I hope you can tell humor is my favorite blogs. I came across this song by written by Ira Stanphill and sung by Hilton Griswold. Hillton Griswold sang with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet from 44-46 and is still living I think. What a piano player and what a voice. I would love to hear him in person. He was 73 when he did a Gaither Blackwood video in 1995- you do the math....
Ira Stanphlll died about 20 years ago and his wife is 100 and still living. Ira wrote many old time songs of our church, this is the first time I heard this song sung. I had the privilege of hearing him sing at Evergreen Christian Center in the 80’s and of coarse I grew up on many of the songs he wrote.
I sent this video to some of my friends,and received the following email back;
Thanks, Dennis, we really enjoyed that, so much so that I forwarded it to a bunch of others Interesting that I have already heard back from some that I sent it too with thank-yous and they too are enjoying the 'old people's song' as well as remembering the artists.
My siblings and I used to sing Ira Stanphill's songs back in the 50's at Beth-el A/G church in Chehalis when we were young, especially, "Come Home, Come Home, It's Suppertime." As I remember it he had some bad times in his life, (his wife divorced him) yet kept up his ministry in song that blessed many others. I was impressed because it was during this time that he wrote "We'll Talk It Over In the Bye and Bye" and some others. He never married again until after his first wife died, even though they were divorced - the way the bible says....
I went to A/G Heritage Magazine where I found an article about Ira Stanphill which was very interesting too, enjoyed the memories of the stories written there about him. Did you know Ira's daughter, by his second wife, married Rick Cole, Glenn Cole's son?
Here is another response; Enjoyed the "Senior Citizen" song. Sure wish I could play the piano like that guy!
I trust you will find the humor in this song- the tune is catchy and may stick with you. Remeber, you can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old.
Former Blackwood Brothers member still ministering
Fri, 11 Jun 2010 - 9:41 AM CST |
| Griswold |
Hilton Griswold retired from pastoring 12 years ago.
Now he works six days a week.
Griswold, at 88, teaches Sunday School to 30 senior adults every Sunday morning; plays the piano and sings for half an hour each week on television, radio and the Internet; and drives himself to 16 live monthly performance programs at Springfield, Missouri, nursing homes and assisted living communities. That doesn't include the invitations he receives from various congregations in the city.
Griswold is one of dozens of "retired" Assemblies of God pastors who provide living proof that ministry doesn't end at 65 — or 75 or even 85, for that matter. Griswold pastored seven churches in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois in 42 years. He also has been a traveling evangelist, and he received his 50-year ordination recognition from the Fellowship in 2000. During the 1940s, he began his ministry career as pianist for the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. Today he is busier than ever.
Most Mondays through Saturdays, Griswold is in his unadorned office in Springfield for his Inspiration Time broadcasts. He has been a widower since 2001 when his wife, Marie, died unexpectedly of a heart attack after 61 years of marriage. Griswold still wears a suit, tie and dress shoes to the office, which is stacked with papers, letters and tape duplicating equipment.
On a recent Tuesday morning, he is busy mailing the week's Sunday School lesson to those who missed the class two days earlier at Park Crest Calvary Temple. Griswold uses an electric typewriter to address envelopes to the absentees, as well as to pound out the lessons themselves. He says he wouldn't have a clue how to even switch on a computer.
Griswold also has a mailing list of 26,500 people who have written to him for cassettes since he started his TV music ministry in 1985. The names are compiled by his daughter Barbara Chapman, who does operate a computer. Griswold duplicates CDs and DVDs himself from masters to be mailed to TV and radio stations for airing.
Although some listeners send funds, Griswold doesn't ask for any money on his programs. He invested his life savings of $25,000 when he started the TV music ministry a quarter-century ago. He has $15,000 left, as he pays for CDs, DVDs, cassettes, music box covers, labels and envelopes himself.
Many of the requests come from elderly shut-ins. Some come from prisoners, who write that they have accepted Jesus as their Savior when listening to his program. But Griswold enjoys singing and playing most for those whose faulty memories come alive because of the music.
"The thrill of my life is going to the Alzheimer's wing at Maranatha Village," Griswold says. "People who don't know how to get back to their rooms can sing every word of every song."
In the earlier radio ministry days, Griswold sang with Barbara, who works in the Pastor Care office at Assemblies of God headquarters, and his son, Larry, who now is AG district superintendent in Illinois. These days it's primarily a solo act.
Griswold loves to tell inspiring stories, play the piano with alacrity and alternate through all four parts of a well-known quartet number during a concert.
"The Lord has been tremendous," says Griswold, who takes no medications beyond a daily aspirin. "I don't intend to ever stop, as long as I'm physically able to keep going."
Author: John W. Kennedy, Pentecostal Evangel
Hilton was born on November 12, 1921 and passed away on Tuesday, May 5, 2015.
Hilton was a resident of Springfield, Missouri.
Hilton was a resident of Springfield, Missouri.
