When Every Choir Member Was Late

On March 1, 1950, in Beatrice, Nebraska, the pastor went to church that Saturday afternoon to prepare for the evening choir practice. Most choir members would arrive between 7:15 to 7:30 PM. He then went home for a quick supper, was ready to return with his wife and daughter, when it was discovered the daughter’s dress was soiled and needed a change which in turn must first be ironed.

High school sophomore Ladona had trouble with her geometry problems and had to stay to finish the problem. Usually, she would always be early for rehearsal.

Two sisters were ready to go to church, but the car wouldn’t start. They called up the geometry girl to pick them up.

Mrs. Schuster with a small daughter normally would arrive at 7:20, but that night her old Mother needed her and so she dropped by her mother’s.

A lathe operator wanted to stop putting off an important letter (“I didn’t know why”) and was late.

Stenographer Joyce Black, feeling “just plain lazy” stayed until the last possible minute. Then she was ready to go when it happened.

Machinist Harry Ohl was going to take his two boys to choir practice, since his wife was away, but somehow started talking with someone and when he looked at his watch, it was already too late.

Pianist Marilyn Paul decided to come one-half hour earlier. But after supper, she fell asleep and arrived barely on time.

Choir director and the mother of the pianist, Mrs. Paul, was late due to her daughter. She had tried unsuccessfully to wake her up before.

Two high school girls usually go together. But one was listening to the 7–7:30 radio program and that evening broke their usual habit of promptness in order to listen to the end.

At 7:25, the West Side Baptist Church blew up. Its roof crushed in and its walls fell down—due to leaking gas. But the choir members were all late. And this had never happened before.