Edith I. Browning "Chewing Gum Lady"
Greencastle First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Endowment

Year Founded

Edith I. Browning

1995

Purpose of Fund
The primary purpose of the Fund shall be to provide support for the activities and programs of the Greencastle First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

History of Fund

In 1995, Judy Johnson began planning Edith’s 90th birthday party (January 1996).  Edith said she did not need anything so Judy Johnson got the idea of setting up a permanent endowment for her at the Community Foundation to commemorate her birthday and to support something of special meaning to Edith, her church.   Judy Johnson got a new typewriter and sent out about 500 letters soliciting donations for the endowment.   277 people contributed to the endowment.  

There was a birthday party at Asbury Towers, and then four women took Edith to her room to tell her about the endowment.  They thought it might be too overwhelming to tell her in front of all the party goers.  The four women who organized her 90th birthday party and initiated the endowment were:

• Judy Johnson
• Margaret “Peggy” W. Daniel
• Francis Whitaker (Whitaker funeral home)
• Vickie Small

Edith I. Browning

• Was born January 17, 1906 in New Market, Indiana.  She died July 1, 1997 in Greencastle, Indiana. 
• Was not an only child, but her only brother died as an infant.
• Never married; she called herself an “old maid.” 
• Graduated from DePauw University in 1927.
• Attended First Christian Church in Greencastle, Indiana.
• Worked at Central National Bank her entire life, and she was working at Central National Bank the day it was robbed by John Dillinger in the 1933.
• Became the first female bank officer in Putnam County.
• Became known as the Chewing Gum Lady.  Edith loved children.  When children came to the bank, she gave them sticks of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum.  She gave them a pack of gum on their birthdays.  She started doing this during WWII when gum became a rare commodity. 

The Breakfast Girls Club

For many years, Edith belonged to a group of women who had breakfast together five days a week for breakfast at the Royal Café in Downtown Greencastle.   Edith had a Christmas party every year for the club. 

1988 Breakfast Girls Club photo (left to right)

Ellen Huber, Ruth Greve, Helen Johnston, Edith I. Browning, Flo Morrison, Madonna Hammond, Judy Johnson.