Jeanne
Barnett
and
Ellie
Charlton
papers
Finding aid created by Barbara Smith Eychaner
Center for Sacramento History
551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
Sacramento, California 95811
(916) 808-7072
csh@cityofsacramento.org
http://www.centerforsacramentohistory.org/
2019
Descriptive Summary
Title:
Jeanne
Barnett
and
Ellie
Charlton
papers
Dates: 1952-2008, (bulk 1999-2003)
Collection Number: MS0006
Creator/Collector:
Barnett, Jeanne
Charlton, Ellie
Fado, Don
Extent:
2 linear feet
(3 boxes)
Repository:
Center for Sacramento History
Sacramento, California 95811
Abstract: The
Jeanne
Barnett
and
Ellie
Charlton
papers
relate to the
Holy Union Service performed at the Sacramento Community Theater on January 16,
1999. The files are divided into five series: Series 1. Holy Union, Series 2.
Personal, Series 3. Photographs, Series 4. Artifacts, and Series 5. Oversize. Within
the collection are correspondence (letters, cards, and printed e-mails), newspaper
articles, photographs, audio and video tapes, lapel pins, buttons, badges,
scrapbooks, plaques, ephemera, personal information, promotional material, material
relating to Jeanne Barnett's memorial service, and two purple jackets worn at
the Holy Union Service. The Oversize series contains newspaper and magazine articles
relating to the Holy Union service. Some material provided dates; for other material
the date is unknown.
Language of Material: English
Access
The collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item],
Jeanne
Barnett
and
Ellie
Charlton
papers
, MS0006, Center
for Sacramento History
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Ellie Charlton, 2009 (Accession #2009/007).
Biography/Administrative History
The United Methodist Church amended their Social Principals in 1996 to say that same
sex union shall not be conducted by Methodist clergy. In 1998 the church further
ruled that clergy could be held accountable for conducting same sex unions and could
be dismissed from the ministry. Jeanne Barnett and Ellie Charlton had been together
for fifteen years and were both active members of the United Methodist church;
Barnett had been elected lay leader of the regional conference, the highest elected
(and clerical) position in the conference, and Charlton served as a member of the
conference board of trustees. Together, they started an after-school program at
their local church. Their Holy Union was performed in Sacramento in January 1999 and
was coordinated by Rev. Don Fado, who asked more than 100 retired or
near-to-retirement clergy in the conference if they would stand with him to perform
the service. The service may have been an act of ecclesiastical disobedience for the
approximately 68 clergy involved, but Fado felt he was, in fact, being obedient to
his calling in uniting this couple.
Scope and Content of Collection
The
Jeanne
Barnett
and
Ellie
Charlton
papers
consists of two linear feet. The Holy
Union Series contains e-mail correspondence in preparation for the service, the
service's invitation and program, and congratulatory greeting cards. The folder
"Church Involvement" contains a history of homosexuality/homophobia
compiled by the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church,
correspondence, meeting minutes, and newsletters outlining the background of the
Sacramento St. Mark's United Methodist Church's position on the issue of
Holy Union services for same-gender couples, and documents relating to the
"Sacramento 68" clergy who participated in the Holy Union, including
"Why We Officiated at a Service of Holy Union" and an edited version of
the oral statement given by Rev. Don Fado to the Committee on Investigation in
2000.
The Personal Series consists of individual information for both Jeanne Barnett and
Ellie Charlton, including Charlton's marriage announcement and divorce
agreement, Barnett's birth and death certificates, a dissolution of property
agreement for Barnett and Charlton, articles for publications written by Barnett and
by Charlton, information on the Lazarus Award presented to Barnett, and cards of
consolation written following Barnett's death. An additional folder contains
information about the celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Holy Union after
Barnett's death. Also included are materials relating to traveling the two women
did together and for a house concert performed by Judy Fjell in 1986.
The Oversize series contains newspaper and magazine articles relating to the Holy
Union and same sex marriage.
The Artifacts Series is composed of a scrapbook (containing memorabilia from travels
and events attended), audio and video tapes, lapel pins, buttons, badges, a plaque
presented to Barnett and Charlton from the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, the
Lazarus Project plaque presented in 2000, and the 1994 Bishop's Award presented
to Barnett by the United Methodist Church, San Francisco Area California-Nevada
Conference.
