Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-06-05
ssRed Oak Grove Society.


The following was read at the
Centennial of the Red Oak Grove
church last Sunday by Mrs. Mamie
n. Tillman being short sketch of
the Woman's Missionary Society OF
that church.
Introduction.
The following information has
been gathered from number OF
persons, through period of several
years, and the paper was written for
the purpose of sending Mrs. Wat,
son of Greenville, as part of the
share of Edgefeld association, in
the history of woman's work for
South Carolina which she is COM
piling. It was not expected that it
would be read in any of Bro. Bus
ssy's churches before it was printed
in the book, so that all that is said
of him was prepared without
thought of the present occasion, but
to hand his name down to posterity
as the pioneer in his interest and
appreciation of Woman's Missiona-
ry endeavors, long before its popu-
larity had commenced, and when
these ''labors of love" of women
were barely tolerated, if not con-
demned. Those days have passed,
and Bro. Bussey must enjoy most
of the glory of it.
Red Oak Grove Woman's Work.
The earliest group of churches in
the Edgefeld association which be-
can to manifest the missionary
spirit were under the leadership of
Rev. George w. Bussey in 1876,
and there seems to have been an
unusual awakening just at this time.
This group of churches consisted of
Red Oak Grove, Parksville, Plum
Branch, Stevens Greek and Noun
tain Creek. Red Oak Grove was
the most active of all the churches
in missionary enterprise at this time
if the records prove anything. Per-
haps it; was because of the close
proximity of the pastor, Rev. G.
w. Bussey, to this church.
The very first recorded gift of
money sent through organized wo-
mans work. when the old Central
), Committee plan was in operation at
Society Hill under the leadership of
Mrs. Stout and Misses Coker and
Mcintosh, now Mrs. T. P. Bell of
Atlanta, was sent from Red Oak
Grove in 1876. In, a recent letter
from Miss Mary Coker she said
that Edgefeld association was one
! of the hardest associations to enlist
in missionary work among the VIC
men, but she gave credit to Rev.
G. W. Bussey and DR.. Basil Manly
for sympathetic cooperation in
those early days.
The following are some excerpts
from. letter written in reply to
request, from Rev. G.. w. Bussey,
who still serves Red Oak Grove
church, and around whose historic
hills he played when a boy. He
says: I'VE Baptists make history,
but are poor to record it." In this
case Bro. Bussey made the history,
but some one else will record it.
Further, he says: "There was a wo-
mans society at Red Oak Grove in
1875, of which my step-mother,
Mrs. Nancy Bussey, was secretary,
and Mrs. Euphenia Sharpton was
president. The writer must make
mention of Mrs. Sharpton who was
known to her personally, and was q
very intelligent and heroic soul, and
was t he mother of Mrs. David Tim.
norman of the Ropers section of
our county. She is one of the few
OF whom special mention will be
made in this history of our associa-
tional work, along with Mrs. J. G.
Morgan, Mrs. 6. w. Bussey, Miss
Cell Richards, Mrs. Mary Wates
and a few others.
After Mrs. Sharpton's resigna-
ton, and, by the way, she was not a
member of Red Oak Grove, but an
Episcopalian at that time, Mrs. G.
w. Bussey was elected president,
and remained so until 1882. Mrs.
P. H. Bussey, who was Miss Ma
mie Nixon, stated that as far back
as 25 or 80 years ago, las member of
this society. she had a missionary
hen," and in some months time had
saved So. so, which she sent as her
years gift to missions. When we
heard that, we were almost tempted
to believe that Mrs. Bussey must
have been the originator of the