FOND MEMORIES OF PINOLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

by Danna (Goines) Shirley

The Goines family moved to Pinole in October, 1953 and immediately started attending the Methodist Church.  ‘United’ was not included in the name as yet. The church was located on Valley View (later changed to Pinole Valley Rd) at the bottom of the big hill (Samuel St) where we attended ‘Pinole-Hercules #1’ school. Nan remembers stopping on the church steps after school on a hot day and removing her socks and petticoats before walking home.

The church seemed like a large building to us, all red brick with beautiful stained-glass windows.  Sunday mornings we were bursting at the seams and I’m sure the neighbors could hear Marguerite Lewis singing in the choir.  The downstairs was used for Sunday school, pot luck dinners, and coffee and cookies after the morning service. When our Catholic classmates went to Catechism on Wednesdays, we walked down the hill to our church for Release Time Religious Education.

Dr. Strait, who was retired from the Baptist ministry, was our pastor at the time. He and his wife had been missionaries in Burma and they shared some wonderful stories. Dr. Strait baptized Danna and Paula at about six and eight years old (1954). He also officiated at Nan’s wedding in 1964 and Paula’s wedding in 1972. He did this for other family members over the years as well. 

Paula remembers the Ellerhorst sisters as the most prominent members of our church. There were many other active families as well; the Paynes, Ledfords, Hudsons, Langfords, Lewis, Pedersens, and the Smiths, Jones, and Wells just to name a few. We had several teachers in our congregation also, Miss Martha Job, Mrs. Easton, and Mrs. Avanelle Hutchison. 

The ladies of the church hosted an annual bazaar and turkey dinner fundraiser and many town residents turned out for this event also. They sold handmade items in addition to other things that were auctioned. In 1959 our mother, Elsie, was the highest bidder at the auction that year for a steel engraving of the White House. It had been donated by Mamie Eisenhower. Danna's daughter has it hanging in her home today.

There was also a miniature church that had a wooden shingled roof. The shingles were sold and each family proudly printed their name on their shingle. The money went into the Building Fund for the new church, which is now perched on top of the hill at 2000 San Pablo Avenue overlooking the city. Our dad, Howard, selected that piece of property and was also the Chairman of the Building Committee. He passed away March 1^st, 2010 at age eighty-nine; mother turned ninety-one in August 2010.

We spent many hours at the church—Junior Choir practice, Sunday School, and Vacation Bible School. Even the local Girl Scouts and Camp Fire Girls met there.

Paula was occasionally given permission to play the organ in the sanctuary. She loved that organ and felt so important to be able to play it. 

We all have many fond memories of our church and church family. 

Happy 120^th Anniversary