WARREN SHIVER To God Be The Glory Author: Fanny Crosby: (1820-1915) Composer: William H. Doane: (1832-1915)

Frances Jane "Fanny" Crosby is no doubt the greatest hymn writer of all time. She wrote over 7000 hymns that astonished everyone because she was blind. She also wrote over 1000 secular songs.

Fanny Crosby was born in a small one-story home in Putman County, New York. She was born to a poor Christian family that worshipped God daily. Fanny had two sisters when she was born. John and Marcy Crosby felt blessed, with the birth of their third daughter and asked God to use her to his glory. Little did they know that she would become the greatest female hymn writers of all time.

Fanny had a tragic beginning in her life, when at six weeks of age a country doctor was called to her home, because she was sick with a cold. He put mustard poultices on her head and chest to loosen the congestion. Her mother protested this treatment, but the doctor insisted this was the only hope of saving her. The mother relented and the poultices were applied. The poultice slipped and the mustard entered her eyes, causing total blindness. Fanny had another tragic event in her life when she was only one year old. Her father died, and her mother and grandmother reared her. Fanny's mother had to take a job to buy food and supply all the financial aid the family needed. This left her grandmother to take care of Fanny during the day. Her grandmother taught Fanny at the age of two, to listen to the stories that she read to her and memorize them. Fanny soon became very good at learning by memorizing everything, that she heard. She would memorize scripture and quote it in Sunday school.

By age 10, she had memorized the first four books in both testaments. We know that she learned everything by having it read by others. This was 15 years before Braille had been invented. Her mother once sympathized with Fanny about her blindness, and she told her mother that if she were offered her sight back that day, she would not accept it. She felt that if she had her normal sight, that she probably would not have written any of her hymns. She also noted that the first face she would see would be Jesus.

Fanny was always positive in her attitude. She wrote a poem at age eight, while sitting by the brook near her home with her feet in the water. She often walked across the meadow to the brook, alone to have communion with God. The first poem will never be forgotten. The first verse is beautiful, " O what a happy soul am I, although I cannot see, I am resolved that in this world, contended I will be."

Fanny made a trip to New York to enroll in the New York Institute for the Blind at age 15. She enjoyed school and took a deep interest in teaching and helping others who had not adapted to their disability in life as a blind person. After her graduation she was offered a teaching job here at the New York School for the Blind. She taught English and History from 1847-1858 at this school. Fanny met a fellow teacher at the school, Alexander Van Alstyne, who was also blind and they fell in love and were married about a year later. They had one child, a daughter, Frances who died as an infant. Although Fanny and her husband made a large sum of money at that time, they gave it all to the poor and needy, keeping only enough to survive until the next payday. They worked in the missions in the poor districts of New York, giving food, and witnessing for God. They lived in a small rental apartment in the poor district and there were times that hey did not have money to buy food or pay their rent.

Fanny stayed at the school for the blind both as a student and teacher for 35 years. During the time

she met dignitaries and became friends with several national figures. She was asked to play the organ at President Grant's funeral. She was also a good friend with President Grover Cleveland who when he was a young man worked at the New York School for the Blind with Fanny.

Fanny lived a long prosperous life and did not write a hymn until after she was 40 years old. She wrote her songs, both secular and religious with the same enthusiasm. She was 95 when she died and the world mourned. Almost every hymnbook today has several Fanny Crosby hymns in it. Fanny died on February 12, 1915.

The music for this hymn was written by William Howard Doane. He was born on February 3, 1832 in New London County, Connecticut. He was a gifted student in primary and elementary school, and had a gift for music. William directed music while attending the Woodstock Academy. Within two years, he had published his first composition. He was very involved in music, and he was also president for the J.A. Fay Woodworking Machinery Company. William was an extremely successful businessman. He was the Sunday school superintendent and choir director at the Mount Auburn Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a very wealthy man and contributed large sums of money to various causes. The Doane Memorial Music building in Chicago, Illinois was named after him. William H. Doane wrote over 2000 hymn tunes in his lifetime and Fanny Crosby was his favorite hymnist. He died on December 23, 1915.

Stories Behind The Hymns is written by Warren Shiver of Biscoe,NC. Shiver has been fascinated with the true stories behind the hymns since he was a 12-year old attending East Gaffney Baptist Church in Gaffney, S.C. He began studying the stories behind the hymns in 1957. If you have questions or comments, he can be reached by email at wshiver99@embarqmail. com or by mail at PO BOX 775,Biscoe,NC 27209.

"104 Of My Favorite Hymn Stories" book ,300 pages, $14.95, shipping is free to Ledger readers. Warren Shiver, PO BOX 775, Biscoe N.C. 27209.

To God Be The Glory

Verse 1
To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
Verse 2
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Refrain:
Verse 3
Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.
Refrain:
Copyright 2008 by Emmett Warren Shiver
Cannot be reproduced without permission from the
author.