USA > Iowa > The blue book of Iowa women; a history of contemporary women; > Part 7
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MRS. FREDERICK P. HARTSOOK
A visitor at one of the bienniels of the General Fed- eration of Women's Clubs, said : "I am impressed with the fact that practically all of the women are de- voted Christians, loyal members of their churches. And most of them if the question were asked, would admit that the vision which made them really successful in their club work had its beginnings in their church life." Lavina R. Hartsook was born July 7, 1876, near Winterset, which town is still her home. Her parents, James Foresman and Mary E. Travis Foresman, came to Madison county in the early 60's. Mr. Foresman with three brothers served through the Civil War, in the Union Army. Her paternal grandparents were Samuel and Rebecca Oakes Foresman; her maternal grandparents were Martin B. and Lavina Beyer Travis, all of whom were Pennsylvanians. She received her education in the schools of Winterest and in the Northwestern Uni- versity. On June 12, 1900, she was married to Frederic P. Hartsook. They have one daughter, Helen. Mrs. Hartsook is a member of the Presbyterian church and superintendent of the Sunday school. She has served the local missionary society as president and secre- tary. For seven years she has been an officer in the Des Moines Presbyterial Society of Foreign Missions. She was secretary for four years, secretary of litera- ture one year and is now president, having held that office two years. This is one of the largest and strong- est Presbyterial societies in the State and much of its success is due to Mrs. Hartsook. She is Cor. Sec of the Woman's Club, a member of the Conservation Commit- tee I. F. W. C. and is a member of the P. E. O. sister- hood.
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MRS. F. M. HOPKINS
Mrs. Lucy Holsman Hopkins of Guthrie Center was born in Senacaville, Guernsey County, Ohio. She is the daughter of William Holsman of German descent, and Lucy Dilley of English-Scotch descent, who came to Iowa in 1857. Her education received in the public schools has been supplemented by a four years' course in reading and travel in all parts of the United States, in Canada and in Mexico. On Sept. 27, 1882, she was married to Francis M. Hopkins, who is the son of Dr. John Y. and Mary Needham Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins was born in Oskaloosa, March 8, 1854, and is a gradu- ate of the Iowa State University. For eight years he was clerk of the Guthrie Co. Courts, for three years was mayor of Guthrie Center, and for ten years was State Senator. He is president of the People's State Bank of Guthrie Center and is a man of fine character and wide influence.
Mrs. Hopkins is a member of the D. A. R., being descended from Ephriam Dilley, who was a Revolu- tionary soldier. She has served as regent of her chap- ter. She is a member of the P. E. O. sisterhood, of the O. E. S., having held the highest office in both organi- zations. She is a member of the M. E. church and a faithful church woman. She does all kinds of fine needle work and is an artist of ability, making a spe-
cialty of china painting. She has two brothers and three sisters living, Mrs. Geo. W. Reed of Emmett, Idaho; Mrs. W. C. McCool, Salem, Nebr .; John D. Holsman, Mrs. Susan Carpenter and Henry B. Hols- man, all of Guthrie Center. One brother, Geo. W. Hols- man died several years ago.
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MRS. I. A. SAWYER
Mrs. Annette Martin Sawyer, the daughter of Rob- ert Hueston Martin and Mary Ann Meara Martin, is descended from a long line of educated, thinking peo- ple and has inherited a vigorous mind. Since girlhood she has been a student, allowing no day to pass with- out some study or reading. She received her early education in St. Vincent's Academy and was a graduate of the High School of Keokuk. For twenty- seven years she was a teacher in the public schools. She is a French scholar above the average and has a knowledge of English and its correct use which is truly technical. She has marked literary ability and is a regular contributor to one of the city papers, being on
the staff. She is a devoted member of the Catholic church, although her paternal grandparents, Thomas Martin and Elizabeth Marshall Martin, were Presby- terians. Her mother's parents, Patrick Meara and Fran- cis Cecilia Anderson, came from Ireland and settled in Cincinnatti, Ohio, when it was a mere village. Her
family has always stood very high in Keokuk. On June 5, 1905, she was married to Capt. I. A. Sawyer, who died May 12, 1909. He was a prominent business man, of splendid family. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer traveled ex- tensively during their married life, making a long so- journ in localities which particularly attracted them. Mrs. Sawyer was a charter member and the secretary of the Keokuk Woman's Club. She was a member of the Board of Directors and the recording secretary of the Visiting Nurse Association at the time of its organi- zation and did efficient work for its success. She was one of the originators of the Ladies of Charity and is the secretary. She believes in equal suffrage and logi cally defends her position.
