To have the opportunity to come and visit with you and to talk about your life and how it has been inspired by many of the activities involved with your work with the Presbyterian Church, we are attempting to write and document some of those wonderful experiences and you have done much for the church. We want to kind of go back into history a little bit and I should ask you some questions and just respond in your own free manner as you like, and I would be very happy to do that. This particular material will be taken to Philadelphia to the Historical Institute. It will be used by Dr. Barry Swann, who is a writer, and maybe not all of it will be used, but that part that will be used. And we certainly appreciate your cooperation in looking at some of the material that I've seen. I would like for you to tell me, where did you come from? Are you here or are you a native of Arkansas?

No. Mrs. Fletcher, I'm a native of Mississippi. We lived in Mississippi two years and my mother was living, in Louisiana, my father lived in Mississippi. So when he married, they moved to Mississippi, and that was where I was born. Then they moved back to Arkansas, to Louisiana, Grace in Louisiana, and I lived there until 1910 and we came to Arkansas. And when I agreed to stop, that came on a farm where my father's brother lived. But my mother was not satisfied with us in school there because we weren't getting the education she wanted us to have. And my father had gone back to Louisiana to live, and she didn't want to send us to school there. So she stayed in Arkansas,

where schools public at that time,

they were public, but we were not getting what she wanted us to have. She wanted us to have a better education because she didn't have it. So she says she wanted her children to get in the school, that they could get more education and be prepared to carry on themselves in the way that they wouldn't have to be dependent on others for a living. So we came to find love at first 10 at the Greenville School, and then she went back to a table where we lived on the farm, but it wasn't suitable. So we met the some people here at the Richard Allen Institute and we were invited to come here. So I went to school there,

which was Richard Allen.

Richard Allen is on Cypress Street. Was a big school. Eight hundred nine Cypress Street here in town. Was that a private school or a private school? That's a private Presbyterian school.

So you had to pay to go there?

Yeah, we had to pay. Now, the first year with the reverend ends with the president. Then I stayed with one of the teachers, so I that's how I got by. But the next year, when Reverend Ellis left, Reverend Lloyd gave and then we met Reverend Thought he offered me a scholarship at the school, but I had to stay in the dormitory and all the other children. Then they had to stay home. But but they let me go there and live, and it was in the dormitory where I was instructed in Christian training as well as education.

How long did you have to stay there?

Well, I stayed there until I graduated in nineteen. Thirty. Yes, and thirty. Well, I graduated from thirty one and I got a scholarship to Barber Scotia Junior College.

Was that Presbyterian all Presbyterian?

So that took me there to Barber Scotia and the cause. I wasn't able to come home every year or after school was out. I was able to get some work and stay there until I finished junior college at Palmerston. Then I had planned to be a missionary and go to Africa. Oh, really? Yes, I always said I wanted to be a missionary from a child. My sister's there that I was always taught Christianity and I was just telling people how wrong they were. And I was at one of our family reunion and met one of my relatives from Mississippi. And she said, You told me that if I did wrong, I couldn't do it. Having said I had to do right and I was so tickled because I was a child, I didn't know I'd talk them from that to people. So, but anyway, it was very interesting. But when I finished junior college in Bahamas does it? I was. They didn't have a major in religious education and I wasn't able to go to movies or do so. I switched. Major, and with the Johnson C Smith University, and that took a major hit,

Johnson C a Presbyterian

Johnson sees that the university is a Presbyterian school under the order that Christian education.

Now this was with the United Presbyterian United Presbyterian.

This is a united. Everything is united that I'm speaking of. I've never been in a southern church.

Now know this was in. Whereas Johnson Smith, located

in Charlotte, North Carolina, it's

it's still a very strong it's a

very strong school. And when I finished talking, you are going to find out how strong it is. It is one of the strongest Presbyterian schools we have.

But then after you finished, you got a degree in teaching.

What happened when I switched my major, I wanted a job that I had a job that was in the history and I got my major in history, man in sociology. I was working with the Presbyterian Church at Davis, and Reverend Beaver had made the work in the Bible school. And of course, I helped in this. Then the school I was, he said he had a job in history that I could get. And of course, that's what I wanted.

But how much money was being made at that time?

But a teacher got 74 dollars and the teacher, because you're going to hear a little more about this from me, cause I'll tell you what look, I fell into after

it made it a teacher. That's how I beg you. What made that a teacher?

You had to have so many hours a goal of education. You had to clarify so much for an a certificate and then so much more basic to do that. All right. And if you didn't teach on the nation which you would get the salary, I think this is what happened

and based out it was how much to.

Well, I got six to two. I'll tell you just what happened, just a little later, which just don't take you. The mama didn't give me the job because I didn't do some of the things he wanted me to do.

