I enjoyed a morning chat recently with a long-time friend at Prince of Peace, Tish Smith. She reminded me we had both joined POP in the same membership class in the fall of 1974.  Tish explained how her family found POP.  The family had just moved to Crofton when her late husband, Walt Halfpap, was transferred for work. When they set out to find a church, they had the time wrong for one of the neighboring churches. They decided to visit POP, in the Fellowship Hall. They were warmly welcomed by Ed and Betty Post and quickly became involved in the growing church. Walt was enlisted as an usher the following Sunday. Tish became involved several years later after her children were older. This involvement has continued throughout the years.

To digress back to Tish’s beginning, she is a mid-westerner, born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, where she was raised.  Her family attended the First Methodist Church where Tish was baptized, confirmed and later married.  She first sang in the choir as a youth.

Upon graduation from Ball State Teacher’s College, she and Walt were married and Tish taught elementary school for two years until the birth of their son, Glenn.  The family had a job transfer to Indianapolis where their daughter, Kim, was born in 1966. After another transfer to Michigan the family began attending a very large and active Presbyterian church.   

The family’s involvement at POP centered around their children who were active in Sunday School. As they reached the teen years, Tish helped with the Tuesday evening youth group working with the girls. “I worked with Louise Buss,” she explained, “and we would have a topic ready for discussion. However, the girls always had a different topic which was more important to them.”

Over the years Tish has served two terms as a Deacon and a term as an Elder, heading up the Worship Committee and Personnel. She was Worship Elder when Rev. Fred Wood moved from POP and Tish worked to get the Interim Pastor, Rev. Harris.  A member of the choir for over 30 years, Tish has also taught Sunday School and helped with Bible School.  She even filled in as the church secretary for a short time. For nearly 10 years Tish was the Backpack Coordinator, a mission the church does every fall. She served on the Board of Single Again and attended Healing Journey where she met Warren Smith, a quiet gentleman. They have been married for 17 years.

Her children live in the area. Son, Glenn Halfpap, and his wife Sally live in Crofton and are the parents of two boys who are in college. It is interesting to note that Glenn and Sally met at the Tuesday night POP Youth Group.  Kim, and her husband Eric Tipton, live nearby and have a 12 year old daughter. Warren has five grandchildren. 

Tish did office work for a time as a Project Coordinator at Datastor, a company in Crofton.  Now she keeps busy with her church activities and enjoys knitting, reading, helping with the local garden club and gardening.  Her specialty is “weed puller.”  She has cleaned a number of flower beds at the church.   In the winter, Tish and Warren travel to Florida to spend January at their condo.

As always, we close with the favorite Bible verse. Tish quickly replied John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…..” Not only is it a special verse but she particularly enjoys singing the song.  Be sure and say hi after church and you will be greeted with a very warm hello.