Sister R. Mildred Barker collection, 1990

Full finding aid (pdf)

Collection Scope and Content

This collection includes an obituary and a black and white photo of Sister Mildred.

Biographical/Historical Note

Ruth Mildred Barker was born in Providence, Rhode Island on February 3, 1897. She joined the Shaker community in 1903, first in Alfred, Maine and then in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. She was chosen as trustee of the community in 1960 and in 1983 was recognized with a Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts for her expertise in singing old Shaker songs. In addition to recording four albums of Shaker music, she also published a small book of poetry and a history of the Shaker community in Alfred. She died in 1990.