The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-02-21

ahe continued interest in the
8'be School indicates the present
/ facilities inadequate. Ihe congre.
cation is noa planning Tor further
expansion and II additional land
can be purchased. hope o. be able
% house the children now attend.
ina the school. The years ahead
win determine the wisdom and
ne faith Of Presbyterians In Key
West.
WORKERS
History should he an iFnperson-
II and objective report. Accord.
inxiy the history Of the First
Presbyterian Church would be
/ Incomplete without reference 90
people who have made the church
a reality. While members and
friends will evaluate the services
q people differently. many good
workers may not be included in
any. list. Those here mentioned
viii include those sufficiently &C.
tive or holding such positions as
10 be included in the official rec
0rds Naturally al cannot be men
toned Tor many have rendered
woman service too often un-no.
'iced. and space would not pcrmi,
q complete list. A few Of those
who have made valuable ccntri.
buttons TO the progress Of the
church should be mentioned.
Among those 10 be included Is
Mr.. and Mrs. A. c. Elgin. This
couple came into the church when
u was first organized and are the
only charter members still with
this church, Mr.. Elgin has served
as . deacon. elder. trustee and
Bible School superintendent. He
can always be found In his pew
whether the weather be hot or
cold Mrs. Elgin attends occasion
ally only because Of III health.
Except for q short period when
Mr. Elgin was in business I'm Mi
ami. they have been mernbers Of
the local church.
Mr.. Elgin was agent for the p
& O Steamship Company which
had dock al the foot Of Duvai
Street. the present location Of the
Gulf Oh Co II was Mr.. Elgin who
advocated As early a. 1918 that
the CONGREGATION purchase n los
FOR q church. On JUNG 20. 1874
the Rev. Mr.. sinks reported that
there was a debt Of 500 90 ON thc
church les. Six davs later Mr. rl.
Gin reported that the debt had
been paid. Beginning as n dsa-
con in lo2A ne was elected and
ordained an elder the following
year. Today his wise counsel and
commanding personality carries
considerable weight In all the de-
alterations ~ official meetings.
Another indomitabie worker
who stood alongside Mr.. Elrin in
the long hard road 90 procuring
= church. was Mr.. Andrew Il. Nil
Ter They both worked 90 obtain
he funds. had sufficient faith in
the congregation and the church
% sign tire necessary papers 20
obtain the loans necessary for the
building programs Mr.. Miller
served a. deacon. elder and trus.
tee and Il was largely through
his implieit faith and unselfish
service thst prcsbyterianisn sur
vivcd and prospered In Key West.
His widow. Mrs. Andrew Miller.
j. q regular attendant ~ al the
services when she Is In the city.
Working In the same office with
Mr.. Elgin was Walter N. Norman.
Mr.. Norman was interested In
prcsbyterianism 20 such an ex.
tent that he was quite active in
the organixasional rssting. Al
that time he was ordained an eld-
a. April %. 1909 in the CITY Hall.
he was re-elcct.d an elder A a
meeting January II. fp2s ard was
active in procuring the original
lot Cor the first chapel. His poor
health made Il necessary for him
g. reiinruish his official duties
with the Church.
Another prominent worker m
the church during the early and
trying days was Mr.. and MR..
Edward Grain. Ar. Grain ran \
book store on Green street but
gave unztlniingly 20 his time for
church work. lie had been reared
an FniAs.uns.f,an hs,s shross.<h tI.c