It was back about 1916, when I was very small, that my father, who had been away on a preaching trip, brought another preacher home with him.   They were joking and having a lot of fun, for they had both shaved off their mustaches, and I remember I thought my father's smooth face looked strange, while my little brother, Harold, ran and hid from him.

     The preacher who had come, was Elder G. W. Reynolds.   He was a big man, much larger than my father, and a man I could never forget.   Phrenology was then a popular study, and Brother Reynolds had been reading a book on it.   He put his big hands on my head and felt for all the bumps, then solemnly and prophetically said, "This boy, when he is grown, will be able to take an automobile all apart and put it back together again."   At that time I hardly knew what an automobile was, but I never forgot Brother Reynolds because of those words, and before I was 18, I had several times taken the Model T Ford, that my father had, all apart and put it back together:   a very necessary ability in those days.

     George Washington Reynolds (called "Wash" by his friends and relatives) was born in Arkansas, June 25th, 1869.   Later his family moved to Texas, where his sister, Allie, married Fulton Heard and where his nephew, Walter Heard, was born.

     The Reynolds family left Texas for Oregon about 1882, and spent their first winter in the Elgin country over in Wallowa County; but the next year they joined the Heards in ranching in Surprise Valley, in the very northeast corner of California.

     Brother G. W. Reynolds was converted when he was a young man, and in his early twenties, he began preaching the gospel.   July 1st, 1900, he married Rose Whitinger, daughter of Samole and Samantha Whitinger, who had been born in Canesville, Missouri, June 17, 1881.   She had come west with her parents in 1885, to Madeline Plains in Lassen County, California, where she grew up.

     After their marriage, Brother and Sister Reynolds lived in Surprise Valley, where he at times, pastored the church in 49 school house and also at times pastored the church in Lake City.   After being called to pastor the church in Silver Lake, Oregon, in 1908, they moved up there.   He pastored at Silver Lake for several years, though returning to Surprise Valley in the summers to help in the ranch work.   From this time on, Brother and Sister Reynolds always maintained their home in Silver Lake.

     Brother Reynolds pastored at Gateway, Oregon, in 1919 and 1920.   He pastored at Condon, Oregon, at two different times, the last being 1937 to 1939, and there he suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side and from which he did not recover.   He died December 5th, 1944, at Silver Lake, and is buried in the cemetery there.

     During Brother Reynolds' ministerial life, he often made missionary tours and held revival meetings in many places, through which he was a great blessing.   In every way, he was a Missionary Baptist, who thoroughly enjoyed preaching the gospel, and who sacrificed his time and money to go with the message of salvation to needy communities.   He was big in size, and big in heart, and was a long time, very dear friend of my father.

     Brother Reynolds loved fellowship with the brethren at associations and other gatherings.   He visited our home many times, both in Oregon and in Idaho.   Early in 1936, I spent the night with Brother and Sister Reynolds in Condon, Oregon, in the Baptist Church's parsonage, the house in which I was born.   Later in the year, he was back in Silver Lake, when I visited there, and he took me to speak at a CCC Camp, where he was acting as chaplain.   Just before Easter, we traveled together from Alturas to the association at Ducor, California, where Elder A. F. Simmons was pastor.   Brother and Sister Reynolds were at camp at Suttle Lake in August, and this was, as I remember, my last time to see him.   Elder G. W. Reynolds was one of the dear old, preacher friends, whom I missed very much, when I returned to Oregon after the war.

     Brother and Sister Reynolds had one daughter, May, their only child, who was born in Surprise Valley in July, 1901.   She is now Mrs. May O'Keefe of Silver Lake, Oregon.   There are four grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren today.

     As I write this, Sister Reynolds is still clinging to life at the home of her daughter in Silver Lake.   She is now almost deaf and blind, and her mind wanders, and her hope is to soon be in that beautiful home of her Savior, where there is no sorrow nor sickness and all are young again with everlasting youth.

     In case you haven't noticed, this article was first published in April of 1976:   Sister Reynolds has long since gone to be with her Lord, and this author is looking forward to making the same move.

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