Page 145 - History of UB Church in Hburg Region
P. 145
History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
March— a Fast and Testimony Meeting. Brother Kenneth Lambert was chairman of the “Clean-up, Fix-
up Committee.” The happy Latter-Day Saints really rejoiced as they started holding their services in
this beautiful old building.
At one time there were no members of the LDS Church in Harrisonburg. In an effort to start the
work here, two Lady Missionaries were assigned to search out those who would be willing to listen to
the Restored Gospel. One of the doors they knocked on was at the home of Essie Kee. It was a day
when Essie wouldn’t ordinarily have let anyone in, but she did let the Lady Missionaries into her home,
and they told her about the Gospel. All Essie remembered was that they mentioned something about a
book, Joseph Smith and Indians. They handed her a copy of the Book of Mormon, even though she told
them she wouldn’t have much time to read it. However, her sister, Mary Costley, loved to read, so she
would give her the book.
Mary started to read the book and kept reading until she had finished it. She found it fascinating
and told her sister, Essie, that she thought this book was about the religion she’d been looking for all her
life. Not long after that, two young men came to their door. They explained that they were missionaries
who had come to take the place of the Lady Missionaries who had been transferred to another area.
Mary told them about reading the Book of Mormon and how anxious she was to learn more about the
Mormon Church. She eagerly listened to the lessons the Elders gave her, and it wasn’t long until she
was baptized in Fall 1950. Essie pretended she wasn’t interested in the lessons, but as she sat in the next
room, she did hear what the missionaries taught her sister, and in her heart she accepted the Gospel
when her sister did. When she told her husband about the Mormons, he was much opposed to his wife,
Essie, having anything to do with this, to him, new and strange religion, so Essie couldn’t be baptized
for several years until her husband finally gave his consent. Later he also became a member of the LDS
Church. Mary Costley died on February 16, 1976.
Sometime later, missionaries were again sent to the Harrisonburg area. In 1955 they were
successful in converting Evaline Higgins. The next year her husband, Melvin Higgins, joined the
Church. hey learned of another Mormon, Velma Bowman, in the area, and the four of them, including
Essie Kee, held Sunday School meetings with the missionaries in their room in the National Hotel.
During this period, the members started holding sacrament meetings on Sunday evenings at the home of
Velma Bowman at 277 W. Water Street. Someone from the Waynesboro Branch would come and
preside over the services. They held their meetings in the Higgins and Bowman homes for three or four
months until they had about 25 people coming and needed a larger place to hold their meetings. Then
they rented a small building which was located across the street from what is now the Campbell Hotel.
Later, they started holding Sunday school at the Higgins home on 684 E. Rock Street. Bro. Higgins “got
hold” of some old wooden benches from the Waynesboro Branch of the Church. He kept them in his
basement, and every Sunday morning he’d bring them up into his living room for the meetings. They
next rented the upstairs of the building at 43-45 South Liberty Street and met there for something like
II.B.14 Dayton U.B. Church and SCI 131
March— a Fast and Testimony Meeting. Brother Kenneth Lambert was chairman of the “Clean-up, Fix-
up Committee.” The happy Latter-Day Saints really rejoiced as they started holding their services in
this beautiful old building.
At one time there were no members of the LDS Church in Harrisonburg. In an effort to start the
work here, two Lady Missionaries were assigned to search out those who would be willing to listen to
the Restored Gospel. One of the doors they knocked on was at the home of Essie Kee. It was a day
when Essie wouldn’t ordinarily have let anyone in, but she did let the Lady Missionaries into her home,
and they told her about the Gospel. All Essie remembered was that they mentioned something about a
book, Joseph Smith and Indians. They handed her a copy of the Book of Mormon, even though she told
them she wouldn’t have much time to read it. However, her sister, Mary Costley, loved to read, so she
would give her the book.
Mary started to read the book and kept reading until she had finished it. She found it fascinating
and told her sister, Essie, that she thought this book was about the religion she’d been looking for all her
life. Not long after that, two young men came to their door. They explained that they were missionaries
who had come to take the place of the Lady Missionaries who had been transferred to another area.
Mary told them about reading the Book of Mormon and how anxious she was to learn more about the
Mormon Church. She eagerly listened to the lessons the Elders gave her, and it wasn’t long until she
was baptized in Fall 1950. Essie pretended she wasn’t interested in the lessons, but as she sat in the next
room, she did hear what the missionaries taught her sister, and in her heart she accepted the Gospel
when her sister did. When she told her husband about the Mormons, he was much opposed to his wife,
Essie, having anything to do with this, to him, new and strange religion, so Essie couldn’t be baptized
for several years until her husband finally gave his consent. Later he also became a member of the LDS
Church. Mary Costley died on February 16, 1976.
Sometime later, missionaries were again sent to the Harrisonburg area. In 1955 they were
successful in converting Evaline Higgins. The next year her husband, Melvin Higgins, joined the
Church. hey learned of another Mormon, Velma Bowman, in the area, and the four of them, including
Essie Kee, held Sunday School meetings with the missionaries in their room in the National Hotel.
During this period, the members started holding sacrament meetings on Sunday evenings at the home of
Velma Bowman at 277 W. Water Street. Someone from the Waynesboro Branch would come and
preside over the services. They held their meetings in the Higgins and Bowman homes for three or four
months until they had about 25 people coming and needed a larger place to hold their meetings. Then
they rented a small building which was located across the street from what is now the Campbell Hotel.
Later, they started holding Sunday school at the Higgins home on 684 E. Rock Street. Bro. Higgins “got
hold” of some old wooden benches from the Waynesboro Branch of the Church. He kept them in his
basement, and every Sunday morning he’d bring them up into his living room for the meetings. They
next rented the upstairs of the building at 43-45 South Liberty Street and met there for something like
II.B.14 Dayton U.B. Church and SCI 131
