Click on Richard 's picture to see it full size! .....

Congratulations to Richard A. Colburn, Sr.

Completes book on church history ... 1841-2007

EAST CHARLESTON - The Plymouth Congregational Church wishes to congratulate Richard A. Colburn, Sr. on his completion of a new church history book covering the years 1841 to 2007.

He worked for two years collecting, organizing, and typing church history and meeting records.  His diligence and hard work have resulted in a volume of 378 pages entitled The History of a Country Church.

The book includes many photos and the first chapter contains a history written by James W. Henderson in 1981; Chapter 12 has a list of weddings and funerals at the church.  The book offers a wonderful glimpse into the past of the local church spiritual and social life.

Richard is grateful to those who assisted him on the computer:  Allan Wooley, Peggy Gray, and Sarah Colburn.  Church members helped to proofread the book, and Ilene Douglas and Rosemary Miller served on the Book Committee.  The cover design was by GiGi O'Connor, and publisher is Civil War Enterprises.  The book is available either in hardcover or softcover.

Richard will be available at a book signing at the church picnic hosted by Ilene Douglas and Allan Wooley on Sunday, August 17, and at the East Charleston Country Store on Saturday morning, August we.

Books are also available every Sunday following the 10:00 a.m. worship service at the Plymouth Church.  Contact Richard Colburn, Sr. or Pastor Richard A. Miller for more information or to purchase a book.

Richard A. Colburn, Sr. (pictured) has completed The History of a Country Church, East Charleston, VT. 1841-2007, which chronicles the life and times of the church building located in East Charleston on the corner of Route 1105 and Church Hill Road.  The building has been home to the Plymouth Congregational Church for over 100 years, but in the early years, in addition to  Congregationalists, it was used by The Free Will Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, Universalist and the East Charleston Reform Society.
	(Click on the image to see  it full size.)

In a letter to Paul Gardner dated November 24, 2008, Richard writes:  "I am including a news clipping of the article about the book I have compiled.  The Gardner's and Lang's are mentioned frequently in the early days.  The softcovers are $30.00 by mail and the hardcovers are $40.00 by mail.  It has 378 pages."

To order your copy contact Richard A. Colburn, Sr.
                                             Charleston Historical Society
                                             P.O. Box 46
                                             East Charleston, VT  05833

Dear Paul,

Thank you so much for sending the newsletter to us.

I remember that Adelbert helped my father in haying in about 1940.  I was jealous of what he could do.  (I was three years younger.) He could drive the horses and load hay behind the hay loader.  That was a job that I had not yet learned.  I was 13 and he was 16, so that made a difference!

I liked Adelbert a lot!

Best Wishes,

Richard Colburn, Sr.

Try to take more precautions here at home.  Some, or perhaps many, terrorists are right here in the U.S.  If the total population of Afghanistan were wiped out, there would be still an element here to attack us.  If we attack them they here at home would retaliate, perhaps with chemical weapons or biological.

I am coping and dealing with this national tragedy (along with my family and friends) by ...

   .... praying and (as usual) attending church services every week.

   I have never traveled far from the N. E. Kingdom and I surely don't intend to in the future.  I am very comfortable to stay right here at home!

Who is Richard A. Colburn, Sr.?

Richard Colburn is the treasurer of the Charleston Historical Society and is well known by the Original Gang of Ten.  He is an honorary subscriber to the Gardner Newsletter and regularly attends the Plymouth Congregational Church in East Charleston, Vermont.  In fact, he would like to clear up a few misconceptions that might have arisen from the publication of our story on the two churches in East Charleston.   Here is a copy of his letter written to Paul Gardner dated September 26, 2001.

Dear Paul,

I have filled out your questionnaire with the best remarks that I have.

I talked with Nita last week at our combined Plymouth and Nazarene church service which was on the 16th.  We talked about the article she wrote for the "Gardner Newsletter."  The article was well done, but perhaps it might lead some people to think that we were for the 50 or more years between 1946 and 2001 having liberal preachers the whole time.  That was not the case.

We had Rev. Paul Willard, Rev. Robert MacKay, lay preacher Forrest Lasnier, Rev. George Kern, and lastly, Rev. Anne Squire.  Rev. Squire was here seven years and she always preached from the Bible and was well liked.

In 2000 when the State of Vermont and its liberal administration decided to push the civil union issue and the legislature being made up of out-of-state liberals passed the law, that is when people took sides.  Rev. Squire, in her sermons at the time came out in favor of civil rights and particularly civil unions.  The congregation was upset and a few were on her side.

We took a vote forbidding homosexuals or lesbians from being married in the church.  It passed 14-3.  Things went down hill after this; and without much of a warning, (two weeks) she wrote in the church bulletin that she was leaving.  Not even a verbal announcement!

I hope you keep up the "Newsletter" and also I would like to meet you when you come up this way.  We are having a history of Charleston written and it should be done by 2003.  The Town will be celebrating its 200th anniversary then.  I hope you and your family will contribute some of the Gardner family history.

Sincerely, Richard

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