So I knew then that those things were going on.

In those years. They were going on very badly, especially with this one. And my superintendent, Mr. Darnell, when I taught there, he said, Why don't you just go long enough to get the job? I said, I can't do it, Mr Downer, he said, You right? So I lost that job. And that year I was without work. But I had an office in South Carolina without a subject of malaria fever, and I had a spell of sickness after eating at a luncheon out at a church luncheon, and I wasn't able to go on the job, so I gave it out.

Well, where? Oh, what? Presbyterian was involved with these churches and places?

All of this should get to top of Presbyterian good topics, and it was also a good power. It was good to have a Senate, and this is good to have a Presbyterian where Outlaw's Jackson Smith is in.

Kabbalah Presbyterian it in his first guitar for Senate.

It is. It was good to have ascended all the time, not just the of a Senate consist of both Presbyterian. Oh, I see. Yet in Presbyterian, southern Virginia. And then a Presbyterian in South Carolina. I just don't remember the name of it, but there was the largest one. And in that I didn't get a job.

Well, these schools, church schools that you were working. Oh, no, they all schools.

Oh, all right. We didn't have an at this time. There were no Presbyterian High School. It was that Barbara Scotia until they just took the junior senior year until they close. And then this is public school where you get the most money. And now that's where we would go. Get good salary because Charlotte. Oh well, sativa. In comparison to all those North Carolina schools paid more than most of the southern states that I knew about, but we had to have a certificate and know credits had to go to the State Department in North Carolina. Whenever you graduated from Johnson Smith, they had to send that to North Carolina. And whenever you were given the job, of course, all that clearly had to come back to the superintendent. And every five years you would have to renew your certificate if you didn't renew your certificate. You would be paid on a big salary. Oh, I

see. Yeah, that puts you in the B category.

Yeah. So if you want to hold, you still have and keep improving. You would have to go every five years to take some, some summer school. You had to take education right and you had to take something. Is due to take that was helpful in teaching

now during this time when you were involved in the public schools. What was your church life like?

Well, let's see. I was a Presbyterian all the time. I went to the Belleville Presbyterian Church and it was Bill will be a nice memorial because I lived there. I worked in that church, I worked in the Sunday school and in the Christian endeavor. But that's what we call it then. Mm-Hmm. So after, as I said, I didn't get that job. I waited until the next year and I was given the job and to various count. And that's where my school is located. And the and I was told by my pastor that I work within the Concord, reminiscent to come to Concord and meet the supervisors. At that time, she was a jeans teacher, and he said that we think there will be some vacancies and you may get a job. So I went to meet her and at the same time, I got a job working out for a lady in the service so that I could help I because I couldn't expect many people to send in because my mother didn't have it and that this woman had. And she was. She had lunch hour and of course, I slept in this room. But when she was expecting her second job, she knew she wanted to sleep in the attic where I didn't deserve it, started working and he wasn't in the bathroom, anything. So I went home and told Mrs. Shank, the janitor's wife whom I live with in the counter. She said, You don't have to stay there. And I told the lady that she said it's better than anyplace and call it that. I said, Well, where I live, we have all either between the bathroom and my room. And I said, I will not stay. So I gave up, and I want to tell you, I got a job right next to the superintendent of the northern Lady Grace and wish she had that role as if stands next to theirs. Knives, I use their bathroom. I did everything in their house and the superintendent lived next door. Now they didn't know that I was planning to get another job in the county. But what happened? I would go out, see I had my application of a at NATO in the front line. We have to meet the superintendent, he didn't smile. I said, good morning, Mr. Happy and goodnight. I say that I'm still interested in getting work and I promise you I will cooperate in every way if given the job you kept. So to my surprise, in the night that was in June, I got a I got announced was staying there, teachers meeting at that July meeting. So I was given the job and a one teacher school one went on to lay them in one teacher school and it was a world away. About 60 pupils is if you had had six pupils when the school opened, you could get another teacher. But the enrollment had fallen because the people have moved out. So I had to teach by myself that one. So I had the when I first started. But as time went on, more children were moved away and I didn't have as many. But this is what I said to in my prayer to the Lord. I said, if I can please the superintendent of the school board and do a good work in the school, I'm not letting economic condition drive me away. That was one reason most folks didn't run out there because of the economic condition. I got a job there. I lived out there because I didn't have a car, but to, well, a few months I was able to get a car, so I got a car. And to my surprise, one day I was driving. Honestly, I learned to drive almost all over again. I wasn't quite truthful about the plan for my life, and I had to say that no time to get it. But I got the last and drove home and go to school, and every day I would do that. But one time I was going home when I hooked up and lived off the road to speak to someone. And when I looked up, I was headed for a ditch and I did go in the ditch, but I put my foot on the brake and no, no, not on the brakes, on the gas and speeded up and didn't hit the ground. So when they came out that one man said, If you hadn't done that, you returned. No. I said, what? And I haven't seen my mother in three years.

