As he's done for decades, John Greenlees pulled the stout cord, and the come-to-worship bells pealed at Valverde Community Church, now for the last time.

"There's so much to say," began pastor Louise Jones, who won hearts in the eight years she's gently guided the 117-year-old Presbyterian congregation to its bittersweet close Sunday.

Bittersweet, because the remaining 12 to 15 members, virtually all 80 and older, kept the faith and stayed loyal to each other, right to the end. They held off their worst fear, too - that Valverde, at 430 S. Tejon St., would become a parking lot. Instead, it's been handed into the care of a robust, 200-plus member Hispanic Presbyterian congregation, which has shared Valverde's space for three years. To honor the vanishing flock, Pastor Jorge Barbaran is keeping the church's name, just doing it Spanish style: Eglesia Presbyteriana de Valverde.

The passing of the torch speaks more eloquently than any demographics study. A century ago, Valverde was founded by an immigrant Scottish pastor; it's still Scottish to its core. Greenlees, 81, mused that he joined in 1964, a few years after arriving from Scotland. He's been the bell ringer since . . . ?

"Oh I forget," he said in a rolling brogue. "It's been such a long, long ways!"

For Sunday's send-off, the sanctuary was alive with a cheerily glowing Christmas tree, and the pews bulged with family and friends. Among the prayer requests, organist Marilyn Mesch is praying to find a new place to play. On an overhead screen, old photos were on parade.

"There's Elmer - old blue eyes!" somebody called out. A photo of an old Tuesday night card game brought a quip, "They were playing Uno, not poker!"

To honor Valverde's Scots heritage, Jim and Carol Talbot wore kilts. In the middle of the service, her cell phone rang boisterously - the first rousing notes of Scotland the Brave. That got a huge laugh. (Carol was sure she had turned it off.)

For many, "brave" took some doing. At one point, Alan Wise wiped away tears. His mother, Olive, who died last summer, played organ here for more than 50 years.

Then, the official dissolving. Anne Bond of the Presbyterian Church USA said the words and prayed, "What we have received from God, let us now return to God."

Lifelong member Leona Deas, 97, revered as the soul of the flock and still sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, briskly embraced Jones, who is retiring.

"I don't know how I'm going to get by without you," Deas told Jones. "You did real well. It was a good send-off."

Being elderly, most aren't sure where they'll worship now. Greenlees figures he'll read the Bible at home on Sundays. He has no car and lives alone: "I'm single," he said, adding tartly, "and I'm not looking!"

Then Greenlees pulled the cord, and the closing bells pealed. Farewell.

torkelsonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5055