This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Congregation to celebrate pastor's 39 years at church
Pastor James E. Prather marks 39 years at Poplar Grove Baptist in Darnestown with a Sunday celebration. The 82 year old recalls slavery era uncles, threats in the 1950s, and a life of service across detention centers, Jessup, and prison outreach. His son died in Vietnam in 1967, prompting a lasting commitment to memorials and community history. He was named Citizen of the Year by Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce last year. His church records a $500,000 mortgage free by four and a half years, funds raised through donations for the 256 seat building. His family includes Edna and five daughters and one son.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Darnestown
James E. Prather
Blunt Road
Montgomery Village
Montgomery County
New Poplar Grove Baptist Church
Prather
Prathertown
Frederick
Laytonsville
Jessup
Edna
James Walker Prather
Vietnam
Lyndon B. Johnson
Vietnam Memorial
Walter Wilcox
James Prather
Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce
Pastor Prather
James Murphy
Commission On the Humanities
Nina Clarke
Maryland
Washington, D.C