Fraternity-Testvériség, 1981 (59. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1981-04-01 / 2-3. szám
ETHEL R. and STEPHEN C. MOLNÁR: GLIMPSES INTO THE PAST — continued — During the twenties and early thirties, the officers of the Federation were elected and re-elected several times. It was during those years that many obstacles were overcome; the Federation went on to an actuarial sound basis and had a healthy growth. The three chief administrative officers during this time were: Alexander Kover, President — Johnstown, Pa. Stephen Molnár, Secretary — Toledo, Ohio. Alexander Toth, Treasurer — Lancaster,Pa. Later on, when the work increased in volume, Dad hired outside help. Out of his small pay from the Federation, (at one time he was getting $800.00 annually, of which sum he paid his assistant $720.00 — so that, Dad said, “the young man could afford to go to college”). Later on, he had as assistant, the assistant pastors of the Magyar Reformed Church in Toledo, on a part-time basis, whom he originally paid out of his own1 pocket. Dad was an altruistic person (sometimes to the dispair of my mother), he hired these assistants so that as he said: “He could help his church obtain assistant pastors!” The Federation began it’s functioning as a true Fraternal association. Every member contributed, from his monthly dues, initially ten cents and later twenty cents, to the support of fraternal aid to it’s members and to all Magyars in the United States, through their societies and churches. Later on, upon their establishment, these monies were funneled to the Orphange and Old People’s Homes at Ligonier, Pa. These amounts aided materially in the support of these institutions. The Bethlen Home, Ligonier, is culmination of another dream of men and women interested in the welfare of widows and orphans. It was established as an Orphan’s Home to take care of and properly raise, those children whose parents met their deaths in the mines. No distinction was made as to religion, or any other matter. If they needed help, the Federation gave it to them. The original orphanage building and the surrounding hilly grounds were part of the Andrew Mellon estate, used as their summer home. The buildings, the grounds, and the chapel (the chapel was donated, the buildings and grounds sold to the Federation) became the focal point of the Magyar peoples’ altruism. The chapel, which was formerly the private church of the Mellons has been designated a National Shrine, which means that it must be perpetually retained and maintained in its original form. The first Superintendent of the Orphan’s Home was the Reverend Alexander Kalassay, who, incident- ly, was one of the five ministers who helped bring a grandiose dream to fulfillment eighty-five years ago! The Rev. Kalassay and his family did yeoman duty in the operation and upkeep of the Home. Beginning about 1920, the orphan population often ran well over two hundred children, all of whom received first-class care, in all facets of life including religious training. Orphans of other than the Reformed faith got their religious training from their own denominations in Ligonier or nearby towns. Miss Sarah Kalassay had charge of the “Baby Farm”,, where those children under two years of age were kept and cared for. She often had twenty- five or thirty of them in her charge. She probably originated the “tender, loving care” so greatly needed by young children. The children attended grade and high school in the city of Ligonier, on a tuition basis and later, after the orphanage was relocated from the hill (known throughout Magyar-America as Mount Moriah) to the town, (the original orphanage became Left to right: Rer. Stephen Borsos, Dr. Ret. Alexander Toth, Stephen Molnár, Alexander Kover, Rev. Geza Korocz, George Kovacsy, Rev. Stephen Virág and George Bandre. Rev. Elek Csutoros President - 1899 12
