Page 123 - History of UB Church in Hburg Region
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History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
Clemmer (Aliff), Warren R. Clemmer, Gladys B. Cox, Raymond Cox, Glenn A. Dollarhide, Carroll D. Fauber,
Frances B. Fauber, Donna Lorena Harris (Ashby), George B. Harris, Jo Ann Harris (St. Clair), James Clifton
Harris, Mabel O. Harris, Charles Edward Homan, Opal F. Homan, Alma H. Michael, Gary Alan Michael, Gordon
H. Michael, Janie T. Mitchell, Samuel J. Mitchell, Forrest O. Peters, Jr., Lillian K. Peters, Eleanor G. Sanger,
Blanche Shelley, Grace Shelley, Helen F. Thomas, Wilton B. Thomas, Joseph H. Walton, Rosa Walton, George
L. Weiss, Jack Layne Weiss, and Reba Cupp Weiss.
Additional Historical Detail.28 In 1955, the Mission Board of the EUB Church saw a need for
another church in the City of Staunton. They purchased a 2-acre tract of land on Cherry Hill Drive for
this church to be built upon. In 1956, the Mission Board purchased a house at 1113 Skymont Road for a
parsonage for the church. At the Virginia Annual Conference held in September, 1956, at St. Paul’s
Church in Staunton, the Rev. Wilton B. Thomas, was assigned as Pastor of this new mission. After a lot
of work and planning, it was decided that the time had come, so on December 2, 1956, the first Worship
Service was held in the basement of the parsonage with an attendance of thirty persons. Worship
Services were held each Sunday morning in December, and on January 6, 1957, Sunday school was held
at 9:30 a.m. At the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service that day, the following persons were received into
church membership: Mr. and Mrs. G. Leonard Chandler and daughters Bonnie and Jo; Mr. and Mrs.
Warren B. Clemmer and daughter Rebecca Lee; Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cox; Mr. and Mrs. George B.
Harris and daughter Donna; Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Homan; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest O. Peters, Jr.; The
Rev. and Mrs. Wilton B. Thomas; and Mr. and Mrs. George L. Weiss and son Jack. It was decided that
new members would be received the first Sunday of each month and that all those received into church
membership by Easter Sunday, April 21, 1957, would be Charter Members. They were as follows:
James Harris, JoAnn Harris; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Walton; Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Fauber; Mr. and Mrs.
Albert Bragg; Glenn Dollarhide; Mrs. Eleanor Sanger; Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Michael; Mrs. Blanche
Shelley; Miss Grace Shelley; and Mr. and Mrs. Samuel J. Mitchell.
Sunday, August 18, 1957, Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the new church building were held.
By that time, the church had 43 members, and the Sunday preceding the Groundbreaking Ceremonies,
50 persons were in attendance at Worship Service. Prior to completion of the church building, the
membership had increased to the point it was necessary to have two worship services each Sunday
morning in the basement of the parsonage. The Cornerstone Laying Service was held on Sunday
afternoon, February 2, 1958, at 3:00 P.M. Bishop J. Gordon Howard of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
actually laid the stone, which was donated by the Hess Monumental Works of Harrisonburg. The first
Service in the new church building was held in the basement Easter Sunday, 1958. The first Revival
Services were conducted June 1-8, 1958, with the Rev. Rex Wallace, Andersonville, Indiana, serving as
guest evangelist. The new church building was dedicated on Sunday afternoon, June 22, 1958. The cost
of the building was $68,500.00. A gift of $10,000.00 was given the church by the Mission Board.
28 “History of Cherryvale United Methodist Church” (Gene C. Gee, Minister), 25th Anniversary Celebration, 1981
II.B.12 Cherryvale U.B. Church 109
Clemmer (Aliff), Warren R. Clemmer, Gladys B. Cox, Raymond Cox, Glenn A. Dollarhide, Carroll D. Fauber,
Frances B. Fauber, Donna Lorena Harris (Ashby), George B. Harris, Jo Ann Harris (St. Clair), James Clifton
Harris, Mabel O. Harris, Charles Edward Homan, Opal F. Homan, Alma H. Michael, Gary Alan Michael, Gordon
H. Michael, Janie T. Mitchell, Samuel J. Mitchell, Forrest O. Peters, Jr., Lillian K. Peters, Eleanor G. Sanger,
Blanche Shelley, Grace Shelley, Helen F. Thomas, Wilton B. Thomas, Joseph H. Walton, Rosa Walton, George
L. Weiss, Jack Layne Weiss, and Reba Cupp Weiss.
Additional Historical Detail.28 In 1955, the Mission Board of the EUB Church saw a need for
another church in the City of Staunton. They purchased a 2-acre tract of land on Cherry Hill Drive for
this church to be built upon. In 1956, the Mission Board purchased a house at 1113 Skymont Road for a
parsonage for the church. At the Virginia Annual Conference held in September, 1956, at St. Paul’s
Church in Staunton, the Rev. Wilton B. Thomas, was assigned as Pastor of this new mission. After a lot
of work and planning, it was decided that the time had come, so on December 2, 1956, the first Worship
Service was held in the basement of the parsonage with an attendance of thirty persons. Worship
Services were held each Sunday morning in December, and on January 6, 1957, Sunday school was held
at 9:30 a.m. At the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service that day, the following persons were received into
church membership: Mr. and Mrs. G. Leonard Chandler and daughters Bonnie and Jo; Mr. and Mrs.
Warren B. Clemmer and daughter Rebecca Lee; Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cox; Mr. and Mrs. George B.
Harris and daughter Donna; Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Homan; Mr. and Mrs. Forrest O. Peters, Jr.; The
Rev. and Mrs. Wilton B. Thomas; and Mr. and Mrs. George L. Weiss and son Jack. It was decided that
new members would be received the first Sunday of each month and that all those received into church
membership by Easter Sunday, April 21, 1957, would be Charter Members. They were as follows:
James Harris, JoAnn Harris; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Walton; Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Fauber; Mr. and Mrs.
Albert Bragg; Glenn Dollarhide; Mrs. Eleanor Sanger; Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Michael; Mrs. Blanche
Shelley; Miss Grace Shelley; and Mr. and Mrs. Samuel J. Mitchell.
Sunday, August 18, 1957, Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the new church building were held.
By that time, the church had 43 members, and the Sunday preceding the Groundbreaking Ceremonies,
50 persons were in attendance at Worship Service. Prior to completion of the church building, the
membership had increased to the point it was necessary to have two worship services each Sunday
morning in the basement of the parsonage. The Cornerstone Laying Service was held on Sunday
afternoon, February 2, 1958, at 3:00 P.M. Bishop J. Gordon Howard of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
actually laid the stone, which was donated by the Hess Monumental Works of Harrisonburg. The first
Service in the new church building was held in the basement Easter Sunday, 1958. The first Revival
Services were conducted June 1-8, 1958, with the Rev. Rex Wallace, Andersonville, Indiana, serving as
guest evangelist. The new church building was dedicated on Sunday afternoon, June 22, 1958. The cost
of the building was $68,500.00. A gift of $10,000.00 was given the church by the Mission Board.
28 “History of Cherryvale United Methodist Church” (Gene C. Gee, Minister), 25th Anniversary Celebration, 1981
II.B.12 Cherryvale U.B. Church 109
