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August 29, 2022
FBC Howe places 1904 church bell on campus grounds
William Powell places a strap around the historic church bell to slide it into place with his John Deere tractor. Charles and Phillip Farris helped Powell put it in place. Staff photo. Several years ago, a Memorial Team was created at First Baptist Church of Howe to create a memorial location on the church campus grounds. The members of the committee were JoAnne Dickey, Nelda Allison, Norma White, and Donna Pelkey. This group created an idea to take memorial offerings to develop a place on the property where anyone could take time to pray, remember loved ones, and glorify God. Somewhere during the journey, it was mentioned that the church bell should be included in the project. This created the “Memory Bell Project.” The original church bell for the First Baptist Church dates back to 1904 at the first location at the southwest corner of Denny Street and Davis Street. The bell called Howe to worship for 50 years before being moved directly across Denny Street in 1955 to the newly constructed red brick church which is currently the Fellowship Hall. When FBC Howe constructed a new sanctuary in the 1970s, the bell was left in the Fellowship Hall. In 2013, a metal roof was placed on the entire property which prompted the removal of the bell which has been in storage since. Through the years, those with fond memories of the church bell wished it could be presented in some fashion. In 2013, the church voted to place the bell with the sign in the area of the yard between the Fellowship Hall and the Auditorium. The church electronic marquee sign was placed on the corner of the church property near Denny Street for visibility of drivers and passengers on Highway 5. But the bell remained in storage.
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Taking up the mantle of the 2013 church vote, the Memory Bell team completed the project last week by placing it in the yard as originally voted. The group, led by Art Rayburn, said inflation and other outside interference caused the team to make adjustments to the original blueprints, but with the help of Phillip Farris, the new and updated design was much more cost effective while still remaining beautiful to the original idea. The team held true to the original concept of a metal bell housing that looks more modern, but blends in the traditions of the past. The metal bell housing sits on a concrete hexagon shaped pad with memorial bricks leading to the center. This is in keeping with the original vote in 2013. There will also be a Memory Bell plaque attached to an Austin stone plaque holder. The plaque will read: Memory Bell 1905 Remembering Our Christian Heritage and Those Who Have Gone Before Us. The bell was recently sandblasted and sealed to be able to be withstand the weather. Two benches will be placed on either side of the bell housing that allows those to stay and pray. New trees and plants will also turn the area into a beautiful place of prayer. Each memorial brick can be purchased by a church member and be engraved with either in memory or in honor of a loved one.
