Joe

When you mentioned 8th Ave. Baptist Church, that rang a bell. I went to that church after it moved to

its new location(between 21st and 23rd on 8th Ave. Iwent there from about 44 to 59. I lived across the alley on Plum St. at 21st. I played softball and basketball on the church team in the late 40's and the 50's. We were undefeated for 2 consecutive years in both softball and b-ball in the church league.

(do not remember the exact years). Hib Cook, Don Williams, Jake Potts, Hap Harris were the main players on those teams.

Joe,

Back in the '30's the members of the 8th Ave. Church, which was at 19th&
8th Ave, were mostly out of work and they couldn't keep their payments
on the mortgate, so they lost the Building. They then acquired an old
garage, where the Church stands. I helped Vernon Cook's, Dad, Marvin
Cook, build the Baptistry, in the building, preparing the building for
Worship services.

The members of the soft ball team that I played on were; Wayne Newton,
Oscar Winstead, Ralph Hamilton (of Golden Glove fame), Bill Cook
(pitcher), Charles & Odell Cook, ( no relation to Bill), Tommy Pounds,
I'm sorry that my memory, doesn't recall the others. My Dad, Luther
Plunkett, was the manager. My Dad, hauled ice in the summer then
hauled coal in the winter. I remember many a time after my Dad, came
home from hawling coal that I had to take the hose and wash the truck
bed because we hauled the team around to places in the coal truck.

That's enough history, for one day.

Harold T-40

I saw my parents baptized in that Baptistry when I was six: Lowell and Helen
Drake. We had lived out in the country near Sullivan until I was about five.
We lived at 3004 Franklin. After six weeks in the first grade at Thorton, we
moved to the country again-SE of Youngstown. Coal Company bought us out when
I was in the second grade and we moved to the farm on 246.

We went to Oregon Baptist--my dad and sister still do--from the time we
moved to the country. Vernon Cook and my dad like to do "tinkering" projects
for "old" folks, kids, and the church. Vernon has been a great friend to
Dad. I was in the hospital having my tonsils taken out at the same time as
Vernon and Euleta's oldest daugther. She unfortunately had bleeding that
could not be controlled and died. She would have been about 8 or 9.

I recently finished a Gospel album for those who survived the depression,
faced WWII and the Korean Conflict, and gave birth to most of us "Baby
Boomers". That was something else VCSC gave me. Lots of vocal music
experience along with the church choir. I do solo work now with my speaking
at churches and groups. The Album is entitled, "Built on a Firm Foundation".

Muriel Ryan HC '66