1923 New Organ for the First Methodist Church of Dresden

In 1923 the First Methodist Church of Dresden Tennessee was under the pastorate of Rev. S.L. JEWELL. The treasurer of the church was Charles Harrell MORAN which is probably why this information came to be in the records of the Moran family.  In April of 1923, the church purchased an organ from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South Side Station in Memphis Tennessee.  The following are the bill of sale and a letter in regards to that transaction.

BILL OF SALES

Know all men by these presents;

That whereas the Board of Trustees of the ME. Church South, South Side Station at a special meeting called for that purpose , has authorized the sale of a certain pipe organ belonging to said Church as more fully appears upon the minutes of the said special meeting of said Board for April 15th, 1923;

Now therefore pursuant to the instructions of said Board of Trustees and in consideration of the sum of ($1200.00) twelve hundred dollars, cash in hand paid, receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged I, J.W. Morgan, Chairman of said Board of Trustees, do in behalf of said Board and of each and every member thereof, hereby sell, transfer, convey and deliver to the Board of the Trustees of the M.E. Church South, Dresden Station, the following described goods and chattels;-

One pipe organ of the Mochler Organ Company Type and now located on Mississippi Avenue in the City of Memphis, Tennessee.

To have and to hold the said goods and chattel forever to itself, its assigns and successors in office.

We covenant with the said grantees that there are no incumbrances on the same; that we have good right to sell the same as aforesaid and that we will awarant and defend the title thereto against the lawful claims of all persons whomsoever forever.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the 17th day of April, 1923.

J.W. Morgan

Chairman

I, C.S. Partridge, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the M.E. Church South, South Side Station, do certify that J.W. Morgan is chairman of the said Board of Trustees, that the above is his signature and that the minutes of the meeting of the Board of Trustees for April 15th, 1923 contain the necessary authority for his act in disposing of the said property herein conveyed.

C.S. Partridge, Secty

Letter to Rev. S.L. Jewell

Memphis, Tenn,

Apr 18, 1923

Rev. S.L. Jewell-

Dresden, Tenn.

Dear Bro. Jewell,

Inclosed find bill of sale for organ, which was drawn by our lay leader, a young lawyer of our congregation.  We will increase insurance to $2000, as per your request and write you when it is done.

Am hoping all will come out well, Mr. Lilley is to write you about the current, the motor etc.

I think you would do well to have someone who could look after the care of it while in storage there specially instructed by whoever packs it here.  Mr. Lilley charges $20.00 but furnishes his own help. As he is the Mohler agent here, I think he would take special pains to pack and ship in good order,

Yours Always,

J.J. Thomas

1897 Belmont College School of Physical Culture

Here's another piece of school ephemera.  This one is from Belmont College's School of Physical Culture and is dated May 20, 1897.  "Miss Moran" is one of the accompanists for the evening.  If I had to guess which Miss Moran I'd say it was Ida Moran.  She was the much more accomplished pianist of the family.

School of Physical Culture
Director:  Miss Anna Pugh Rolffs

Belmont College Chapel
Thursday Evening, May the twentieth
eighteen hundred and ninety-seven
at eight o'clock

Programme

Sextette--Amusement Tyrolienne...................................Oeslen
  Misses McDaniel, Worthen, Avery, Hume, White and Lindsay.

1.  Club Swinging--     Class
   SOLO- Walther's Prieslied........................................Wagner

2. Pantomime-- "Seven Times Three"............................Jean Ingelow
                                     Class.

3. Scarf Fantastics--
    Lolla McKean,     Gertrude Temple,      Minnie Leonard,
       Jeannette Tatum,       Margaret McEwen,
    Augusta Gillman,     Dora Atterbury,    Rebecca Tigrette
                     Margaret Heaslip
   Duet--"La Gitana"............................................................Holst
             Misses Duke and McDaniel

4.  Fancy Club Swinging---
                                   Miss Lindsay.

5.  Attitudes--
   (a) Welcome, (b) Triumph, (c) Listening, (d) Seeing, (e) Pointing, (f) Abhorrence,
  (g) Delence, (h) Horror, (i) Fear, (j) Supplication, (k) Resignation, (l) Admiration,
   (m) Joy, (n) Dancing, (o) Sorrow, (p) Anguish, (q) Prayer, (r) Rest, (s) Imitation,
   (t) Rejection, (n) Boasting, (v) Bashfulness, (w) Farewell.
                                         Class.
      SOLO --"The Swallow".......................................Northrup
                        Miss Ingate.
      SONG--"Schwabian Maiden"...............................Prich
                          Miss Hale

6.  Hoop Drill---
                                Class.
       TRIO--Polonaise.................................................Dietrich
                  Misses Atterbury, McKean and Henderson.

7.  Pantomime--"The Lotus Eaters"...............................Alfred Tennyson
Left Group:                          Center Group:                            Right Group:
Grace Potter                            Mabel Loda                              Gertrud Temple,
Tillie Winkler                            May Dewhurst                          Ellie Mai Porter
Rebecca Tigrette                      Amelia Rector                           Myrtle Rosenfield
                                                 Sue Knox
                                                Elizabeth Russell

Accompanists: Misses Napier and Moran

Virginia Lee Garrett Koehler

Update November 9, 2012 - I have identified the wedding picture for the Garrett-Koehler wedding of  1924.  It can be viewed here.