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MRS. MARIA PURDY PECK
In the memorial to Mrs. Maria Purdy Peck, which was printed by the Iowa Daughters of the American Revolution it was said of her: "Although winter was on her head, eternal spring was in her heart." She was born Nov. 16, 1840, in West Butler, N. Y., and died at her home in Davenport, Jany. 2, 1914. She was edu- cated in a New York seminary. On Sept. 18, 1865, she was married to Dr. Washington Freeman Peck, who was considered one of the ablest Iowa physicians. It is said that in a very large measure the credit is due him for the establishment of the Medical Department of the State University. He was the chief founder of Mercy Hospital in Davenport. He died Dec. 12, 1891. One daughter was born to Dr. and Mrs. Peck, Mrs. Jessie Allen Vollmer, who has two children, Harry Vollmer and Dorothea Peck Vollmer. Mrs. Peck was one of the ablest and most prominent women Iowa has produced. She was vice-president at large of the International Council of Women and was a prominent member of the International Council held in London in 1899. She read a paper before this council, which is the largest organized body of women in the world. One of the New York magazines speaking of her said: "She is a broad-minded western woman who is identified with nearly all the educational, philanthropical and club work of her state, Iowa." At this conference she was invited to a seat on the platform by Lady Henry Som- crset, and she had the honor of being the guest of Queen Victoria at a garden party. Mrs. Peck was a devoted member of the D. A. R. She was regent of Hannah Caldwell chapter for fifteen years. She was State regent of the Iowa D. A. R. and was honored at
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the State and Continental Congresses. She was a mem- ber of the State Historical Society, of the Mayflower so- ciety, of the Daughters of 1812 and of Founders and Patriots. In 1874 she organized the Clionian Club, one of the oldest Iowa clubs and was its president for years. She was president of the Biennial Board of the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs and has served on many state committees, having been especially active on the child labor committee. She was one of the found- ers of St. Luke's hospital and was the first president
of its Board of Managers. She helped establish St. Luke's training school for nurses. She was one of the founders of the public library. She gave liberal sup- port in money and influence to the maintenance of the Mission Kindergarten She organized the Woman's Club of Davenport and was the first president. She was a writer of ability and contributed to magazines and periodicals. She was a delightful speaker and was often heard in conventions and conferences and on other public occasions. She is one of the few American women who had the distinction of having her portrait and name appear in "The Roll of Honor for Women," an annual biographical record of women of the world who have worked for the public good. This periodical is published in London. One friend in appreciation of her, summed up her character by say- ing :
"She was a woman of fine mind, great culture, sound judgment and rare insight into human nature and withal a kind heart and the tenderest womanly in- stinets. She was a lover of home, family and friends and though a busy woman in outside affairs, she never strained the silken cord that bound her to her own bright, happy fireside."
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MRS. A. S HAZELTON
Mrs. Emma Higham Hazelton, daughter of Abel Highman and Anna Pierce Eaton, was born April 23, 1858, at Keokuk, Iowa. Abel Higham came from an English Quaker family and emigrated in an early day from Bolton, England. He settled first in Philadelphia where he married Anna Pierce Eaton, who descended from Francis Eaton of May Flower fame, Abraham Pierce of Plymouth Colony, the Rounsville and How- land families, and was connected with many of the most prominent families of Colonial times. In 1851 Mr. and Mrs. Higham located in Keokuk, where they made their home and both found their final resting place. Mrs. Hazelton's oldest brother, Richard High- am, was the only soldier killed at the battle of Fort Donaldson, in Co. A., Second Iowa Regiment. When a boy a lasting friendship was formed between Rich- ard Higham and Mark Twain, which only ended with the former's death. In 1856, he with a number of the most prominent young men of Keokuk, formed the Gate City Literary Institute which founded the mag- nificent public library of that city.
May 16, 1888, at Keokuk, she was married to Arthur Sargent Hazelton, a promising young lawyer of Council Bluffs, and has made her home in that city ever since. Two sons were born to them, Charles Sar- gent and Paul Higham. Mrs. Hazelton has never been inclined to public life, and while she was for some years a member of social and literary clubs, they have been rather an incident in her life than live issues. She is a member of the Council Bluffs Chapter of the D. A. R., and has traveled quite extensively in her own country, is deeply interested in public affairs, but is not an advocate of woman suffrage.
