Stories of Faith
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Catawba
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Loftin
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Loftin
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(Before 1600)
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LOFTIN:
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Corzine
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Wilkinson
Willie Goble Loftin
There are so many stories that make up our lives
but none is more personal than our own stories of faith.
John 3:16 - 17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Willie Goble was born 04 Dec 1925 in Iredell County, NC - the daughter of Martin Luther Goble and Beulah Vernesta Johnson. Willie was third from the youngest of fourteen children to a poor share-cropper family. The family moved from Iredell County to Catawba County when Willie was in the third day. Willie said that as children, she and her sisters (Gevia, Helen and Lib) would sometimes walk to Ebenezer Lutheran Church with Mrs. Pump Alley, a neighbor. Eventually the girls settled at Center Methodist Church as a result of attending several revivals there - being closer to their home made it more convenient, too. Willie's brothers didn't usually go with them to church. The Rudisill boys (including Glenn) would frequently walk them home from church. Willie was eventually baptized and joined the church. Nessie, Martin, James/Legs
Willie, Elgevia holding Bud (Leg's son), Helen
Center Methodist Church
Helen standing beside of her sister, Elgevia (to the left), about 1942
Willie married Sam William Loftin on 21 Mar 1942 and her first child, William Ray "Billy Ray", was born 26 Dec 1943. By this time, Willie was not attending church anywhere. The family was living near Bandys High School and Sam owned and operated a beer-join beside of their home. Willie said that she and Sam were good friends with William and Annie Guins at that time. She and Sam had gone to William's house to get some chickens and William invited them to a revival at Mathis Chapel Baptist Church. The revival preacher was Pastor Bruce Christopher from Hudson Chapel Baptist Church. It was during this revival when Willie got "saved" - going to the altar and inviting Jesus into her heart. The following Sunday found Willie at the altar again and after that she never doubted her salvation. She was about 23 years old. The original 1951 wooden building for Mathis Chapel Baptist Church
Sam had gone to his brother-in-law's (Glenn Lee's) store and told Glenn about Willie going to the altar at Mathis Chapel and getting "saved". Sam told Glenn "It'll be a cold day in hell when I go the the altar like she did". Glenn (who attended Center Methodist) told him, "I wouldn't say that, Sam". The conversation set heavily on Sam's heart and within a couple of days Sam got saved.
(Left) Sam, Willie & Billy Ray at Mathis Chapel Church about 1952
(Back Row, Left to Right) Bob Wilson, William Guins, T. A. Potter, Vic Kirksey
(Front Row, Left to Right) Sam Loftin & Floyd KirkseySam & Willie with other charter members of Mathis Chapel Baptist Church in 1953
Willie (middle left) holding Curtis with Billy Ray in front of them
Sam (standing center, 3rd from left) beside of Pastor Tommy TaylorWillie read her Bible at work during lunch everyday and frequently talked about the Lord,. She asked Allie (Glenn Lee's wife and Sam's sister), "Are you saved, Allie?" Allie responded, "I don't know. Will you pray for me?" - which Willie did. Eventually Willie's sisters, Helen and Gevia, were "saved" at Mathis Chapel, too, and she, Sam, Helen and Gevia were all baptized in the cold waters of a local creek. Carl Keever was their pastor. Sam's beer-join had been the main source of income prior to his salvation experience, but after getting saved, he closed the beer-joint down. Eventually he turned the beer-joint into a grocery store.
The second house & beer-joint Sam built on E. Bandys Rd.
Willie's parent's, Martin & Nessie Goble, started going to Hudson Chapel Baptist Church in Catawba County, NC. Martin had been a bootlegger and enjoyed his liquor, but shortly after attending Hudson Chapel, Martin and Nessie both got saved. Willie said, "People were saying, 'He'll go back on the Bottle'. But he didn't. He threw it away. When he got saved - he got saved!" Willie said she and Helen had a burden for their sister Lib who had not been saved and they would pray for her often. Eventually they heard the word that Lib had gotten saved at Hudson Chapel Baptist Church. "We were so proud", Willie said. After Willie and Sam joined Mathis Chapel, they never joined another church. Willie and Sam's son, Curtis, was born in 1953. Willie was frequently involved in church activities - visiting - teaching Sunday School. Willie taught Curtis' Sunday School class for Primary children (ages 6 - 9) for several years. She was an active teacher - not just teaching Bible stories, but encouraging the children to memorize scripture. When Curtis was in her class he memorized John 3:16, The 10 Commandments and numerous other scriptures. While Rev. Tommy Taylor was pastoring the church, Sam felt “the call” and was a preacher for several years. After attending Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute in Henderson, NC, Sam preached in several small churches, but mainly in homes in the mid-1950s - including the home of Fred & Emma Mathis (for whom the church was named). Average attendance was around 30 – 40. He even built wooden pews and had meetings at their home on Hwy 10. They'd move the furniture out of the den, move the pews inside to accommodate the crowd, have the meeting, and switch things back after the service. After several years Sam became discouraged when jealousy and criticism emerged over the large size of his home meetings and he walked away from he ministry. 
Deacon Certificate Ministry License Revival Flyer
Mathis Chapel Baptist Church
September 1971 Church Homecoming - Sam Loftin Family
Billy Ray holding Eric, Curtis holding Crystal, Diane & Beverly, Willie, Sam & Billy
Mathis Chapel Women's Class - about 2000
Willie Loftin, Patsy Stallings, Joyce Sigmon, Elgevia Eggers, Helen Hovis, Judy Honeycutt
Sam and Willie's burial site in the church cemetery
