Evening star., 1941-03-23
Mother of -Four CIergyn1en
Also Is Ordained Minister
Challenges View
Preachers Sons
Seldom Preach
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

listers. Fewer still have combined
with such a career, marriage to a
clergyman and the rearing Of eight
children, all living, four of whom
are following in their parents foot
steps as ministers of the gospel.
This is the life story of Mrs. Emma
Bancroft Yinger, widow of the Rev.
G.. Y. Yinger. Erect and vigorous,
she gives the impression of having
had zest in breasting the stream of
life, gathering wisdom and under
standing from its depths and hap
piness from its smooth, sunny
stretches. Despite her own educa-
tional training and background and
achievements, it is evident her
greatest fulfillment has come through
being a medium for others to reach
their goals.
Mrs. Yinger, who is visiting one of
her clergymen sons, the Rev. Paul
Yinger, pastor of the Cleveland Park
Congregational Church at Thirty
fourth and Lowell streets NV, was
ordained minister in the Christian
Church more than 80 years ago, and
was one of the first women licensed
to preach in the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
AS a guest preacher in her sons
pulpit at the beginning of Lent, she
urged upon the congregation the
need for an appreciation of and
satisfaction in the beauty of simple
things in a world torn by hate and
aggression.
Motherhood Rated Highest.
Proudly she treasurers a letter re-
ceived from another of her preacher
sons since her arrival here. 1t opens
with this sentence, -Four of your
boys are probably in their studies
tonight, working upon their sermons
for this coming Sunday, with your
prayers and fathers spirit lowering
over u.s."
Vigorously, Mrs. Yinger chal-
lenges the statement, "sons of clergy
men seldom follow in their fathers
footsteps"
Many do" she emphasized, in ad-
dition to entering teaching fields,
the practice of medicine, and edi-
torial work upon magazines and
newspapers, all of which are related
ministerial services"
The author of numerous widely
circulated poems and religious and
educational tracts, Mrs. Yinger de-
clared, Motherhood transcends any
other career for women, and no
other in the end in any way COM
pensates for it, whatever may be
the attainments elsewhere. Through
ones children, motherhood pays the
biggest dividends, too, and is in it.
self a ministerial service"
This mother has had an excep-
t1onal career in her own right. She
has recently resigned from the
faculty of the Michigan School for
the Blind and expects shortly to re-
turn to religious educational work.
Also Did Housework.
Asked if she combined housework
with her ministerial duties and
those of her husband when their
children were small, she replied:
There was always the cooking,
house cleaning, canning and pre-
serving, sewing and even the wash
ing and ironing for our growing
family I can remember what a
breathless task it sometimes was to
have seven white shirts ready ahead
for Sunday, one for my husband
and each of our six boys, not to
mention an occasional dress for the
two girls, who were the youngest
of our group.
Did I make the boys clothes.
too? Why made so many pairs of
trousers for them, when they were
little. used to say I believe could
almost make a pair with my eyes
shut. One pair of their fathers
broadcloth ones, when they were
too green for pulpit wear, could
always be counted upon for four
pairs for the boys"
In a family the size of theirs. her
husband and she felt it was verv
necessary for each member to have
the feeling of being really i'm
portant and necessary to the group.
This they carried out, especially at
table, by having the general con-
versation so worthwhile each child
took pleasure in bringing to the
meal the shining incident of his
day. They attempted, too, to pre-
vent the older ones from "lordinp II