IN MEMORY OF WALTER LEGETTE

Walter with the double toilet seat. With him are Marcelino Villazana Castillo and Ricky Jewel.

Walter LeGette was a great friend to Mexico. The people loved him. He used his ministry of “Helps” in many ways for the church in Mexico and in other areas of the world. Everywhere we look around Bethesda Temple in Nuevo Progreso, there are imprints of Walter’s hands at work.

Walter never did learn the Spanish language. He said he had enough problems with English. But he found ways to communicate with the people by whistling and motioning. He liked to hire Mexican helpers, instructing them on the use of power tools and carpentry. We’d hear him whistling to someone and we knew he was telling them what to do next. It was amazing to see how his thoughts were understood.

Walter sitting at one of the tables he made.

Walter heard that we needed tables and benches for the church. He made one of his numerous trips to Mexico where he constructed two heavy 6 foot picnic tables and a dozen or more sturdy wooden benches.  Those items have been used for many years in Sunday School and for worship services. 

Walter and a helper building partitions in the parsonage.

Another year he made a trip to the border to construct much needed partitions in the parsonage for the pastor’s children. At the same time, he installed wooden doors in the parsonage and purchased a large refrigerator for the kitchen.

New refrigerator arriving at the parsonage purchased by Walter.

One of his projects was the building of an outdoor toilet so that people coming to church wouldn’t need to use the bathroom in the parsonage. Walter’s idea of an outdoor toilet was very modern. He insisted on a double toilet, one side for men and the other for women. Lloyd made the seat that everyone seemed to find amusing. Walter saw it as a double picture frame! Walter added such items as extra ventilation and other conveniences to this unusual outhouse. He emphasized that he wanted it to be equal to one in any state park or rest area.

Walter's modern double outdoor toilet.

The two men he hired to help him on that project had a lot of fun with Walter. They learned from him and they worked together very well. We laughingly called them God’s Chosen  Crew.

Walter’s gift of Helps reached into many other areas besides Mexico, such as going on mission trips to other countries and working at the Community Hope Center in Cottage Hills, Illinois . We need more people who exercise the gift of Helps in today’s world. Walter’s contribution to the church in Mexico was outstanding and it will be recognized for many years to come.

“And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”  
1 Corinthians 12:28