The Preacher and His T-Model Fords
By LARRY W. MULL
Rev. Thadeus F. Deitz, 78, a na
tive of Jackson county, is no doubt
one of Western Carolina's oldest,
best-known and beloved ministers,
and perhaps the only man in Jack
son county who ^n boast of never
having dt^en any tyjie of car ex
cept a Model-T Ford. "In fact,"
he says, "I wouldn't have any kind
of car but^a Model-T." The one
^owir-irTpicture, a 1925 model, is
.^.^e fourth one owned by Rev. Mr.
Deitz. He has been driving them
since they were first invented.
The story connected with Rev.
Deitz and his antique Ford reads
as fantastically as a fairy tale. He
has perhaps preached more ser
mons, attended more funerals,
e. people, and pulled
more "stalled" cars from mud holes'
than any preacher in this part of
the State. His maternal ancestors
were English, his mother being
Mira Buchanan. His paternal an
cestors were German. His grand
father, with three or four brothers,
came from Germany to Pennsyl
vania. One branch of the family
trekked south with a wave of pio
neer settlers and took up a home
in Western North Carolina.
Rev> Deitz, since his retirement
as pastor of Scotts Creek Baptist
church in 1942 where he served
for more than 20 years, is supply
pastor to Baptist churches through,
out Western North Carolina. He
began his career at the ago of fif
teen, being elected at that time
as superintendent of his Sunday
School. He had few advantages of
education, 18 months schooling be
ing about all he had. He studied
home arithmetic, did not finish
Reed and Kellog's Grammar, and
was in the third reader when he
had to quit school. Rev. Deitz, one
of the most popular ministers of
this section, and an entertaining
speaker, is self-educated, by con
stant reading and studying during
his spare hours.
At the age of 18 he married the
former Miss Theresa Cowan of
Jackson county. In these days of
hasty marriage and quick divorce,
it is most refreshing to hear Rev.
Deitz tell the love story of his life.
-He said: remember-the first day
I ever saw her?a little thing six
years old, in a little white dress.
I loved her that day and I've loved
her ever since. We went to school
together, we professed religion the
same day at the same churclj^ we
were baptized the same day by the
same preacher, and joined the
same church on the same day and,"
with a laugh?"we were married
the same day."
About the time of his marriage
Rev. Deitz began to preach?to
"exercise in public," as he ex
pressed it. He also continued his
studies alone at home, buying what
books he could and taking advan
tage of every opportunity to im
prove himself, studying the ser
mons of famous ministers and their
works.
On ore occasion, before the first
Model-T was invented, after his
first effort to preach in his home
church, Savannah Creek Baptist,
Rev. Deitz went by train for a
visit to Boone Valley, a region on
the outskirts of_the_Great Smoky
Mountains National Park and on
Hazel Creek, leaving his wife and
small baby at home. He went by
train to ^ishnell, then walked to
Wife Preservers
Nothing will so quickly cause coffee
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lutely clean. Fill the pot with soapy
water immediately alter usinjr, arvi let
stand until you wash the dishes. Wash
among the first or '.he Jishns arvi oc
casionally ?upj 'he uai*> wag
ing by boiling wiu. ?aui.
When Your
Back Hurts
And Your Strength and
Energy Is Below Par
It may be caused by disorder of kid*
n??y function that permits poisonous
wast# to accumulate. For truly many
people feet tired, weak and miserable
when the kidneys fail to remove excess
acids and other waate matter from the
biood.
You may suffer nsgging backache,
rheumatic pains, headaches, dizziness,
Setting up nights, leg pains, swelling,
o me times frequent ana scanty urina
tion with smsrting and burning la an
other sign thst somsthlng is wrong with
the kidneys or bladder.
There should be no doubt that prompt
treatment is wiaer than neglect. Uee
Doan'* Pill*. It is better to rely on s
medicine that has won eountrywfde ap
Eroval than on something law favorably
nown. Doan'n havs been tried and test
ed many years. Are at all drug stores.
Cet Doon t today.
OANlPlLLS
Boone Valley, a distance of possi-:
bly 25 miles as the road now runs..
At that time "Uncle" Josh Cal
houn, of pioneer fame, and Benton
Cook were holding a series of re
vival meetings. Some one told
them that Mr. Deitz was there and
that he "exercised in public," so
the young man was called upon to
preach. He demurred, feeling his
inadequacy in the presence of such
able men who were so much older
than he, but finally he consented.
He talked to the people on "The
Prodigal Son," and then called for
penitents. Four or five answered
his entreaty. He preached again
the next night and five more came,
to the altar. The building in which
he spoke was a log school house,
18 by 20 feet?the Boone Valley
School and Church. A full page
photograph of this little church was
published in Horace Kephart's
"Our Southern Highlanders."
From this meeting Rev. Deitz
walked to his home near Sylva, ap
proximately 60 miles. Leaving
Boone Valley he walked through
the Gap to the head of Forney's
Creek, through the mountains to
Bushnell, up the railroad tracks to
Alarka Creek, through the moun
tains to Greens Creek and on to
Savannah. In those days there were
no easily-trod roads, no fine high
ways, and no^ cars of any kind.
There were only rough trails and
"dancing" log bridges. On arriving
at his home he ate supper and went
on two more miles to his church
where he conducted prayer-meet
ing and walked back home. This
amount of travel required about a
day and a half. Thus began the
career of this man of God, a born
orator of unusual capacity; em
phatically a moiintain man, pos
j sessing the characteristics of the
best specimen of typical moun
taineers, and the ability to make
a name for himself in spite of
meagre advantages. Rev. M r.
