transcribed by
Cheryl (Swarthout) Burks
The land that the Church and Cemetery are located on was donated by Mr. Jesse F. Sumrall and wife Arcanum (Gustine) Sumrall. The Sumrall’s daughter, Carrie, married Rev. Daniel Campbell Dove, Jr. Rev. Daniel Campbell Dove, Sr. was an early pastor at Siloam and was one of the first to be buried there, September 30, 1883. The Sumrall’s arrived in Leon Co. December 4, 1865 and settled where Siloam Church now stands. Mrs. Sumrall taught the first school at Siloam in 1870 & 1871. She joined the Baptist Church in July 1876. M. M. Haggard and Johnnie Brown constituted the Presbytery who organized the church.
The oldest know burial in Siloam Cemetery is that of L. D. (Lily). Page, daughter of Clinton and Henrietta (Castles) Page, born September 8, 1879, died July 10, 1882.
This exerpt was taken from an old Trinity River Association Book:
“The old church book was burned, so here is the history of the Siloam Baptist
Church as far as the record goes. In 1885, S.P. Cummings was called as
pastor and J. C. Talden, church clerk. Messengers elected to the
Association were George Cook, D. C. Dove, J. F. Sumrall, J. F. Marsh, and A. L.
Jackson.
The third Sunday in 1885, J. S. Neyland preached. D. C. Dove was clerk.
In 1886 D. M. McKay was pastor, G. G. Dove joined the church in 1876 and D. C.
Dove joined in July 1884.
Other pastors were J. L. Blackwell, J. M. Peters, W. J. Kenedy, E. A. Puthuff,
J. T. Marsh, Bro. Harris, W. T. Chase, C. J. Stevens, E. N. Parrish, Bro. Shaw,
E. R. Bilderback, John Lutwyler, and T. F. Suttle.”
My great
grandparents Oscar Beggs, Sr. and Alice Alexander McNellege were married in this
Church August 1, 1894. It is believed that my grandparents Leonard T.
Ridenour and Victoria Beggs were also married here Oct 8, 1924. Other know
marriages that have taken place in this Church are:
Carl Morris and Doris Gordon – July 24, 1939 (Sister of Anna May [Gordon] Neal)
Cheryl (Swarthout) Lee and Kerry Dean Burks – February 13, 1993
Bobby Ruth Coates and Joe Self – (not sure of the date)
Michael Wayne Swarthout and Lasonna Lucille (Lawson) Drummond – August 19, 2000
and I am sure there were many more that I am not aware of.
Mrs. Alice Beggs, my great grandmother, (know as Aunt Alice to many) had been a member of Siloam Baptist Church for some 30 – 40 years at the time of her death February 17, 1939.
Jessie P. Gordon and daughter Doris (Gordon) Morris played the piano and sang during the years of 1937 – 1939.
Other known preachers of this Church were: Rev. Dave Phelps 1942 – 1943 and Oscar Beggs, Jr. 1944 - ?. Oscar Beggs, Jr. wrote this poem not too long before he passed away July 17, 1969 and gave it to the pastor at Bethel Baptist Church in Houston, TX were he had been a member for some time. After his death, the pastor gave it to Mrs. L. T. (Vic) Ridenour (his sister) to give to Siloam Baptist Church in remembrance of him.