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Pownal Church Bell Dedicated to Centenarian PastorBy Jen Thomas - May 19, 2008
iBerkshires Staff
 | | Isabelle King, left, is greeted at the dedication at Pownal Center Community Church. |
POWNAL, Vt. — A bout of rain and cold weather didn't stop more than a dozen well wishers from gathering outside the Center Community Church on Sunday afternoon to honor the Rev. Isabelle King, a dedicated preacher and tireless advocate for the church.
Members of the congregation joined current pastor the Rev. Lise Boulerice and Select Board member Stephen Kauppi to dedicate a restored church bell to King, who preached at the Center Community Church into the 1960s. King, who celebrated her 100th birthday last October, became known as "the beggar" when she was the parish's pastor, because of her commitment to raising money for the church's various repairs.
The 19th-century, cast-iron bell sat beneath the church stairs for more than 50 years after it was removed from the steeple in the 1950s. Constructed in the late 1800s, the bell was discovered after Kauppi received a call from King about the bell's existence.
"I thought, 'My God, it's been under here for 50 years or more. It shouldn't be. People should be able to see it,'" said Kauppi.
The bell, which was donated to King at the time it was taken down from the steeple, was broken and cracked when Kauppi pulled it from the church. With the help of L & G Fabrications in Bennington, Kauppi restored the historical artifact and worked with the church to erect it on the front lawn.
"I grew up in this town and, as little kids, I remember [King] teaching us a lot. It's a nice touch for the town and it's nice to have it in the reverend's honor," Kauppi said.
The bell rests on a steel frame anchored in cement on the front lawn of the church, located next to Town Hall. (The crumbling steeple was removed nearly two years ago and now sits beside awaiting restoration.)
During the dedication ceremony on Sunday, Boulerice praised King for her years of service and her unwavering faith.
"If they ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for God but it tolls in honor of Rev. King," said Boulerice.
King, who was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland, moved to the United States in 1930, when she was 22 years old. She came to the Berkshires after preaching in New York and Boston, where she raised two children — David and Rae. She now lives in North Adams and has three grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
"You came out in the rain and you didn't seem to care and I thank you," King told the small crowd following the service. "When I left Scotland, I left a beautiful country but I came to another beautiful country."
"There is no more beautiful place than Pownal Center where we now stand. I thank God for the day I came out here. I am proud of this church and I am proud of the way you kept it up."
Boulerice said the bell was a nice compliment to the church and could be regarded as a "witness."
"The bell is a symbol for the people of God to have," she said. |
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