A Senior Moment by Diane Hendricks (Senior Warden) : Edmund Caskie Harrison Fund
Have you been impacted by medical or dental expenses and wondered how you would ever have a life again? Or go to a movie again? Or maybe even go to the grocery store when you needed to? Many folks go without much-needed hearing aids or bifocals because their insurance policy just doesn’t cover them.
More than 100 years ago in 1919 the Edmund Caskie Harrison Fund was established at St. John’s by Edmund’s (Jack’s) brother and sister “for the relief of sickness and the promotion of health in individual cases of need in the City of Charleston and the County of Kanawha.”
“Jack” Harrison, a teacher and lawyer, moved to Charleston in 1907. At the age of 35 he enlisted in the Army and sailed with his battery to France, where he also served as the telephone lineman of the First Battalion Headquarters.
On November 1, 1918, during a German bombardment of the Bois-de-Rappes area, Jack was struck and killed by a shell fragment. He was first buried in a small American military cemetery near Romagne, France, then moved to a cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. His law firm issued a statement following Jack’s death that included the following: “….Mr. Harrison was a brilliant lawyer, a zealous advocate, a good citizen, an unselfish friend, a self-effacing associate. His answer to the call of his country, his voluntary service in duties foreign to all his training and inclinations, his death in action were in keeping with his life.”
This fund is still alive and well and has served the needs of many parishioners. The trustees of the fund include the rector, the senior warden and three at-large members of St. John’s. Applications for help can be obtained in the church office and are reviewed as needed with one mandatory meeting held each year. Trustees prayerfully consider the applications before rendering a decision. St. John’s is privileged to sponsor such a unique and useful service. Your health and welfare is important to us as your church family. Let us know if you need help.
