Recipes for Living Rev. William Philip and Judy James Coe

That my first name is William may come as a surprise to friends and acquaintances who know me as Phil. But William Philip was the name given by my parents, William Noble and Marieta June Crum Coe, when I was born March 14, 1941. I was named after my grandfather who was William Philip Coe II. I am the third to carry this name. I was born in our family home, which was east of the fairgrounds in Des Moines. I have three older sisters, Noiina Jean, Wilma Joan, and Carolyn Joyce, and a brother, Dennis Wayne, who was born when I was eight or nine years old.

When I was three or four years old, our family moved to a farm in Warren County near Spring Hill, where we lived for a few years before my parents bought a farm south of Sandyville, Iowa. I started school at Beech Consolidated School and we lived in the Sandyville area until I was in high school. My mother died when I was 15, and we stayed on the farm a few more years. When my father broke up housekeeping, I went to live with Norma Jean in Des Moines. I attended Des Moines Tech high school, took commercial art, and graduated in 1959. During that time I met my next-door neighbor, a young girl named Judy, and we were married on October 7, 1961.

My first job out of school was with Elko Photo Company in Des Moines. I worked there until we were married, and then started at Firestone Tire and Rubber Company as a passenger tire builder. Our first two children were born while I was working at Firestone — Marieta Evelyn and Marcie Ellen. We lived on the south side of Des Moines. When our oldest daughter turned five, she requested for her birthday going on the Floppy Show with Duane Elliott. She also wanted to go to church and Sunday School.

During a strike at the Firestone Plant, I switched jobs and became a trainee in computer programming at American Republic Insurance. At that time I became very involved in the Indianola Heights Christian Church. I didn't have any religious training or church attendance until I was baptized at the age of 30 in the Indianola Heights Christian Church. I was strongly influenced by Rev. Gene Bates, and when he moved to Missouri, I began to consider going into the ministry.

As I look back, I can see the steps leading to my choice of professions — our daughter wanting to go to Sunday School, my meeting Rev. Gene Bates, and the influence of the congregation at Indianola Heights. They were working class people, not very wealthy, but very loving, caring, and encouraging. Somehow they communicate to people the possibility of the ministry, and several candidates have come out of that church.

We have four children who were all born in Des Moines. Our oldest daughter is Marieta. She was born in November 1962. Our second daughter, Marcie, was born in August of 1965. Our twins were also born while we were still in Des Moines — Mitchell Eric and Melinda Eileen. In 1973, we moved our family to Prairie City where I served as student pastor in their Christian Church. I served there for three years while I got my undergraduate degree from Drake University. At one time Drake had a seminary, which was closed by the time I went there, but I got a lot of help from funding that had been left for ministerial students.

That help was sorely needed because when I decided to go into the ministry and left American Republic, our salary was cut exactly in half. It was a struggle! But when we moved to Prairie City, one of the first things we discovered was a deep freeze filled with pork and other meat. The congregation continued to do this for us. Even while we were in seminary in Kentucky, they supplied us with coolers full of beef and pork. One of the main things that got me through school was the loving, common people of Prairie City, Butler, and Indianola Heights.

The Disciples of Christ, Christian Church, is defined as the oldest American Christian movement. It began in the 1800s in two parts of the country — Bethany, West Virginia, and Lexington, Kentucky. Alexander and Walter Campbell and Barton W. Stone came out of the Presbyterian church and united under the idea of restoration of primitive Christianity based on New Testament principles. In our tradition, we practice communion every Sunday, baptism of adults by immersion, and have a strong emphasis on the unity of the Christian church. Pastors have open-ended contracts, and churches function independently. That is, I as a pastor negotiate with churches, and they with me. I can go anywhere in United States or Canada. We have regional ministers who serve the church and are supported by voluntary contributions of the churches.

The three years at Prairie City were very enjoyable. It was a small church with loving people who took our family under their wings. When we left, in 1976, we moved to Kentucky in a very difficult time. We moved to Butler, which is about 30 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio and I attended Lexington Theological Seminary, commuting the 65 miles daily. I also served Flour Creek Christian Church from 1976 to 1979.

When I graduated from Lexington, we came back so that I could be ordained in our home church, Indianola Heights in Des Moines. We then moved to northwest Iowa to the town of Sac City and I served the Sac City Christian Church until 1987. All our children graduated from Sac Community High School, and one of our daughters remains there. She married Steve Irwin and they have three daughters — Ashley, Emalee, Caitlin. Our second daughter is in Sioux City. She is married to Steve Ponder, and they have two children — Matthew and Erin. The twin daughter, Mindy, is married and lives on a farm near Bellflower, Missouri. Their two children are Logan and Lily. The twin brother, Mitchell, lives in St. Louis and recently married Jennifer Pavilisin.

