History of the LDS Church in Tuscaloosa Alabama - Northington Chapel & Beyound
So the meetings at Northington chapel began in August
1957 with less than half dozen people attending. But very soon the
missionaries began to trickle back and they were always a great help to this
small branch. But even so they were not able to bring in any members. But
Mack had a brother James who had started at the U of A and Juanita West who
was a student moved in to help out. She joined the church. Her father who
was old objected so to the church that she never told him about her baptism.
It only allowed him to die happily by not telling him.
After the dependent Sunday school was established more
people did move in to stay, not just visit. Luna Caldwell and her sister
Margaret Whitehouse. Also Luna's husband Dewey, and a couple named Louis and
Sue Slazals. Helen, who had become Helen Taylor and her son Morris Taylor
and her mother.
In 1959 more people did move in. The Humbles, a man and
wife who were new converts. He was the Labor Relations executive at the
paper mill. Another student at the U of A was Carol Stevens. And Clair
Bingham and his family moved in about then. According to Helen, the
Bingham’s are the ones who got the church off the ground. They were such a
great help to us. Clair had been a bishop, and his wife Mary told us about
relief society and that we needed to have a president. Our new convet1 Luna
Caldwell was our first Relief Society President.
Clair and his wife Mary had three daughters, Carol the
oldest, Adele the baby and Helen doesn't remember the middle girl. Mack tells
about one meeting when we had the unbelievable number of thirty-five people
present.
Clair Bingham was a geologist and traveled over the
world and Helen couldn't locate him. But they were very important to this
branch at that time.
In 1958 Mack and Joyce's family began to arrive. Their
first daughter, Sabrina was born March 19, 1958. The next child, Cynthia was
born in August 1959. Cynthia and Sabrina both entered BYU in the fall of
1976. The third daughter, Zina was born August 13, 1965.
Mack and Joyce were married by a Methodist minister and
the only witness was the preacher's wife. They were married in the Salt Lake
temple in August 1958.
During the time of the dependent Sunday school, even
though we were few, we had lots of things to happen. At times Mack was
called to participate at funerals, to bless the sick and babies. It got a
bit rushed during finals at the U of A. But we usually had some missionaries
and they helped and were always invaluable.
Once Mack was called to go to Demopolis to bless a
new-born baby. The baby was born with fluid on its lungs. The mother was a
member but the husband was not and she needed a priesthood holder to give
the baby a blessing.
So Mack asked the missionaries to go help him. The
doctor gave them permission to take the baby out of the incubator and from
the oxygen tent. But the doctor had given the baby only a few hours to live.
Since it's hold on life was so slim, they decided to leave the baby where it
was and to lay their hands on the incubator to give the blessing.
The next morning Mack called the mother to check on the
two. She was cheerful and happy. She said the baby was normal then and she
quoted the doctor as saying that he had never seen such a miracle.
During Mack's senior year at school, he stopped working to devote more time
to studying. He graduated from the U of A in 1959.
The Smyly family left Tuscaloosa after graduation and
moved to Tennessee where he took a job with the TVA. Joyce attended the
University of Tennessee where she got a degree in Education. They continued
to be active in church, and Mack was Elder's quorum group leader, Sunday
school superintendent and quorum secretary all at the same time. In 1962
Mack took a job with Boeing Company of Huntsville, Alabama to work on the
Saturn Apollo Program. Joyce began teaching at Hazel Green High School. Next
they bought a house in Madison and while there Joyce taught science at
Monrovia Jr. High School. But Joyce's hearing got worse so she stopped
working. Anyway they wanted another child and that is when Zina was born.
The family moved around quite a bit, and they all
enjoyed the experience. Once they lived in an unfinished apartment and all
the family collected discarded furniture from the apartment complex, and
soon had enough to furnish all their rooms.
In 1972 Mack was called to the stake High Council and
was given responsibility for genealogy and temple work. Also he continued to
work with the Space Shuttle Program, and in 1994 he retired from NASA. In
the Church he was Stake High Councilman by virtue of his tenure. He was
released from his last calling, and is now waiting for his next calling.
Morris Taylor is living in Portland, Oregon. He is a
real estate appraiser and broker with his own office. Morris served his
mission in 1967-1969 in the north western states mission. During his mission
he was District leader, Zone leader and AP to President Robelt Backman and
Pres. Stukey.
Morris's wife is Marcia Cantwell Taylor. They have four
children, two boys and two girls. Benjamin was released from his mission in
April and is now at BYU. And he is elders quorum Teacher. Benjamin plans to
be a dentist. Benjamin served in the Washington D.C. south mission.
Morris is in the bishopric in Portland and this is his
fourth bishopric. Marci teaches music in high school and is choir director
in their ward at church. Morris was with the young men's program five and a
half years.
