Whatever became of Rose Ball?

moomanchu

Where did she live? Did she have a family? Did she ever speak out for or against the witnesses?

I assume she was a witness? Was there a congregation she attended?

How could she drop off the face of Earth and no one know anything about her?

She married Ernest Charles Henninges and left Russell in 1909 or so over the New Covenant controversy. They lived in Australia and were members of New Covenant Believers, and she died in 1950 after a bout of pneumonia.

Oroborus21

Leolaia, you took my comments....just a question for you. I have seen E.C. Henninges name sometimes spelled Hennings, without the E. do you think this is just a typo and that Henniges is the correct spelling.

-Eduardo

Oroborus21

Leolaia,

Do you know of anything further on Sophie Hassan?

This is what I have as my entry for her:

Hassan, Sophie

Perhaps the first Russell "groupie," her infatuation with him led her on more than one occasion, to crouch humbly in the vestibule of the Pastor's headquarters in Brooklyn, always removing her shoes so as not to besmirch the ground upon which Russell-her "bridegroom"-had trodden. Evidently, Russell grew weary of her attentions and had police take the sixteen-year-old away to Kings Park Asylum for observation. Possibly in reference to Ms. Hassan, Russell later mused that "fallen angels" have a nasty habit of materializing on earth, assuming the form of a living person, and committing "licentious acts." (See The Watch Tower, January 1, 1911)

greendawn

Back in the early days there were the Bible Students from whom the JWs split off under Rutherford and were from then on called JWs. Also there were no congregations at first but ecclesias that had democratically elected elders. Rose Ball was also on the board of directors of the WTS corporation though this fact was not well known to the R&F.

Oroborus21

There is no evidence that Rose Ball was ever a director of the Society. Let's see your proof. I have researched it, but if you have actual evidence or sources, I would eager to see them.

Leolaia

I believe the correct spelling is with the "e". It is spelled that way on Rose Ball's death certificate and in Russell-era Watch Tower issues (cf. 15 June 1900, p. 210; 1 Febbruary 1908, p. 47).

I don't know anything about the Sophie Hassan story...what is your source?

Oroborus21

I believe the Sophie Hassan info came from Visions of Glory but I will have to double-check that.

-Eduardo

Kenneson

The Court Trial Transcript of C.T. Russell and Maria Russell contains info on Rose Ball.

See http://www.pastor-russell.com/misc/bde.html

Pastor Russell's defense of himself regarding his wife's allegations can be found at

http://www.ctrussell.us

Click Watch Tower, then 1906 and find July 15 and click. See article "Truth is Stranger Than Fiction."

Nathan Natas

Didn't Rose Ball have a football game named after her?

Oh, wait -- that was Rose BOWL. My bad...

on a serious note, here is what BG Harrison said about Sophie Hassan in Visions of Glory:

If Russell did not drift from woman to woman, they certainly seemed to be drawn to him. One woman was Sophie Hassan, whose infatuation with the Pastor led her, on more than one occasion, to crouch humbly in the vestibule of the Pastor's headquarters in Brooklyn, always removing her shoes so as not to besmirch the ground upon which Russell-her "bridegroom"-had trodden. Sixteen-year-old Sophie made a pest of herself; Russell called the cops, and Sophie was carted off to the Kings Park Asylum for observation. Later Russell mused, in the columns of The Watch Tower, that “fallen angels" have a nasty habit of materializing on earth, assuming the form of some living person, and committing "licentious acts." [TWT, January 1, 1911)

Whatever became of Rose Ball?

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