Bashor Children's Home (Elkhart County - Goshen,
Indiana)
MC 166, 604
ARCHIVES OF DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
AND INDIANA UNITED METHODISM
Bashor Children's Home
Size: .20 linear feet
Restrictions: None
Provenance: donor
In 1901 John W. and Emeline Bashor gave the North Indiana Conference of the Methodist Church a 160-acre farm, including the house and buildings, for the purpose of establishing a children's home. Twenty-five years later they had neither acted upon nor knew what to do with the gift. In 1928, the home was opened for boys, ages 5-14. This farm home for children was in operation from 1928-45. It closed during WWII due to lack of funding and did not reopen until 1952. Bashor welcomed its first television in 1953 and its first girls in 1977. Presently it has a capacity for 52 youth and yearly provides more than 15,500 days of care to children and families of north central Indiana.
Collection Statement
The collection consists of legal papers, miscellaneous letters, board minutes and reports, history, publicity, the will of Mary E. Specht, rules and regulations.
MC 166
Folder 1 Legal Papers: Copy of Indentures No. 1 and 2 and the will of John W. Bashor, dated 1901 and 1902; proof of will, Feb. 1906; copy of deed, 1925; papers to establish an orphanage, 1922
Articles of incorporation of the Bashor Deaconess Orphanage of the ME Church, 1922
Six notes in various amounts, Dec 7, 17, 1951; Sept. 22, 1950; Jan. 17, 26; Feb. 16, 1952
Letter from V.L. Clear to the Trustees of the Bashor Children's Home, June 23, 1951
Appraisal of the farm and buildings for Bashor Children's Home by Claude French
Copy of an employment contract between the Bashor Deaconess Orphanage and Travis and Velma Purdy, June 22, 1950
Letter from Immel Insurance Agency to Thurman Morris, April 22, 1954, concerning the bonding of Children's Home Treasurer and the Farm Treasurer
Folder 2 Treasurer's and Auditor's Reports: Letter and report from Herbert D. Grant, Auditor, May 18, 1948
Letter and report from Herbert D. Grant, Auditor, April 17, 1950
Financial Report for June-November, 1953
Report of Howard C. Ulery, Farm Treasurer, Bashor Children's Home, April 12, 1951
Letter to Rev. Croxall, Audit Committee Chairman, from H.D. Grant, Auditor, April 30, 1951
Letter and report from H.D. Grant, Auditor, May 5, 1952
Itemized disbursements Jan.-May, 1952
Report of Farm Treasurer April1-Aug. 13, 1952
Treasurer's Report for 1953
Treasurer's Report--Farm Account Feb. 28, 1953-Feb 28, 1954
Treasurer's Report--Feb., March, May and Oct.1953
Financial Statement Nov. 5-Dec. 9, 1953
Letter and report from H.D. Grant, Auditor, June 24, 1953
Letter and report from Paul R. Pressler, CPA, Feb 28, 1954
Financial statement Jan. 13, 1954; Feb. 3, 1954; Feb. 28, 1954; March, 1954; April 30, 1954
Farm Account Report--March 9, 1954; Oct. 12, 1955
Treasurer's Report--Feb. 29, 1956
Auditor's Reports--Feb. 28, 1955; Feb. 29, 1956
Folder 3 Letters--Miscellaneous: To Emma Hoovens from Rev. Kenneth E. Smith, Oct. 6, 1949 re: repairs on Bashor Farm dwelling
To L.O. Brown from V.L. Clear, Chairman of the Bldg. Committee, July 3, 1950 about renovating the house Bashor Farm
To V.L. Clear from Bishop Richard C. Raines, June 27, 1950, appointing Rev. Travis Purdy to become superintendent of Bashor Home
To V.L. Clear from Robert B. Hartzog, Feb. 16, 1951 re: collection of money belonging to Mr. Paul Jernigan for work done
To V.L. Clear from Travis Purdy, Feb. 22, 1951 re: payment to architect
To V.L. Clear from Travis Purdy, April 9, 1951 re: $15,000 loan approved by Mennonite Mission and Charity; progress of work on building
To V. L. Clear from G.G. Steedman, Bourbon, IN, April 18, 1951 re: Bd. of Hospitals and Homes meeting To G.G.Steedman from V.L. Clear, April 24, 1951 re: Clear's relief of responsibilities of Bashor Home
To Dr. Shake from "Miriam & John" Sept. 15, 1951 re: helping him at Bashor Home
To Dr. Shake from "Miriam & John" Sept. 26, 1951 re: work experience
To Dr. Shake from "John" Nov. 19, 1951 re: confirmation of their appointment to staff
To Dr. Shake from "Miriam" Nov. 19, 1951 re: their delight to be part of Bashor
