Officers
President: Margaret Stoltzfus
Vice-President: Position Open
Secretary: Evelyn Cook
Treasurer: Dorothy Taylor
Peace and Christian Social Concerns: Karen Bauer
Christian Service: Linda Eliason
Stewardship: Mary Ann Coppinger
Friendly Flashes Editor: Linda Burnett
Adult Literature: Ethel Watson
Children and Youth: Position Open
Adult Missionary: Delores Jones
USFW OFFICER PROFILES
Margaret Stoltzfus – President
My name is Margaret Stoltzfus and I am the president of Iowa Yearly Meeting USFW. I met my husband, Bryan, in college and we spent 38 happy years together raising our family of 3 sons and 2 daughters while he taught biology at the high school and college levels. This brought us to Oskaloosa and William Penn after he finished his Ph.D. in Entomology at Iowa State in 1974. This began our association with Friends in Iowa Yearly Meeting and I cherish the combination of my biblical background in the Mennonite faith with the social concern and peace testimony of Quakers.
Most of my life has been spent working with children. As the mother of five and an elementary teacher by profession that was my focus. Now that I'm retired I enjoy adult groups and have volunteered in my community with many of them like the hospital board, the public library, William Penn University, and, of course, my church and Iowa Yearly Meeting.
My husband, Bryan, died in 1994 of primary pulmonary hypertension and the trauma of transplant. Our family is now scattered in Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Six grandchildren have added their energy and vitality to our gatherings. Happy are the times when we can all be together!
The nine years I spent working with the United Society of Friends Women International were especially meaningful as I made so many F/friends traveling in areas around the world where Quakers live. Exploring other countries like Ireland, Costa Rica, Italy, Australia, Egypt, and cities like Prague and Budapest have added rich color to my life.
God is doing marvelous things through Friends women. I'm grateful to God for good health. My life is rich and full and I thank God continually for his hand of blessing.
Linda Eliason – Christian Service Secretary
Greetings! This is my fourth year as Christian Service Secretary on the Iowa USFW board. My task is to suggest handwork projects for donation to local, national and international Friends missions, and to inspire USFW members (and myself!) to serve the Lord more completely day by day.
I have always been interested in missions, having “caught” that interest from my mother and sister. However, it is only in the past ten years that I have been able to become really active in USFW, following early retirement from my work as a music professor at William Penn University in Oskaloosa. While there I served as clerk of the executive committee of Friends Association for Higher Education.
At College Ave. Friends Church in Oskaloosa I served for six years on the Missions Committee. I also have been past president and secretary of Faye Circle and secretary of the USFW joint circles executive board. Currently I am president of the newly formed Martha Faye Circle. I also enjoy my work as church librarian at College Ave. One of my favorite devotional books is “Intimate Moments With the Savior, Learning to Love” by Ken Gire.
I would love to hear from you if you have Christian Service projects to suggest to our members. Let’s exchange ideas!!
Ethel Watson – Literature
Hi! I’m Ethel Watson from Glidden, IA. I am married to Bob Watson, Mission Board Treasurer. We have 2 adult children, Greg and Gail, along with their spouses, Pat and Michael. We also have 2 wonderful grandchildren, Jonathan and Melissa, ages 13 and 11 respectively. Being grandparents is the greatest - as those of you with grandchildren know!
I was an Elementary teacher for 11 years and a Middle School Counselor for 15 years before taking early retirement 2 years ago. Retirement is great! I love being able to go when I want to and travel during the school year. Reading and listening to music are two important past-times for me. The reading fits in with being the USFW Iowa Adult Literature secretary - a job I am thoroughly enjoying right now.
Some of you may know me as a missionary to Kenya, East Africa, many years ago where I taught at Friends Bible Institute, now known as Friends Theological College in Kaimosi. Africa is still one of my great loves. We try to make it back there every 4-5 years to renew acquaintances and see the progress that Kenya Friends have made over the years. We plan to take our grandchildren there for a visit in a couple of years. I am really looking forward to that. Remember, if you want me to share with your local USFW group about the Reading Course books, just call or email me and I’ll make arrangements to be there.
Karen Bauer – Peace and Christian Social Concerns
My name is Karen Bauer and it is a pleasure serving on the Iowa USFW board as the Peace and Christian Social concerns secretary. Serving on the board I have helped attended board meetings to organize the annual gatherings and written articles for the FLASHES newsletter. It is a good experience to work with the talented women on this board. Perhaps you might consider serving in the future.
