My Family's Bible Student History

by designs 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  designs

  Recently my cousin on my mother's McConnell side of the family stopped by for a visit and brought several boxs of photos and memorabilia and family Bibles. Two of the Bibles are very worn and contain many hand written notes from my grandfather, grandmother and uncle who were Bible Students and then JWs.

  Leafing through the pages of one Bible this morning I came across something I had never seen- a JW calling card, a business card size. It says 'One of JEHOVAH"S witnesses' second line 'Preaching The Kingdom Of JEHOVAH Our God' the capitals and lower case words were interesting in how they saw things after 1931.

  There are photos of Russell, Knorr with Van Amberg (who stayed with my grandparents on visits to California), Knorr with a fellow taller than Knorr who looks like Chairman Mao (anyone have a guess who that might be). There are also many photographs from my uncle's time as a Conscientious Objector working in the Forestry Camp in Oregon during WWII.

  Here is a poem hand written in the Bible from my grandfather sometime around 1928 so they were still officially Bible Students at the time- 'If I knew that a thought of mine were outside of love and untrue. That suffering and pain would follow after I would not think it. If I knew that a word said hastily spoken and untrue would sadden one's life Lead to malice or strife I would not speak it would you. If I knew that an act of mine were tinged with errors hue That would cause a man to fall as he ran I would not do it would you'.

  Another- ' They are slaves who fear to reach for the fallen and the weak. They are slaves that will choose hatred scoffing and abuse Rather than my silence shrink from the truth that needs must be heard They are slaves who dare not be in the right with two or three'.

  That's very much how I remember my grandfather and grandmother.
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  whathappened

  Cool. I guess you can't scan the photo and post it because you could lose your annonimity. Someone may be able to identify the mystery man if you could somehow post the photo. Also, you could send a copy to Bethel and see if they will take a look at it.
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  designs

  My grandfather, John, was a stone mason for many years and built several stone veneered homes in Mentone a small community East of San Bernardino on the back road up to Big Bear, several are still standing. The river rock was taken from the Santa Ana River that flowed through the town. There is a Craftsmen Style home he built near 10th and I Street sometime around 1929 that is still standing. Sometime after WWII my grandfather joined the Plasterer's And Cement Finisher's Union of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, his Union Card and work schedule was in one of the boxs. I wonder if the Wt. was making comments on its members being part of Unions at the time, 1946. His working life was coming to an end, he developed Parkinson's Disease symptoms sometime around 1950 and passed away in 1955 when I was very young. His funeral was the first one I remember as a young kid. I remember walking out of the Funeral Home and standing next to the Hearse and crying. The man who connected with the Bible Students at the St. Louis World's Fair, the man who went to jail in 1919 as Rutherford and others did, the man with the booming voice that could stop the family dog in its tracks, the man who put the Banner above his home that read- Religion Is A the Snare And A Racket', the man who could write poetry was gone.
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  stillin

  Wow. Your grandfather was a thinking and poetic fellow! The Witnesses were made out of good stuff in those days. Kindness and fellow-feeling were still in high regard. Surely there's a God who will remember our efforts to be better people when we leave than we might have been if we hadn't even tried. Or some sort of cosmic justice!
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  tinker

  Knowing you as I do dear Designs, I see a reflection of you in your Grandfathers words.

  Peace and Love to you dear Friend
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  tinker

  Your grandfather wrote poetry. My grandfather put a Red Blinking Neon sign in his attic window READ THE WATCHTOWER = Classy
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  designs

  whathappened- I would be happy to include the photos here for everyone's benefit but I need some instructions on how to do it. One photo I came across this morning is of a Convention with the pyramid below the stage, it has a wreath of flowers on it, but this must be in the late 1920s judging by the dress, maybe later in the 30s as my grandparents stayed close to their friends in the Bible Students Movement.

  The Convention theme is from Romans- 'More Than Conquerors Through Him That Loved Us'. On stage with the speaker is the orchestra with a sister at the piano, 3 more sisters with violins, a brother with a sax and five other brothers, four sitting on the stage itself with legs hanging over the sides. Two of the brothers on stage have open collar shirts, no ties.
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  designs

  stillin- Yes the Bible Students and JWs were different back then. During the Great Depression my grandparents home was known for free dinners to the hungry. Can you imagine that in today's Org.. My grandmother could cook great baked chicken, one of my favorites when we visited! One of the treats as a young kid was to see my grandmother 'wring a chickens neck', you could buy live chickens in the 1950s and with one quick turn POP! off comes the head.
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  designs

  tinker- Blinking Red Neon Signs! lol you wonder what the neighbors thought.

  I must have picked up my socialism from my grandfather, the poems were a complete surprise. I'll have to share some more, the hand writing is old and faded and I need someone with good eyesight to help out a little (we're all getting older).
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  Old Goat

  i'd love to see the photos. macmillan stayed with my uncle when he came to this part of the country in the 1940s. I regret not taking photos.

  can you post some of them for us to see?