A Bicentennial Moment

In anticipation of Mulberry’s upcoming Bicentennial Celebration in 2026, the Leonard Hill Cochran Historical Room presents a moment of Mulberry history.

The following are excerpts from Mulberry history notes written by the late Anne Henry:

“In 1878 at the time of the Semi-Centennial Celebration, 4 women’s organizations existed at Mulberry -  the Orphan’s Home Aid Society, Parsonage Aid Society, Woman’s Missionary Society and The Willing Workers. For 25 years these groups formed, merged, combined and changed their names finally boiling down to the Home Relief Society, Parsonage Aid Society, and Women’s Foreign Missionary Society. As its name indicates, the Home Relief Society was concerned with the poor on our doorsteps. They dispensed food, clothes, and school books, repaired a chimney and bought a Bible for the jail. Their meetings centered on individual cases such as when a Mrs. Irby had died, the visiting committee personally arranged for her funeral and burial paying $5.00 towards the costs. The August report showed 214 sick and strangers visited, 99 papers distributed and 149 garments given to the poor. Regular visits were made to the Orphan’s Home and Roff Home, the city home for the aged.

The Parsonage Aid Society provided support for ministers and families serving on the western frontier and at home served much as today’s parsonage committee. Their records show that painting, papering, purchasing matting for the floor, new kitchen range and a coffee mill were their concerns. In 1901 the group decided that table and bed linens should not be furnished, the District Superintendent was to inform the incoming preacher. The provision of a stable and an outside paint job seemed a bit too big for them to handle and those needs were referred to the Board of Stewards.

The Mulberry Foreign Missionary Society was the first organized in So. Ga. occurring even before such an organization was approved by the General Conference. In 1894 with W. B. Burke’s departure for China, interest in the Orient became keen and then later Nettie Peacock, also a Mulberry member, followed Burke to China. After the Spanish-American War of 1898 Cuba became a high priority as Mulberry accepted responsibility for half of the support of Thad E. Leland who later established a school which grew to be Candler College. 

The meetings consisted of reports of the activities of the missionaries, reading about missions in the So. Christian Advocate and other church newspapers. Raising funds to support the work was essential and following one meeting, the secretary wrote ‘We must remember the story of Aaron and Hur who held up the hands of Moses during a battle with the Ameleks. That is what we are doing when we pay and when we pray.’

These 3 societies merged in 1911 to form the Woman’s Missionary Society which continued covering all concerns until 1939 when the M. E. Church, South, and the M. E. C. reunited as The Methodist Church.”

Macon Outreach

In honor of Sarah and Wren Feely by Ashley and Mary Hurt

In memory of Margaret Dunstan by Frannie and Billy Fickling

In memory of David Duncan by Linda and David Cozart

In memory of June Jackson from Freeda and Harold Chapman 

In memory of Dee and Curtis Barnes from Paul Alton Basilicia

Music Fund

In memory of Jim and Betsy Abbott by Stuart and Jenny Walker