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Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 8 Apr 2010 10:43PM GMT
Classification: Query
My ggm was vehemently anti-catholic yet her 1955 obit says "she was a past president of the Jean de Acre Sisterhood, Dames of Malta". She also belonged to another long lost group called Companion of Friends, it said. My mom remembers attending meetings but having to wait in the room outside while her mom and g mom were in the meetings, so it was probably a secret organization. Don't know about the Companion of Friends. We do have two pins of the DoM but colors are reversed from the official catholic organization since the pins are a red cross on a white background and the red is a bit deeper shade than the bright red on the official websites I found for the catholic one. Mom remembers the meetings were held in the meeting rooms of the Arcade Bldg, just east of Broad Street on State Street in Trenton, NJ. Earliest she recalls attending was about 1935. Also her mom and gmom attended a National Convention in Niagara Falls in 1939 but not sure which organization it was for.

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 18 Aug 2011 2:20AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: UTZLER
Hi--
My story totally parallels yours-- MY Mom and Grandma, and Aunts were all Dames of Malta. All were vehemently anti-Catholic. I know my Mom "went through the chairs" Zenadochia?-- and was "queen" sometime in the 30s. I know the national meeting that year was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the William Penn hotel. I know they dressed all in white and walked through crossed swords. Another cousin- male-- confirmed the Dames of Malta talk and that they were anti- Catholic. Oh, yes the pin for it had a diamond in it and was a gravel. I too, have only been able to find information related to Catholic DoM-- I never heard the males being invovled in Knights at all. I, and now my cousin would be very grateful for any information. Thanks in advance.

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 18 Aug 2011 2:06PM GMT
Classification: Query
Hopefully someone "in the know" will respond, SOON, and put all of us out of our ignorance.

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 4:22PM GMT
Classification: Query
I too have a letter written from a relative saying my great grandmother was involved in this. My great grandmother lived in Pittsburgh PA. Hoping some one can inlighten us, I have searched and searched to no avail.

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 5:56PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Utzler, Humphreys ,Weir
Hi...
If you find any info the women of my family that I know were involved were Julia Utzler, Edythe Utzler, Helen Humphreys. and Sara Jane Utzler (my Mom) I know that my Mom "went through the chairs" and was invested, installed at the William Penn Hotel. This involved the other women holding crossed swords over head and passing through them.
All were in Pittsburgh and my Mom's time would have been in the 30's.

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 8:05PM GMT
Classification: Query
Last week I accidentally found ONE meeting notice for the Companion of Friends in a Trenton paper, but nothing on the Dames yet. I think the meeting notice called them the Companionship of Friends.

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 9:14PM GMT
Classification: Query
I have found a couple of things (1) is that Dames of the Malta use to have meetings in " Pittsburgh Dairy Sawmill room" (2) I have found old newspaper articles that does list some members that might fit in to someone family. https://www.google.com/search?q=dames+of+malta&tbs=nws:1...

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:00PM GMT
Classification: Query
Somehow in the middle of a Google search it connected under Google News and a TON of things came up including information from a Miami group that gave a history and explanation a bunch of times. Noted also were obituaries where it plainly stated the women's church memberships which were not catholic. A lot seemed to be in PA. The latest article I found was from 1959 for the national convention. Now if we could just find someone living that could tell me about the pins I have! Seems like it just vanished although one article said they had almost 1200 "sisterhoods" across the country!

Re: Dames of Malta (NOT Catholic) and Companion of Friends in NJ

Posted: 18 Nov 2013 11:21AM GMT
Classification: Query
Recently an obituary for a female relative, Jessie Geer, mentioned she belonged to this organization so I was looking for more information. She belonged to the Sisterhood #8 and lived in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, PA during the 1930-1940's when she died. The "Historic Pittsburgh" site has many entries if you put in the key words of "Dames of Malta" and search the text. I came across an article in a publication entitled "The Diamond" and there was a brief explanation of the function of the society. It was "an order established on the continent of America as a Protestant ladies organization to perpetuate the olden achievements, the religious fervor and charitable deeds of the Hospitaller Nuns of St. John of Jerusalem, to promote the Unity of Protestant Christianity, to visit and care for the sick and distressed members, and to give them Christian burial".
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