European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Eldress Gertrude Scute left and boreas Bertha Lindsay at their Home in Canterbury . The last of the shakers by Wendy Mitman associated press he White clapboard buildings of Shaker Village Silling atop a Hill surrounded by Fields near Canterbury n scorn As forlorn As Beach houses boarded up for Tho Winter. Three women in their 90s Are All that s left of a Community of about 400 men. Women and children whose simple and reverent lives effected the religion that brought Thorn there As prophesied by the woman who brought shake Nam to America there Are Only a handful of shakers alive today anywhere including the three elderly women who live there five who live in sabbat Day Lake. Maine the Only other Active Shaker Community and three people whose membership status is in dispute. Dul Shaker Village is not always so quiet As it is in Tho dead of Winter last summer More than 38.000 people visited the Village which has 22 buildings scattered Over 200 acres some of them Como in tears and they want to take our hands and they just love says Eldress Gertrude Soule. 93 they toe Iho love says Eldress Bertha Lindsay 90. Who is Blind. The two eld resses along with sister Ethel Hudson 91, and five other Sisters in sabbat Day Lake Maine Are Tho last official members Hose whose names Are entered in a registry Book called the covenant originating in England in the 1770s As Iho shaking quakers the religion grew Strong under the leadership of Mother Ann Lee who moved to new York in 1774 with eight followers. The shakers formally the United society of believers in Christ s second appearing gamed their nickname from their trembling produced by religious emotions they once numbered about 6,000 members in 24 communities. Their communal self sufficient lifestyle reflected Tho Basic tenets of their religion. Men and women who remained celibate sat at separate tables and entered most buildings through separate doors but because shakers believe All Are equal. F to eld resses and to elders formed the ministry that made decisions Lor the society an Equality unheard of for most women in the 19th and Caily 20th centuries. Since property was shared converts turned Over everything from farms to tools upon entering the society each new convert confessed their sins to an elder or Eldress shakers were conscientious objectors refusing to Send their men into Tho civil War and the iwo world wars. Like Many shakers Eldress Bertha came to Canterbury in 1905 As an orphan Eldress Gertrude and her sister went to sabbat Day Lake in 1906 alter their father married an unkind Stepmother. The Sisters were so kind and said Edross Gertrude a Small woman with Sharp Blue eyes who came to Canterbury in 1971. Was so Happy to gel where i could be a real child monday March 14,1988 in her Mica voice. For mrcos Etc Man do or cd to at St or Village up Lor breakfast at 6 a m. The shakers had Bible Reading then Well to work planting gardens sewing clothing and making the simple efficient tools and furniture for which they arc famous including the Flat Broom Clothespin and Lavderback chairs after stopping at noon for dinner they resumed working until about 4 30 p m. When they were free to do As they pleased i liked the variety of work she said i did t have to slay at one 0b All the time we rotated our work so we could learn every Trade. I love cooking and i did take part in Canning of the fruits and vegetables in the summer. It was not monotonous in any Way " like everyone who came to the shakers the eld resses were not required to stay. I did think o leaving at one time when i was Young before i Hod become a Eldress Bertha said it was around the age of 17 or 18 but i soon decided against it because i Felt i should return to this family what had been Given to me " the vow of celibacy also was a Challenge at limes of course when you re Young you have High thoughts said Eldress Gertrude. But you re living in a Community where a lot of Sisters and Biol hrs Are living a celibate life and you Don t think anything about shakers believe god gave everyone a Mission she said. Who Var s Mission it is to marry and bring now life into the world that s their she said our Mission is to live As near As we can to Christ s the shakers numbers began to dwindle As times changed society began creating Homes for orphans and others left alone in the world so the shakers open doors were toss in demand by the late 1950s, just two dozen shakers remained after setting up a Trust to protect their remaining villages Tho shakers Lead ministry made up of three Eldr Osses decided in 1965 to close the covenant and admit no new members Tho sabbat Day Lake Village refused to heed the decision and continues to be open to new members. The 1965 decision and ensuing rift Between the villages remains a sensitive subject the surviving eld resses Are reluctant to discuss Scott Denolfo research assistant at Tho sabbat Day Lake comr Nunnly. Said i Roe new people have been taken in since then. He Calls them Brothers and Sisters and docs not distinguish them from the five covenanted Sisters the Community Here has never closed their covenant As far As they re Dwolfe said being a Shaker is just living the principles of the Shaker Richard Morse the shakers lawyer said the rift has Long since been mended and members of the two communities serve on one another s boards and have other Mutual business. The eld resses believe the decline in membership fulfils Mother Ann s prophecy that shakers would diminish to As Many As a child could count on one hand and then there would be a revival of the spirit Eldress Bertha said it would l be called shakers. They would t live in communities. But it would be worldwide Felt and known and we think Hal is coming to pass " As evidence the eld resses note Hal More visitors come to Shaker Village every year including Many from Europe Eldress Bertha said in Many states ate studying Tho shakers. They re even leaching that Shaker song tis a Gilt to be simple " she said the eld resses Days now Are marked by visitors some daily tasks and the singing of Eldress Gertrude s Canary Little King though she is Blind Eldress Dellha goes to the Kitchen every morning and helps prepare the noon meal. During the Village s open season when tourists Allend dinners hours and lectures the eld resses take shifts greeting visitors. Eldress Bertha occasionally records her remembrances on tape and likes to keep upon the news. When a woman who had lived at Iho Village her entire Hie died last Spring the eld resses helped the staff of the Village s museum determine the source and use of some of her belongings that firsthand knowledge said museum director Richard Kalmann will be. Loss when the eld resses die we need to understand the living Reali of the religious tile Kathmann said the stars and stripes Page 17
