On Saturday, October 12, 2013, at 2:00 p.m., Little Bethel Baptist Church of Ladonia dedicated their historical marker. Rev. Cecil Jones, pastor, gave the invocation; Deacon Freddie Roberts welcomed everyone; then Charlene Crosby recognized Mrs. Clemiel Adams, the oldest church member and Ladonia Mayor Jan Cooper.
Larry Standlee, chair of the marker program of the Fannin County Historical Commission, gave a short history and then with Ms. Charlene Crosby, unveiled the marker. Rev. Jerry Christopher, representative of the Baptist churches in Fannin County gave the benediction.
Little Bethel Baptist Church in Ladonia was organized April 14, 1912, for African Americans in the rural area of southeast Fannin County. Charter members of the congregation were S. A. Morris, J. Johnson, E. Lomacks, Moses Nettles, O. S. Sims, John Fuller, E. V. Marshall, Rachel Lomacks, Mary Nettles, Anna Davis, Ople Pruitt, Dorothy Doss, Huston Davis, Sam Johnson, Larry Johnson, Lewis Johnson, Lewis Gilbert, Mary Lomacks, and Irine Thomas.
The Little Bethel Baptist church was started in a small community called Stall Cup, north of Ladonia and moved to town by Deacon John Marshall in 1932 mainly because of the road conditions. The church burned and in March of 1938 Mrs. Delia Kimbrough, who had returned to Ladonia, with Mary Cook and Grady Jane Woods purchased land to rebuild their own church.
According to the records at the Fannin County Courthouse, the piece of land, located at 120 South Wilson, was purchased for $5 from Tilford Higgins who had inherited the land and there the church was built. The church was given the name Little Bethel because Bethel means a place to worship found in the Old Testament of the Bible. This church was a wood frame building 30 by 40 feet. The pews were made of wooden boards. The building was painted white.
Under the present pastor, Rev. Cecil R. Jones, in June 1997, the erection of a new church building began with the help of the Hagerman Baptist Church Mission Group of Grayson County and was dedicated on the first Sunday in October 1997.
Little Bethel Baptist Church has served and continues to serve the needs of Ladonia and the surrounding area African American community and others, serving any with needs, spiritual and otherwise.
Ms. Charlene Crosby states in their application: “The Little Bethel Baptist Church congregation is grateful to the men and women who have put their all on the altar for the church. The congregation will strive to continue the legacy left for them and will continue to write a history for Little Bethel Baptist Church in hopes of leaving a legacy that the next generation will be as proud of, as this generation is proud of the Old Saints who laid the foundation for the church. To God be the glory for the great things He has done through this church during the past 100 years.”