Who's Who at Troost Avenue Gospel Hall, KCMO

Troost Avenue Gospel Hall, Kansas City, MO (OB) 1883-1984

Families

Some of these individuals may not have been at Troost, but part of other KC area assemblies, or visiting itinerants. Help requested identifying these.

?

• "Hobo Billy" (North End KC) 1903+

Allsman family

• George R. Allsman

Altergott family

Alice Strayer recalls that Jake’s family was from Russia, he was employed as a tailor, and made the announcements.

• Jake Altergott ‘’’+1949+’’’
  • Alice Altergott Gill. Husband: Forest Gill
  • Marie Altergott Sommerville. Husband: Will Sommerville.

Baker family

• Caleb J. Baker +1904+

Baldwin family

• H.S. Baldwin 1966-1976 corr OPBC

Beard family

• Ron Beard
• Annabelle Beard

Bewick family

• Leonard Bewick, Sr. 1889-1936
• Stephen C. Bewick 1897-1913
• Mrs. Georgia Bewick +1895+

Bobbitt family

• Elizabeth Anna Meschkat Bobbitt +1889-1893

Bohling family

• J.W. Bohling

Bollin family

• Louis Bollin 1926-present
• Oscar Bollin
• Walter Bollin
• Beulah Jane Stubbs Bollin +1925-1932
• Mrs. Irene Bollin 1947-present
• May J. Tietge Bollin 1898-

Buelick family

• Anna Caroline Funk Buelick +1955-1965 Overland Park

Burlison family

• Jeanette Louise Scott Burlison 1906-1939

Carnie family

• H.G. Carnie 1890-1920

Charles family

• Hughina Ross Charles 1880's-1916

Cole family

• C. Donald Cole

Cook family

• Athoyl Cook 1936
• Mrs. Athoyl Cook 1936
• William Cook 1928

Corkill family

@ 12th St. Assembly

• Charles Corkill
• Elaine Engle Corkill

Crescencia family

• Victor Crescencia 1926-1936

Dawber family

• James H. Dawber 1973-1976
• Grace Dawber

Dickson family

Alice Strayer recollected in '25 that in the 1940's, Fred would record the names of attendees in a ledger as they would walk into meetings. It is currently unknown whether this ledger has survived.

• Fred Stanley Arnot Dickson 1917-1974
• Mrs. Annie Dickson ?

Eby family

• Ruth Margaret Hayward Eby 1937-1940+

Farwell family

• Russ Farwell +1945?+
• Doris Farwell +1945?+

Findlay family

• John Findlay +1901 KCMO

Fletcher family

• Calvin Fletcher +1965-2000

Francis family

• Frank Francis

Frank family

• Eva Meschkat Frank 1891-1892

Fulton family

• James Fulton - 1904 Correspondent Harrison Street Gospel Hall

Gates family

• Caleb Gates +1952
• Dedra Gates +1952

Gill family

• Forest E. Gill

Glenn family

• Elwood Curtis Glenn +1936-1979 Elder @ Troost +1946+
• Bernice Ruth Ackerman Glenn 1918-1972

Gray family

• George Gray 1936-1946+

Gunn family

• E.S. Gunn

Haas family

• Mrs. Elizabeth Haas 1896-1902 KCKS

Hayward family

Bill Hayward was among the founders of the Bible Chapel of Shawnee in 1949, along with Wayne Matthews, whose wife Ruth Sommerville Matthews was a cousin. In 1952, he and his family were transferred by his employment as an industrial engineer at Procter & Gamble to an office in northern California. In 1934, his job was "timekeeper" at P&G. Bill's birthplace was in Sparta, Illinois and there is a high likelihood that he was in fellowship at the Sparta Gospel Hall there as his maternal grandfather, William Charles Sommerville, Sr. (1849-1918) was a primary correspondent there in 1904.

