Dr. Milton Loyer, Conference Archivist
March – 100 years ago
On March 2, 1924, the Otterbein United Brethren Church in Harrisburg dedicated its new parsonage on 220 Harris Street. The first floor of the old parsonage adjoining the Reily Street sanctuary was converted into a room for the men’s Bible class, and the second and third floors were made into apartments. This was part of the congregation’s long-range relocation plan. In 1928 they erected a new facility at Third and Peffer Streets. Designed as a Sunday School unit, the building proved so adequate for worship, education and fellowship that the once envisioned sanctuary was never added. The congregation’s membership and attendance peaked at 1164 in 1959, and the church was closed in 2003. The Reily Street building is now the United House of Prayer for All People church, and the Peffer Street building is now the New Day International Kingdom Ministries church.
April – 50 years ago
On April 7, 1974, the youth of Uriah UMC in Cumberland County turned a bike hike into a money-raising project for the Conference’s benevolent homes. Accompanied by their advisors and pastor Rev. Mel Bole, the teens rode 15 miles from the church to Laurel Lake and back. The 2½ hour journey netted over $500. The top money raiser with $86.25 was Kathy Bream, while her 13-year-old cousin Sid Bream netted $45.50. Sid Bream went on the play major league baseball 1983-94 and is best known for his bottom of the 9th inning 1992 slide in game 7 of the NLCS that won the game for the Atlanta Braves and sent them to the World Series. Two of the girls, Lynn Weigle and Jessie Waggoner accomplished the ride on a bicycle-built-for-two. While everyone got a little saddle sore, the youth agreed that “it was a small sacrifice for the elderly folks in our Homes compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made.”
The Archives of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church are located at Lycoming College, Williamsport. For more information and to arrange a visit to the archives, visit https://umarch.lycoming.edu/, email loyer@lycoming.edu or call 717-766-0977.
