HISTORY OF
ST. ELIZABETH’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
January 2009
COMPILED BY Kathy Sanford
One day in February 1965, The Reverend and Mrs. John H. Gray were having lunch in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Holden Rhymes. Reverend Mr. Gray was Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and Mr. and Mr. Rhymes were members of that church. They discussed establishing a church in Collins. Reverend Mr. Gray said – “Let’s do it now.”
Episcopalians were contacted and the first service was held at 4:00 P.M. on April 25, 1965, the first Sunday after Easter, at the Jaycee Clubhouse in Collins, Mississippi. The service was conducted by Rev. John H. Gray and Dr. Robert Brent, Lay Reader, both of Trinity. The Charter members totaled seven and consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Holden Rhymes, Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Kern, Miss Irene Kern, Mrs. Onolia McRaney, and Mrs. Janice Wiemers.
The Church was considered a Chapel of Trinity Episcopal Church of Hattiesburg. Services were held every Sunday afternoon at the Jaycee Clubhouse for over four months, at which time a generous offer was made by Mrs. Hugh McIntosh to allow the newly formed commuicants to use a home in her possession. The house was remodeled; Masonite Corporation of Laurel generously contributed paneling; Bill Kern constructed the Altar out of an old sideboard, together with the Lectern, Kneeler and Altar rails; and folding chairs were purchased. At that time, the Episcopal Church at Long Beach, Mississippi offered a pump organ to us. This organ originated at Trinity Church, Crystal Springs, where the mother of Holden Rhymes conducted the operetta “Flora Dora” some sixty years earlier to raise money for the purchase of the organ.
Services were held every Sunday morning at our new home and were conducted by Reverend John Gray and Lay Readers of Trinity – Dr. Robert Brent, Mr. Reginald Gray, Jr., Mr. Keith Glatzer, Mr. Lawrence Kropff, Mr. William Richmond, and Dr. Van Temple. In December of 1965, Reverend Gene Moore became our Vicar and we shared him with St. Stephen’s, Columbia, Mississippi.
St. Elizabeth’s Church was accepted into union with the Diocesan Council as an organized Mission on January 25, 1967, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The church had grown in number from the original seven to nearly twenty. The first of many acolytes to serve St. Elizabeth was Wayne Wallace.
From July 1968 until January 1970, Reverend Cecil Jones, Jr. was the Vicar at St. Elizabeth’s and St. Stephen’s. We also shared the Reverend Frances K. Bussell with St. Stephens from 1970 until 1976.
During all this time, plans were being made to erect a church building. Land had been purchased in 1967 by Mr. and Mrs. Rhymes and presented to the diocese for the building site. The ground for the new church was dedicated on April 22, 1968 by the Right Reverend John M. Allin, then the Bishop of Mississippi.
Epiphany Church of Washington, D.C. had in storage fourteen solid walnut pews and four hand-carved choir stalls with modesty rails, which were no longer needed. They were offered for sale to the members of the church. In 1967, Mr. and Mrs. Donald O. Hayes (Mrs. Hayes formerly of Flora, MS), members of Epiphany Church, donated money to Epiphany and arranged for transfer of the furniture to St. Elizabeth’s through Mr. Rhymes. These pews and choir stalls had been installed in the Church of the Epiphany about 1875. Although they are over a hundred years old, they are in excellent condition. Through another offer in July 1970, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes gave the beautiful sanctuary furniture from Epiphany, consisting of two hand-carved, oak bishop’s chairs with kneelers and a solid walnut modesty rail. The modesty rail was made into a freestanding altar. Additionally, in 1968, fourteen stained glass windows were purchased through interested friends, Mr. and Mrs. Al Jackson, communicants of St. Mary’s Church in Pylesville, MD. These windows were reputed to be more than a hundred years old.
