Walter & Elizabeth Frymire

Walter and Elizabeth Frymire came to the Apostolic Faith at Klamath Falls, Oregon, in September, 1926. They had received literature and letters from friends and relatives whom they had known previously and who had been converted to Christ in this church. The oldest son of the family, Homer, had moved previously to Klamath Falls, as had Elizabeth Frymire’s youngest brother, Amos Book.

Amos Book was a logging contractor and gave Dad and the two older siblings, Homer and Ralph a job in the logging camp. This was fine during the summer, but was difficult for the family during the winter when the camp shut down. Dad and the sons were without employment. In 1928, Dad secured a job with Weyerhaeuser Timber Company who was building a new sawmill in the community. After the sawmill was completed and started operation, Dad asked for and was granted the job of operating the re-sorter machine. Dad worked on this job until 1946, when he and mother moved to Portland.

Our first camp meeting was 1927. Homer brought Mother and several of the older siblings from Klamath Falls to Portland for a portion of that camp meeting. Dad stayed home to retain his job. In 1928 Dad, Mother, and four of the younger siblings were able to attend. In 1929 Mother drove the car to Portland with the six youngest siblings to attend the camp. Dad stayed home to protect his job, and this became the pattern for the summers, with the exception of 1931, when the depression forbad any of the family from going to camp meeting.

Homer had moved to Klamath Falls ahead of the family, and had become a member of the Apostolic Faith. Here he met Emma Chastain. They were married in 1929. Together they served the Lord faithfully the remaining days of their lives.

Ralph and Dorothy did not respond to God’s call of grace, but followed a worldly sort of life until their later years. Dad’s and Mother’s prayers followed them, and both were converted before they died.

The fourth child, Mary, was converted at the camp meeting in 1930. She played a violin in the orchestra, sang in the choir, and worked for the Lord in whatever capacity opened. December 14, 1940 she married Loyce Carver, a Civilian Conservation Corps member from Tennessee who had been saved at the Portland camp meeting in 1938. Brother Carver was very active in the church and became a student minister in 1943. He was appointed pastor of the Dallas, OR church in 1948, was transferred to San Francisco, California, in 1949, and to Los Angeles in 1952. In 1955 he became pastor of the Medford, Oregon, church and in 1965 he was appointed Overseer of the worldwide Apostolic Faith work. He continued in this capacity until 1993, when reasons of health forced his resignation. On March 10, 1996 He went to be with the Lord whom he loved wholeheartedly and served faithfully.

Roy, the fifth child was saved at the camp meeting in 1932, and became active in the church work in Klamath Falls. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Corp and served most of his enlistment in the 8th Air Force in England. Upon his discharge from military service in 1945, he stayed in Portland and began his student ministry there. In 1948 he transferred to Medford to help in the church work under Brother Frost.

Another assignment came in 1950 to San Francisco. While in Medford Roy had met Lois Dubs, and they were married February 26, 1951. Their first pastorate was to Eureka, California,  in 1952. Next assignment was Port Angeles, Washington, from February 1958 to August 1961 when the call came for Minneapolis, Minnesota, ending in 1969. Tacoma, Washington was next on the list. Roy retired from being pastor in 1981, but kept busy in visitation work and filling in for pastors who were absent from their church for a period of time.

After graduating from high school in 1937, Ella worked several jobs before moving to Portland to work in the Headquarters office. March, 1950 she and Reuel Green, a student minister were married. Chehalis, Washington, became their first pastorate, then Tacoma, Medford, and back to Portland to assist Rev. Carver. Ella was Brother Carver’s personal secretary until she passed away in February, 1979.

After military service during World War II, Harry married Levetta Canfield in 1944, They made their home in Klamath Falls. He was converted in 1958 and later moved the family to Port Angeles to be near an A.F. church. Harry was a faithful worker in the church, helping with all the tasks required to help keep a church vigorous. God called him to be a lay minister during his years of service.

Mildred moved to Portland in 1946, volunteering to work in the Headquarters office in 1951. Harry Nelson left his farm in North Dakota in 1950 to dedicate his time in the printing plant. A friendship developed between Harry and Mildred, which turned to love and in September of 1958 they were married. In addition to the printing plant, Brother Harry was keenly interested in the work among the foreign seamen who visited the Portland harbor, inviting the men to the church services.

Hazel came to Portland early in 1946 to take lessons on the pipe organ and worked in the Headquarters office as well. By summer it was determined that she should remain in Portland to give her full time to the office. A young Portland man, Ivon Wilson, asked Hazel for a date, and this developed into love. They were married in September, 1949, and moved to Tacoma in 1950 to live on the Lower Light, the missionary boat that periodically sailed to Alaska. Brother Ivon began his student ministry in Puyallup, Washington in 1952. He served as pastor in four different churches, Yakima, Port Angeles, Grants Pass, and Denver, Colorado  before returning to Portland. Brother Ivon still has a full schedule, preaching, visiting the sick, and officiating for funerals. Hazel fills regular days at the office.

Dad really enjoyed his work in the printing plant—he felt he was doing something really worth- while. The printed word is covering the whole world, and he was contributing to the effort. Dad and Mother were returning home to Portland after a trip to Southern California and Oregon when they met a tragic accident. Both were promoted to Heaven from that scene.