Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-01-13
Rounds Out Quarter of a Century
at Head. of Congregational
Church
PHONOGRAPH GIVEN
Members of Church and Friends
Unite in Paying Homage to the
Sterling Qualities of Man
and Minister

One of the most expressive trib
utes ever paid to a Mountain Home
man was the meeting at the Congre
gational church Thursday evening tC
commemorate the twenty-fifth ami
versary of Rev. G. e. Mason's pas
torate in this town. For the most
part the program was extemporane-
Gus and it seemed to the listener
that the eloquence and enthusiasm
with which the whole meeting
teemed was due to the purpose of the
gathering.
The meeting was opened by vio-
lin selection and encore by Lambert
Cannon, accompanied by Mrs. Can
non. This was followed by an intro
ductory talk by H. L. Braden, who
spoke of the purpose of the gather
ing, and gave the Rev. Mr.. Mason
great praise for the length of his
service and his unusual popularity
in the pastorate.
After this, two selections by the
male uuartette, the first being Car
ry Me Back to ole Virginny," and
the encore, fittingly, "The Little
Brown Church in the Vale" were
enjoyed. The .quartette consisted of
o. E. Norell, w. D. Clayville, Will
liam Talley and A. A Sessions.
Miss Emma Blunk, as clerk of the
church, and chairman for the even
ing, then called for volunteer testi-
monials from members and friends
of the church who were present.
Among those who responded were:
Mr.. and Mrs. E. C. Helfrich, who
spoke of having been neighbors Of
Rev. Mason the whole twenty-five
years of his pastorate. Mr.. Helfrich
remarked that he knew Rev. Mason
as a neighbor in the largest sense OF
the word, and had watched the
broadening influence of his work.
Mrs Helfrich said, in part, that she
knew him particularly to be com
munity man, standing solidly behind
any movement whatsoever for the
benefit of the town." Mr.. Norell
and B. T. Bjornson mentioned the
number of years which they had been
associated with Rev. Mason in the
church work and the admiration in
which they held his excellent quail
ties and quiet influence.
A. A. Sessions spoke eloquently
the good fortune of the
church in being able to keep so ster-
ling a man at the helm of religious
work throughout the quarter cen
tury and also of his absolute fitness
and success in the place.
Miss Bunk particularly sounded
the keynote of all the testimonials
when she spoke among other things
of his welcome to newcomrs in Noun
tain Home Everyone present who
had come to town from other parts
and had listened to one of Rev. Ma
sons mastery sermons could recall
the fact that he never failed to make
special request to Remember the
stranger within thy gates" Other
reiterated the noble
of the man with fiuency
and spontaneity that was remarka-
Bile and could not be accounted for
axceDt by the love and respect in
which Rev. Mason is held by those
who know him. The fact that his
influence and quiet power is wide
spread was shown in the tributes
paid to this minister by people who
had no connection with the church.
Miss Blunk revealed the secret of his
great success when she compared
Rev. Mason to that One who came
mot to be ministered unto, but to
His work was entirely
hat of service, and as one man said,
He preached nothing that he did
lot live himself"
Miss Blunk presented in behalf of
he church and its friends a hand
'ome Brunswick phonograph and
'ecords, which were a gift not only
If the congregation. but the many {
of the Rev. Mr.. Mason who
IRE not affiliated with his church.