Deitz is yet a brilliant mtin at the
age of 78, well versed in the Bible,
thoroughly grounded in English,
fluent in speaking, and equipped
with a copious vocabulary upon
which he draws with astonishing
ease.
When the first Model-T Ford
went on display, Rev. Deitz bought
a touring car?without a starter.
When the starter was invented, he
traded for his third Model-T, a
sedan, but misfortune overtook
him one night after he had re
turned from a meeting in Bryson
City. About midnight a neighbor
knocked on the door of the Deitz
home s.nd said his family had de
tected a heavy cloud of smoke
coming from their garage. Mem
bers o? the family gathered buck
ets and tried to extinguish the
roaring^ames. Having to carry
water several yards, the fire of
undetermined origin had gained
too much headway to get under
control, and the Model-T Ford
burned, leaving Rev. Deitz in the
same handicap he experienced
when he first began to "exercise
in public." That was in the year
of 1924.
Rev. Deitz, who was ordained
to full sanctions of the Gospel
ministry in July, 1891, has pas
tored churches at East Fork, Dills
boro, Zion Hill, Savannah, Scotts
Creek, Hamburg, Love Dale, and
Acre Hill, all in Jackson county;
Shady Grove, Bethel and Little
Brasstown in Clay; Mountain
Grove, Wataga; Liberty and Oak
Grove in Macon; nine years at the
Andrews Baptist church at An
drews; Cherokee county, Brass
town; Macedonia church in Union
county, Ga.; and Knoxville, Ten
nessee, where he was asked to re
turn.
Because of the love gener
osity of Rev. Deitz's friends and
neighbors, especially members of
the churches he pastored, they
went t'o work in securing donations
and purchased the 1925 model
Ford he drives today. Even though
it is an antique prize, it still looks
like new and is in good condition.
The man who owned the car. prior
to Rev. Deitz lived in Andrews. At
first he refused to sell because he
wanted to keep the Ford for his
son, but after hearing about Rev.
Deitz's misfortune, agreed to sell
and the Ford was brought to Jack
son county where it has been a
familiar antique in Sylva and
Jackson county in looks but not
in service.
When asked if the Model-T used
much gas Rev. Deitz said: "Not on
your lire! In fact I think I can
average more miles Cn the gallon
of gas than you can with your 1946
model.
Rev. and Mrs. Deitz celebrated
their 61st -wedding anniversary
earlier this year. "A ride ,in the
Model-T makes the occasion hap
pier," he said. "I am happier to
day than when we were young
together," he continued, "because
we have each other, and the two
of us still have our Model-T Ford."
Home Demonstration Club
At Qualla Elects Officers
For '47 At February Meet
- Officers for 1947 were elected at
the February meeting of the Qual
la Home Demonstration club which
was held at the home of Mrs.
Crawford Shelton, hostess to the
group. Those elected to serve were
Mrs. Golman Kinsland,"president;
Mrs. Crawford Shelton, vice-presi
dent; and Mrs. Emerson Cathey,
secretary. All project leaders will
remain the same as last year.
Hiss Helen Sossamon, home
demonstration agent for Jackson
county, was present at the meeting
and gave a demonstration on roll
making.
Mrs. Shelton served delicious re
Special Stamps
MSP.E AR6 thi ee of the four special
stamps to be issued in Swaziland,
the Bechuanland Protecmrate and
Basutoland to mark the forthcom
ing visit of Britain's ft yal Family
to South Afrira The denominations,
colors and designs wtll Le the same
for all territories (International)
MUSICAL PROGRAMS
FEATURE OF CHAPEL
PROGRAM AT SCHOOL
Rev. and Mrs. Mark Osborne,
Jr., of Cullowhee, gave two de
lightful chapel programs for mem
! bers of the Sylva High school, Fri
day, at 1 o'clock and again at 2
o'clock for students of the elemen
tary school. Others included on
the program were Mrs. Paul El
lis, Miss Ruth Hooper of Western
Carolina Teachers College, and
Miss Alice Weaver, director of
Sylva glee club.
A chorus, composed of Mr. and
Mrs. Osborne, Mrs. Ellis, Miss
Hooper, and Miss Weaver, present
ed "Just Been Wondering," and
"Who Knows?"
Miss Hooper and Mr. Osborne
gave two duets with violin and
clarinet, "Angel's Serenade," and
"Evening Star," after which Mr.
Osborne gave several unaccom
panied clarinet solos, to show the
types of music aeeompKshed- -by
that instrument.
Mr. and Mrs. Osborne gave three
vocal duets, "Ah, Sweet Mystery of
Life," "Wanting You," and "M>
Hero."
Mrs. Grover Wilkes was accom
panist for the programs.
freshments to the eight members
present.
LAST RITES ARE HELD
AT 2 P. M. SUNDAY FOR
MRS SARA A. MURRAY
Funeral services far Mrs. Sara
A. Murray, 82, who died suddenly
at her home in Addie, Friday,
Feb. 21, were held Sunday after
noon at 2 o'clock at the Buff Creek
Baptist church. The Rev. Robert
Parris officiated at the ritei and
burial followed in thq church cem
etery. 4
Mrs.t Murray had been a mem
ber of ;he Buff Creek church for
a number ot years.
She is survived b^ two sons, D.
A. and W. A. Murray of Addie,
nine grandchildren, and four great
^grandchildren.
Pallbearers were Bobbie Terrell,
Jack McClure, Roy MeClu*#, Km
neth Terrell, CLarenee McClure,
and Charles Snyder. Members of
the Voung Woman's Sdnday school
class served as flower bearers.
Surplus United States potato
will move to foreign markets
through private processors and ex
porters under a new USD-A subsidy
program.
r
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