The Pastor with Several Names – Rev. Norval Wixom and the First Church of God

 

Rev. Norval Wixom pastored the First Church of God in Idaho Falls from the summer of 1961 to the summer of 1966.[1]  He was born in Bend, Oregon to William and Evalena Ellis and named "Norval Clair Ellis".[2] At a very young age he was adopted by Walter and Eva Wixon and his name was changed to “Norval Dick Wixom.”[2]  He grew up in Wapato, Yakima County, Washington, his foster father working as a carpenter.[2, 28]  Thus some records incorrectly show his place of birth as Wapato.  Many years later, shortly after meeting his biological brother in 1975, he changed his name to Norval Ellis Wixom.  While in Idaho Falls, the Post Register at different times printed a number of variant spellings for both his first and last names, most often calling him Rev. “Norvell” D. Wixom.[1,3]

 Rev. Wixom wrote the “Friday’s Pulpit” column published in The Post Register on October 13, 1961:[4] 

The First Century Church was established by those who did it at the peril of their lives, it was their “holy recklessness” - their determined obedience - that provided the church with its foundations.

 

Modern Christians find that little is expected of them by the church, so consequently they do little and place Christianity secondarily in their everyday lives.  In so doing many cannot detect any marked difference between the Christian and common man on the street.  Rarely is it required of prospective church members of denominational churches that they be different from other people in the community.  To be Christian in the true sense of the word, one must be different in talk, desires, ambitions and everyday walk of life.

 

Victory in Christ

The Bible informs us that “Sincerity with godly sorrow worketh repentance” (II Cor 7:10). Obedience is the only way to spiritual and material victory in Christ.  Whole-hearted service is necessary if we are to have spiritual victory as individuals.

 

We, as Christians, in order to be strong individually, collectively and nationally much give God, our Creator and Sustainer of life, our life with all its imperfections, wholly unto Him, that our thoughts, desires, motives and ambitions be directed by Him through His Holy Spirit so that we might fully honor and glorify Him in our bodies which are His.  Truly the Lord must be Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.

 

World conditions warrant a more sincere effort on the part of all Christians everywhere in order to combat the “powers of evil” prevalent in our land today marching under the banner of communism, atheism and socialism.  As a people, a community, a nation, may we walk humbly and honestly and sincerely to become worthy of the name Christian, and in so doing hold to the principals upon which our beloved nation was founded.

In his teens Norval had attended Cascade College in Bothell, Washington; then he completed two years at Pacific Bible College in Portland.  Following his graduation from there in 1949, he married Esther Bratton in Missoula, Montana.[29]   She was daughter of the pastor of the Church of God in Sandpoint, Idaho, and for a short time Norval and Esther helped at her father’s church.[29]   In 1950, Norval pastored a church in Missoula, later in that decade accepted calls to churches in Rapid City and Aberdeen, South Dakota.  He likely came to Idaho Falls following a period in Wyoming.[2]

The First Church of God began meeting in Idaho Falls in the fall of 1959, at 1541 E. 17^th Street, and led by Pastor Earl D. Shaffer.[5]  About a year later the church moved their meeting location to the residence of the pastor, 1272 Tower Street.  Announcements of the church’s activities in the Post Register show that they were without a pastor from November, 1960 until July, 1961 when Rev. Wixom and his family moved into the residence in which the church was meeting.[6]  

On Sundays the church met for Sunday school, morning worship and evening worship and Wednesday evenings they had a weekly prayer meeting.  Under Rev. Wixom’s leadership the church grew and expanded their activities.  By January of 1962 they had added a weekly youth fellowship and a midweek Bible class for children.[7] In March of that year the church filed for incorporation, still listing their address as 1272 Tower Street.[8]  About that time they added second weekly prayer meeting and also weekly visitation evangelism.[9]  By then they were meeting at the present location of the Church of God in Idaho Falls, 1260 Lake Avenue.[9]

In January, 1964, however, the church began renting a building on the corner of Birch Street and South Boulevard Avenue.[10] This was the original building of the First Christian Church in Idaho Falls, but had been sold to the city. [11]  [In more recent years it was known as Serenity Hall and used for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, until being torn down in 2022.[11]]

Rev. Wixom got involved in civic activities as soon as his family moved to Idaho Falls. He was a frequent speaker at the Toastmasters Club, winning a trophy for the best prepared speech at one meeting.[12]  He was invited to speak at Parent-Teacher Association Meetings, including at a Christmas program in which he spoke on the example parents should set for their children.[13] [Norval and his wife had 2 sons and 5 daughters, one daughter born while they lived in Idaho Falls.]  In 1965 he was a captain for the city Community Chest campaign.[14]

Norval sang tenor in a barbershop quartet known as the Melodiers that was in much demand.  They met weekly at the YMCA building and performed at functions of the Elks Club, Shriners, Kiwanis, Idaho Falls Underwriters Association, Welcome Wagon Newcomer Club and YMCA boys camps.[15]  They also entertained 300 guests at a Rigby Second Ward dinner.[16] 

                                                               The Melodiers Quartet (Norval is on the lower right).

