Universalist Clara Barton is best known for her work in organizing nursing services during the Civil War and, later, founding the American Red Cross. She did not start this work until she was over 40 — in an era when many women died before reaching that age.
Our Clara Barton Sisterhood was created in her name as a way for local women’s groups, congregations, and individuals to honor women aged 80 and over for their contributions to their congregations and communities. The application form for a Clara Barton Sisterhood nomination can be downloaded here.
Also now available online: In Sisterhood, the 1989 publication of the life stories of Clara Barton Sisterhood members. (Note: This is a large PDF file and may take a while to download.) If you are doing research or would like a more comprehensive list of Sisterhood members, we have an Excel file containing over 750 names of women, the communities that honored them, and the year. Please feel free to view the file here.
Please join us in welcoming some of our newest Clara Barton Sisters:
2026
Rev. Pamela Patton presenting Christine Goodwin with the CB Sisterhood certificate.
Clara Barton Sisterhood Award Sunday at UU of Southern DE on May 3 honoring
Kris Acker.
East Shore Unitarian Church of Bellevue, WA honors Betsy Gelb.
Clara Barton Sisterhood Award Sunday at UU of Southern DE on May 3 honoring
Deanna Duby, Joanne Saltzberg, Susan Goekler and Dianne Conine (left to right)
East Shore Unitarian Church of Bellevue,
WA honors Louise Castor Wilkinson on April 12, 2026 (Louise right, Carla Helikson
on right)
First UU of Nashville honoring Carolyn
Turner.
2025
Kirstie Lewis (left w/ certificate) and Evelyn Smith at East Shore Unitarian Women’s Perspective, Bellevue, WA)
Jean Charles (left w/certificate),Rev. Heather Rion Starr (middle) and Sue Brown (right with certificate) at UU of Southern Delaware
Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola celebrates honorees Dolly Berthelot (3rd left), Georgiana Bryant (Middle), Paula Montgomery (5th left), Margaret McLarin (6th left). Honorees not pictured Marcy Moreland, Mae O’Shea, and Charlotte Crane.
First Congregational Society in Brooklyn
(left to right) Rita Pearl, Nancy Russell &
Colleen Olson. Honoree not pictured
Kay Corkett.
Sara Plummer (left) at First UU Church in Nashville
2024
Gayle Knoepler (left w/ certificate) and Marcia Sill (East Shore Unitarian Women’s Perspective, Bellevue, WA
Joan Carroll (First Religious Society UU, Newburyport, MA)
Christina Bellamy (Women’s Alliance of the Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York, NY)
Margaret Keefe (Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware)
Alleane Taylor (Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware)
Peggy Gardiner (The Alliance of First Parish, Unitarian Universalist, Arlington, MA)
Not Pictured:
Becky Reed (UU Fellowship of Fredericksburg, VA)
2023
Barb Clagett (East Shore Unitarian Women’s Perspective, Bellevue, WA)
Milly Mullarky(East Shore Unitarian Women’s Perspective, Bellevue, WA)
Dana Ivey (All Souls Unitarian Church NYC, NY)
Barbara Owen(First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist, Newburyport, MA)
Inge Theisen(Northlake UU Church Women’s Group, WA)
Sandra Lotz Fisher (Women’s Alliance of the Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York, NY)
Not pictured
Nancy Crisco (Women’s Alliance of First Parish UU of Arlington, MA)
Judy Dederick (First Unitarian Congregational Society Brooklyn, NY)
Kit Harrington Hayes (Women’s Alliance of First Parish UU of Arlington, MA)
Cheryl Ann Renninger Minton (Women’s Alliance of First Parish UU of Arlington, MA)
Anita Wald-Tuttle (UU Community of the Mountains Women’s Group, Grass Valley, CA)
Nancy Witherell (First Unitarian Congregational Society Brooklyn, NY)
2022
Kathleen Dillon(UU Church in Eugene, OR)
Lori Rittle(First UU Nashville, TN)
Dorothy Hopper (Women’s Perspective, East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue, WA)
Joanne Way (Women’s Perspective, East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue, WA)
Joan O’Hara (First Parish UU Church of Kennebunk, ME)
Not pictured
Judy Barrington (Dedham Branch Alliance, MA)
