St Andrew's Church

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH

Continued from page 2.

Two installments of Miss Corselius' interesting paper on the early history of St. Andrews' church have already been run. The concluding portion of her paper is as follows:

Some of these early church people have left indelible impressions on my memory. One of them was Mrs. J. D. Lyman. She was tall and very dark and wore her black hair in three ringlets on each side of her face. She had a deep contralto voice which she used effectively in the choir and also to frighten children into good behavior. Mrs. Lyman possessed nimble fingers as well as a lovely tongue, with which she diligently plied her needle for the welfare of the church; for our ladies worked those days as they have ever since and have carried the dear old church through many perils with which the masculine element was too weak to cope unaided; indeed there were times in its history when there were but few male members and if the women had not put their shoulders to the wheel St. Andrew's would not be where it is today.

Col. Lyman kept a pottery and made earthen jars from a vein of clay west of the town. For many years after his death the old pottery stood on the brow of the hill on W. Huron st.

Mrs. Hughes was the music teacher and lived in cup and saucer hollow, opposite where the fortune teller lived later. Mr. Hughes cut steps in the side of the steep hill for the pupils to go up and down and further made himself useful by turning the children towards these steps away from the dangerous attractions of the river. The school in the basement was taught by Mrs. Millen, Mr. Chancey Millen's mother and afterwards by Wm. Brannagan. Many of our early citizens received instruction in this school. Mr. Brannagan was sexton of the church as well as school teacher and lived in a small house which stood on the lot where my home is now.

During the Rev. C. C. Taylor's rectorship the two classes of little Sunday school were taught by Mrs. Kingsley and Mrs. Caleb Clark. These ladies both labored faithfully year after year through summer's heat and winter's cold, endearing themselves to their pupils while they taught by precept and example the beautiful lessons of the church. Afterwards Mrs. Clark did missionary work by starting out early Sunday morning with her democrat wagon and gathering the poor children wherever she could find them and bringing them to church and Sunday school. She usually had three of the front pews filled. During the singing she would turn around and shake her finger first at one and then another and say in an audible whisper Sing! Sing! Later on Mrs. Clark became offended at something and left us for the Presbyterians. Some years ago she died in Washington and her remains were brought here and buried from the Presbyterian church.

Notwithstanding this departure from churchly ways for the gloomy paths of predestination and election, I have no doubt she is reaping her reward for the good work she wrought while among us; for is it not written "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine like the stars forever and ever." Mrs Clark not only turned many to righteousness but went out into the highways and hedges after them and brought them in in her wagon

Our beautiful oaks which help to make our grounds so attractive were more numerous in the older days, some of them having to be cut down to make room for the new buildings Mrs. Kingsley appreciated their beauty and loved every tree. It was her custom to go over every Saturday afternoon with her man Sam, if he could be spared, otherwise her housemaid, and tie boards around the trees to prevent the horses that were tied to them during service time from doing them injury. Her church and all that appertained to it were very dear to Mrs. Kingsley's heart. While it was undergoing its transformation under Mr. Lumsdon's supervision Mrs. Kingsley was very ill. One day shortly before her sun of life was set, she asked to have her bed rolled up to the window so she could. look out and see the church. A few days after this her dear form was carried into these sacred courts on its way to its last resting place.

Mrs. Volney Chapin planted the Judas tree which now stands in front of the rectory.

Dear Mrs. Brigham was spared to us until little over a decade ago. We many of us remember how glad we were to see her cross our thresholds and enter our homes. Hers was truly a beautiful old age. Of her family of nine children but two reman, Mrs. Kate Moloney, of Detroit, and Mrs. James, of Texas. Most of these were baptized in St. Andrews and several' were married at her altar and her minister performed the last sad rites over their remains.

In 1839 Miss Mary and Miss Chloe Clark moved to Ann Arbor and established a young ladies' school. For nearly 40 years these ladies shared the fortunes of St. Andrew's through weal and woe. Many souls were added to the church through their influence. It would take a paper by itself to chronicle their good deeds, yet a sketch of the old church would be incomplete without a few words about them.

Miss Mary Clark was a remarkable woman. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge, retentive memory, fine conversational powers together with a kind sympathizing manner and a keen sense of humor made her a very entertaining person. No reception or entertainment was complete without her presence. Always at her place in church at the head of her girls, she ever had a kind greeting for everybody. When she was taken from us we all felt, citizens and church people alike, as if we had lost a friend.

Miss Chloe Clark was also a woman of strong individuality; but very different from her sister. She spent much time during her last years in ministering to the sick and needy. The disability which caused her much suffering and finally ended her life was incurred by going out with Dr. Hall, her rector, after a heavy fall of snow plunging through drifts nearly waist deep to administer the Lord's supper to a dying woman. I write this from personal knowledge for I went with them.

As far as I have been able to ascertain Mrs. Frances Chapin is the oldest baptized member of the church.

We can none of us forget the venerable Dr. Williams who came among us when the university first opened and left us only a few years ago.

He was every ready to aid his church, assisting the rector on communion Sundays, filling the pulpit during vacancies, opening and closing Sunday school, instructing the Bible class, officiating at baptisms and marriages and burying the dead. His genial, kindly manner endeared him to all. As old age crept on he grew more and more like the master whom he served and when he was called away we felt that a saint had been among us and let a benediction over us all.

CORNELIA E. CORSELIUS.