The Photographs Series contains photographs from the Holy Union service and
reception, and photos of the activities outside the Sacramento Community Theater;
photographs from Barnett's church memorial service and reception; and various
photographs of the two women.
Indexing Terms
Same-sex marriage
Methodist Church
Series 1. Holy Union
1979-2004
Physical Description: 4 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
The Holy Union Series contains e-mail correspondence in preparation for the
service, the invitation to the service, the program for the service, and
congratulatory greeting cards prior to and following the service. The folder
Church Involvement contains a history of homosexuality/homophobia compiled
by the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church,
correspondence, meeting minutes, and newsletters outlining the background of
the Sacramento's St. Mark's United Methodist Church position on the issue of
holy union services for same-gender couples, and documents relating to the
"Sacramento 68" clergy who participated in the Holy Union, including "Why We
Officiated at a Service of Holy Union" and an edited version of the oral
statement given by Rev. Don Fado to the Committee on Investigation in
2000.
Box 1
Holy Union service
1999-2004
Box 1
E-mail correspondence
1998-1999
Box 1
Congratulatory greetings
1998-1999
Box 1
Church involvement
1979-1999
Series 2. Personal
1930-2008
Physical Description: 7 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
Personal Series consists of individual information for both Jeanne Barnett
and Ellie Charlton, including Charlton's marriage announcement, divorce
agreement, Barnett's birth and death certificates, a dissolution of property
agreement for Barnett and Charlton, articles for publications written by
Barnett and by Charlton, information on the Lazarus Award presented to
Barnett, and the cards of consolation written following Barnett's death. An
additional folder contains information about the celebration of the fifth
anniversary of the Holy Union after Barnett's death. Also included are
materials relating to traveling the two women did together and for a house
concert performed by Judy Fjell in 1986.
Box 1
Eleanor Charlton
1952-2008
Box 1
Jeanne Barnett personal papers and The Lazarus Award
1930-2008
Box 2
Jeanne Barnett's death
1987-2004
Box 2
Anniversary celebration
2004
Box 2
Travel memorabilia
1986-2003
Series 3. Oversize
Physical Description: 1 oversized folder
Series Scope and Content Summary
The oversize folder contains newspaper clippings from Sacramento, Los
Angeles, San Jose, Eureka, San Francisco, and from the California-Nevada
annual conference of the United Methodist Church, as well as magazine
articles, and photo displays from the Holy Union.
Series 4. Artifacts
1984-2007
Series Scope and Content Summary
The artifacts consist of a scrapbook from Barnett and Charlton's travels, a
videotape of the Holy Union, a videotape of an interview with the two women,
and a video prayer for the two. The three audiotapes are recordings of the
services held after Barnett's death in 2003. Three 3 W' floppy disks
contains the testimonies given at the Committee on Investigation held for
the clergy involved in the Holy Union service. The Bishop's Award presented
by the United Methodist Church San Francisco area in 1994 to Barnett is an
artifact in this collection. There are also 46 button badges that relate to
gay and lesbian issues. The badges state things such as: I support
reconciling congregations, Celebrate Community, Honor Diversity, That All
May Freely Serve, Stand Together with Women, The Body of Christ Includes
Lesbian and Gay People, and Pro-Faith, pro-family, pro-choice Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Eighteen of the 30 lapel pins relate to
United Methodist Church, lesbian and gay issues, IAPES (the International
Association of Personnel in Employment Security), or bowling. The other pins
relate to Sacramento area professional basketball. The two jackets were worn
by Barnett and Charlton during the Holy Union Service.
Box 3
Series 5. Photographs
circa 1948-2003
Physical Description: 1 box
Series Scope and Content Summary
The photographs in this collection represent primarily the Holy Union
service. There are several 8" by 10" enlargements of the couple, the pastor,
and the guests. Many photos taken at the event were not printed, but are
shown on contact sheets. A few earlier photographs, including Barnett's high
school graduation photo, are also included. Photos taken at the memorial
service for Barnett in 2003 are also included. At that memorial service
t-shirts that Barnett had owned were displayed; a duplicate set of
photographs of those t-shirts are included.