Born in Paint Township, Clarion County, died in Knox, Clarion County.
The Oil City Derrick - Thursday, August 2, 1956
$130,000 Blaze Destroys St. Paul's Church Near Knox
Knox - Fire of undetermined origin yesterday completely destroyed St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Wentling's Corners, two and one-half miles south of Knox. The loss, estimated at more than $130,000, came after six companies of firemen from the surrounding area had fought vainly in an effort to stem the blaze which apparently had been smoldering for some time before its discovery at 8:45 a.m. Ted Bish, a caretaker at the church cemetery, first discovered the fire when he heard a muffled explosion from his home nearby. He went to the home of Edward Best and called Knox Volunteer Fire Department, which responded immediately. Thick smoke blocked their initial attempt to enter the structure and by the time more equipment had arrived, the entire building was in flames. Volunteer fire companies from Emlenton, Sligo, Clarion, Clintonville and Shippenville joined the Knox group in an effort to save some of the 50-year-old edifice, but by noon, when the fire was brought under control, it was completely gutted and the roof had collapsed and burned. A pond on the farm of Walter Dean, about 1,500 feet from the church, provided the fireman with an ample supply of water but the fire had gained too much headway to be stopped. Rev. Lewis R. Fox, (pastor of St. Paul's) who lives nearby (in the church parsonage), was one of the first persons on the scene. When contacted Wednesday evening, he said that there are so many different versions as to the sound of the explosion that the exact cause of the fire cannot be determined as yet. Many farm residents of the area were working in their fields when the alarm was sounded and were among those who volunteered early assistance. The congregation of the church, which was built in 1906, was celebrating its 50th anniversary, with special services scheduled each month of the coming year. The first special service was held on Sunday, July 15, when the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone was observed. The church was dedicated on July 30, 1907. One of the largest churches in this vicinity, its auditorium seated 500 people. The church was recently equipped with an electric organ and only this year had new altar coverings installed. Of Gothic architecture, the church was constructed of native stone with labor donated by the parishioners, at an original cost of $17,000. Rev. Lewis Fox, pastor of the church, stated that a recent appraisal placed its estimated value between $125,000 and $130,000. Beautiful stained glass memorial windows, imported from Germany, were used throughout the church. In addition to the furnace room, the basement of the church was furnished with a kitchen, social rooms and Sunday school rooms. New hardwood floors, carpeting, paint and varnish had been applied to the church interior in the past few years. No immediate plans for rebuilding have been formed yet, according to Rev. Fox. He announced that members of St. Paul Parrish will be accommodated at the two other churches he serves as Pastor of the Lutheran Parish of Knox. They are Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at Sligo RD and Emmanual Lutheran Church at Knox. Rev. Fox, who was elected pastor in 1946, has been assisted at St. Paul's by a board of deacons, consisting of Reuben Weaver, Edward Best, Jr., Harold Switzer, Walter M. Switzer, Maurice Knight, Carl Rowe, Chalmer Snyder, Howard Uncapher and A. M. Stover.
My mother, Mary Alice Best Porter, and I had gone to visit her mother, Laura Bish Best, in Wentlings Corners that summer morning and found her crying into her apron in her driveway. She only had to point toward the smoke rising from the burning church for us to understand why. At that time, the church could be plainly seen from her house in Wentlings Corners atop the hill on which it sat. We drove toward the fire and parked along the road at the bottom of the hill. I remember walking past the Reformed Church and up through the cemetery that served both churches. My mother sat me atop one of the bigger stones so I could see and be out of the way. I had turned five years old that July and, all these years Iater, I can still remember the smell, the heat, the feel of that stone and the sound of my grandmother crying. On some Sunday mornings, my grandfather, Merle A. Best, rang the church bell and he would take me along because I wanted to watch. He told me the stones used to build the church had been brought by mule cart from near Pittsburgh.
