July 5 Today in OPC History

Julie Hicks Stone was born on this day in 1931. Raised in a nominal Christian home in California, Julie had been baptized as a 12-year-old in a liberal Methodist church. By her teenage years, however, she had joined a Reformed Church. Around the same time she met Richard Stone and they were married in 1949. When their son, Mike, was born, Dick was not a believer. Julie would go to church with Mike, pushing him in a stroller. Dick started attending to impress his wife, but the Word of God started to have its effect on his heart and he came to faith in Jesus Christ. In 1963, the Stones joined Garden Grove OPC in Garden Grove, California. In time Dick became a ruling elder and Julie became the person known for her love of others and hospitality. The youth group in particular could always be found gathered at her home. But, Julie didn't stop there. Through the encouragement of Pastor Edwards Elliott she began writing articles for the Presbyterian Guardian. After Dick went to be with the Lord in 1993, Julie moved to Washington to be near her children and transferred into the Lynnwood OPC. Twenty five years later she moved to Omaha to be near her faithful Christian son, Mike. Now in her mid-nineties, she still enjoys encouraging the younger generations to walk faithfully with the Lord.

To read more about Julie Stone, see Susan and Kathleen Winslow's chapter on Julie, Doris Elliott, and Jocilyn Warren in Choosing the Good Portion: Women of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church which is available on OPC.ORG here.

Picture: Dick and Julie Stone in 1985.