FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
WOMEN

The care of the Manse, the aroused interest in Home and Foreign Missions, the well organized women's work of today had its inception in the heart of busy mothers and housewives, who looking well to they ways of their households, yet had time got consider the work of the Kingdom. The ladies decided to use their Mite funds in purchasing a silver communion set, to be presented to the congregation.

MR HENRY G DAVIS was asked to buy this communion set when he went to Baltimore to purchase goods for Davis Brothers Store. This beautiful old communion service of one silver tankard and two silver goblets, is our most treasured possession, for around these are entwined the hallowed memories of other days when fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, gathered around the Lord's table.
This "Ladies Mite Society" soon became the mainstay of the church. Among the names of the members that have come down to use we find:
The pastor's wife, MRS EDWARD MARTIN
Her mother, MARS MARIS VASS
A foster daughter, JULIA GOLDMAN
MRS. LOUISA DAVIS,
MRS ELIZA DAVIS
BUXTON
MRS JOHN HUGHES
MRS. JOSEPH MCCARTY
MRS ARNOLD GERSTELL
MRS NIMROD ALKIRE
AREBELLA MARTIN (MRS P V FRYE)
MISS JENNIE KEAN.
In the 80 years since Presbyterian women of New Creek organized their first supply to Nancy Lauck MacDonald's day of well organized "Women's Work", the church has been blest of God through a long line of consecrated women in addition to the first named we find the names of
MRS NANNIE D MCCOOLE
MRS MARY PANCAKE
MISS MARGARET SHEETZ
MRS NIMROD ALKIRE
MRS ELIZA HOLMES
MRS J J JOHNSTON
MRS NANCY RIZER
MRS KATE RIZER
MRS JANE HEAD
MRS DAVID LONG
MRS JOHN KEOLZ
MRS SIMMON UMSTOT
MRS ARNOLD GERSTELL
MRS RICHARD GERSTELL
MRS WARNER MARTIN
MRS J B LAUCK
MRS RUCKMAN
MRS SUSAN BUXTON
MRS SUE TAYLOR
MISS SUE SHEETZ
MISS IDA UMSTOT
MISS JENNIE KEAN
MRS CHANDLER RINEHART
MRS JOSEPH ARNOLD
MRS W B LAUCK
MRS ORLANDO SHAY
MRS F H HUTCHISON
MRS H CHRISMAN
Also others who served during MR CLYMER'S pastorate and were ready to take up the work anew when REV J HARRY MOORE became pastor in 1890.
The Young Ladies of the Keyser Presbyterian Church met in the Church March 29, 1893, and organized a foreign missionary society.
The officers elected were:
MISS ETTA BARNEY, President
MISS JESSIE LEPS, Vice President
MISS REBECCA DAILEY, Treasurer
MISS CLARA K CLAYTON, Secretary
Other members were:
KATE DAILEY
MARIA FRYE
MYRA MOORE
KATE GROVE
MAGGIE KOELZ
MARY WENNER
MAY MARTIN
NANNIE LAUCK
Then followed the by-laws as adopted, planning for a missionary program and other items of interest all carefully noted by the consecrated and devoted secretary MISS CLAYTON.
This was the first organized work for Missions, and that among young girls. On Nov 1, 1893, MISS NANNIE LAUCK was elected President. MISS LAUCK now MRS WILLIAM MACDONALD, was president of the Missionary Society, later know as the Woman's Auxiliary for 27 years. During the years of growth of the Missionary Society, "The Mite Society" was divided and "The Young Woman's Guild" became an active working force with MRS MARIE DEVRIES, MRS CHARLES HODGES, MRS HARRY L ARNOLD, MRS HURST, MRS HARRY LEPS and others, and after a few years of very excellent work, they were merged into the parent society as "The Pastor's Aid". Some of the officers of the latter society were:
MRS CHARLES HODGES
MRS DEVRIES
MRS H L ARNOLD
MRS H S THOMPSON
MISS IDA UMSTOT
MRS LENA HUTSON
MRS GRUSENDORF
MRS FREY
MRS HUTCHINSON
MRS DAN HUFFMAN
MRS FROST
MRS T T HUFFMAN
MRS VAUSE ALKIRE
MRS RANDALL
MRS BERNARD BRYDON
MRS W C LONG
MRS HURST
MRS JOSEPH HOLM
MRS STEHLEY
MRS F HALL
MRS P MARTIN
MRS LAURA SMITH
During MRS F E WARNER'S term of office as President of the Woman's Axillary, and in March 1925, the pastor, REV JOHN A WOOD, reorganized all the societies, adopting the Circle Plan, with MRS MAY MARTIN WINTERS, President, and MRS F E WARNER Vice President of the Woman's Auxilary.
Other officers have been:
MRS F E WARNER
MRS SINCELL
MRS ERVIN
Vice Presidents:
MRS WARNER
MRS SINCELL
MRS KOELZ
MRS JOHN MUGLER
MRS HUFFMAN
MRS P G ERVIN
Data for the above was secured from the following:

"Presbyterians, Their History and Beliefs" Lingle
"The Planting of Presbyterians in the Northern Neck of VA" by Rev J R Graham, D D
MRS T B FRYE, MISS SUE SHEETZ, MRS LUCY K JOHNSON, DR R B WOODWORTH, THE MISSES JOHNSTON
"The Young Woman's Guild" Minutes of Missionary Society, Pastor Aid and Woman's Auxillary

Respectfully submitted
(MRS WM) NANCY LAUCK MACDONALD
Historian of Woman's Auxillary

BACK TO FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
BACK TO MINERAL