Pastors of Peoples Number 7

Pastors of Peoples Number 7

1930-1938 Charles Oscar Perry Pastor Perry left a lasting impression on Peoples in that his daughter who married David Hoyt for most of their adult years remained members of Peoples, bringing up their three children; Charles, Jean and Laurel while here. At the time of his death in March 1964 Reverend Perry was the oldest member of the Maine Conference. He died while living with grandson Charles who was then serving a parish at Warehouse Point in Connecticut. Charles had begun his ministerial career serving churches in Vanceboro and Hampden in Maine. Mr. Perry had been born in Farmington on July 5, 1874 and grew up in Skowhegan eventually graduating from Kents Hill College (Served as a Methodist seminary at the time). Ironically, Mr. Perry worked in industry rising to foreman before the Lord called him to serve. The irony was that his first appointment was to the churches in Starks and the town of Industry. Reverend Perry married Laura Mae MacNeill after having met the lass from Prince Edward Island, Canada, at her brother’s home in Madison, Maine. They were married on June 28, 1828. Mr. Perry served a number of Western Maine parishes including East Livermore and Gorham, NH before arriving at Kennebunk then Peoples in South Portland. After serving at Peoples Reverend Perry completed his active ministerial career at Old Orchard then Saco. After retirement he supplied the Bridgeton church for another three years. Lawrence Porter who served Peoples in the early 1950’s described Reverend Perry as a" winner of souls and a faithful preacher". He identified himself with the evangelistic work of the Maine Conference and was the inspiration that led grandson Charles into the ministry. In time Mrs. Perry became the President of the state organization of the Ladies Aid Society. In later years this organization became known as the WSCS (Women’s Society of Christian Service) and then the United Methodist Women. The whole family, including the following generation, was very active in the temperance movement through the WCTU. Elsie and her husband Dave in their time at Peoples were active state wide in the same types of activities.

1938-1942 Walter H. Cass Reverend Cass followed C.O. Perry to the pulpit at Peoples Church. Certainly his appointment while relatively short because of his untimely death left a lasting impression on the life of Peoples. Married to E. Marion Cass, they had two children; Elaine who served as a nurse in Blue Hill and Dr. Malcolm who became a well-known local optometrist. Relative to the life of the church Malcolm and his wife Hildreth (Hillie) have been significant to the life of Peoples. Malcolm became the organist, playing first in 1938 and then after World War II serving as the only organist and choir director that most members of Peoples have known in well over the last half-century. Reverend Cass served as the leader of the flock in the last years prior to World War II and into the war years. The church struggled for parishioners in the time when the South Portland Shipyard was devastating housing by taking land that it needed in the eastern end of the city. Closing off Preble Street and moving or razing over 170 houses had a tremendous effect on the membership of Peoples. Reverend Cass was one of the last pastors to live at 94 Broadway. He died suddenly while on his way to a meeting of pastors at Clark Memorial on Pleasant Avenue in Portland. Rushed by police ambulance to Maine General he was pronounced dead upon arrival. His death was a tremendous shock to the parish. Reverend Cass had been born in England in 1886 and was educated there. He served as a licensed preacher of Methodist Church of England. He came to the United States and shortly after arrival was admitted to the former Eastern Maine Conference. Like many other pastors that would eventually serve Peoples he began his career at Columbia Falls and Indian River followed by Pembroke and First Church Calais. Reverend Cass then served in Bucksport and Orland, followed by Brownville Junction, Bar Harbor and Old Orchard Beach. It was only after that long series of appointments did the Casses come to Peoples. Reverend Cass served the Maine Conference on the board of ministerial training and was serving as the treasurer of the conference at the time of his death. In community affairs he joined the Masons while still in England and continued that affiliation until his death. He was the President of the Greater Portland Methodist Ministers at the time of his death.e al

1942 Charles H. Davis Pastor Davis served for a short time as an interim pastor. It was to Pastor Davis parish, Clark Memorial in Portland that Reverend Cass was going to a meeting when he passed away. Pastor Davis was asked by the Conference to serve both churches until a permanent pastor might be appointed to the pulpit full-time. He had entered the ministry in 1903, had spent more time in the New England Conference than in Maine. After serving in the Portland area he returned to the New England Conference.

1942-1945 Ray Stevenson: Ray Stevenson, having already retired, came to us from the California Conference. He was the second interim pastor after the passing of Reverend Walter Cass. While he was assigned to this church for a nearly three year period some say he was not happy and missed the warmth of the California sun. Even before Reverend Stevenson and his short-term predecessor took over, Ernest R. Robinson, the District Superintendent, supplied the church for a brief time. Mrs. Cass, the widow of Walter and the mother of Malcolm was permitted to continue living in the parsonage at 94 Broadway, therefore, additional accommodations had to be acquired for Reverend Stevenson. A home was rented on Pine Street near the Robinson homestead for this purpose. Mr. Stevenson had a unique method of performing baptisms, by using a rose, which he dipped, in the baptismal font and then using it to touch the one being baptized. Hillie Cass reported that Pastor Stevenson married she and Malcolm and that he ministered well while here yet happy to eventually return to the warmer climes of southern California. Originally Pastor Stevenson had entered ministry in 1910 in the Northwest Indiana Conference then to the New England Conference before coming to Maine where he only served for this stint at Peoples. His wife, Margaret Wood had come from Walpole, Massachusetts, where he spent some earlier time serving parishioners in that town. Margaret suffered from a debilitating illness that called for Pastor Stevenson to accept the status of supernumerary in order that he might attend to his wife’s needs. She passed away on January 10, 1952. Pastor Stevenson died on March 31, 1954.

1945-1948 H. Travers Smith Travers Smith began his ministerial career as an assistant pastor in the Orrington Circuit in 1937, followed by short placements in Mattawamkeag and Prospect Harbor before a three year stint at the Norway Methodist Church. It was during this time that Travers was still receiving his theological education at Boston University. He was received fully into the Maine Conference in 1944. Shortly thereafter Travis came to Peoples and served from 1945 to 1949. These were tumultuous years at Peoples. It was during this time that the old church in the village was found to be in such bad physical shape that a move to another location was in order. After looking at a number of sites the location at 310 Broadway was chosen for its proximity to the old church and yet in a location that was thought to be obvious. During the intervening years while the new church was built the congregation rented what was known as the Townshend Club until the new church was ready. It was during this time that Travers was the shepherd chosen by the Lord and the conference to lead the lambs of the parish. When the church was built and the parishioners had made their move it was time for the Conference to move a man that had become beloved by the parish. Travis was moved from Peoples to Clark Memorial in Portland for 7 years, to Presque Isle for one, Auburn for four and Orono for two. Reverend Smith was then returned to the Southern District where he became Superintendent of the District from 1965-71. From 1956-1964 he served as the secretary for events during the annual meeting of the Maine Conference. After serving in the capacity of District Superintendent, Travers was appointed to the Waterville United Methodist Church where he served until 1976. In the following year he took a sabbatical and then semi-retired to his home at Bell Hill near Norway, Maine. His last appointment was to serve the Waterford Church until his official retirement in 1981.
Travers wife, Kathryn, known lovingly as Kit was one of our special guests at the 50th anniversary celebration of the present sanctuary celebrated in 1998. The Smiths had one son, Edson. After living in Bell Hill for a number of years the Smiths moved to a condominium in North Hampton, N.H.
Travers passed away on February 2, 1994. He had been born on October 8, 1916. Kit was born on July 13,1920 and passed away in Durham, NH on January 27, 2002.