BELLE PORTER MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
RECORD BOOK, 1892-1906
Ms Collection P2
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The Belle Porter Memorial Presbyterian Church was organized Dec 6, 1890 at the Red Brush School House in Union Township, Sullivan County, MO. It was named in memory of one of the community’s earliest settlers, Mrs Isabelle Porter, who had died the previous spring (Mar 11, 1890). Her husband, Andrew, was one of the founding members of the church and Clerk of the Session for the period covered by this volume.
The Record Book contains: (1) Undated copy of the congregation’s petition for affiliation with the Palmyra Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church USA; (2) Session Minutes, Feb 8, 1892 – Dec 4, 1906; (3) Congregational Meeting Minutes, Oct 31, 1905; and (3) Membership Roll, 1892-1906.
The volume was a gift from Ralph O Porter to Violette-McClure Missouriana Collection, Pickler Memorial Library, ca 1950.
| Pages | |||||
| 1-2 | Petition for Affiliation with Palmyra Presbytery | ||||
| Petitioners: | |||||
| Ellet M Harmon Rebeca Jane Harmon Ellet M Harmon Margaret Emeline Vachel B Hill Bell Hill Sarah Ida Zoe Hill G Delarma Warren John W Shinefelt |
Elen Shinefelt
Ames* Charles S Robertson Elen Shinefelt Harmon Kate Robertson Emma Jane Ostrom Mildred Harmon Lefever* Lewis Taylor Margaret Jane Porter Andrew Porter |
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| [*the married surnames Ames & Lefever were added at a later date; the ink & handwriting are not the same as the original entry] | |||||
| 4-21 | Minutes of the Session, Feb 8, 1892 – Apr 16, 1906 | ||||
This very small congregation transacted and recorded very little Session business other than Baptisms and the admittance and dismissal of members. The meetings were irregular and infrequent, sometimes one (or even none) a year. The one business item of note was a Mar 11, 1894 vote against building their own church house. The Minutes show that at the Mar 30, 1905 meeting, the Membership Roll was examined and corrected, some members being placed on the Reserved Roll. (The date on the Minutes is actually Apr 30, but this places it out of order with the next entry. The Roll changes supposedly made at that meeting are dated Mar 30.) The Roll itself, as shown below, reflects the numerous notations made that date. The last entry to the Minutes is a certification by the Presbytery Moderator on Apr 18, 1906 that the past year’s Minutes have been examined and approved. It, however, appears immediately following the Dec 4, 1906 Session entry. |
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| 80 | Minutes of the Congregational Meeting, Oct 31, 1905 | ||||
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Motion made and carried that the congregation endeavor to purchase the Mount Olive Church building and furniture for a sum not to exceed $150 |
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| 89-91 | Roll of Members [as corrected Mar 30, 1905] | ||||
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1 |
Ellet M Harmon Rebecca Jane Harmon Margaret E Harmon Vachel B Hill Bell Hill Ida Zoe Hill G Delanna Warren John W Shinnafelt Ellen Shinnafelt Charles S Robertson Kate Robertson Emma J Ostrom Sarah M Harmon Andrew Porter Lewis Taylor Margaret J Porter Elizabeth Loop Susan Payne Earnest Hill William Payne Tenie Payne Lewiston J Walker Margaret Hopper Henry Curtis William J Porter Melville A Porter William Hill Miles Pickens Phebe Pickens Catharine Heizer Elizabeth Warren David Warren Olliver Hardinger Logan Hardinger Bettie Curtis Margaret Loop Eliza A Zeigler Lillie Dever Allie Smith Jacob Wilkins Kersey Wilkins Effie Wilkins Robert Frann Theodore Frann Charles Warren Charles Harmon Thomas Birdsell Rachel Romine Nora Romine Kitty Campbell Charles Hibbets Elizabeth Hibbets Margaret Litchfield Amelia May Porter Deborg Lane Catharine Lane Mattew McCracken Mrs Mary McCracken Miss Margaret McCracken Robert Mc[Cracken] William McCracken Margaret B Beatty Dora A Beatty Samuel Zeigler |
R Roll Mar 30 05 Married Jan 12th 1892 Married July 1st 96 R Roll Ma 30 05 R Roll Ma 30 05 R Roll Ma 30 05 Dropped March 30 05 Dropped March 30 05 Dropped Mar 30 05 Dead Dead Dropped Dead Removed by Req[uest] R Roll Mar 30/05 R Roll Mar 30/05 R Roll Mar 30 05 Joined MEC Died Joined MEC R Roll Ma 30 05 Joined MEC Joined other church Joined other church Dismissed Dropped Ma 30 05 Dropped Ma 30 05 Dropped Ma 30 05 Dropped Ma 30 05 R Roll Mar 30 05 Dropped Married March 11th 96 Joined another church Joined another church Joined another church Dropped Ma 30 05 Dropped Ma 30 05 Dropped Ma 30 05 R Roll Ma 30 05 R Roll Ma 30 05 Paxon R Roll Ma 30 05 Died Died R Roll Ma 30 05 Died Dismissed Died Jan 17 05 |
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| [Note: According to Dec 4, 1906 [or ‘05] Minutes, the McCracken family moved their membership to the First Presbyterian Church of Milan after the Roll was corrected.] | |||||
| 97 | Untitled Roster | ||||
| List of 12 names which are possibly those members placed on the “Reserved Roll”, Mar 30, 1905. With one or two exceptions, the names are the same. | |||||
| Ellet M Harmon Vachel B Hill Bell Hill Ida Zoe Hill Elizabeth Loop – Murphy Earnest Hill |
M J Porter Margaret Loop Charles Harmon Thomas Birdsell Kitty Campbell Margaret Litchfield |
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For information concerning this collection contact: speccoll@truman.edu
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