Field Worker Added To Staff

the following article appeared in the Rural Bible Crusade of Missouri newsletter, Nov.-Dec.-Jan., 1946-1947, Vol. 2, No. 1.

Rev. Hugh M. McInnes comes to us as a Field Worker, through the efforts of Rev. Floyd Hitchcock, who broadcasts the Faith of Our Fathers Program over Radio Station KWTO in Springfield , Mo. Rev. McInnes will work chiefly in the Springfield area in order to help Rev. Hitchcock with his radio program and preaching services in the rural communities.

He will visit the rural schools in that section to enroll them in the R.B.C. Memory Contest and explain the program and purpose of this Contest.

Rev. Hugh M. McInnes was born in Massillion, Ohio. In 1925 he married Beulah Guiley, the sister of our director.

After spending nine years in the banking business he and Mrs. McInnes felt led by the Lord to train for full time service.

In 1934 after both had graduated from the Moody Bible Institute they left for Montana where they served in Home Missions Churches for about five years. Mr McInnes served pastorates in Indiana and also in Michigan. His interest has chiefly been in Rural areas.

In December of 1946 he accepted the call to become a Field Worker of the Rural Bible Crusade of Missouri. He will begin his work with the Crusade on February 1, 1947.

Correspondence may be addressed to Rev. Hugh M. McInnes, c/o R.B.C. of Mo. Box 306, California, Mo.

Meet The McInnes's

the following article appeared in the Rural Bible Crusade of Missouri newsletter, Oct.-Jan., 1947-48, Vol. 2, No.4

From left to right we present Virginia, Mrs. McInnes, Bobbie Jean, Peggy Ann, Mac, and Marian.
They are living in Ozark, (South of Springfield, Mo.) and are working in the Rural area of Springfield for the R.B.C.

Helt's Prairie Cemetery

by K. McCullough

Dad & I were at Helts Prairie Cemetery this past Sunday. We saw the tombstone of Ralph & Eliza Campbell, my Grandpa (Claude) Campbell's parents. I noticed that staked in the ground behind Eliza's side of the tombstone was a metal marker from the DAR. Engraved in Ralph's side of the tombstone was a symbol--three chain links and in the center of each link was an initial--"FLT". I did some checking on the internet today, and found that this stands for "Friendship, Love and Truth" and marks members of the Oddfellows. This fraternal organization started in England in 1810, and appears to be a forerunner of labor unions in this country. Its members--who were generally laborers--paid dues, but that money went back to its members in times of need. It was also a social group.

I also saw the tall pillar tombstone for Capt. Josiah Campbell. From the dates, he was probably the father/uncle of Ralph Campbell, and I would say that he fought in the Civil War.

I also found the tombstone of Louisa Stokesberry and her husband (whose name escapes me)--my Grandma (Geneva) Campbell's parents. I noticed that she and her husband had buried two little boys who were about 12-13 months old at death. The second son that they lost was named Owen S. Stokesberry. Evidently, then, Geneva named her oldest son, Owen Stanley, after her little brother who was lost in infancy.

I also found the tombstone for Esther Ambrose Campbell--Uncle Owen's ex-wife. She's buried by herself and Owen is buried by himself in a very different part of the cemetery. Esther's parents are buried a few rows over from her.

Just thought you might find this interesting. Makes you feel a little more connected and now you can support the Oddfellows' fundraisers.

Ozark Missionaries

My parents Beulah Frances (Guiley) McInnes and Hugh Melvin McInnes as told by their youngest daughter.

