Betty Service

I don’t have a printed version of yesterday’s service, but I do have the notes for the service. I’ll post them throughout this week.

Church and Religious Life

We’re here today to stitch together a quilt of memories concerning Betty Jean McCammon Boley. One of the blocks would surely include her Christian life for her faith has been her foundation. Betty’s childhood was filled with religious activities. She attended all the churches in Sellersburg, Indiana.

Monday evenings were a must for all Sellersburg youth to attend Bible study at the Sellersburg Church of Christ, the home church of her McCammon Grandfather. He was an elder and believed his church was the only church. He allowed no card playing in his home. His grandchildren remember playing “Pick-up Sticks” at their Grandfather’s home on the day Pearl Harbor was bombed.

The Sellersburg Methodist Church was home to Wednesday night choir practice, Bible School, and women’s group which she attended with her widowed mother.

The church she called home, Pleasant Grove Methodist Church, on Highway 203 between Sellersburg and Charlestown was attended by her Prather relatives on Sunday mornings, then lunch at her Prather Grandparents, and back for Sunday evening fellowship. There was also Sunday School, Bible School, and later on homemakers’ meetings and bible study at the church.

After marriage, Raymond moved the family to the farm in Lexington and the family attended the small Methodist Church where Raymond was raised, Pleasant Ridge Methodist Church. When their children were old enough, they moved their membership to the Otisco Methodist Church where a youth group was available.

When the Presbyterians in Lexington came seeking their daughter for a pianist, they turned into pseudo Presbyterians and occupied the back 2 rows of the right side of the church. Sunday School, Bible School, shared Church cleaning responsibilities and Englishton Park Retirement Home were part of the church experience. The Lexington church served the Englishton Park Retirement Home so precious relationships developed and thoughtful caretaking became a Sunday morning tradition.

Dennis shared that Easter Sunday sunrise services on the lawn of Englishton Park were some of his favorite times. Sometimes a trumpeter would herald the sun rise on the lawn, and sometimes the snow was so deep the service took place inside around the fire. We could always count on the multi family pitch in breakfasts that featured eggs galore. Church families built community through family pitch-ins. There was always good food, good friends and good fun.

While cleaning I found letters from an Englishton resident, Katherine Parker, the wife of former President of Hanover College, thanking Betty for her thoughtful service to the church mentioning the small things Betty did that sometimes go unnoticed.

When the children left home and Betty and Raymond moved to Scottsburg, they returned to their true colors, Methodism, and have continued their dedication to church. Sunday school, choir, and service to their fellow men took the form of taking friends to church or taking shut ins for rides to enjoy the scenery.

Devona shared, “When I reflect back and think of your 60 years together, the words Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow comes to mind. Your marriage is a testimony to a marriage built and enriched with God. I want to thank you for the advantage of faith that you introduced me to and showed by example. Dad, you showed me how to expect to be treated by a husband through your loving our mother. Mom, you showed us how to make something out of nothing and still get your husband’s praise.”

Betty understood the importance of a relationship with God. She turned her most recent troubles over to him and it gave her peace of mind to know someone greater than she was in control.

The Boley Family