It was early in the afternoon on Saturday, September 21 and I was getting my classroom ready for Children's Worship on Sunday. I normally get everything ready for class before I leave the office on Friday, but I had been in Fort Smith, AR, all week taking care of grandkids, so I was playing "catch up." As I was turning in the alley to park, I noticed some people, an older man, a young man and two young women, standing under the tree on the corner of Willow Street, looking up in the tree. I wondered why but did not investigate the situation.
I came in and went downstairs to get busy. I very quickly forgot about the people standing under the tree on the corner. After about 20 or so minutes, I thought I heard a door rattle. I stopped to listen and after not hearing anything else, continued on with my work. After another 10 or so minutes, I heard a woman's laugh and voice. My first thought was that someone was leaving a voicemail but then realized that I had not heard the phone ring. I probably should have thought my next action through more, but I walked upstairs to the sanctuary level and heard more voices. As I walked into the Annex, there stood the same four people I had seen earlier standing outside. Three were upstairs, standing by the portraits of our past ministers, and one was standing by the doorway into the sanctuary. At this point, I was so surprised and, maybe should have been concerned about my safety, but instead, I said, "Hi." We all just looked at each other for about a minute, waiting for someone to say something. I kept thinking that a Session member was going to appear from somewhere and introduce everyone. Finally, the older man (I now noticed he was wearing a bright crimson OU button up shirt) said, "I bet you are wondering who we are and what we are doing." He introduced himself and the others, but I can only remember his name (maybe because the others were wearing University of Tennessee orange.) His name was Tom Milligan and, yes, his father was the Reverend Bruce Milligan (1951 - 1957), and his portrait is hanging on our wall. The two young women were his daughters, and the young man was the husband of one of the girls.
They had driven from Tennessee to Norman for the OU vs. University of Tennessee football game and had driven down from Norman with the hopes of being able to come inside the church to show his daughters the church their grandfather had served. Tom said they stopped in Okmulgee to see the church that Reverend Milligan and his family moved to in 1957. We had a very pleasant conversation for a good while and then they had to get back to Norman for the game. Tom said he would be "lost in a sea of orange" when they got back. Before they left, Tom told me his favorite memory of his dad's time here at our church. Reverend Milligan and a friend (maybe another minister in town) would lay large sheets of plywood down on the basement floor and would set up model train tracks all over the basement floor at Christmas time. The elementary schools would bring students to see the Christmas trains run and then they would listen to the Nativity Story told using a big felt board (which I think is still downstairs). What a magical time those kids must have experienced!
This whole experience was such a pleasant surprise! I am so glad I got to meet with the Milligan family. Please let me know if you were around when Reverend Bruce Milligan was here and remember the Christmas trains.
--Tina
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