Congregation members Darwin Greg, left, Gene Hiserote, center, and Larry Crabtree lift First United Methodist's newly crafted easter cross in the yard at The Wood Loft in Coos Bay on Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2008. The team constructed the decoration after the church's previous cross was stolen sometime last month. - World Photo by Alex Powers

COOS BAY — It was heavy. But, apparently, not heavy enough.

Sometime in the last month, someone made away with an 18-foot cross that has been an Easter trademark of the First United Methodist Church of Coos Bay.

For years, the church at the intersection of Central Avenue and Ocean Boulevard has celebrated the springtime holiday season by setting up the cross and decorating it with flowers.

Finding volunteers to lace the wooden fixture with blooms was never a problem, but finding people to set it in place was another matter.

“Three hefty guys could do it, but it was really heavy,” said Gene Hiserote, a church member who found himself lugging the cross on more than one occasion during his 42 years with First United.

Hiserote and three other members were recently recruited to make the Easter ritual a little easier by building a new, lighter, cross. But what began as a mission to relieve cross-bearers’ backs became a matter of necessity when the old cross disappeared.

Following Easter celebrations in the past, the church would take down the cross and simply place it on a bank next to its building.

That’s where the old cross was last seen about a month ago, when a group of church members measured its dimensions in preparation for building the new one.

“It was deteriorating,” said Darwin Greig, one of the three men who helped Hiserote build the new cross Tuesday. “It wasn’t safe to put up anymore.”

 It wasn’t visible from the street or the church’s parking lot, but nevertheless, it had disappeared the next time church members inspected the area.

“We have no idea what happened,” said the Rev. David King.

Now with an even more important task at hand, Hiserote, Greig, Larry Crabtree and C.B. Brooks met Tuesday to put the new cross together.

The sound of whirling drills filled the air at Hiserote’s shop, The Wood Loft, just below Thompson Road in Coos Bay. Using strips of plywood, the four men pieced together the cross using a box form arrangement. A little after noon, the last 3-and-a-quarter-inch strip was screwed into place on the cross beam.

Measuring 20-feet tall and nearly 10-feet wide, the model is larger than its predecessor, though significantly lighter. The old cross was made with solid four-by-fours.

Hiserote noted the new version has another benefit: it can be taken apart and stored inside a room off the church’s social hall.

Having completed their project, the men joked how they could spend the weekend driving around town checking churches to see who has an 18-foot cross in their hall.

Of course, the following weekend, the men will be busy with other matters. There will be decorating to be done.