• William Hayward +1930-1949? (b. 1873 (Horwich, Bolton metro, Manchester metro or Wolverhampton, Staffordshire), England; emig. 1887; d. 1954 Claremont, Los Angeles, CA), son of Samuel Hayward (b. 1846 Deepfields, Staffordshire, Eng. - d. 1922 Wolverhampton, Eng.) & Charlotte Lines Hayward (b. 1847 Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, Eng. - d. 1922 Wolverhampton, Eng.). In 1900, William was employed as a coal miner, residing near Centerville in Lincoln Twp., Appanoose, Iowa, and farming in Sparta, Illinois by 1910.
• Margaret Sommerville Hayward +1930-1949? (b. 1876 Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland; m. 1896; d. 1958 Claremont, L.A., CA), daughter of William Charles Sommerville, Sr. (b. 1849 Colliertree, New Monkland (Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scot. - d. 1918 Dallas, TX) & Isabella Livingstone Anderson Sommerville (b. 1855 Cambusnethan, Lanark, Scot. - d. 1884).
  • Raymond John Hayward +1930-1949 (b. 1896 Clarkdale, Lincoln Twp., Appanoose, IA - d. 1973 Lenexa, KS). From 1930-1950+, Raymond was residing in KCMO, and employed as a traveling salesman for The Astrup Co.]'s St. Louis branch on 1908 Locust, until his retirement. The Astrup Co., founded by sailmaker Wilhelm Jacob Otto (b. 1845 Denmark - d. 1915 Cleveland, Cuyahoga, OH) in 1876, by the mid-1950's was the largest awning manufacturer in the U.S. Wife (1924): Edna Margaret Beckley Hayward (b. 1899 Chicago, IL - d. 1986 Overland Park, Johnson, KS), daughter of Elmer E. Beckley & Margaret K. Beckley. Raymond was a member 1949-1973 of the Bible Chapel of Shawnee, KCKS.
    • Russell John "Jack" Hayward, Jr. (b. 1926 Chicago, IL - d. 2008 Albuquerque, NM). He served in the Navy during WWII, earning the rank of Lt. Jg. In 1950, Russell resided in KCMO, employed as a civil engineer. Wife: Frances Eloise "Mickey" Murphy Hayward (b. 1931 - d. 1999), daughter of Dan Murphy (b. 1887 Alvin, Brazoria, TX - d. 1954 Houston, Harris, TX) & Ida Gordon Murphy-Guinn (b. 1901 Tyler, TX - d. 1969).
    • William "Bill" Beckley Hayward (b. 1930 KCMO - d. 2000 S.F., CA). He graduated in 1952 from the University of Kansas with a B.Arch.
    • Raymond "Ray" Edward Hayward (b. 1932 KCMO - d. 1964 Beaumont, Jefferson, TX). Wife (1962 @ Harris Co., TX): Jane Howard Sisco Hayward-Spence (b. 1934 Conroe, Montgomery, TX - d. 1998 Winter Park, Orange, FL), daughter of Howard Jackson Sisco (b. 1909 Kimmins, TN - d. 1963 Conroe, TX) & Eva Lou Dean Sisco (b. 1911 Willis, Montgomery, TX - d. 1999 Roswell, Fulton, GA). Jane's 2nd husband (1966 @ Harris Co., TX): Harry Eugene Spence (b. 1933 Jacksonville, FL - d. 2016 Winter Park, FL), son of Eugene Bernard Spence (b. 1902 Mandeville, Carroll, GA - d. 1969 Jacksonville Beach, Duval, FL) & Malvene Isabel Reichard Spence (b. 1907 Jacksonville, FL - d. 2004 Glynn Co., GA).
      • John Dunbar Spence (1968-2012 Winter Park, FL).
      • Deanna Elizabeth Spence Halbmaier (b. 1969 Winter Park, FL - d. 2017 Altamonte Springs, Seminole, FL).
    • Michael Hayward - Albuquerque, NM
  • Samuel James Hayward (b. 1905 Sparta, IL - d. 1975 St. Louis, MO). In 1930, Samuel resided in St. Louis, employed as an assistant chemist for Monsanto Chemical Works which developed the popular herbicide Roundup in 1971. The company has subsequently been acquired by Bayer. Wife (1931 @ St. Louis, MO): Anna E. Wagner Hayward (b. 1906 St. Louis, MO - d. 2002 St. Peters, St. Charles, MO), daughter of Edward B. Wagner. Their wedding was officiated by Richard Conrad Lucke (1876-1958), German Methodist pastor.
