Oso Community Chapel marks 100 years with makeover

OSO — It took months of teamwork, generosity and unflagging determination to get the chapel at the heart of this small community ready for its 100th birthday party.

It has a new kitchen, doors, covered patio and bell tower. The roof, gutters and walkways have been repaired. A fresh coat of red paint is set off by white trim. Inside, walls have been repainted and rooms redecorated. Outside, there are new planters, gardens, stepping stones and a fountain next to a tall white cross and a large river rock sandblasted with Bible verse John 3:16.

Gail Blacker and Cherene Graber were two of the volunteers and longtime church members who helped remodel the Oso Community Chapel in time for the centennial celebration last Saturday. Graber’s husband has been going to the church since he was a child and she’s been joining him since they married nearly 30 years ago. Blacker started coming when her daughter, now 42, was 2 years old. She lives next door and walks over every Sunday.

Blacker remembers when the church was heated in the winter with a potbelly stove and she’d bundle up in layers of clothing, then arrive early to sit as close to the stove as possible. She also recalls the days when there were no real bathrooms at the chapel, just a nearby outhouse.

A lot about the building has changed since then. The people, though, are constant, Graber said.

“The outside might change, but the heart of the people hasn’t changed since day one,” she said.

Blacker pieced together a timeline of the church’s history from old newspapers and parishioners’ memories. In 1915, church members raised $300 to build a 30-by-55-foot structure with a square tower and a basement. In the wet, rocky ground, digging a basement was quite a feat. Before that, the congregation met in schoolhouses, including the log cabin Oso School that later burned down. Church services started there in 1888.

For most of the church’s history, there was no official pastor. Instead, people volunteered to speak on Sundays. The first full-time pastor was hired around 1980 and since then four have come and gone. There currently is an interim preacher while church leaders seek their fifth permanent pastor.

It’s important for a pastor to be part of the Oso family, Blacker said.

The community has a legacy of compassion and generosity, and the church is a hub for that kindness. After the deadly Oso mudslide in March 2014 they handled donations, hosted meetings and reached out to ask what people needed. In the process, they learned how important it is to have dedicated leaders and hard-working volunteers, Graber said.

Remodeling the church will make it easier to serve the people of Oso, she said. It used to be hard to host events like the fall harvest festival and firemen’s breakfast because the church’s kitchen consisted of cupboards and a sink tucked into an alcove along with whatever heat sources people brought in.

Now, they have a large kitchen with a double oven, microwave, refrigerator, farm-style sink and ample counter space. Blacker and Graber are looking forward to more events like ladies teas or senior breakfasts.

A $50,000 grant helped pay for the building’s renovation, including the kitchen. Volunteers matched that in donated supplies, services and money. People contributed lights, doors, plants, stones and hours of work. Parishioners discovered hidden talents for landscaping, painting and decorating.

The remodel took four months and wrapped up just in time for the centennial.

“It looks like Cinderella put on a ball gown,” Blacker said.

The celebration included food, praise, music, children’s activities and a history presentation. The congregation is saving photos of the remodel and plans to create a time capsule for future generations.

“We want to make a record so when people look back in 100 years at this renovation, they know what happened,” Blacker said.

Heading into the chapel’s second century, church leaders also want to host more events and offer wedding rentals. Blacker and Graber think the remodel will draw more people to church at 10 a.m. Sundays and Bible study at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The chapel is along Highway 530 between Darrington and Arlington, near the Oso fire hall and general store.

“God always looks on the inside but man looks on the outside,” Blacker said. “And now, when man looks on the outside, maybe they’ll want to see what’s on the inside.”

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.