USA > Ohio > Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state, Volume I > Part 28
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KATHRYN CARROLL FLETCHER (Mrs. W. H. Fletcher), writer and former national president of Theta Upsilon, was born at Meadville, Pa., the daughter of Christopher and Anna Carroll. She was graduated from Alleghany College and in 1921 married W. H. Fletcher, chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank, Cleveland, O. Mrs. Fletcher has been active in the Y. W. C. A., the P. O. E. and in the sorority of which she was former head. Her home is at Orgyle Oval, Rocky River, O.
CATHERINE RYAN GILLEN
CATHERINE RYAN GILLEN, living at 202 W. Wood Street, belongs to one of the oldest families of Youngstown. Her parents, Dennis and Mar- garet (O'Brien) Ryan were natives of Ireland and came to the new world prior to 1850, while about 1854 they removed from Buffalo, New York to Youngstown and were numbered among the prominent pioneer families here. Mrs. Gillen was born in Youngstown and pursued her education here in St. Columba's Parochial School. She spent her girlhood days under the parental roof and after reaching womanhood was married in St. Columba's Church to John F. Gillen, now deceased. They became the parents of two sons, Peter, now living in Youngstown, and Dennis Ryan Gillen, a physician who is practicing his profession in Buffalo, New York.
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Mrs. Gillen has taken a helpful part in the work of various societies allied with the Catholic Church and is now president of Branch No. 279 of the Ladies Catholic Benevolent Association, is a past president of the Guild of Catholic Women, a past president of St. Monica's Guild of Youngstown and a life member of the National Catholic Welfare Council. Her local church membership is in St. Columba's Catholic Church and she has been most earnest and zealous in furthering the work of the church through the different societies with which she is associated. She has a wide acquaintance in Youngstown where her entire life has been passed and where she has an extensive circle of warm friends who esteem her highly for her sterling worth of character.
BERTHA DUNLAP GROVE
Well known in those circles where public welfare is a matter of deep concern, BERTHA DUNLAP GROVE is taking a deep interest in club and church activities in Chillicothe, where she has spent the greater part of her life. She was born on a farm in Ross County, not far from Chillicothe, and is a daughter of Oliver Dunlap and a granddaughter of Major Nelson, who was twelve years of age when he came with his parents to Ohio, the family casting in their lot with the pioneer settlers of this state.
Mrs. Grove was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools for a time, while later she continued her studies in the schools of Chillicothe. After completing her high school course here, she studied sten- ography and through the World War period she was employed as a book- keeper by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
On the 20th of December, 1924, Bertha Dunlap was married to Nelson Grove, a hardware merchant of Chillicothe. During her residence in this city she has taken an active part in the social life of the community and in its club and church interests, giving her aid and influence to various measures and projects for the general good. She is president of the board of the Young Women's Christian Association, is an active worker in the Red Cross and in the Methodist Episcopal Church. She belongs to both the Century Club and the New Century Club, was formerly president of the Chillicothe branch of the American League of Women Voters and also its secretary for two years. She became a charter member of the Women's Republican Club and has served as its publicity chairman. She is actively interested in recrea- tional hospital work at the Children's Receiving Hospital and through this avenue brings many bright hours into the lives of little ones who greatly need the uplift that joy brings.
ELIZABETH WATKINS HALEY
ELIZABETH WATKINS HALEY has been a most active factor in the women's club life of Toledo with which she is still identified and in which
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she is still helpfully interested. She attained prominence in this connection, serving at one time as president of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs, has been oustanding in her work with the Daughters of 1812 and is allied with other organizations that have had much to do with the civic, literary and cultural activities of Toledo.
Mrs. Haley, who was born in Union City, Branch County, Michigan, is a daughter of Edward M. and Chloe (Rogers) Watkins, both natives of the State of New York. In their family were four children, of whom two died in infancy, while her brother, M. D. Watkins, resides in Beverly Hills, California. Mrs. Haley attended the public schools of her native city until graduated from high school and afterward was a student in a kindergarten college and took extra courses in the Harrison Kindergarten School of Chi- cago. She also pursued other post graduate work and for several years she taught in a kindergarten school in Toledo, while in Chicago she conducted a private kindergarten.
