Lutheran Hospital Auxiliary
Officers in 1962.

FORT WAYNE — The Lutheran Health Services Society — the organization first formed to assist and support Lutheran Hospital – has existed for over 100 years, and has impacted Fort Wayne in numerous ways.

Unfortunately, their membership is aging and because they have not had any success recruiting new members, it will be ceasing to exist by the end of 2015.

A few of the original members of the Lutheran Health Society.

On Thanksgiving Day in 1904, 39 women who felt called to serve in Fort Wayne, started the Lutheran Hospital Society. It became Fort Wayne’s third hospital, serving a city with a population of 56,290.

These 39 women supplied their sewing expertise to provide sheets, pillow cases, bed clothes and wash cloths for the hospital.

Over the next 20 years, Lutheran Hospital Society would grow to 240 members. In the 1960’s, the society opened to women of all faiths.

Lutheran Hospital was sold in 1995, so the auxiliary changed its name to the Lutheran Health Services Society and continued as a private, non-profit to raise funds for the community.

In November, the Lutheran Health Society granted Visiting Nurse $97,000, and a portion of the money will be used to create the Lutheran Health Services Society Endowed Nursing Scholarship.