A blacksmith shop where the kids used to sit around and "watch the sparks fly," a quiet farm in Kentucky, fishing, pheasant hunting, horseback riding and a one-room schoolhouse.

These are the boyhood memories of Rev. Wood B. Cundiff, pastor of the Christian Temple  for nearly three years.

Born in Cane Valley, Ky., Rev. Cundiff was five years old when the family moved to a farm. The youngest of a large family, he was taught most of his grade work by his brothers and sisters, who were the teachers at the country school.

His grade work completed, the pastor entered high school in Columbia, Ky., and when a senior, left school to enter the student army training corps at Bowling Green Teachers College, Bowling Green, Ky.

Returning to high school to complete his work after four months in the army training corps, Rev. Cundiff found that except for seven days, the school had been closed the entire time he was gone because of the flu epidemic.

"I decided on the ministry as my life work while in high school and never changed my mind about it," Rev. Cundiff recalled today.

He received a classical A.B. degree from Bethany College, Bethany, W. Va., then entered the Oberlin [Ohio] graduate school of theology, where he received his bachelor of divinity degree in 1934.

During his seminary studies he served churches in Denison, Ohio, and Waterford and Palmira churches in Knox Co., Ohio, and was a student minister in Zanesville [Ohio] a year and one-half after graduation.

He has also completed three summer courses at Ohio State University and two summer courses at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.

Rev. Cundiff came to Lorain in January, 1945, after serving nearly nine years as pastor in Crooksville, Ohio. He is president of the Lorain Ministerial Association for 1947-48 and served as treasurer of that group last year.

He is also chairman of the committee on inter-faith activities of the Lorain Church federation.

His interests in hunting and fishing developed as a boy are still strong, especially fishing, and he is also a baseball and football fan. He's interested in gardening, although he doesn't have enough time for it right now.

"It was pretty tough to leave the radio while the World Series was going on this year," he admits.

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The 1900 Adair County census, Cane Valley district, (original) page # 122B, household # 150, shows Wood B. Cundiff, born April, 1898, in the household of Perry V. & Mary E. Cundiff. His siblings in the household were (in birth order): Hallie, Bettie, Magie, Perry R., Horace, & William J. Cundiff. The Social Security Death Index gives Rev. Cundiff's birth date as April 20, 1898 and his death date as September __, 1961. The flu epidemic mentioned in the article occurred in the late fall & winter of 1918 & early 1919.)