My husband Stan and I have been I am married for 32 years and currently live in Pleasant Plain, Iowa where Stan is the pastor. Our three sons are married to remarkable women and we now have seven grandchildren. Our oldest son Gabe and wife Wendi have two energetic children, Ellie, 3 and Arik, 2 years old. Our middle son Matthew and wife Tressa have two sets of twins, Elijah and Lydia, who are 4 years old, Isaiah and Isabel who are three years, and on October 24, 2007 they had a baby girl, Clara Hope. In August of 2005, our youngest son Aaron married Jessica at our family cabin on Pigeon Lake and it was an honor for Stan to marry them. All live within 20 miles of each other near our farm in Wisconsin. We love spending time in our Wisconsin home being surrounded by kids and family. I am a member of Valton Friends Monthly Meeting (WI) and the Pleasant Plain USFW.
One mission opportunity has had a great impact on me. During the school year of 2002 Stan and I served FUM as interim administrative staff for Friends Theological College in Kaimosi, Kenya. It was an honor to get support from the USFW and it was this experience where we lost our hearts to Kenya. In December of 2005 I began a humanitarian assistance ministry to help widows and orphans who have been affected by the AIDS epidemic in Kenya. It is a blessing and joy to support those in great need. I love it when people join me in Kenya to participate on a work team for this cause. Perhaps you might want to join me in January of 2008. Stan and I plan on returning to Kenya for a couple of weeks to see the progress of these programs. I am always willing to share or speak in churches about Friends Bringing Hope.
I am impressed how small groups of women gather and do great things in missions. I am more convinced that the combined efforts and support from individual USFW groups is crucial for continuing important ministries.
Evelyn Cook – Recording Secretary
Evelyn Cook, Iowa USFW Secretary, and her husband Kenneth live on a farm at New Providence, IA, and are active members of Honey Creek - New Providence Friends Church. They are parents of four daughters and have eleven grandchildren.
Ken and Evelyn have been foster parents for two young people from Quakerdale and have hosted two youth from Germany for extended periods of time.
The Cooks are very supportive of their grandchildren's home school and athletic activities. They are also avid fans of Iowa State Women's basketball.
Evelyn edits the HCNP Church newsletter, enjoys teaching adult Sunday school, and has served on the Camp Quaker Heights Board. A rewarding outreach for her has been sharing in the Stephen's Ministry of their church. She actively participates in the Honey Creek-New Providence USFW. Hosting, and getting acquainted with three women from Kenya following Triennial in Des Moines several years ago, was a highlight of Evelyn's USFW experiences.
Mary Ann Coppinger – Stewardship Secretary
Mary Ann has been involved with Iowa Yearly meeting all of her adult life. She has served at one time or another on most Yearly Meeting boards, for a time serving as Recording Secretary for the Iowa USFW.
She and her husband, Del, have lived in Oskaloosa since 1987 when they moved to the area for Del to become Iowa Yearly Meeting Superintendent. Del and Mary Ann are members of Grinnell First Friends Church.
Since moving to Oskaloosa Mary Ann has been a substitute teacher and Title 1 Reading Teacher, retiring in 2002. After retirement they traveled to Alaska and Russia. This past summer Mary Ann joined the College Ave Friends Mission team for a ministry trip to Jamaica where they held a Vacation Bible School for a church in Highgate.
Del and Mary Ann have two grown children. Doug and his family live in Bothell, WA while daughter Denise and her family live in Eldora, IA.
Linda Burnett – Iowa Friend Friendly Flashes Editor
I have spent all but about 10 years of my life in Earlham. Since 1989, after a renovation, my husband, Jim, and I live in the " old quarry house". My grandfather had moved to this site in the 1930's. It was later connected to the service station he had started, after moving in from the farm.
We share our home with 5 cats and a one year old Bichon so we never have a dull moment. I have a variety of interests in needlework, gardening and reading. I enjoy writing and serving as pastor to my home church.
Dorothy Taylor - Treasurer
Dorothy is employed by a law firm doing bookkeeping, taxes and other jobs. She is married to Waylon Taylor, a retired minister. They have 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Dorothy teaches a ladies Bible study in her church and sings in the choir. She is a 35-year member of USFW currently serving as Literature at Scranton. Dorothy is a past member of the Executive Board having served as Stewardship Secretary and Friendly Flashes Editor.