Coverings and bonnets and a new desk

If one of my nieces had asked me, "Who has Grandma's prayer covering," I could have honestly told her, "I don't know, ask your mother." No more. I found it along with many pair of scissors, at least 10 old eye wear, a hand held calculator with no batteries, a 2017 pocket calendar, Museum of Art membership card for 2018, phone # for appliance repair, bags and envelopes of cancelled stamps for donation to an organization that uses them, math compass, rulers 12" and 6", User's guide for my CD clock radio 1999, perhaps 20-30 half used small notebooks, old photos that didn't make the cut for one of our 40+ photo albums, sacks of cards waiting for just the right moment which never comes, decorative magnets purchased as souvenirs of our travels, 20-30 CDs with various updates or unknown information, and an unopened box for a course in Constitution 101. I have several more boxes to go through before the transition to my new desk is finished.  The old Steelcase that I’ve had for over 40 years will go to new home, when pick ups are allowed again. At least 85% of its contents need to leave this house with it.

For those unfamiliar with Anabaptist traditions, a prayer covering is something Christian women wear for communion, or if they are conservative Mennonite or Old order Brethren, they wear them all the time. Mother usually kept a few extras in her desk drawer (neater than mine) in case there were relatives visiting during the Easter season when the twice a year observance took place. The last time I had communion (Brethren Love Feast) in my home church was probably the mid-1990s, so I would have borrowed one. But this one was hers--the tattered envelope is labeled. She died in January 2000.

I found a blog written by a Monica Rice, a 2011 MA graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary, who has studied this tradition in depth. It's not exactly the way I remember things, but it's been over 50 years since I was a member and each locality or congregation sets its own standards. The photo looks like Mom's covering and the one I had. Some are in bonnet form and each style has its own history and tradition. Somewhere packed away I have my great grandmother's black bonnet from the 19th century.

I also own the first yearbook of Bethany because my grandfather was on the Board, but that’s another blog (or I’ve already written one).

http://www.brethrenlifeandthought.org/2012/09/28/what-about-the-prayer-covering/

Good works among Christians--a bit of history

As I've noted several times at this blog and my other blog, I believe churches have compromised their message and mission by taking money from the state and federal governments to run their programs. There was very poor oversite of this during the Bush (1 and 2) and Clinton years, and probably before. One only has to review the very early years of the USDA's food surplus programs--originally intended to help farmers--in which food pantries (most run by churches which had soup kitchens during the Depression) have participated for over 60 years. Once there was no more surplus to distribute, tax money was used with church volunteers doing the management. Obama has promised to tighten any religious connections--another promise he'll probably keep if the Georgetown speech is any indication.

The following item is about a tiny church with a tiny program, all of which was supported by church members, not the government, and which probably had very little waste or corruption. I'm posting it (originally an e-mail) because it combines 1) a book I was reading this morning by A.C. Wieand, 2) my interest in first issues of serials, 3) my interest in genealogy, and my early years in the Church of the Brethren (my own baptism, as well as that of my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents). I found this in cleaning out my webmail box this morning, written to someone who asked about a photograph of nursing students taking the train from Oregon, IL to Mt. Morris, IL during WWI to attend a program at Mt. Morris College.

I have a copy of the Bethany Bible School Evangel, vol. 1, 1921 which gives many of the names of the graduates and classes beginning with about 1909 (opened in 1905). I looked through it and didn't see any of those names. However, I know that there were training institutes held at Bethany that weren't part of the curriculum because my grandparents attended. I'm sure there's a better history than what I have, but the original building was President Emanuel Hoff's home on Hastings, and then several buildings were built but there continued to be a Hastings St. Mission. On p. 55, "All who knew the crowded condition of the Hastings Street Mission will be glad to know that the situation has been temporarily relieved by the purchase of another building. Through this additional building, it is hoped that some of the many boys and girls who have been turned away in the past may be given an opportunity to attend the classes. . .[these are listed as] knitting, basketry,
handwork, printing and wireless telegraphy. Classes have been organized among the Polish and Bohemian mothers. They are being taught cooking and sewing. [also listed for this mission] Daily vacation bible school in the summer (many photos), mid-week prayer meetings, junior Christian workers' meetings and junior church services. There was also a Douglas Park Mission, and service opportunities at the County Hospital, the county home (Oak Forest), the police station. A hospital opened on Dec. 31, 1920 called "Bethany Sanitarium and Hospital."** On p. 101 it says "A Nurses' Training Class, offering practical training in caring for the sick, has been offered since 1914. This course has appealed not only to the single sisters but perhaps more mothers have been enrolled in it than in any other course." "While a regular Nurses' Training course cannot be offered in this small insitutiton, as it grows this will no doubt be its largest mission."

The 1905-06 photo shows the 2 founders (Hoff and Wieand) and 33 students. A hand drawn graph on p. 89 shows 375 students in 1919-20, and 350 in 1920-21.

Truly a work of love and following the great commission.

**Land for the original hospital was donated by my great grandfather.