Wilburton First United Methodist Church

Our Church History

By Kensel Tucker
(with comments by daughter Jennifer Tarrant)

Dortha Lee Albright was a Methodist when she agreed to marry me. We were married October 6, 1936, in Anadarko, Oklahoma, in the Christian Church parsonage by the minister of that church. Her parents and grandparents were Methodist.

The Methodist Church in the Sedan, Oklahoma, rural community did not have a full time minister in the 1930's. Charley Simpson, called the boy preacher, preached there sometimes when he was home from college where he studied for the ministry. Dortha Lee accepted Christ as her Savior during a summer time revival when Charley preached in 1932. (Photo: DL sometimes dressed in her brother’s suit - that was before women wore pant suits!)

Many years later, Dr. Charles Simpson served as the McAlester District Superintendent. He and his wife visited the Wilburton First United Methodist Church during the time he served this District.

My father, Frank G. Tucker, had a grandfather who was a Methodist Circuit Rider in Ohio. My mother’s father was a Catholic. He died in the coal fields of Illinois. My mother was the youngest of five children. Grandma moved to Lincoln, Kansas, to be near her family. They were members of the First Christian

Church. Mama just always went to the Christian Church. The only baptism they accepted was by immersion. Now, I am guessing that when Papa wanted to marry Mama, she demanded that he be baptized by immersion. The Christian preacher was a young man, N. Ferd Engle. Some 38 years later, he was the minister at our little church in Cooperton, Oklahoma, he baptized Nancy Lee.

When I started to high school at Cooperton, we also started to Sunday School pretty regularly. Not often would we have a preacher. Dortha Lee would go with Mama and me. When she finished High School, I was wanting to marry the girl I had learned to love and respect. We had been married about a year, when we had a meeting, I went forward, accepted Christ and was baptized by Rev. George Bradford.

We had just finished building a new house across the road from my parents. Rev. George Bradford joined us for the first noon meal we had eaten in our new home.

Soon afterwards, elderly Mrs. Stewart, approached me and said we needed a full time pastor and she could give .50 cents per month. I got the few men together and we hired Jack Bodard, from Hobart, Oklahoma, a student at Phillips University, in Enid. He started at $8.00 per week. We had a pastor at the Cooperton Christian Church until the school consolidated. I think they now have Sunday School there. (Photo: Obviously, on their way to church.)

There were only three church congregations in Cooperton, the Baptist, Christian, and Nazarene. Some Nazarene members attended the Christian Sunday School and Church when they were not having services. (Photo: Nancy and Keith in front center and I’m the smallest one in the back row, left corner, I think my cousin is holding me.) Members of the Methodist and Presbyterian faiths joined the Christian Church, serving on the Board, teaching Sunday School and helping financially to support a full time minister.

(My Cradle Roll Certificate of the Christian Church in Cooperton.)

We bought ranch land in Latimer County in November 1949. In 1950 ,we had the three children, Nancy Lee (12-15-38, Merle Keith (3-28-42), and Jennifer Lynn (11-7-44). We moved to Wilburton July 6, 1950. We attended the Christian Church for about 3 years. We and the children took active parts in the church activities. I served on the board. Dortha Lee taught children in Sunday School and worked with the children and youth.

Realizing there was a dimension of fellowship missing, we began analyzing the difference in the beliefs and customs of the two churches. We concluded that the amalgamation of the various faiths at the Cooperton Christian Church was missing in the church here. We decided to visit the Wilburton First Methodist Church. At first, we missed the communion service every Sunday but our customs and beliefs seemed more in accord.

After attending for several months, our entire family decided to put our membership in the Wilburton Methodist Church in the Spring of 1953. Rev. Norton Wey was minister. We remember it as being Easter morning.

Our children immediately became active —(looks like they’re goofing off to me) in their age levels in the church activities. We served to the best of our abilities as needed - teaching, serving on committees, boards and sponsoring youth. (My membership certificate.....) At the time of construction, enlarging Sunday School facilities, and refurbishing the whole church plant, including the beautiful stained glass windows, we were anxious to get the mortgage paid off to save interest payments. We and others concentrated on payment of the loan. Ceremonial burning of the mortgage was a big financial relief to all of us. Combined efforts of members resulted in a mortgage-free Church building with beautiful stained glass windows with symbolic designs. This is pretty much the completed building we worship in today.

