Sierra: This is Sierra Sanders, I’m interviewing Marrita Strong, we’re conducting this
interview in her home in Springfield, Missouri. The date is April the third. This interview is for
the Religious Lives of Ozarks Women, Intergenerational Storytelling from the Older to the
Younger, conducted through Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. How long have
you been a member of this church?
Marrita: In Missouri at the Lord’s (?) church for approximately 52 years. And I have been
a member of the congregation that meets at East Sunshine Street for 43 years. Formerly that
church met on South National Avenue, and then in a building south of St. Johns.
S: How long did you get involved here?
M: That’s a good question. I-this particular congregation, I came here in 1967 as a junior
in college, and the church at the time was located very close to Campbell. And I began in
October and I have been here ever since
S: And have you been involved with other churches or religious organizations?
M: On a very limited basis, and with the other churches, of course, there was a different
congregation although it was the same doctrine where I grew up. And when I was in college in
York Nebraska I assume you could call the York Christian college, a religious organization, it
was affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
S: What was the role of religion in your home when you were growing up?
M: It was just an accepted part of our lives as you would say, I can, you know, remember
from my earliest days my parents. I think I recall them actually being baptized when I was very
young, and little church buildings where a door opened up kind of like a cellar door and then
went down. And then, my next earliest memory would be at the Curbstreet Church of Christ in
Sunday school, I remember one of my teachers, Jenny Cope, and the little cards-Sunday School
cards that had memory verses that I was encouraged to learn by memory verse, learn the apostles
and the books the Bible and things like that, and had some opportunities for vacation bible
school, and the congregation itself was a very big part of my life.
S: What’s your strongest childhood memory related to God or religion?
M: Oh, possibly the strongest would be, perhaps when I was baptized, I remember it was
during a gospel meeting, it was a very emotional thing that I kept-having grown up and always
knowing the teachings it was hard to establish (inaudible) conversion point. And for some time I
always felt like I would have to be perfect or good enough before I could make that decision but
somehow the emotion of that meeting carried me through, and I guess I remember a thinking in
my mind, even though I was very young at the time, I know what I’m doing, you know, I know
Jesus died to redeemed me, I don’t need to be baptized ever again, but, that was-that’s probably
my strongest childhood memory.
S: And do you recall any times as a child when things were different for you and your
religious world because you were a girl and not a boy?
M: Actually, the differences did not have any importance to me, I guess. I feel like
because I was chosen of God, and have always known the numerous ways and opportunities I
have to serve Him, I never felt stifled in the least. And never felt that I was completing or taking
advantage of all the opportunities that were before me and always need, to step up and do more,
in other words there were many good things to be done, and still I’m not doing all of them, of
course.
S: What differences have you experienced in your religious life because you’re a woman?
M: Of course, in the Churches of Christ there have been some traditional differences in
the public and leadership roles of men and women. And again, those have never been anything
that caused me distress in the least. I’m very happy to be where I feel God has placed me.
S: What challenges or struggles have you faced in your religious life?
M: Actually, I think the struggles that we face can’t be exactly compartmentalized within
our religious life, and I guess the struggles that are common to everyone would involving family
and, of course there’s just so many opportunities in all of our lives for improvement, and
probably one of the greater struggles is realizing I need to be more concerned about changing
myself rather than people.
S: What person has most influenced your religious life and how?
M: I feel like the question in probably asked in more a person maybe now-now living or
living during my life, but actually I would say that Christ has been the most influential person
and his teachings, and outside of that: numerous Sunday school teachers, parents of friends,
college professors, ministers, sisters, especially older ones in the faith, that have blessed me in
many ways.
S: How do you think religious life is different for kids today than it was for you?
M: I don’t know that religious life is so different, I think life in general with all the
technology and the busyness, mobility those kind of things are probably greater, I think, you
know, God’s Word is living, and I’m very thankful for the children that I’m closest to that they
are being raised in Christian homes. I think that it’s more of a difference of time than religion per
say.
S: How would you like this church to remember you?
M: Oh, definitely, I’d love for them to think of me as a woman after God’s own heart,
but, you know that’s a pretty lofty wish, but, I guess that’s what my wish really is.
S: Ok.