Having diverse talents, Norval exhibited his artwork at the First Idaho Falls Art and Hobby Show in 1965.[17]

Rev. Wixom’s wife Esther was also a leader in both church and civic activities.  She organized the church’s 2-week Vacation Bible School[18] and was a member of the local Christian Women Temperance Union, for a time serving as President.[19]

The Post Register reported activities of the First Church of God in Idaho Falls, citing Rev. Norval Wixom as their pastor, through all of 1965.  Starting in February, KUPI radio broadcast Rev. Wixom’s “Minute Meditations” daily at 2 pm.[20]  In May a two day convention of the State Women’s Missionary Society was held at the church building.[21]  In September Rev. Wixom attended a National Board of Christian Education Council meeting in Colorado Springs to plan the their annual church teaching, training and laboratory school, to be  held in July for students from seven western states.[22] In November Rev. Wixom was the Conference Leader for a three-day State Youth Convention held in Pocatello.[23]  In December, the church used the Idaho Falls YMCA building to present a Christmas program, taking an offering for missionaries and also a canned food offering for migrant workers’ families in the area.[24] 

However starting in early September of 1964, notices are given in The Post Register of another Church of God, meeting at 1260 Lake Avenue, with Rev. and Mrs. Ardith A. Sell as pastors.[25] Thus for about two years there were two separate Church of God congregations in Idaho Falls. 

A farewell party was put on by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union for Mrs. Norval Wixom in August, 1966, noting that the family was leaving for Twin Falls.[26]  No further notices of meetings of the First Church of God were found in the Post Register; thus perhaps they merged with the church meeting on Lake Avenue, now known as New Life Family Worship Center.

Norval Ellis Wixom died in Nampa on April 13, 2006.[27]   His obituary concludes with, “Norval will be remembered for his great sense of humor, his love for people and his love for the Lord.”[2]

 

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[1] Based on 200+ references to “Norval/Norvell/Norwell/Norbell/Norvelt/Norton/Morbeu/Corveu  Wixom/Wixon/Wilson” in 1960’s Post Register newspapers. [Some of these variants are simply mis-transcriptions in newspaper data bases.]

[2] Idaho Press-Tribune (Nampa, ID), April 16, 2006.

[3] On his first Social Security application, in 1942, he used the name Norvell Dick Wixom.  In 1976 he used Norval Clair Ellis, and in 1982 and in later applications, Norval Ellis Wixom.

[4] The Post Register, October 13, 1961, p. 21.

[5] The Post Register, October 23. 1959, p. 8.

[6] The Post Register, July 14, 1961, p. 10.

[7] The Post Register, January 26, 1962, p. 8.

[8] The Post Register, March 26, 1962, p. 6.

[9] The Post Register, April 14, 1962, p. 16. The church building at 1260 Lake Ave. was originally the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

[10] The Post Register, January 10, 1964, p. 18.

[11] https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/10/building-used-for-aa-meetings-in-idaho-falls-recently-demolished

[12] The Post Register, November 7, 1961, January 24, 1962, February 22, 1961.  The title of his trophy winning speech was “Wonders of the Honeybee.”

[13] The Post Register, November 2, 1964 & February 22, 1963.

[14] The Post Register, September 30, 1965.

[15] The Post Register, August 19, 1964, November 2, 1964, October 5, 1964, January 22, 1965, July 30, 1965 & December 5, 1965.

[16] The Post Register, January 28, 1964.

[17] The Post Register, August 25, 1965.

[18] The Post Register, September 30, 1965.

[19] The Post Register, July 20, 1964, August 5, 1965 and others.

[20] The Post Register, February 5, 1965.

[21] The Post Register, May 13, 1965.

[22] The Post Register, September 15, 1965.

[23] The Post Register, November 12, 1965.

[24] The Post Register, December 10, 1965.

[25] The Post Register, September 4, 18 & 25, 1964; November 20 & 27, 1964 and later issues.

[26] The Post Register, August 4, 1966.

[27] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/166441855/norval-ellis-wixom

[28] US Census, 1930, Wapato, Yakima, Washington.

[29] Sandpoint News Bulletin, August 4, 1949.