Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice
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Churches of the Tri-Counties
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Bradford County PA
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Chemung County NY
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Tioga County PA
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Photos by Midge Clapper Kershner 3/22/1986
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Joyce's Search Tip - January 2008
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Do You Know that you can search just the
250 pages of Church Records and Histories on the site by using the
Churches button in the Partitioned search engine at the bottom of
the Current What's New Page?
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Beaver
Meadows - We Are the Church - 1850 - 2000
The Church Steeple |
THE CHURCH STEEPLE
By 1911, the original church steeple was in need of repair. A
handyman was hired to remove and repair it. While it was on the ground-awaiting
repair, it is alleged that the repairman used it for firewood. It
was never replaced until Douglas Clapper built a new steeple in honor of
his grandmother, Lena Smith Clapper, and his mother, Sylvia Josephine Repsher
Clapper. The dedication came on Lena Clapper's 100th birthday - Easter
Sunday, March 31, 1986. The church's minister performed the dedication
service at the time, Rev. Richard West.
(*Historian's Note: Lena H. Clapper was born on March 31, 1886.
She was the daughter of Ernest and Jennie MaGee Smith. She died November
15, 1986. Sylvia Josephine Repsher Clapper was born on March 24,
1914. She was the daughter of Frank and Clara Carr Repsher.
She died March 6, 1982.)
The church had been originally built with a steeple over the belfry.
Doug decided, without telling the congregation, that what this lovely little
church building needed was a new steeple. He stated that he studied
many steeples to come up with this original design. He had the help
of the following people: his brother, Daniel Clapper; his brother-in-law,
Allen Kershner; his nephew, Jerry Clapper; and his neighbors, Bob and George
Bolles. The new steeple was up and ready in time for the Easter Service
in 1986. They installed the steeple on top of the old belfry, which
held the original bell at that time.
Because it had a very hollow ring, the old bell was sold at our
church's Antique Auction in 1993. When it was taken down from
the belfry, it was discovered that the old bell was cracked. The
Beaver Meadows Youth Group, with a lot of hard work and donations, purchased
a new bell. Our new bell now rings loudly and clearly every Sunday
morning. The old bell was purchased by Mr. Roy Herman at the "BELL-A-BRATION'
on May 29, 1993. The original bell is now located at Lawton, Pennsylvania,
on the owner's lawn.
