57 Cents

 Certainly one of the most memorable stories of Grace Baptist Church is that of Hattie May Wiatt.  According to Robert J. Burdette in his The Modern Templars--A Sketch of the Life and Work of Russell H. Conwell it all began one day in 1883 with a little girl, 6 years old, Hattie May Wiatt.

The following version is easy to read, but read on to see Conwell's sermon on Hattie May for a first-hand account, as well as other details of the little girl who lives on in our history.






Additional Info

Hattie May was the daughter of Joseph and Harriet (Hattie) J. Ball Wiatt and they lived at 1917 Mervine Street in Philadelphia.  She died of diphtheria at age 7, which her younger sister also contracted and died just 5 days later.  They were originally buried in Monument Cemetery but were moved within the cemetery on May 11, 1904.  Two years later, they grandmother, Abbie P. Ball was buried with them.  Monument was closed in 1956 and on June 22 of that year Annie and Hattie May were removed for a second time and along with Abbie were buried at Lawnview Cemetery in Jenkintown where the grave is marked by a "Ball" plaque.  The church Hattie inspired to be built now functions as the Temple Performing Arts Center and is a magnificent historic landmark.  The church itself still exists as The Grace Baptist Church of Blue Bell.











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