The Oil City Derrick - Thursday, August 2, 1956
$130,000 Blaze Destroys St. Paul's Church Near Knox
Knox - Fire of undetermined origin yesterday completely destroyed St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Wentling's Corners, two and one-half miles south of Knox. The loss, estimated at more than $130,000, came after six companies of firemen from the surrounding area had fought vainly in an effort to stem the blaze which apparently had been smoldering for some time before its discovery at 8:45 a.m. Ted Bish, a caretaker at the church cemetery, first discovered the fire when he heard a muffled explosion from his home nearby. He went to the home of Edward Best and called Knox Volunteer Fire Department, which responded immediately. Thick smoke blocked their initial attempt to enter the structure and by the time more equipment had arrived, the entire building was in flames. Volunteer fire companies from Emlenton, Sligo, Clarion, Clintonville and Shippenville joined the Knox group in an effort to save some of the 50-year-old edifice, but by noon, when the fire was brought under control, it was completely gutted and the roof had collapsed and burned. A pond on the farm of Walter Dean, about 1,500 feet from the church, provided the fireman with an ample supply of water but the fire had gained too much headway to be stopped. Rev. Lewis R. Fox, (pastor of St. Paul's) who lives nearby (in the church parsonage), was one of the first persons on the scene. When contacted Wednesday evening, he said that there are so many different versions as to the sound of the explosion that the exact cause of the fire cannot be determined as yet. Many farm residents of the area were working in their fields when the alarm was sounded and were among those who volunteered early assistance. The congregation of the church, which was built in 1906, was celebrating its 50th anniversary, with special services scheduled each month of the coming year. The first special service was held on Sunday, July 15, when the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone was observed. The church was dedicated on July 30, 1907. One of the largest churches in this vicinity, its auditorium seated 500 people. The church was recently equipped with an electric organ and only this year had new altar coverings installed. Of Gothic architecture, the church was constructed of native stone with labor donated by the parishioners, at an original cost of $17,000. Rev. Lewis Fox, pastor of the church, stated that a recent appraisal placed its estimated value between $125,000 and $130,000. Beautiful stained glass memorial windows, imported from Germany, were used throughout the church. In addition to the furnace room, the basement of the church was furnished with a kitchen, social rooms and Sunday school rooms. New hardwood floors, carpeting, paint and varnish had been applied to the church interior in the past few years. No immediate plans for rebuilding have been formed yet, according to Rev. Fox. He announced that members of St. Paul Parrish will be accommodated at the two other churches he serves as Pastor of the Lutheran Parish of Knox. They are Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at Sligo RD and Emmanual Lutheran Church at Knox. Rev. Fox, who was elected pastor in 1946, has been assisted at St. Paul's by a board of deacons, consisting of Reuben Weaver, Edward Best, Jr., Harold Switzer, Walter M. Switzer, Maurice Knight, Carl Rowe, Chalmer Snyder, Howard Uncapher and A. M. Stover.
My mother, Mary Alice Best Porter, and I had gone to visit her mother, Laura Bish Best, in Wentlings Corners that summer morning and found her crying into her apron in her driveway. She only had to point toward the smoke rising from the burning church for us to understand why. At that time, the church could be plainly seen from her house in Wentlings Corners atop the hill on which it sat. We drove toward the fire and parked along the road at the bottom of the hill. I remember walking past the Reformed Church and up through the cemetery that served both churches. My mother sat me atop one of the bigger stones so I could see and be out of the way. I had turned five years old that July and, all these years Iater, I can still remember the smell, the heat, the feel of that stone and the sound of my grandmother crying. On some Sunday mornings, my grandfather, Merle A. Best, rang the church bell and he would take me along because I wanted to watch. He told me the stones used to build the church had been brought by mule cart from near Pittsburgh.
Born in Paint Township, Clarion County, died in Knox, Clarion County.
The Oil City Derrick - Thursday, August 2, 1956
$130,000 Blaze Destroys St. Paul's Church Near Knox
Knox - Fire of undetermined origin yesterday completely destroyed St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Wentling's Corners, two and one-half miles south of Knox. The loss, estimated at more than $130,000, came after six companies of firemen from the surrounding area had fought vainly in an effort to stem the blaze which apparently had been smoldering for some time before its discovery at 8:45 a.m. Ted Bish, a caretaker at the church cemetery, first discovered the fire when he heard a muffled explosion from his home nearby. He went to the home of Edward Best and called Knox Volunteer Fire Department, which responded immediately. Thick smoke blocked their initial attempt to enter the structure and by the time more equipment had arrived, the entire building was in flames. Volunteer fire companies from Emlenton, Sligo, Clarion, Clintonville and Shippenville joined the Knox group in an effort to save some of the 50-year-old edifice, but by noon, when the fire was brought under control, it was completely gutted and the roof had collapsed and burned. A pond on the farm of Walter Dean, about 1,500 feet from the church, provided the fireman with an ample supply of water but the fire had gained too much headway to be stopped. Rev. Lewis R. Fox, (pastor of St. Paul's) who lives nearby (in the church parsonage), was one of the first persons on the scene. When contacted Wednesday evening, he said that there are so many different versions as to the sound of the explosion that the exact cause of the fire cannot be determined as yet. Many farm residents of the area were working in their fields when the alarm was sounded and were among those who volunteered early assistance. The congregation of the church, which was built in 1906, was celebrating its 50th anniversary, with special services scheduled each month of the coming year. The first special service was held on Sunday, July 15, when the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone was observed. The church was dedicated on July 30, 1907. One of the largest churches in this vicinity, its auditorium seated 500 people. The church was recently equipped with an electric organ and only this year had new altar coverings installed. Of Gothic architecture, the church was constructed of native stone with labor donated by the parishioners, at an original cost of $17,000. Rev. Lewis Fox, pastor of the church, stated that a recent appraisal placed its estimated value between $125,000 and $130,000. Beautiful stained glass memorial windows, imported from Germany, were used throughout the church. In addition to the furnace room, the basement of the church was furnished with a kitchen, social rooms and Sunday school rooms. New hardwood floors, carpeting, paint and varnish had been applied to the church interior in the past few years. No immediate plans for rebuilding have been formed yet, according to Rev. Fox. He announced that members of St. Paul Parrish will be accommodated at the two other churches he serves as Pastor of the Lutheran Parish of Knox. They are Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at Sligo RD and Emmanual Lutheran Church at Knox. Rev. Fox, who was elected pastor in 1946, has been assisted at St. Paul's by a board of deacons, consisting of Reuben Weaver, Edward Best, Jr., Harold Switzer, Walter M. Switzer, Maurice Knight, Carl Rowe, Chalmer Snyder, Howard Uncapher and A. M. Stover.
