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At the age of
five, Mary walked through the woods on a trail about a
half mile each Sunday to attend Francis Asbury with her
older sisters, Sadie and Mayme and little brother, Bill.
Her Papa ran a dairy farm and didn’t get to go with them
to church often. When he would leave for the barn on
Sunday mornings, He would say, “When I get back, you
better be gone to Sunday School.” And so, the children
were always sure to leave for church before he got back.
Almost 90 years later, Mary and her sister, Mayme, are
still members of Francis Asbury.
Mary and her husband, Bruce, were married in the Old
Church long ago. Through the years, they had a hand in
almost every aspect of the church. Mary and Bruce were
hard working, dedicated servants of the Lord. Even when
they moved away for a few years and attended Bruce’s
Baptist Church, her loyalty stayed with Francis Asbury.
The preacher and everyone else kept asking her when she
was going to join their church. She told them, “I’m not
going to. Francis Asbury is my church and it always will
be.” Bruce just passed away in March but his memory and
influence at Francis Asbury lives on.
What is your earliest memory of Francis Asbury?
Mrs. Roe: “Sunday School in the Old Church was
one of my favorite places to be as a child. We only had
the Sanctuary so each class had it’s own little section
to sit in. I remember always having to be very quiet so
we wouldn’t disturb the other classes. Our teacher’s
name was Miss Thrash and oh, how I loved her. She always
wore pink and had one of the prettiest dresses I ever
saw. Miss Thrash was a wonderful teacher and taught us
about how much Jesus loved and cared for each of us. We
learned the Lord’s Prayer together and Lloyd Penley was
the first to recite it by memory. Those special times in
Sunday School at Francis Asbury with a loving teacher,
friendly classmates and the promises of the Bible are
fond memories I will always cherish.”
Do you remember joining Francis Asbury?
Mrs. Roe: “I don’t remember exactly how old I
was, but I’ll never forget the day. My sisters, brother
and I joined Francis Asbury along with the Penley
children. As the preacher baptized Lloyd, he said ‘Lloyd
Adam Penley, I baptize you in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost’. My sisters and I
giggled because we didn’t know his middle name until
that very moment.”
From the time you first came to Francis Asbury till
now, how have things changed?
Mrs. Roe: “Francis Asbury has always been a
special place and it still is. The people are loving and
our faith and trust in Jesus Christ has been what has
kept our church together. I have made many dear friends
at Francis Asbury. Many of them have passed, but their
impact and memory will always be with me. I believe our
church will soon build again. I believe that as more
people move into this area, our church will grow as the
new folks discover what a wonderful place Francis Asbury
is.”
Mrs. Mary Roe went to be with the Lord just four days
after this interview. We will miss her smiling face and
the amazing impact she had on our church.
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