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Second World War: Country Church Wrote for the War Effort

By Capper's Staff
Published on November 30, 2012

Our little country church was a small one, average
attendance counting children was about 50. Our young people were busy in the
war effort, taking the place of the young men who were on the front lines
around the world.

Our pastor was a young family man with four children. We set
up a weekly letter-writing system to all of the servicemen who were members’
friends and kin. We had 77 on our list. Sister Friend, the pastor’s wife, wrote
a sermonette each week, which we typed and hectographed copies to send each
one. We also drew names among the members and mailed a personal letter to each
serviceman; some would write to four or five boys every week.

Brother Friend made a nice letter holder and put it in the
church for replies we might receive from our soldier boys. All could read them
who wished. Every service – and individually through the week – we prayed for
all the soldiers.

God was gracious, and everyone on our list returned home
without a disabling injury. Only one boy in our community lost his life. His
family attended another church and we missed getting him on our list. We still
thank God for keeping our boys safe on all the front lines of the battlefronts
around the world.

Mayoma E. Bennett
Canton, Oklahoma


Back in 1955 a call
went out from the editors of the then Capper’s
Weekly
asking for readers to send
in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early
settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from
grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were
received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first
My
Folks title – My Folks Came in a
Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine
other books have since been published in the
My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to
make those stories available to our growing online community.