Home > Stories > Collette Marie Vesey and Alvin Glen Vesey

Biography

Mr. and Mrs. Vesey grew up in the same church where they are now honored as older members. They have vivid, colorful memories of their praise and worship experiences at the original building of the Pentecostal Church of God.

Transcript

Date of Interview: 26 March 2008

Jonathon Pulliam: My name is Jonathon Pulliam and these are my interviewees. And I’m going to start by asking what is your full names.

Marie Vesey: My name’s Sister Collette Marie Vesey.

Alvin Vesey: My name is Brother Alvin Glen Vesey.

Jonathan: Which ones of your parents or grandparents were members of the old church at 537 West 15th St. , Davenport, Iowa?

Marie Vesey: My parents were Elder and Sister Arthur and Nadine Hazlet.

Alvin Vesey: My parents was the great Marie Vesey along with my father TJ Vesey.

Jonathan: And the members that were at 6th and Warren are they members of PCG now?

Marie Vesey: No my parents are not currently members of this church now, but they were members at 6th and Warren.

Alvin Vesey: And my mother was a member of 6th and Warren at 537 but she’s still is a member even today.

Jonathan: Do you remember any of the times at church at 537 West 15th St?

Marie Vesey: Yes, I remember some good times, good old days. Having grown up in the church I can remember, being baptized in the podium, where they had to remove the pulpit and lift up the cover and the baptismal pool was down underneath. And we would have to walk down to be baptized. When I first looked in there, there were bugs and all that stuff and I was a little scared. But it was a wonderful experience. And I can even remember a time when the Spirit and the Holy Ghost was high in the church that we would look up at the beams and the beams would start to vibrate and it just seemed like they were just praising the Lord, also. So there are some very, very good memories at PCG.

Alvin Vesey: I agree. Two things stands out in my mind. 1972, April 30 to be exact. I remember over eighty souls got saved on that particular Sunday. And I was numbered in with that number of eighty that got the Holy Ghost, baptized in Jesus Name and got the Holy Ghost, that particular Sunday. Another thing that comes to my mind is June 21, 1980, over twenty-eight years ago, if you counted. I got married at that church. So those are two outstanding dates that stands out in my mind.

Jonathan: And when did the Veseys and the Hazlets come to PCG?

Marie Vesey: The Hazlet family came in the late ’50s. 1950s.

Alvin Vesey: My Aunt Sara must’ve been the first Vesey that came and then through her witnessing she able to get my mom to come. I think we must’ve came in the ’60s, when we came into the church.

Jonathan: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Marie Vesey: I would just like to say, along with being married in that church all three of our children were blessed in that church. And I can just remember the times when we had the old stadium seats and they were hard to sit on. So, we’ve come, we’ve come a long way, but it’s still good to remember the old times.

Alvin Vesey: I would just add that, if it had not been for the church, Pentecostal Church of God, it’s made me a husband, a father, and even just a man. All the teachings that I’ve gotten from the late Bishop Alfred Boyd and also from Bishop Anderson and the brotherhood. This is what really developed me into being a man. So the church has played a tremendous part in my life. I certainly thank God for the church. This church in particular. What it has done for me and my family.

Jonathan: Thank you Sister and Brother Vesey.

Alvin Vesey: You’re welcome.

Jonathan: It was a pleasure.