Church ladies decided to build "sooner" than later

Long before Midwest City and Del City were incorporated, the pioneers that laid claim to the area in the Run of ’89 and homesteaded their land created a community named Sooner.

Its center was at the intersection of Sooner Road and SE 15.

From an Aug. 24, 1955, Oklahoma City Times story, writer Mary Goddard gives this description:

“They built a little frame room, called Bowden chapel, on a (northwest) corner diagonally across the intersection from the present church. It was finished in time for the neighborhood Christmas program in December, 1889.

“The first few school terms were held there, too, until the territorial government could get Sooner school started across the road. Folks still remember the first schoolteacher, Charley Kirk, who suffered frostbitten feet while teaching in the chilly little chapel.

“That chapel gave the whole community its name. The story goes this way. Several “sooners” actually had pre-empted land before the ’89 opening, and feeling ran high about property rights.

“One night, a cowboy, possibly fired up by hard liquor, reeled by on his horse and scrawled the word “Sooner” across the chapel front. The name has stuck ever since.”

By 1906, the Sooner community had their school across the street from the chapel and in fact, the churchgoing folk were using the school for worship.

Sixteen women decided the community needed a new church building, so, to finance it, they organized a Ladies Aid Society.

After nine years of pie suppers and quilt sales, the group raised $2,000, and with a few donations and free labor provided by husbands and sons, in July of 1915, Sooner Community Church was ready for dedication.