Barry County Missouri - Roaring River Baptist Church at Eagle Rock, Mo. Roaring River Baptist Church at Eagle Rock, Barry County Missouri Submitted by Darla Ball Marbut Also see our photo of Old Time Baptist Preachers in the photo album In doorway is Elizabeth Bradford. Children L-R: Joe and Franklin Edwards, Alma Coatney, Eldora Ball, Iva Edwards, Vada Coatney, Doris & Arvilla Edwards. The first church building was a log structure located on the Boon Haddock farm near Eagle Rock, Mo and was known as the Pleasant Grove Church from 1840 to 1850. It was then organized as the Roaring River Baptist Church on Saturday June 6, 1868. The church was built of logs and about 18 by 20 feet in size. It was located at a crossroads where one road went to the mill and the other went down the hill to the store and blacksmith shop. This would be very near where the present day Eagle Rock Post Office is located. The organizing members were Preacher, William Seamaster , A.M. Aldridge, Boon Haddock, John Brim, Martha Aldridge, Martha Miller, Mary J. Baker, Rachel Curry, Liddy Brim, James Sons, J.C. Sellers, John Wallen, Agna Baker, Rebecca C. Houghs, Columbia Haddock, Andrew Baker, Jeremiah Miller, Samuel M. Smith, Martha Smith and by relation, Martha Robbins Easley (Mrs. John). Later another church was built down by the milldam on Roaring River and was made of white clapboards. It had two back doors. The men usually sat on one side of the church and the women on the other side. The church was heated with a wood stove and lighted with lamps. Sidney Russell purchased the logs from the old church. The white clapboard church was used until the late 1940's when the present day church was built. Now and then they had a "all day church and dinner on the ground". There would be extra preaching and singing. They had a picnic style dinner with table clothes laid on the ground and the food placed upon them. Women would fix their very best recipes for this dinner and everyone enjoyed the food. The following are pastors of the Roaring River Baptist Church: William Seamaster 1868-1869, C.C. Baker 1870-76, N. J. Bard 1877-1878, Ed Chappell (Chapple) 1879-1883, James Summers 1884, C.C. Baker 1885, Edd Chappell 1886-1892, F. M. Smallwood 1893-1894, R.C. Bone 1895, Edd Chappell 1896, G.M. Jameson 1900, F.M. Smallwood 1901-1903, Luther Carlin 1904, Ben F. Crawford 1906-1909, Edd Chappell 1910-1911, Melvin Coons 1912, Ben Crawford 1913, Virgil Kimball 1914, Edd Chappell 1915, W. Roland Prier 1916-1920, Ben Crawford 1921, Henry Beck 1922-1924, Norman McNabb 1925-1926, Nan Baker 1927-1928, Harrison Truhett 1929, Norman McNabb 1930-1933, Charles Vanzandt 1933, Will Ireland 1934-1935, Charles, McNabb 1935-1938, Edd Brown 1938-1942, Loren Easley 1942-1945, Walter Head 1945-1947, Clyde McCormick 1947-1949, Charles Vanzandt 1950, Tim Larkin 1950-1951, Ab Edie 1951-1952, Allie Hardman 1952, Bill Cowan 1953-1955, John Swaffar 1955-1956, Walter Head 1956-1960, Loren Easley 1960-66, Tim Larkin 1966-1969, Morris Potter 1970, Ab Eddie 1970-1975, Tony Ball 1975, Varl Ball 1976-1981, Tim Stansberry 1981, Stanton Patterson 1982-1984, Reese Morrow 1985-1988, Paul Yarnall 1989 to present. There is a plaque with all the pastors names and dates on it in the entryway of the church in memory of Tice Prier. Edith Carter Ball (Mrs. Ethel Ball) researched the information on the pastors and their dates. Georgia Ball Farewell (Mrs. Forrest) furnished information on the old churches and they're organizing members. Return to Focus on Eagle Rock Return to Barry County © 2001 Susan Tortorelli All Rights Reserved