In 1987,we moved to Troy, Missouri, which is just outside St. Louis, and served for 12 years. Our two youngest children dropped out of college and moved to Troy with us. In March 1999, I became the pastor at the Osceola Christian Church.

In all these places and experiences, I have never have gotten far from the farm. I would describe my preaching style as imaginative and artistic. I share lots of those early experiences in my ministry and preaching. Some relate to years in the country, when I had to entertain myself. I have a lot of childhood memories of playing on the farm, and that is a big part of my sermons. My early employment as a factory laborer influenced my approach to people. I understand the blue collar concerns and the everyday working world. Then I had eight years in the position of young executive in American Republic, which gave me insight into people of all different professional backgrounds.

Serving the church has allowed me to use my imagination and creative talents. The title of my thesis was "Creative Worship in the Disciples Tradition," and I've been able to plan creative services such as Maundy Thursday, and also to become a somewhat prolific writer. Every Christmas I've written Christmas stories to be used in place of sermons. Over the years I have written several plays, and I've written a series of Lenten Devotional Meditations called "Who Will Roll the Stone Away?" I have yet to have anything published, but some of my writings have been used effectively in many churches.

When I was at American Republic, they were developing innovative computer applications. I could have gone further in that field, but I knew that I wanted to do more with my life than programming computers. I wanted to be more involved with people's lives, and I wanted my family to be involved in my everyday work. It has been a positive thing that our family has been a part of the church, which has had a strong influence in our children's lives. They apprecicate the church even though they are not heavily involved. It is still a part of their lives.

People may note that it is very seldom when they see Phil Coe that they do not see Judy beside him. Because of her affiliation, she gets to know the communities and introduces me to lots of folk.

I was actually born in Osceola, delivered by Dr. Stroy, in the old hospital above Osceola Drug Store. My dad is Merlyn James, and my mother, now deceased, was Mary McKnight James. My grandmother lived on Ayers Street in Osceola, and her name is Jessie James. I have one sister, Betty Jean, who lives in Des Moines. We probably lived here for about five years before we moved to Truro, but we continued to come back to see my grandmother, particularly for 4th of July celebrations. After living in Truro, we moved to Washington State, where Dad worked in the apple orchards. Eventually we moved back and lived in Des Moines for my grade school and high school years. Like Phil, I went to Des Moines Tech high school, taking courses in retailing. I graduated in 1961. He and I met through his sister who lived next door to my family.

I have always worked to help support our family. While we were in Prairie City, I worked for two years as secretary for Prairie City News. When we moved to Butler, Kentucky, I worked for the Butler State Bank. I had a terrifying experience there that I will never forget. I unlocked the door one morning and found bank robbers inside. They locked all of us into a very small bathroom and blocked the door. They escaped with a lot of money and were never found. To this day, when I see someone with a ski mask, I panic.

When we moved to Sac City, I was the librarian at the elementary school, and was there for seven years. I had one unusual experience. The old elementary building was condemned and we moved to a temporary site. We established a library, and when the new building was completed, they didn't have the library ready, so I set up the books in rows on the floor until all the shelving was installed. When we moved to Troy, Missouri, a gentleman in the church asked if I would apply for the position of assistant librarian in their elementary school. I was there for nine years and had to delay moving here until I could finish the school year. Phil came in March and I didn't come until May, so that was a difficult time. Joyce Turner was the Osceola librarian, and when she called, I started working there. Joyce retired and I became the librarian. Now, in 2003, it will be a year in April since I took over as director.

The role of pastors' wives has changed over the years. I like to be very involved in the church but I also like to choose what I am involved in. I have taught Sunday School for 30 years. I find it rewarding to work with young people, which helped to make my years of working for the school library pleasant. It is a nice change now to work with adults and children. Our situation of raising children, the educational requirements for a career in ministry without a lot of income, encourages wives to be employed, and I enjoy library work.

There have been many changes in the Osceola Public Library. The expansion and renovation promoted by Joyce was nearly completed when I came. Computers were there. We have seven computers available for library patrons to use, and the ICN (Iowa Communicatons Network) is available for classes. This is not something we are directly involved in. We provide the site, classes are scheduled, and students come from Southwest Community College. There is a variety of people and a variety of classes. We simply make the site available for whomever needs to use it. We now have the total library collection computerized. Everything is online. We recently added evening hours — we are open on Monday and Wednesday evenings until 7:00. There is a lot of activity in our facility.

Rev. Coe spoke of creativity in his life. Evidence that daughter Marieta inherited the gift is verified in a story that appears in Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul published by Health Communications, Inc. in 2000. The title is "Where in the World is Carmen?"

"What can you learn from a teddy bear, a little bit of stuffed fluff that can't talk? One summer, my oldest daughter and the rest of our family learned a lot.

