Hi! I am a long-time poster here, anon for this mostly due to the IRL geography.

To cpalmer312, welcome! I am late to the board today, just now reading your story, and the surprisingly and gratifyingly kind responses. Most or all of those threads are closed now, only because they reached a count of 35 or so posts, which fills them.

You mention the former Cumorah stake of Rochester NY. I remember it well. We met in a modern chapel next to Highland Lilac Park. It never had enough room or parking, and TSCC has since sold it to some county parks agency. When David O. McKay visited it, he reportedly said, "What Protestant building am I in?" Stake conferences had to be held elsewhere, in rented auditoriums.

At that time, the stake boundaries stretched all the way to Syracuse. Something in your story made me think of Syracuse, but do NOT give IRL details here.

Also, the stake stretched south to or past Geneseo. If you were from that direction, you might be moved to read a memoir that is available on the internet. Warning, the kid was a closeted gay college student, so reading it might trigger unhappy thoughts for you, but I'm just thinking of the local history aspects, how interesting to read about the local leadership and road trips and stuff of that era.

http://reocities.com/Athens/Column/5252/
You might want to jump in to Chapter 4, where the Perry NY stuff is.

Oh, just a teaser - did you have a relative who worked for the Salvation Army? Or a newspaper? If you want to talk by e-mail, I can send my info to Susan I/S, with info about other longtime board posters who have met me in person and can vouch for me. And give her permission to email you my contact info. But we probably wouldn't have much to say, just reminisce about TSCC in the old days.

One thing I gotta say, even tho I HATE a lot about the church, and will never set foot in one again, I must say that some of Cumorah's stake presidents in those days were really, really, decent guys - I'm thinking about the Eastman Kodak executives.

But if it's any comfort to you, Kodak stock is REALLY in the toilet now, like two cents on the dollar, even before considering the unfunded pension liabilities!!

And you and I are survivors! YAY!!

I would love to communicate with you via email or even phone. I probably know you. I was an attender at the perry branch and did also attend the Brighton Ward in Highland park. My parents and I attended perry from 1970-1982. I left from the brighton ward in 1985 to go to paraguay on my mission.

Great to hear back from you! I have sent my contact info to admin, and asked them to send it to you. If you don't hear from them in, say, 24 hours, you can reach them at ExMoLight[at]gmail.com

Wow! When I mentioned the memoir, I had no idea it was about the *exact* branch you were in. Hope you got to read it. Some other links to the old days:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/29/business/kay-r-whitmore-72-led-eastman-kodak-in-90-s.html

http://bankhead.networks7.com/doku.php

The third link I must have written down wrong, but it said that former stake president Bryant Rossiter was still alive in his 80's, in California.

I remember Bryant Rossiter. He actually was a decent man. I was a child but knew he was quality. I look forward to talking with you. I think Rossiters replacement was president Dallon

I was getting crucified on the forums for telling what happened to me at the Perry branch.
Have you ever been to Perry branch?