A home renovation project in Oregon City led to an unexpected discovery earlier this year when a couple uncovered several items hidden in a wall.

“My husband and I were renovating the house next door to the one where my parents lived in Oregon City when we discovered a bundle of old papers hidden inside one of the walls,” said Katie Ruud Bogue. “There were sermon notes, church meeting minutes, and documents relating to missionary work, including discussions about sending workers to Australia.” As they sorted through the materials, Katie shared that they couldn’t help but wonder who had tucked them into the wall all those years earlier.

Notably, they also discovered a small book with a red cover and several pages of handwritten notes. “When I opened the book, I noticed the date that had been written on the first page and I noticed it said, ‘S.D.A Church,’” said Katie. The date, written at the top of the page, was April 23rd, 1899. It also included a reference to one “President of the Association, A.G.D.” - assumedly A.G. Daniells, who would serve later as president of the General Conference, as well as to “The Polychrome Bible” ––a highly artistic biblical translation project that was partially released in 1899, but was discontinued before its completion due to the cost of its production. More handwritten notes included discussions on the nature of sin and Lucifer’s fall from heaven, hymn titles, and references to numerous Bible verses.

Katie shared that her family had served in the Adventist church for several generations, especially in the Oregon City Seventh-day Adventist Church. Family members served in the Dorcas Society, shared their musical gifts, and helped with fundraisers for both the local church and the wider mission field. “My grandfather, Nils Ruud, and his brother Lester had their own quiet ministry,” said Katie. “Before Sabbath services they would walk to the church early each week to build a fire in the wood-burning stove so the sanctuary would be warm when the congregation arrived.”

“Looking back, it seems fitting that those papers were discovered just steps away from the home where my great-grandparents lived and only a short walk from the church that shaped so much of our family’s history. For decades, my family walked those same streets, worshipped in that same church, and served that same congregation. Then, years later, the walls of a neighboring home quietly gave up one more piece of that shared history,” said Katie.

While the origins and lessons found in these materials are still being explored, Katie shared that they have already made a valuable impact. “Sometimes history isn’t preserved only in archives or museums,” she said. “Sometimes it waits patiently inside the walls of an old house until the right people discover it. Finding those papers reminded me that the story of the church is really the story of ordinary people whose quiet acts of faith, hospitality, generosity, music, and service helped build God’s work from one generation to the next. I feel grateful that my family had the opportunity to preserve a small piece of that history and to remember the legacy of those who came before us.”

You can learn more about these discoveries by following along on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pagesfromthewall

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