  • William "Bill" Albert Hayward, Jr. +1930-1949 (b. 1911 Sparta, Randolph, IL - d. 1970 Citrus Heights, Sacramento, CA). Wife: Ruth A. Leask Hayward-Kelly 1929-1949 (b. 1910 Waterloo, Black Hawk, IA - d. 2011 CA), daughter of William Leask, Sr. (b. 1855 South Shields, South Tyneside, Tyne & Wear, Eng. - d. 1940 Dunkerton, Black Hawk, IA) & Alice Ramsay Kerr Leask (b. 1877 Edinburgh, Scot.; m. 1908 Philadelphia, PA; d. 1935 Waterloo, IA). Alice's memorial was held at Western Avenue Gospel Hall in Waterloo, the service officiated by Edgar Greeley Matthews (1869-1960). In 1881, Alice's family resided at 1 East Thomas St. in Edinburgh, possibly where she was born. Her father, John Gordon Kerr (b. 1851 Dalkeith, Lothian, Scot. - d. 1894 Newbattle, Lothian, Scot.), Ruth's maternal grandfather, was employed in 1881 as a house painter, by 1891 as a coal miner, and evidently died in the Lingerwood Coal Pit at the age of 43 after an "explosion of shot", as per Ancestry.com. See Who's Who at Waterloo Gospel Hall, IA for expanded detail on the Leask family. As per Alice Strayer, when her maternal great-grandmother died in 1884, her grandmother Ruth had to quit school (at the age of 8) to help take care of her father and brothers.
    • Alice Margaret Hayward Strayer 1935-1949 (b. 1935 Kansas City, MO). She attended Kansas Bible Camp, initially about 1945, at a rented location at a YMCA camp near Stafford, Kansas. Husband (1955 @ Sacramento, CA): Ronald John Strayer (b. 1935 S.F., CA), son of Marion Blaine Strayer (b. 1906 Plain City, Darby Twp., Madison, Columbus metro, OH - d. 1994 Santa Rosa, Sonoma, CA) & Victoria Isabelle M. Storman Strayer (b. 1912 S.F., CA - d. 2001 San Mateo, CA). Ronald was raised at Parkside Gospel Chapel in San Francisco, CA. His father, Marion, was employed in 1940 as a linotype operator at the San Francisco Chronicle (founded in 1865). Alice remained in Kansas City 1952-1953 to finish out her senior year at the original Shawnee Mission High School, while residing with her cousin Ruth Sommerville Matthews her husband Wayne.
    • Ruth "Marian" Hayward Eby-Anderson 1937-1949 (b. 1937 Kansas City, MO).
      • 1st husband (1959 @ North Brae Community Church, Berkeley, CA): Robert Allen Eby (b. 1932 Richmond, Contra Costa, CA - d. 2010 S.F., CA), son of Lester George Eby, Jr. (b. 1910 Napa, CA - d. 1997 Orinda, Contra Costa, CA) & Addie Elizabeth Ramey Eby (b. 1912 Ponca City, Kay, OK - d. 2009 S.F., CA). Their wedding was officiated by Bill Hayward, as per Newspapers.com.
      • 2nd husband (1968 @ S.F., CA): Robert "Bob" Edward Anderson (1918-1999 S.F., CA), son of Albert Arthur Anderson (b. 1887 OR - d. 1970 Sacramento, CA) & Christine Johanna Rahr Anderson (b. 1891 CA). Albert's parents were from Denmark, and Christine's from Germany.
      • As an infant, Bob resided with three others in foster care in the home of widowed Myra Ann Metzger (b. 1871 Stormsville, Monroe, PA - d. 1950 Alameda Co., CA) and her teenage daughter Pauline (b. 1905 CA). As per his obit, Bob was a third generation lifelong resident of San Francisco, and served as president of the student body of Balboa High School. He earned his B.A. & M.A. from San Francisco State University where he was a charter member of the Sigma Pi Sigma (National Physics) honor society. He later attended Northwestern University & Stanford. He served as a Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy during WWII in the Pacific Theatre, then the USNR. He then served as a liason between the V.A. and state officials. He taught in several elementary schools, then served as a principal at John Muir, Marshall Annex and Marshall schools.

