SPRINGHILL
UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
(Originally
know as the Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ, Inc.)
Facts: Founded in
1937.
Property secured in 1937 on Deeson Public Gravel
Road, which now is known as Springhill Road, Wesson, Mississippi 39191.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH
Arbors: Before the
church was actually started, church services were held in brush arbors. These arbors were erected of poles and a
raised platform area, a place for the minister, and a "make-shift"
altar.
Several people were active in starting church
services in their homes and in brush arbors. In 1932, Charley and Gladys Walker
moved to Wesson from Prentiss and at that time they were already members of the
Pentecostal Church and active in a church.
Rev. Troy Evans, Rev. Hulon Walker (Charley Walker's
brother) and Rev. Amos Taylor from Prentiss, MS came to Wesson and helped to
build the Brush Arbors and then would stay for the church services. Brush arbors were built on three sites:
·
The location of one
site is currently where Leon Williams' house is built, which is approximately
3.5 miles from Beauregard, MS on Beauregard Road.
·
The second arbor was
built somewhere between Inez and Charles Jackson's home and Johnnie Ray and
Pauline Jackson's on Beauregard Road, which is 3 miles from Beauregard, MS.
·
The third arbor was
built where the present church is located on Springhill road.
In 1935, Rev. Dennis J. Lack and family moved to
Wesson. Church services were held at
different homes and in brush arbors until land was purchased on July 12. 1937.
Original
Building - 1937
In 1937, Rev.
Dennis Lack and family, Charley and Gladys Walker helped to build the church
along with Joseph "Papa Joe" Hamilton (Gladys Walker's father). Also Jasper and Mattie Walker and Hulon and
Amanda "Mandy" Walker helped
to build the church. Jasper and Hulon
Walker were Charley Walker's brothers and Mattie Walker was Gladys Walkers'
sister. Papa Joe helped to built the
church even though he was not a member of the Pentecostal Church at that
time. (The story goes that he always
walked around with his smoking pipe in his mouth.) Papa Joe owned horses at that time and they were needed to pull
the logs that were "snaked" out and brought up to the church
area. A large portion of the wood that
was used to built the church was cut from the property on which the church now
stands. The building was made of wood
and the floor joists were hand hewed with an ax by the men building the church.
The design of the church was simple: just one large
room with a single front door and two single side doors, two small windows, one
on each side of the front door; three windows on each side of the church and
two windows on the back wall of the platform (total of ten windows - tall and
not very wide), a sub-floor, outside walls, and a tin roof. The platform
section of the church was built up one step higher than the rest of the
church. The benches were made of 1 x 4
inch boards and made by the church members.
A wood burning stove was added for heat in the winter months. The lighting consisted of oil burning
lamps. In the summer months, hand held
fans were provided by the local funeral homes for cooling. For
many years, the Sunday School classes were held on the platform and other
parts of the church. All-in-all the design of the church was like a large
rectangular box, approximately 40 feet long and 30 feet wide.
REMODELING
OF THE CHURCH
Over the years, the church was remodeled several time
under different pastorships to include adding butane gas heaters, electric
lighting, asbestos siding, new flooring, new shingle roof, living quarters for
the pastor, fans and air conditioning, classrooms, fellowship hall, office, and
a bedroom and bath for visiting ministers.
HISTORY OF
THE PASTORS
1935 - 1945
- Dennis Joshua Lack
Dennis Lack was the first pastor in 1935 even though
the actual church was not built until 1937. He was born on October 20,1895 in
Magee, MS and married Ella Bishop in 1915.
He passed this life on August 12, 1969.
He was the father of two sons: Denson and Delton, and four daughters:
Ann, Doris. Pauline, and Rachel.
In 1937, Rev.
Lack and family and with the members of the community built the first church
building, now known as Springhill United Pentecostal Church, after holding
services in brush arbors and in Joe Hamilton's home. He pastored at Springhill
for 10 years.
Rev. Lack was a World War I veteran, which entitled
him to draw a pension, and therefore, he and his family were able to
remain/survive in Wesson. He first
lived in a barn, then later built a
house on Beauregard Road, approximately 6 miles east of Beauregard, in
the Sandhill Community.
1945 - May
1948 - Earl Carney
Earl Carney was the second pastor of Springhill and he was married to Grace
Alexander; they had six children:
Charles Ray, Donald Earl, Maxine, Judith, Annie Rose, and James.
