RUMFORD – Marguerite Welch and the Junior Department of the Rumford Methodist Chapel Sunday School received a heartfelt letter and a receipt from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church of Birmingham, Ala., in October 1963.

The Alabama church had been bombed, and four young Sunday school girls were killed. Welch based a worship service on that tragedy and asked the students to donate a gift from their own money. She sent their collected $4.09 to Alabama along with an explanatory letter and a copy of the service.

In May 1964, the Junior Sunday School Department, c/o Mrs. Ivan Welch, Virgin Memorial Chapel, Rumford, received a thank-you letter from Gov. William A. Egan, Alaska, for their $5.98 donation. Alaska had been hit by an earthquake and tidal wave.

The letters will be included in the exhibit and photo display in the fellowship hall of the Virgin Memorial Chapel, Rumford United Methodist Church, on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 13.

In the sanctuary that day at 2 p.m. a program will include Jean and Bill Hersey’s church history slide show and dialogue skits, celebrating 100 Years of Spirit.

The Sunday, Sept. 14, worship service will be at 10:30 a.m. A memorial hymn sing that day will be at 2 p.m., and everyone is welcome.

Those who would like to contribute memories relating to the church are asked to send them to Peggy Welch, 645 Crescent Ave., Rumford, ME 04276, or to e-mail them to Jim Robertson at [email protected].