Narrative Summary
Interview with Laura Baker by Lindsey Manlove
On the afternoon of April 10th, 2014 I began the first part of my interview with my
neighbor, Laura Baker. During the Biographical Data Segment of the interview, she revealed
that she was a college professor and a mother of two children. From what I had already known
of her prior to the interview, she was a member of the Catholic faith, however, her interview
revealed to me much more than what I had originally assumed about her.
To begin with, she told me that she was raised in the rural town of Taneyville and her
parents had brought her up within the Church of Christ. According to her, the Church of Christ
was an extremely fundamentalist branch of Baptism, which her parents were strictly dedicated to
and attended once every week. By the time she had become sixteen, she decided that she no
longer wanted to be a part of the Church and eventually joined the Catholic Church six years
later upon the suggestion of a friend. Her husband, although originally from a Methodist
background, was also interested in joining the Catholic Church. Although Laura and her
husband eventually found their own paths in faith, Laura’s sister never recovered from the harsh
fundamentalism of her childhood and ended up becoming agnostic in her spirituality. Laura’s
parents did not react well when they found out about her conversion to Catholicism and, in
Laura’s own words, said that she and her sister were going to Hell. In the interview, Laura said
that her parents believe that many deceased friends and family members of theirs are already in
Hell for not joining the Church of Christ.
As a result of her upbringing, Laura joined the more liberal Catholic Church of St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton. Although she does not regularly attend church every week, she sends her
children to Catholic school and always holds prayers before meals. Coming from a non-Catholic
Missouri State University
Spring 2014
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women
2
background, she doesn’t observe all of the Catholic practices, such as the veneration of patron
saints; however, she does venerate Mary along with the Holy Trinity accepted by both Catholics
and Protestants. When I asked about the functions she attends at her church, she has mentioned
that Ann Seton has a close relationship with the Temple Israel in Springfield and that they often
come together to organize festivals and activities for the parish.
What I personally found to be the most interesting and inspiring thing about our interview
was the fact that in spite of the many influences in Taneyville to bind her into the Church of
Christ, Laura was still able to decide for herself that her parent’s religion was not for her. It was
also inspiring that her rough experiences early on in her religious journey did not embitter her or
make her wary of religious groups. Her experiences also taught her to be more accepting of
others in spite of their differences, with the Golden Rule being the central tenet of her religious
philosophy.
Missouri State University
Fall 2008
Religious Lives of Ozarks Women