Janet Hurwitz (Dedham Branch Alliance, MA)
Georgia Larson (Women’s Leadership Alliance at First Unitarian Congregational Society, Brooklyn, NY)
Beryl Martin (UU of Southern Delaware, Lewes, DE)
Elizabeth F. Martin (Dedham Branch Alliance, MA)
MaryAnne Osborne (Dedham Branch Alliance, MA)
Lois Fine Wainstock (Women’s Alliance of First Parish UU of Arlington, MA)
Nancy Welles (Women’s Leadership Alliance at First Unitarian Congregational Society, Brooklyn, NY)
Susan White (Dedham Branch Alliance, MA)
Virginia Wilson (UU Fellowship of Franklin, NC)
Joan Wislocki (Dedham Branch Alliance, MA)
2021
Rev. Ellen Livingston(Monte Vista UU Congregation Board of Trustees, Claremont, CA)
Note: Rev. Ellen received her award with COVID-19 social distancing protocols in place
Not pictured
Pat Hadley (Women’s Alliance of the First Church Unitarian, Littleton, MA)
Gwenyth Hooper (Women’s Alliance of First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Arlington, MA)
Natalie Tyler (Women’s Alliance of First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Arlington, MA)
Mary Ann Van Osdol (The Women’s Alliance, Unitarian Church of All Souls New York, NY)
Barbara Whitcomb (Women’s Alliance of the First Church Unitarian, Littleton, MA)
Joyce Williams (Women’s Alliance of the First Church Unitarian, Littleton, MA)
2020
Connee Gates
(South Valley UU Society, Salt Lake City, UT)
Note: Connee received her award with COVID-19 social distancing protocols in place
President Kit Ketchum honored Phyllis Stenerson (top right) and Janet Merrill (Association of Universalist Women, Minneapolis, MN).
Not pictured
Mary Dugan (The Women’s Alliance, Unitarian Church of All Souls New York, NY)
Mary J. Geissman (Women’s Alliance, Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York, NY)
Deborah Noyes Lewis (Women’s Alliance, First Parish UU, Arlington, MA)
Anne C. Olson (Rev. Dr. Quiyamah A. Rahman, Decatur, GA)
Jeanie Wing (Women’s Leadership Alliance, First Unitarian Church, Brooklyn, NY)
2019
Marion Dane Bauer
(Association of Universalist Women, First Universalist Church, Minneapolis MN)
Arleen Kulin & Lenore Winkler
(Women’s Alliance of First Parish UU, Arlington MA)
Barbara Bollag
(Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship Women’s Group, Bloomington MN)
Margaret Roseboom
(First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City, OK)
Meg “Bowoman” Bowman
(Women’s Alliance of the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, CA)
Joan Moore
(First UU Nashville, TN)
Not pictured
Barbara Breer (Women’s Alliance, UU Area Church at First Parish, Sherborn, MA)
Mary Donald (Branch Alliance of Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church, MA)
Sandra Ekberg (Women’s Alliance, Unitarian Church of All Souls New York, NY)
Mimi Ford (Starr King UU Fellowship, Plymouth, NH)
Pat Gottschalk (Association of Universalist Women, Minneapolis, MN
Joyce Henricks (UU Fellowship of Central Michigan, Mount Pleasant)
Sydelle Lopez (UU Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset, NY)
Marilyn Mehr (The Women’s Alliance, Unitarian Church of All Souls New York, NY)
Sally Sabo (UU Women’s Fellowship of Santa Fe, NM)
Maxine Steeves (First Religious Society UU, Newburyport, MA)
2018
Jean Nagle & Ann Abbott
(Alliance of the First Parish UU Church in Arlington, MA)
Constance Newsom
(Women’s Leadership Alliance at First Unitarian Church, Brooklyn NY)
Mary Rhodes
(YuYu Sisterhood of UUCF Fullerton, CA)
Joan Hawthorne
(UU Fellowship of Franklin, NC)
Joan Boewe & Ann Stebbins
(UU Fellowship of Madison County, Richmond KY)
Not pictured
Billye Cutchen (UU Church of Pensacola, FL)
Judy Davis (Granite Peak UU Congregation, Prescott AZ)
Maureen Marwick (Women’s Alliance of All Souls Unitarian Church, New York NY)
Karen McGrath (UU Women’s Fellowship of Santa Fe, NM)
Marge Meyermann (Women’s Spirituality Group of First Unitarian Church, Wilmington DE)
Peggy Montgomery (Women’s Alliance of All Souls Unitarian Church, New York NY)
Ann Morgan (UU Women’s Fellowship of Santa Fe, NM
Janet Couture Nortrom (First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, WI)
Jane Parrish (Minnesota Valley UU Fellowship Women’s Group, Bloomington MN)
