Memorials, Dedications and Gifts in Ellis Hall
Memorials, Dedications
and Gifts at PUMC in Ellis Hall
A major
change in the structure of Peoples United Methodist Church was completed and
used for the first time in 1972. Ellis Hall was named after Reverend S. Blake
Ellis who served as our pastor from 1963 until 1971. From his years at Peoples,
Blake went on to serve as the Southern Maine United Methodist District
Superintendent. A plaque can be found with all the major contributors to the
building of this addition dedicated to education and church life.
The first
major activity was a District United Methodist Men’s meeting held that year in
Ellis Hall. In the parlor a plaque hangs on the wall with the names of former
members of UMM who have passed away.
One of those
members of UMM who contributed in many ways to the life of Peoples Church, was
Jim Darling. Among the many contributions that Jim made to the church was
helping to raise the funds for the old sign for the church that originally
found a home outside Ellis Hall. It was also Jim that the television and
apparatus found in Ellis Hall was gifted. This television used for a number of
years now by the Sunday school, both children and adults, has been a real asset
in enhancing programs held in Ellis Hall.
The piano in Ellis Hall was a gift presented to the church by Glen and Carolyn Fawcett. It has had many years of use for church services as well as a number of activities that have been held in the Hall. Both Glen and Carolyn were active members of Peoples in all aspects of church life in the late 1960’s through the early 1980’s.
In the room
that serves presently as the nursery the wall that you see as you enter the
room waspainted by Gary Herd, one of Rosemary Herd’s two sons. An artist by
trade Gary on one of his tripshome took the time to praise the Lord through
the work and love he has for Jesus. A welcome addition to the room the mural
depicts Jesus and his life in brilliant color. We give thanks to the many
people who have been a part of Peoples and have shared their talents in many
areas present and future generations to enjoy and marvel at.
Also in the
nursery and having been a part of the nursery wherever it existed is a folding
toy box, cabinet with shelves. Mentioned in a few other reports was the work of
Harold Craigs, a master craftsman in wood, who also built this traveling toy
box. In the original design of Ellis Hall the back room that presently houses
Meals on Wheels equipment and freezers was designed and developed as the first
nursery. It was equipped with cribs, toys, and child size bathroom area and a
number of decorations on the wall. I do remember the clock in the room was of a
purple cat with eyes and a tail that would move. All of that original nursery
was supplied and gifted by Earl and Janice Nicholson in memory of their son,
Dwight, who had died as an infant. For a number of years the nursery was moved
to the room behind the stage in the vestry. Today that area is inhabited by a
storehouse of goods for Priscilla Dreyman’s Spiral Arts program. Once upon a
time that entire area housed a portion of the Sunday school dedicated to the
younger Sunday school classes held at Peoples.
Inthe
church parlor is a bookcase that was gifted by the Trustees as a memorial to
the work of Harold Craigs.
In the
office on the wall is a plaque that represents a major gift that Peoples made
to the Heifer Project. Under the leadership of Merrill Kaiser the church and
especially the Sunday school raised $5000 for that organization. The plaque
represents that gift. While it was the single largest money campaign that
Peoples engaged in for Heifer, Peoples history in supporting the efforts of
Heifer go back to its beginning. In the early 1960s Pastor William Chamberlain
actually accompanied a plane load of animals to their destination for
distribution in Latin America.
Hanging in
the right front corner of Ellis Hall as you face Broadway is a large quilt that
was developed by the women and children of the church in celebration of Peoples
175th anniversary from its early beginnings in Point Village which
in more recent times is known as Willard Square. Rosemary Herd was the
principal organizer of this project. A week of celebration took place in early
September of 2014. The quilt should serve as a reminder of what we experienced
during that week that helped link the present church body with those that came
together in that first class in 1839 and all those folks that have participated
in worship and service since then.
What we have
included in this series of blogs is a brief look at what some folks might think
as obvious, but many may just take these things for granted and simply pass by
these records of the past. Less obvious to all would be written records and relics
which are stored in files in the office and elsewhere. It is the obligation of
the Archives committee to continue to work on organizing that material in order
that it might be easier for future generations to use. It is also an obligation
of each committee to record what has transpired over the course of time with
the preservation of representations of the present church life in word,
pictures and relics.
If you have an interest in this work please
let us know and join us. The Archives committee meets when there is a fifth
Tuesday in a month. The next date to meet is Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 7
PM in the vestry.