So within as as you were working there. What kind of church was out

in the in Memphis Joe's right back to school? So it was no Presbyterian Church near, but I attended the Methodist Church and there was the Presbyterian Church about three miles away. So Sunday, when I would go to Charlotte, I would come back to the Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Greig, who was the parson he lived in Charlotte. Now I worked there live that salon. I played for them and I was fortunate to buy a piano and give it to the church so that they would have music.

You have been given all of your life.

My sister said so, but I didn't believe she said, you've been that way. And she said, you're still that way.

Well, I guess that's some of our traits that we take with us all along. That particular church in Charlotte was also part of the guitar book.

Oh yes, all of these were good.

All the things. What were some of the things that the church that you felt was? What were some of the things that you thought were most important at that particular time in the life of the church? Well, that's

the one thing I liked about the church and Charlotte. I was acquainted with the Dr. Shirley's where I miss Joe, who was very active in the women's work, and she would have the Presbyterian who is meeting with me at different houses. Then they did meet at the church and St. Louis never seen have it at her house. I would be invited to come over. But at the same time, Dr. George had a wife, if you know him, who was very active and she had a girl that we were very close to each other and she I would go with her. I was always with some of the Presbyterians and never, ever I let the Fed do. They took me to their meetings. That's how I learned a lot about the Presbyterian Church. So the women

represented a strong force.

Oh yes, out there they were strong. In fact, they were very strong in everything out there. It is surprise, and it really is surprising to see how they were so different to see. When I came here, I found out that they still don't know do black a black Presbyterian where they don't seem to get that out there? I was with people now. Maybe I was just with the devoted guide. Mrs May Stevens and I went to all our meeting. We went to every meeting in the Presbyterian in the Senate. We went to all the composite.

Now some of the conferences,

like where you see the moderators complex, whenever we I see, I had to hip get there and there in as a moderator, we vouch for her. We've asked for Campbell, we vouch for all our moderators that we get, whether we knew them or not. Let's see. I didn't live far from the day in Charlotte. So but what I was mostly active in, I would work with the young people. That's what they had. I worked with a Smith student who worked at the Belleville Presbyterian, just

so the youth work also well.

Oh yeah, the youth work was strong and it was strong and I live. It was very strong, but I don't.

You feel that some of the contributions that were made to the church by the Senate. And Presbyterian at that time were very valuable in its development. Oh yes, it's valuable. Did they give money to the to various programs?

Well, now as I understand it, the church program, if you get the will, is work and they assess a certain amount, right? They tell you what you're supposed to do. Now that's why I can't understand how you have

programs, but they they they just haven't bought into them.

Know what I think here. We have such fill and they're so far gone. Maybe that's the difference. But let's just say the people they say, just give what you will. Now I have a brother now who is a man of the year, and I helped him build his church. And of course, and I said to him when they would be asked, and the people think just given the dollar is a little they think you do like you did in during the depression, but that I don't feel that way.

And I just

can't help but wonder how do people feel to a God if they help the church? Why don't they want to support it? But what our ministers did for us out there when we didn't have a church that was active and now and then support the minister, sometimes ministers didn't push it to get the money at that they were supposed to pay to the Presbyterian. So you pay your share to the Presbyterian and the General Assembly and to the women's work. If you do what you're supposed to do, you may have your money. And if you please is now what I don't understand, people are most folks around here don't like the players. They don't want this. They don't want to put it on paper. How will a church know what you do if you don't put it on paper?

And I happen to be an elder, and I also work as one of the pastor's assistants, whatever they call it, in which a group is given a certain number of people to contact. Yes, and stewardship time. And many of them just don't want a place. They don't like the commitment, the the steadfast commitment that you just made. Similarly, they want to fluctuate, you know, and oh yeah, the same thing all the time. But then if you go back as that, how long have you been in this area? So which was this? You would say then that the presbytery of this October? What do you think were some of its outstanding controversies?

Maybe others never talked about yet because as my husband wasn't yet, can Presbyterian and I had my first church was like, Yeah, it was in Yadkin and from the newsstand, a church my husband passed but newsstand a Presbyterian church and lowland Presbyterian just out from Statesville. Logan was at Scott's newsstand was just out of state, so.

And they were in the yet get

press, we all yet to lose anything. Yes, this is the now and my husband, as he was getting ready to build a new Senate, so they hadn't gotten started. So after he passed, the members got together and I told them I beat him. So I gave him good support and we built our own chairs. Now that is the inside of the church. That was new, senator. I don't have a picture of the old building, but it was better.