Members of St. Elizabeth’s church were busy raising money for construction. A raffle of a Charolais bull, given by Mr. Kern, netted more than $4000, and a horse show sponsored by Mr. A.W. Wallace, Jr. netted more than $2500. With other generous contributions from many friends, interested people, and various churches, and with a loan of $15,000 from the diocese, the amount needed to start the building was raised. Cooke, Douglas, and Farr Architectural Engineering Firm drew final plans. Construction began in the spring of 1970. Seven times work was stopped because of rain, but finally, the building was completed and the first service was conducted by the Rev. Fred Bush, Canon to the Ordinary.
The original church building has over 3,300 square feet of floor space. The interior is of cathedral type with high arches and exposed roof. Other features are beautiful figured walnut paneling on the walls, the hand-carved altar furniture, choir stalls and walnut pews with a seating capacity of 120. The Parish Hall is paneled with antique white donated by Masonite. The outside is finished with rough cypress lumber donated by Mr. Charles Rogers of Columbia, MS. Through the efforts of Mr. Rhymes, who ingeniously procured materials and had overall supervision, and Col. John Spencer, who directed work on the site, the church was finished for a total cost of $42,400.
The church was dedicated on October 4, 1970, by Bishop Allin. The Reverend Samuel A. Tomlinson, III was vicar from August 1976 until 1986, conducting services on the first and third Sundays of each month and on special religious days, especially during the Lenten and Christmas seasons.
In order to continue the growth, Christian Education rooms were needed. At the Bishop’s Visitation on November 12, 1979, the addition was brought up and he informed the congregation that no funds were available. However, he gave his approval for the additional building. Construction was started in December 1979 and completed in March 1980. The new addition included two Christian Education rooms, an office, and storage space in the attic over the annex. The funding of the addition was made possible by many generous gifts from interested friends, as well as a loan. Also, with construction of the annex, a 16-foot wooden cross was built on a square elevated base on the church grounds, where it can be seen from U.S. Highway 49. The original cross was a Celtic Cross.
To protect the beautiful windows from damage, Lexon glass was used to cover the outside. At that time, several windows were dedicated as memorials. In 2004, the coverings were replaced.
From January 1987 until May 2001, George E. Lundin was vicar of St. Elizabeth’s. It was during Ed’s tenure as Vicar that the Memorial Gardens were constructed. The inception and development of the St. Elizabeth’s Memorial Gardens proves the Christian belief that from death comes life. Numerous gifts and donations were offered to the Glory of God for St. Elizabeth in loving memory of Emmy Lou Rhymes Clarke, sister of Holden Rhymes. The memorials as well as other contributions from the Rhymes family, and members and friends of St. Elizabeth’s made these gardens possible. The Memorial Gardens are located behind the church covering more than one half acre of land with many beautiful pine trees. A 500-foot cross tie fence surrounds the gardens. Walkways with benches provide a beautiful place to relax, meditate and enjoy God’s beauty. A rewarding surprise for the congregation is the number of travelers on U.S. Highway 49 that utilize the gardens. An outside chapel with altar, cross, and benches is included in the garden. The cross, constructed by Allan Pinkerton, is of a Celtic design. The Memorial Gardens were dedicated by Bishop Duncan M. Gray, Jr. on December 20, 1987.
A plaque was added to the memorial gardens in memory of deceased members. Charter members are denoted on the plaque. The Reverend Sam Tomlinson dedicated the plaque in July 2001. A Memory garden has been established with engraved stones and plantings in memory of relatives of members. Other memorials include a pair of brass vases donated by Billie R. Pudas in 1998 in memory of her mother Mrs. Irene Johnson. In 2005, an aumbry for reserved sacrament was constructed and installed the sanctuary by noted artisan Michael Pridgen. It was funded by memorials donated in memory of Patricia Crow. The aumbry was dedicated on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005.
