Benui, the Church that refuse to die

Part IV

Memories of Benui Baptist Church in the 1920 through the 1934 period as remembered by Mattie Lou Dean Hulon of Willis. Mattie Lou went to school in the little school/church building just east of the Scott-Horn home until the school was disbanded and the pupils transferred to the Montgomery schools.

Mattie Lou’s recount of Benui Baptist Church.

I was five years old when we moved to Scotts Ridge. It was sometimes around Christmas 1922 and New Years. The Sunday after we moved we attended Sunday School and Church at the Old Benui Baptist. Mr. Stewart Hough was the Sunday School Superintendent. He was so tall I thought he was probably a giant! His wife Anabelle Scott Hough was the Church Secretary. Some of the Scott family were still living there as I recall. I remember there were three girls and one boy in Alief Scott’s family.

I remember they called the boy Buster and I never heard any other name for him. The girls were Nonie, Blanche and Retha Mae.

Being only five years old I didn’t really think much about the looks of the church building. It was certainly the primitive kind, rough boards on the floor and walls ditto for the pews or benches. Lighting for the building was coal oil lamps. Heating a wood burning cast iron heater, and open windows was the air-conditioning. My Dad later bought a gasoline lantern to hang over the pulpit and choir section. I don’t recall the pastor’s name at that particular time. There was no full time preacher at that time. I do know that Bro. Welch from up Bethel way did preach there probably once a month. But at that time, it was for the entire weekend, Saturday night, Sunday morning and evening. He was there for a time. He usually visited in our home and one nigh at the supper table he told my mother "Sister Dean, if I just keep on, you think I should shut up, just wave your handkerchief at me and I’ll get the message." That was well and good, but at breakfast Sunday my little brother Lovell said "Brother Welch, I almost waved my hankerchef at you last!" That amused the Reverend, but embarrassed my folks. Then there was a Brother Jones, then Wade Parker (a cousin of my Dad). I know that the church was usually filled to capacity. For a time there was no preacher we just had Prayer Meeting on Saturday night and Sunday School the next day.

As Benui was the only church there we had Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ and some Pentecostal attending. "Those were the Good Ole Days".

As I recall there were a rather large number of families that attended the services there. First and foremost of them were the Joe Teel family, they were neighbors to the Collins family (Mr. and Mrs Collins were members of the Church of Christ). I remember Mrs. Collins saying that she was so much a "Cambellite" that she had a hump on her back!

There were two families of Weatherly’s Clark W. And B. Weatherly. There were the Kleims, I’m not sure of their faith, they were Germans and I believe were Lutheran. Their two sons Benny and Leonhart attended church there. The Joe Singleton family lived there at that time. Pearsons, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Pearson and their children were members of the church and Sunday School. From the Phillip’s family, Susie Bell and Elvin attended Sunday School and Church. The Martin family were Church of Christ, however, Miss Willie Mae Martin taught my card class for a number of years. The Pevotearex children attended Church and Sunday School at Benui, Lovie, Norman, Cecil and Bay. The Blackland from Pearsons were members, Raymond, Edna, Jimmie, Gena Mae Francis Bailey family, Lucille and Brother Albert, Elledges, Wm., Mary Lizzie and younger sister I can’t recall her name. Butler family, Joe, Clara and two others one’s name was Floyd. There were approximately 105 in all.

Next week part V with another’s account.

Westmont Ranch, Montgomery, Texas. Home of Smart Highbrow Doc, son of Color Me Smart

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