. [4] Alcy, born in about 1904. [5] Molly, born in about 1908. [6] Bernice daughter, born in 1909,

W.E. “Bill” Henry married Maud Frances Hays who was born August 18, 1893. They were the parents of: [1] Gilbert, born in about 1912, and died in about 1994. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church at Hurley until he died in the mid 1990’s.  [2] Inez, born February 9, 1914 in Hurley MO., and died November 21, 1999. She was buried in the Delaware Cemetery north of Boaz in Christian County, MO. [3] Rex Henry married Treva Mae Burton, she was born December 28, 1923. They were married June 2, 1941.

George Alexander Henry was born in about 1876. He married Effie Jane [Wright] Henry. She was born in about 1876 in Missouri. She was the daughter of George and Mary Jane [Henderson] Wright.   Their children were; [1] Viola Mary, born in about 1896 in Missouri. [2] Sheridan, born in 1897. [3] Glen, born in 1899.

Mary Viola Henry married Gillie Houser, who was a brother to Virgie Mae Houser who is the mother of James Ray Gold.

The children of Gillie and Viola [Henry] Houser are; Leota, Amy, Rilla Mae “Tebe”, Frankie, and John Alexander Houser.

The children of George Alexander and Effie [Wright] Henry were; [1] Sheridan, born about 1897, & [2] George Glen Henry, born about 1899.  Glen married Nora M. Robertson, born about 1901. Their children;  [1] Theadore “Ted”, born Sept 12, 1917, [2] Finis, born Mar. 22, 1919. [3] Dwight, born about 1921, [4] Howard, born about 1922, And Bonnie born about 1924. The parents of Nora were Ellis and Lydia A. [Bledsoe] Robertson.

These families are the descendants of Joseph Long Henry and Martha Jane [Miller] Henry who settled in the vicinity of the Henry School and the first Primitive Church in the area.
 

On Saturday before the fourth Sunday in April, 1895, a group of people met at the Henry School House. 2-1/2 miles east and ½ mile south of Hurley, Missouri. For the purpose of organizing a Primitive Baptist Church. The following named had brought letters of dismission from Flat Creek Church in Barry County, Missouri, and Indian Creek Church in Carroll County, Arkansas: Joseph L. Henry and Martha Henry, Marion C. Gwaltney, Matilda Gwaltney, and I.N. Jones.

A temporary organization was affected by choosing Elder James R. Evans, moderator, and Elder William Taylor, Clerk. Upon Examination of letters of dismission and declaration of faith, the people became satisfied with the legality of their baptism and their former identity with churches of the same faith and order, whereupon they proceeded to examine articles of faith and rules of decorum as prepared by Indian Creek Church of Carroll County, Arkansas. Accepting them as satisfactory and were unanimously adopted and those persons subscribed their names thereunto and was pronounced to be a church by Elder James Evans. They then sang a hymn of praise and extended the right hand in fellowship one with another.

The Church then proceeded to choose a moderator and clerk for the ensuing year by private ballot. The result being that Elder William Taylor was chosen pastor moderator and John Carpenter to serve as clerk. The church agreed to meet the fourth Sunday of each month. The church was to be known as “Little Flock”. When an invitation was given for new members, others who came forward to relate their experience and be baptized were John Carpenter, George Smith, Sarah C. Smith, and William Long.
 
Some of the ordained to serve as deacons were Stephen Carr and Isaac N. Jones. The church grew steadily in membership of from 14 to 21 persons per year for the next few years.

Among those family names that appear on the record before 1907 are; Henry, Gwaltney, Jones, Carpenter, Smith, Long, Collins, McCord, Wilder, Maples, Carr, Williams, Leath, Easley, Sanders, Eaton, Spears, Stephens, Houser, Blissitt, Mount, Godfrey, Parker, Greenway, Ambroes, Spencer, Langley, Rickman, Slaughter, Dishroon, Brown, Sexton, and Anderson. All were baptized by Elder William Taylor, except a few by his brother, Elder John Taylor who visited from time to time. Elder William Taylor served the church as pastor from its beginning until 1911. In September of 1911, Elder C.C. Agee of Springfield, MO. was called for pastor and moderator for the coming year. By this time the Little Flock Church was meeting at Walnut Grove Schoolhouse, about 3 miles south of Hurley. Other ministers who served the church at Walnut Grove were Elder David F. Coones, and John Taylor.

In 1920 Little Flock Church of Primitive Baptists moved to Hurley into a new building that had been erected for that purpose. Named as Trustees to property described as lots, 15, 16, 17, and 18 in block # 2 in the Benjamin Kerr addition were; John S. Houser, J.H. Spears, and George W. Short.
Geoge W. Short was ordained as deacon at that first meeting. It was perhaps shortly after his death that John S. Houser and T.G. Langley were ordained as deacons, in November, of 1928, both served until their deaths.

Others who have since served as deacons are Orie Wright, Troy Coones, Marion Gwaltney, Mirl Hudson and Mearl Pearce.

Others to serve as pastor were John A. Alberty, Jasper Odell, Tom Scroggins, Oliver Coones, and Orie Wright.

The Little Flock Church is still meeting today in the same building that was erected in 1920. It has a very peaceful setting with modesty and simplicity in a clean surrounding. Meeting days are the first Sunday of each month, Elder David N. Adair of Bolivar, Missouri, as present pastor and moderator and the second Sunday of each month, with the Elder H.H. Tracy of Neosho, Missouri, as co-pastor, C.H. Houser is serving as deacon.

Some of the basic points that Primitive Baptists believe;

1. Unconditional election, by grace that God chose his people in Christ before the foundation of the world, and predestined them to be conformed to his image. Romans 8; 28, 29, 30.

2. That the saints will be preserved and never fall finally away.

3. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust, that the natural bodies of the saints will be quickened and made like Jesus. Matt. 25-46, John 5-28, 29, Rev. 20;11, 15.
And that the punishment of the wicked will be everlasting and the joys of the righteous will be eternal.

4. We believe that baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and washing of the feet are ordinances of Jesus Christ, and emmersion is the only true mode of baptism.  Mark 1; 5-9; Acts, 8; 38, Romans 6;4; Matt, 26, John 13-15.  By Louella Dulin Church Clerk.