and for the Mortgage Burning Ceremony in 1987
100th Golden Anniversary of Christian Women's Fellowship
and Mortgage Burning
Lone Pine Christian Church (Disciple's of Christ)
October 11, 1987
3 - 6 P.M.
Prelude .............................................................................Debra Lee Miles and Linda Hulsey
Welcome ..........................................................................Millie Wiedenhaupt
Invocation ..........................................................................Linda Comstock
Hymn ................................................................................Be Thou My Vision No. 344
Prayer ...............................................................................Rev. William Wiedenhaupt, Pastor
Skit ..................................................................................."That Talking Woman"
Burning of Mortgage ...Rev. William Wiedenhaupt, Pastor; Rev. Dwight French, General State
Minister; Shirley Desmond, Board Chairman; Jesse Verner, Trustee
Chairman; Carol Powell and Kennedy Jenkins, Co-Chairman of Elders;
William Powell, Deacon Chairman; Arlene Bendik, Deaconess Chairman
Introduction of Ministers and Visitors......................................Norma Bayne
Historical Sketch .................................................................Shirley Desmond
Special Music .....................................................................Amory Simpson
Honoring of C.W.F. Presidents .............................................Norma Bayne
Correspondence from Ministers not attending.
Those into Clergy or Missions from this church.......................Evelyn Comstock
In Memoriam ......................................................................Wilma Tolson
Anthem ............................................................................."Song of Fellowship"
Closing Prayer ...................................................................C.W.F. Benediction
(printed on next page)
Postlude ............................................................................Debra Lee Miles and Linday Hulsey
Refreshments Served in Dining Room
Motto:
"Go, and if you cannot go, send or help others to go."
C.W.F. Benediction
God be merciful unto us, and bless us,
And cause his face to shine upon us;
That Thy way may be known upon Earth,
Thy saving health among all nations
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Charter members of Missionary Society, October 27, 1887
Mrs. Jennie B. Groh -- President
Mrs. Katie McCrory -- Vice President
Miss Margaret L. Frazee -- Secretary
Mrs. Nancy Jane McMillen -- Treasurer
Mrs. Nettie Closser
Mrs. Anna Mary Miller
Mrs. Alice W. Lewis
Mrs. Sarah E. Riggle
Mrs. Lizzie Dever
Miss Anna Closser
Present Officers:
Mrs. Millie Wiedenhaupt .. President
Mrs. Linda Comstock .. Vice President
Mrs. Betty Crompton .. Secretary
Mrs. Janice Briggs .. Treasurer
Past Presidents:
1887 - 1889 .... Mrs. Jennie B. Groh
1889 - 1899 .... Miss Anna Closser
1899 - 1901 .... Mrs. Sarah E. Riggle
1901 - 1902 .... Mrs. Flora M. Moninger
1902 - 1903 .... Mrs. Elizabeth Sowers
1903 - 1905 .... Mrs. Elizabeth Shrontz
1905 - 1909 .... Mrs. Permelia Shrontz
1909 - 1913 .... Mrs. Geneva Hewitt
1913 - 1915 .... Mrs. Anna Van Dyke
1915 - 1924 .... Mrs. Permelia Shrontz
1915 - 1942 .... No Records Available
1942 - 1955 .... Mrs. Wilma Nicholls
1955 - 1962 .... Mrs. Norma Bayne
1962 - 1965 .... Mrs. Wilma Nicholls Tolson
1965 - 1966 .... Mrs. Helen Clore
1966 - 1967 .... Mrs. Kathryn Locy
1967 - 1971 .... Mrs. Evelyn Comstock
1971 - 1984 .... Mrs. Norma Bayne
1984 - 1986 .... Mrs. Linda Comstock
Present Time... Mrs. Millie Wiedenhaupt
Historical Sketch
"Since the early days of Christianity the work of the kingdom of Heaven has been accomplished
largely through organized effort. There is a spirit in the Christian religion which unifies thought and
purpose and finds its expression in unified endeavor. No amount of scattered personal work can
ever be so effective as that of an organized body of earnest Christians."
