Donations and Early Funding   < History | Memories >

• 1 share of CP&L stock
• 82 shares of Contel common stock
• 278 shares of First Union Bank common stock
• 6 deeds
• 4 cancelled deeds of trust
• a contract for the building of the Madison Boulevard manse
• 1 church exemption
• 1 plat of Fairfield Park development

In 1967 Willard Abbitt, father of Eunice Dickerson, gave Mebane Memorial 41 shares of Contel common stock valued at $32.50 per share. The stock split in 1989 and increased to 82 shares. In March of 1991 Contel was purchased by GTE. When the stock transfer is completed, we will have 104 shares of GTE common stock. Also we have collected some quarterly dividends since 1967.

How we received the First Union stock is more involved. Many years ago, I. O. Abbitt, father of Nina Abbitt and grandfather of Eunice Dickerson, established a small trust account with stock of the Peoples Bank. This was a local bank that merged with First Union some years ago. The benefits of the trust were to provide $5 per year for the upkeep of a family cemetery plot located in the yard of the Liberty Baptist Church in Appomattox, Virginia, and other funds were to go to Mr. Abbitt’s widow, with Mebane Memorial being the ultimate beneficiary upon the death of Mrs. Abbitt.

As a result of these trust provisions, Mebane Memorial received 93 shares of First Union common stock in May 1983. Subsequent stock splits added 46 shares in May 1984 and 139 shares in June 1986, a total of 278 shares. We still pay the $5 per year upkeep fee on the cemetery plot in Appomattox and we gladly accept any dividends.

The donor of the CP&L stock is deceased. He donated the stock anonymously. Let’s leave it that way.

Deeds sometimes are interesting for historical information. The oldest deed found in our files was dated February 24, 1940 and was for the purchase of a lot 25 feet long and 66 feet wide directly behind the then lot of the old Presbyterian Church located on the corner of Lamar and Factory Street. If you don’t remember where Factory Street was, the old cotton gin was on the other corner, directly across from the church. Some of us remember. For those who don’t, try the corner of Lamar and Gordon Street, where the Centura Bank is located. The cotton gin would now be in the Schewel’s parking lot.

The Trustees of the church at that time were A. S. deVlaming, W. C. Bullock husband of Nannie and father of Nancy Crumpton, and great-grandfather of John and Virginia Bullock, and Dr. J. H. Hughes, father of Dr. Charles Hughes. The land was purchased from the Long estate, with Trustees being Mr. And Mrs. R. L. Harris and Mr. And Mrs. E. E. Bradsher, parents of Rachael Brown and D’Arcy Bradsher. The deed was drawn up by attorney, F. O. Carver and was signed by Mrs. W. T. Kirby, Deputy Register of Deeds.

The other deeds were for the land at the corner of Lamar and Oak, July 14, 1947. The lot on the corner of Lamar and Oak, now used for church parking, May 2, 1975 and for the Fairfield Park manse, December 21, 1976. The 1947 deed was made church Trustees Dr. J. H. Hughes, George B. Bullock and John Mangum.

The land was purchased from the heirs of the Reverend George T. Watkins for the sum of $10,000. They were his wife and five children, all residents of Durham, N. C. The deed was drawn by the law office of Basil M. Watkins and was signed by Mrs. J. T. Kirby, Deputy Register of Deeds.

The other two deeds, being more modern, do not have the same interesting historical information.

The oldest deed of trust in our files was dated December 1, 1958, was for $13,500 and was made to finance the building of our Madison Boulevard manse. The loan was at 5% interest and was to be paid to (old Peoples Bank) in five annual installments of $3,000 each and were due each year on December 1. Trustees were J. D. Mangum, D’Arcy Bradsher and Dr. Frank MacFadyen, husband of Hanky and father of Lynn. The note was cancelled on November 6, 1963. Frank MacFadyen usually was responsible to make the payments. If you remember him, you know it would be paid earlier than required.

The details of this note stated the house would be valued at $15,000 and the land at $3,000. The house is presently on the tax books at $59,000-$60,000 and the land at $30,000, 50-foot road frontage.

Mebane Memorial next borrowed $25,000 from Central Carolina Bank to build the new fellowship hall and upstairs classrooms. Trustees signing the note were D’Arcy Bradsher, Dr. Frank MacFadyen and Frank Wright. The loan was for 15 years at 6% per year interest and was to be paid in monthly installments of $210.97. The receipt for this loan is marked paid in full as of May 7, 1973, just 5 years. You may ask, how? Mebane Memorial was named beneficiary in the will of Mrs. Louise Brooks Douglas Smith, sister of Carlyle Brooks and great aunt of Joanne Sedelmeyer. Mrs. Smith’s generosity allowed us to pay this note and helped on our next purchase. As an interesting aside, D’Arcy Bradsher, Vice President of Central Carolina Bank and Mebane Memorial signed the receipt that cancelled the note.

Our next deed of trust was for $25,000, was made January 3, 1977 and allowed us to purchase our present Fairfield Park manse. The note was made with Central Carolina Bank and was to be paid in monthly installments of $250. The deed of trust is marked paid as of October 16, 1989. Why didn’t we have a building fund and yearly drive? This note was paid by rent from the old Madison Boulevard manse. You might say we never even missed the money. The house was purchased from W. A. (Bud) Kerr for $57,500, but we only had to borrow $25,000 because of the aforementioned generosity of Mrs. Smith and a very generous contribution from Bud Kerr after the completion of the sale. Trustees who put their name on the line for the church were D’Arcy Bradsher, Frank MacFadyen and Frank Wright.

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