Friday, March 30, 2012

Mission Band Members: Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fremont, Ohio

Mission Band Members
by Sliger's Cottage Art Studio
Fremont, Ohio


The picture above is identifed on the reverse as "Mission Band Members." The identities of the young women are given as: Amelia Heflinger, Ella Brockman, Fannie Brockman, Lula Hague, Hazel Biddle, Louise Wilson, Clara Totheroh, and Alta Stull. No date appears on this photograph that belonged to Estella Schultz. Miss Schultz was an active member of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fremont, Ohio for more than sixty years.

Ms. Schultz taught Sunday School, served as the president of the Women's Missionary Society. For 36 years, she was the president of the state branch of the Women's Missionary Society, and she also served as president of the Interdenominational Missionary Society, the forerunner of the Fremont Council of Church Women.

The purpose of mission bands was to create awarenes among young church members of the need for support of religious missionary work - both foreign and domestic. Using activities, maps, costumes, and letters, pictures, and reports from the field, leaders prepared young members for missionary work or for  the support of the denomination's efforts.