Our family was honored in late 1958 or early 1959 by being selected the Wilburton Methodist Family of the year. Pictures were taken of us in our various roles of action. We weren’t chosen as the State Methodist Family but we felt it the highest honor our church family could give us. (Photos: 1-Daddy was on the Board of Trustees, evidently checking a leak in the roof. He told me he was on the finance committee for 1 year and they didn’t ask him back. He said that was okey, because he had enough jobs! 2-Mother & I preparing communion. 3-Keith was President of our local MYF and in the District, I always followed him as Secretary or Treasurer. Beverly Smithson, Sallye Roye, Keith, Johnny Roy Smith, myself, and Chuck Golightly. 4-Mother teaching Sunday School. Me, Linda Beard, and Mother. Ironically, this is the same room we are dedicating today. I remember when Rev. Elling was minister here, he had me come to the church after school on Wednesdays to help with filing and typing, as this was his office too. 5-Daddy & Dave at breakfast. 6-Rev. Edmonson with the family in our home. 7-Our family when Cliff was just a few months old. 8-Someone & I making posters. 9-Mother started to college at Eastern when she was almost 40 and got her Associates in English. 10-Keith, Dave & I on our way to school. 11-Daddy and Shirley (Bloxham) Sonagerra at the office; she was his secretary.)

David Tucker, my nephew, three months younger than Keith, had come to live with us at the beginning of the fall semester in 1958. His mother had died of cancer a few years earlier. His dad was preparing to remarry. David decided a few weeks after his arrival to join us in our happy, busy church activities. Rev. Robert Gentry was Pastor. (David died of a massive heart attack at the age of 42, in California, leaving his lovely wife, Lois, and sons, Steve, Mike and Greg.)

Dortha Lee writes:

Each of our three children were married in non-lavish but beautiful Christian ceremonies in the First United Methodist Church. Rev. Justus Edmonson presided at Nancy’s and Rev. Otto Elling at Jennifer’s and Keith’s. Our church family was always there for support.

The terrible, destructive tornado on May 5, 1960, brought out the best of most people in town. Keith and David helped in rescue. I went to Dr. Savage’s office that evening and helped there as they received the injured and dead and dispatched them.

Kensel was in Oklahoma City attending an Insurance meeting. Keith and I had gotten out of town in the pickup and driven to Hartshorne to call Kensel to tell him we were okey at 2:20 AM. Kensel asked, ‘Why wouldn’t you be all right at this time of morning?’ He was tired and had gone to the hotel to sleep without supper. He didn’t know we’d had a tornado.

Gerald and Nancy arrived at nearly dawn from Ada, where they were in college. Wilburton had no electricity, no natural gas or telephone service. Keith, David, and Gerald continued to work in the community. I was anxious to get to our Insurance office on North Central Street to take care of our clients. Our office soon filled with clients, most of them numb from their losses.

Kensel arrived home on the bus, came across the street to our office, went to the Court House and was given permission to go to the head of the line to notify our Insurance companies of the tragedy in Wilburton. Southwestern Bell had set up an emergency telephone line. We had three insurance adjusters in our office the next day. More arrived later.

Rev. Otto Elling and family had sought shelter in the church basement the evening of the tornado. By Sunday, they were living there as the parsonage had been rearranged on its foundation and damaged to the extent that a new one was built as soon as possible.

Nancy and I attended church services in our Methodist Church the following Sunday, which was Mother’s Day. It was an emotionally packed service of thanksgiving and prayers for all, according to their needs. Planes flew over taking pictures of the devastation. Chain saws buzzed as men worked to clear streets and property of debris, during the sad, sacred services.

Our church and all others, damaged or destroyed, were rebuilt or restored, better than before.

We built a new house on our ranch, ten miles southwest of town in 1966. (The curtain rod in the remodeled office belonged to Mother and she used it over her 12' picture window. ) By that time, we had six grandsons and one granddaughter.

Brother Larry Jacobson was assigned to the Wilburton Methodist Church in 1967.

Brother Larry got the youth group going and growing and some adults involved with them. He got us involved in a Lay Witness Mission. A dedicated group came from Texas. They stayed in our various homes, ate with us, witnessed to us, prayed with and for us, sang to and with us and worshiped with us. The Sunday morning closing service was jam-packed. The presence of the Holy Spirit was manifested in a quiet pervasion of joy, love, and peace. After the mission here, some of us joined the group in weekend missions in Oklahoma and Texas. After a mission near Kansas City, I. C. Gunning lead a group from our church and few others in Oklahoma. We were involved in 13 missions, not all attending every one. We held prayer meetings in hour homes. We felt we were able to influence and strengthen youth while also helping ourselves.

Many years have passed. The Lord works in many ways, His miracles to perform. Our family worked hard at various tasks, enjoying working and playing together. We have suffered illness and death but have felt the comport of the One who cares for us in good times and bad times. (Photos: Tucker’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, Oct. 6, 1986; Ron & Jenny’s wedding, Sept. 29, 1990; Dortha Lee & Kensel, 1995; Kensel & Dortha Lee, late 1990's; KT, 2001; Family at KT’s 90th birthday celebration, 2003; Gerald Downing, 1936-2006; Kensel Tucker, 1913-2007; Seven grandchildren; DL and children; Bag Lady; and Dortha Lee (Albright) Tucker.)

We continue to be blessed in our golden years, each having survived cancer. We are among the lucky ones. We are blessed with our three children and spouses, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many friends of many faiths. We are thankful to be able to attend the Wilburton United Methodist Church and serve in limited measure.