The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-05-14

1919. IN 1910 ne Cfosseu 'nS
with his parents by OK team and prairie
schooner. His ministerial work began
in 1870. Incidents of his work IN his
own words are as follows:
al moved to Hood River valley ou
the place on which l now reside on
July %. 1882. When | arrived had
team. a wagon, two cows, wife, four
children and about SEQ in money.
"NO kind of religious work was
even attempted then. There was no
Sunday school, no school house and no
church. All of that part of the Hood
River district now divided into differ
ent districts, was considered one COM
munity then. When the people OF the
community now known as Odell began
erecting a school house, l began
preaching under large fir tree that
stands near my spring. | hauled lun-
ber and erected some temporary open
air pews. This was in the sumner OF
1883, After the sehoolhouse was nm
ished | began holding services there
every Sunday, year in and year OUT
as we'll as conducting Sunay school ser
vices. ! was minister, choir leader,
Sunday school superintendent and otten
ianitor. Our first revival meeting was
held in the winter of 1886 and ~ IN
CONJUNCTION with +. H. Balch, after
ward author of the Bridge of the Gods.
At the close of the meeting a Congre-
gational church was organized by Mr.;
RaIrh | did not unite with them. l
had withrawn from my denomination
the Disciples, holding the beiiet' TO
which | still adhere, that the true
church in any place consists OF all tne t
true Christians who meet to worship
there. no matter whether they have
formally united with the organization
or not. | have always stood on the
nlatform that | would offer the hand oi
fellowship to any Christian, irrespec
tive of minor beliefs or doctrines. Ihl'
stand has made me a lot of trouble
with denominational leaders, who haV'
come to establish their DENOMINATIONS
work. But, on the other hand, 1t ha'
given me great power with the people
saw early in my life the futility o
attempting to establish separate de
nominational churches in sparsely SET
tied rural communities.
ITO go back to Mr.. Balch, ne con
tinued preaching at the Odell churc
: half the time, while | filled the pupil
half the time. We had no friction an
. in a wears time he turned the churc
! over to me, telling me that was tn
. real pastor. think he deserves gref
! credit, showing that he cared more II
souls than for denomination.
!. "For IL years | continued this wor
!. according to nv belief. We had SON
glorious revivals and made many col
! verts.
|. "In 1901 we built Union churcI
/ Everv citizen in the neighborhoo'
|. whether a member of church or no
!. assisted with the building, 1t WI
|. completed without debt.
!. ii could never have accomplish
!. nv tasks without the aid OF my VII
+ who did without many of the thinI
= that she might have had but for Il
II time spent in the ministry.
III 81 wish that ! had kept record
III the marriages and baptisms that
II have performed; they have been
II the scores and scores. William Ode
II for whom the little valley town "
Ill named, had a family of seven chlldre
Ill I baptised the whole family. They a
III all dead except two children, and
iii conducted the funeral service OF eaC
Ill Last summer performed the Maria
iii service of young man. whose fatt
Hi and mother | had joined in wedlock
II wears previously. have been cal
II out of bed to perform wedding ce
iii monies, and one time young cou
iii came into the school | was teaching
ask me to marry them.
iii "Members of the following demon
Ill ations have participated in my servl
iii at the Odell church and have partial
iii of the communion, often half do;
iii or more at one time: Methodist, Z
HI ereQational, Disciples. Baptist, Epis
Hi nalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran. UNI
HI Brethren, Adventist, Free Method
II have held union meetings with NIL
ters of all these denominations,
: once at Cascade Locks held vi
y service with a priest of the Ror
Catholic church. Rev. Billy Sun
u and wife have visited my church
= taken communion with US.
M "From the beginning of my "
81 here to the close, have never recel
V a salary, nor have | ever taken u
M collection. Occasionally | have recei
81 voluntary contributions. had Il
81 this because the people were unabl
nav in the early days, and not havir
o denomination | could not expect a
arv. So | have always had to n
. nv living outside the church work
81 served as county school superintent
of Wasco county, when Hood k
county made portion of it, from
= to 1896. However, never once
up my work in Odell.
"In the early days purchased
- acres of school land, and the ris,
values of this on account OF the
. industry has made me quite conf
able, financially. / can truly say
the Lord has provided for me bot
fully. While never had salal
am in better financial circumsta
than many ministers who
preached for a salary all their Il
And | have proved the truth of Jt
words, 1T is more blessed to give
1C to receive"
40 The pulpit in the Union churC
Odell has a peculiar history. In
f. H. Balch was instrumental II
building of Congregational churc
the Barrett district on the west
,,o of the Hood river. DR.. Barrett, o.
VC the Oldest pioneers of the district,
a member of the congregation.
Rarrett's father, MIR. Hodge, /
eighty-seventh year built the ?
with his own hands. The building
later sold to the Disciples, and is
the Valley Christian church bulldi
''When the church was sold. +"
Rev. Shelley. "the pulpit was res
= by DR.. and Mrs. Barrett. After
= death of the former, in the wint
l889-e0. Mrs. Barrett presented
me. on account of the warm frien
.L.4 kaJ avicAad hatuapn me anC