Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
Paul L. Piersall was born in Clark County about three and one half miles east of Casey, Illinois in what was known as the Friendship community on December 5, 1892. He was the fourth child of George W. and Florence Adeal (Ryan) Piersall. In the fall of 1897 my parents moved to Crawford County locating on a 94 acre farm three and one half miles southwest of Annapolis, Illinois, or two and a quarter miles northwest of (Porterville) Eaton, Illinois.
I attended the grade school of North Union, Dist. No. 63. I was converted in the Licking church when eight years old, this church was a part of the Oblong United Brethren Circuit, Rev. John Harbart was pastor, and this conversion came at one of his regular appointments.
Though I was raised on a farm, I went to work in the new oil fields and had my first regular job on a cleaning out string when I was 14 years of age. I married Miss Ruth Willard of Watson, Illinois June 29th, 1912. We had ten children, all married and all living but Oscar, who died when 31 years old at Evansville, Indiana, August 1947.
After we were married, I went to work in the oil fields, first as roustabout, later as pumper. I liked the work, but during this time, I drifted away from my Christian faith and became very indifferent and profane. Through the prayers of my wife Ruth, also Rev. John Harper, pastors of our West Christian Church in Porterville, I was led back to the Lord in a very rich experience.
I was given a class of adult Young Married people to teach; after a year as teacher, I felt the call to the Christian Ministry and it was October 1923 when I went to our Conference at Mt. Gilead church and was licensed as a minister the following Sunday. I tried to preach for our Mt. Olive Church in Clark County, I continued with them until January 1924, then signed off.
I was ordained to the full Gospel Ministry October 10th, 1924 in the Conference held in our Brockville church west of Willow Hill. In May of 1925, we moved to Merom, Indiana that I might get located and begin my college work in preparation for the ministry. The school opened in the fall, but soon closed and my plans did not carry through.
I have been going to our Pastor School at Merom a few weeks each year since 1941. It has been a great help, but not like I had first planned.
In the spring of 1929, we moved to the farm northwest of Eaton, Illinois. From there I continued to serve churches, the boys farmed and I went back to the oil fields for almost two years as pumper and tool dresser. I was elected Assessor of Prairie Township and served from 1930 through 1937.
The Wabash Association met with our Porterville church in October 1937 and I was advised by our Area Director Rev. Walter C. Giersbach of Decatur, Illinois to come into Robinson and open a new work in the north part. I came in and looked things over and was not clear where I could get started until I found my friend of oil field days, Mr. William Sandiford, who agreed to rent me his empty grocery store which was 26 feet wide by 39 feet long. This I did about the middle of December 1937 and we held our first service in January 1938.
We, my wife and I, have met with some very fine people here in Robinson, and with their cooperation, plus the businessmen and companies, together with other churches of the city, we feel we have a very fine work here.
It is my hope the church we have started and is now located on N. Cross at Oil Street, will continue to be a blessing to the people of Robinson, a place where children may be taught the principles of our Christian faith, and where men and women who are seeking the best of things of life may meet and find Christian Fellowship and the full assurance of Eternal salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.