During Rev. Carney's pastorship, the members of the
church added white asbestos siding, sealed the inside of the church, installed
a new floor to cover the sub-flooring and added electric lighting to the
church. (1947-1948).
May 1948 -
December 1948 - Walter Ford
Walter Ford was the third pastor of Springhill and
his wife and daughter's name is unknown (no records of names). They were from Jackson, MS; however, they
never moved to the Wesson area.
December,
1948 - August 03, 1975 - Lonnie V. Nations
Lonnie Nations was the fourth pastor of Springhill
and he was married to Myrtle Yates; they had four children: Willie Lee, James F., Guy Nell, and
Faye. Myrtle Yates was born on April
05, 1917 and passed away on February 27, 1968,
and is buried at Springhill Church Cemetery.
During Rev. Nations' pastorship, youth groups were
promoted and encouraged among the churches.
These groups were sponsored by the church to put on different types of
programs with a Christian theme. Not
only were these programs done locally, but the groups traveled to other
churches within the area to conduct the programs. Rev. Nations was a great believer in working with the youth of
the church and encouraged them to participate in all activities.
During Rev. Nations' pastorship, the old wood burning
heaters were replaced with butane gas heaters. In 1949, a large fan was added to the rear of the church. (At a later time, during another remodeling
phase, the fan was re-located to the ceiling.) Also Sunday School rooms were added and the addition that was
used for a parsonage. A bathroom was
added and running water to the house from the well on the hill. The old tin roof was replace with a new
shingle roof. A Sunday School room on
the North side of the church was also added.
In 1956, a kitchen, living room and one bedroom were
added to the church to provide living quarters for the pastor and his
family. Two of the Sunday School rooms
were used also for bed rooms. Rev.
Lonnie Nations and his family were the first family to live in the parsonage.
In addition, a bathroom was added on the back of the classrooms and had a
separate entrance so it could be utilized during church services if needed
without having to go through the classrooms (off the porch). Since the class rooms were being used as
part of the parsonage, an additional Sunday School room was needed. Rev. Nations and his family moved into these
new rooms in August, 1956 and lived there until he resigned on August 3,
1975.
Additionally,
in 1956, a small room was added on the north side of the church for a
Sunday School room. An electric pump
was installed in the well so there would be running water in the kitchen and
bath. Prior to this time, there had been one outside toilet that the
women folks used and the men folks went the opposite direction down a path into
the woods. The county supervisor donated a large tile, but the men of the church took a trailer to
Jackson and picked up a concrete tile, three feet in diameter and four feet
long, to be used as a septic tank. The men used a post hole digger and shovel
to dig a hole to put the tile in the ground for a septic tank.
In 1956, a small area adjacent to the church was
designated as a cemetery for existing members.
In 1958, the old slat benches were replaced with pews
that were cut out by the college (Copiah-Lincoln Junior College) woodwork shop
and built by the men of the church. In 1964, sheet rock was added to the inside
walls of the church and acoustic tile added to the ceiling. New light fixtures were added and hardwood
flooring was installed in the platform area of the church. After the acoustic
tiles was added, the old tin roof began to leak so badly that the tin roof and
the rafters were removed and new rafters and a new shingle roof was installed
shortly after Hurricane Camille in 1964.
Brother Nations' first message at Springhill in 1948
was “Abide in the Ship.” At his last service in 1975, he asked if anyone
remembered what his first sermon was?
Ben Tom Hamilton said, “ Stay in the Boat”.
September
29, 1975 - March 16, 1977 - Grady Ladner
Grady Ladner was the fifth pastor of Springhill and
he was married to Shelby Ruth
Treadwell-Stockman. She had two sons by
a previous marriage: Kevin and Randy
Stockman. Their father was killed. Grady Ladner had two children by his first
wife: Ray and Connie. His first wife
was in a mental institution.
May 04,
1977 - May 21, 1977 - Dewey Watson
Dewey Watson was sixth pastor, but only stayed for
approximately two weeks. His wife was
ill and did not want to move to the area.
(Wife's name unknown and no records.)
1977
For several
months, the church was without a pastor and only had visiting
ministers. (There were only a few
members at that time: Mattie Walker,
Sister Joanna Coleman, Gladys Walker, Polly/Preacher Jackson and Maxine Walker
Tarver.)
