Mount Zion M. E. South

Mt. Zion M. E. Church South.- W. H. Violet and wife, Philip Schrader and wife, Harry Patterson and wife, M. F. Mason and wife, D. Miller and wife, and William Miller and mother were among the original members of this church, which was organized in 1858. There are now about 60 persons connected with its membership. The pastors of the congregation have been: Revs. William Fenton, John Taylor, Loving, Root, William Sutton, Collett, J. McErvin, James James, William Shackleford and Walter Tool. The same year of its formation a building for worship was erected at a cost of $800. There are 40 scholars in the Sabbath - school, superintended by Jacob Schrader. The location of this church in the center of section 8, in Jackson township.

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Memories of Mt. Zion, An “Old County Church”

Mrs. C. J. Shrader, Shreveport, LA in writing to subscribe for the Appeal, sent along an article of her “Memories of Mt. Zion, an old Country Church,” as she recalls it from 67 years ago. She formerly lived southwest of Paris. Her article follows:

My name is Mabel Hoffman Shrader. I was born in 1889. July 19, 1979 I’ll be 90 years old. My husband was the late Clarence Jacob Shrader. My parents were Mr. and Mrs. John Adam Hoffman, all of the Paris vicinity and lived their lifetime near the Mt. zion Methodist Church. As I recall, the family never missed Sunday School or preaching services when held in the beautiful church of Mt. Zion.

From 5years of age, I remember Mt. Zion church, the stile blocks, the big tree, the friendly fellowship, taking the young preacher home for a good country dinner (the preachers were students of Fayette College where they studied the ministry). Such happy days of my youth I recall with joy. At first the church was a very old building, but in 1905, a new church house was built. It was beautiful, with a wide front door at the front entrance. There, after services, the young people gathered to talk over the week’s events, couples mostly. It was in this young happy group I met my future husband of a lifetime. The church was painted white outside and in.

The church was dedicated the summer of 1906 (I was 16 years old then) with an all day service and dinner on the grounds. Most of my young life centered around Mt. Zion Church, which I joined at an early age. We had choir of about 10 young girls. I must have sung the loudest, I was so happy. I had 2 good parents who always sat smiling in the third pew on the north side, brothers and sisters also. My father used seasoned maple wood to build the podium. He finished it with polish lacquer. All our song books were kept inside (ice cream suppers held in the church yard paid for them). A huge Bible was left open on the top of the podium. There was a good organ. Its music helped us sing. Also there was a huge wood and coal stove near the center of the church on the north side, the pews arranged on three sides for us to warm up after our 5 mile ride in zero weather. The huge round chandelier was our pride and joy. It hung in the center of the church and could be pulled down so we women could fill it with oil for the 12 built in coal oil lamps and keep the chimneys sparkling.

The men kept the fires burning in the big heating stove.

There must have been about 50 members in the early days that I recall, Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman, my grandparents, were among them when I was young, later there was the Mason family. I remember Abe Mason. He was one of the great leaders in Mt. Zion Church, must have been 3 or 4 Shrader families (I knew all the young folks), the Carter family, the Ab Howell family, the Henry Scott family (Ola Bell was my best friend and neighbor), the Henry Luttrell family, my relatives, Fred Luttrell was custodian of the church after it was closed. The Luttrell family (my mothers folks) and others. . .

The cemetery back of the church is very old. I have four relatives buried there near the center of the path on the north side, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Luttrell, my grandparents, a brother Johnny Hoffman age 8 close by, also quite near a cousin Roy Ball. I visited the old church for the last time in 1966.

I was married in 1912, left Missouri to live in Texas the rest of my life.

Just lately a group had gone to the old church site, cleaned up the grounds where the church stood, using the foundation stones to raise a monument near where the front door entrance was as a memorial, to a happy, joyous place of worship.

I am sad the church is gone.