BETHANY -- THEN AND NOW
HISTORY OF BETHANY
Bethany Methodist Church was organized sometime prior to 1873, according to a 1956 history of the Tennessee Methodist Conference. Troxler deeded “for the love and respect I have for the cause of Religion and the cause of Education have this day given a lot of land containing one acre and 9 poles in the 5th Civil District of Coffee County.” The one
-room building was erected by Cull Spears and men from the community including Will Riggins and Bob Reynolds. Funk, a Confederate soldier who wore his gray uniform long after the surrender, claimed to have preached the first sermon at Bethany. Reynolds also served as a teacher at the Bethany School. Wilson Sanders was the teacher of the class of 1895. His students were Edith Colsher, Gordon Barton, Minnie Nutt, Eldie Crick, Minnie Gunn, Sester Gunn, Etta Pearl Duckworth, Jim Colsher, Mary Barton, Carlton Riggins, Gracie Riggins, Sofie Gunn, Ewin Duckworth, Erma Colsher, Tom Spears, Annie Nutt, Carl Holder, Louise Barton, Cartis Holder, Arrora Crick, Builer Pruer, John Duckworth, Missie Nutt, Horace Nutt, Era Stephens, Chris Duckworth, Georgie Carroll, Cull Spears Jr., and Sou Pruer. Many descendants of these people still live in this community and continue to support Bethany. When the church was taken off the Methodist circuit in the early 1960s, the former members of the Women’s Society of Christian Service at Bethany got permission from the conference to continue to meet in the building. They named themselves the Good Neighbors Club, and their purpose was to preserve this historic landmark and maintain the cemetery. In 1969, the first trustees were elected and faithfully served until their deaths. Smith, Ned Carroll, B.E. West, Van Kimbro, Mrs. Mildred Kimbro, and Mrs. Riggins. To pay for the maintenance of the property, the club originally held bake sales and hamburger suppers, sold knives, spices, cards, and anything that could raise funds. In March 1970, a Memorial Fund was established to provide perpetual care for the church and cemetery. Donations and grave-opening fees help fund maintenance and improvements to the building, including interior painting, vinyl siding, pressure washing, roof replacement and upkeep, security light installation, storm windows, blinds and carpeting. These funds also pay for mowing and edging the cemetery, tree trimming, filling sunken graves, repairing broken tombstones, and replacing the American flag. Volunteers provide routine cleaning of the church interior, as well as pick up and pruning on cemetery grounds. In spring 1993, the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Church and the Coffee County School Board signed over the deed to the building to the Good Neighbors Club. The club held its 25th Homecoming that fall. In addition to the preservation of the Bethany property, the Good Neighbors Club helps out neighbors in need of a kind work, a warm meal, or a prayer. They also lobbied to have Riley Creek Road widened to its current size and have it striped for safety. When South Jackson School in Tullahoma offered the old auditorium seats for sale, Blanton Fulton paid $1 each for the 102 seats to replace the uncomfortable straight benches. That move, while a major improvement to Bethany, later prevented the former church and school from being eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. When that became known, the club decided to have vinyl siding installed to reduce the continuous and expensive upkeep of the original wood siding. In another major improvement, the old wooden outhouse was replace with a modern portable unit in the winter of 1992. ABOUT BETHANY TODAY
HOMECOMING & DONATIONS -- Each year in May, the trustees and members of the Bethany Good Neighbors Club hold a homecoming service in the church and a covered-dish lunch on the grounds. This is the group's major fundraising activity, but donations to help maintain the church and cemetery are welcome at any time. 2011 Homecoming on Saturday, May 28 at 11:30 a.m. GOOD NEIGHBORS CLUB -- Local ladies are welcome to join the monthly meetings of the Good Neighbors Club. Meetings include a business meeting, hymn singing, fellowship, and refreshments. COOKBOOK -- See information under "Products". GRAVESITE LOCATIONS -- Help is available to locate gravesites of family members and to provide photos of tombstones. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE SUBJECTS, EMAIL: [email protected]