August 24,
1977 - July, 1979 - Johnny Hamilton
Johnny Hamilton (Papa Joe's son) was the seventh pastor
of Springhill. He was married to Maggie
Lee Nordan and they had four children:
Johnny, Hubert Earl, Janet Faye, and Jerry. Johnny Hamilton agreed to pastor the church, but did not want to
be officially elected.
August
01,1979 - May 16, 1982 - Billy Joe Lambert
Billy J. Lambert was the eighth pastor of Springhill
and was married to Daphine (maiden name unknown); they had three children: Billy Jr., Yvonne, and Timothy. They did not live in the parsonage, but
lived in the Wesson area in a mobile home.
In 1980, during Rev. Lambert's pastorship, two small
rooms were added near the front of the church:
one room was made into a classroom and the other was made into a
restroom.
December,
1982 - January 08, 1984 - Lonnie V. Nations
Lonnie Nations was the ninth pastor (second time) of
Springhill, and at this time, he was married to Bonnie Tarver Bates, who had
one son, Samuel (Sammy). His father was Ray C. Bates, deceased. Bonnie Bates's first husband, Ray, passed away on April 28, 1971 and is buried
in East Haven Cemetery in Brookhaven.
Bonnie Bates passed away on January 31, 1991 and is
buried at the East Haven Cemetery in Brookhaven beside her first husband, Ray
Bates.
Rev. Nations was born on February 29, 1912 and passed
away on October 14, 1992, and is buried at Springhill Church Cemetery beside
his first wife, Myrtle Nations, who preceded him in death on February 27, 1968.
February
28, 1984 - June 22, 1988- Harold Smith
Harold Smith was the tenth pastor of Springhill and
he was married to Julia Faye; they had five children: Steven, Micheal, Daniel,
Cindy, and Sonia. During Rev. Smith'
pastorship, a chain-length fence was installed around the cemetery area.
September
17, 1988 - April 07, 1996 - James Stone
James Stone
was the eleventh pastor of Springhill and is married to Judy McIntyre: they have three children: Stanley,
Gregory, and Jason. During their
pastorship, two Sunday School rooms and
an office were added to the building.
Remodeled church: In May, 1989, the church members borrowed
$8,000 dollars (incrementally) to remodel the church. The ceiling was vaulted and new windows were installed. The inside of the church was paneled,
approximately three feet high and then wall paper was applied . New and larger
windows were installed. New siding was
added to the exterior of the building.
Three rooms were added to the North side of the
church: two for classrooms and one for an office. One of the existing bedrooms of the parsonage was converted into
a classroom and one was converted into a kitchen pantry and a baptistery. The living room was made into a
nursery. The front door of the church
was removed and a double door was installed.
In addition, the old porch area of the church was enclosed to add a
"foyer-type" entrance to the church. The entire church was carpeted.
Fellowship Hall and Larger Kitchen: Work was
started in December, 1990 and completed in 1991 to add the Fellowship
Hall. The hall was 32 feet wide by 60
feet long and contains Evangelistic quarters consisting of a bedroom and a
bathroom. A small office was enclosed
for the Sunday School Superintendent and a restroom for the church members.
The construction work for the hall was basically done
by the church members and the pastor (Rev. Stone and Family), Johnnie Ray
"Preacher” and Pauline Jackson,
Dennis Jackson, William Erwin, Kelly Ray and Maxine Wallace, Charles and
Inez Jackson, James and Linda Walters, and James Cilburne, who installed the
sheet rock.
A PA System was installed in one of the small
classrooms in the front of the church (near the front entrance door). The work was done by Kelly Ray Wallace and
Rev. Gerald Hanks, an evangelist from LA.
May 10,
1996 - Present - Joe Mark Dooley
Joe "Mark" Dooley is the twelfth pastor and is married to Caroline Anderson; they
have three children: Jason (married to Lisa Thompson), Jeremy, and
Tiffany. Rev. Dooly is a “horse lover”
and currently owns several horses. He
also runs a small business (lawn service) during the summer months.
Currently, funds are being raised and plans are being
made to build a new sanctuary.
CHURCH
PROPERTY
The original
property was purchased from B. L. (Leffie ) and Lula Hall on July 12,
1937 and contained one acre of
land. This land was located across the
road from where Leffie and Lula Hall's home place on Deeson Road (now known as
Springhill Road).
