Preaching all day and dinner on the ground

It's a well-known fact that obscure genealogical findings are interesting only to the family of that specific tree, and frankly are probably interesting only to one or two die-hard researchers within that family. I am one of those. So I apologize to those of you who could not care less about our family history. But, to paraphrase a song from the Sixties, "It's my blog and I'll write if I want to."

While searching through some old keepsakes I came across this flyer. You may have to click on it to get all the details.

What actually caught my eye was not the reference to the preacher, W. D. Black, a distant relative of Barb's, but the camp-out style of the meeting. Phrases like "Good Roads," "Good Spring of Water," "Bring Your Camping Equipment" and "No Dogs or Guns Will Be Allowed" stood out. Camping in the rough and the brush-arbor "all day preaching and dinner on the ground" experience is an an authentic example of a by-gone era. Or is it? After some investigation, I determined that this advertised event was a very early session of what is now known as the Pecos River Family Encampment, and as best as I can tell, it is still going on today (albeit with more amenities, like cabins and restrooms). The session advertised in this flyer took place in 1945: W. D. (known in the family as "Uncle Dave") Black and his brother J. Frank, another evangelist, started the encampments in 1941, and were instrumental in the growth and success of the annual event.

As far back as our dating days, I have heard the story of the summer "camp" that Barb attended as a teen in hot, dry west Texas, where every meal served consisted of cabrito and beans. Cabrito, I'm sure you know, is a colorful and exotic-sounding Hispanic word for the meat of a young goat - a kid. Check out the part of the flyer that says, "Free Barbecue Served Each Day." Sheffield is in the heart of the substantial Texas goat industry, and since the free barbecue meal served was donated by local ranchers, well....

Barb was at the Pecos River Family Encampment because her dad, W. A. Brown, was the evangelist for the 1955 encampment. He joins a list of noted Church of Christ preachers, such as Joe Malone, Charles Mickey, Ruel Lemmons, Jimmy Jividen, Johnny Ramsey and of course, Uncle Dave and brother J. Frank Black. Song leaders included Holland Boring Sr (and Jr.), B. B. Stephens and James Willeford.

No disrespect to Sanderson, Sheffield and the area, but if I were looking for a Family Encampment, I think I would go a little further west - say to Ruidoso, free cabrito notwithstanding.