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Memoir of a Preacher's Wife
submitted by D. Ortner


I have a lot of memories of FBC Flat...
including the day I was saved, my baptism and my wedding  and the birth of our first son.

Some of the pastors before Bro. Wright Price were:
Bro. Maurice McLeroy , Bro. Earl Callaway (baptized me), Bro. Don Burnett (or maybe it was Barnett, I just remember calling him Bro. Don), I think there was a Bro. Dwayne Green there sometimes before that or maybe he just held a revival there.

 There was a Brother Bennett, I think after Bro. Barty Cox and before my husband, Bro. Stan Ortner.  Or, Bro. Bennett may have been before  Bro. Barty Cox, I'm not sure.

I also remember that my grandmother Eloise "Weezie" Wall taught the Dorcas class for a long time.  My grandfather, Travis Wall, believe, kept the nursery for a long time and kept the records for Sunday School.

I asked Jesus into my heart during the devotional time before Sunday School when the pastor of the church at that time, Bro. Earl Callaway, presented the plan of salvation to the children.
I don't remember the exact date, but I know it was in the '60's.  I was baptized a few weeks later.
I do remember one of the Bruton girls was baptized on the same day, but I can't remember if it was Judy or Brenda.

Joy Clawson was the Jr. Girls Sunday School Class teacher at that time and I think Gene Bruton was teaching the Jr. Boys .

I was married in the church on  January 5, 1974.
Bro. Maurice McLeroy, who was pastor in the late '60's, and Bro. Miles Miears performed our wedding.

Bro. Miles had preached several revivals at Flat during that time and later went into full time evangelism, then in the last few years has gone back into the pastorate and last I heard, was pastor at Jonesboro.

Jamie Clawson was a candle lighter and John Clawson was a ring bearer. Nathan Price, son of former pastor Wright Price,  was a groomsman.  Lagene Sands (daughter of A.J. and Elizabeth Smith) was a bridesmaid.

My husband, Stan Ortner  was called to preach in 1971 during a revival being held at the church. Bro. Jimmy Brazzil, who is the nephew of the late Arlington Barr and Gladys Barr, was preaching the revival.

Our oldest son, Daniel,  was born in 1978, while we were pastoring at Flat.

Some of the people I remember while growing up at Flat, were A.J., Elizabeth, Darrell and Lagene Smith, George and "Miss Polly" Clawson, Ray, Joy, Jamie and John Clawson, Bessie Whittenburg, Minnie Webb, Mrs. Clawson (Jean King's mother), Gene,Barbara, Paula, Judy, Brenda and David Bruton, Roy and Maimie Bruton, Marshall and Jeanne King and Juan, O.B and Grace Cunningham, Zonnell, Betty, Keith and Anjannette Haynes, Priss Botkin, Jackie and Kristi Brown (who passed away), Pearl, Sammy and Connie Whigham, Harris, Nell, Charles and Donald Griffith, Oran and Betty Henderson, Duffie, Martha, Mike and Carla Riddle, Darrell Harrington, Linda and Donna Harrington, Priscilla Caldwell, Robert and Janie Jett, Arlington ("Barr") and Gladys, Lanna, Ronnie and Mike Barr, Dorothy Brazzil, and Ellen Ann McFarlin.

There really are so many, I hate to leave any out. They all had such a great impact on my life.  I was really excited to learn of this website and the history of the church  because so much of my life was spent there....

Although I have been away from there for almost 27 years, and the old building is gone now and most of the people I remember are gone now, it will always be "home" for me.