Deaconess Ranson had a long and distinguished career as a Deaconess in the Episcopal Church. Born and raised in Jefferson County she was a long time member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Harpers Ferry, where her father was senior warden. She received training at the New York Training School for Deaconesses. Bishop A A C Hall of New York ordained her a deaconess at Grace Chapel New York on 28 Sep 1902. In 1904 she sailed for Japan where she served in various capacaties and locations during 6 assignments. In one she taught at a training school for Japanese Bible women and kindergarten teachers in Sendai, 200 miles north of Tokyo. She had learned to speak Japanese fluently. She later founded an Episcopal parish in Isoyama, a small fishing village, which the villagers financed with a tithe of their catch. She was quite tall and the image of her as a pastor in a small Japanese fishing village is rather remarkable.
She returned to West Virginia in 1938. The found her home parish closed and shuttered with leaves blown in the corner. She swept out the leaves and badgered the bishop to send a priest to serve the church. In the interim she led Morning Prayer. It continues to be an active church today.
In 1950 she retired again to the Episcopal Home for the Aged in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania where the local parish, St. Aandrew's, had no one to help with Christian education, so, of course, she took up the work and was active there until her death.
She returned to West Virginia in 1938. The found her home parish closed and shuttered with leaves blown in the corner. She swept out the leaves and badgered the bishop to send a priest to serve the church. In the interim she led Morning Prayer. It continues to be an active church today.
In 1950 she retired again to the Episcopal Home for the Aged in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania where the local parish, St. Aandrew's, had no one to help with Christian education, so, of course, she took up the work and was active there until her death.
Deaconess Ranson had a long and distinguished career as a Deaconess in the Episcopal Church. Born and raised in Jefferson County she was a long time member of St. John's Episcopal Church in Harpers Ferry, where her father was senior warden. She received training at the New York Training School for Deaconesses. Bishop A A C Hall of New York ordained her a deaconess at Grace Chapel New York on 28 Sep 1902. In 1904 she sailed for Japan where she served in various capacaties and locations during 6 assignments. In one she taught at a training school for Japanese Bible women and kindergarten teachers in Sendai, 200 miles north of Tokyo. She had learned to speak Japanese fluently. She later founded an Episcopal parish in Isoyama, a small fishing village, which the villagers financed with a tithe of their catch. She was quite tall and the image of her as a pastor in a small Japanese fishing village is rather remarkable.
She returned to West Virginia in 1938. The found her home parish closed and shuttered with leaves blown in the corner. She swept out the leaves and badgered the bishop to send a priest to serve the church. In the interim she led Morning Prayer. It continues to be an active church today.
In 1950 she retired again to the Episcopal Home for the Aged in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania where the local parish, St. Aandrew's, had no one to help with Christian education, so, of course, she took up the work and was active there until her death.
She returned to West Virginia in 1938. The found her home parish closed and shuttered with leaves blown in the corner. She swept out the leaves and badgered the bishop to send a priest to serve the church. In the interim she led Morning Prayer. It continues to be an active church today.
In 1950 she retired again to the Episcopal Home for the Aged in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania where the local parish, St. Aandrew's, had no one to help with Christian education, so, of course, she took up the work and was active there until her death.
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