This is called New

Santa New Santa vastness. It's the NPR

New Senate Church. Yes, Presbyterian

Presbyterian Church USA, All USA. Now the strange thing about it, I tell the members this I say, let's not borrowing the money from the board. Let's get together and work and pay for it ourselves. So after the church was completed, I saw St. Alexander and I told him, I said, we have completed our church. He said, Who told you the bill? I said nobody told us the bill. He said, Don't you know, you're not supposed to build without getting permission from the Presbyterian? I said we didn't ask them for any money. He said, you have to ask them for the money. He said that look, that church just under the Presbyterian and you were supposed to get permission and the church was already built. So I said, then what are we to do? They say, you write to the Presbyterian and ask permission to build. I accept the church as a deal. So I went back to newsstand and told the people that I wasn't the name of it. So I went back and told them that they said. So, they wrote, and they said, except the judge answered, what? And that's all legal. So I learned then that I can't do anything I want to do in the Presbyterian journal. I must follow the law, and if I do, I do wrong. So that taught me a lesson there.

That's the order of the church. Yes, extremely. So you feel that what was an outstanding contribution of the year and Presbyterian in your life?

Well, the church always advocated growth of membership building the church. Now this happened at camp. They were about to close in the Presbyterian. That is that matter is said. Now you will even have to pay you. Now, Mr. are you have a church. So we have some ministers who wouldn't pay. It wouldn't get that benevolence. And so they just haven't been made that known at the Presbyterian if the Nelson didn't get his assessment. He was the one bill. Certainly that meant he could go back and tell the people and they would get the money. So that happened and they started paying their assessment. But when Cameron was about the close, they didn't want to merge with Alan Temple. But that was they didn't want to go in any other church and they were a small church. My pastor, my husband, was supplying them at that time. But after he passed, they had to get another minister. So when they found out that they were going to lose that church, they got busy and they had a nice man in there who was the vocational teacher in that the second of all in high school, and he came in the remote cameras. They put in new seats that they put in an education bill. They put in bathrooms and made it very nice. So that meant that they couldn't close it, but they were still paying that minister. So when the merger came for the union with

what happened to them, then there

they didn't want to have to go in the little white church up on the road. I had my cell. I have no church came to them. So what they did, they had a minister who was very alert. He he got together and they start again. And all the members who had attended, they got new members. And now they are getting one of the nicest churches we have. They build they. They said, no, they were not going to merge. Now I there, those folks were not.

And what's the name of that church?

Cameron came to see me. I know him. They did not want to go in this

state in North Carolina

and Kansas between states. Now here is no, this is my church. Oh, see this this, Mr Chambers, he was very active and he said this, he said this is the new church they are feeling and I'm hip and I'm here with that church. The news sent it to. I bet that's good. But do you have? This is just the old way. They haven't. They have be ready to go in the church. I think this. Well, anyway, it's very soon.

So this is a church that you're helping with now.

That's it, right? Right now, that's the camera and church. But it is a very nice it's a very expensive church.

Well, things are so expensive nowadays. So, you know, is this what church

is that this is this is my church? Wait, a minute ago, I got this here at home, shall I say that? But at this, I thought I had another. Oh yes, I know who I am. I want you to see this is the new church that they were about to close if they hadn't gotten together, but they didn't want

to see it used to be. So they they decided to work out

of the oh yes, they did.

That's something I've gone from North Carolina.

Oh, targeted someone to make things, then give them the gifts. Oh, isn't that great? That's my little bastard. And no thank you. I said, you might rule. And this is the

I know someone who likes to do what they.

Oh yes. This is the inside. Thanks. They're just getting it. Getting it. Read it now. But that is the church that all these girls get good. Now that

is the last song we have an

opening. Oh yes, and they're going to notify me that they have it. But they said soon as they say they they had planned to go in that the first of the year, but they had to wait. Now that was the Oh yes, this is this is what I have to let you build the facts that that the plan let you know that I am really telling you the truth. Oh yeah. See, that's all this is

America, then. Oh, well,

oh yes, that brought

you from. I notice where you made some contributions to. Some schools that you did to help some schools in their growth, have you been? Have you made contributions there?

You will find I got the record, but I'm just going to tell you. I have. I'll just go back one year because the director, I will give you the regular. I don't think this is recorded in the General Assembly. And I think that I have the record to prove to you that this is a fair statement. Sometimes you can tap on that and it's nothing to it. It's in my book right here. I gave this that represents twenty five thousand the last year of just the Presbyterian judges. Not my donation, not my challenger. Now this is what I want you to say. Two thousand was left in the To My Mother for Faith 2000.