Sympathy goes out to Mr. John Ahorner’s family. Mr. John Ahorner passed away peacefully on Monday, July 7 at the age of 85 years. Our prayers and thoughts are with you all at this time of loss.
Botha has a new look on the roads now with the help from the Border Paving crew. It will be a lot easier to drive around our little village without worrying about the potholes that the roads seemed to have here. The avenue that ran past the store and village office was closed out, and all the unwanted potholes are now going to be fixed, so it will make a new appearance in this little village.
Going back in history, let us look back at all the little village churches they had at one time. In the Spring of 1914, a Sunday school was started through the effort of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and Murial Steele. Although the Thompsons were Presbyterians and obtained hymn books and also a small library, the services were interdenominational and many creeds were represented.
In the beginning of Botha there were three denominations, with the Seventh-Day Adventists, the United and the Methodist .Their first services was held in the Wild Rose School District, south of Red Willow in 1906, and then the services were also held in several different locations around the country.
After a period of time the Merchant Bank was purchased, which was 1943, and then all the services were held there for about nine years. After that, the building was sold and moved to Stettler for a nurse’s residence.
Some of the members after this traveled to Stettler to attend services and some members held services at the United Church here in Botha, which the members allowed.
The third church we will mention, is the Botha United Church building, so on September 26, 1909 the church building was dedicated and the location of this was the Mayvrille district. After the choir loft was added to the top of this one building they purchased, and on the north side of the building they added a kitchen. The front entry was added in 1937 and new windows were installed in 1980. Through the years, upkeep and maintenance had to still be continued, with the building and the ground, the building was located on. Through this upkeep they added a new water well, made a sidewalk by using cement, etc. On June 10, 1925, the Methodist, Presbyterian and the Congregational churches all joined together and decided to call this building the Botha Church. In 1924-1925, Rev. Harry MacDonald, his wife and their daughter moved to this little community and he was the first minister of this little church. The Botha building was eventually moved into Botha, where it still stands today. Services ended last June with Rev. Susan Bowyer moving to Consort, but the church still holds different events in it, until it is sold.
In June 11, 1909 Botha also had a Women’s Missionary Society which was held in the home of Miss Lillas Eyestone. These ladies met each month to learn about missions needing their support and keeping them informed through the publication called the “Missionary Monthly Magazine”.
Ladies and U.C.W. (United Church Women) and on August 1928, Mrs. F.T. Coley came from Stettler to assist in the organization of the first Ladies Aid. These diligent workers assisted greatly in the financial and general upkeep of the church. In 1962, a committee was formed and called the United Church Women, which combined these two committees, who all worked together in the United Church.
BOTHA BOOSTER