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MRS. EDGAR W. GARDNER
Mary A. Machin Gardner was born Oct. 30, 1883, on a farm in Illinois. She is the daughter of Miller Ma- chin, D. O., M. D., and of Kate A. Lynn-Machin, M. D. Her father was the first osteopath to practice in Iowa, locating in Keokuk in 1893. He is a descendant of Capt. Thomas Machin who placed chains across the Hudson during the American Revolution, preventing the British ships from going up the river. Mrs. Machin is descended from the Carters and Lynns, two well known Virginia families. Mrs. Gardner was graduated from the Keokuk high school in 1902 and from Knox College A. B., 1895, A. M., 1909. So far as the Knox College records show she was the only pupil to com- plete the full work outlined for four years residential study, in two years. In addition to literary study, she was a pupil of Mrs. Mame Barbareaux Parry and of Mrs. Elsie Barbareaux-Conser in vocal music. For five years she studied piano, pipe organ and school music. On May 9, 1906, she was married at Keokuk to Dr. Ed- gar Winfield Gardner. Two children have been born to them, Edgar Machin Gardner, Edmar Lynn Gardner. Mrs. Gardner is a Presbyterian, a member at large of the Daughters of the American Revolution and one of the organizing regents of Iowa. She is a member of the P. E. O. sisterhood and was one of the group who help- ed organize the Keokuk Young Woman's Christian Association. Dr. and Mrs. Gardner live now at Web- ster, Iowa, where Mrs. Gardner is president of the Board of Education. She organized there a Boys' Club which has been a successful and very helpful boys' organization. She is a young woman full of life and ambition and wherever she has lived she has had a vital interest in public welfare work.
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MRS. EUGENE HENLEY
Mrs. Louise Miller Henley of Grinnell, belongs to a family well known in this state. Her father was Col. Alexander James Miller; Supreme Judge W. E. Miller and Dr. Emory Miller were uncles and Judge Jesse A. Miller of Des Moines is her brother. She was born June 9, 1872, near North Liberty, Ia. Her father, Col. Alexander James Miller, was of Dutch Knickerbocker stock, whose grand father was one of the settlers of New Amsterdam, and owned Staten Island, until driven out by the British. A deed to this purchase is still a family possession. Col. Miller earned his title as Colonel of the Sixth Iowa Infantry during the Civil War. Mrs. Henley's mother was Mary Louise McColm, a native of Baltimore, Md. When Mrs. Henley was five years old her parents moved to Oxford, Ia., where her father edited the Oxford Journal. She was educated in the public school and at the State University of Iowa. On June 28, 1892, she was married at Oxford to Eugene Henley, who is one of the best known educa- tors in the State, having been superintendent of Grin- nell schools since 1905. They have two daughters, Inez Louise and Margaret Kirkley. Mrs. Henley is a P. E. O., has served the Iowa Grand Chapter as organizer and corresponding secretary very efficiently. She is vice- president of the Historical and Literary Club, one of the oldest clubs in Grinnell, a member of the Art Study ยท Club and Shakespeare Club and the City Civic League. She is a member of the Civic Com. I. F. W. C. She has written many magazine articles and in 1913 printed a series of articles on the Yellow Stone Park where she has spent several summers. These were later publish- ed in book form, and is a charming description of one of the greatest wonders of the world.
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MISS FLORENCE A. ARMSTRONG
Miss Florence A. Armstrong, teacher and journalist was born in Indianola, Feby. 12, 1884. She is the daughter of Sanford Armstrong, a pharmacist, of Eng- lish descent who was born in Rutland, Vt. Her mother, Laura Van Pelt Armstrong, was born in Seesbury, Ohio. Miss Armstrong received the degree A. B. from Simpson College, and studied later in State University of Iowa and in New York City. She is the granddaughter of Daniel Hoff Van Pelt, an Iowa pioneer of a Dutch family distinguished in Holland for financial aid given to the Dutch government. From Ohio, D. H. Van Pelt and family came to Iowa in 1852, with his parents, who settled near Mt. Pleasant. Three years later he removed to Indianola, and built up an estate of fifteen hundred acres of rich agricultural land two and a half miles north of Indianola. He
did much to develop the community, materially and morally, holding various local offices, and contributing heavily to bring in a railroad, to found religious work and to establish and support Simpson College. This in- stitution six of his eight children attended.
