Local Church to Host Note Burning Celebration Sunday, January 1

December 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

More than three years ago members of the Center Hill Brethren in Christ church celebrated their house of worship’s 20th anniversary. A celebration of a different kind will be held there on Sunday, January 1 as the congregation conducts a “note burning” service in observance of the church’s debt free status.

Center Hill Brethren in Christ Church is located at the corner of Miller Road and Forrest Avenue.

Pastor Larry Steffee invites the community to be part of the singing and celebration Sunday.

“We will be having a note burning where we paid off the mortgage on the property. We paid it off a couple of months early, but we wanted to start out the new year by celebrating paying off the mortgage. We’ll start out by having preaching at 10 a.m. instead of Sunday School which is normally at that time and the title of my message will be “Up in Smoke” which will be followed at 11:00 a.m. by a singing featuring the Singing Believers and during the singing we will take a break for the note burning. We invite anyone who has ever attended the church over the years at any time and the general public to come to share in the note burning and singing. One of the original trustees will join us Sunday for the note burning along with our current trustees”.

The following is a history of the church provided by Pastor Steffee:

“The Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church came into existence January 3, 1999, after a small group of believers met on December 31, 1998, and decided to start a brand-new congregation in Smithville. We started meeting in this building probably January 17, 1999. Our first meeting as a congregation was January 3 but we met for two weeks at different locations before we got this building. We rented the building for four years before making the purchase taking out a 20-year mortgage with a local bank. Soon after renting it we began remodeling the building to make it more suitable for church services. The building was formerly used as a daycare center,” said Steffee.

“The building was fully insured after it was purchased, which turned out to be a good thing because the water lines froze and broke the next day, flooding the building. Insurance paid for all new floor coverings and drop ceilings, greatly improving the interior of the building. The original dome roof was eventually replaced by a gable roof”.

“When church membership reached 12, the congregation officially became a part of the Brethren In Christ denomination, which originated in 1778. Members brought vinyl chairs to be used for seating for about four months, until permanent chairs, an organ, songbooks, and other equipment could be delivered by two members of a Brethren In Christ Church near Tampa, Florida, which had closed. The Smithville First Methodist Church loaned hymnbooks to the congregation until the delivery from Florida. More hymnbooks were purchased from another Brethren In Christ Church in Orlando, Florida. A church from McMinnville, donated a piano, and a pulpit was donated by the Brethren In Christ Church from DeRossett, Tennessee”.

“Eventually, used pews with removable cushions were purchased from the Smithville Nazarene Church. These were used until 2006, at which time padded pews were donated by the Brethren In Christ Church in Sarasota, Florida. Smithport Cabinet Shop of Smithville, which sold cabinets in Florida, transported the pews at no charge, and also sent five men to unload them into the building”.

“One of the original trustees who will be at our service Sunday, worked for the local concrete company at that time and they allowed him to bring concrete to the church that was either left over or turned down at the last minute and we put down that concrete all around the church. It was probably about $10,000 worth of concrete that we got absolutely free. Of course, we had to be available on short notice to help pour it out so it wasn’t a professional job, but it was better than the grass and gravel we had there before,” said Steffee.

“I am amazed at all the support we have had down through the years. Lots of people have pitched in and helped us in various ways. Last spring, we had some damage to our metal roof from a windstorm. The insurance company adjustor came out, looked at it and gave us a check. Instead of hiring a contractor we had a couple dozen people come out and help put new pieces of the metal roof on. Of course, we had to purchase the metal, but the labor was all donated.”

“We had two different individuals, one a cabinet maker and the other a contractor who actually made things for inside the church like a register board which most churches have that display the attendance numbers. This cabinet maker made one of them for us as well as a coat rack and display table. The other guy made us very large replicas of the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, several crosses and even the steeple on top of the church and all this was donated”.

The pastor of the local congregation since its beginning, Steffee has also been a pastor in the Brethren In Christ Church since 1967, following graduation from Messiah University in Grantham, Pennsylvania. The college is affiliated with the Brethren In Christ Church. Between Center Hill Brethren In Christ and another local church, Steffee has been a pastor in Smithville for 42 years. Steffee was also employed by the school system for about 30 years as a math teacher and bus driver and he taught at Motlow for 30 years until his retirement from that position two years ago. Steffee said he is planning a return to teaching next fall for a dual enrollment class.