On the basis of this principle the Christian Women's Board of Missions was founded and auxiliaries
were organized in local churches, of which the one established in the Lone Pine Christian Church,
one hundred years ago and is the oldest one organized among the Disciples of Christ Churches in
Pennsylvania. It was organized October 27, 1887 by Miss Elsie Donaldson who was acting as state
organizer. There were ten charter members: Mrs. Jennie B. Groh, President; Mrs. Katie McCrory,
Vice President; Miss Margaret L. Frazee, Secretary; Mrs. Nancy Jane McMillen, Treasurer;
Mrs. Nettie Closser, Mrs. Anna Mary Miller, Mrs. Alice W. Lewis, Mrs. Sarah E. Riggle,
Mrs. Lizzie Dever and Miss Anna Closser. The first meeting was held in the home of Mrs. Katie
McCrory and their first offering was used for the famine in India. The Willing Workers Band for the
children was organized by Mrs. Sarah E. Riggle and Mrs. Jennie B. Groh, and they placed a memorial
window in a mission church in Montana in memory of their late Pastor, The Rev. Frederick Hoffman.
They also gave toward a chapel in Japan.
In order to renew the bond with women workers in churches throughout the brotherhood, a meeting
for the purpose of reorganizing a Christian Women's Board of Missions Auxiliary in our church, was
held November 17, 1899. Sister Emma Lyon had charge of the meeting, the result being fourteen
members: President - Mrs. Sarah E. Riggle; Vice President - Mrs. Elizabeth Shrontz; Secretary -
Mrs. Ida M. Frazee; Treasurer - Mrs. Elizabeth Knestrick; Mrs. Nancy Jane Riggle, Miss Emma Lyon,
Mrs. Permelia Shrontz, Mrs. Permelia Reynolds, Mrs. Martha Crispin, Mrs. Emily Moninger, Mrs. Jennie
Walton, Mrs. Rebecca Day, Mrs. Nancy Bails, Mrs. Ida M. Hootman. It was decided to hold the
December meeting as an open meeting, in the church on the Third of December. It being Christian
Women's Board of Missions Day. The pastor Rev. J.J. Streator was the leader.
The first meeting was held on January 4, 1900 in the home of member Mrs. Martha Crispin and
a collection of $2.00 was taken. A committee was appointed to see that if any one needed help
in the community and report it at the next meeting. At the February 3 meeting, a letter was read from
Sister Emma Lyon, asking them to do more for missions. On April 7, 1900 they pledged to support a
pupil in the Emma Lyon School for her Girl's School in Nanking, China and sent her a box of dress
goods, sheets, towels and other articles to be used in the school. A letter was received from Miss
Lyon telling about her first convert, whose conversion alone was worth her going all the way to China.
Records were found of the auxiliary sending money to Emma Lyon, buying carpet for the church,
painting choir chairs, helping to pay the ministers salaries and they held various fund raisers; such
as oyster suppers, egg suppers and ice cream and peach dinners. The first festival was held in
July 1905 and profited $39.40 with $15.00 toward the Pastors salary and $3.00 for choir chairs.
In October 1912 they celebrated twenty-five years of organizing and there were twenty-five members
recorded with twenty of them active. They had no celebration recorded.
On October 7, 1937 they celebrated their fiftieth Golden Jubilee with an all day celebration with
Miss Margaret L. Frazee in charge of the morning session. The noon hour devotions were led by
The Rev. John W. Love, Pastor of The First Christian Church of Washington, Penna. and dinner was
served to 125 people. Miss Frazee was remembered with a gift from the congregation as she was
leaving for Los Angeles, California. The fifty year celebration recorded fifty members with thirty-eight
members who were active. A Historical sketch was read by Mrs. Ida M. Frazee and The Rev.
H. Newton Miller was Pastor then.
In 1955 the name of the Missionary Society was changed to Christian Women's Fellowship
which included ALL women of the church as members. The meetings were held on
the first Thursday of each month.
On Thursday, October 4, 1962, the Diamond Anniversary of the Christian Women's Fellowship
was held in the Lone Pine Christian Church with Mrs. Wilma Nicholls, President and in charge of
the service. Rev. Robert Goebel was Pastor at the time. Dr. Osborne Booth was speaker and the
Historical Sketch was read by Mrs. Mary E. Moninger. There were forty-five members recorded
and thirty-one who were active. Refreshments were served following the service with a three tiered
cake baked by Mrs. Louise Koscho.