Jamison family

• Joseph Jamison +1889-1893
• Elizabeth Mills Jamison +1889-1893

John family

• C.C. John

Johnson family

• William Johnson - corr KC Gospel Hall, KCMO

Kendrick family

Leroy may have been active as an evangelist in 1910 based out of the Garnett Gospel Hall in Kansas. In 1900, he resided in Sullivan, Tennessee employed as a minister.

• Leroy Leonard Kendrick 1888-1889+ (b. 1856 Butler, Montgomery, IL - d. 1919 Newport News, Warwick, VA, son of Rev. John Clark Kendrick (b. 1806 Gillsum, Cheshire, NH - d. 1869 Butler, IL) & Sarah F. Twaddle Harris-Kendrick (b. 1826 Springfield, IL). 1850 @ Upper Alton, St. Louis metro, IL.
• Nina Eulalee Butler Kendrick (b. 1856 MO; m. 1889; d. 1937 Newport News, VA)
  • Nellie Edna Kendrick 1888-1889+ (b. 1888 Woodland, Marion, MO - d. 1960 Los Angeles, CA). In 1907, Nellie was employed as a cutter for Baker & Lockwood.

Littlefield family

Dr. Ralph Littlefield started an optometrist business in the Kansas City metro in 1909, succeeded by his son, grandson and great-grandson. The latter, Dr. David Littlefield, retired in July 2024, mentoring the current owners of Midwest Family Eyecare after forty years in practice.

Dr. Lawrence Littlefield was the first optometrist in the KC metro to start fitting customers with contact lenses in the 1950's, and has patents on contact lens manufacturing machines, as per Yelp.com, mentioned in '25 by Alice Strayer.

• Dr. Ralph E. Littlefield +1946-1952+

Lockwood family

• Dr. Lockwood 1916

McGowan family

• Robert McGowan

McKendrick family

• James M. McKendrick 1968-1973

McNinch family

• J.R. McNinch

McPherson family

• Mr. McPherson 1949 blind and without hands, read Bible with tongue 40 years

Matthews family

Wayne was a co-founder in 1949 of what is now Bible Chapel of Shawnee, KCKS, along with Bill Hayward.

• Wayne Matthews +1946-1949
• Ruth Sommerville Matthews, daughter of William Sommerville and Jessie Baker Sommerville. Jessie was a daughter of Caleb John Baker who was among the founders of Troost, who was the Baker of "Baker & Lockwood" awning.
  • Katherine Matthews
  • Bill Matthews
  • Carol Matthews Harpel. Husband: Jim Harpel. Both attended Wheaton College?

