Job's Daughters, A Musical Memory

Mrs. Lillian Gould Faber, first Supreme Director of Music, was responsible for the musical parts of the first Ritual. Her memories of those early days first appeared in the Bethel News, Vol. 10, No. 6, December 1961, Indianapolis, Indiana, as “Mrs. Lillian G. Faber reminisces about the early days of Job’s Daughters.”

What follows is a condensed version of that article:

Ethel Wead Mick, when I first met her, was a beautiful woman in the prime of life. She had curly hair of titian shade, and was a personality that was vibrant, tactful, forceful, persuasive and imaginative. She was a direct descendant of Stephen Foster….I used to call her “Beautiful Dreamer” which is my favorite tune of Foster’s. Not many people could dream of so great and perfect an Order and carry on the organization with so little friction, such smooth execution and loving cooperation by all.

Dr. Mick and my husband, Melvin Faber, met in the Masonic Club at Bordeaux, France, which assembled in a church during World War I. They became fast friends and when, after the war, we located in Omaha, Mr. Faber’s first move was to contact Dr. and Mrs. Mick. At this exact time Mrs. Mick was starting Job’s Daughters. Right away she asked me to take charge of the music of Job’s Daughters, which I did, gladly and humbly, never dreaming that Job’s Daughters would be what it is today…my first big assignment was to put on a concert by Job’s Daughters Bethel 1 to raise money for the purchase of robes and paraphernalia for this Bethel.

The nucleus or main attraction was, of course, the chorus composed of all members of the Bethel. The chorus numbers were all two or three-part standard numbers for ladies’ voices. All rehearsals and concerts were given in the Masonic Temple in Omaha at absolutely no expense to us.

At the first Concert of Job’s Daughters No. 1, the opening number was “March to Victory” by Sullivan which was prophetic of Job’s Daughters’ future. So was Mrs. Mick’s appointment of me as Supreme Musician, for ever since that lucky day I have devoted my whole life in teaching music to young people in public schools, Job’s Daughters and church choirs.

The second number on the program was “Minuet in G” by Beethoven, set to words. The two girls, Reah Haning and Alice Costeel, were selected because of their ability to do solo work. The third number was a violin solo…. I was in good form, just having returned from New York where I studied and played while Mr. Faber was in France. Mrs. Howard Rushton was a gifted accompanist who played with me this difficult number.

Mrs. Mick’s two teenage daughters…were taking dancing lessons so they, dressed in flowing white robes, contributed “Spring Song “by Mendelssohn. Eight girls dressed in Japanese costumes sang two numbers and danced the third while I played “Tambourine Chinois” by Kreisler.

I remember Maud Murrow…gave a wonderful reading from Les Miserables. The concert closed with three beautiful operatic numbers by the chorus and the final song was “Dance of the Fairies” an arrangement with words set to one of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. The girls of No. 1 and I worked hard on the concert numbers.

My other task, a very delightful one, was to stay with Ethel and Ruth Mick when their parents were traveling around instituting Bethels….We three got our own meals and at night we all retired to a bed piled high with comforts [sic] for we slept on the sleeping porch that was not glass enclosed. We undressed for bed in warm bedrooms and when we all were ready we made a grand rush for the icy quarters and there was much squealing and shivering till we got warm. The fourth member of our group was the house cat. It was great fun for all of us especially me since I lived in a downtown hotel and Mr. Faber was away teaching in Iowa during the week and back in Omaha on the weekends only.

Both [Ruth and Ethel] were lovely, unaffected girls busy with their school work…but they were never too busy to do favors for

Your loving friend,

Lillian G. Faber

[Perhaps the reader has noticed a few discrepancies in comparing the text and the concert program. Consideration should be given to the fact that Mrs. Faber’s letter was written 40 years after the concert. Even with these minor inconsistencies, we are so fortunate to have this personal recollection. As Editor of the Supreme News Exchange in 1990, I included this article in a Special Issue devoted to IOJD History. Reprints of the Supreme News Exchange Special History Issue are available from the Supreme Guardian Council Office in Papillion, Nebraska. Photo and concert program from the Mick Memorial Room collection.]

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