Indiana Historical Society - Manuscripts and Archives Department

REV. HESTER ANNA GREER
PAPERS, 1880-1982

Collection #
M 0454

Table of Contents

Collection Information
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content Note
Folder Listing
Cataloging Information

Processed by
Charles Latham
14 November 1994

COLLECTION INFORMATION

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Hester Anna Greer (1880-1982) was born in Princeton, Indiana, the daughter of John Western and Isabell (Patterson) Nolcox. She was raised as a Methodist, but as a young woman was attracted to the camp meetings of the Church of God. In 1905 she began to be very active in this denomination, and in 1913 she was ordained as a minister. In 1898 she married Jesse Greer ([1870?]-1939), who was also a minister.

Mrs. Greer had congregations in Princeton, in Patoka (1919-1920), in Fort Wayne at the Eliza-McKee Street Church of God (1920-1925), and in Indianapolis at the Eastside (now Arsenal) Church of God (1925-1930). In each of these places she led the congregation to erect or buy a new church building.

In 1930 Mrs. Greer sought authority to engage in missionary work. She first worked in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. In 1931 she went to Cuba, and from there in the following year to the Isle of Pines. There she built a frame church; when it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1944 she replaced it with a brick building. In this work on the Isle of Pines she was assisted by her daughter Gretchen, and by Gretchen's husband, Rev. Manasseh Stephenson.

Returning to the United States in 1950, Mrs. Greer, again with the help of the Stephensons, built up a congregation at 1502 North New Jersey Street in Indianapolis. She continued to be active in this church until her death at the age of 102.

Source: Materials in collection

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection, filling one manuscript box, contains correspondence, official documents, programs and other printed material, one bound volume, and photographs.

Folder 1 contains genealogical material. In Folders 2-5 is correspondence; of particular interest is the material in

Folder 3, which documents Mrs. Greer's mission on the Isle of Pines and her return to Cuba after a revolution in 1940.

Folder 6 contains material about Mrs. Greer's 100th birthday in 1980, and Folder 7 programs of her funeral and memorial services in 1982. In Folders 8-9 is printed material about her career, and in Folder 10 her bound autobiography.

The collection concludes with photographs of Mrs. Greer, her family, the ship she took to Cuba, and her churches on the Isle of Pines.

FOLDER LISTING

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog
2. Click on the "Local Catalog" icon.
3. Search for the collection by its call number, using the letter or letters designation and four digits (e.g., M 0715, SC 2234).
4. When you find the collection, go to the "Holdings" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.

END