President, Senior Scribes
Blough Work Camp
By Delbert Blickenstaff 

It was the summer of 1940, and I was not yet nineteen years old.  I was living in Chicago, working in the tabulating department of Sears, and taking classes at the American Academy of Art because I wanted to be a commercial artist.  Living next door was the family of Alvin Brightbill who had a daughter named Becky, about seventeen. In fact I had one date with Becky, but when she refused my invitation to a good night kiss, I decided enough of that.  However, I digress. 

Al Brightbill was known all over the Church of the Brethren as THE hymn director.  He taught me and countless others how to direct hymns.  When he announced in the spring that he planned to attend Annual Conference at La Verne, California, and invited me to go along, I jumped at the chance.  I had never been to the west coast, and this trip would give me an opportunity to go on up to Grants Pass, Oregon, where my aunt and uncle Della and Noble Stutsman lived.  I wrote to them and they invited me to come and stay with them as long as I wanted to.  I know, I’m going the wrong direction to get to Blough, Pennsylvania, but just be patient. 

I really enjoyed La Verne, and the main aspect of my story is that Dan West talked to us young people, telling us about work camps.  I was especially interested in the one at Blough, PA, but of course I had no way to get there.  So I followed my original plan, traveling with my Aunt Della and Rev. Noble to Grants Pass at the end of Annual Conference.  My plans were changed, however, when the Crist family from York, Pennsylvania showed up. 

It was a Sunday and the Crists were on their way home from Annual Conference in their big Lincoln V 12.  The family consisted of father, mother, grandmother, Doreen, Jay, and little brother.  Doreen and Jay were teenagers.  The whole family came to church on Sunday and Rev. Noble invited them to dinner.  When Mr. Crist learned that I was interested in the work camp at Blough he immediately invited me to join his family, in their big Lincoln V 12, and offered to deliver me to Blough.  I couldn’t turn down that offer, so I piled in (there was plenty of room) and rode all the way back with them.  They wanted to see the west so we made many stops, including the Grand Canyon.  We three teens had a great time. 

Blough was an old mining town.  We work campers lived in the old company store building.  Of course the company was long gone.  The main work project was building a dam across a stream in the hills about five miles from town. When the pond filled up the town people could have constant supply of water.  There were about ten of us in the group, but I remember only a few names, like Emma Jean, Bruce, Chalmer, and Ruth.  One week we also conducted a Bible School in the small church.  At the end of the camp Emma Jean, Bruce, Chalmer, and I hitch-hiked back to Indiana.  Emma Jean and I went back to Manchester College, while Bruce and Chalmer returned to La Verne College.  It was an unforgettable summer. 

Delbert Blickenstaff, M.D.