Martha Jager would sit at the front of The Salvation Army worship services and play her tambourine. The church is compiling old photos like this one into a scrapbook to honor Jager's memory.
Martha Jager was a pillar of the Wrangell Salvation Army community around the 1970s and '80s, swelling the church's numbers and supporting its cause when the floors were covered in shag carpet and the chapel walls had wood paneling.
The Alaska Native woman had a welcoming personality and was deeply committed to her church community - so committed that the Martha Jager Fellowship Hall is named in her honor.
Jon and Rose Tollerud did not know Jager personally - by the time the pair arrived in Wrangell, she had already passed away and they do not know for certain when she died. But they do know that she was a driving force in the congregation's growth.
The Corps officers want her to be more than a name on a plaque. They are seeking help from the public to learn more about her life in an effort to preserve a piece of Wrangell and Salvation Army history.
To gather stories about Jager's life and celebrate her ability to build community, The Salvation Army is holding a rededication ceremony. The event is planned for noon, April 16, following worship service. Lunch will be served.
All are welcome to attend, regardless of participation in The Salvation Army. The organization would particularly like to hear from community members who knew Jager or have some connection to her.
"We're hoping that we can garner a bit more of the understanding of who she was and what she brought to the table," said Lt. Jon Tollerud, "so that anybody who ends up coming through The Salvation Army and working with us and volunteering or going in the church can hear about someone here locally that did it for a long time."
Tollerud plans to collect the stories and compile them in a scrapbook commemorating Jager's life. The scrapbook, rededication certificate and other memorabilia will be displayed outside the hall.
"We have her tambourine from when she used to sit in the front and wave the tambourine when they would sing all the old choruses and hymns," said Tollerud. "We'll put it together so people can see it and so every time they walk in, they'll know that any activity that happens in here, anything that takes place, is in memory of someone."
Relatives of Jager's have already begun to share stories about her. One recalled Jager's forceful methods for encouraging her family members to get to church: "She always made sure I got to church on Sunday. It didn't matter if it meant she had to come in and drag me out of bed, I was at church."
The Fellowship Hall - the center of Salvation Army social life - was named for her in hopes that the space could continue to foster connection among community members.
The hall is a spacious room with high ceilings. There is a food pantry, a bank of refrigerators, a free library - take it and don't return it, Tollerud explained - an old piano and a game area for kids.
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