Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

tive in many organizations during her
busy life. She has been a director of the
Needlework Guild for 35 years; joined
the W.C.T.U. when she was 10 years old;
served as Home Missionary of Third
Church for many years; a member of
the Gospel Illustrators League; served
as Probation Officer, assisted with the
Placement of Children, and Children's
Aid Society. Although Miss Annie re
tired five years ago she still frequently
visits the Jewish folks to whom she gave
the Gospel message.
Another Third Church member, also
still active in business and in the af-.
fairs of His Lord and Master, celebrated
his 90th birthday on February 5. He is
Mr. Joseph Middleton Steele. His amaz
ing energy and vitality, his radiant smile
and hearty handshake, his genial per
sonality and ever constant witness for
Christ are an inspiration to us all. Or
dained to the eldership of Third Church
on February 23, 1896, he has only missed
two communion services in all those 59
years. His wide and varied activities in
Kingdom work include many faithful
and fruitful years as Treasurer of the
Foreign Mission Board; Director of the
American University of Cairo; Pocket
Testament League; Synodical Treasurer
of Jewish Mission Board; President of
Pennsylvania Sabbath Association, Trus
tee of Geneva College; Administrative
office in Y.M.C.A. and association with
Billy Sunday and Billy Graham in their
great revivals in Philadelphia. Modestly,
this wonderful Christian gentleman re
fuses to let his left hand know what his
right is doing, or we might have added
much more about his activities in the
Service of the King. Mr. Steele is the
oldest of 86 living
members of his moth
er's family. He has 5 children, 18 grand
children and 12 great grandchildren.
The cold and stormy weather of Feb
ruary has not affected the attendance
at mid-week prayer services. Feb
ruary 16 found 29 present and earnest
petitions are being
made for the spirit
ual and numerical growth of our church.
Miss Helen Schaal was sponsor for a
Valentine's Day party for the teengroup
which meets with Mr. Price each
Thursday evening.
The marriage of Mr. Walter McClay
and Miss Margaret I. Carl was quietly
solemnized at noon, February 19, at the
home of Miss Helen Nyce, in Philadel
phia. The double ring ceremony was per
formed by the Rev. Bertram Wurkheiser,
the bride's Pastor, assisted by
the Rev. George W. Price, pastor of the
groom. A reception followed at the
Emlen Arms in Germantown. They will
be at home after April 1 at 5138 Green
Street, Germantown. Walter has served
Third Philadelphia as a deacon for a
158
number of years, and we heartily wel
come his wife into our fellowship.
ESKRIDGE
Services for the community for World
Day of Prayer were held in our church
Friday afternoon February 25.
The past weeks Mrs. Eva Bole of La-
Junta, Colo, has been worshiping with
us. We enjoy her fellowship.
Miss Merl Dill is recovering from a
fall in which she suffered a broken an
kle.
SHARON
Mr. S. F. McElhinney, a life long
member of the Sharon congregation,
passed away on February 9, at the age
of 87. He was a farmer in the Sharon
community until his retirement about
fifteen years ago. Since that time Mr.
and Mrs. McElhinney made their home
in Burlington. Owing to poor health Mr.
McElhinney had not been able to attend
the services of God's house for about
five years. "There remaineth therefore
a rest to the people of God." Heb. 4:9
On February 10 the following were
elected to the office of deacon :
Ernest
McElhinney, James Robertson and
Ralph McDonald. Ordination and in
stallation services were held on Sabbath
evening, February 27.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Rice became the
parents of a son, Daniel Paul, on Decem
ber 7; Mr. and Mrs. Maurice McDonald
became the parents of a girl, Janet, on
January 28;
and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Brown became the parents of a girl,
Heidi Marie, on February 18.
DR. ROBERT W. ROBB
The Stafford Reformed Presbyterian
congregation wish to express their sor
row over the passing of Dr. R. W. Robb,
January 28, 1955. While a member here
only since October 1952, we have learned
to appreciate and respect the Christian
grace and kindliness of Dr. Robb. He
and his wife, although living at Larned,
Kansas, a distance of 40 miles, were sel
dom absent from the services of the
church and could be depended on to do
what they were able to do. We commend
the widow and two daughters and the
grandchildren to the kind and loving
Heavenly Father who alone can comfort
and sustain.
I moderated in a Call in the Santa
Ana congregation resulting in the elec
tion of Glen McFarland of the Seminary.
The Call was made unanimous.
S. Edgar. Moderator.
GOLDEN WEDDING-MAURICE AND
AGNES CROCKETT
Recently, in Tustin, Calif., within the
bounds of the Santa Ana Reformed Pres
byterian church, a lovely
event took
place, which would revive happy memor
ies in a host of Covenanters, particularly
among the R. P. Seminary boys of half
a century ago who had the good fortune
to frequent the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Samuel Orr of the Allegheny Congre
gation and to be welcomed at their
bountiful board.
In those early days the family in
cluded two sons, and an attractive young
daughter Agnes with whom sunshine
was an ever-present companion and has
continued to be all through the years..
With all those fine budding young
preachers, coming
and going, it must
have been somewhat of a chore for Ag
nes to have kept up with their bantering,
but her perpetual good humor and ready
tongue, both of which are still in good
evidence,
saved the day.
Then there appeared on the scene a
quiet young man with a winning smile
not a preacher at all. He left that for
others to do while he, little by little,
worked his way into the center of the
group. So when Maurice J. Crockett
from Syracuse, N. Y.,
(now an elder in
the Santa Ana Congregation) said,
"Come Agnes," she obeyed. With her
hand in his, she has been following him
for fifty years.
And the Lord blessed their home with
two sons and a daughter.
As their Golden Wedding day arrived,
these children with their families came
back home to celebrate. There were:
Robert S. Crocket with his wife Louise
and four children; Robert O. with wife
Joyce, and young Dennis :
Arthur with
wife Jeanne; Betty C. Gibson and hus
band Jerry; also daughter Marilee; Da
vid M. Crockett and wife Velma, with
their two sons, David M. and wife
Maude and daughter, Donna; James
Donald and wife Gail. Finally the only
daughter of Maurice and Agnes Louise
Crockett Lindsey, with her husband,
Ralph Lindsey and their two children,
Paul and Dorothy. The Lindsay
lives next door to Maurice and Agnes.
What a wonderful time they
all had
together with delicious refreshments
amid a home beautified with floral dec
orations and abundance of gifts suitable
for the occasion, and how happy to be
together once more, and to read the
heartfelt greetings from the absentee
members of the family and from their
many friends near and far!
The day after the family Golden Wed
ding, a few close friends of their youth
who have been traveling the road by
their side dropped in to wish them well
as they start out together once more on
the second fifty-year lap of their journey
to reach the golden sunset of life togeth
er.
THE COVENANTER WITNESS