Fraternity-Testvériség, 2001 (79. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2001-04-01 / 2. szám

Page 6

TESTVÉRISÉG

simply an educating, regulating institution, it has to give the warmth of a family home without breaking the order. I cannot judge to what extent we achieved this, but I state before God that this was my leading thought for ten years.

The children naturally had different personalities. Some of them had more talent than others. Some of them were better natured than others. From those who were talented we managed to send some to higher schools. For example, Róza Tóth graduated from Tenent College in Philadelphia and was a deaconess in East Chicago. There she married our brother Sándor Tar with whom she has a happy marriage. Rozi, of course, still takes her part in the work of the church. Her sister, Ilona Tóth, who married our brother Sándor Kelemen, was the first to marry in the Orphans’ Home on November 14, 1925. Since the Orphans’ Home was opened, many among both the boys and the girls have married.

I took part in the Hazelton convention of the Verhovay Association. In 1925 this association has the best relationship with our Orphans’ Home, for they know that the orphans from the Verhovay make up most of the population of the institute. The assembly in Pittsburgh decided to ask each member for twenty cents a year for the Orphans’ Home, but this plan could not be implemented because of

the shocks caused by the rise of membership fees. In spite of that, from October 1923 to September 1925, 1,821 dollars came in from the different branches of the Verhovay Aid Association. This year’s assembly helped more positively when it declared that 500 dollars will be transferred yearly to the Orphans’ Home. Compared to the number of Verhovay orphans in the institute this help is not quite fair, but we hope that the members of the association will do more for this charitable institution in the future than they did before. I also have to remember gratefully the officers and members of the Workers’ Sick Benefit Society who understood that this institute is purely humanitarian and is worthy of every support.

Besides the children, we paid attention to our elderly brothers and sisters as well. I drew attention to this very important matter in 1923 when the Federation held its convention in Ligonier for the first time. I asked that each member should pay five cents monthly for this purpose; but this proposal was not approved. Therefore, caring about the elderly was in an experimental state until the convention in 1931.

Kalassay Sándor: “A hitre epitett ház ” Református Újság 1936. június, pp. 8-9

The Orphans’ Home in 1921.

Sándor Kövér (1881-1949)

Mr. Sándor Kövér was elected President of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America in 1908. In 1910, he left the HRFA to join the Verhovay Sick Benefit Society (Verhovay Segédegylet) where he served as President until 1918. He again became President of the HRFA in 1918 and held that position until 1931. It was during his tenure as President that the HRFA opened the Orphans’ Home and the Home for the Aged in Ligonier, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Kövér came to America as a child with his parents. At one time he was the youngest Justice of the Peace in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. According to Rev. Ódon Vasvári, he was a good, simple man who enjoyed considerable popularity among his fellow men.