Notes:
Photograph contributed by Ralph Kirby Lee
The following information was contributed by Trish Herzog. FancyTrish@aol.com
"Henry Zollman's obituary in 1895 gave Mary Zollman's address in Pearland, Texas. But R. Tucker Zollman believes she died somewhere in Oregon."
The Gospel Messenger 03-16-1901 p 167
EXPERIENCE OF A MINISTER'S WIFE.
BV MAGGIE M. MOOMAW.
IN GOSPEL MESSENGER No. 6, page 82, an article Bro. S. Z. Sharp, Frontier Mission Work," brings to my mind vividly my experience as a minister's and elder's wife. My husband was elected to the ministry in the West and it has been our Iot to be on the frontier most of our time. Years ago while we were young and when the Indians were plenty, husband would have to go and leave me alone with two or three children. We had only a shanty to live in, with a piece of carpet for a door. I had to spend the time as best I could, often in fear of being killed. He would be gone for three or four days, and sometimes a week at a time, preaching to save souls. Sometimes the cow or the horses would get away, as we had no fences in early days. I would have to call on my neighbors to hunt them, or go myself. When winter came husband had managed to build a rude sod house, covered first with brush, then a layer of hay, and sod on top. This constituted our dwelling for five years. It did very well in winter, as we had but little rain; but when spring and summer came we would get a good drenching, sometimes two or three times a week. I could have stood it all very well if husband could have been at home.
I remember one winter I was very sick, and husband had to stay at home with me, and the appointmems were neglected and the church began to think something was wrong, and some of the members even said Brother J. was neglecting his calling, Then in winter I was often in dread of these awful blizzards, when husband was gone, fearing that he would be lost and frozen to death. In the summer he would often have to go and leave the wheat on the ground, while others could get theirs in shock. Sometimes the hack tongue or wheel would be broken. Husband would come home with a cottonwood pole for a tongue, or a wheel held up by a pole. Then there was a blacksmith bill to pay. Finally we got behind, had to mortgage the farm, then Crops failed. The farm had to be sold to comply with the Scripture, Owe no man anything." Rom. 13: 8, So we bad to move and start anew. Finally the oldest children could help, and it went a little better; but then, too, the boys had to hire out to make ends meet. The consequence was they got in rough society, and to-day part of them are out of the church, and we have to say with the poet, Where is my boy to-night? all right for fathers to go, but I think there is need of some teaching along the line of the duties of members and the church to the minister. In reading Brother B. E. Kester's Analysis of Index of GOSPEL MESSENGER," I thought there might be something written to good advantage on duties of memyers to their minister. None but the minister's wife knows the privations that have to be gone through with. Now we are old, and if it was not for our boys I cannot tell what would become of us, We would be a charge to the church, I presume.
I am glad that the Brethren are doing more thinking along this line than in former years. Some of the Brethren used to think as they were taught, that if fifty cents was given to the minister it would spoil him. There have been many good ministers spoiled because they were not assisted in time of need. When they begin to fall behind financially some are ready to say, He is a good preacher, but no manager financially, See, he is getting in debt badly,'" Whose fault is it that council must be attended, that funerals must be preached, and then the Communion attended. Then, too, some unfaithful member gets into trouble. Then there must be a church meeting. The minister's duty is to be sure and be there; but some laymembers cannot go. They have hay down and wheat in the field that must be looked after and they think they can't possibly go. Brethren and sisters, let us do more teaching along this line, see ministers' wives will have no reason to feel that the church has not done her duty to her ministers.
Eagle Point, Oregon
