Record and History of the Highland Sunday School by Ruby B. Day

RECORD AND HISTORY OF THE HIGHLAND SUNDAY SCHOOL 1892-1949

By Ruby Buhler (Day), Secretary

Spelling and grammar are shown as written.

The first Sunday School was held in Highland on July 3, 1892. The following minutes were taken: There were present: Samuel A. Eastman, Supt., James J. Bolin, Asst. Supt., Wm. U. Givens, George C. Munns, Mary Lee Wilson, E. Jane Wilson, Robert A. Bolin, Hampton Bolin, Wm. A Wilson, Ellen Wilson, Samuel G. Eastman, Alonzo Heber Eastman, Ida Eastman, Mary E. Munns, George Munns, Geneva Bolin, Wm. A. Wilson, Arthur Wilson, Sidney Manning, Frank A. Wilson, Bessie Bolin, Eliza Bolin, Ada B. Wilson, Willie Wilson. (numbering 24 present.)

The School was called together by Supt. Samuel A. Eastman, and after the songs, prayer, sacrament, etc. the School was divided into three classes. Supt. Eastman took charge of the Theological class, and Mary Lee Wilson and E. Jane Wilson, the Primary classes. This being our first day of Sunday School, and being short of books, not much reading was done. Most of the time was spent in arranging our classes. Many expressed themselves as being very glad that a Sunday School had been organized in our midst.

George C. Munns, Secretary

There were usually 11, 12, 14, 19, 24, etc. present, but on Augut 14, 1892, there were 40 present. They where very much pleased with this attendance, as they had been trying hard to get the people interested in coming to Sunday School

The minutes taken were very crude, in a sense, and practically everything spoken of during School was recorded. I will give you an example:

American Fork Bench Sunday School

July 17, 1892

We commenced our Sunday School by singing hymn on page 100, “Lord We Come Before Thee Now, At thy feet We Humbly Bow”…etc. Prayer by Brother George C. Munns. We further continued our exercises by singing hymn on page 143. “O My Father, Thou that Dwellest, In the High and Glorious Place”.

Supt. Samuel A. Eastman gave us some very good advice concerning keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, after which Bro. Richey Harkness gave us a half hour’s lecture upon the subject of resting upon the Sabbath Day, and explained to the children the nature of the Sabbath day and why we should keep it Holy. Said that men that were hauling hay within sight of this schoolhouse and keeping their boys from the Sunday School would not be any richer for it. Said that it was wicked and displeased God. Said that it was bad enough to irrigate on the Sabbath day. Spoke to the little ones about keeping order during School hour. Time having arrived to commence reading, The Theological class read the 12^th Ch. of the First Corinthians. Some questions were asked and answered. Brother Richey Harkness read some from the 4^th Ch. of Ephesains, in order to answer some of the questions in the 12^th Ch. of Corinthians. Said that it was necessary that Christ should become lower than all, that he might rise above all. Said that when Christ died on the Cross, instead of being the end of his work, he had only just begun his work. Brother James J. Bolin then read a part of the 16^th Ch. of Saint Mark concerning the Sins following the believers. Bro. Harkness said that if an Elder was not living his religion as he should do, if he baptized a person, it was acknowledged by our Heavenly Father. Spoke some of the principles of charity and gave us a beautiful illustration concerning the vision of Saint Peter when he was commanded to arise, Kill and Eat. Spoke some concerning the Holy Ghost falling upon Connealeous and family previous to their being baptized. This finished our exercises. Benediction by Brother James J. Bolin.

George C. Munns, Secretary.

Minutes were taken from the beginning of the organization of the Sunday School by George C. Munns until January 6, 1895, when taken by Cora Moyle, with Robert Bolin still as Asst. Secretary.

Here is a report of the Highland Sunday School for the year 1893:

Number of times held School during year……….50

Number of male officers and teachers…………..10

Number of female officers and teachers………….3

Total number officers and teachers………………13

Average attendance of officers and teachers…….9

Number of male pupils…………………………….34

Number of female pupils…………………………..40

Total number of pupils……………………………..74

Number of pupils in Primary………………………46

Number of pupils in Intermediate…………………28

Average attendance of pupils…………………….39

Total number of officers, teachers and pupils…..87

November 13, 1892, $1.20 was taken in and paid to Wm. Grant at American Fork City for books.

Material needed for the Sunday school was gotten August 20, 1893, amounting to $20.00.

Contributions were made by the officers and teachers of the Highland Ward Sunday School to the Deseret Sunday School Union.

