Church's warmth burns bright 73 years later

SANDPOINT — Here’s a good deed that was so sweet, it actually was rediscovered twice.

In 1943, a 19-year-old woman named Beth Knight boarded the train in Lincoln, Neb., on her way to Sandpoint, Idaho, to marry her hometown sweetheart. The young man, Price May, was also a Nebraska native.

The two had planned to marry when Price finished boot camp, but the Navy had other ideas, whisking him off to serve at Farragut Naval Base, where he trained in the medical corps and worked as a dental technician.

Beth was lucky to get a seat on the train, since that form of transport was pretty much relegated to military use at the time and the route from Lincoln to Sandpoint was packed with sailors headed for the base at the southernmost tip of Lake Pend Oreille. She arrived with no place to stay, no contacts at her destination and no idea when and where her wedding would take place.

And then the magic started to happen.

More on that love story in a moment. First, let’s track the path of rediscovery that kept the tale alive. So alive, in fact, that it will be staged this evening as part of a dinner theatre performance at Sandpoint’s First Presbyterian Church.

It turns out that my dad, Bob Gunter, had interviewed Beth May in 2001, when she was in her late 70s. She died 13 years later at the age of 90.

The interview was filmed by dad’s best friend and running buddy, Oscar-winning cinematographer Erik Daarstad. May told her story, the two friends dutifully took it down and, at the time, shared it with a local audience.

The electronic chronicle they left behind might have been forgotten, but for the

establishment of the Bob Gunter/Erik Daarstad Historical Archive at the Bonner County Historical Society Museum — a trove of written interviews and about 90 hours of DVD footage covering more than 100 meetings with old-timers whose stories now exist mostly in memory, but also on the museum hard drives that hold the archive.

But stories — even great, romantic stories — tend to fade without re-telling. That’s where discovery Number 2 comes into play.

Longtime First Presbyterian Church member Marilyn Robertson was at her volunteer post at the museum when fellow volunteer Will Valentine mentioned that he was transcribing the Beth May interview into an updated digital format.

“He said, ‘Marilyn, this has a whole lot of stuff about the Presbyterian church in it,’” Robertson said. “So, we decided to dramatize it.”

Just days prior to this evening’s performance, she was still revisiting the script to make changes and additions.

“This has all evolved,” sad Robertson, who both directs and doubles as a storyteller in the play with fellow congregation member Bill Love. “I was still writing new edits into the script this morning.”

Back to the love story: Upon her arrival, Beth Knight walked from the train station across the bridge to town, only to find that there was no room at the inn — any inn, for that matter.

“She got off the train and there were no rooms available at all,” said Love, adding that a friendly hotel clerk arranged for her to stay with the Shook family, who attended the Presbyterian church. “From there, the community decided to stage a wedding for the couple.”

“From the sound of it, everything was free,” said Robertson, who listed donated flowers, a reception hosted by Eastern Star, two volunteer bridesmaids and even an opera singer and gratis pianist who provided music for the ceremony.

The Sept. 1 wedding took place promptly after the bride-to-be’s arrival. Her parents were unable to make the trip due to lack of seating on the westbound trains still overflowing with naval recruits en route to Farragut.

“She had to walk down the aisle on her own,” Robertson said. “I would’ve been shaking in my boots.”

Founded in 1903, with the current church building constructed in 1906, the Presbyterians emerged as a sort of instant family for the newlyweds, who had enjoyed 50 years of marriage when Price passed away. With her sailor husband still stationed on base, the young bride set out to find them a house in their new hometown.

“She had to pay two-fifty a month in rent,” said Robertson. “Two dollars and fifty cents, that is.”

Tonight, a cast of about 10 actors will recreate the romantic drama following a dinner in the church fellowship hall. From there, the audience will be ushered into the 110-year-old sanctuary for the play. According to Love, this location offers the height of historical accuracy.

“The thing we take pride in — being Sandpoint’s last remaining downtown church — is that we can stage this in the same room where her wedding took place,” he said.

Not content to rest on that good deed that happened more than 70 years ago, the Presbyterians have earmarked proceeds from tonight’s dinner show to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Specifically, the money will go to build a safety fence between an existing drainage ditch and the more than a dozen Habitat homes at Schissler Meadows in Kootenai.

The neighborhood is named for the late Mike Schissler, a founding member of Habitat for Humanity in Bonner County.

“The budget for the fence was predicated on us selling 50 tickets,” Love said. “And it looks like we’re going to be sold out.”

Those interested in attending tonight’s dinner theatre production may still be able to drop by the church, located at 417 N. Fourth Ave., during today’s noontime coffee hour to see if there are any tickets left, Robertson said.

“We might even give them a cup of coffee,” she added.

Cast members include: Stephanie DiGiulio as Beth; Jon DiGiulio as Price; Will Valentine as the train conductor; Chuck Humes as the hotel clerk; Sharon Anderson as Mrs. Shook; Abby Helander and Cody (Helander) Ukich as bridesmaids; Zach Ukich as the shore patrolman; and First Presbyterian pastor Andy Kennaly as the pastor.

Jan Morgenstern will play piano, with Dana Stockman is the vocal soloist. Stage manager Sylvia Humes will be assisted by Anne Harvey. Additional assistance was provided by Farragut historical consultant Ken Conger and acting consultant Steve Neuder.

The event was coordinated by Mary Sturgis, with decorations by Judy Labrie leading a church decorating committee, and publicity by Sue Helander and Wesley Dustman.

The meal is being catered by Barney and Carol Ballard, with church deacons acting as servers.

Dinner will be served at 5 p.m., with the play to follow. Tickets are $25 for dinner and the play, available today at noon at First Presbyterian Church, if not already sold out.

Information: 208-263-2047