Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church
St. Charles Avenue
Rayne Memorial Methodist Church History

  St. Charles Avenue is home to many houses of worship, but I've always thought that
Rayne Memorial Church, with its unique Gothic-revival architecture, is one of the
most beautiful and interesting on the Avenue.
  For years, the tall steeple of Rayne Memorial has been illuminated at night --
serving as a beacon of hope and peace, and earning the church the nickname of
"The Church of the Lighted Steeple."
  The church was established in 1875 and a building was constructed that year on St.
Charles Avenue.  The cost of the site and most of the cost of construction was
donated by Robert Rayne, a local minister and merchant, in memory of his son,
William.  
   In 1887, the name of the church was changed to Rayne Memorial Church to honor
Robert Rayne.
  Rayne Memorial was damaged in the storm of 1915.  It was renovated and the
stained glass windows that had been destroyed were replaced with beautiful new
ones made in Germany.
  In 1968, the Hannah Chapel was built adjacent to the church.  Today, the Chapel is
being used as the sanctuary for the Korean United Methodist Church.
  In 2005, Rayne Memorial sustained serious damage from Hurricane Katrina and its
steeple was destroyed.  Restoration took three years.  Today, the bell in the historic
church continues to ring out a welcome and the light in the steeple still serves as a
bright beacon for the community.   -- Nancy
Honor Roll

Rayne Memorial Members Serving in the Armed Forces

World War II -- July, 1943
The following names came from a 1943 Rayne Memorial Church
bulletin I found in one of my Grandmother's scrapbooks  -- Nancy
Lieut. F. H. Ahrens
Herman Ahrens
(C.W.O.) Joe B. Askew
Lieut. (j. g.) E. L. Autrey
A/C William L. Aydelott
Corp. C. T. Babington
Lieut. William F. Babington
Pfc. L. N. Baird, Jr.
Mid. Roy Bartlett
Lieut. C. O. Beauchamp, Jr.
Capt. J. R. Bise, Jr.
J. R. Bise, III
S-2/c R. G. Black
Taylor R. Bodkin
Lieut. James M. Boyd
St. Sgt. Locke Brown, Jr.
Lieut. R. L. Buck
Lieut William R. Campbell
Pfc. Arthur Pat Chambers
Capt. Oliver L. Clarke
A/C Allan D. Colley
Pfc. Demcey D. Colley
Pfc. Thomas B. Colley
Lieut. Albert Sidney Collins
Robert Ashton Collins
Lt.-Col. S. H. Colvin, Jr.
Capt. E. H. Countiss
Corp. William B. Craft
Lieut. Mark L. Craig
Ensign N. C. Cromwell
Lt.-Col. G. P. Culver
John M. Culver
A/C Marion F. Culver
Corp. William S. Culver
Ensign Ben W. Dart, Jr.
Stephen Dart
Lt.-Col. John Dart
Commander W. W. Davis
Yeo. 2/c Norman Davis
Samuel Denmark
O/C Curtis Dupree
Lieut. (j.g.) H. S. Eason
William Eason
Lt.-Col. Gaston Eikel
Dr. Mayo L. Emory
Richard Farnum
Stephen C. Farnum
Lieut. (j.g.) William H. Fields, Jr.
Lieut. J. S. Fletcher
Lieut. Robert E. Fosster
Lt.-Col. F. H. Fox
Pvt. Hewitt Fox
Pvt. W. McNair Fox
Lt.-Com. J. L. Gadberry
Lt.-Col Mims Gage
Corp. Roger C. Gardner
Lt.-Col. R. W. Gaston, Jr.
Bm. 1/c Philip S. Gidiere
Capt. Benjamin Cromwell Gore
St. Davis Gore
A/C Ralph Gore
Rider Gore
Pvt. Billy Joe Grady
O. M. Gwin, Jr.
Yeo. L. M. Harkey
Raymond B. Harlow
H. N. Harrison, Jr.
Miss Mynn Harrison
Lieut. Merrill O. Hines
Pvt. W. H. Hodges, Jr.
W. H. Hodges, III
Lt. Com. Samstone Holmes
Ensign W. W. Holmes, Jr.
Corp. Robert M. Huey, Jr.
Pfc. William M. Huges
Sgt. G. W. Huser
Major O. M. Jernigan
Roy Johns, Jr.
Lieut. (j.g.) E. P. Johnson, Jr.
Lieut. O. W. Johnson
Lieut. Louis McK. Jones
Pvt. Philip Joulian
Capt. James B. Lake, Jr.
Emile Langhof
Capt. George M. Leake
Ensign James W. Leake
Capt. W. S. Leake, Jr.
Lieut. Fred LeLaurin, Jr.
Lieut. James V. LeLaurin
Lieut. E. B. Leverich
Lt.-Com. L. R. Levine
Sgt. Morris Levy
Warren N. Levy
Lt.-Com.Hugh H. Lewis
Sgt. Hall McCord
Pfc. James W. McCreary
Corp. Richard H. Mackie
Dwight H. Mangum
Lieut. H. G. Manning, Jr.
Pfc. Sam H. Meyer, II
Capt. Paul F. Mielly
Lieut (j.g.) M. D. Miller, Jr.
Ensign Edwin E. Moise, Jr.
Pf. R. D. Moore
Corp. C. W. Mudge
Phm. 1/c E. M. Mudge
Corp. Jack K. Mudge
C. E. Munden, III
Ensign William J. Murray
(ATS) F. W. Nelson
Lieut. W. R. Nieman
(C.S.P.) K. E. North
A.M.M. 1/c L. L. North
A/S Robert B. North
Lieut. (j.g.) William R. D. North
Sgt. William J. Orr
(C.P.O.) M. D. Palm
Ensign J. C. Palmes
Reginald Panquerne
T/5 Jack L. Patterson
Lieut. (j.g.) S. F. Perrin, Jr.
Lieut. John S. Petty
Lieut. Frank W. Quin, Jr.
Capt. Paul H. Ramos
Lieut. (j.g.) W. Ford Reese
J. W. Reily, Jr.
Hillary Remond
Lieut. L. D. Ritter
J. D. Rives, Jr.
Fm. 1/c E. G. Rogers, Jr.
Lieut. Charles A. Ross
(C.P.O.) J. C. Rumble
Phm. 2/c Robert H. Rumph
Lieut. John D. Saint, Jr.
Edward Sanford
Lieut. (j.g.) Gayle Schneidau
Capt. Philip Sleet
Pfc. Charles E. Smith
Dale Stancliff
A/C L. R. Steidel, Jr.
Lieut. Jack A. Sutherlin
A/C Edward J. Taylor, Jr.
S-2/c Mary Va. Taylor
Lieut. (j.g.) E. V. Thomas
Corp. C. L. Thompson, Jr.
Pvt. J. W. Thompson
Lieut. Keith L. Thrash
S-2/c Valney Jean Thrash
Rm. 1/c Morris D. Tichenor
Lieut. W. H. Trenchard
Corp. L. H. Twyman
Lieut. Arthur S. Tycer
Ensign W. J. Verlander
Miss Eloise Wakefield
Lieut. R. B. Walker
Miss Mildred Wells
Corp. H. E. West
Major C. S. Williamson, III
A/C W. Bradley
A/C Milton B. Wise
Sunday School Class, Rayne Memorial Methodist Church, ca. 1951.
Visitors to the site have contacted me to share some of the names of the children
in the photo above:

