Annabelle B. Caulkins, GW #163

Annabelle was born on 28 August 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pa. to William R and Anna (Streit) Caulkins.  In 1920, the family was still living in Pittsburgh with two sons added to the family.  By 1930 Annabelle had joined the Gospel Worker Society and was living in Cleveland, Ohio with the rest of them.  It is likely she learned of the Gospel Worker Society through their ministry in Pittsburgh.  Annabelle did not stay with the Gospel Workers; on 19 August 1938 she married W. Bruce Musselman, grandson of W. B. Musselman, the head of the Gospel Worker Society.  In the 1940 census they are listed with the Gospel Worker Society, Annabelle having two years of high school and Bruce having seven years of schooling.  Bruce is listed as living in Jersey City, NJ in 1935.  When did Bruce come to the Gospel Worker Society headquarters?  Perhaps when his grandfather died in February of 1938.  Annabelle and Bruce are not listed with the Gospel Worker Society in the 1950 census.  However, in the 1951 Parma, Ohio city directory Bruce is in the list of clergymen.  According to his obituary, he pastored churches in Ohio and Michigan.  Annabelle’s life was that of a pastor’s wife.  Eventually the Musselmans ended up living in Gaffney, SC where Annabelle died on 14 March 2000.  She is buried in Oakland Cemetery in that community and was joined by her husband who died in 2002.