Abbreviations:
MZUMC   Mount Zion United Methodist Church
WSMC     Woodland Street Methodist Church
CPUMC    Cross Plains United Methodist Church
MVUMC   Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church
BMC         Bethpage Methodist Church,
RCT          Robertson County Times
MCEO      Myrtle Christine Ensor O'Neal

I never knew a grandmother or grandfather.  I vaguely remember a visit to Baxter when I was about 5 or 6 years old.  This had to be Daddy's (Simon M. Ensor) father and his step-mother..  It was in a log cabin that we spent the night.  Brother Billy was 4 years younger than I.  We slept in bunk beds on either a straw or feather mattress.  Shortly afterwards we go got word grandfather died.  Only Daddy and one of the older boys went to the funeral.  Also Christine may have gone with them.  I asked Christine about Mama's Mother and Dad as both had died before I was born.  She said she remembered going by train to Cookeville as a child to see her grandmother just before she died.  They ran the old hotel in Cookeville.  I loved to go to Cookeville as a child to visit Aunt Myrtle and Uncle John H. Whitson.  Also to Livingston where my sister Edna lived.  Her children were in the same age range as myself.  So much fun to be together although she made us work; especially in the garden and helping with canning.  Again I regret not asking or recording info about family history.

Speaking of canning - it was a big thing in summer while growing up.  As you know or have heard Daddy (Umpaw) loved his garden - especially tomatoes - he had the biggest and prettiest of any one.  He sold fresh ones at the market and had a contract with a cafeteria in Nashville called Shackletts to take each week.  Sometimes I went with him and we got a free lunch.  We canned everything in the garden.  One summer - 3500 cans of tomatoes.  They too went to the same cafeteria.  Both Mama and Daddy were very hard workers.  I remember him crawling on this knees thru rows of vegetables as he was crippled but that didn't bother him or hold him back.  Mama loved chickens and sold eggs to help with groceries.  She would often give me an egg to take to the store to exchange for candy.  At times she did mention things she did before marriage but I could remember.  She loved to tell stories and jokes and got along with everyone.  Never heard her say an ugly word - always sweet and kind - never complained about being tired or all the work that was required for a big family.  Always had plenty to eat and she was a wonderful cook  - seldom used a cookbook.  Don't know what happened to those and all the special recipes she had.  Her "chicken and dumplins" were "oh so good" and we always talked about the yummy molasses cookies with white icing she made by the dozens.  To my knowledge no one has that recipe.  We've been told that Julia had the old Bible of Daddy's with large print so maybe Margaret would have that.  Every Sunday morning at breakfast Daddy read from that and afterwards all joined in for the Lord's prayer. Often for Sunday breakfast we would have fried chicken, biscuits and gravy which Mama had cooked enough for that meal plus dinner when we came home from church.  Just the thought makes me hungry.  One of my first memories of going to church was that Mama tucked a little switch under her sleeve cuff with only a little showing so if we misbehaved or wriggled too much,  all she had to do was touch that and I got the message.  I know I lived up to the name of "preacher's kid" while growing up and didn't miss out on many fun thins to do.

I can't tell you where Daddy had his first church. A few years back we were in Cookeville and stopped by the county courthouse to look up their marriage license.  Much to our surprise we found it - June 24, 1900.  Mama said she always kept up with the date and year since it was 1900.  Daddy was 21 on June 4th that year and Mama turned 21 on June 20th.  Daddy may have had a church around Baxter at that time.  I do remember him saying that he received his degree from Vanderbilt by a correspondence course.

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February 5,1920 to February 11, 1920
80 Years Ago In Overton County
(from the files of the Overton County Library)
S.M. Ensor has purchased two pens of Barred Plymouth Rock chickens and will sell eggs for hatching.
http://www.overtoncountynews.com/archives2000/80years02-09-2000.html

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March 18 1920 to March 24, 1920
80 Years Ago In Overton County
(from the files of the Overton County Library)
Paul McCormick, Clyde Ensor, Rhion McGee, and Elmer Langford, students in T.P.I. Cookeville, spent the week end with homefolks.
http://www.overtoncountynews.com/archives2000/80years03-22-2000.html

Simon Monroe Ensor, son of Jonathan Losler and Sara Frances Evens Ensor, was born in Cookeville, Tennessee June 4, 1879.  He was married to Dora Isbell June 24, 1900, in Cookeville, Tennessee.  To this union was born eight children.  He was licensed to preach in 1908, admitted into the Tenn. Annual Conference in 1910.

Brother Ensor had thirty-five years of active service in the Tennessee Annual Conference, on the following Charges:  Oak Hill and Parion, Rome Ct., Cross Plains Ct., Livingston, Elkton and Brison, Blanche Ct., Southside Ct., Red River Ct., Cross Plains Ct., Bethpage Ct., Pleasant View Ct., Barren Plains Ct.

Brother Ensor had the joy of receiving each of his children into the Methodist church, and the happy privilege of reading the marriage vows at each of their weddings.

He was one of our best Pastor-Evangelists in his day.  He witnessed many conversions, both young and old, under his ministry.

In 1941 Brother Ensor moved to his beautiful little farm near Springfield, Tennessee.  The first four years he lived there he was Pastor on the Barren Plains Ct.  On September 28, 1945 he retired from the active ministry, remaining on the farm until his death.

We were very close friends, helping each other in Revival Meetings, and working together in many ways.  Some years ago he requested me, if I outlived him, to conduct his funeral.  On March 15, 1957 from the Hospital in Springfield, Tennessee he departed this life to dwell with the Blessed of God throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.  The funeral services were conducted from the First Methodist Church, in Springfield, Tennessee, Sunday afternoon, March 17, 1957, by Rev. John I. Dickson, Pastor of the church, and  the writer of this paper.
                                                                                                                                                           -----B. H. Parker

Corrections & Notes  by Patricia Swallows Carden February 2002
In the first paragraph the writer mentions Jonathan Losler and Sara Frances Evens Ensor.  It should read Jonathan Lasley and Sara Frances Evans Ensors.

Also note the Ct. mentioned often is referring to Circuit

Circuit Rider, - itinerant preacher of the Methodist denomination who served a "circuit consisting of several "appointments. The circuit system, devised by John Wesley for his English societies in their formative period and developed in America by Francis Asbury, proved especially adapted to the conditions of the American frontier and came into its own in the trans-Allegheny region.  Its success was a factor in establishing Methodism in America.  The circuit rider, traveling usually on horseback (in S. M. Ensor's case, I'm not sure of his transportation) because it was economical and suited to the forest pathways, preached nearly every day and twice on Sundays, thus covering his circuit every four or five weeks. His appointments were usually in pioneer cabins, schoolhouses, or tavern barrooms. The circuit rider was usually an effective preacher and lived a very self-sacrificing life.

Betty Jane O'Neal Swallows (my mother) told me of attending church with Umpa (S. M. Ensor).  Sometimes he had as many as 4 churches.  He traveled to one for each Sunday of the month.  She remembered specifically, attending New Chapel Methodist Church, Mt. Zion Methodist Church and Cross Plains Methodist Church.

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