Meschkat family

• Welhelm Meschkat 1889-1892
• Amalie Therese Greenburg Meschkat 1889-1892
  • Alfred Meschkat 1892

Miller family

• A.B. Miller 1902 KC; 1912 KS Itinerant; 1930 Editor "Milk of the Word" St. Louis
• W.J. Miller 1912-1913

Moffatt family

• Moffatt 1906

Moss family

• C.S. Moss 1902 itinerant KCKS

Page family

• Truman Page

Peterson family

• Mrs. Arthur Peterson +1916+

Rankin family

• John Rankin

Rendall family

• George B. Rendall +1895-1935+

Rockhold family

• Ernie Rockhold
• Lyle Rockhold
• Robert Rockhold

Ross family

• C.W. Ross +1908-1937+
• Donald Ross +1906+

Scott family

• Arthur Warren Scott 1920-1941+
• Dennis Watson Scott Jr. 1915-1930+
• Dennis Watson Scott Sr. +1900-1940+
• Alan Leroy Scott
• Leon Scott
• Robert W. Scott 1917-1935+
• Walter Herman Scott 1910-1930
• Harriette Dorothy Scott Jones-Palmer 1918-1936
• Grace Sale Burton Scott +1900-1968
• Nellie R. Scott 1912-1940+
• Norma Burton Scott 1900-1915+
• Virginia Lavinia Scott 1915-1930+

Secor family

• R.M. Secor +1917+

Seistrand family

• Carl Seistrand +1940's+
• Rosemary Seistrand +1940's+

Shea family

• Vincent Shea +1938
• Grace Shea +1938
• Mrs. Pearl Shea +1938

Sheldrake family

originally commended from Troost

• Leonard John Sheldrake Sr. +1949+
• Pearl Ada Clapp Sheldrake

Simpson family

• Albert Norman Simpson +1899-1947+
• James Alexander Simpson +1889-1920+
• James Simpson Sr. +1889-1931+
• Walter George Simpson +1902-1920+
• William "Will" Rigg Simpson +1890-1920+. Will served as an associate editor of Letters of Interest from June of 1944 thru Dec. 1968. By 1965, he resided in Los Angeles, California.
• Annabell Simpson-Dilday 1893-1930
• Mary Jane Rigg Simpson 1889-1952

Sommerville family

• Duncan Sommerville
• Harry Sommerville
• William Sommerville 1906, 1917, 1948
• William David Sommerville 1928-1960
• Mrs. Jo Ann Sommerville 1960
• Lucille Sommerville

Sorenson family

• Margaret August Sorenson +1897-1947+

Staley family

Lloyd & Mary were at Troost for many years, then migrated in the 1950's to [Bible Chapel of Shawnee, KCKS Overland Park Bible Chapel] then relocated to Atascadero where their son-in-law Glenn Layton was from.

• Lloyd M. Staley +1949+
• Mary Gray Staley
  • Warren Staley - was an Air Force pilot during WWII who was declared MIA after his plane was shot down.
  • John Staley (d. Fresno, CA)
  • Robert "Bob" Staley. Wife: Betty Sheldrake Staley, daughter of Leonard Sheldrake, Sr. & Pearl Sheldrake. Bob & Betty worked with Immanuel Mission near Teec Nos Pos, Arizona for many years.
  • Malcolm Staley - CA
  • Ben Staley. Wife: Virginia Corkill Staley, raised at the 12th St. assembly in KCKS.
  • Marjorie Staley Layton. Husband: Glenn Layton (b. Atascadero, CA).
  • Ida Mae Staley - at Maplewood many years in StL.
  • Mary Lou Staley Bush. Husband: Larry Bush, son of Bill Bush. The Bush family were known among the SoCal assemblies, possibly Burbank or Pasadena.

Stoltfus family

• Jacob M. Stoltfus 1904-1913 founder Olathe Gospel Hall from Lancaster, PA

Thomas family

• Larry R. Thomas

Toombs family

• Gary Toombs

Trevolt family

• N. Keith Trevolt 1972
• N. Keith Trevolt II

Wally family

• Mrs. Joseph "Grandma" Wally 1893-1903  

Warden family

• William Warden +1895-1935+

Washington family

• Ernest Fairfield Washington +1937+

Williams family

• John D. Williams
• Ray H. Williams
• Rosie Williams

Wills family

• J.C. Wills

Woodruff family

• Elizabeth Opal Woodruff +1965