Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1911 — TWENTY-FIVE BEAUTIFUL YEARS. [ARTICLE]

TWENTY-FIVE BEAUTIFUL YEARS.

(Contributed.) •••' - t :‘ Born and reared in a little New England village, a young woman with determination, faith and the hopefulness of youth glistening in her clear blue eyes, entered Oberlin college, gradu-. ating with honors four years later. Because of her old-fashioned Methodist parentage she was well-versed in Bible history, and like Jeremiah of old, felt constrained to enter the fields of service for sinning and suffering mankind as her life work. She was elected field secretary for the Sunday-school association of the state of Illinois. At the historical BesPiaihes camp grounds this young woman of magnetic personality and overflowing energy, met a young man of sturdy German parentage, assistant secretary of the Young Men’s Christian Association, also carrying on work in a mission in Chicago, The character of this young man combined Germanic determination and perseverence with American aggressiveness and business talent. The acquaintance of these two, Mr. J. S. Meyer, and Miss Lucy Rider culminated in a marriage in May, 1885, which marriage proved to be of worldwide influence. The need had long been felt of a Bible training school in America for young women who desired to enter both home and foreign mission work. Mr. Meyer had come in contact ■ with the great need in the congested quarters of the city while Mrs. Meyer had been greatly impressed with the deplorable lack of Bible knowledge among Sunday school teachers and Christian workers. Accordingly these two seemed the prophetic people for the enterprise. Then came the problem which confronts all undertakings for Christian service—the lack of funds. But Mr. and Mrs. Meyer proved equal to the occasion and instituted their work in a rented building, offering their services without remuneration. From a drygoods box as writing desk, Mrs. Meyer piled her versatile pen with great diligence, influencing young women to enter the “school” and friends to°assist financially. Inspired by the enthusiasm and clearheadedness of the young couple, the school began to grow, until now, twenty-five years later, it occupies two six story buildings, accommodating three hundred people and Harris Chapel, erected by Norman Waite Harris, seating seven hundred people, besides an extension department for young women working in the city who need Christian home influences.

So for twenty-five years this consecrated man and woman have lived in two rooms in the noisy training school buildings, doing without the comforts and seclusion of home life that young women may be trained to do more effective service for the less fortunate of mankind. From the influence of this larger institution have grown up many smaller ones, each filling a long-recognized need. Among them are Chaddock Boys’ School, at Quincy, 111., a boys’ home school; Jennings Seminary, at Aurora, 111., affording academic education for girls in their teens; The Baby Fold, at Normal, 111., for foundlings; The-Orphan-age, at Lake Bluffs, Ill.; The Old People’s Home, in Chicago; Watts de Peyster Home, In New York, for Invalid children; The Industrial School and Deaconness Home, in Fall River, Mass., etc., etc. One of the newest of these enterprises is Monnett Academy. In her lonely home, caring for an Invalid sister, Miss Cordelia P. Monnett, a woman of splendid business ability, had heard of the wonderful, self-sac-rificing work of Mr. and Mrs. Meyer and in memory of her revered and beloved mother, had given fnnds for the erection of the two handsome six-story buildings used for the extension department of the Chicago Training School, the Mary DeLamar Kinnear Monnett Memorial buildings. At the death of her sister, Miss Monnett deeded to the Methodist Episcopal Deaconess Association, the executive body of all deaconness property, her large and well built home in Rensselaer, which was henceforth occupied ds a home for little girls, later m'a home boarding school or academy for girls. At Miss Monnett’s request, Mrs. Meyer took Her into her own training school family, where she spent her days In quiet contentment among the happy, busy, yet thoughful and loving C. T. S. girls, much beloved, honored and exalted by all. From among them her dear Father called her home to be with her beloved mother, in the spring of 1910. An Incident has been related which proved how sweet that meeting must have been. A chance visitor to Miss Monnett’s room at the training school one day found her sitting in her old fashioned easy chair, with a face of great radiance. She said, “I have been thlnging about the way mother’s money has gone, and Oh,” clapping her hands down on the arms of the chair in great Joy, “I can hardly wait to go home and tell her about it" >/♦ j , Those consecrated and remarkable characters, Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, although well up In years. Mrs. Meyer especially having been in ill-health

for years, are still vigorously pursuing their beloved work, coming in touch with and inspiring year after year, hundreds of fresh young lives, who shall go forth to fill some gap in the Master’s vineyard. Year after year, consecrated and trained workers are going forth with love and gratitude in their hearts for these two, resolved at any cost to live up to Mr. and Mrs. Meyer’s expectation of them.