Like all the older Iowa Colleges, Simpson has had a career of heroic struggle. In 1861, "Old Bluebird," officially known as the "Des Moines Conference Male and Female Seminary," was erected by the citizens of Indianola, on the present campus. In 1867 the semi- nary was raised to college rank, because of
its rapid growth, and named "Simpson Centen- ary College" in honor of Bishop Matthew Simp- son and of the Centennial of American Meth- odism. In the same year Indianola raised funds for the erection of a more suitable college building, the
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present chapel, the oldest building now standing on the campus. Simpson has had ten presidents, and has grown steadily in usefulness and prestige. The chief growth of the institution has occurred during the last two incumbencies. Of the 650 alumni, half have gradu- ated during the last ten years.
Of the literary societies of Simpson, the Zetalethean for women, and the Everett for men, are the oldest (1867). One of the founders of Zetalethean was Laura E. Van Pelt, mother of Florence Armstrong; a genera- tion later, Miss Armtsrong was a member and a presi- dent of the same society. She was a leader in Y. W. C. A., serving on the cabinet, 1905-06, and as an alumna member served as secretary of the Iowa State College, Ames. While scholarship and wholesome spiritual de- velopment have ever been stressed at Simpson, ath- letics and social life are prominent. Miss Armstrong held a high place in scholarship but had time for much interest in basket ball, playing for a season on the champion women's team. Since receiving her degree in 1906, Miss Armstrong has taught History and Ger- man at the Indianola High School, English at Iowa State College; has been editor since 1910 of The Lyre, the national fraternity magazine of Alpha Chi Omega, and of the two secret magazines of that Fraternity, The Heraeum, and The Argolid; edited an important work, "The History of the Alpha Chi Omega Frater- nity," published in 1911 to commemorate the twenty- fifth anniversary of the fraternity (1910) ; has for sev- eral years been a feature writer for the Des Moines Sunday Register and Leader. Alpha Chi Omega (founded 1885, De Pauw University). is made up of liberal and fine arts students, and among its 2200 mem- bers are many artists, professional women, and women successful in widely varied walks of life.
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MISS NANNIE PEAIRS FULTON
Nannie P. Fulton was born in Keokuk, the daughter of Wm. Fulton and Elizabeth Dalzell, who were mar- ried in Keokuk, June 22, 1865. Mrs. Fulton died in 1898, and Mr. Fulton in 19088. Mr. and Mrs. Fulton were born in Pennsylvania, coming to Iowa in the early 60's. Miss Fulton has been the very efficient librarian of the Keokuk public library since 1896. The library is one of the oldest in the state, having been founded in 1863 and been a free library since 1894. James L. Rice gave the first $10,000 which made the library pos- sible. Miss Fulton is a member of the Westminster Presbyterian church in which her father served as Deacon and Elder for forty-one years, and of which her mother was a devoted member for forty years. She is descended from an unusual lineage. The name Ful- ton was originally a Scotch-Ayreshire name, this line having crossed to Ireland and then to America. Her great-great-grandfather, Abraham Fulton, came to America, to Westmorland Co., Penn., in 1772. Her great grandfather, Robert Fulton, served in the War of the Revolution; her grandfather, William Fulton, served in the War of 1812. Her maternal grandfather, William Dalzell, came to America from Belfast, Ire- land in 1824. He married Jane Dalzell, another branch of the same family. The origin of the name Dalzell, and the coat of arms is traced historically to the time of the reign of Kenneth II, King of Scot- land in 853. The name originally was De Dalzell. meaning, "I dare," and many heroes of Scottish his- tory bore the name. Miss Fulton has two brothers and a sister: Robert Dalzell Fulton, Portland, Ore .; James McQueen Fulton, Keokuk; Mrs. Elizabeth Fulton Pat- terson died June 13, 1908.
