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Title
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Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday School
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Description
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The Bethel AME Church in Pennington was built in 1816 by a small group of free African Americans who purchased the land as an empty lot, as well as nearby lots for homes (Katmann 2014, 6). This photograph of the church’s Sunday School features nineteen children, some siblings. Patricia (née True) Payne has identified all of the children in the picture. (See reverse)
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The following individuals are in the top row: Peyton Clark, Ronald McNeil, Addison Driver, Garland Fields, Dorothy Driver, Bonnie Fields. The bottom row features: Gerald True, William Hoagland, an unknown individual, Alvin Driver, Clifford Cain, Cedric Clark, an unknown individual, Donna Smith, William True, Verna Hoagland, and unknown individual, Patricia True, and Alan Boyer.
Louis Peyton Clark (circa 1936) was the son of Fred H. (1905-1993) and Edna M. Clark (1915-1992), both buried in the Stoutsburg Cemetery in Hopewell, NJ (Find a Grave 2009a). He was featured in The Evening Times of Trenton, NJ (1972, 11) for attending a Yale University summer program whilst at Occidental College completing his Masters. He attended Hopewell Valley High School (Ancestry.com 2010). His younger brother Cedric Clark (circa 1939-) was a graduate of Central High School in Hopewell, Trenton State College, and finally Michigan State University for his doctoral degree with a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania (The Times 1968, 7).
Ronald Emmett McNeil (November 28, 1935-April 29, 2005) was born to Emmett McNeil (1900-1969) and Rosalie Margaret Hoagland (1910-1992) (Ancestry.com 2025b).
Addison Gresset “Sonny” Driver Jr. (June 13, 1934-June 17, 2011) was born to Gresset Addison Driver Sr. (1899-1978) and Helen M. Smith (1902-1978) (Ancestry.com 2025a). He was a lifelong Pennington resident, attended Pennington Central High School and Rutgers University, served in the US Army Airborne Division receiving an outstanding soldier award, worked for the State of NJ’s Department of Agriculture for 40 years, was active at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church of Princeton, NJ, and adored nature (The Times 2011, 8).
His younger sister Dorothy “Dot” M. (née Driver) Mason (1937-) married Donald Elmer “Corky” Mason (1938-2005) born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Lamberville, NJ in December of 1966 (Ancestry.com 2016; The Times 2005, 20).
Their younger brother Alvin Victor Driver (June 25, 1940-May 26, 2017) was a lifelong resident of Pennington, where he graduated from Pennington Central High School ‘58, worked for the NJ Department of Transportation for 30 years, and was remembered as being loving and devoted in his family relationships (The Times 2017, 8).
Bonnie Ann Fields (July 31, 1935-November 29, 1983) was born to Garland Hamner Fields (1897-1974) and Herma M. Hubbard (1907-1994) (Ancestry.com 2025c). Born in Blawnburg, NJ and born at the Stoutsburg Cemetery, Bonnie Fields spent most of her life in the Pennington/Ewing area as a caterer, member of the Parkway Avenue Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and had a large family including two daughters, an adopted daughter, and a son (The Times 1983, 33). Her brother Garland H. Fields Jr. (circa 1938-) is featured as well.
William S. True (circa 1942-), Gerald S. True (circa 1943-), Patricia C. (née True) Payne (circa 1944-) were siblings born to Hazel I. (née Nevius) (1918-1983) and Robert S. True of Pennington, NJ buried in the Stoutsburg Cemetery (Ancestry.com 2022; Find a Grave 2009b). Patricia was a graduate of Hopewell Valley Regional High School, Trenton State College, and Rutgers University; and was a high school librarian in Montgomery county (The Central Jersey Home News 1969, 14).
William Hoagland (circa 1942-) and Verna Hoagland (circa 1943-) were siblings born to La Celia E. Scudder (November 12, 1921) and William Ira Hoagland (July 24, 1915-March 16, 1995) (Ancestry.com 2022).
Clifford W. Cain (March 18, 1943-April 6, 1998) was born to Rev. Clifford and Mabel Hoagland Cain; and he lived in Hopewell, Pennington and Ewing, NJ his entire life where he served in the US Air Force for over 20 years (The Times 1998, 18).
Alan B. Boyer (circa 1942-1975) was a special projects man for Essence Magazine, prior to a tragic death in a car accident in Pennington, NJ (The Times 1975, 6).
Additional information could not be found for Donna Smith.
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Contributor
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Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
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Date Created
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1948
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Creator
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Payne, Patricia
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Rights
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This work is not in copyright, but commercial uses of this digital representation are limited. For more information, contact info@ssaamuseum.org and see http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-NC/1.0/
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Identifier
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2023.1.2
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Format
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Image
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Extent
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2 pages
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Spatial Coverage
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Hillsborough Twp. NJ
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Publisher
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SSAAM
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Is Part Of
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2023.1.2
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Subject
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African Methodist Episcopal Church
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Sunday schools, African American
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Rural African American youth
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Religious education
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Mercer County (N.J.)--History, Local
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transcription
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Pen 55 Aug 1948
Top row: left to right– Peyton Clark, Ronald McNeil, Addison DrivER, Garland Fields, Dorothy DrivER, BoNNiE Fields
Bottom Row: left to right– Gerald True, William Hoagland, unknown, Alvin Driver, Clifford Cain, Cedric Clark, (unknown), Donna SmiTH, William True, Verna Hoagland, (unknown), Patricia True, Alan Boyer
