The Cedar Creek Church

***************************************************************************

Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald - scottfitzgerald@tyler.net East Texas
Genealogical Society, President 7 September 2005

***************************************************************************

Originally published in The Tracings, Volume 3, No. 1, Winter 1984, Page 1
by the Anderson County Genealogical Society, copyright assigned to the East
Texas Genealogical Society.

The Cedar Creek Church by Eva Freeman

When Susan Freeman and her family came to the Cedar Creek Community from
Yazoo County Mississippi in 1875, there was no Church. Mrs. Freeman, a
devoted Baptist, was not content to see not only her children but also those
of her neighbors grow up without a church.

In the spring of 1877, the Freemans heard of a missionary by the name of
Collins. He was holding a revival in the Tennessee Colony Community, north
of Palestine. Sister Susan Freeman insisted that the men of Cedar Creek
Community, especially those of her own household, to contact Bro. Collins to
see if he would hold a meeting for them. Bro. Collins came home with the men
and held a week-long meeting in the log school near the Charlie Farris farm.
The Cedar Creek Baptist Church with eight charter members was organized
after the meeting. Only six of those eight are known: Susan Freeman, Lettie
Callahan, Mr. and Mrs. James Milton Sims and Mr. and Mrs. James Jasper
Burlison (Mrs. Sims-nee Elizabeth M. Cleveland and Mrs. Burlison-nee Emily
Cleveland were sisters). Later their brother, James M. and Mary Jane
Higginbotham Cleveland were members.

Mary Wright donated one acre of land on 16 Sept. 1880 for use as both a
school and church. The trustees were: J. A. Parker, J. J. Burlison and J. N.
Evans. This was filed for record 18 Sept. 1880 with Anderson County Clerk,
Jim Conaway.

The Church was moved to a different location on Post Oak Prairie on land
donated by Mr. P. C. Holmes. Many people were coming to church from other
communities. The Church remained there for sometime. The Church held
revivals the first week in August, lasting for two to three weeks with
services twice a day. People came in wagons and brought provisions and
camped near the church. After the schools were bonded, the Church was moved
once again, to its present location. This land was given by Mr. Paul Scott.

In the one hundred and six years of existence, the Cedar Creek Baptist
Church has had only sixteen pastors. Many of these have served more than one
time. Fourteen of these are: Bro. Chambers, Bro. Vermillion (President of
Jacksonville College at one time), Bro. Ken Lively, Bro. Ervin Morrow, Bro.
J. E. Bean, Bro. George Brimberry, Bro. Walter Freeman (grandson of Susan),
Bro. Johnny Foster, Bro. Raymond Craig, Bro. George Scogin, Bro. Oval
Cogdell, Bro. Lloyd Stewart, Bro. Max Smith, Bro. Lonnie Johnson, Bro. Roy
Lee Moore, the recent pastor. Bro. Walter Freeman served as pastor longer
than any other, having served several different times from early 1900s until
his death in 1952.

The present deacons are: Bro. Arnold McCann, Bro. Ernest McCann, Bro.
Willard Freeman, Bro. Jerry Ives, Bro. Andrew Overton and Bro. W. H. Tanton.

Submitted by Louise Spaith