“The main goal of the congregation at Center Hill Brethren in Christ Church from the very beginning has been to reach out to the unchurched of the Smithville community and surrounding areas. The congregation is a very close-knit group which welcomes newcomers readily. Numerous people have been converted and baptized and have become members”.

Everyone is invited to the worship, singing and note burning observance at Center Hill Brethren In Christ Church on Sunday, January 1.

December 28, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Legendary former high school basketball coach Harold Luna passed away Monday at NHC Healthcare Center in Smithville at the age of 85.

Luna coached both boys and girls at DeKalb County High School from 1964-69, then began coaching the boys program only until 1984. His total record was 516-179.

Mr. Luna was born on December 1, 1937 to his parents, the late Brackett & Era Barnes Luna. Also preceding him in death is his wife, Lynda Luna & a sister, Ponzell Usery. Mr. Luna, or “Coach Luna” as he was affectionally known, was a teacher, member of the Retired Teachers Association, TSSAA Coaches Association & the New Union The Baptist Church.

Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2022 at 2pm from the chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Visitation with the Luna family will be on Wednesday, from 1:00pm until 7:00pm and on Thursday, from 9:00am until the service time at 2:00pm. Bro. Keith Sims and Gary McBride will officiate and burial will be in New Union Cemetery.

Survivors include 2 Sons, Rocky (Julie) Luna of Omaha, NE & Bradley “Buck” Luna of Smithville, TN. 8 Grandchildren, Courtney (Chris) Blanchard of Manchester, TN, Alexis Krehbiel, Lindsay Krehbiel, Luke Krehbiel, Abby Krehbiel, Dylan Luna, Natalie Krehbiel & Ainsley Krehbiel all of Omaha, NE.3 Great Grandchildren, Delaney, Lorelai & Rheagan Blanchard all of Manchester, TN. 1 Sister, Mary Louise Wright of Smithville, TN.

Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

In February, 2015 DCHS paid tribute to a few of its basketball legends presenting the former players and Coach Luna with banners that hang in the school gymnasium. The ceremony was held between the Tigers and Lady Tigers game against Cannon County on February 5th, 2015.

Along with Coach Luna, former DeKalb Basketball Tigerette Betty Carol Fite, and Lady Tigers’ Mary Ann Puckett and Cynthia Woodward were recognized along with former Tigers Danny Foutch and Kevin James. Fite could not attend the ceremony.

The honorees stepped onto the court alongside banners held by current DCHS basketball players that featured their name and jersey number. DCHS basketball announcer Chris Vance then cited their high school career accomplishments. Coach Luna’s banner bore his overall 516-179 win-loss record.

Each player was met with applause from the night’s crowd, but Coach Luna received the most enthusiastic reception. The standing ovation brought the former coach to tears.

December 27, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A woman perished in a fire at her Smithville residence this morning (Tuesday) at 201 Hayes Street

Dead is 37-year-old Brittany Schemmer.

According to Detective Brandon Donnell of the Smithville Police Department, city workers spotted the fire as they were passing by and reported it at 10:23 a.m.

“The Smithville Fire Department arrived on the scene quickly and found smoke billowing through the roof and all through the house,” said Detective Donnell.

“We saw no vehicle parked at the residence but while talking to neighbors we learned that a woman lived there but had no car. We were also informed that the woman’s 6-year-old daughter lived with her but that the child was at her grandparents at the time,” Detective Donnell continued.

Fire Chief Charlie Parker said as fire fighters were battling the blaze, they were also looking for the woman and found her body in a master bathroom. She apparently succumbed to smoke inhalation. A cat and dog also perished in the fire.

According to Chief Parker, the fire is believed to have started in the kitchen, but the exact cause has not been determined. No foul play is suspected. The house was gutted by the fire. The structure and all belongings were lost.

In addition to the Smithville Fire Department and Smithville City Police, DeKalb EMS and city workers were also on the scene.

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