Some of my earliest memories of my parents were from the time I was about two on. I remember our house in Ozark, MO, the outhouse, the fruit cellar, the swing in the tree, the shed out back that was my parents office, the field where we had a cow that ate the nails out of the chicken house in the same field and finally died, the chickens we raised, the garden and flowers in the yard. My father was the director of Rural Bible Crusade in that part of Missouri in those days, that would have been 1947 to around 1952. Our house was a square concrete house that was musty and cold a lot. We had a big concrete front porch that went all the way across the front of the house. It did not have a railing around it. We often had missionaries or pastors visit us for a meal. Once a missionary family with a daughter about my age came to visit. I do remember she pushed me off that porch on my tricycle. It was many years later when I met that missionary man again. I had to apologize for disliking his daughter all that time. With the Rural Bible Crusade my parents would go to country schools during the week. They were allowed to take school time to tell Bible stories, teach Bible verses and sing songs. The kids were encouraged to learn Bible verses. The teachers were allowed to listen to them and check through out the week if the kids knew the verses. If a student learned 500 verses during the school year they could go to camp in the summer free. Of course others could go by paying for the week. I do remember those summers at the camp. It was at one of those camp meetings that I received Christ as my Savior. I could remember a place called Elephant Rocks also. I remember pictures of mom teaching a group of young people a Bible Story while sitting on these rocks. This past summer as we traveled back roads through Missouri we came across a state park called Elephant Rocks. We turned around, went back and walked the mile trail around and over them. Other than the trees being taller they were as I remembered. In talking with my sister we both remembered that they were on the way to the Rural Bible Crusade camp. So they must have been a stopping place on the way to camp way back then.

Another thing I remember about our house at Ozark was dad's blue velvet chair. Now the velvet was rather stiff and sparse. I remember coming home late at night and when dad would turn on the light we would see tracks in the velvet where slugs had crawled across the chair. I guess the dampness in the house attracted them. Although I know my parents were always busy and I guess I would say now that they did not have much money, I did not know that at the time. My life was fun, playing and having the run of the place. I had three big sisters who watched out for me, played with me and helped take care of me. It was my job each morning to go out to the chicken coop to open the little door for the chickens to come out. So I would bravely walk out there, open the fence gate and leave it open. Then I would walk and pull the little door on the coop up so the chickens could come out. Since I knew what happened, they would all come out in a hurry and swarm around my legs, I would run as fast as I could for the open fence gate before the chickens got me. I could do all that with out a lot of fear because I knew my mom was standing at the kitchen window watching me.

We had friends that lived in a nearby town whose father pastored the church there. We would be at their house often for meals and parties. We had grandparents visit and stay awhile with us. I remember a time of friendliness and socializing. When visitors came we would take a day to show them the sights of Old Matt's cabin, The Shepherd of the Hills country, the dam at Bull Shoals (all part of Branson now). I remember when my oldest sister got married and the reception was at our house. Mom put Marian's wedding presents all over the house so people could come in and see them. They were on the tables, couch, bed, etc.

I remember my parents receiving a gift of money and with it they bought a record player. Other than a radio that was our entertainment.

My father would go to small country churches to speak. One I remember was in Tanneyville, MO. They would often have "dinner on the grounds" after the morning service. They would set up sawhorses and lay boards on top for the tables outside in the yard. All the church people would bring food to share. I once ate so much chocolate cake that I couldn't eat chocolate cake for quite awhile. We would visit and stay at a lady's house near there too. Her name was Dilly. She had a small house but made us feel welcome and at home. I would play in her yard and was fascinated with her well. It had a bucket on a long rope and pulley with a crank that you would let the buck down in the well, fill it with water and crank it back up again. Once when I was playing in her yard I was stung by a yellow jacket. Her house had lots of doilies and pillows but we sure felt at home there. The house was made of creek rock as many of the houses were around there. One family we would visit lived across a creek. There was not a bridge to get to their house, you just drove down and through the creek. If the water was high they didn't come to church. I remember dad saying that the man from that house had a saying when he left church, "See you if the creek don't rise."

Putting Food On The Table

written by the youngest son of Raymond and Rowena Biddle.

