While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
"Patience and Perseverance will perform
great wonders."
It has been said, "some men are born
great, some have greatness thrust upon them,
while others achieve greatness." Many,
however, who have inherited a great name,
wealth or power have failed to meet the
expectation of their parents and friends.
When, therefore, any one, reared in the home
of poverty and educated in the school of
"hard knocks," rises above the unfavorable
limitations of his surroundings and achieves
a noble career of eminent usefulness in
Church or state, he merits commendation.
The subject of this sketch is a good
illustration of the self-made man. He
inherited good lungs, a strong voice and a
splendid physique. He is really a physical
giant, his stalwart frame towering upward
six feet, and tipping the beam at 265
pounds. His erect and dignified movements
have made him a commanding figure among his
people. His constant endeavor to promote
their best interests has made him a popular
leader among them. A slave by birth and
denied the privilege of books and papers,
lest he should learn to read, his eager
desire for knowledge led him to devise ways
and means of self-education, to enable him
to rise above the fetters that bound him in
youth. His successful career as a minister
of the gospel, serving the same people
amongst whom he was born and raised during
the entire period of his active ministerial
life, was as unusual and worthy of special
commendation, as it was long and useful.
Wiley Homer was born March 1, 1851, in the
south part of the Choctaw Nation, known as
the Red river valley. His parents were Isam
McCoy and Adaline Shoals, who lived about
three miles northeast of the present town of
Grant. As his parents were called after the
family name of their masters, in accordance
with the usual custom in slavery times, he
was called "Homer" after the name of his
master, John Homer, a full-blood Choctaw.
Learning The Alphabet
His self-education began, when at fourteen,
he was employed as a cowboy, to herd cattle
on the little prairies and hunt them, when
scattered through the timber. The timber was
a general pasture for the cattle of
everybody, and their ownership was told by
the brand which consisted of the initial
letters of the owner's names, burned on the
hip, or back of each. It became necessary
for him, to learn how to distinguish these
brands, one from another, for he was
sometimes asked to hunt the cattle of other
people. To do this he began by drawing the
outline of familiar brands in the dust or
sand, where the ground was smooth, and then
on slips of paper. In a short time, the list
on the paper slips included the brand of
every owner in the settlement, and nearly
all the letters of the alphabet.
A man once called on his employer, Samson
Loring, to see if he could hunt his cattle.
When asked if he could identify the new
brand, "A. B.", he took a stick and,
stooping down before them, drew the outline
of these letters, in the loose sand of the
road. On seeing this performance one
remarked to the other, "That boy will make a
smart nigger." That remark was a source of
considerable encouragement to him, and
awakened the desire, to take advantage of
every opportunity to gain knowledge.
Learning To Read
When, at 16 in 1867, he was accorded his
freedom he obtained a primer and first
reader, and undertook to master these by
private study. About four years later, a
testament and shorter Catechism were given
him. He now had what was regarded as a good
library for a young man and he applied
himself to the reading and study of these
books, in the evenings and other periods of
spare time. The testament was frequently
taken to the field when plowing, in order
that he might learn to read a verse or two,
while the team was resting, or get a
neighbor, passing on the road, to read it
for him. The reading of the testament soon
awakened a desire to be a teacher and
preacher, and this greatly increased his
interest in the study of that book.
He learned to sing from his mother, who
greatly enjoyed whiling away spare hours on
the Sabbath, singing the songs they used to
sing in slavery times. The only help of a
teacher that he enjoyed was a period of
three months, to enable him to read the
Bible aloud correctly. This instruction was
given only on Sabbath afternoons, and for it
he had to cut and split for the teacher 250
oak rails.
The Man Who Built The Arbor
The story of the incidents, that prepared
the way and providentially led him into the
ministry, is as novel and interesting as the
one relating to his method of learning the
alphabet.
When he had learned to read portions of the
Testament and Catechism there were no
meetings held in his neighborhood on the
Sabbath, for the religious instruction of
the colored people. He had a good voice and
loved to sing. He had experienced as much
joy and delight in learning to read the
Bible, as many do, when they learn to play a
musical instrument. He longed for an
opportunity to read the Bible for others.
This yearning first took the form of a
prayer that God would provide for them a
Church or place for meeting. When this
prayer had been offered a few times, at the
foot of an oak tree in the timber he told
others of his earnest desire for a Church;
and proposed to some friends, that they
unite with him in building an arbor in the
timber for a meeting place. This proposal
was not taken very seriously, and yet none
of his friends cared to oppose it. A day was
finally appointed and all, who were
interested, were requested to meet at the
place selected for the arbor, and help to
build it.
