Memories From Joan Thurman McElroy:
offerings were placed in the decorated boxes and were hung on the Sunday School classroom door knobs for pickup.
Like most of my family, I was a member of Bethel before I was born. My Daddy, William White Thurman (Billy) and my Mama, Mary Martha Knight Thurman (Martha) were married in 1950. Mama was raised a devout Baptist, but moved her membership from Salem Baptist Church in McDonough to Bethel when they married. When I was born in 1955, there was no nursery. So I learned to be “good” in church from birth. My earliest memories of Bethel are the Fellowship Hall, then called the Community Building. It was a rectangular shaped cement block building with a cement floor painted red. It had a kitchen in the back right corner and a fireplace on the left wall. The tables had wooden pine tops with black iron legs. The chairs were wooden straight back chairs with woven cane bottoms. At Christmas we would have a live Christmas tree with a large fire in the fireplace. We would all draw names and everyone would have a gift. In the early 1960’s, Sunday School rooms were added to the Community Building. I remember my kindergarten teacher was Barbara Sanders. Other primary teachers were my Mama, Mrs. Jo Hanes, Mrs. Bill Bellamy, and Mrs. Billie Elliott. Mrs. Jo Hanes would invite us to her home for a wiener roast over a big fire and Mr. Hanes would help us ride horses up and down their driveway. My Daddy was my Sr. High teacher and was also the Sunday School Superintendant for many years. When I was really young, I remember decorating little parts boxes he would bring home from work. The Sunday School class
As a child, it was always fun when it was our family’s week to clean the church. My brother, Gary, and I, and my cousins, Glynnell and Gene Bankston, would clean for a while. But soon we would be playing “restaurant” in the Community Building’s kitchen or playing “wedding” in the church. Each summer Vacation Bible School was like a real vacation. We would begin by marching into the church singing “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” Mrs. Hubbard would help us create the most wonderful arts and crafts. We would have a glass of Kool-Aid and a large cookie for a snack. And we would always write our name on the bottom of the paper cup for us to use all week! We did not have a playground, but we didn’t need one. There was a really big oak tree between the Church and the Community Building. We would play on the roots of the tree, play freeze tag in the Church’s front yard, and play “rock school” on the steps of the church. My Maw-Maw Thurman was the Communion Steward for many years. She made her own communion bread. After church, she was always met by us kids wanting any leftover bread. My Uncle Clyde Thurman was also greeted by us kids every Sunday—he always had Juicy Fruit gum in his pocket. Uncle Clyde loved to cut grass. There is no telling how many times he cut the cemetery during his lifetime. In fact, he went to be with the Lord while he was cutting grass.
3611 Frederica Road · St. Simons Island GA
912-638-6789 www.bethel-umc.com
August 1, 2010
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