My mother, Mary Alice Best Porter, and I had gone to visit her mother, Laura Bish Best, in Wentlings Corners that summer morning and found her crying into her apron in her driveway. She only had to point toward the smoke rising from the burning church for us to understand why. At that time, the church could be plainly seen from her house in Wentlings Corners atop the hill on which it sat. We drove toward the fire and parked along the road at the bottom of the hill. I remember walking past the Reformed Church and up through the cemetery that served both churches. My mother sat me atop one of the bigger stones so I could see and be out of the way. I had turned five years old that July and, all these years Iater, I can still remember the smell, the heat, the feel of that stone and the sound of my grandmother crying. On some Sunday mornings, my grandfather, Merle A. Best, rang the church bell and he would take me along because I wanted to watch. He told me the stones used to build the church had been brought by mule cart from near Pittsburgh.
The Oil City Derrick - Thursday, August 2, 1956
$130,000 Blaze Destroys St. Paul's Church Near Knox
Knox - Fire of undetermined origin yesterday completely destroyed St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Wentling's Corners, two and one-half miles south of Knox. The loss, estimated at more than $130,000, came after six companies of firemen from the surrounding area had fought vainly in an effort to stem the blaze which apparently had been smoldering for some time before its discovery at 8:45 a.m. Ted Bish, a caretaker at the church cemetery, first discovered the fire when he heard a muffled explosion from his home nearby. He went to the home of Edward Best and called Knox Volunteer Fire Department, which responded immediately. Thick smoke blocked their initial attempt to enter the structure and by the time more equipment had arrived, the entire building was in flames. Volunteer fire companies from Emlenton, Sligo, Clarion, Clintonville and Shippenville joined the Knox group in an effort to save some of the 50-year-old edifice, but by noon, when the fire was brought under control, it was completely gutted and the roof had collapsed and burned. A pond on the farm of Walter Dean, about 1,500 feet from the church, provided the fireman with an ample supply of water but the fire had gained too much headway to be stopped. Rev. Lewis R. Fox, (pastor of St. Paul's) who lives nearby (in the church parsonage), was one of the first persons on the scene. When contacted Wednesday evening, he said that there are so many different versions as to the sound of the explosion that the exact cause of the fire cannot be determined as yet. Many farm residents of the area were working in their fields when the alarm was sounded and were among those who volunteered early assistance. The congregation of the church, which was built in 1906, was celebrating its 50th anniversary, with special services scheduled each month of the coming year. The first special service was held on Sunday, July 15, when the anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone was observed. The church was dedicated on July 30, 1907. One of the largest churches in this vicinity, its auditorium seated 500 people. The church was recently equipped with an electric organ and only this year had new altar coverings installed. Of Gothic architecture, the church was constructed of native stone with labor donated by the parishioners, at an original cost of $17,000. Rev. Lewis Fox, pastor of the church, stated that a recent appraisal placed its estimated value between $125,000 and $130,000. Beautiful stained glass memorial windows, imported from Germany, were used throughout the church. In addition to the furnace room, the basement of the church was furnished with a kitchen, social rooms and Sunday school rooms. New hardwood floors, carpeting, paint and varnish had been applied to the church interior in the past few years. No immediate plans for rebuilding have been formed yet, according to Rev. Fox. He announced that members of St. Paul Parrish will be accommodated at the two other churches he serves as Pastor of the Lutheran Parish of Knox. They are Mt. Zion Lutheran Church at Sligo RD and Emmanual Lutheran Church at Knox. Rev. Fox, who was elected pastor in 1946, has been assisted at St. Paul's by a board of deacons, consisting of Reuben Weaver, Edward Best, Jr., Harold Switzer, Walter M. Switzer, Maurice Knight, Carl Rowe, Chalmer Snyder, Howard Uncapher and A. M. Stover.
My mother, Mary Alice Best Porter, and I had gone to visit her mother, Laura Bish Best, in Wentlings Corners that summer morning and found her crying into her apron in her driveway. She only had to point toward the smoke rising from the burning church for us to understand why. At that time, the church could be plainly seen from her house in Wentlings Corners atop the hill on which it sat. We drove toward the fire and parked along the road at the bottom of the hill. I remember walking past the Reformed Church and up through the cemetery that served both churches. My mother sat me atop one of the bigger stones so I could see and be out of the way. I had turned five years old that July and, all these years Iater, I can still remember the smell, the heat, the feel of that stone and the sound of my grandmother crying. On some Sunday mornings, my grandfather, Merle A. Best, rang the church bell and he would take me along because I wanted to watch. He told me the stones used to build the church had been brought by mule cart from near Pittsburgh.
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