Morris's younger son, Matthew is on his mission in
Osorno, Chili. He will be released in April 1998. Matthew plans to be a
doctor. But for now he is financial secretary while on his mission.
Morris and Marci's two daughters are Ashley Taylor and
Melissa Taylor. Both are teenagers in high school.
Sometime in early 1968, President Charles Ainsworth sent
a letter to the inactive members of the branch asking if anyone wanted to be
taught the missionary discussions. Willie Maye Hayes was one of the inactive
members. Although she was not interested herself, her sixteen year old
daughter was interested. A seventeen year old granddaughter was living with
her who was very much against the idea. As it turned out, the day before the
missionaries were scheduled to come, this grand daughter attended a church
where she received a lot of anti-Mormon literature and presented the
missionaries with it. The missionaries, Elders Kennnington and Kranwinkle,
were not upset by this but answered the questions calmly. They proceeded to
teach both the sixteen and seventeen year old.
This seventeen year old, Marlene Mills (now Stevens),
was baptized from this effort on April 28, 1968. This same year Marlene
Mills, Michael Dyer and Charles Kimball graduated from high school. This is
significant because the young adults were such a significant part of the
branch at this time. There were only 29 active members and each one had
several callings and other duties. For example these young people plus some
others, Michael Knight, Caroline (Glo) Folmar, Beverly Finnen (now Dyer) and
later Angie Benson (Cole) and John Stevens were part of a group that met on
Saturdays to clean the church building. This was the time when the meetings
were held in Northington chapel, the area where University Mall is now. It
was an old army chapel that was part of the old WWII hospital which had been
turned into inexpensive student housing.
During the time that Charles Ainsworth was branch president he and wife
Winnie started a lending library. Some of these books are still in the
library today. At that time he was working on his doctorate at the
University of Alabama.
Jack Dyer was very important to the group. Every Sunday
the college students could go to Jack's house for dinner and stay till time
to go back to church for the evening meeting. Brother Dyer will never know
what his hospitality meant to the young people. They all remained active.
Beverly Finnen married Mike Dyer and Marlene and John Married each other.
Charles Kimball was killed in a plane accident in 1977
while running for congress in a western state. He and his wife were married
in the temple. He, his wife and child were all killed in the plane accident.
Charles had previously been married to Linda Kornegay and they had a
daughter Leslie.
Angie Benson Cole died in August 1995. She had suffered from complications
of diabetes for several years. She converted her family to the church. She
had three sisters, all married in the temple.
Dr. Michael Knight attended the U of A and was a member
of the church here. He is a dentist and lives in Huntsville where he has his
own office. He served his mission in 1968-1970 and labored in Brazil. His
wife was also a missionary in Brazil. Her maiden name is Yvette Evens
Knight. They have six children. Their son, Hal served a mission in Russia.
Hal is married, and all of the knight children are living in Huntsville,
Alabama. Mike is now Stake President in Huntsville.
So the church in this area began meeting with the
Holloways in 1941 on 1212 Twelfth street and progressed to the Kimball’s who
were investigators, to the Smylys who wanted to establish a regular meeting
place and were encouraged by President Densmore who recognized the need for
a central meeting place.
The meetings with the Holloways in 1941 had no official
standing at all, then after a few starts as with the Kimballs and Smylys we
finally began meeting at Northington Chapel in 1958, with Clair Bingham our
first Branch President.
Members of the church are now meeting in the new chapel
that is located at 2015 Third Ave. North. It was built in 1972. We now have
about five hundred and fifty members. Our district became a stake in 1982
with Hartman Rector Jr. organizing it.
Our last branch president was LeGrand Hutchison, and he
was also our first bishop, serving from 1986-1991. LeGrand served his
mission in France and is currently serving as the Stake President of the
Bessemer Alabama Stake.
Jack Dyer. Jack's full name is Jack Dyer. He was born in
Fayette, Alabama where he attended school. The war was on, so Jack enlisted
in the marines when he was seventeen years old. He didn't graduate with his
class, but received his diploma with his class.
Jack was baptized when he was thirty-eight years old.
His wife's maiden name is Frances Helen Holloway. They were married in the
Salt Lake temple in 1972. His principal jobs in the church were: Sunday
school President, Elders Quorum President, Young Men's President, Branch
President, and on the High Council. He is now Stake Patriarch. He is a
Master Electrician and Electrical Contractor.
The Brackners came to Tuscaloosa in tile early 1970s. He
was Branch President the first time from August 1971 to 1974, and again in
early 1975 till August 1975 when the family moved away. His full name is
James W. Brackner. His wife's maiden name was Gayle Linton. They have seven
children and eleven grand children.