Cora Moyle became Secretary February 7, 1897. H.C. Healy was listed as Secretary November 6, 1898, and George C. Loveridge as Asst. Sec. until May 27, 1900, when Brother Loveridge became Secretary, and Barbara Moyle was listed as Asst. Sec. November 24, 1901. George C. Loveridge was secretary until Sept. 7, 1902, when Lenora Van Noy was sustained to take his place. Wm. T. Loveridge became Asst. Sec. June 14, 1903. Lenora Van Noy was secretary until December 10, 1905. Samuel A. Eastman was Superintendent with James J. Bolin as Asst. Supt. from the beginning, July 3, 1892, until August 11, 1895, when Stephen Moyle became listed as Superintendent, with James Bolin still as Asst. Supt., and H.C. Healy as 2^nd Asst. Supt. (July 9, 1899), and A.E. Marsh was set apart as 2^nd Asst. Supt., with Wm. Van Noy as Librarian, Barbara Moyle as Asst. Sec., and George C. Loveridge as Treasury, July 22, 1900.

All this information is taken from the minute book rather than the roll books, so it is rather difficult to get when they are changed or put in the different offices, by what is stated in the minutes. (In 1914, however, I found the Officers and Teachers Roll books, and on to 1937.)

Thus in 1900, it was: Supt. Stephen Moyle; 1^st Asst. H.C. Healy, and 2^nd asst., A.E. Marsh, but on January 6, 1901, Wm. D. Van Noy became 1^st Asst. Supt., and December 23, 1900, on----, with A. E. Marsh still as 2^nd Asst. Supt.

On Sept. 8, 1901 Wm. D. Van Noy presided as Supt., with Nielse Phrson as 1^st Asst., and George C. Loveridge as 2^nd Asst. (Dec. 28, 1902, Loveridge name appears.) On November 22, 29, 1903, James C. Orr was listed as Supt. Until December 10, 1905, with Wm. Loveridge as 1^st Asst. Supt.

These teachers were listed as teaching classes sometime during the following years: See Excel spreadsheet of officers and teachers for all years.

From 1907 to 1909, some officers were only in a few weeks; an officer’s position was changed often.

September, 1907 to May, 1908………..Average Attendance…23

June, 1908 to August, 1908……………Average Attendance… 9

September, 1908 to May, 1909………..Average Attendance…42

In 1907-1908 several older people were baptized and several families went to the temple and were sealed; parents, and children. Also, several families began keeping the Word of Wisdom and holding Family Prayer.

During the years 1913 to 1915, the average attendance was 98, and then the ward was organized.

The officers and teachers for the year 1905 were probably the same during the five months of Sunday School held in 1906. In May 1906, the Highland Sunday School was disorganized, and the ward was divided in three parts, each part to go to their respective places for Sunday School. One branch went to Alpine, one to American Fork 3^rd ward, and one to Lehi rth ward. Although there were some good faithful workers of the Church who tried hard to keep the Sunday School in Highland, it was a hard task and the Highland Sunday School was not able to keep going.

In September 1907, Brother O.C. Day started working and tried to convert the people to having Sunday School in Highland again. At first there were only a few who attended, but Sunday School was held every Sunday, if only four or five came. (One morning when a blizzard was raging, Sunday School was started with only the Superintendent and secretary present. Later three others came in.) It was not long, however, before the missionary spirit had brought several members back into the Sunday School work.

It is interesting to note that, in spite of the cold winter days, the faithful people of Highland would always try to attend their Church duties and their meetings. Many of the older people still recall those days when they used to walk on top of the hard crust of snow, which was as high as the fences, clear across the road, to attend Sunday School.

The people also had a hard time in getting someone to play the organ. At first Brother Charles Greenland led the singing, and then Wm. John Greenland Sr., while Brother O.C. Day would play the organ with one finger. Both Wm. John Greenland and O.C. Day had a great deal to do with the organizing of a Sunday School in Highland after it had branched off into the other larger wards. Brother Day has always been a good church worker in the Highland ward. About two years after he had organized the Sunday School he moved to Provo and then went on a mission. He taught school in Highland, and helped in church work again in September 1912, and afterward. As the weeks, months, and years went by, the Sunday School progressed, and the organization was as good as any ward in the Alpine Stake. (I might add the Wm. John Greenland Sr. had been a steady worker in the Sunday School, being chorister the first years, and then Supt., and is still the Supt. of the Sunday School now.)

Thus, in the year 1907, the Highland Sunday School was again organized, and I have found some information about the officers and teachers, mostly officers, from the old Minute Books up to 1949. The officers and teachers in those years were namely:

Again See Excel spreadsheet of officers and teachers for all years.

Source: HIGHLAND HISTORY: A compilation by Charles T Greenland II for the Highland Historical Society

Record and History of the Highland Sunday School by Ruby B. Day

RECORD AND HISTORY OF THE HIGHLAND SUNDAY SCHOOL 1892-1949

Menu:

Contact Us

Hours

Site Links