Annis Ford Eastman, A Woman with Heart

 By Susan Zehnder, Education Director

One of the leading figures in Elmira at the beginning of the 20th century was a woman who became a minister in a time of few such opportunities for women. Born in 1852, Annis Bertha was the youngest of four daughters of George and Catherine Ford of Peoria, Illinois. Her father worked as a gunsmith and her mother kept the home. George was a drinker with a terrible temper, and life for Catherine and the girls was not easy. Growing up in this chaotic environment, the girls were determined not to find themselves in similar positions, and they promised each other they would be independent women when they grew up.

Annis began her journey at eighteen when she left Illinois to head east to Ohio to pursue an education. She enrolled at Oberlin College, an institution known for its progressive views on abolitionism, women’s rights, and gender equality in the home. Oberlin was also one of the few colleges in the 19^th century to admit women. Annis thrived at Oberlin and in addition to earning her teaching credentials, she met Samuel Elijah Eastman, who was studying to become a preacher. The two found themselves spending hours together talking about their shared passion for women’s rights, teaching, public speaking, and social advocacy.

Annis graduated in 1875 and the couple married one year later. They began to relocate frequently, moving to wherever Samuel was asked to preach. First it was Rhode Island, where their son Morgan was born. A year later it was Kentucky, where their second child, Anstice, was born. Three years later, Crystal, their only daughter, was born in Massachusetts, and finally Max, their last child, was born in Canandaigua, NY.

Annis Ford Eastman

Time in Canandaigua was memorable for the family. The children took full advantage of the area’s natural surroundings. They were encouraged to swim in the lake, run fast in the woods and along the paths, and climb the tallest trees they could find. More than once, neighbors complained, appalled by seeing Crystal join her brothers as they roughhoused, explored, swam, or climbed.

While Samuel was off preaching, Annis was in charge of schooling the children. She enjoyed teaching them both the classics and current topics, and encouraged them to have opinions. They were expected to express themselves with family and friends.

Most of the years in Canandaigua were happy. However, when their oldest, Morgan, was seven, things took a more tragic turn. In 1884 Morgan caught scarlet fever and died after a short illness. His death was especially hard on Samuel, who was often away preaching. After losing Morgan, Samuel’s days traveling around the region to preach became too much and he suffered a nervous breakdown. He turned to his wife for help, both financially and professionally. Annis worked on his sermons and returned to teaching to financially support the family.

Annis soon discovered that she enjoyed teaching and was quite good at it. She began to get requests from various groups and was soon known as an inspiring and entertaining speaker. Once recovered, Samuel encouraged his wife to continue her work and suggested she pursue the ministry. He believed it would be a natural way for her to combine her passions for teaching, public speaking, and social advocacy.

Annis Ford Eastman

She did, and in 1889, Annis was ordained as the first woman Congregational minister in New York State. Among those attending her ordination ceremony was Thomas K. Beecher, minister of The Park Church in Elmira. Annis became minister at the Brookton Congregational Church near Caroline, NY, and continued her speaking engagements, often talking on women’s rights and suffrage. In 1893, she addressed the Women’s Congregational Congress and the World’s Parliament of Religion at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Speaking on “Home and its Foundations,” she advocated for women to take on more of life’s responsibilities. At the National American Suffrage Association’s national meeting, she ran the worship service and was introduced by her friend Susan B. Anthony. Anthony called Annis the main “orthodox woman minister” for the suffragist movement, a title she treasured for the rest of her life.

Despite Reverend Beecher’s reluctance to support women ministers, he was impressed by Annis Ford Eastman. In 1894, he invited Annis and Samuel to become associate pastors at The Park Church in Elmira. They accepted and the family took up residence in a small apartment on the third floor of The Park Church.

Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, Rev. Annis Ford Eastman, Rev. Samuel Eastman

In 1900 Beecher died, and Samuel and Annis became co-pastors at The Park Church. Together they were known for their simple and direct sermons. Samuel reached people’s heads with his scholarly talks, while Annis’s sermons touched their hearts.

In 1910 Annis Ford Eastman died at the age of 58 from kidney failure. She was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Canandaigua, NY, near her son Morgan.