The Brackners have lived most of their lives in Utah
except for a while in Valinda, California and then in Provo just before they
came to Tuscaloosa. Jim joined the church and was baptized when he was eight
years old. He served his mission in the Great Lakes Mission from 1956-1958.
His positions in the church since his mission have been in this order:
Priest Quorum Advisor, Young Men’s President, Sunday school teacher,
Bishopric Counselor, Bishop, Branch President, Primary Teacher, Stake Clerk,
High Priest Group Leader Councilor, and Stake High Councilman. Jim is
presently a university professor teaching accounting and Administrator of
Masters of Accounting Program. The Brackners are now living in Logan Utah.
Jeff Richetto. His full name is Jeffery Paul Richello. He was born in
Warren, Ohio and attended school there. He got his Doctorate at Ohio State
University. His wife's maiden name was Patricia Marie Thompson. Jeff was
twenty-eight years old when he was baptized. Pat and Jeff were married in
the Washington Temple. They have four children, Paul, Nichole, Christopher
and Victoria.
Jeff was Branch President in Tuscaloosa in 1981-1983. He and his family
are now living in Tuscaloosa. He is a professor at the University of
Alabama. Jeff’s church calling now is High Councilor.
We split into two wards in 1991. Our wards were known as the Tuscaloosa
Ward with Barry Sadler bishop, and the Warrior River Ward with Earl NeSmith
bishop. When the Sadlers moved to Piedmont, Alabama, Jimmy Largin became the
bishop of the Tuscaloosa ward. On September 26, 1995 the two wards were
re-united into the Tuscaloosa Ward and Jimmy Porter was called to serve as
bishop. He is serving at the present time.
Lina Caldwell
Eunice Sullivan
Verna Sobrino
Mary Ann Adams
Joanne Hollingsworth
Doris Wallace
Linda Lenhard
Judy Sadlar
Mary Ann Izatt
Marilyn Whatley
Des Marie Porter
Arlene Hollingsworth
EI izabcth Hall
Sarah Nesmith.
We've had lots of people to go on missions from Tuscaloosa while it was
both a district and a stake. We've had missionaries in many of the states of
our country, and also foreign countries.
Morris
Taylor, David Helms, Travis Smith, Michael Knight, Duane Porter, Matt
Hutchison, Glo Fulmer, Larry Hall, John Whatley, Beverly Finnen, Stan
Morrow, Mike Dyer, Jerry Lonzo, Legrand Hutchison, Randy Haines, Mike
Skipper, Chad Adams, Mark Skipper, James Largin, Mark Dyer, Joseph Haines,
Mark Hollingsworth, Bryant Haines, Jean Kelley, Barry Sadler, Jr, Sean
Smith, Jason Sadle,r Pctcr Brackner Bill Roberts
I've missed some people who should have been in this piece, and I
apologize for that. It was not intended, it is that I couldn't locate them,
or didn't have enough information that was needed.
We had two Branch Presidents for a short while each which I mention
now. Willard Landston and Cobb Largin came to Tuscaloosa for a while, each
to be our branch president. I don't remember the years for either of them,
but they and their families were a great help to us when we were so small a
group.
I may have
missed some relief society presidents, I'm sorry if I have.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing this piece, and it was such fun hearing
from people I had not seen for so long. It makes me feel young to go over
again those happenings of so long ago.
I want to thank Gary Holt and Mark Hollingsworth for their wonderful help
with the computer. I had not touched a computer in twenty-five years. Gary
did much of the typing, and Mark was always near to clear away the mix-ups
that I created.
And appreciation is expressed to Mack Smyly for providing the picture of the Northington Chapel. I'm grateful to
everyone who helped me with this undertaking. I feel very humble to be able
to help bring together the things that have helped to make up our ward.
Papa died in 1954 and Mama died in 1975.
I'm grateful to my papa and mama who opened their home to the Elders and
to anyone who wanted to come to our humble home on that beauti ful
tree-lined street. I thank my Heavenly Father for remembering Tuscaloosa,
and sending those Elders to bring us the gospel to bless our lives.
Helen Holloway Taylor
Dyer
Sister
Dyer: On behalf of the Tuscaloosa Ward we really want to thank you for the
excellent work you have done in writing this history of the ward. Here is a
copy that was printed on the institute computer. Also enclosed is a computer
disc with a copy of your history all it. If you want to add anything or
change anything. you can bring the disc to the institute and use our typing
keyboard which is like a typewriter to make any changes you want. That way
you will not have to re-type pages on your typewriter. If any of the other
branch presidents or bishops give you information to add to the history,
it can easily be added using a computer key board for typing it. Or the
computer at the Chapel could be used. The format of the file on the disk is
for Wordperfect 6. OJ
