Oil City Churches - Christian (Disciples Of Christ)

Chronology as follows:

1916

The Reverend Claude L. Jones of the Central Christian Church of Shreveport conducted tent meetings in Oil City. Described as a "distinctive feature" was music directed by Miss Jessie May Agnew, former Central choir leader and musical director of Shreveport schools. Services were conducted over several nights.

Shreveport Times 16-Jul-1916, Page 3


As a result of those meetings, a new Christian Church was established..

Shreveport Times 21-Jul-1916, Page 2

Below is the Reverend Claude L. Jones, circa 1898.

Shreveport Times 25-Jun-1933, Page 3

1917

The funeral of John Murray, a well-known resident, was held at the Christian Church. He owned a store in the predecessor community of Surry, approximately a half-mile south of present-day downtown Oil City. The nearby crossing of Land Avenue at the Kansas City Southern Railway tracks was known (and still is to some "old-timers") as "Murray's Crossing."

Shreveport Times 08-Feb-1917, Page 2

1918

A new church building was dedicated in September.

Shreveport Times 29-Sep-1918, Page 3

An interdenominational (Baptist, Christian, and Methodist) Christmas service was held at the Methodist Church.

Shreveport Times 28-Dec-1921, Page 6

1922

A report of a multi-denominational Sunday School picnic held near Lewis identified Oil City ministers J. V. Tinnin (Baptist) and L. F. Wade (Christian) participating. Mrs. Frank Radaz and sons of the Methodist Church were also in attendance..

Shreveport Times 25-Jun-1922, Page 35

A few months later, Rev. Wade became embroiled in controversy as he took an appointment as a United States Deputy Marshal and was asked to resign by congregation members. Union sentiment was strong and many members took exception to the marshals' (collective) actions to protect traffic and postal activities from strikers. He claimed he took the second job to provide additional income to support his family, stating promised financial compensation was not being met. .

New Orleans Times Picayune 03-Aug-1922, Page 7

1924

Pastor Fred E. Osborne was reported to have given "a simple prayer for the continued prosperity of the nation" at an Armistice Day celebration held in downtown Shreveport.

Shreveport Times 12-Nov-1924, Page 1

1930

The Rev. W. C. Yancey was identified as Oil City pastor in the obituary of Mrs. Mahala Robinson.

Shreveport Times 22-Nov-1930, Page 16

1932

By April 1932, Rev. Yancey was identified as former OC pastor.

Shreveport Times 23-Apr-1932, Page 7

Rev. Yancey did return at least one time afterward, noted here officiating a funeral.

Shreveport Times 31-Oct-1932, Page 2

1936

Shreveport ministers Austin J. Hollingsworth and Millard Baggett conducted a "preaching mission" at Oil City church.

Shreveport Times 22-Nov-1936, Page 8-A

1939 - 1940

The Reverend George Wheeler was pastor during this time, noted officiating a wedding of Ernestine Mann and Lawrence Gillespie in 1939....

Shreveport Times 24-Sep-1939, Page 22

..........and the funeral of Mrs. Eula Jones, who was killed in bizarre fashion - shot while lying in bed with her husband and four year-old child listening to the radio.

Shreveport Times 10-Feb-1940, Page 3

Rev. Wheeler left shortly thereafter, as per the 1940 U. S. Census, he was a resident of Camden, Arkansas on April 1. He is later identified in another source as pastor of the Camden Christian Church. Prior to coming to Oil City, he had led the Jewella Ave. church in Shreveport.

Later that year, a parish-wide singing convention was held in Oil City..

Shreveport Times 23-Mar-1940, Page 13

Rev. Wheeler pictured below as pastor in Mercedes, TX in 1958. Note a discrepancy as the related article does not mention his serving at Camden after Oil City.

Mercedes (TX) Enterprise 20-Mar-1958, Page 7


1941 and beyond

To be continued...

1957

First appearing in 1957 was mention of the Reverend C. A. Easom pastoring the Oil City church, as noted in the article below about his son J. R. Easom, also a minister, receiving a new assignment. The year before, the elder Easom had been serving in Ganado, TX. Earlier he had been pastor in Golden City, Carthage, and St. Louis; all in Missouri..

Hermitage (MO) Index 21-Mar-1957, Page 1


Below Charles Albertis (1885-1966) and Jessie Mildred (née Wasson) (1895-1978) Easom are pictured as graduating seniors of Drury College in 1917.

Drury College Southwester (yearbook), Page 41

Southwester, Page 48


Notice of another son, E. H. Earsom being married in Oklahoma City that year.

Hermitage (MO) Index 06-Jun-1957, Page 1

Mrs. Easom was an artist. Below is an example of her work, now owned by Oil City resident Lisa Varnell High.

1958

In August 1958, Rev. J. R. Easom and family visited Oil City while on vacation and preached at his father's church. At the service missionary Joe Whittmer showed a movie about Africa.

Index 21-Aug-1958, Page 1

Later that year they visited their sons and families in Missouri and Oklahoma after attending the denomination's international convention held in St. Louis.

Index 23-Oct-1958, Page 1

1959

Though reported from Oil City in January 1959, by July of that year it was reported they had retired in Enid, OK. Reverend Easom passed away in 1966 and Mrs. Easom in 1978. Both are buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery 

Return to Give Me That Old-Time Oil City Religion.