A Pump with a Bright Tin Pump
Kathleen Aiken's Memories of Englewood, Ohio and the Fairview Brethren in Christ Church

Introduction

During the late 1980s, Kathleen Aiken wrote a series of reminiscences about growing up in a rural Brethren in Christ church. Her memories are scattered nuggets and insights into Brethren in Christ life during the first quarter of the twentieth century that were written for the Fairview (Ohio) Brethren in Christ monthly newsletter. She called her column “Reminiscence Corner.” In 1996, she sent copies to E. Morris Sider, who was then the archivist at Messiah College, with the disclaimer that her vignettes were “not a history.”¹ Kathleen’s memories include detailed reflections of life in a rural Brethren in Christ church during the early twentieth century. They provide insightful perspectives on church life in other congregations within the denomination.

Kathleen’s vignettes were among Fairview church papers in the Brethren in Christ Historical Library and Archives and reflect her lifelong love for artistic things.² They fall roughly into the following categories: a) people, b) activities, and c) places and happenings. I edited none of her writing other than occasional typographical and grammatical/spelling errors. I precede each of her recollections with short notes from my research.

Background

Born October 2, 1909 to Montfer and Maud Free, Kathleen was the second of five children.³ As a child, she and her family attended Fairview Brethren in Christ in Englewood, Ohio.⁴ Kathleen lived the majority of her life in Englewood and remained a lifelong member of the Fairview congregation.

Read the rest here:

1. Kathleen Aiken, letter to E. Morris Sider, 1996. [↩]
2. Luann Haines Robinson to author, September 13, 2025. Although exact dates are unknown, Luann Haines Robinson believes “Reminiscence Corner” appeared during the late 1980s. [↩]
3. Kathleen Aiken obituary: Dayton Daily News, September 27, 2000, 16; 1910, 1920 and 1930 United States census, Clark County, Ohio. Hereafter, census citations will be abbreviated using the year and US census. [↩]
4. Fairview Brethren in Christ Church Sunday school record books, Brethren in Christ Historical Library and Archives, Mechanicsburg, PA Hereafter, citations will be abbreviated as Fairview Church Sunday school records. Citations to the Archives will be abbreviated as BIC Archives. [↩]