Turkey Creek Branch

Missionaries first began preaching in Humphries County in 1834. But the first converts at Turkey Creek were in around 1887. Elbert Sanford Bigham and his wife, Barbara Ann Fizer were baptized on May 8, 1887, along with Arminta Beechum. On April 2nd 1888, Barabara's father, John Fizer, was baptized. For years they were the only ones, but on 9 August 1896 Eliza Beechum was baptized followed by her husband Harrison Beechum 13 October 1896.

In 1899, 19 year old Elder Riego Stay Hawkins served part of his mission at Turkey Creek. He was well liked by the members there. They remembered him even years later.

More baptisms followed in 1907 and later. Family names like Allison, Beechum, Browning, Box, Carter, Durham, Forest, Hornburger, and Peterson, made up a slowly and steadily growing branch. In 1924, the community of saints at Turkey Creek had grown enough to justify building a "small frame chapel" on land belonging to Sam Bigham.

Sunday School enrolment was at 68 in 1935, 71 in 1939, and 74 in 1940. In 1944, the local membership was down to about 45. The war had meant there were factory jobs to be had if you were willing to leave your home. Many chose to do just that.

That spring the "only two missionaries [serving] in Tennessee" made their way to Turkey Creek. They had a list of names; members who had not been visited in a while: Bighams, Beechums, and Brownings. They were names that were oddly familiar to the older of the two Elders.

With such a large area to cover, these missionaries were driving a car. They followed the windy roads until they found the "small frame chapel" these faithful saints had built. It was still being used and the land was still owned by Sam Bigham. Now he was 71 years old, though he was active and still stood tall. He lived there with his younger brother, Joe.

The Elders, one younger and one older, introduced themselves; Elders Lindstrom and Hawkins. It was the latter name that rang a bell for Sam Bigham. He remembered that name from 1899. He asked if he were any relation to the Elder Hawkins that had served in Turkey Creek all those years ago. By now Elder Hawkins realized why this place seemed so familiar to him. It had changed somewhat since he was a young missionary 45 years earlier. The chapel was new, but the friends were the same. Both of the Bigham brothers remembered Elder Hawkins and now Elder Hawkins remembered them. During their three day visit other families in the branch remember Elder Hawkins too.

Without knowing it, President Graham H. Doxy of the East Central States Mission had assigned Elder Riego S. Hawkins to serve in the same area in which he had served in 1899 while in the Southern States Mission. And though Elder Hawkins knew he had served in Tennessee, little did he expect to meet anyone who remembered him so well.

[Addendum: When the Nashville Stake was formed, December 6, 1970, the Turkey Creek Branch was turned into a "Dependent Sunday School" of the Clarksville Ward. There it remained until it was re-organised into the Turkey Creek Branch in 1976. On December 2, 1979, when the Nashville, Tennessee Stake was split, the Turkey Creek Branch became part of the new Franklin, Tennessee Stake. The Turkey Creek Chapel was retired from use in the Fall of 1980, when the meeting house in Waverly was built. At that time the name was changed from the Turkey Creek Branch to the Waverly Ward Branch. The old building was sold as a residence. Sadly, it burned to the ground in 1985.]