At the turn of the century, the Presbyterians and Methodists were getting started at Penticton’s earlier years, and were also looking around Keremeos in those early years. I think the Presbyterians started up here and the church was used by the Methodists as well. The original church was what is the auditorium now, but had coal oil lamps, no plumbing or electricity, wood heat, living quarters in the basement. Pastors carried water quite a distance from a well. I know very little of the operation of this church from then until 1947 when it was purchased by the Pentecostal people. The original title was in the church and as an officer of the church in the 1970’s or so, I had the title placed in the CIBC safety deposit box under the church’s name for safe keeping. Some of the present old timers’ names - Innises and others- were on this title. I came here to Keremeos in 1967. Before this date, two of the pastors and their wives pastored here. I forget their names now, but the both became noted missionaries, at this time now retired - I’m not sure.
When I came here (in 1967) there was an elaborate canning room built on the south side and a Mr. Marrot from Rock Creek used to take the canned fruit to the bible school at the coast for the students. Shortly after I came in 1967 a parsonage was built over the cannery and the basement was used for recreation and Sunday school services. As time went on the cannery became a thing of the past, the room becoming a children’s club of 100 or so young people. Around 1990 the pastor was brother Payne, who had five children and two foster children. There was a garage at the end of the end of the old canning room so I, as a carpenter, put a floor in there and built two bedrooms with closets for the family. Pastor Payne was here over nine years and had a large following so we built an office at the back with all the connections needed to the main building. This was a good addition but as time went on some kids set fire to this, and it had to be rebuilt - along with smoke damage through the whole church. As there was not many people with carpenter, electrical or plumbing experience, I did a lot of this myself plus the help of a crew from the insurance company, who did all the insurance work. I did all that was not insurance work, which was a full day and half the night’s work, which caused my wife to worry, as I could not phone her because the phones were not always operating.
There are few old timers left. I am now 90. Folks want me to keep writing.
As ever, Wilf Miller, Keremeos