Building New Light On The Joplin Hill

Memories of Early Days

of Church in Southwest Missouri

Post by Bud Myers, Joplin Branch President in early 1970s

"My wife and I have been members of the Joplin (Branch, Ward & Second Ward) for many years. Barb was born into the Joplin Branch, and I came into the branch when my family moved here in 1951.

We were married in 1956 and were here when the land for the Joplin meetinghouse was being cleared in early 1960.

In August of 1960, I took a job in Denver and we lived there til we moved back in 1961.

The building was up and occupied by then, so I was able to help with some of the painting and laying floor tile. I was called as Branch President in 1971. Shortly after, the Cultural Hall addition was added, along with the Relief Society room, kitchen, stage and Baptismal font.

Dalton-Killinger Construction was the general contractor with Bill Cornwell as the local supervising architect.

The construction went pretty smoothly until the gym floor was laid in the Cultural Hall. The wooden floor was put in without allowing for humid conditions here. After it was completed, the center of the floor began to raise since there was no room for expansion. The floor had to be redone. It later was covered with carpeting to tone down the noise when sports events were played.

  ... Shortly after the completion of the addition, I was called to be district executive secretary, and Harold Bodon was called to be Branch President.

In April 1973, Elder Spencer W. Kimball came here to create the Ozark Stake, and Joplin Branch became the Joplin Ward. At that time the Ozark Stake boundaries stretched to Harrison, Arkansas, to Pittsburg, Kansas, and east to West Plains, Missouri and Mt Home, Arkansas. 

C.S. Claybrook was made the stake president, with Richard Wallace and Brother Jarvis as his counselors. I continued as stake executive secretary, and Richard Drummond as stake clerk.

President Claybrook, Brother Wallace and I were members of the Joplin Ward with Brothers Jarvis and Drummond from the Springfield Ward.

Later the stake was split and became the Joplin Stake and Springfield Stake.

The addition on the north side was added later (again, I don't remember the date) with offices for the stake president, High Council room and classrooms. I believe Harold Bodon was the stake president at that time."