Share Your Experience
What people say about Downey United Methodist Church
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Karen Carpenter is now rumored to have been 78 pounds in 1975.
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Rev. Carpenter ADOPTED Richard Reuwer and his half sister, Karen Berlinger.
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Donald "Juan" Trump is trying to buy out the MaxWell G. King Centre for the Performing Arts, 1,000 seats, and/or the Henegar Centre, both in the Melbourne, Florida, area, to allow the Carpenters, and others with them, to provide FREE concerts, by invitation only, like they have been donating in Manhattan.
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Latest update, seems Richard Reuwer, whom I met, was Mom`s husband and my father, making me sort of tall by ordinary standards, small by basketball standards, and blond/light brown haired, usually. Seems my full sister spiritually is my half sister by blood, daughter of mom`s second husband, Harold BertRam Carpenter, so I`m a Carpenter by raising and band name. We Carpenters had a grandfather who was a missionary to Wuzhou, China, so we have never looked at race quiet the same way as our white looking band might seem to imply. We HAD African Americans before our recording contract, and are still eager to work with good folks of any color, and in addition to Wesleyan United Methodists, Jews and other Christians. Gary Sims IS all Jew, but he is all "Ethiopian" Jew, so he is also all Afro American. And a WONDERFUL guitar picker. We did NOT desert him. We enjoyed him in our band because we felt we BELONGED together. Maybe Gary is the equivalent of the Reba McEntire song, The Greatest Man and/or Guitar Picker, Sabrina never knew, was her grandfather, Gary Sims. Sabrina, Paula Singletary, Mrs. Lucas, and Cindy Otis still have not rehearsed and/or performed in invitation only free concerts, with us in Manhattan, NYC, and neither has Ms. Marsh and her sister. I miss Melania and Barron Trump. I hope they and Alan and his second cousin, Denise Jackson, return to jam with us soon. I have replaced Gayle LeVant, in an all tall male band, along with Wayne Rollins hopefully replacing David Brenner, Wayne being maybe a foot tall than me, him being about 7`1 and Afro American. "Tree" is an excellent drummer. Dave and Gayle will remain in our "family", making beautiful music with each other. "Bruce" and "Bill" Walton are very welcome to try out for our band[s] on Trombone. The "wedding" of Thomas James Burris and Karen Carpentr was ONLY a music video which lasted 14 months, NOT a marriage.
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John Wesley McEntire was a rodeo champ who consulted for the movies, leading his granddaughter, me, to be considered for a late life return to television comedy. I am sorry Karen has not been able to count on me before this, and is only being able to count on me for self promotion, despite my having won a Country and Western award for me charitable donations. I have run out of words. I cannot think of anything I can believe will really help. The Wikipedia articles continue to claim edits have been published, then to delete them behind the backs of the folks commenting. They say my friend Merle Haggard DIED in 2016, despite claiming he is still performing. They say my friend Karen is dead, despite my having met with her various times since her death. I`m pleased Gov. Nikki Haley has the chance to try to win her home state primacy, but if she were to become Vice President, or less likely President, she might be impeached if she dared try to govern different from Obama, Biden, Bush Jr., Trump. The way the world seems to be now, "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" may be EVERY Man. Our whole world just doesn`t seem to be to know itself anymore. Maybe I should not say that, and take money for trying to help folks to laugh, but it is the way I feel, now. I still haven`t managed to visit Karen in NYC, even when Merle met with her last night. I hope Madison Isabella Marsh eventually succeeds in her ambition to become an oncologist, whether she succeeds in her ambition to play back up for Karen on the Chicago song, "Color My World", a tribute to our friend, "young" Mr. Giles Dyer, or not.
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My parents were Wesleyan missionaries, and I became a member here in `63, rather a LONG time ago. They served in Wuzhou in northern China. Mom and I learned to play keyboards on Wesleyan hymns. When I started music I was exclusively a drummer, but I can play a variety of instruments, and sing a variety of soprano vocal parts. I have worked in NYC the last 4 1/2 decades as a nurse, with Gayle, my best lady friend. I`m pleased for Gov. Nikki Haley, also, that she placed much better than she was expected to do. Like me, Alan EuGene Jackson and his second cousin Denise are reported deceased. She plays 12 and 6 string guitars, piano and organ, sings, he might be welcome on bass with the Beatles, and/or Troyal Garth Brooks and/or Carpenters. The absolutely gorgeous Heidi Marsh, and her younger sister, Madison IsaBella, play keyboards and guitars but are mainly songstresses, M. I. sings gospel, Heidi does not. Sabrina Sims plays guitar and keyboards, but is primarily a songstress. The Carpenters have used a variety of trumpet players before, so we might prefer Cindy Otis on coronet rather than on trumpet. I was a DOOFUS to have vented on the tonight show against Carter B. Smith because he claimed I was my brother`s wife. United Methodist friends like Reba McEntire, will post her own comments here, we can COUNT on HER, and hopefully Melanja and Barron Trump. Melanja is a songstress and musician, and Barron plays guitar. May the Lord shine his face upon you, and give you, and our SICK world, PEACE.
