A Early History of St. Francis Episcopal Church - written in 1980 by Emory Kingman
St. Francis', Pauma Valley, California had its beginnings in 1959 when the James Officer family moved from Arizona and were eager to locate an Episcopal church in the area. Mrs. Officer and her sister, Mrs. Stewart Ferguson, following the suggestion of their mother, Mrs. B.E. Taylor of Upland sought out the counsel of Charles Cinder, Dean of Episcopal Missions in San Diego County., early in 1960. A canvas of Pala-Pauma Valley-Valley Center area was instituted in an effort to determine support for a Preaching
Station. Mrs. Officer and her sister, now Mrs. Frank Holland are still active in St. Francis and nowadays serve by providing music for our Sunday services. A nucleus group formed of persons expressing an interest in working to establish a new church first met in the Pauma Valley Motor Lodge and included Mr. and Mrs. Kendall Thurston, Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Deighton, Mr. and Mrs. William Hutchings, Elizabeth Moyer and Elizabeth Thompson in adding to the Officers and Fergusons. As a result of this, a congregation was established and Sunday services were begun in the Pauma Valley Community Center, rented for this purpose.
One of the features of this early Episcopal Preaching Station was an reenactment of the Christmas Story using live animals and a real baby as the Christ Child. The Pauma Valley Women's Chorus lead by Helen (Mrs. Robert) Des Ermia, new clerk of the Vestry, provided the music for the event which was held at night under the stars. "Luminaries" lit the path from Highway 76 to the manger scene. Sunday School children and their friends played the parts of angels and other characters. This yearly event became very popular and received favorable publicity from newspapers, television, and magazines. Eventually the performance was discontinued due to loss of costumes and scenery when the Community Center building was renovated. Because of the association of the church with live animals in the Nativity presentation and because of its rural setting, it was natural that St. Francis became its patron saint and was so named.
A visiting priest was made available by the diocese of Los Angeles to conduct a
communion service once a month and Lay Readers from other churches in the area provided Morning Prayer service on the other three Sundays. Some of the persons serving St. Francis whose names appear often and regularly in the register include priests W. E. Brooks Jr., Sydney Croft, Wallace Essingham, Kenneth Fergusson, W. Edward Kerr, R.A. Stevens, Lawrence Waddy and of course, Charles Wonder and Lay Readers John Eberhart, Rolph Golden, Cape. R. K. Hollingsworth Jr., Horace Judson and Arthur Swan. Space and difficulty in deciphering signatures preclude inclusion of all who gave so generously of their time. During this period, Sunday School leadership was provided first by C. A. Chidester and later Nancy Ferguson. The first Treasurer of record was William E. Hutchings who served until April 1963. When Kendall F. Thurston began his long tenure. From July 1971 until February1973, Martha (Mrs. John) Hankey served in this capacity relieving Mr. Thurston who resumed this duty in 1973. The first complete list of officers recorded is for 1972 showing the following; Mr. Hilmer Lodge - Senior Warden, Dr. Herbert Leighton - Junior Warden, Nancy Ferguson - Clerk, Mr. Kendall F. Thurston - Treasurer and Nancy Ferguson - Sunday School Superintendent. In 1972 on January 23rd, Father John Duddington began his regular once-a-month services at St. Francis and then in October of the same year expanded his service to three Sundays a month with a Lay Reader leading our prayers on the fourth. Irma (Mrs. John) Duddington taught the children in the Sunday School.
During the ensuing years services continued to be held in the Community Center building with plans for our own church building beginning with the first recorded contribution to a Building Fund of $5.25 in October 1970. The name of this illustrious donor is lost to posterity. In March 1971 a $500 donation was received and further contributions large and small from members of the congregation as well as non-members in the community and from an independent trust fund brought the amount received and pledged by December 1973 to justify preceeding with plans for the church building. Meanwhile, a large contribution allowed for the purchase of the property next to the Community Center. In anticipation of a favorable response to the plea for continuing contributions, plans were made with architects and builders to determine the cost and specific form the building was to take. Ray Person and others spent many hours working with the architect, Richard Lumsden, and builder, John Harper, in plans and preparation for the building. It was not long before the signing of the contracts took place and work was begun. Throughout this early history of St. Francis the names of persons most often heard for their generosity of time and treasure include Deighton, Ferguson, Hanley, Hutchings, Lodge, Officer, Person, and Thurston
More History will be added in the upcoming weeks.
