Church History Catalog and the Bowie Chapel

In one of the few quiet moments this week at the Library, I was doing some research about the Texas Lubbock Mission as part of some upcoming interviews.  And I first found some pictures of the Bell Street Chapel in Amarillo which was after my time but then I searched to see what I could find for the Bowie Chapel.

I was not a fan of moving to Texas and much of the time I was mumbling under my breath that I only had two years here before leaving for college--two years was like a mission and I could make it.

However, the BIG exception was our ward.  It was different and a change from the beautiful Jadwin Chapel of Richland--but the people were and are some of the best you will ever meet.  How grateful I am for the experiences I had in this chapel and with the people of the Amarillo Ward.

It wasn't a grand building and it looks bigger in these photos than it was, but it was a place of testimony building, laughter, plays, and sports.  We had early morning seminary here where we saw each other before we headed to four different high schools.  I learned about serving and being a leader and that they are truly the same thing.

These are photos I took of the photos in the catalog to share with my siblings.  It was fun to read their comments about the things they connected with the Bowie building.

Our wedding reception was held here.  It was the only place I ever considered.  It was my home away from home and that night it was filled with the great people of the Amarillo Ward.  My mother-in-law commented that it felt more like a ward party than a reception because people came and they stayed.  Of course they stayed.  We loved being together and they truly wanted to celebrate our wedding in the Provo Temple with us.

I actually spent more than two years in Amarillo as I came back between semesters, for the summers, and to work during the time before Gary and I got married when I was 22 1/2 years old.  Because of the people who served and worshipped in this building, I grew in the gospel and grew to love the blessings that came from moving to Amarillo, Texas.  It was hard, but changed me in many good ways that I don't think would have happened if I had stayed in Richland, WA.

I was very sad when the Bell Street Chapel was built and this building was eventually torn down.

(These photos were dated in the late 1950s.  We moved there in 1971.)