The land was purchased for the sum of one dollar
($1.00). According to Malloy Hall, the
son of B. L. And Lula Mae, his dad and Rev. Lack were good friends and they had
served together in World War I, and
that is why he sold him the land for the church. (See deed description below.)
CEMETERY
PROPERTY
Under Rev. Nations’ first pastorship, a small area
adjacent to the church was designated as a cemetery. During Rev. Smith’s pastorship, a chain-link fence was installed
around the cemetery. On May 02, 1989,
Malloy and Lavern Hall sold the church one
acre of land and then on July 14, 1992, they donated to the church another two acres of land to expand the
cemetery. The price of the land each time was listed as $10.00 plus other
valuable considerations. To date
eighty-three (83) plots have been sold; currently 22 are occupied. (See deed
descriptions below.)
Denvil Lack, son of Deck Lack, was the first one to
be buried in the cemetery.
(See attached list of those buried at Springhill.)
CHURCH
PROPERTY DEED: ONE
ACRE
This
Indenture, Made and entered into
this 12th day of July , A.D., 1937 by and between B. L. Hall and Lula Mae Hall
his wife, of the first part, and Board of Trustees of Pentecostal Church of
Jesus Christ, Inc., party of the second part.
Witnesseth, That the said parties of the first part, for and in
consideration of the sum of one and no/100 Dollars, cash in hand paid by the
party of the second part, (the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged) have
Granted, Bargained, Sold and Conveyed, and by these presents do Grant, Bargain,
Sell, Assign and Convey to said party of the second part, a certain track or
parcel of land situated in the County of Copiah and State of Mississippi, and
more particularly described as follows, to-wit:
Beginning at a point where the Deeson Public Gravel
Road intersects the south line of the Southeast Quarter of the Northwest
Quarter, Section 19, Township 9 North, Range 9 East, said point of being
approximately 356 feet east from the southwest corner of said Southeast Quarter
of Northwest quarter, said Section 19, Township 9 North, Range 9 East, thence
in a northeasterly direction along said Deeson Road 250 feet, thence East 170
feet, thence in a southwesterly direction parallel to the said Deeson road, 250
feet more or less to the south line of the said Southeast Quarter of Northwest
Quarter, thence west 170 feet, more or less to the point of beginning. The
above described tract of land containing approximately 1 acre and being in the
Southeast Quarter of Northwest Quarter, Section 19, Township 9 North, Range 9
East, Copiah County, Mississippi.
To Have and
To Hold the above described
premises, together with all and singular the improvements and appurtenances
there unto belonging or in any wise appertaining; to the party of the second
part its heirs and assigns forever.
And the parties of the first part covenant with the
parties of the second part, that they will warrant and forever defend that
title to the above described premises to the party of the second part, its
heirs and assigns, free from and against the right, title or claims of the
parties of the first part and their heirs, and from all and every person or
persons whosoever, both at law and in equity.
In Witness
Whereof, The said parties of the
first part hereunto set their hands and seal the day and year first above
written.
Signed: B. L Hall
Signed: Lula Mae Hall
County seal applied to original
CHURCH
PROPERTY DEED: SECOND
ACRE
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI COUNTY OF COPIAH BOOK
11 PAGE 511
WARRANTY
DEED
In consideration of the sum of Ten and No/100
($10.00) Dollars, and other valuable considerations, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, We, MALLOY HALL and wife, LAVERN
HALL, hereby convey and warrant to the BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SPRINGHILL
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH the following described land situated in Copiah County,
Mississippi to-wit:
A 1.0 acre tract of land situated in the SE 1/4 of
the NW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 9 North, Range 9 East, Copiah County,
Mississippi, and being more particularly described as follows:
To find the point of beginning, commence at the point
where the center of Deason Public Gravel Road intersects the south line of the
SE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 19,
Township 9 North, Range 9 East, said point of being approximately 356 feet east
from the southwest corner of said SE 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 9
North, Range 9 East; thence run northeasterly along the center of said Deason
Road 250 feet to the point of beginning; thence run east 170 feet; thence run
north 20 degrees 00' east for 231.8 feet; thence run west for 264.3 feet to the
center of Deason Public Road; thence run south 12 degrees 00' east along the center
of said road for 121.0 feet; thence run south 05 degrees 50' west along the
center of said road for 100.0 feet to point of beginning.
