Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 2, 1994 TAG: 9402020099
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: ADRIENNE PETTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Back at home, however, he slumps into a daze again, snapping his suspenders over and over as he thinks of Montgomery.
Over the past 35 years, the two men built more than 200 homes across Franklin County and established themselves as pillars of the Old German Baptist community.
Insulating themselves in their traditional, pacifist faith, Bowman and other Old German Baptists have carved out honest livings for themselves, remaining unscathed by the violent crime that touches so many people elsewhere.
Last weekend, though, the jarring murder of Levi Montgomery and his daughter Parthenia by her estranged boyfriend, who then turned the gun on himself, involuntarily pulled members of this community into a bitter reality they did not want to face.
"This is something we've never experienced in this community and in our church," Bowman said at his Wirtz home.
"We used to read about it 'round New York and places like that. But it's just getting real close to home."
All weekend, a river of men donning black, broad-brimmed hats and women wearing long dresses and prayer hats flowed into the Flora Funeral Service in Rocky Mount, spawning one of the largest funeral services in Franklin County in recent years.
The funeral Tuesday drew hundreds. More than 2,000 people visited the family Sunday and Monday at the funeral home.
"That in itself speaks for Levi," Bowman's wife, Marilyn, said. "That speaks louder than words."
Some came from as far away as California.
One woman said she stood in a line that snaked through the funeral home for more than 2 1/2 hours before she could greet the family.
Many were people living in homes built by Montgomery.
The vast majority, though, were members of the two Old German Baptist churches in Franklin County.
The deaths pulled an already close-knit community even closer together, the Bowmans said.
Now, more than ever, these people value their privacy, and are clinging to the teachings of their church to make it through.
Old German Baptists, who originated in Germany in the Protestant Reformation period, have always had their faith to shield them from the outside world.
"We see ourselves as in a separate world," Dallas Bowman said.
They admit to being far from perfect, but they strive to live as Jesus taught.
For instance, a distinctive feature is the washing of feet, which Old German Baptists and their modern Church of the Brethren descendants see as a command of Jesus to emphasize humility.
Although accepting modern conveniences like the telephone and the automobile, they shun television and radio.
"That's part of the world and we don't believe those things have any place in our home," Marilyn Bowman said. "We just can't help but think that that's the cause of a lot of violence - the things they see every day."
The tragedy also has strengthened their resolve to keep younger people in the church.
"We have a lot of young people who are very interested in what's been handed to them, the heritage and things our foreparents handed to us in the way of spiritual values," Marilyn Bowman said.
One element of their faith with which they are now grappling, though, is dealing with law enforcement.
When the police came to the Montgomerys' house Friday night, it was an unusual event for an Old German Baptist family.
Traditionally, Old German Baptists have avoided calling the police. They prefer to settle differences in the church.
"We don't believe in pressing any charges against anybody or anything," Dallas Bowman said.
But he cannot help thinking a tragedy such as this might have been avoided if the law had lent divine intervention a hand.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB