Gleanings From
In Christian Fellowship
By Shirley Lindahl
Edited by Jerry Rutherford
Search for a Permanent Minister
An uplift during the days of economic stress was provided by the formation of the Kirkland Civic Orchestra. Among the musicians were church members John Gates (Pam Gates Owens father) playing cello and Lucille Crow, violin.
By October the church felt the need for a permanent minister but the board of trustees still could not offer a stated salary. Three men indicated a desire to be considered even under such indefinite conditions. Among them was the venerable Rev. Newberry, who was overwhelmingly selected for six months. The record shows he was paid $30 for December.
The church membership of 85 owed the Congregational Conference 11 cents per member for denominational dues. A windfall of $50 showed up in the bank statement so the dues were paid. An error had allowed this sum to be deposited to the Community Church account instead of the Lutheran church. The treasurer was directed to refund the amount the to Lutheran account.
Mrs. Mae Estey asked the board for permission to have a 28' x 30' building put on the church grounds to be used as a meeting place for her Wolf Cubs. She also suggested that it could be used for a Sunday School classroom. During the early 1930's the Wolf Cub membership included David Burr Jr., Ernest McKibben Jr., Joe Chamness, Clifford Simmons, Frank Reese, Larry Wold, Jerry Marsh, Ernest Fortescue Jr., Jack Hapfer and Warren Powell.
A surprise musical evening was put on by the Congregation to honor the 80th birthday of their beloved minister, Rev. Newberry. The members were devoted to this remarkable man who had served the church and the community in so many capacities during the 25 years he had been in their midst.
The Congregational Church in Bellevue was struggling without a minister in 1933 when Rev. Newberry was asked to preach alternate Sundays. For 12 Sundays he made the trip to Bellevue he received only $26 with the balance of $76 unpaid.
The May meeting of the board of trustees was held at the home of Ernest Fortescue with "special refreshments provided by Mrs. Fortescue." One of the items of business at the meeting was a request from James O. Duffey to use the church facilities to conduct a non-denominational bible class. He was holding a regular class on Rose Hill and it was quite a distance for some to travel there. He later formed the People's Church in Kirkland using the vacant Methodist Building.
A letter from the Washington Children's Home asked for a donation. "The strain of the depression for the last four years has broken many homes, with the result that a greater number of children are coming to us for help. The National and State governments have left the care of the dependent children entirely to private charitable organizations by refusing to extend aid."
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