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| Hoosier United Methodists together |
January 2007 |
| Letters to the Editor |
Jane Stout Fribley remembered
Editor's note: Judge Sarah Evans Barker recently sent to Together this tribute to the late Jane Stout Fribley first published in the Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006 Indianapolis Star. In her honor, Together shares this tribute with the Indiana Area.
Jane Stout Fribley
A women's rights activist, a preacher's wife, a teacher, a mother and grandmother, died Nov. 8, 2006. She was born Jan. 19, 1916, in Wayne County and was the wife of the late Rev. Dr. Robert W. Fribley of the South Indiana United Methodist Conference.
She was the recipient of the Indiana Commission for Women's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for her relentless work to secure the rights of Hoosier women. She was an active member of Hoosiers for the Equal Rights Amendment and the state organizer for the Religious Committee for the Equal Rights Amendment. Her work creating coalitions among diverse groups helped lead Indiana to ratify the ERA on Jan. 17, 1977. She was a lifelong member of Church Women United and served on the group's local, state and national boards. She was active in the Indiana Women's Political Caucus, a board member of the Federation of Churches of Greater Indianapolis, served on the Indiana Advisory Committee on Sex Discrimination and was an advisory board member of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.
She also was a charter member of the Anderson chapter of the League of Women Voters and served as a volunteer lobbyist at the Indiana General Assembly for more than two decades for Church Women United and various religious and women's rights organizations. With the encouragement of Jane and her coalition members, legislators approved laws to treat women equally in the areas of property and inheritance and they repealed more than 90 archaic laws or made their language gender neutral. With her help, lawmakers also approved money to establish shelters for abused women and created Indiana's living will law which allows Hoosiers to direct their end-of-life decisions.
In 1984, Jane became one of the founders of the Indiana Women's Historical Association, a group created to catalog and preserve records about the ERA fight and other significant actions by women in state history, and was involved in the group's activities until her death. In addition, Jane, who played basketball in high school and college even though the sports weren't officially sanctioned, was featured in the 2004 documentary, For the Sport of It, the story of the revolution in female athletics since the passage of Title IX in 1972.
During her life she earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University in 1938 and a master's degree in education from Ball State University in 1965. She served as a teacher and counselor in various cities in Indiana.
Her husband, the late Rev. Dr. Fribley, retired following his appointment to Broadway UMC. He died in 1997. As a widow she attended Bethel UMC; both churches are in Indianapolis.
A memorial service was held for her on Dec. 9, at Bethel U.M. Church. Memorial contribution may be made in memory of Jane Stout Fribley to the Indiana Historical Society and specified for the Indiana Women's History Association, P.O. Box 1885, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1885.
Recognition for health
Congratulations to the Rev. Daniel R. Gangler for the national recognition he received for his action in the area of tobacco control. The award was presented by the American Public Health Association recognizing his leadership with the state-wide Hoosier Faith and Health Coalition. With the support of Bishop Michael J. Coyner, he has helped the coalition involve hundreds of churches, synagogues and mosques in the battle to reduce premature deaths and illness caused by tobacco.
Paul C. Messplay, member Lawrence UMC
Indianapolis
On the road again
The First United Methodist Church of Hagerstown is planning its second work camp to Slidell, La.
We have selected the week of Jan. 7-13. In 2006 FUMC led a work team of approximately 35 people from several different congregations and denominations in a work camp to Slidell.
We accomplished a lot of work in a week's time due to the commitment of all those who participated. What a wonderful blessing the week was to those of us who went to help and to those who were helped.
We look forward to renewing old friendships and establishing new ones as well as building bridges for Christ as we share our love with those who have lost so much. We plan to do similar work this month with a crew of 45 volunteers.
Several churches and denominations will be represented on the work camp. Roofers, drywall, finishers, painters, cleanup crew, gofers and kitchen crew - there is a spot for everyone. Our contact in Louisiana recently told us the work to be accomplished is still great and the workers are few.
As with 2006, the 2007 work team will stay at Aldersgate UMC in Slidell. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has an office on the church grounds and has added a shower trailer that wasn't available in the past.
Co-chairs of the VIM trip are Marvin Culy and Jim Howell of Hagerstown First UMC.
Cynthia Rhoades,
Mission Chairperon,
Hagerstown, Ind.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008