Lillian Resler Harford

Lillian Resler Harford (née, Resler; May 15, 1851 – 1935) was an American church organizer, editor, and author. She was an active worker in the Woman's Missionary Association of her church, the United Brethren in Christ, and delivered lectures for the Women's Missionary Society. In 1880, she was one of the two delegates sent by the Association to the World's Missionary Conference in London^[1] She became the longest-serving president of the Association.^[2][3] Harford died in 1935.

Lillian R. Harford
"A Woman of the Century"
Born	Lillian A. Resler May 15, 1851 Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	1935
Resting place	Otterbein Cemetery, Westerville, Ohio, U.S.
Nickname	"Lillie" or "Lizzie"
Occupation	organizer editor author
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Otterbein University
Genre	history
Notable works	History of the Women's Missionary Association of the United Brethren in Christ
Spouse	George Keister ​ ​ (m. 1875; died 1880)​ William P. Harford ​ ​ (m. 1893; died 1910)​
Signature

Early life and education

Lillian (nicknames, "Lillie" or "Lizzie") A. Resler^[a][b][c] was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1851. She was the first of seven children born to Rev. and Mrs. Jacob B. Resler. A brother was named John I.L. Ressler.^[4] Rev. Resler (d. 1891) was minister of the United Brethren in Christ church of that city.^[7] He, with only a small salary, moved to Westerville, Ohio, to give his children the benefit of Otterbein University, as soon as Keister was ready to enter, which was in 1866. She was graduated with the class of 1872.^[8][9]

Career

After completing her education, she became a school teacher.^[8]

On August 19, 1875, at Westerville,^[6] she married Rev. George Keister (b. 1847), professor of Hebrew and Church History in United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, from 1875. They had no children.^[8]

After being widowed in August 1880,^[10] Harford became more involved in church work. The church of her choice, the United Brethren in Christ, organized the Woman's Missionary Association in 1875, of which she was corresponding secretary for the first year. The work of the society grew and, in 1881, it called for the full-time of one woman as its corresponding secretary and to establish and edit its organ, the Woman's Evangel. Keister was the available and well-qualified for the position. She was unanimously elected, holding the position in 1875-76 and 1881–1893.^[11] Besides the work on the paper, much of her time was spent giving public addresses.^[8]

Keister traveled a lot. One year, she traveled in association work over 12,000 miles (19,000 km) in the U.S.. Twice, she went on short trips abroad, first in 1884, when the illness of her sister studying in Germany called her there, and again in 1888, when she was one of two delegates sent by the Woman's Missionary Association to the World's Missionary Conference in London.^[12]

Later life

William Harford

Lillian Harford

On June 14, 1893, she married William P. Harford (1834-1910).^[5]

Keister served as President of the Omaha Woman's Club, Omaha, Nebraska.^[13] Between 1905 and 1927, she was president of the Woman's Missionary Association. From 1927 till her death, she served as the Association's honorary president.^[11] In 1921, with Alice Estella Bell, she published History of the Women's Missionary Association of the United Brethren in Christ.^[14]

Death and legacy

Lillian R. Keister died in 1935.^[11] She was buried at the Otterbein Cemetery, Westerville, Ohio, U.S.^[4]

The dedication and renaming of the First United Brethren Church of Omaha, Nebraska, at Nineteenth and Lothrop Streets, occurred December 5, 1909, the new name being "The Lillian Resler Harford Memorial United Brethren Church of Omaha".^[15] The Harford School for Girls in Moyamba, Sierra Leone is named in her honor.^[3]

Selected works

• History of the Women's Missionary Association of the United Brethren in Christ, 1921 (Text)

Notes

1. According to the Archives of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, her maiden name was "Ressler".^[4]
2. According to the Fire Underwriters' Association of the Northwest (1911), her married name was "Kiester".^[5]
3. According to the Princeton Theological Seminary (1891), her nickname was "Lizzie".^[6]

References

1. Logan 1912, p. 521.
2. Harford & Bell 1921, p. 23.
3. Kajue, Hannah. "Brief History of Harford". www.harfordexpupils.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
4. "Pennsylvania Conference UB Pastors". Lycoming College. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
5. Fire Underwriters' Association of the Northwest 1911, p. 184.
6. Princeton Theological Seminary (1891). "Necrological reports and annual proceedings of the Alumni Association ... : 1875-1932" (Public domain ed.). Princeton, New Jersey: C.S. Robinson. pp. 101–02. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
7. Rankin & Good 1858, p. 4.
8. Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 430.
9. Otterbein College 1892, p. 89.
10. Bonebrake Theological Seminary 1913, p. 44.
11. Frey 2007, p. 74.
12. Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 431.
13. Rhinehart 1909, p. 27.
14. Harford & Bell 1921, p. 1.
15. Rhinehart 1909, p. 18.

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Bonebrake Theological Seminary (1913). Annual Catalogue (Public domain ed.). Dayton, Ohio.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Fire Underwriters' Association of the Northwest (1911). Proceedings of the Annual Meeting. Vol. 42 (Public domain ed.). Fire Underwriters' Association of the Northwest.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Harford, Lillian Resler; Bell, Alice Estella (1921). History of the Women's Missionary Association of the United Brethren in Christ (Public domain ed.). United Brethren Publishing House.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Logan, Mrs. John A. (1912). The Part Taken by Women in American History (Public domain ed.). Perry-Nalle Publishing Company.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Otterbein College (1892). Catalog Number for the Year ... with Announcements for ... (Public domain ed.). Otterbein College.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Rankin, Mary; Good, D. R. (1858). The daughter of affliction (Public domain ed.). Printed for the author, at the United brethren printing establishment.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Rhinehart, William R. (1909). Religious Telescope (Public domain ed.). William R. Rhinehart.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life (Public domain ed.). Moulton. ISBN 9780722217139.

Bibliography

• Frey, Robert L. (2007). The Making of an American Church: Essays Commemorating the Jubilee Year of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5809-1.

External links

• Works related to Woman of the Century/Lillie Resler Keister at Wikisource
• Works by or about Lillian Resler Harford at the Internet Archive