Virginia Lee GARRETT was the daughter of Finis James GARRETT and Elizabeth Harris BURNS making her a cousin of the Moran's.  Virginia married Benjamin Gund KOEHLER of Nebraska on June 5, 1924 in her hometown of Dresden Tennessee.

Miss Garrett Becomes Bride of Mr. Koehler

A wedding of interest throughout Tennessee and in Washington, D.C., was that of Miss Virginia Lee Garrett, daughter of Representative and Mrs. Finis James Garrett of Dresden, Tenn., to Mr. Ben G. Koehler, of Lincoln, Neb., solemnized yesterday evening at 6 o'clock at the Methodist Episcopal Church at Dresden, with Rev. S. L. JEWELL officiating in the presence of an auspicious assembly.

The handsome new church was artistically decorated with mammoth white chrysanthemums, palms and ferns.  Rows of cathedral candelabra in which gleamed white tapers added a final touch to the impressive scene.

Preceding the entrance of the bridal party a programme of nuptial music was rendered with miss Gerster NEAL of Dyersburg, Tenn., presiding at the organ, Mrs. L.E. HOLLADAY, of Dresden, sang "My Dear," Mrs. James C. BURNS, of McKenzie sang "The Sweetest Story Ever Told," and Mmes. Jas. C. BURNS and Turner C. CANNON sang "Until."  Lohengrin's processional announced the entrance of the bridal group.  For the recessional Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" was used.

The bride, who was given in marriage by her father, was beautiful in her wedding gown of white satin made basque waist, bouffant skirt with trimmings of Princess lace and veil of lace falling in graceful folds full length of her court train.  She carried a shower bouquet of Bride's roses and valley lilies.

Miss Reba DOUGHTON, of Laurel Springs, N.C. who served as maid of honor, wore a beautiful model of gold lace over cloth of gold and carried an arm bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums.

Mrs. Irvin A. CLEMENT, of Memphis, attended the bride as matron of honor, wearing a gown of yellow chiffon in straight line model caught at the sides with clusters of handmade French flowers.

The bridesmaids, Misses Elise and Rozelle MAYO and Eleanor McCUAN, wore charming frocks of yellow chiffon trimmed in ostrich and carried arm bouquets of giant yellow chrysanthemums.

Master Edwin REGINALD and Miss Cara COSTEN opened for the lovely bride the bridal gates, followed by by Misses Katherine COSTEN and Mary Lee REGINALD, bearing the pillows for prayer.  master Nathan Harrell MORAN followed, bearing the wedding ring in the heart of a rose.  The little flower girl, Carolyn CANNON, daintily dressed in a frock of yellow chiffon, with gold trimmings, scattered rose petals from a basket of gold in the path of the bride.

Mr. KOEHLER had as his best man, his brother, Mr. John KOEHLER, of Geneva, Neb. Groomsmen were Messrs. B.P. MOORE, Jr., of Memphis, Burns GARRETT, brother of the bride, John JETER, of Dresden, and James C. BURNS, of McKenzie.

Following the ceremony a reception was held at the home of the bride's parents where members of the bridal party assisted Representative and Mrs. Garrett in receiving the guests.

Mr. and Mrs. Koehler left for an extensive bridal trip including visits to Chicago, Omaha and Lincoln, Neb., after which they will be at home to their friends at Cottage Grove, Ore.

The out-of-town guests included:  Mrs. Bartholda KOEHLER and Mr. John KOEHLER, of Geneva, Neb.: Miss Reba DOUGHTON, of Laurel Springs, N.C.; Mr. and Mrs. Irvin A CLEMENT, of Memphis, Mrs. Duke C. BOWERS and Mrs. Georgie WILLIAMSON, of Memphis; Mrs. James J. MILLER, Union City, Tenn.; Mrs. Frank HALL, Nashville, Tenn; Mr. and Mrs. Frank BURNS, of Columbus, Ohio; Mrs. Sherman PYLE, Ardmore Okla; Miss Gerster NEAL, Dyersburg, Tenn.; Mrs. Charlie COBB (Marion MORAN) Union City Tenn; Mr. and Mrs. James T. BURNS, of McKenzie, grandparents of the bride; Mr. and Mrs. Turner C. CANNON, of McKenzie and a large number of relatives and friends from Martin, McKenzie and Greenfield, Tenn.

I also came across this letter she sent to the Moran family on June 21, 1968, after learning of the death of her cousin, James Henderson Moran III.

21 June

Geneva

Dear MORAN Family

I feel frustrated as I have not been able to reach you by phone-----and kept thinking I could!  So have not written either.  Please forgive, but where is everyone? I have called Dresden, Kansas City, Kingsport and Pittsford, at various intervals and no answers.

Of course I did not know of Jim's death for a couple of weeks.  ? had seen it in the papers and relayed to me.

At any rate I have been thinking of all of you.  The inevitable catches up with all of us eventually but as long as friends and children of Jim's are left on this earth

he will be remembered with joy.  Certainly all of you have meant a great deal to me through the years and I do send love and sympathy to each of the dear Morans.

Sincerely,

Virginia

Virginia Garrett Koehler had called Dresden because that's where Virginia Shumate Moran, Jim's widow, was living.  Kansas City is where Nathan H. Moran and his family were living. Nathan was the middle child of Virginia and Jim and was also the ringbearer at Virginia and Ben's wedding.  Kingsport is where James H. Moran the IV was living with his family.  He was the eldest child.  And the youngest child and only daughter Louise Moran was living in Pittsford with her husband Robert Wrisley Atkins.