Published: March 26, 2008 11:41 pm            

Dedication of church memorial scheduled for April 19

Dedication of a memorial to the former Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church is scheduled for April 19.

Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church was established in 1907, the same year Oklahoma became a state. It was located in the midst of Goltry, Nash, Hillsdale and Jet communities, and served farmers from Alfalfa, Garfield, and Grant counties until a tornado destroyed the building in 1965. Everett Wilson, Dean Wayman and Albert Lingo were officers of the church at the time of its demise.

A large stone has been engraved and planted on the corner plot, donated by the Alma York family, where the church building stood. The stone tells a brief history of the church and is engraved with family names of many who participated and wanted the church’s history memorialized. Pat Wayman served as treasurer for the fundraising.

Dedication day for the memorial will be 2 p.m. April 19 at Goltry Congregational Church.

The Rev. Tommy Jobe, who grew up in Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Muskogee, and a longtime family friend of former pastor the Rev. L.J. Cooper, will be guest speaker for the occasion. Jobe recently retired after an 18-year pastorate at Woodbine Church in Nashville, Tenn. He served on the Commis-sion on the Ministry for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and is a member of Historian Foundation Board, which oversees the preservation of church history.

Enid’s Pat York Cronkhite will present special music for the memorial service, and Sam Wayman, who has published the Liberty story in a book, “Give Me Liberty,” will be host of the event. Books with additional family names will be autographed and given to those in attendance.

Refreshments and a time for visiting will follow the service. If roads are not too muddy, there will be a pilgrimage to the Liberty Church site and a viewing of the memorial stone.

The service is on the same afternoon as the Goltry school reunion so participants may be a part of each event. The school reunion will be 6 p.m. in the school gym.