The first missionaries called to St. Croix were Elders Thomas Williams, Eric Leach, Gregory Collier and Kurtis Gibbons, who arrived 28 January 1981. They held meetings in the home of a member, Jack Cluet, with about 15 attending. A branch (a small congregation) was organized 8 February 1981. A meetinghouse was later built on the island. Branches have been established also on St. John and St. Thomas.
On St. Thomas, various expatriate families lived on the island. In 1969, one of these was the Earl Keele family. He arrived May 1969 and his wife, Celia, and two children followed in August. The family held a home Sunday School as part of the San Juan Branch in Puerto Rico.
In 1970, another family, James and Carolyn Boykin, joined the group. The first convert was baptized in January 1975. Other families arrived and the St. Thomas Branch was created 13 December 1977. The first missionaries came to the island in June 1978. The first branch meetinghouse was opened 16 July 1978.
A devastating hurricane, Hugo, struck St. Croix in September 1996, destroying the homes of many members. A shipment of food from the mainland and use of the branch meetinghouse helped alleviate the disaster conditions.
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Rafael G. Gutiérrez
Caribbean Area
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