In 1947 the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra hired Thor Johnson, son of a Moravian minister, as its first American-born conductor. Thor, a native of Wisconsin Rapids, attended Friedberg Moravian in Winston-Salem, NC, as a youth. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, went to the University of Michigan at…
Mrs. Jessie Stone was a life-long Moravian who treasured her church, its pastor, and the many valuable ministries of the Moravian Church in America. She and her husband, Joe, didn’t have any children, so she wanted to do something special to support the causes which were important to her; however, she also wanted to share…
On February 4, 2013, the Moravian Church lost a great father and dear friend: the Rt. Rev. Milo Loppnow. He cared so deeply about his beloved Moravian Church and its people; he always had time to talk, share a blessing, discuss a concern, or pray with any and everyone who called or walked through his…
Fred Masten was a modest man who spent years working for Western Electric, was involved at his church, and loved his wife, Betty, who he had lost some years before we met. He wanted to do something everlasting but also recognized he needed to be responsible for himself and remain in control of his assets…
Maxine Gail Garrett was a Moravian woman who lived grace, gratitude and generosity. Her story was one of the focal points of the workshop Laura and I presented at the 2015 Moravian Women’s Conference. Many of the women who came to our sessions knew Maxine and some even added stories of their own. Maxine was…