SUBMITTED BY GAIL ARNOTT

People visit outside the Foothills Bible Fellowship Church in Wessington Springs during the June 23-24 Wessington Springs College, High School and Acadmy reunion. Over 250 people attended the event.

Foothills Bible Fellowship – formerly Free Methodist Church- in Wessington Springs, SD, celebrated its 125th anniversary June 22-24. From coast to coast and border to border over 250 friends, faculty, staff, and alumni of WS College and Academy converged at the hillside community to honor their Christ-centered heritage that began in 1887 with the founding of the Free Methodist Church and the Seminary that was to become WS College and Academy. The College closed in 1964 and the Academy in 1968.

Highlights included: greetings and blessings from Dr. Bruce and Kay Kline – former

TRUE DAKOTAN PHOTO/DUKE
THERE WERE ROOMS full of memorabilia at the Foothills Bible Fellowship Church relating to the WS College, High School, and Academy. This banner and letter jacket along with others were in the coat room.
Upstairs a room full of old yearbooks and pictures would bring back many memories. One of the items was a record the college produced in the 1960s entitled “Glorious Freedom.” The choir had a tour bus and traveled all over the region sharing their music. Part of the reunion featured a reunion choir made up of some of those Glorious Freedom tour members and others from other eras. The choir performed Sunday morning at a special worship service where former student Thomas Ramundo, WSA 1966, gave the talk. The church is currently served by Rev. Don Grubb and his wife April.

College Dean and faculty, and Hal & Kathy Hoxie – president of Central Christian College of Kansas; celebration worship services with Sylvia Harden Wolcott playing marimba, piano, and conducting the alumni choir, sermon on “Finishing Strong” by Rev. Thomas Ramundo (Superintendent of S. Michigan Conference), Becky Keller Leslie at the organ, special music by Dean Beguhl, Billie Sargent, Susan & Gail Arnott, Barb Clark Ziblut, Nate & Pris Osborn Thompson; and a memorial service for longtime pastor Rev. DJ Rogers led by his family. Shakespeare Garden Society presented the play “Facing the Future Unafraid” written by Kay Kline 50 years ago, and directed by Kathy Dean in the 1905 Opera House – the play commemorates the lives of Clark and Emma Shay, the founders of the Shakespeare Garden & Anne Hathaway Cottage. Twila Balster Zastrow and Jackie Borszich, both alumni, donated a handmade quilt and prints of an original painting of the college administration building which were auctioned at the event.

Event coordinators were Pastor Don and April Grubb, Twila Zastrow, Joan Bourk Corr, Gail and Susan Arnott, and Lanita Quastad – Central Christian College. Many in the congregation and local community joined their efforts to make the remembrance a rewarding, praise-filled celebration of the enduring power of our loving God.

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