Records in this series comprise materials pertaining to the Lutheran Medical Center (LMC), Brooklyn, New York, and its deaconesses. While several of the records were generated or retained by the LMC, most were collected by the Deaconess Community of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) and its successor, the Deaconess Community of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Records in this series date from 1893-1989. Record types include annual reports, correspondence, lists of deaconesses, typewritten and printed biographies, pamphlets, leaflets, reports, programs, a speech, a bibliography, worship bulletin covers, news clippings, a picture postcard, and a map. There are also two copies of a newsletter, Lutheran Medical Center Star, but no further information is available about this publication. Records also include Sister Elizabeth Fedde's original diary of the first years of her life in America, copies of her published Optegnelser or memoirs, and translations of both of these writings from the original Norwegian to English. Most of the records are printed or typewritten, but Sister Elizabeth's diary is handwritten, as is a facsimile of her original call letter. Several items of the Sewing Society of the Lutheran Medical Center, which are in this series, include handwritten minutes, typewritten annual reports and membership lists. Annual reports are those of predecessor institutions of the Lutheran Medical Center, the Norwegian Relief Society and the Norwegian Lutheran Deaconesses' Home and Hospital. Correspondence includes letters sent to the Lutheran Deaconess Motherhouse and Training School of Baltimore (BMD) and the Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses (PMD) and later to the Deaconess Community of the LCA by administrators of the LMC and its predecessor bodies. Among the authors are the Rev. C. O. Pedersen, superintendent and rector of the deaconess home, Sister Lina Brechlin, head sister at Brooklyn, and Mr. Marshall G. Ause, administrator of the Lutheran Medical Center. There are also copies of replies from the Rev. E. F. Bachman, rector, Sister Anna Ebert, directing sister of the PMD, and by Sister Anna Melville, directing sister of the BMD and the Deaconess Community of the LCA. Some letters are about sisters from the BMD and later from the Deaconess Community of the LCA who served as nurses at the LMC. These letters are accompanied by applications for service and payment information. The Sewing Society of the Lutheran Medical Center claimed to be the oldest society in the hospital. Members received precut garments at each meeting and brought back the sewn garments at the next meeting. During the period of these records, membership seems to have hovered at around ten. The sewing society minute book contains various papers including annual reports and membership lists. Also included in the series are two certificates of honorary membership in the hospital corporation, which were given to long-serving deaconesses. The records are written in English except for Sister Elizabeth Fedde's original diary, the printed copy of her Optegnelser, a facsimile of her call letter, and one newspaper article, which are written in Norwegian. The translations of Sister Elizabeth's diary and memoirs cannot be verified as complete or correct. The condition of the materials is good, except for the original diary, which is in poor condition and should be handled as little as possible. For arrangement purposes, the processing archivist imposed an order on the records.
