The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-11
MRS. MALONE LEDBETTER
 CELEBRATES 75th BIRTHDAY
By IVA COOK


 Anniston, September 1O.-(speciai) One of the most interesting events in the history of the First Methodist church of Anniston, which was oi particular importance to the mem hers of the Woman's Missionary so- ciety. was meeting on Monday afternoon. At this meeting a surprise was planned in honor of Mrs. Falone Ledgb gbetter, on of Annlston's pioneer women whose birthday it was. She is the only living member of the orig inal Methodist Missionary society organized in the early days of the town by few brave and loyal women, who came with their hus- bands and families, to the thriving little settlement in the foot hills oi the Blue Ridge mountains, which had been founded by the Nobles and ny lers, in 1883.
 Mfr. and Mrs. Ledbetter moved to Anniston, which had been named in honor of Annie Tyler, being called ''Annies Town" in 1894, and their residence was a two-story brick structure which stood on the present site of the Stickney Drug company now in the heart of the business dis trict of Noble street. MT. and Mrs. Ledbetter came directly from the set tlement known as Weaver and be- fore that time their families had resided in the northern part of the state. being good old substantial stock. Anniston in those early days bid fair to become the best town in the state an dmany settlers came from far and near to make a fortune in the beautiful new town which was rich in natural resources and for tunate In having Samuel Noble and Daniel Tyler to back the settlement and all new enterprises. The story of Annistons famous boom days, the slump, followed by years of strug- gles. has been told many times and Is quite familiar. Through all these trying times Mrs Ledbetter has lived, MT. Ledbetter for years taking a prominet part in public affairs. At the missionary meeting on the occa- sion of her seventy fifth birthday she gave most interesting resume of the early days and especially in- teresting to those present was the history given of the first church an missionary society fromed in Annis- ton. Mrs. Ledbetter told of the or ganization of the society, conducted under a brush arrbor on the site of the Alabama hotel. This was organ ized and presided over by Mrs F. J. T. Brandon. mother of MT. w. w. Brandon, of Tuscaloosa and Rev Frank Brandon, destined to become pastor of the church to which his mother was so devoted and now pre- siding elder of the district. The so- ciety was organized in 1885 and the following year frame church build ing was constructed on the site used by this consecrated band of women, with Rev. R. A. Thompson as pastor. Many amusing and pathetic stories are told of Rev. Thompson and his early struggles to erect house of worship, which was contributed to and attended by peoples of all de- nominations
 In 1892 the frame building was burned on Easter morning and the worshipers gathered in a tin shop, where services were conducted until the present building was erected on Fourteenth and Noble streets, com pleted in 1893 Those were the days of the oyster supper and the ice cream festival and. as Mrs. Ledbetter said, "Every brick in the church represents fried oyster" the de- voted women working hard with their benefits to raise the amount of $500. which was put into the walls of the church and used in pur- chasing pews. When the church