This conveyance is made subject to any prior
reservations or conveyances of oil, gas and other minerals in said land, and is
further made subject to any easements or right-of-ways for utilities or other
public use.
The 1989 ad valorem taxes assessed against the land
shall be paid by the grantee.
WITNESS MY SIGNATURE, this the 2nd day of May 1989.
Signed: Malloy Hall
Signed: Lavern Hall
County seal applied to original
CHURCH
PROPERTY DEED: THIRD
AND FOURTH ACRE
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI COUNTY OF COPIAH
BOOK 12 PAGE 203
WARRANTY
DEED
In consideration of the sum of Ten and No/100
($10.00) Dollars, and other valuable considerations, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, We, MALLOY HALL and wife, LAVERN
HALL, hereby convey and warrant to the BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SPRINGHILL
PENTECOSTAL CHURCH the following described land situated in Copiah County,
Mississippi to-wit:
A 2.0 acre tract of land situated in the SE 1/4 of
the NW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 9 North, Range 9 East, Copiah County,
Mississippi, and being more particularly described as follows:
Commence at the southwest corner of the SE 1/4 of the
NW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 9 North,
Range 9 East, thence east 526 feet to the southeast corner of the Springhill
Pentecostal Church lot, this being the point of beginning; thence north 20
degrees east 481.8 feet, thence east 192.5 feet, thence south 20 degrees west
481.8 feet to the south line of the SE 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 9 North, Range 9 East,
thence west along said line 192.5 feet to point of beginning.
This conveyance is made subject to any prior
reservations or conveyances of oil, gas and other minerals in said land, and is
further made subject to any easements or right-of-ways for utilities or other
public use.
The 1992 ad valorem taxes assessed against the land
are assumed by the grantee.
WITNESS MY SIGNATURE, this the 14th day of July 1992.
Signed: Malloy Hall
Signed: Lavern Hall
County seal applied to original
LIST OF
THOSE BURIED AT SPRINGHILL
Note: The numbers below indicate the
first one to be buried to the last one to be buried.
1. Denvil Lack (Son of Delton and Carey Lack)
11. Ben Hamilton
Birth: April 13, 1957 Birth: January 02, 1911
Death: April 14, 1957 Death: December 18,
1980
2. Anita Jackson (Daughter of J. R. and Pauline Jackson) 12.
Amanda Menasco Walker
Birth: September 01, 1958 Birth: March 10, 1905
Death: September 02, 1958 Death: June 19, 1983
3. Hulon B. Walker
13. H. B. Walker, Jr.
Birth: January 25, 1903
Birth: December 04, 1931
Death:
November 08, 1965 Death:
December 01, 1983
4. Jasper W. Walker 14.
Perry Marzine Gomillion
Birth: March 23, 1898 Birth: August 07, 1931
Death: November 22, 1967 Death:
September 12, 1991
5. Myrtle
Yates Nations 15. Lonnie V. Nations
Birth:
April 05, 1917 Birth:
February 29, 1912
Death: February 27, 1968 Death:
October 14, 1992
6. Charley P. Walker 16.
James E. Tarver .
Birth: January 20, 1900 Birth:
March 06, 1935
Death: November 10, 1973 Death:
November 25, 1992
7. Amanda Malassa Hamilton (Mandy) 17.
Robert Q. Walker
Birth: October 28, 1911 Birth:
March 11, 1938
Death: August 08, 1974 Death: December 28,
1992
8. Charles R.
Jackson 18. Ollie Mae Hamilton
Birth: March 15, 1949 Birth: April 22, 1910
Death: February 07, 1975 Death:
February 09, 1995
9. Roy E. Hudson 19.
Robert Keith Howard
Birth: September 17, 1925 Birth: July 25, 1973
Death: January 14, 1977 Death: December 03, 1995
10. Gladys I. Walker 20.
Wade Franklin Tanner
Birth: August
07, 1904 Birth: August 27, 1934
Death:
September 25, 1980 Death: February 20, 1996
21. Vela Mae Wilkinson 22.
G. W. Cooper
Birth: May 28, 1942 Birth:
May 15, 1938
Death: October 16, 1997 Death:
November 04, 1998
