Mrs.
Dorothy Chamberlin
Charter Member and Historian
In the summer of 1953, I learned there was to be a new Presbyterian Church in our neighborhood. I was told that “Pat” Patterson, the founding pastor, and his wife, Helen, were living around the corner from our home, so I called on them. The first Sunday we met in the Simis Cafetorium, the congregation elected a Planning Committee to take care of all the “nuts and bolts” required in preparation for our official organization on December, 1953. I was one of the 7 elected to serve on the committee.
Shortly after December 13th, Orangewood women organized a Women’s Association (later known as U.P.W. – United Presbyterian Women). I was elected president and continued to be active in our local group as well as Presbytery and Synod, for many years.
I was Department Superintendent as well as teacher in the primary as well as the junior departments for years. In August 1961, before Sam’s arrival in September, the Session asked me to be Church School Superintendent. After talking to Sam, to be sure we were on the same wave length concerning Christian Education; I agreed to take the job. I continued in that task for 5 years.
After Sam Lindamood twisted my arm for several years, I finally agreed to become an Elder for 1 term if he would not ask me again. I also filled an unexpired term when Reverend Kenneth Gates was pastor.
In the spring of 1978, I finally ended up in the kitchen in charge of planning menus, marketing and preparing S.A.G.E.S. (Senior Adults Gaining Enrichment Socially) monthly luncheons for 12 years. I also did the same job, when Orangewood was host church for Presbytery and Synod meetings, for a number of years. I always had wonderful, hardworking crews to help, and I thank all of them from the bottom of my heart.
It has been much fun doing all this. Early in 1995, Pastor Brian Paulson asked me to do the history of Orangewood. I worked all year collecting information — I went to the church office and cleaned out a closet that had pictures, old ‘Callers” and “Plumblines” etc. I also borrowed the first two volumes of Session minutes and Women’s Association minutes. I also asked a number of individuals to write about special projects that they had been involved in. I asked Bob Page and Christopher Samuel to write on their music activities. By the year’s end I had accumulated quite a collection of materials. I had browsed through the Session minutes, and made notes, so I could return them to the church office. Then 1996 happened, and I had enough personal problems to occupy my time. I packed all my materials in boxes and put them in a closet until some future date. All at once 2003 arrived!! I retrieved the boxes and started organizing and writing. I merely picked out the highlights from all the articles I had accumulated from other Orangewood members; the resumes from the pastors; “The Caller,” Orangewood’s original paper; and the “Plumbline.” So you see this has been a truly “Orangewood Family” project. When I had finished my articles, I gave them to Ann Wohl to edit and get them into the ‘Plumbline.” My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who helped get the job done.
