Verona Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm gonna pass it along to you. Out in Collin County, there's a story that starts the way a lot of good Texas stories do: with a group of families deciding that if something needed to exist, they were the ones who'd have to build it. In 1887, those families got together and established the Verona Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Their first pastor was a man named L.L. Naugh, and whatever he had, it was enough to get things moving. Then in 1888, W.E. and Elizabeth St.

Clair donated the land, and a church building went up. Just like that, Verona had itself a house of worship. Now, you might think that's where the story settles in and gets comfortable.

It does not. Because 1911 had other plans. A tornado came through and destroyed the structure.

Gone. But here's the thing about people who build something once; they tend to know how to build it again. The congregation went right back to work and raised a new sanctuary, and that building became more than a church.

It became a community gathering place, the kind of spot where a county's memory gets made. Still, time has a way of wearing things down, and by 1959 the church was facing the very real possibility of closing its doors for good. That's the moment when dedicated members stepped up, rescued the congregation from that fate, and replaced the sanctuary.

Improved the facility. Kept the whole thing alive. By the time this marker was recorded in 1997, loyal members were still at it; still supporting, still serving the area, just as the church had been doing for one hundred and ten years.

A tornado couldn't stop it. Time couldn't stop it. Some things, turns out, are just too stubborn to quit.

What the marker says

A group of families met in 1887 to establish the Verona Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The first pastor was L.L. Naugh. W.E. and Elizabeth St. Clair donated land in 1888 and a church building was erected. In 1911 a tornado destroyed the structure, and the congregation built a new sanctuary which continued as a community gathering place. Dedicated members rescued the church from closing in 1959, replaced the sanctuary and have continued to improve the facility. Loyal members support the church which continues to serve the area as it has for 110 years. (1997)