Sunday School Memories
I truly believe that I learned as much in Sunday School from the time I was about 4 until I began attending Jewett School as I did in the first six years at Jewett School. My parents and my grandparents – Dad’s parents -- attended the Kochville Methodist Episcopal Church. That is where I was enrolled in Sunday school.
The church’s weekly bulletin or program had a photo of the church on the cover. Under the photo was the name and under the name was printed: "The Heart of the Community." I must say that the church was the heart of our family life. It was seldom that I was allowed to miss going to Sunday school. As a family we seldom missed attending a church function. There were many church functions as I remember my early years.
The church had a gym on the east-end of the sanctuary. The older, and bigger, boys played basketball, girls too. There was a large stained glass panel behind the pulpit. It divided the sanctuary from the gym. The panel could be raised to allow an opening between the two areas. I remember only a few times that an overflow crowd made it necessary to raise the panel. I believe the stained glass portrayed Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
When I think back to when I was a little tyke attending Sunday School I must pause and give thanks and praise to those teachers for their dedication and devotion. They certainly had patience to lead the class and teach us young folks about God and the Golden Rule. Some of the teachers were maybe 6 or 7 years older than I was; that was a whole lot of years then but today it’s just a trifle. And I recall that there were some Sundays when the devil was going crazy within our little hearts. The devil never bothered the girls, only the boys. When I think about it I pray that God escorts those wonderful teachers to the front of the line when he opens the gates of Heaven. They were so nice He should have let them in already.
Reverend Arnold Runkle was the pastor when I was first introduced to Sunday School and Worship Services and other functions. Kochville Methodist was his very first assignment. My parents were his very first marriage. His wife’s name was Beulah. The Runkles and my parents became very close friends. They often were invited to dinner.
The Runkles had two boys, Jim and Donald. Jim was one year younger than I was while Donald was two years younger. I think that is correct but it's been seventy years since then. Anyway, the boys and I become close friends.
I don’t remember the year but Reverend Runkle was assigned to Caro, about forty miles east of Kochville. Jim and Don came to stay with us and I went to Caro to stay with them.
From Caro the Runkles went to Marquette. In 1943, on December 26, I boarded the train in Saginaw and rode the train to Marquette. It was Christmas time. The Michigan Central train departed at 1:30 a.m. from the West Genesse depot. At Mackinac City I transferred to the Duluth, South Shore and Atlanta. I remember that the trip across the straits was cold. The wind was blowing and on deck one could feel the wind driven spray. I arrived in Marquette at 3:30 p.m. The Runkle family was at the station to meet me.
It was cold enough that winter that we never had to skate on slush and we went skating nearly every day I was with them.
Let me tell you about the trip home. You will learn about how innocent and naïve I was in my senior year at Arthur Hill High School. While I waited to board the train home, departure time was 3:00 p.m.; Reverend Runkle introduced me to a young lady whose destination was Bay City. I learned she was a first year teacher at Bay City High School. She was a pretty girl. We sat together and visited the whole way home. As we came nearer to Bay City she asked if I would like to come to her apartment for breakfast.
We would arrive in Bay City at 6 a.m. I said, no, I had better go on home. She suggested a little rest and breakfast would do me good. Again I said no. As she stepped down from the train she once more implored me to come have breakfast. I stayed on the train. I ask you, "Wasn’t that dumb?" I think about it today and I can’t believe I did it. My brain must not have thawed out yet.
Well folks, that’s it for this memory. More to follow.
Cold Fingers
