Notebooks containing biographical information for sisters of the Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses (PMD) comprise records for this series. They date from 1884-1971 and the primary record type is a bound notebook with handwritten entries. The range of dates for this collection exceeds the time the PMD was officially in existence because even though notebook entries were created at the time each deaconess began service with the PMD, many of these entries contain later additions made when the sisters were part of the Lutheran Church in America's Deaconess Community. The series includes six bound notebooks, all quite fragile with brittle pages. Other records are loose-leaf typewritten pages taken from ring-binder notebooks that were disassembled for preservation purposes. The remainder of the records are typewritten pages with lists of sisters and brief biographical sketches. Box 1 contains Record Books I-III. Books I and II are written in German. Book III begins in German, but later switches to English. All follow the same basic format. They each have an alphabetical index at the beginning and subsequent entries include the sister's date of birth, names of her father and mother, date of entrance into the community, her consecration date, a date if she left the community, and if applicable, her date of death. After these general entries, her work history in the community and her vacation history are recorded. Entries with a line drawn through them indicate a sister who left the community early. Book III also included what appears to be a list of money allowances given to her or funds used for particular purposes on the page opposite the sister's information. In box 2, book IV follows the same format as book III. It also begins in German, but later switches to English. The covers of book V were removed for preservation purposes. Pages contain typewritten and handwritten entries in English. Sisters are listed in alphabetical order instead of the order they entered the community. Book VI contains the same types of information as in previous record books, but it contains entries only for sisters who left the community or died. The book labeled "Inactive Sisters Book I," is handwritten in German and English and has entries similar to those in book III, with chronological entries of activities for the sister and on the opposite page a listing of money allowances. This notebook is bound and has fragile, brittle pages. Box 2 also contains pages from a notebook that comprises a listing of sisters, but it is not clear why these particular sisters are in this notebook. It includes where they were stationed each year. Later listings in this book include entries for sisters in the United Lutheran Church in America's (ULCA) Baltimore Motherhouse of Deaconesses (BMD). Box 3 comprises what are referred to as "registers of deaconesses." The first book indicates that it is "continued from book I," but it is unclear to what book I it refers. Neither of the other books labeled as "Book I" continue into the 1940s. They only list entries to 1895 and 1908, respectively. The second "register of deaconesses" is a condensed and translated version of the information from record books I-IV. It appears that when these were translated and condensed whoever completed this task changed the order of deaconesses listings from chronological to alphabetical. No date is given for when this notebook was created. The other two folders in box 3 contain various typewritten lists of sisters with basic biographical information and brief biographical sketches. There is one small, handwritten notebook dated 1899 that contains entries for particular women that include dates of birth, parents, etc., but also includes an extemporaneous entries on how they decided to enter the diaconate.
