- Index
- From the Author
- Dedication
- About the Author
- Anniversaries
- Awards
- Agriculture
- Lealon Wyatt is First Countian
- Books Published
- Birthdays
- Churches and Ministries
- Churches Play Part
- Decatur County Church
- Decoration Day
- Hickory Grove Church
- Mt. Nebo Church
- Events
- Do You Remember . . .
- Midwifery Work
- DAR-UDC
- Fish Tales
- Perry County, Tennessee
- Post Offices and Postal Workers
- The River
- Scotts Hill's History
- Tolley Baseball Team
- Schools
- Bear Creek School
- "Pig-Tail School"
- Educational Changes Since 1927
- First School in Parsons
- Hickory Grove School
- "Miss Allie Mae" Retires
- Mt. Tabor School
- Sugar Tree Got Its Name
- War
- Copter Pilot Feels Lucky
- Mr. Tolley Recalls World War I
- Vietnam Orphans' Plea
- World War I Ending
- Healthy Looking Vietnamese
- Jerry C. Adkisson
- Eathel and Dorskie Austin
- Mr. & Mrs. Theodore Austin
- John Britt
- Tom Burton
- Sue Carrington
- Mike Chandler
- Charles Maxwell Collett 1
- Charles Maxwell Collett 2
- Charles Maxwell Collett 3
- Janice Collett
- Parker Collet
- James Charles Cooper
- Hazel Cottrell
- J. D. Dodd
- J. J. Douglas
- J. D. Featherston
- Lois Frizzell
- Linnie Maxwell Garner
- J. W. C. Gibson
- Lonnie Glasscock 1
- Lonnie Glasscock 2
- Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Graves
- Mr. & Mrs. Otis Graves
- Rube Haney
- Eugenia Hawkins
- Guy F. Hester
- Ralph Holland
- Stanley Holland
- Jerry House
- Kenny Houston
- Boyd Fielder Hufstedler
- David Inman
- William Mac Johnson
- Mr. & Mrs. Ray Jordan
- Kirby S. Kapp
- David Keen
- Effie King
- Bernard Lee
- Bernard Lee Family
- Edd Lee
- Lynette Lindsey
- Holland Odle Miller
- Myra Looney
- Chester Mays
- Mrs. Stanley Mays
- Everett McIllwain
- Horace K. Melton
- Earl Midgett
- Ada Moody
- Mary V. Moore 1
- Mary V. Moore 2
- Mrs. Ben Morris
- Benjamin F. Morris and Ben Morris, Jr.
- Doyle W. Neal
- Kermit E. Neal
- James Overton
- Bobby Pinkley
- Joe Potts
- Imogene Pratt
- Allie Ragsdale
- Mr. & Mrs. Jess Readey
- Harold Reeves
- L. C. Reeves
- Alice Ann Reid
- James Floyd Rogers
- Hettie L. Scott
- Harvey Smith
- Allie Mae Stevens
- Lowell Stonecipher
- John Tinker
- Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Taylor
- Joseph Bailey Taylor Family
- Billy W. Townsend
- Byron Townsend
- W. B. Townsend
- Mr. & Mrs. R. L. Wallace
- Elton Watlington
- Mrs. Robert Watkins
- Willard Watson
- Carolyn Davis Weatherford
- Lewis Welch
- Mr. & Mrs Andy West
- Lealon Wyatt
- Leo Yarbro
- Sallie Young
- Lillye Younger 1
- Lillye Younger 2
From Lillye Younger, People of Action (Decatur County Printers, 1983). Special thanks to Constance Collett and the estate of Lillye Younger for permission to make this web page.
CHURCHES PLAY PART
Lillye Younger
Churches have played a tremendous part in the formation of this country. Have you ever wondered just what the pioneer church buildings looked like?
Take, for instance, an early pioneer church in Henderson County — Union Hill Baptist Church. Located 12 miles south of Scotts Hill. It dates back to 1863 according to descendants of the early church members.
"My grandfather, Eli Washburn was an early member here and later became pastor of the church." He shared a well of information with family members," Mrs. Eathel Austin of Presley Ridge Community explains.
Having assisted in the construction of the one room pine building, her grandfather related how the farmers did much of the work on the building at night since they farmed by day. His young son, Billy Washburn, who was a father to Mrs. Austin, held the lantern for them to drive nails. Among others who assisted in this erection were the Willis, Rileys, McKenzies and Shepherd families. There was a Dr. W. V. McKenzie, John Shepherd, Ben Washburn and John Henry Wilkerson and David Thompson." Mrs. Austin added, Dr. McKenzie donated the land for the building.
Not only did the men work on the building but some of the women also. Mrs. Eli Washburn who was a school teacher, helped at night.
"My mother had pictures of the initial church building but it was destroyed by fire when her house burned," she continued.
Soon the church roll escalated until it became inadequate to hold the crowds that attended, especially at revival time. "One summer, I recall a revival was held in a big tent near the church," she noted. "My father killed a lamb, goat and had pork to help feed the company we had during the revival. My mother often fed 40 to 50 people for both dinner and supper, which also included her family of ten. She would start her meal around 3 a.m. preparing from five to six chickens beside other meat, vegetables, cakes and pies. She was quite famous for her chicken and dumplings. We also had an orchard and we kids would fill up on fruit and then we were not were not too hungry when meal time rolled around," she explained.
This church has had two face liftings; when it was remodeled and weather boarded and then it was brick venered. Now it is a modern building, sufficient to hold the membership and visitors.
Eathel said, "My father said to me before his death, ‘Eathel, I want you to always see to it that the church has preaching services.' He was a very devout Christian, having been reared by a preacher. He has three grandsons who are ministers, Jeri Glynn Thompson and Paris Kennedy, Baptist ministers and Everett Wright a Church of God preacher."
"We went to church in wagons and often my twin sister Edith and I rode horses to church. My father would start picking up people all along the road until by the time we arrived at church, the wagon would be filled," she said.
Among the preachers who have served here are Bros. Fleetwood Ball of Lexington, Woodard Bartholomew, J. J. Joyner and W. L. King of Parsons, Clyde Johnson and Connie Burton, Rev. Jahue McCorkle is the present pastor and preaches here every Sunday. It is a very thriving church and has a membership of 150.