In the years I lived at home, everybody worked. My father worked six days a week. He left for work at the furniture store at 7:30 a.m. and arrived home at 5:30 p.m. He pastored three churches as well. On Saturday nights he worked until 8 p.m. He did get Thursday afternoons off. That was the day they went to town to buy groceries. I was in school, so I didn't get to go except in the summer. We had two church services every Sunday morning, one service on Sunday night and one on Wednesday night and one on Thursday night.
My Dad always had two sometimes three gardens which he dug up by hand. They totaled usually one half to one acre. The ones not on the home place were done on shares with the land owner. Dad grew almost anything that would grow. He mulched, composted and fertilized if he could afford it. He watered, and he weeded. Of course I got to help once I was big enough. He had early, midseason, and late crops. We all helped with the picking. During the days while Dad was at work my mother canned anything and everything. We all knew we were in trouble if we didn't have about 500 quarts of fruits and vegetables canned by October.
The only times we ate out were when someone invited us to their home. I must have been ten or eleven the first time I ate in a restaurant. You guessed it, someone invited us out to eat. I was seventeen years old the first time I went to McDonalds. I took a girl on a date. The first time we had pizza Al took us to a "drive in." I bought the pizza. I think I was a Freshman in high school.
My parents tried to have meat on Sunday and one other weeknight. We did buy milk, bread, flour, sugar, etc., but we didn't buy vegetables, fruit, or processed foods. If we bought fruit, it was the drops from a farmer or orchard. We were often allowed to glean the leftovers at a church members home orchard. Therefore, we ate alot of applesauce, pear sauce, rhubarb sauce, etc. We raised our own strawberries and grapes. Mom made every kind of pie on the planet.
To supplement the meager meat ration, my brother and Dad would go squirrel hunting. I would go rabbit hunting with my Dad. I usually was the rabbit dog since we didn't have one. I would scare up the rabbits, and they would run towards my Dad and his 12 guage shot gun. I was about six years of age when I became the fish provider. My Dad liked to fish, but he seldom had time. There was a small pond near our house with plenty of bluegills and the occasional bass. Four about six years I fished that pond to near death at least three days a week. Sometimes, I would only bring home enough for a taste for everybody, but other times we would have a regular feast and the meat budget went for something like a popsicle for everyone. I didn't know about anything other than worms and a cane pole until I was out of college. We also went into the woods and hunted nuts in the fall. We cracked hickory nuts by the stove for a winter snack or popped pop corn in a metal pan.
I don't recall anyone every mowing the grass but my brother or I. My parents were assigned the ever important task of putting food on the table. Both of us started early mowing the neighbors yards. One summer I used the push mower to mow five different yards. I believe I was eleven. Al had gone to college, and I stepped up and took his jobs along with my own. Al made extra money with a paper route. When I was twelve I began working for farmers helping with hay season. My parents liked this because the farmers usually fed me while I worked at their places. More than once my parents "borrowed" money from me to keep things going.
My mother had a routine to everything. Monday was wash day, Tuesday was ironing day, Wednesday was cleaning day, Thursday was shopping day, Friday was baking day, Saturday was picking and canning day. During the winter Saturday was food processing day. She made stews, soups, casseroles, etc. These had the intended purpose of making everything go a little further. If a local farmer was butchering we could sometimes get the ingriedients for scrapple, head cheese, or chitlins. I more than once was sent looking for a cheap tongue, a "dog" bone or pigs feet for pickling.
Several summers my mother organized VBS, but she never taught a Sunday School class or regular Bible study. Father with work only preached five times a week. I'm not sure he ever had much time to prepare messages until we moved to Westville. I only lived there for two and half years. We still had a garden, but we could actually buy ice cream once in a while and have meat more than twice a week.
My favorite memories were the couple Thursday afternoons each year that my parents would plan to do something special. We would sometimes go on a picnic, go to a state park to swim, or go to a parishoners pond to fish. I remember less than a dozen of these, but it was time I knew my parents focused on us kids and having fun. When we went on a vacation we went to visit family. We knew better than to ask for money. If we didn't have our own money to buy something we didn't get it. Other than socks or underwear, I only remember getting one fun birthday gift as a child. I only had two birthday parties growing up. One I invited my whole first grade to without telling my parents. The other was when I was in high school. My mother did manage to have a cake of some kind each year. We carved pumpkins, we dyed Easter eggs, and we celebrated Christmas. We just didn't spend much or have much. Decorations were homemade. Looking back I know the finacial pressures on my parents were great. We didn't know about many things the world had to offer. We didn't have TV until well after everyone else had one. We didn't have a telephone until I was in high school. We didn't have indoor plumbing until I was in junior high. I never experienced air conditioning until I was out of college. If I wanted to get somewhere I walked or rode my bicycle until I was in college and then I split my time between hitch hiking and working to get a cheap car (a VW bug).
After we were married, we knew that visiting family was what my parents expected, it was what we were raised on. They made a big event of seeing you boys. They had never had money in the past and now for the first time in their lives they could spoil their grand children a little. They planned feasts for the few holidays they could share with you.