Wilmore Baptist Church, Wilmore, Comanche County, Ks

COMANCHE COUNTY KSGENWEB 2008: HISTORY & GENEALOGY

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Wilmore Baptist Church, Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas

The Wilmore Baptist Church was founded in 1907 with the Reverend Bailey as the pastor. I haven't been able to get the actual years that each pastor was at the church but here is a list of what I believe were all the pastors to serve at the church: Reverend Bailey, J. P. Woods, Russell Pittman, Ernest Wood, Reverend Pennington, Noel Wood, Kenneth Mayfield, Ernest Lawrence - 1956 - 1964 and Aljoe Watters.

The picture above is of the Men's Bible Class in 1931. Sam Lawrence was the teacher of the class.

The gentlemen are (from left to right): Lew Kluttz, Perry Wall, Perry Barber, Bruce Snare, Jeff Foree, Van Lott, Lawrence York, L.B. 'Daddy' Sommers, John Manahan, Sam Lawrence, Oscar Pinkston, Grandfather Ray, Tom Pepperd, Shurd Smith, Lester Larimer.

Photo courtesy of David Lawrence.

The picture above is of the Men's Bible Class in 1931. Sam Lawrence was the teacher of the class. The gentlemen are (from left to right): Lew Kluttz (had an auto agency), Perry Wall (hardware store owner & rancher), Perry Barber, Bruce Snare, Jeff Foree, Van Lott (owned grocery store), Lawrence York (rancher), L.B. "Daddy" Sommers, John Manahan (school superintendent), Sam Lawrence, Oscar Pinkston, Willis Jackson Ray, Tom Pepperd (had gas delivery truck & farmed), Shurd Smith (railroad section man), Lester Larimer (Sunday School superintendent & farmer).

This picture was taken at the 50th Anniversary of the Wilmore Baptist Church in 1957. The attendees were: Back Row: Sam Lawrence, Tom Pepperd, Noah Dillinger, Don York, Valtos Richardson, Glenn Dillinger, Warren Day. Center Row: Stella York, Lester Larimer, Frances Ridge, Mrs. Healan, Marie York, Gene Ann Lawrence, Pastor Ernest Lawrence. Front Row: Larry Lawrence, Lonna Lawrence, David Lawrence.

The picture above is of the Homemakers Sunday School Class of the Wilmore Bapist Church

The picture above is of the "Homemakers Sunday School Class" of the Wilmore Bapist Church, Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas. The picture was taken in 1959. Members of the class are: Back Row: Lawrence York, Don York, Charlie Pendergraft, Pastor Ernest Lawrence, Warren Day. Center Row: Marie York (holding Kathy & Don's son), Kathy York, Ruby Booth, Bertha Richardson, Wilma Lee Timmer, Helen Pendergraft, Lena Day. Front Row: Madeline Ewell, Valtos Richardson, Fred Booth, Dewey Healan, Mrs. Healan.

The Wilmore Baptist Church Choir sporting their new robes in 1959.

Front row: Ruby Booth, Lonna Lawrence, VanVranken (daughter), Guyneth Timmer, Nancy Metzger, Diana Weddel, Mary Jane Metzger, Norma York and Frances Ridge at the organ.

Back row: Hazel Boley, David Lawrence, Larry Lawrence, Jimmy Clayton, Kenneth Timmer, VanVranken (last name), Mike York, Kathy York and Pastor Ernest Lawrence.

The Wilmore Baptist Church Choir sporting their new robes in 1959. Front row: Ruby Booth, Lonna Lawrence, VanVranken (daughter), Guyneth Timmer, Nancy Metzger, Diana Weddel, Mary Jane Metzger, Norma York and Frances Ridge at the organ. Back row: Hazel Boley, David Lawrence, Larry Lawrence, Jimmy Clayton, Kenneth Timmer, VanVranken (last name), Mike York, Kathy York and Pastor Ernest Lawrence

Ernest and Gene Ann Lawrence of Wilmore, Comanche County, Kansas, with their children in 1964. Pastor Lawrence and family just before leaving Wilmore in 1964 to go to the Mission field at the "Morrow Indian Children's Home" in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Back Row: David, Lonna, Larry.
Center: Ernest and Gene Ann
Front: Mat

After the Lawrence's left Wilmore the Pastorate was filled on an interim basis by Reverend Al Joe Waters. I am not sure how long after this time that the Wilmore Baptist Church closed it doors. I have many fond memories of our time in Wilmore and of being a part of the Wilmore Baptist Church.

-- David Lawrence

The information and images on this page are courtesy of David Lawrence and were copied from this web page created by him.

Many of the people pictured and mentioned on this page are now buried in the Wilmore Cemetery.
Also see:
Red Cross Fund Oversubscribed, The Wilmore News, 28 June 1917.
The 1924 Pocket Directory of Wilmore, Kansas "First Baptist Church, C.W. Safford, Pastor. W.J. Ray, S.S. Supt."
Henry Loyde Wilson, "Loyde was a member of the Wilmore Baptist church and a veteran of the World War. He enlisted early in the war and spent 18 months in the service, half of which he saw active service abroad." -- The Wilmore News, February 19, 1937.
Loyal Hunt Drowned In Lake In West Virginia, The Western Star, August 19, 1927: "In his Junior year in high school at Wilmore, Kansas, Loyall was converted and united with the Baptist church of that place."