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MRS. NORA BABBITT HARSH
Mrs. Nora Babbitt Harsh was born in Ypsilanti, Mich., the daughter of Judge J. Willard Babbitt, who has in his line of ancestry two presidents of Harvard College. Her mother, Florence S. Babbitt, has a na- tional reputation as a collector of antiques. The legis- lature of Michigan recently made an appropriation for glass cases to contain her collection of twenty-five hun- dred pieces of antique china at Lansing. She has col- lections in Kent Museum, Grand Rapids, at Detroit and in the State Normal College at Ypsilanti. Dr. Gunsaulus purchased in 1914, her collection of thirty cover lids, probably the largest single collection in the United States, for the Chicago Art Museum. Mrs. Harsh received her musical education at the Michigan State Normal Conservatory and in the Ann Arbor Uni- versity School of Music. She later took lessons in voice with teachers in New York and Boston. She has taught voice in a number of cities and came to Iowa in 1899, and opened a conservatory in Creston, which was very successful. She was married Sept. 2, 1903, to F. D. Harsh. They have one daughter, Nancy Babbitt Harsh, born in Des Moines, July 2, 1904. Mrs. Harsh is interested in all the musical organizations of Des Moines, which city is her home. She has for a number of years been chairman of the musical depart- ment of the Woman's Club, president of the Woman's Club Chorus, which is limited to forty voices and in- cludes the principal soloists and semi professional singers of the city. She inaugurated in 1913 a series of Sunday afternoon concerts. The principal singers of the city appeared on the program, which were of the highest merit. It attracted very wide attention
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and letters were received from musical people all over the United States regarding the management of such a course. To make it a success The Des Moines Musi- cal Association was organized with Mrs. Harsh as president. Every interest is represented in the asso- ciation; on its board is the Governor of the State, the Mayor of the city, prominent business men, ministers, and musicians. The concerts have been a wonderful agent to educate the general public musically. She is very anxious that Des Moines shall have a permanent orchestra and has bent every effort to bring it about. Mrs. Harsh has written for many periodicals; she is the Des Moines critic for the Chicago Musical Leader, and is Iowa Editor of The Clef. She is a member of the Newspaper Women's Club. Her daughter Nancy is named for her great-grand mother, Nancy Harsh, who was born in 1810, and who lived to be 103 years old. She was a resident of Creston and a wonderful woman. She was a handsome old lady, charming in her manner, with every faculty keen to the time of her death which was occasioned by a fall. In 1910 when she was one hundred years old, a reception was given in her honor at the home of her son, Hon. J. B. Harsh, to which all the residents of Union county were in- vited. Hundreds of people called that day to pay her honor. When she was a little girl she was one of twelve to strew flowers in the way of Genl. Lafayette on his visit to this country. Her picture hangs in the Iowa Historical Building.
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MRS. MARY T. WATTS
Mrs. Mary T. Watts of Audubon is president of the American Baby Health Contest Association, and the woman to whom the world gives credit for originating the idea of Baby Health Contests. At the Iowa State Fair in 1911, for the first time in any state a baby health contest was held. Mrs. Watts has been asked many times how she came to think of the plan and this is her reply: "One day, two years ago, I attended our county fair," said Mrs. Watts. "I stood at the booth, which I was supervising, listening to the talk that drifted in snatches of prizes won on pigs, sheep and cattle-the same talk that I had heard at every fair for ten years. Suddenly I became conscious of how often I had heard this talk of the wonderful im- provement that had really been made in the conditions of live stock in that length of time. Just at that mo- ment a woman with a fretful baby in her arms stop- ped near me to rest. A child of about three years clung to her skirts with one hand and with the other fed her- self with a large under-ripe banana. Three other chil- dren, brothers and sister, clambered about in imminent danger of broken necks and tramped toes. One might label the picture, I thought, an average family on a holiday. As I looked back I saw myself and my broth- ers and sisters forty years ago, no better-no worse. Measles, mumps and whooping cough would be a part of these children's lives as it had been of mine. If they lived through these necessary evils, without too great loss of vitality, they might grow to manhood and womanhood. Then I began to think that this family would probably mean five more families of the same kind-possibly with less endurance,
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"A friend interrupted my thought to invite me to go to the stock barns with her where the premiums had just been awarded. Blue ribbons and red ribbons showed bravely on the stalls. Every animal in the clean, well ordered cattle and hog pens had been fed and groomed with utmost care. A man pointed with pride to a pen of hogs, and told us that they had been watched almost night and day; that the water they drank had been analyzed, their food measured and weighed and only the kinds given them that would bring results. It was then that the idea of the babies' health contest for our next state fair was born.
"When the thought really became something tangible I wrote to Dr. Margaret Clark of Waterloo, asking her to try to make a score card. This she did and together we planned the details of the first contest at the Iowa State Fair. Miss Neale S. Knowles of Iowa State Col- lege granting the use of the rooms in the college build- ing on the fair grounds and contributed five dollars as a first prize. The Mothers' Congress of Iowa fi- nanced this contest to a large extent and assisted in various ways to make it a success, in fact I worked under the auspices of the congress and Mrs. B. F. Car- roll who was president at that time was an enthusias- tic supporter."
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