Published: October 06, 2009 07:38 am      

Step Back in Time

Step Back in Time features community news from The Daily Star from 25 and 50 years ago.

25 years ago

Oct. 6, 1984

BOVINA CENTER _ The congregation of United Presbyterian Church in this little crossroads hamlet will celebrate a 175th anniversary of its organization on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 13-14.

The clapboard church, with its ornate stained glass windows, is the last one left in the village. Henry Monroe said there used to two others _ Methodist and Reformed Presbyterian _ which were both torn down about 50 years ago. The Reformed church was reconstructed on the Worden farm and is now a barn while the Methodist building was dismantled, but never reassembled.

The first church was built in 1815 at the Bovina cemetery, about a half mile east of the hamlet of Bovina Center. The rough carpenter's workbench was used as a pulpit for years.

In 1849, the present church building was erected. In 1852, the old church was dismantled and moved to DeLancey to become the building for the United Presbyterians there.

"There used to be about 400 people in the congregation," said 88 year-old Henry Monroe. "Now there are about 176, I understand. "Fletcher Davidson, 89, is a member and also one of the oldest living World War I veterans locally; Isabelle Russell, 87, still has a hand in running her family's general store across the street from the church; and the oldest member, 95-year-old Evelyn Thompson, who joined in 1904, still travels from the Hearthstone nursing home in Hobart to participate in church functions.

Returning for the celebration will be three former pastors: Rev. John Kloepfer, Rev. Robert Hammer and Rev. Carl Keefer.

50 years ago

Oct. 6, 1959

The No Putter Club at Oneonta Country Club has three new members _ Henry A. Bunn, young John W. Gallagher, and Bucky Grygiel.

Bunn scored a hole-in-one Saturday on the 140-yard 10th hole while playing with Warren G. Farrington, John M. Bell and Dave Tillman.

Gallagher, 17, holed the longest putt of the year but didn't use a putter. On the 525-yard 18th hole Johnny hooked his drive into a grove of pines and had to pitch out with a seven-iron, getting only about 40 yards. Then, standing 240 yards from the green, he swung smoothly with a No. 2 wood and holed out for an eagle 3 on the par 5 hole.

Grygiel laced a drive about 305 yards off the 12th tee and was left with a 20-yard approach shot. With a wedge he holed out for an eagle 2. Look, fellas, no putter!

Bucky also got an eagle 2 on the 265 yard ninth hole but this time he used a putter. His drive carried onto the elevated green and he dropped the putt for the deuce.