"God's Lighthouse On The Bay"

MOTHER MARIA J. FISHER

Mrs. Fisher was the first woman known as the founder of a Church. She was born in Va. in 1847 and came to New York sometime in 1885 with her two daughters to make a better living for them. In spite of the hardship endured selling pies and sandwiches around the Sheepshead Bay Race Track for a living. Mrs. Fisher decided to sell these people the idea of serving God. After about two years of holding services from house to house she located a spot which she thought would be suitable for a church and went to the owner W.A. Engeman and made known her purpose. Eventually he gave her the lot for the church in 1900. Now to build the church, James McKane, a contractor gave her the bricks with which to build the foundation but would not haul them for her. So she borrowed a wheel-barrow and wheeled the first load herself. Thus the First Baptist Church begun and the corner stone was laid in 1901. Mother Fisher lived to worship there until 1930. Mother Fisher left many sweet memories behind her, because of her untiring efforts to help others at any time and any hour of the night.