"We had seen a program on television about a reporter who had hitchhiked across America. My daughter Ashley's first comment was, 'I wish I could do that!" Of course, as far as my ten-year-old hitchhiking across America — that wasn't going to happen. But I wanted to encourage that spirit of adventure in her just the same.

"Three years earlier, Ashley had been diagnosed with cancer. Ever since her surgery, she was shy and distrustful of new situations and new people. Although she is cancer-free now, the tests and scary procedures had made her reluctant to take risks or to venture outside her known world. I began trying to think of a way for her to 'hitchhike' across the country without leaving home. That's how Carmen was born.

"Carmen is a teddy bear that Ashley had received as a gift while she was in the hospital. We decided that sending Carmen in Ashley's place was a good compromise. So we purchased a notebook to serve as a travel journal and a bag for Carmen to travel in, and Carmen was ready to begin her trip. Ashley wrote this letter in Carmen's journal:

My name is Ashley and I am ten years old. One time on TV, I saw this story about how these kids sent a bear on a trip on a plane. Then I saw another story about how this reporter guy walked across America. Well, we don't live very close to a big airport, and Dad and Mom won't let me walk across America. Carmen can't walk, so will you please help her?

This is my bear, Carmen. She is a special bear. I got her when I had to go to the hospital. She wants to go to all fifty states if she can. But she will need your help. (Maybe she can even go to Disneyland.) Mom says we can't go until she won't have to carry my little sister. Please let her ride with you and keep her safe. Tell her about yourself so she won't be lonely. I will miss her. So please take very good care of her. I let her wear my guardian angel pin to help keep her safe.

Write a little about yourself and then introduce her to someone new. She wants to meet as many new people as she can. If you keep her for more than one day, please try to write in the journal every day. Where are you going? Where did you pick Carmen up? Which roads did you take? Where are you from? How old are you? Do you have kids? Do you have sisters? I do and sometimes I don't like them. (Mom says I can't say "hate," but I can say that I don't like them, and sometimes I don't like them a lot!)
I think by about September she will be ready to come home. In her coin purse is $5.00. Please put her in a nice sturdy box with her journal and bag and send her to Sac City State Bank, Attention: Caretaker of Carmen Bear.

Someone there will keep her safe for me until I can pick her up. If you would like to hear from Carmen after she gets home, please leave your address in her notebook and we will send you a note and let you know when she gets home safely.

Thank you for taking care of Carmen, and thank you for taking the time to write in her notebook.

"Our family friend is a highway patrol officer. We asked him if he would be willing to start Carmen on her trip by taking her on his route for a day. That afternoon, he spotted a driver from out of state that wasn't wearing a safety belt. After pulling her over and letting her off with only a warning, Phil asked the driver to take Carmen on the next part of her journey. Naturally, she agreed. That's how Carmen began her tour of the United States.

"Summer passed with a flurry of activities, family vacations, visiting grandparents and summer fun. Each day Ashley would ask if any packages had come for her. Each day the answer was, 'Not today, Ash.' By the middle of September we thought that the chances of Carmen returning home were slim.

"Then on September 24, Carmen came home in a ten-inch-square box that had the postmark from Hawaii! The box was packed with mementoes of all the wonderful places and people that Carmen had met. A straw hat from Wisconsin, to keep the sun out of her eyes. An Indian beaded necklace from Cherokee, Oklahoma. An autograph from Mickey Mouse when she went to Disneyland. A picture of her celebrating the Fourth of July in St. Louis. Another picture of her floating in a swimming pool 'catching some rays' while she was in Arizona. Carmen made it to sixteen states, including Hawaii. Not too bad for five months of travel!

"But Carmen came back with much more than just 'things.' She came back with friends whom a ten-year-old living in rural Iowa wouldn't have had a chance to meet. Ashley wrote letters to all the people who helped Carmen along in her travels. She thanked every one of them for their help and friendship to Carmen and her.

"Pretty soon, word traveled around our small community about the traveling bear, and Ashley was asked to give a program about Carmen to a group of over one hundred people. Ashley ended her talk by saying, 'Be kind to traveling bears! And if you need a traveling companion, let me know because Carmen still has thirty-four more states to go!'

"Since Ashley's presentation, Carmen has become a world traveler. Once again, we are awaiting her return. She was expected home some time ago, and we very much hope to see her again.

"I never would have dreamed that a little bit of stuffed fluff could have taught so many things: patience to see what things can happen if we are just willing to wait, the ability to imagine what wonderful things might happen, courage to take the chance and allow those things to happen, and faith to believe in people and in the goodness in their hearts.

"My favorite part of the story? After reading the journal, looking at the pictures and tracing the roads that Carmen had traveled, I opened the zippered coin purse that Ashley had sent with Carmen. Inside, folded in half, was the five-dollar bill that Carmen had left with five months ago."