Lancaster County Family Ties : January 2020

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

JAMES & VADA APPLEBACH

Source: Ancestry 09/27/2022

Finally, I found the marriage certificate for my father and his second wife Vada. She was a sweet lady, and I enjoyed her happy spirit.

My parents divorced on June 24, 1983. James APPLEBACH married again on August 26, 1985 to Vada JONES.

I was no longer in Montana when he remarried and chose to not attend. I find it interesting that they were married by Pastor TANNEHILL, who was a friend of both my parents. No doubt mom felt very betrayed by that when she did find out.

It is interesting to me the untruths on the certificate that James gave. Birthplace of his father was listed as "unknown" - he was well aware of where Taylor Z. APPLEBACH was born.

James is also listed as completing high school, but according to the high school records he dropped out during his senior year and did not go back. James did have some college, but it is unclear whether he did finish that.

James would become an ordained minister in 1964. Mom told me he was always concerned that the lie of him graduating high school would be found out, and he would lose his ordination.

I believe Vada found out very quick that my father was not as nice as he wanted people to believe. He was a difficult person to be around. His siblings all believed that he had some sort of mental issues.

My personal memories of him are seldom good. However, I find his family history interesting. And it took my ancestors to make me - nice or not.

James APPLEBACH died in January 2005 in Hood River, OR.

Vada died since 2010 in Oregon. She had remarried so her last name would be changed, possibly to Henry.

Vada is listed on James' death cert as the receiver of his ashes. My sister was able to do some searching around the last time she was in Oregon. She was told that James' ashes were put in the river behind one of Vada's children's homes.

Original Source: Ancestry

Source: Personal Collection

PLEASE NOTE:
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

PASTOR JAMES APPLEBACH, KILGORE, NEB.

James APPLEBACH graduated from a Bible college in Omaha, NEB in 1960. The first church he was accepted at was in Kilgore, NEB in early 1964.

I was actually looking for info on my mother-in-laws family who passed through Nebraska in the late 1800's from Missouri to Montana. Imagine my surprise when I came across a listing for the church records on microfiche of the Kilgore Baptist Church. The local library here helped me order it and the below images are mostly from that microfiche of the church records.

Source: Personal Collection

I only found mention of my parents on a few pages in the later part of the records, but combined with photos and documents that I already had, I felt like I knew a little bit more about them at this point in their lives.

Jan. 26, 1964 if accepted, would church support him?

Feb. 7, 1964 - he is accepted as pastor.

Feb. 16, 1964 - his first sermon as new pastor. The same day, James' name appears

in the notes for a business meeting.

July 19, 1964 accepted for ordination.

August 30, 1964 pastor asked for raise (my note: expecting baby in Dec.)

The above photo is (L to R) Taylor APPLEBACH, Bill HENDERSHOT, Ralph GARNER and James APPLEBACH in the Kilgore, Neb. 1964

Source: Personal Collection

James APPLEBACH was ordained in Kilgore, Neb. in September 1964. The below picture is my parents at the ordination (mom is noticeably pregnant). The clipping is from a newspaper in Lancaster that grandma Garner sent to mom.

Source: Personal Collection

The two photos below are of James APPLEBACH behind the pulpit at the church in Kilgore, Neb.

Source: Personal Collection

Pastor & Mrs. APPLEBACH were made members of this church. I would have thought the church would have wanted the pastor to be a member immediately, not several months after coming as pastor.