To Rev. B.B. Shake from D.L. Rutter of Excel Corp., Elkhart, IN Nov. 27, 1951 and reply Dec. 4,1951 details of aims, purposes, operation of home before contributing
To "John and Miriam" from B.B.Shake Dec. 6, 1951 re: answering questions
To B.B. Shake from Stanley A. Raymer, Elkhart Sept 1952 re: facts about home
Copy of letter sent to Rev. Avery from Mrs. Josephine S. Zimmer, Dir., Steuben Co. Welfare Agency March 1, 1954 re: progress of a child placed in home by agency
Copy of letter sent to Rev. Avery from Theodore A. Hill, M.D., Med. Dir, Mental Health Clinic March 16, 1954 re: good work done by Miriam and John Cunningham
Copy of letter to Rev. Kenneth E. Smith from Mrs. Marian McDonald, Co. Dir., Elkhart Public Welfare Dept. March 5, 1954 re: praising the Cunnninghams
Copy of letter to Dr. B.B. Shake from Louise Griffin, Dir., Children's Division re: issuance of license
Letter to Dr. C. Richard Yoder from J. Cunningham, April 13, 1955 re: Yoder being doctor for Home
Letter to Cunningham from Yoder, April 16, 1955 re: interest in position as doctor
Letter to T.B. Morris from F. Searer Sept. 29, 1955 enclosing contingent fee employment agreement
Letter to T.B. Morris from Garfield Steedman, Jan. 18, 1956 re: telephone conversation
Letter to T.B. Morris from G. Steedman, Nov. 28, 1955 re: Morris writing history of Home for Vol. 2 Of North Indiana Conference history
Letter to T.B. Morris from V.L. Clear, Feb. 14, 1956 re: Morris' agreement to write history for NIC
Folder 4: Board Minutes: Letter to Herman Lesh from Secretary pro-tem of Bd. of Trustees July 15, 1949
Letter to Mrs. Emma Hoovens from Rev. Kenneth E. Smith, Secretary pro-tem, Bd. of Trustees July 25, 1949 re: actions of the board on July 15
Minutes of Board of Trustees March 6, 1944; April 27, 19__; June 21, 1949; and July 14, 1949
Folder 5: Board Reports: Superintendent's report to Board of Trustees, June 1953; June 1954; June 1955; June 1956
Information for Conference Report March 1955; Feb. 1956; March 1956
Report of Christian Home Week offerings and other Methodist Church gifts March 1956
Reports on Bashor Home, three undated and one dated May 12, 1954 Report of Treasurer May 31, 1956
Folder 6: One page history of Bashor Home March 1951 by Rev. Travis Purdy, Superintendent
Folder 7: Publicity: Various pamphlets and newspaper clippings, Christmas letters, newsletter
Folder 8: Miscellaneous: Invitation to Consecration Services June 20, 1971
Letter to Rev. Hillis L. Avery from J. Cunningham July 16, 1953 re: items needed at Home
List of needs
Resume of Rev. Travis Purdy
General information April 3, 1954
Song "Suffer The Children" by V.L. Clear, dedicated to Bashor Orphanage Nov. 15, 1928
Folder 9: Specht Will: Rough draft
Letter to T.B. Morris from F. Searer Sept. 27, 1955 re: will of Mary E. Specht
Letter to Morris from Searer Oct. 20, 1955 re: will of Mary E. Specht
Letter to Morris from Searer Nov. 4, 1955 re: meeting of representatives of charitable claimants under Mrs. Specht's will
Letter outlining itinerary to obtain signatures for Glenn Squires, attornery, from Searer Dec. 21, 1955
Letter to Morris from Searer Feb. 7, 1956 re: settlement of Specht estate
Notice of hearing on Specht estate Jan. 3, 1956
Agreement in matter of estate of Mary E. Specht Dec. 20, 1955
Outline of wills of Mary E. Specht
Carbon copy of agreement between Bashor Home and attorneys, signed and undated
Copy of analysis of wills of Mary E. Specht
Letter to Morris from Stanley A. Raymer Sept. 21, 1955 re: Specht wills
Letter to Morris from Searer April 12, 1956 re: payment of their share
Folder 10: Rules and Regulations: Resolution for Amendment to Article 5 of Association Charter Nov. 29, 1949
Letter to Clear from W.B. Freeland Aug. 29, 1947 re: trustees and committees
By-laws of Bashor Deaconess Orphanage of ME Churc
Rules and regulations, Dept. of Public Welfare, Title 3, Chapter 2 (1948)
Statement of policy
Duties and responsibilities of Superintendent of a Children's Home or Home for the Aged. Set
out by Board of Hospitals and Homes of Methodist Church March 1, 1947
See Also: The Hoosier United Methodist, Dec. 1973 and Bashor Bulletin Board 1975 (MC 604)
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