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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|American missionary}}<br />
[[File:JuliaJacobsHarpster.tif|thumb|Julia Jacobs Harpster (1846-1935), Lutheran missionary in India]]<br />
'''Julia Jacobs Harpster''' (December 17, 1846 – July 1, 1935) was an American missionary working among women in India.<br />
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==Early life and education==<br />
Mary Julia Jacobs was born in [[Gettysburg, Pennsylvania]], in 1846, daughter of Dr. Michael Jacobs and Julia M. Eyster Jacobs. Her father was a professor of mathematics and chemistry at [[Gettysburg College]]. She attended school at The Maplewood in [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts]].<ref>John William Leonard, ed., [https://books.google.com/books?id=COsLAAAAIAAJ&q=nursing&pg=PA364 ''Woman's Who's Who of America''] (American Commonwealth Publishing 1914): 364.</ref><br />
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==Career==<br />
Julia Jacobs Harpster went to India as a Lutheran missionary with her husband in 1893, based at [[Rajahmundry]]. She was superintendent of the Industrial School for Mohammedan Women, which taught gold and silver embroidery and other handwork skills to Muslim widows and other women in need of paid employment; she also supervised a bookstore in Rajahmundry and raised funds for the mission's work there with the sale of [[postcards]] depicting Indian scenes.<ref name="Drach">George Drach, Calvin F. Kuder, [https://archive.org/stream/telugumissionofg00draciala#page/n5/mode/2up ''The Telugu Mission of the General Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in North America''] (General Council Publication House 1914): 361.</ref> "The silent influence of her winsome Christian spirit is a potent factor among her heathen pupils," a denominational publication wrote of Julia Harpster.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4BsRAAAAIAAJ&dq=India+Harpster&pg=RA1-PA15 "The Eastertide Calendar"] ''Luther League Review'' 16(1903): 15-16.</ref> In 1902, she published a book of photographs, ''Among the Telugoos: Illustrating Mission Work in India''.<ref>M. Julia Harpster, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t4jm2zd75;view=1up;seq=9 ''Among the Telugoos: Illustrating Mission Work in India''] (Lutheran Publication Society 1902).</ref> She and her husband were credited with founding "India Lace Day", an annual observance in American Lutheran churches where funds were raised for women lacemakers in India, and shipments of supplies were sent for their use.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8SczAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bQAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4838%2C363991 "Mrs. Julia Harpster, Gettysburg Native, Dies in Chambersburg"] ''Gettysburg Compiler'' (June 8, 1935): 1.</ref> The Harpsters retired from their work in Rajahmundry in 1909.<ref name="Drach" /><br />
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==Personal life==<br />
Julia Jacobs married Rev. Dr. John Henry Harpster in 1882. Her husband had already served years in missionary work in India, from 1871 to 1876, and was a veteran of the Union Army during the [[American Civil War]]. She was widowed when he died in 1911.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5544230/john_henry_harpster/ "Dr. J. H. Harpster"] ''Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' (February 1, 1911): 3. via [[Newspapers.com]]{{open access}}</ref> As a memorial to her husband, Julia Harpster donated some land in [[Kotagiri]] to the Lutheran missions there, to build bungalows for their work.<ref name="Drach" /> She died in 1935, age 88.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5544587/julia_jacobs_harpster/ "Mrs. M. J. Harpster Funeral Rites Today"] ''Gettysburg Times'' (July 3, 1935): 1. via [[Newspapers.com]]{{open access}}</ref><br />
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Her brothers were the Rev. Dr. [[Henry Eyster Jacobs]], president of [[Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia]], and a judge, Michael William Jacobs. <ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5544593/julia_jacobs_harpster/ "Widow of India Missionary is Dead at 88 Yrs."] ''Gettysburg Times'' (July 2, 1935): 1. via [[Newspapers.com]]{{open access}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
*{{Find a Grave|17057979}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Harpster, Julia Jacobs}}<br />
[[Category:1846 births]]<br />
[[Category:1935 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:People from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania]]<br />
[[Category:American Lutheran missionaries]]<br />
[[Category:Lutheran missionaries in India]]<br />
[[Category:Female Christian missionaries]]<br />
[[Category:Lutherans from Pennsylvania]]<br />
[[Category:American missionaries in India]]</div>Cristine5684