On the morning of that day, he went alone to
the appointed place, which was near the oak
tree at the foot of which he had before
knelt in prayer, and by noon he had cut and
erected the frame. Another friend arrived in
the afternoon and assisted to cover it with
branches of trees and supply it with seats.
On the day following, which was the Sabbath,
the colored people of the neighborhood
assembled to see the new arbor and enjoy a
meeting. Now it happened that no one present
had ever led a meeting, and the first
question to be settled was, "who should lead
the meeting?" Every one, that was asked to
lead it, insisted, "the man who built the
arbor" must serve as leader of the meeting.
Young Homer accepted the situation and led
the meeting in the best manner possible. The
exercises consisted of a prayer, the reading
of a familiar passage from the Bible, some
remarks by the leader and others, and the
singing from memory of a few plantation
melodies, such as "Kentucky Home," "Swanee
River", and "The Angels Are Coming to Carry
Me Home."
At the second meeting, which was held on the
following Sabbath, the people were formed
into a class for instruction in the Bible
and catechism, and Homer was chosen to be
the leader. This was the organization of the
Sunday school for that neighborhood.
At this meeting Homer offered prayer the
first time in the presence of others; and it
happened in this way. When he called on the
friend, who led in prayer at the first
meeting to do so again, he politely
declined, saying: "Homer you lead in prayer,
yourself."
A Teacher, Elder And Preacher
This arbor, which was the tiny beginning of
the Beaver Dam Church, was built in 1873,
the year after he became of age. The next
year this place was visited by Rev. Charles
W. Stewart, and it then became one of his
regular monthly appointments. Homer was
again appointed Bible teacher and leader of
the meetings, on the other Sabbaths.
In 1875 a Church house or meeting place was
built of saplings, near the old arbor, that
continued to be used for many years.
In 1881 he was elected as the first elder of
the Church, and in 1887 was appointed a
Catechist. Encouraged by these recognitions
and duties he secured a good library of
religious books including a Bible dictionary
and a Webster. He read many of them with
great profit, and was soon recognized as an
intelligent and valuable instructor of the
people. The Bible and the shorter Catechism,
the one containing all of Bible truth and
the other, a brief compend of Bible
doctrine, were the two books that were
studied most and proved most helpful.
In 1893 he was licensed to preach by the
Presbytery of Choctaw and assigned the
pastoral care of Beaver Dam and Hebron
Churches. On Sept. 28, 1895, by the same
Presbytery, meeting at Oak Hill Academy, now
known as the Alice Lee Memorial, he was
ordained to the full work of the gospel
ministry. He continued to serve Beaver Dam,
his old home Church, until Oct. 1, 1912,
when, after a pastorate of twenty years, he
was honorably retired from the active work
of the gospel ministry. In 1904 he secured
the erection of a commodious chapel at Grant
that, during the next five years, served
also as the most convenient place for
holding the neighborhood school. After
serving Hebron about ten years on alternate
Sabbaths, in connection with Beaver Dam, he
relinquished that field and served Sandy
Branch and Horse Prairie, each a short
period.
When the Presbytery of Kiamichi met in the
new chapel at Grant, in April 1905, he
conducted the Bible lesson for the entire
Sunday school, as had been his custom ever
since the early days. The writer was
pleasantly surprised and profoundly
impressed, by his scholarly and highly
instructive management of it, and the many
useful, practical lessons he endeavored to
impress.
The Power Of The Bible
Wiley Homer is a good practical illustration
of what the Bible is intended to do for all
men. If he were asked, what book, in the
process of his self-education, had proved
most valuable to him, he would
unhesitatingly reply, "the Bible." His
prayer in regard to it has been that of
David in the 119th Psalm, "Let my heart be
sound in thy statutes," and his testimony,
that of David in the 19th Psalm, "The law of
the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure making
wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord
are right, rejoicing the heart, the
commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes."
If he were to name the next most helpful
book, it would be, The Shorter Catechism,
with the statement on its first page, that,
"The chief end of man is to glorify God, and
to enjoy him forever."
The private study of the Bible and Catechism
prepared him for life-long usefulness as a
teacher, discovered to him and his people
his divine call to the ministry and enabled
him to do the most important work of his
life. He has been a faithful and efficient
teacher of these two books, but of these
only, to all the people and, as a result, he
has become recognized as their spiritual
leader.
The habit of private study, formed while
learning to read the Bible, fitted him to
search for knowledge in other fields of
literature, and he has thus become one of
the most intelligent, highly respected and
successful citizens of the community in
which he lives.
