ASHLAND — In 1948, 12-year-old Sandy Woods and her parents attended their first church service at England Hill Freewill Baptist Church.

“We went in the first time and my mother said ‘I’ve come home,’ and I’ve been there ever since,” says Woods, now 71.

The family had recently moved back from Indiana, where Woods’ father had worked in the shipbuilding yards during World War II. Her father had taken a job upon their return with Ashland Oil and it was there he met Herb French, the founder and original pastor of England Hill Freewill Baptist Church.

It was French who had invited the family to that first Sunday service in the church where Woods would discover God’s purpose for her.

For the last 58 years — since 1949 — Woods has played the church’s piano. She plays at Wednesday night services, both Sunday services and at all the other events that take place inside its walls, including weddings and funerals.

“I will be 72 in January, and I feel like I’ve been blessed, I really do,” Woods said. “I decided one day that we all have a job to do on this earth and I guess being the piano player at England Hill is the one that the Lord gave me.”

Woods said she began playing the piano at age 13 but it was her second choice as an instrument.

“I wanted to pay a flute in the band at school, but for some reason my mother didn’t want me in the band at school,” Woods said. “She said, ‘If you forget about the flute, I will buy you a piano and give you lessons.’”

She began taking lessons from a Mrs. Litteral, who lived on Second Circle Prospect and almost immediately began to fill in for the other pianists at the church. After less than two years, she stopped taking lessons.

Woods credits her talent to her deep aspirations to play the piano in the church.

“I think I just wanted to so bad I worked at it day and night. I wanted to play so bad. I drove my mom nuts,” she said. “I guess it just wore in. It’s hard to say; it’s just something that I wanted to do.”

Many of the hundreds of songs Woods can play come from memory. “I’m fortunate that I can remember songs, from years and years (ago),” she says.

Those old, tried and true hymns are her favorites, she says, although she has difficulty picking one favorite. “I’ve got a lot of favorites. I honestly can’t just come up with one. I like too many of them,” she said.

“I like songs that feel good. If they feel good and have wonderful words to me that’s what makes a song.”

Woods said she doesn’t know how much longer she will play at the church. She said she has asked others on numerous occasions if they would like to play but they always decline.

“They just need me or want me,” she said.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.