Stay tuned!
St. Francis', Pauma Valley, California had its beginnings in 1959 when the James Officer family moved from Arizona and were eager to locate an Episcopal church in the area. Mrs. Officer and her sister, Mrs. Stewart Ferguson, following the suggestion of their mother, Mrs. B.E. Taylor of Upland sought out the counsel of Charles Cinder, Dean of Episcopal Missions in San Diego County., early in 1960. A canvas of Pala-Pauma Valley-Valley Center area was instituted in an effort to determine support for a Preaching
Station. Mrs. Officer and her sister, now Mrs. Frank Holland are still active in St. Francis and nowadays serve by providing music for our Sunday services. A nucleus group formed of persons expressing an interest in working to establish a new church first met in the Pauma Valley Motor Lodge and included Mr. and Mrs. Kendall Thurston, Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Deighton, Mr. and Mrs. William Hutchings, Elizabeth Moyer and Elizabeth Thompson in adding to the Officers and Fergusons. As a result of this, a congregation was established and Sunday services were begun in the Pauma Valley Community Center, rented for this purpose.
One of the features of this early Episcopal Preaching Station was an reenactment of the Christmas Story using live animals and a real baby as the Christ Child. The Pauma Valley Women's Chorus lead by Helen (Mrs. Robert) Des Ermia, new clerk of the Vestry, provided the music for the event which was held at night under the stars. "Luminaries" lit the path from Highway 76 to the manger scene. Sunday School children and their friends played the parts of angels and other characters. This yearly event became very popular and received favorable publicity from newspapers, television, and magazines. Eventually the performance was discontinued due to loss of costumes and scenery when the Community Center building was renovated. Because of the association of the church with live animals in the Nativity presentation and because of its rural setting, it was natural that St. Francis became its patron saint and was so named.
A visiting priest was made available by the diocese of Los Angeles to conduct a
communion service once a month and Lay Readers from other churches in the area provided Morning Prayer service on the other three Sundays. Some of the persons serving St. Francis whose names appear often and regularly in the register include priests W. E. Brooks Jr., Sydney Croft, Wallace Essingham, Kenneth Fergusson, W. Edward Kerr, R.A. Stevens, Lawrence Waddy and of course, Charles Wonder and Lay Readers John Eberhart, Rolph Golden, Cape. R. K. Hollingsworth Jr., Horace Judson and Arthur Swan. Space and difficulty in deciphering signatures preclude inclusion of all who gave so generously of their time. During this period, Sunday School leadership was provided first by C. A. Chidester and later Nancy Ferguson. The first Treasurer of record was William E. Hutchings who served until April 1963. When Kendall F. Thurston began his long tenure. From July 1971 until February1973, Martha (Mrs. John) Hankey served in this capacity relieving Mr. Thurston who resumed this duty in 1973. The first complete list of officers recorded is for 1972 showing the following; Mr. Hilmer Lodge - Senior Warden, Dr. Herbert Leighton - Junior Warden, Nancy Ferguson - Clerk, Mr. Kendall F. Thurston - Treasurer and Nancy Ferguson - Sunday School Superintendent. In 1972 on January 23rd, Father John Duddington began his regular once-a-month services at St. Francis and then in October of the same year expanded his service to three Sundays a month with a Lay Reader leading our prayers on the fourth. Irma (Mrs. John) Duddington taught the children in the Sunday School.
During the ensuing years services continued to be held in the Community Center building with plans for our own church building beginning with the first recorded contribution to a Building Fund of $5.25 in October 1970. The name of this illustrious donor is lost to posterity. In March 1971 a $500 donation was received and further contributions large and small from members of the congregation as well as non-members in the community and from an independent trust fund brought the amount received and pledged by December 1973 to justify preceeding with plans for the church building. Meanwhile, a large contribution allowed for the purchase of the property next to the Community Center. In anticipation of a favorable response to the plea for continuing contributions, plans were made with architects and builders to determine the cost and specific form the building was to take. Ray Person and others spent many hours working with the architect, Richard Lumsden, and builder, John Harper, in plans and preparation for the building. It was not long before the signing of the contracts took place and work was begun. Throughout this early history of St. Francis the names of persons most often heard for their generosity of time and treasure include Deighton, Ferguson, Hanley, Hutchings, Lodge, Officer, Person, and Thurston
More History will be added in the upcoming weeks.
Stay tuned!