He has been an ardent friend and promoter of
education among his people. When in 1889, it
was decided to make the school at Oak Hill
an industrial institution; he donated two
head of cattle to start the herd. He has
ever since taken a personal interest in the
welfare of that institution. During recent
years, he has made one or two visits each
year, for the purpose of delivering special
lectures and sermons to the young people
gathered there. He thus brought to them the
encouragement of his own word and example,
in solving the problems of their education
and life-work.
A Commissioner To The General Assembly,
Six Times
He has enjoyed the unusual distinction of
having been chosen a commissioner and to
have represented his Presbytery in the
General Assembly, five times during the last
fourteen years as a minister, and once
before as a ruling elder, making six times
in 24 years. The times and places of these
meetings were as follows: In 1889, New York;
in 1899, Minneapolis; in 1901, Philadelphia;
in 1903, Los Angeles; in 1905, Winona Lake,
Ind.; in 1913, Atlanta, Georgia. In
attending these great meetings he has passed
over the entire length and breadth of this
land. To appreciate the unusual character of
this privilege and honor it is merely
necessary to state the fact, that the
eminent man, who was chosen Moderator of the
Assembly at Atlanta in 1913, Rev. John
Timothy Stone, D. D. of Chicago, was
attending the Assembly on that occasion, the
first time as a commissioner; and Rev.
Charles W. Stewart, the worthy founder of
Presbyterianism among the Choctaw Freedmen,
never so much as got there once.
These frequent voluntary recognitions, on
the part of his brethren in the Presbytery,
suggest the power of leadership he has
modestly, but always exercised among them.
His brethren have found him a wise and
prudent counselor, and an unselfish helper;
and he has always been held in the highest
esteem by them.
A Life-Long Leader Of The Church He
Founded
He has been a man of strong and positive
convictions and a persevering worker for the
moral and spiritual uplift of his people. He
learned from his own early experience as a
slave, the trials and urgent needs of his
people and, as the way became clear before
him, he consecrated himself unreservedly to
the promotion of their welfare.
As a preacher he has emphasized the
necessity of repentance and forgiveness of
sins, willing obedience to all the commands
of Christ, and the joyous rewards of
faithful service. As he surveys the progress
of recent years, he sees the fulfillment of
Isaiah's prediction, "The people, that
walked in darkness, have seen a great light,
they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of
death, upon them hath the light shined."
Thirty years have now passed, since he began
to hold the ever memorable meetings, in the
little arbor in the timber. Ever since that
date he has been the faithful Bible
instructor of all the people, during the
lesson hour of the Sunday school, and the
resident pastor of the Presbyterian Church
for twenty years. The cozy chapel, and the
good congregation of happy Christian people,
that regularly meet there for worship and
Bible study, are visible reminders of his
consecrated genius and unselfish devotion to
the best interests of his people.
"Dare to do right, dare to
be true,
You have a work that no other can do."
"Since God is God and right is right,
Right the day shall win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter would be sin."
Wiley Homer and Laney Colbert were
married in 1867 and their family consisted
of ten children, of whom five died in
childhood and youth. Those that are living
are Susan, Mary Shoals, Hattie Lewis, Sarah
Williams and Lincoln.
In 1890, after the death of Laney, he
married Rhody Tutt; and in 1906, after her
decease, Lizzie Homer.
In October 1912, he was granted by the
Presbytery, an honorable retirement from the
performance of the public duties required of
the active ministry. As the sunset of life
approaches, and the shadows lengthen toward
the closing day, he enjoys the consciousness
of a well spent life, as a source of comfort
and consolation to sustain and strengthen,
until the recording angel shall proclaim,
the gracious benediction, "Well done good
and faithful servant, enter thou into the
joy of thy Lord."
Haystack Meeting
The use of the shadow of the oak tree, and
later of the arbor near it, as a place for
prayer and worship, reminds one of the
historic prayer meeting that was held near
Williamstown, in 1806, when Samuel J. Mills,
and four other students of Williams College,
Newell, Nott, Hall and Judson, met in the
shadow of a haystack and united in prayer,
that God would fit them and prepare the way
for them to carry the gospel into heathen
lands.
After making two tours to the southwest as
far as New Orleans, distributing and selling
Bibles and organizing Bible societies, Mills
made the suggestion, that led to the
organization of the American Bible society
in New York, May 11, 1816; and to the Synod
of New York, the plan of educating Negroes
to carry the gospel to Africa. In 1817 he
was sent as a missionary to Western Africa,
including Sierra Leone. He died on the
homeward voyage and like his friend Adoniram
Judson, who went to farther India and
translated the Bible for the Burmese, was
buried in the sea.
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
Choctaw Freedmen and Oak Hill Industrial
Academy, 1914, Robert Elliott Flickinger
