Jenna Cameron's Namesakes

When considering names for our daughter we wanted to give her a legacy of significant meaning -either historical or moral.  We hope that the reasons we chose to name her Jenna Cameron will inspire her and you as we share the characterisitcs that make her name great.

"It is evident, however, that events exceedingly minute in themselves may, by the force they borrow from circumstances, the principles they symbolize, the incidents to which they give rise, or the interests they come to affect, emerge into true historic dignity." (From The Blue Banner, v. 8 #11-12, November/December 1999)



Jenny Geddes
    Jenny was a Scottish woman, dedicated to Presbyterian doctrine, born around the end of the sixtenth century.  She was of such humble means that she forego worshipping in the church pew, using her milk stool instead.  During her lifetime King Charles had decided to reinstate Catholicism as the one church of Scotland and England.  A book of canon contrary to Presbyterianism was printed, along with  liturgy of public worship.  A royal edict was given that the twenty-third day of July would be the introduction of the new law into all the Scottish churches.

    The announcement was made a week beforehand that set the presbyterian on edge regarding the future of their worhip.  On that next Sabbath day Jenny was there in church sitting on her milk stool as usual.  When the Dean of Edinburgh started reading from the new liturgy book she spoke out in protest and hurled her milk stool at him.

    In response to her outburst many other presbyterians in the church also protested, resulting in the service being stopped until the people were removed and order was restored.  The protests did not stop after the service ended.  Jenny's  strength in standing up for her beliefs sparked others to do the same and the attempt to abolish Presbyterianism was abandoned.

(If you want to read more about this event click here... )



Angela Cameron Raines
    Cam was an amazing Christian woman.  I (Cristina) was good friends with at Clemson University.  She courageously lived with Cystic Fibrosis and all the challenges it presented her with.  (Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes a thick mucus to be produced, causing various lung problems and even digestive problems.)

    Cam was an inspiration to me and others.  She never complained to me about all the times she had to leave school to go into the hospital for treatment.  She didn't complain about numerous times in the day when she had to clear out the mucus from her lungs using a special machine.  I would often stand outside her door until I heard her turn off the loud machine.  She found time to be involved in clubs on campus and to go out with friends.

    It took her more then four years to graduate college but she did so with a 4.0 average, majoring in Microbiology!  Her teachers were impressed with her dedication and helped her adjust to missing lots of lectures and tests.  We often talked about the future and her struggles with planning her life.  S he dealt with many struggles that few of us have had to deal with.  She understood that she could not expect a long life, so how much plans should she make?  She wasn't sure about going to graduate school and was sorrowful that she might leave behind her boyfriend Alan at a young age.  She struggled whether to plan to marry him.  At one time she considered studing cystic fibrosis for her research, but struggled with whether she would want to learn all the intimate details of her disease.

    Even with all these concerns she pressed on.  Alan and her did become engaged and she enrolled in graduate school at the medical university in Augusta, Ga (where she had spent much time being treated growing up).  This helped enabled her to be close to treatment when she needed it and not get as far behind on  her schoolwork.  I am sure that over the years her positive spirit, courage, and faith impressed the doctors at the hospital as much as it did me and her other friends.  Unfortunately, she was hospitalized in early 2000 in need of a lung transplant.  She did not receive one in time, and she died on February 7, 2000.

Eric and I want to honor their memories because of the contributions that both these women made in their communities.   We hope that our daughter will learn the character traits and values that these women demonstrted in their lives.
 
 
Cam at Clemson University, South Carolina in 1996 - our junior year Cam at Clemson University, South Carolina in 1997 - our senior year Cam and our dog Mollie in Augusta, Georgia in 1998.  She was attending grad school at the Medical Universiy .

 

For more information about Cystic Fibrosis click here
And for information on how you can help click here
 
 

(lasted updated 9 Feb 2001)