Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-03-16

these women who were ggiven per-
mission to organize legally. The
memorial was ! esented TO General
conference, meeting that year in
Atlanta, May 14th, with petition
that the women of the nj. E.
chHrch, South, should be authorized
to work for missions under district
charter and for specified purposes.
The committee considering it, re-
ported favorably, and the organiza-
ton was effected May 23rd, 1878.
The annual conferences began to
organize as they convened, the
North Carolina Conference being
organized in Charlotte in Decem-
Der 1878. Mrs. n. H. d. Wilson OF
Greensboro, was elected Conference
President; Mrs. ]. A. Cunningglm,
of Wilson Vice-President; Mrs. +. Nj.
Bumpass, of Greensboro, Core
spending Secretary; Miss Blanche
Fentress, of Raleigh, Recording Sec
rotary; and Mrs. f. ]. Lilly, OF Fay
etteville, Treasurer.
On the afternoon of February
2Sth, 1879, Mrs. N. H, d. Wilson or
ganized the Womans Foreign Mis-
sionary Society of the NJ. E. Church,
South, of Rockingham. The meet
ing was held i'm the church, with
the following women present joining
as charter members: Mrs. George
Neal, Mrs. Mary Rishton, Mrs. I. w.
Guthrie, Mrs. J. w. Jenkins, Mrs. w.
S. Fowlkes, Mrs. J. T. LeGrand, Mrs.
P. w. Stansill, Mrs. R. l.. Steele,
Mrs. NJ. C. Cooper, Mrs. Walter L.
Steele, Mrs. William P. Everett,
Mrs. w. F. Covington, Mrs. w. c.
Thomas, Mrs. T. C. Leak, Mrs. S. w.
Webb, Mrs. Ann C.. Leak, Mrs. Neal
Wilson, Mrs. Frank T. Biggs, Mrs.
John Holt, Mrs. Sue Sanford, Mrs.
Robert Ledbetter, Mrs. r. A. John
son, Misses Ella usary, r. McKin,
non, Ida Stansill, Mamie Leak, Ella
Steele, and Lizzie Rishton. Mrs
Robert L. Steele was elected Presi
dent, and Mrs. Walter L. Steele
! Treasurer. OF the % charter mem
bers, Miss Ella Usery, Mrs. r. A
Johnson, Mrs. w. C. Thomas, Mrs
Frank T. Biggs, and Miss Lizzie
Rishton Mrs. Gorham of Fayette
ville) are the only ones left to us
but their daughters and grand
daughters, and daughters-in-law arr
carrying on still the work they
began.
i For the years from 1879 to 100
we have no records except tn
Treasurer's books, but any bushes
| man might be proud of that, 81
beautifully neat and accuratel.
simple, was it kept We learn from
If that the meetings were held reg
} ularly, month by month; dues
thank offerings, self-denial made a
the annual Easter meetings, sup
piled the funds which were sen
: every year to the Conference Treas
urer. Our thinks as a society, ar
due Mrs. Walter L. Steele for ne
faithfulness during the years to tn
time of her death, In 1886 by pay
{ ing $4,000 each, Mrs. Walter
Steele, Mrs. F. l.. Wall, and Mrs.
+. LeGrand became life members
!, though they continued to pay thei
regular. dues. In 1888 band
Bright Jewels was organized b
Mrs. Marcus l.. Wood, who with he
Husband, had been a missionary i
China, and in 1889 John L! Eve
= EFT was sent as its delegate
!, Charlotte--he still remembers tn
report Mrs. LeGrand wrote for hir
. to make. A Home Mission Societ
was organized in December 1870
which lived and fiourished till,
1912, the Foreign and Home Soci
ties were united to form the Won
ans Missionary Society. In 1871
the Mary Steele Society named
memory of Mrs. Walter S. Steel
I was organized by Mrs. w. P. Web
!. in order to enlist the young wome
OF the church, and they, later o.
= organized the younger girls, calm
7 the society the Lily Duke, in hont
J. of Miss Duke, the Conference Supe
intendent of Young Peoples Wor