From Elizabeth Neilson:
"First row...second from left...the little girl is Diane Alldredge Black; her older brother
Barrett Alldredge is in the picture, I think he is on the back row.  Next to Diane is
Margaret Beacham Schuler...Her sister Barbara Beacham Mollere is the girl (with hat
on) second row from top and second girl from right.  I think the tall girl on the back
row (with white hat) is Beverly Reese Church.  Second row from front ...third from the
right...is John Groth; his little sister Gwin is on his right, I believe.  I think Oscar Gwin
(cousin of John Groth) is the smiling blond second from the left on the second row
from the front."
===========================

From Julie Moore Sullivan:
"My brother, Ronnie Peak, is the 3rd boy from the right on the back row."
===========================

From Beth Neilson:
"I'm on the second row from the top, the second child from the left end.  To my right,
is Sharon Riordan."

Clark Thorpe:
"I am the first boy on the left on the top row (white suit and crew cut)."
Service Testaments presented since last report:

Lieut. Arthur S. Tycer
Pvt. Norris Ray Scott
Pfc. Charles E. Smith
Charales Albert Kiester
Stanley Timmerman
Lieut. F. B. Bragg
Ensign Ben. W. Dart, Jr.
Ensign WIlliam J. Murray
Ensign N. C. Cromwell
Pvt. Hewitt Bates Fox
Pvt. W. McNair Fox
Mm. 1/c H. B. Kelly
Lt.-Com. Lyle R. Levine
Lieut. Samuel K. Eddy, Jr.
Cmmander A. W. Davis
Sgt. N. Hall McCord
Sgt. Raymond B. Harlow
Miss Mynn Harrison
Miss Wildred Wells
Capt. Paul F. Mielly
K. E. North
R. B. North
Lieut. W. R. Campbell, Jr.
Fm. 1/c E. G. Rogers, Jr.
Stephen C. Farnum
Taylor B. Bodkin
Pvt. J. D. RIves, Jr.
The top photo is courtesy of  Waggonner and Ball Architects.