The church has been the recipient of many generous gifts throughout the years. Mrs. Anna McLeod donated the piano in the parish hall and Mr. Holden Clarke gave a wooden hand-carved plaque, The Lords Prayer, which is placed at the back of the sanctuary. The history of this antique piece is unknown, but it is very old and beautiful. Additionally, a number of other memorials have been given over the years, including a complete set of vestments, altar linens, funeral pall, altar missal, and many other items. The bell in front of the parish hall was given by Billie Rhe Pudas. The authentic bell is from a plantation in Louisiana. It was named Tresmer in memory of Mrs. Pudas’ father Tresmer Johnson. The stand for the bell was fashioned by D.T. Giles of Tylertown, the grandfather of another member, Bryan Giles.
The women of the church have been an active and vital part of the congregation. Not only by their faithful attendance, but also by their imaginative projects for financing improvements. They have raised money through bake sales, flea markets, bazaars, two cookbooks, frozen food sales at Thanksgiving and twice-yearly rummage sales. The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) have sponsored and organized a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper for the past twenty-one years. This event is attended by various individuals and churches throughout the area. In addition, the ECW have contributed generously of their own time and money. Some of the many improvements they have made include the floor covering in the parish hall, landscaping the grounds, and purchase of linens and other needed items. Special recognition is offered to Billie Rhe Pudas and Grace Wallace who have been faithful members of the Altar Guild since 1965 and 1966, respectively and members of ECW since it was chartered.
An important project of the ECW was to handcraft hundreds of Chrismons for decoration of the 1980 Christmas tree. These beautiful Chrismons have been in use annually for 25 years. Also outstanding are the needlepoint cushions for the altar chairs and the long kneelers for the entire length of the altar, which were made by the ECW. A beautiful banner, the first for St. Elizabeth’s was designed and crafted by Jo Ann Corban. A Celtic Cross adorns the banner.
In 2002, as a result of growth in the congregation, more classroom space was required. The new addition includes three classrooms, a conference room, and two bathrooms. During this expansion, a basement was created that will accommodate future growth needs. Mr. Don Corban directed this project. The sound system was added in 2004.
In 2003, the Reverend Allen Falconer served as Vicar for one year, after serving as supply priest for two years. The Reverend Michael Bertrand served as Vicar at St. Elizabeth’s and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church of Columbia from 2006 until early 2008. Father Bertrand came during Easter Season 2006 after being dislocated from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Currently, The Reverend Catherine Tatum Rickett is serving as Vicar for St. Elizabeth’s and St. Stephen’s. Mother Catherine came to us in July 2008 after graduating from The University of the South’s School of Theology. She was ordained on December 14, 2008 at St. Stephen’s.
The Reverend Victor Bircher has faithfully served as supply priest during the interim periods when St. Elizabeth’s was without a vicar. Additionally, the Reverend Bill Barfield also served as supply priest when needed.
Building improvements in 2008 include moving and enlarging the kitchen and replacing the linoleum with tile in the Parish Hall, new kitchen and front bathrooms. These improvements were spearheaded by Don and Jo Ann Corban with many of the congregation contributing labor to complete the projects.
Jerry Tough generously creates and provides bulletins for us every Sunday which include the lessons, Psalms and prayer list.
The church has been ecumenical in spirit, sharing Lenten seasons with the Roman Catholic Church and rotating Thanksgiving services with Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in Collins. There have been many baptisms, confirmations, and weddings throughout the years at St. Elizabeth’s. The first baptism at St. Elizabeth’s Mission was of Bobby Wallace, who was baptized by the Reverend Gene Moore in 1966.
Many talented organists have provided music. In the early years, Mrs. Onolia McRaney and Mrs. Janice Weimers played the pump organ, which is now housed in the parish hall. Other organists throughout the years include Carolyn Pinkerton, Melissa Knight Leggett, Anita Gibson, Irene Dickinson, Irene Johnson, and Gwen Hitt. Billie Rhe Pudas adds to the beauty of the services with her violin and, Stephanie Ward with her flute. On special occasions, Doug Dickinson joins with his inspirational vocal selections.
May the Holy Spirit guide us and bring peace and love from
God the Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ
