Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-09-16
CHURCH CENTENNIAL AT DERBY.


the First Congregational church here,
mention OF which was made in these
columns a few weeks ago, took place
Friday afternoon and evening, Aug.
30.
The afternoon session opened at
o'c'ock with the doxology by the
choir, after which Rev. r @. Drisko
offered prayer. Rev. 4. B. Hoyt read
from the scriptures the 4sth Psalm.
Words of welcome were very feeiingly
spoken by the senior deacon, A. ).
AIlbee. and, also he alluded to many
of the early members, calling many OF
them by name: Deacon N. S. Benham
and his daughter Sarah, always at
the prayer meeting no matter how
stormy, they came Ia miles to join in
Gods worship, and after he joined the
church, IL the good deacon thought he
was not going to take Part In the
prayer meeting be would nod and bow
his head until he rose to speak or
pray; Deacon Vorbeck, tall and state
Iy in his seat at theright OF the pulpit,
always ready to take his part in the
prayer meeting. fOther memberswere
levi Collier and Iva camr, who came
several miles from the west part OF
the town; Deacon Samuel Blake, who
came three miles from Salem and
many others space forbids us to meu-
ton, all of whom have now joined the
Church Triumphant.
Mr.. Allbee was followed by A. P.
Niles, another of the older and prom
inent members, with very fitting and
appropriate greetings. After an an
them by the choir A. II. Grout read
an historical sketch of the church,
published herewith) gathered from
one written by Mrs. Sarah (Benham)
Spalter, and other "reminiscences that
came within his reach, ard was fol-
lowed by other very interesting facts
and "reminiscences read by Deacon
Charles Carpenter, formerly a mem
Der of the church, now of Derby Line.
He gave incidents in the life of Mrs.
Betsey Carpenter, who was born the
year of the organization of the church.
We had hoped she would have
been spared to see our Tooth birthday,
as we'll as her own, which was in May,
but God took her in February last.
Music by the ladies' quartette fol-
lowed, then came "reminiscences, and
roll call of the children of the church
and society, the names OF all survivors
whether present or absent, resident
or non resident, as far as any knowl-
edge was had Of them.
We wish we could give all the rem
iniscences that were sent or brought.
1. M. Grow remembered helping in
the erection of the present church in
1s49 by running errsnds, throwing
pins to those on the frame, etc. Hon.
ID. M. Camp gave interesting reminis-
cences of pastors who used to be en-
tertained in his hons three miles
away. Mrs. ]. A. Steele of Mime
apolis, Mimi, described the old
church built in 1920, the first framed
church built in Orleans county, Civ
ing In main the same description that
was given by Mr.. Grout in his histori-
cal sketch, only adding the fact that
when the belfry became unsafe some
years after it's abandonment ropes
were put around it and all the men
and boys in town gathered and pulled
it down.
Mrs. Carrie (Frost) Lawrence of
Yonkers, N. Y, now over 80 years of
age, daughter OF Sumner Frost, one of
the most prominent members in early
times, and who with his family has
contributed largely to the repairs
made upon the present church from
time to time, sent "reminiscences of
her father and of her early life. They
were all singers and she remembered
, the time when the new church was
dedicated her father trained her to
sing an anthem and how proud she
was when he said, "You did very
we'll" She expressed her love for
the old church and "dear old Derby"
as did all who responded.
E. A. Allbee said that his
earliest remembrance was of his
teachers in the Sunday school: the
first person he met on coming into
the church was his first teacher, Mrs.
M. s. Ripley, now of Topeka. Kansas.
She said to him "When you were in
my class you were little white head
ed boy" "Fhere is now change
you are the white headed one," he re-
piled, "but your teaching so long ago
helped to make me Christian" he
spoke with feeling of his teachers.
D.Parker Kilburn OF Arlington, Nj,
in a congratulatory letter attributed
his Christian experience to his be-
loved mother, long since dead, who