American soldiers in Italy worship while an organ similar to the one recently restored by Scott Stone is played. The A.L. White portable organs were made for the Army to issue to chaplains in a kit that consisted of a field desk, organ, and a chest filled with 300 books of religious and patriotic songs.

This photo was taken in Korea in 1952.

Old News

From the 3rd floor
of the Webb City Public Library

Scott Stone obtains, restores and plays a portable organ made for Army chaplains

Webb City Area Genealogical Society
December 21, 2022

Scott Stone, a member of the Webb City Area Genealogical Society, recently acquired a portable organ that was made for the Army to issue for use by their chaplains from the 1920s through the Korean War.

His son-in-law purchased the organ at an auction for $8 with Scott in mind because of his passion for organs.

Scott has written a book about area church organs. The book is called “Pipe Dreams, A Collection of Pipe Organs in the Joplin, Missouri area” and is available for reading in our genealogy room.

The portable pump organ, made by A.L. White, was made available in an Army issue Chaplain Kit, along with a field desk and a chest filled with 300 books of religious and patriotic songs.

Scott cleaned up this unique instrument, got some of the keys unstuck and made sure the bellows were working properly. He demonstrated the organ at the genealogy society’s December meeting by playing a variety of Christmas songs.

Scott says he plans on donating the organ to the Veterans Memorial Museum in Branson.

Sentinel bound volumes are now in the Genealogy Room

The WCAGS has accepted ownership of the complete collection of bound volumes of the Webb City Sentinel, from 1983 (after the fire) until the final issue on Dec. 30, 2020.

Those issues can also be viewed on microfilm, along with much older issues.

Webb City Area Genealogical Society

WCAGS members staff the Genealogy Room on the third floor of the Webb City Public Library. Current hours are noon to 4 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the Genealogy Room.

Everything you want to know about Jasper County Missouri Schools is available at a site compiled by Webb City Area Genealogical Society member Kathy Sidenstricker.