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I`m most noted for Orchestral Harp, which I started playing at 11, but I started Keyboards at 3. I could play electric pedal steel slide Dulcimer and/or Mandolin for Giles Dyer and the Carpenters if they would like, but Karen could play electric pedal steel slide Dulcimer and Keyboards for Giles and the Carpenters if she likes. I`m a Jewess, and Gary Sims is a Jew, and I was from the Los Angeles area, and knew Gary, though I was only friendly with Giles Dyer and the Carpenters, not a member of the Carpenters, though I worked with several of the for Spectrum, as a secretary, like Karen. I may be better known for my Harp playing for Liberace, from age 17, and others. I am "quevelling" over the placement of Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, and, despite enjoying Don rehearsing vocals and trombones at my New York City apartment and a theater he turned into a rehearsal hall, I am glad Don barely got a majority in Iowa. He says we would prefer music now to politics, and I would prefer that from him, including teamed with me, as well. Giles Dyer and the Carpenters have always welcomed diversity. Garth Brooks, and I are also among those who prefer Soft Rock to Gospel, but would welcome try outs, at least, including Paula, Jerry Lucas Schayes, Mrs. Lucas-Schayes, and Sabrina Sims, who all love Gospel. Alan EuGene Jackson is a proven commodity in music who would be welcome with Giles Dyer, Garth Brooks, and the Carpenters, if the media would admit he and his second cousin Denise are still alive, as Karen Anne Reuwer Carpenter, is still alive. The Marsh Sisters, Miss America, Madison Isabella Marsh, and her older sister, Heidi, are willing to sing back up as well, it is their specialty. Ms. Marsh`s talent at the Miss America pageant was pop singing, though she also loves Gospel, which Heidi does not. Christianity was founded by a Jew who was a Rabboni, so though we Jews are not well regarded by all Christians, we do worship the same God. Being from New York City, Donald would probably do better in New Hampshire than he did in Iowa, if he choses to campaign.
I hope you and yours have a NICE day. -
I`m grateful to Richard and his sister Karen Carpenter, and Louis Shelton, for acknowledging they know my grandfather, Gary Sims, one of several guitarists for the Carpenters, also including Tony Peluso and Tim May, and others. I`m primarily a singer and would be glad to sing back up for Karen Carpenter. Congratulations to Donald Johnathan Trump for winning the majority of delegates at Iowa, and to Gov. DeSantis and Gov. Nikki Haley, for doing better than expected. I am especially hopeful Gov. Haley of South Carolina will be taken more seriously now, in New Hampshire, and elsewhere. My grandfather Gary is not an African American, but I am part African American, like Mr. Shelton. I have been told Richard Kline and/or Donald Trump are being considered on trombone for Garth Brooks and/or the Carpenters, Cynthia Otis (formerly Pollard) on cornet and/or trumpet, indicating they might be learning more toward Western Swing than to bluegrass. Giles Dyer`s great uncle Josiah`s specialty song with the Friars was The Lord`s Prayer. I`m told the Carpenters and Giles prefer Soft Rock, among other styles of lyrics/music, to Gospel. Have a blessed day, please, take CARE.
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I`m Giles Dyer, whom Richard Carpenter referred to in his post. My family were visiting my great uncle Josiah, a deep bass singer with a vocal quartet, the Singing Friars, who was a machinist at this church, and sang in some unnamed motion pictures, which is why I took an interest in this site. But my previous comments were deleted from here and elsewhere, so maybe there is a time limit on how long these pages are maintained. The Lou Shelton I have seen on internet videos seems an extremely skilled and versatile guitarist, but not all studio musician, regardless of ethnic background, are well known. He certainly seemed as if he was a benefit to a vast array of performers, much as Rich`s instrumental skills were a benefit to his "lead sister". I think Lou meant, on guitar, not of guitar, and that Rich mean, a recording contract for Karen (and him and others), not but her, but few if any are perfect, so it seems they may have mistyped. Lou may have seemed to have implied he was African American. The videos I have seen show him tan at least at times, but many Americans sympathize with folks not always identical to them. The positions most open to folks wanting a try out for the Carpenters would probably be female singers, to maintain the female choral sound the Carpenters became known for, and musicians stretching their limits, like trombonists, if they opt for blues, mandolin, if they opt for bluegrass, but any quality performer might excite them. If folks cannot travel to NYC or they cannot travel to Downey, audition tapes, called "demos", have allegedly been traditional in the music business. I hope you and yours have a NICE day, please, take CARE.
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I`m Louie Shelton, Sabrina Sims. I knew your grandfather, Gary Sims. We worked for the Carpenters of Guitar, as did John Greg Bettis, Tim May, and others. I`m African American. Some folks suspect the Carpenters of racism because the African Americans with their band were not well known in the European American community. I hope you and others understand the humor Rich used in his post. I`d be glad to work for the Carpenters again any time.
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Good to have read from you, Sabrina-Lee-Be-Lee-Le. I`m Richard "LYNN" Reuwer Carpenter and my SISTER/"wife", Karen Anne Reuwer Carpenter. Karen is not my legal wife, just my legal sister, but was joked about by one disc jockey as my metaphoric wife. She was my lead songstress in a band, in addition to being called the Carpenters, was earlier called Spectrum. We first became members of this church in 1963. Karen quibbles about some Wikipedia claims, like her death at age 32, though she and I have seen each other every day, since her `83 "death". We are trying to get public recognition of her being still alive, and a recording contract but her, but interviews recorded have not been released. Karen also quibbles about inadequate publicity for our musicians, including our guitarists, most recognition going to me on keyboards (I also play sax, bassoon, various other instruments, sing), and her on lead/solo/harmony vocals, and mainly early, drum sets and bass. I`m using Giles Dyer`s computer, the media do not mention him at all, so far. Have a BLESSED day.
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SMALLChuRchnfRiendlyfolknfolkz//.
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I LOVE THE FRIENDLY COUPLE OF FOLK OR FOLKS'Z THAT I INTRODUCED MYSELF TA N THE CHURCH IS FANTASTIC N IT'S AMAZIN' THANKYOU THANKS THANX//................SABRINALEEBELEELE