[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1990]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF BETTY GORHAM AND FIFTY YEARS AS A CHURCH ORGANIST

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                            HON. MIKE ROGERS

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2005

  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Betty Gorham, who will be celebrating 50 years as a church organist on 
Sunday, October 2, 2005.
  Betty Gorham is now the organist at First Baptist Church of Saks in 
Anniston, Alabama, and has been since October of 1975.
  Betty Gorham began taking organ lessons at age seven in Chattanooga, 
Tennessee, where her family moved after her father's death in 1943. Her 
instruction continued until she was 16 years old, at which time she was 
performing at her home church, Eastdale Baptist Church. Her first full-
time job as an organist was at Signal Mountain Baptist in Chattanooga 
in 1957, and was followed shortly by a move to Birmingham, Alabama, to 
play at Huffman Baptist Church. In fact, it was while playing the organ 
for a wedding rehearsal at this church that she met her future husband, 
Jim Gorham. They were married in 1958, and Betty followed her husband 
in several moves around the State of Alabama. They went first to 
Montgomery, where Betty played at Ridgecrest Baptist; then to Mobile in 
1960, where she played at Westlawn Baptist; then back to Birmingham, 
Alabama, in 1963, where she played first at Fairfield Highlands Baptist 
Church and then at Center Point Baptist. Finally in 1973, the Gorhams 
moved to Anniston, Alabama, where she played at Parker Memorial and 
Heflin Baptist Church before beginning her long career at First Baptist 
Church of Saks.
  Betty and Jim Gorham have now been married 47 years and have four 
grandchildren. In addition to her devotion to her family and her church 
and church music, Betty has found time to do charitable work in the 
community.
  Let us all congratulate Betty Gorham on her 50 years of service as a 
church organist and thank her for her 30 years of service at First 
Baptist Church of Saks in Anniston, Alabama.

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