Robert Mitchell Youmans ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

Mount Olive Baptist Church of Christ

The Conferedrate Veterans returning home to Prince Williuam's Parish in 1865 found not only their homes and barns had benn burned by the invading Yankees, but their curch also had been torched. In 1867 the second northern invasion occured when the Federal Governemet sen Yankee solders back to South Carolina in order to enforce its "Reconstruction" policies. Military checkpoints and Yankee patrols made travel to distant churches hazartdous and the residents along or nera Salkehatchie Road bnaded together to from a house of worship within their community.

The faithful gathered under the trees for worship and song, with the waters of Boggy Gut accessible from immersion of converts. The letter requesting membership in the Savannah Baptist Association, showing 29 members, was presented by Delegate and Deacon William C. Cook in 1873. The next year he and his wife, Martha Faust Cook, donated one acre for the puropse of constructing a meeting house of worship. On November 13, 1888 an additional tract of 13/4 acre was deeded to its members. Over the years Mount Olive has acquired lands from Robert Mitchell Youmans, T.P. Weekley and francis Ashberry Cook for a total of 3 1/2 acres.

In 1873 the Supply Pastor was Reverend William E. Weekley, a member of Sand Hill Baptist Church and the first pastor was Reverend James Davis. According to Assocatin Minutes, at its zenith, about 130 adherents to Chrits's teachings assembed at Mount Olive.



Ridgeville Baptist Church

The distance from Yemassee - Ridgeville to Mount Olive Church does not seem great today, but it was of considerable hardship by horse and buggy in 1893, when Ridgeville Baptist Church was consituted. Its 29 members were drawn from the "regular, faithful attenders of Mount Olive Church of Christ" which was regareded as the "mother" church.

In the beginning, members met in the one-room school house located across the road from Zahler Cemetery until a meeting house could be constructed. Mrs. Emma McTeer gave 2 acres, as did Robert Mitchell Youmans. The new church building burned in 1904 at which time the Minutes of Monunt Olive record that their chuch was offered for use of the Ridgeville members. Portions of the Ridgeville minutes are missing for this period of time.

Today's Ridgeville Church membership still has close ties with Mount Olive. It is a growing house of worship with plans for its own cemetery across the road from the present church.

Sources: Minutes of Ridgeville Baptist Church, Minutes of Mount Olive Bpatist Church, and Associatinal Minutes, Furhman University, Microfilm Reel #226.

Robert married Elizabeth Skillings. (Elizabeth Skillings was born on 8 Jun 1834 and died on 26 Oct 1898.)

Robert next married Rosa Mixon on 5 Dec 1894. (Rosa Mixon was born on 21 Sep 1870.)