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Excerpt from Oral History Interview with Mareda Sigmon Cobb and Carrie Sigmon Yelton, June 16 and 18, 1979. Interview H-0115. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) See Entire Interview >>

The Yeltons found needed community and support within their church

Other than her family, Yelton primarily turned to her church for support. She describes her various pastors, how they have helped her and offers a brief history of Bethany Lutheran Church.

Citing this Excerpt

Oral History Interview with Mareda Sigmon Cobb and Carrie Sigmon Yelton, June 16 and 18, 1979. Interview H-0115. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Full Text of the Excerpt

JACQUELYN HALL:
Who has helped you in different crises? Have you gotten help from your relatives or your neighbors? Who have you been able to call on for help in times of need over the course of your life, mostly?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
I've called on my preacher for a lot.
JACQUELYN HALL:
Where do you go to church?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
Bethany Lutheran Church.
JACQUELYN HALL:
Were you raised as a Lutheran?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
Oh, yes. We were Lutherans. And I've talked to my floor lady, Lib Teague(). She's helped me out lots in my work. When I'd get depressed or anything like that, she would help me out a whole lot. Like I say, my friend, Dee. She's helped me out lots when I needed things. Of course, my mother. She always helped me out when I had problems. And just different ones.
JACQUELYN HALL:
Has the same minister been there a long time?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
No. About how long has Pastor Whitener been there? About four years, hasn't he?
ALVIN YELTON:
Yes.
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
He's been with us about four years. And then Reverend Conrad( ) was our pastor for twenty-five years. Then he left, and Pastor Trexler came. And then he left. They was having trouble. I didn't know nothing about the trouble in the church, and I was glad I didn't.
JACQUELYN HALL:
How did you keep from knowing about it?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
There was lots of them didn't know. It was just a few of them doing it, and there was lots of us wondering what was going on. And they wouldn't bring it out in the open, you see, that all of the members could know what it was. But then we got Pastor Whitener, and he is wonderful, his whole family. His wife Joel(), she's so sweet. And you can just go to them and talk, and they're just wonderful.
JACQUELYN HALL:
Have you been active in the church all your life?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
Yes. And especially when he had his surgery two years ago. He's had polyps on his intestines and been going down to the VA hospital. Of course, they had to take him to Duke to do the surgery. They didn't have the to-do-with. The last time he went, they ruptured his bowels, and he almost died. And I don't know what I'd have done without my pastor there, because he took me down there.
JACQUELYN HALL:
He took you in to Duke?
CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:
Yes. And just had prayer, and he just helped out in all ways, because I was out of work and he was out of work, and they helped us in our finances and just all. I just don't know what we would have done. Yet he's disabled. He's retired, but he's still disabled since they done that.