The Christian Women's Fellowship has been responsible for keeping the kitchen equipped with
necessities over the years. They have sponsored the annual turkey and ham dinners for the past
twenty-five years and with the proceeds have purchased chairs, tables, made baptismal robes
several times, bought song books, drapes and the kitchen and dining room floor coverings and
the ranges, steam table and the refrigerator.
They have collected food and clothing for Miss Lyons of Home Service in Washington and bought
heavy clothing for the needy of the community and surrounding areas.
In 1967 the C.W.F. started making comfort tops of wool and other heavy materials with a
flannelette backing and knotted them together with yarn and sent several to Church World Service
and also to needy families in the area such as fire and flood victims. Later they were given to the
American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. In 1972 they started making small lap robes
and donated them to Kade Nursing Home, Washington County Health Center and to older persons
in the community. They made one-hundred-ninety-seven large ones and ninety-three small ones.
Over the years baby layettes were made for Church World Service, done some sewing for Washington
Hospital and various needs for Laurelview Church Camp. They collected green and TV stamps for Seay
Children's Home for them to acquire a station wagon. Sent donations to Red Bird Appalacian Mission,
used greeting cards were sent to Hum Drum Missions Center in Minnesota, and collected cancelled
postage stamps for Relief Rehabilitation Service.
In 1978 the C.W.F. and the church started presenting Christmas programs and token gifts for the
men at Washington City Mission and are still doing this service today. The ladies are presently
making comforts, supplying some needs for Laurelview and the Hasina House in Pittsburgh and help
for needy families of the community.
Emma A. Lyon, daughter of Oscar F. and Catherine Ferrel Lyon was born in Lone Pine Penna. on
August 17, 1869. She grew up and attended schools in Lone Pine and joined the church on February
7, 1886 and graduated from High School and entered State Normal School at California, Penna.; now
California University of Pennsylvania. She received her degree at Bethany College in 1892. At
graduation she met and visited with E. T. Williams. He interested her in the educational needs of China
and with a month she was appointed as a China Missionary. In November 1892, she reached Nanking.
On her first trip from the river to the Macklin home where she was going to reside, she rode in a
tightly closed sedan chair. She was one of the early single women missionaries in Nanking.
In a short time, Miss Lyon entered upon her life work....a school for girls in Nanking, China;
long to be known as the Christians Girl's School (now called Chung Hwa.) The school began with
five students in a rented room in the home of a Chinese official and ended the first year was fifteen
girls enrolled and a building was erected at $1,400.00. By September 1896, the new building was
ready to serve as dormitory, missionary residence, a place for meetings and classrooms. Gradually
other land was purchased and more buildings added. August 1900, the Lone Pine Christian Church
Missionary Society pledged to support a girl in the Emma Lyon home in China and she was sent a
box of dress goods, sheets, towels and other articles used at the school. Teachers had to be
trained, students were taught how to study. In 1927 the new government required that a Chinese
should head the school, but Miss Lyon continued as principal. On each of her five furloughs she did
special graduate study in order to prepare herself for her work.
Miss Lyon saw many traditions in China, such as girls with bound feet, give away to students
proud to excel in athletics. She was personal chaperone to girls whose classes were taught by men.
Later she personally brought girl students and Christian men together in social functions. In early
days parents were reluctant to educate their daughters. In 1936 at the fortieth anniversary of the school's
founding, there were more than eight hundred students on a beautiful campus. Miss Lyon saw the
school grow from free to a self-supporting school.
Emma Lyon was an able teacher and administrator and an evangelist. She was much interested
in the poor and illiterate folk on the fringes of Nanking. She spend much time doing social service work
in the homes of students and alumnae and children in the Drum Tower Christian Church.
Miss Lyon was one of the founders of Gingling College and served on the Board of Control and also
many times on the administrative committee of the China Mission. In 1934 she retired to America; only
to be called back to China two years later by Chinese friends who wanted her to share in the joys of the
fortieth anniversary of the school's founding. There was one thousand students and alumnae in
attendance.
In 1937 Miss Lyon returned home after witnessing the devastating beginning of the war. In 1940 she
was given an Honorary Degree at Bethany College.
In 1950 she took up residence at Lenoir Memorial Home at Columbia, Missouri where she maintained
an active life in the church and community. On April 1, 1960 in her 91st year she passed away and is
buried in the Lone Pine Cemetery in the family plot.
