HARKNESS – There will likely be sustenance for senses, soul, and thoughts on the Harkness United Methodist Church’s annual commemoration of Dr. Georgia Harkness’ birthday.
A particular worship service 9 a.m. Sunday, April 24, will embrace prayers, songs, and reflections written by the famous Methodist theologian and thinker, who was instrumental in eradicating boundaries to the ordination of ladies within the Methodist Church.
The general public is invited and welcome to attend and be taught in regards to the beloved North Nation girl from humble beginnings with a worldwide attain in a bulletin board show designed by Nancy Smith and a presentation by Allison Arnold, chairperson of the Employees-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) on the church.
An ice cream and birthday cake reception will observe the service.
The identical program will likely be repeated at 11 a.m. on the Keeseville United Methodist Church, 1799 Entrance St. Keeseville.
WHO WAS GEORGIA HARKNESS?
Dr. Georgia Elma Harkness was born April 21, 1891 on the Chilly Spring Street.
“Not removed from right here and nearly a mile from the current website of the Harkness church in Harkness, N.Y., a hamlet that was named for her grandfather, Nehemiah Harkness,” Arnold mentioned.
“She was the youngest of J. Warren and Lillie Harkness’ 4 youngsters, and their second daughter. On the time of her start, the household had been residing on the farm homestead for practically 90 years, however they had been removed from being easy farmers.”
STRONG EXAMPLE
Her father, J. Warren Harkness, was a exceptional man, whose occupations included trainer, surveyor, prolific author, and statesman.
“They deeply appreciated the worth of schooling,” Arnold mentioned.
“The Harkness youngsters attended grade college and Sunday college within the stone home and finally highschool in Keeseville. Due to her father’s instance, Georgia was an exemplary scholar.”
Her older sister Hattie, excelled in all college topics, however she died tragically at age 17.
“Profoundly impacted by that loss, and since she shared her father’s and sister’s love of studying, Georgia strove to be simply as gifted,” Arnold mentioned.
“Her mother and father inspired her to feed that nice starvation for studying, and after solely two years in highschool, Georgia had handed all of her Regents exams by the age of 14.
“There was little query that Georgia was school certain; however after a session between the household, Georgia and lecturers, it was agreed that she would keep in highschool for an additional two years to mature earlier than transferring away from residence.”
‘BORN A METHODIST’
At age 14, Georgia joined the Methodist Church.
The Harkness household attended worship within the stone schoolhouse on Hallock Hill Street.
“They’d been members of the Methodist Church since earlier than Georgia was born,” Arnold mentioned.
“Earlier than that, they had been Quakers. Georgia beloved to inform the story. Her great-grandfather, and the primary Harkness settler within the area, was a Quaker man named Daniel Harkness. He fell in love with and married a younger girl named Abigail Cochran.
“Drawback: Abigail was not a Quaker, however even worse; within the eyes of the Society of Buddies, she was a flashy dresser—particularly, she wore a pink coat.”
The church elders approached Daniel and mentioned that if he had been to stay a member of the Society, he merely needed to go to a Assembly and say the he was sorry he had married Abigail. “Daniel refused to apologize for his marriage, or for his spouse’s alternative of clothes,” Arnold mentioned.
“To make issues worse, he really supported her resolution. ‘He was not sorry, and so he wouldn’t say so.’ And since he refused to just accept the self-discipline of the elders, they voted Daniel out of the society.
“Georgia would state with a twinkle in her eye; ‘By a mixture of female allure, male stubbornness, ecclesiastical stupidity, it was predestined that I ought to be born a Methodist.’
“Daniel and Abigail discovered a snug residence within the Methodist Church, the place, evidently, Abigail might contentedly put on her pink coat.”
COLLEGE BOUND
Georgia was awarded a scholarship to Cornell College, one of many few main American universities that accepted girls as undergraduates together with males.
Georgia’s father was horrified.
“At Cornell as she realized extra about injustice, poverty and oppression in numerous nations world wide, she started to develop a profession alternative: ‘It’s my goal, if God permits, to develop into a overseas missionary,” Arnold mentioned.
“So, she joined a company at Cornell that targeted on getting ready younger folks for a lifetime of mission work. It additionally offered an area the place younger, college-age college students might get collectively and have a superb time. On one of many tenting journeys, she had what she known as ‘a profoundly spiritual occasion in her life.’”
MAKING HER WAY
After Cornell, Georgia continued her schooling at Boston College, then Union Theological Seminary, and Harvard and Yale Divinity College, incomes an alphabet of levels over her lifetime.
After commencement from Cornell in 1912, Georgia took a job promoting ‘The Century E book of Details,” however she was not a profitable salesperson.
Between 1912 and 1918, she taught in excessive colleges in Schuylerville and Scotia, about half the space between Cornell and her hometown.
Throughout these years, Georgia taught a formidable array of languages, together with Latin, German, and French.
Throughout these years, she remained energetic throughout the church and taught Sunday college, working the youngsters’s Junior League, and serving to with the Epworth League.
“Georgia was enthusiastic about increased Non secular Schooling, and was thrilled to seek out that there have been many careers opening for girls in these fields,” Arnold mentioned.
“She wrote, “Once I learn an article in The Christian Advocate a few new career for girls in spiritual schooling, which was opening up, I made a decision forthwith that if I couldn’t be a missionary, this was my calling.’”
To be taught the remainder of Dr. Harkness’ inspiring story, attend one among Arnold’s two shows on Sunday.
4 years in the past, a ceremony was held to dedicate a historic marker on the Harkness United Methodist Church to commemorate her legacy.
“And we on the Church are proud each April to recollect and have fun our heritage of Georgia’s life, religion and works,” Arnold mentioned.
“Her legacy is a robust reminder that even when one begins their life in modest environment, it doesn’t have to restrict the scope of 1’s accomplishments.”
Electronic mail Robin Caudell:
rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
Twitter:@RobinCaudell