In 1905 Elizabeth Watkins became the wife of William S. Haley, a native of Napoleon, Ohio, whose father was Dr. James Haley, a well known physi- cian, while his grandfather was Judge Haley, one of the pioneers of the state. Her husband is now division engineer of the New York Central Rail- road, with headquarters in Toledo. Mrs. Haley attends the First Congrega- tional Church. She has recently returned from the Council meeting of the. General Federation of Women's Clubs and while on that mission she took some interesting side trips which included a visit to the San Francisco Fair and to Alaska. Mrs. Haley was delegate from the Nautilus Club to the Council meeting. She is widely known in club circles throughout the state for she is editor of the Buckeye, the official publication of the Ohio Federation of Woman's Clubs. She is a past president of the state organization, for many years was a club reporter and recently completed a two-year term as state chairman of press and publicity in the Ohio Federation. She was the second state president of the Ohio Delphian Society and still has her mem- bership in the local organization in Toledo. In the State Federation of Women's Clubs she was also district chairman of the Americanization com- mittee.
Mrs. Haley is a past president of the Daughters of 1812 and has done much to further the work of the society. Recently two new chapters have been formed in Ohio, one of which is called the Henry Rogers Chapter, in honor of Mrs. Haley's maternal grandfather. The state organization further honored her by acquiring two silk flags, one of 1812 and the other a modern flag, which was secured as a tribute to the retiring administration, which she headed. She has also been president of the Peter Navarre Chapter, Daughters of 1812, in addition to serving for two years as vice president and for two years as president of the Ohio Society of the Daughters of 1812. She is like- wise a member of Ursula Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revo- lution of Toledo.
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Mrs. Haley has membership in the Toledo Women's Club and the Lake- side Federation of Woman's Clubs, of which she has been president. She is connected with the Educational Club and of the Educational Club Players is now vice president and has taken part in a number of plays which the club has presented. For two years she was chairman of the department of drama in the Education Club, will become program chairman and is in line for the presidency. For many years she was a member of the Shakespeare Class, has been an officer in the Toledo Sorosis and also in the Nautilus Club of Toledo. For several years she was on the board of the Young Women's Christian Association and headed the committee on education.
During the World War Mrs. Haley taught classes in knitting and kept open house, where she and her associates made garments and quilts for refugee children, turning out hundreds of garments for that purpose. After the war she was chairman of a committee to form a bund and promote con- tacts between American and foreign born women. She belongs to the Auxiliary of the Toledo Society for Crippled Children, also of the auxiliary of the Spanish-American war veterans and is a member of the Eastern Star. Her work in these various fields has been a forceful element in upholding the high standards, represented by the different organizations and her own ideals of life have always been high.
She reports that her hobbies are needle point, knitting, cooking and her inherited antiques and that she "plays an average game of contract." She greatly enjoys travel and is particularly enthusiastic about long motor trips.
MRS. THOMAS F. HARRINGTON
MRS. THOMAS F. HARRINGTON of Galion, has been a resident of Galion since 1919, coming from Portland, Oregon. She was born at Vernon, Indiana and grew up in the locale of such Hoosier authors as James Whitcomb Riley, Booth Tarkington, and John and George Mccutcheon.
Her father was Robert Wooster Worthington, Kentucky born, and a descendent of the famous Col. John Worthington, who organized a cavalry troup for George Washington.
Her mother, Elizabeth Jane Pettit, was a descendent of Henry Clay.
She was the first county chairman of the Crawford County Republican Women's Organization.
Mrs. Harrington has served as County President of the Crawford County Federation of Women's Clubs ; as president of the Fortnightly Club ; organizer and president of the Arts and Crafts Club for seven years; president of the Galion Garden Club and chairman of the Middle North District of the Citizen- ship, Committee, Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs.
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ELIZABETH OLIN HAYMAKER
ELIZABETH OLIN HAYMAKER, former president of the Ohio Federa- tion of Women's Clubs and editor of The Buckeye Magazine, was born at Earlville, Ohio, the daughter of William and Mary Haymaker. She took her A. B. at Flora Stone Mather College and did post graduate work at the Uni- versity of Cincinnati. For a period she was treasurer of The Portage Co. She is active in and former president of the Ravenna Federation of Women's Clubs, and a former director of the National Federation of Women's Clubs. Miss Haymaker's home is at 120 E. Highland Ave., Ravenna, Ohio.
HARRIET HIATT
A tireless worker in the Quaker Church and in many other fields of help- fulness, HARRIET HIATT (Mrs. E. J. Hiatt) of Wilmington, in the three score and ten years of her life, did much to benefit her community. She was the daughter of Judge Levi and Ruth Mills, born in 1867 and died June 9, 1938.
She was educated at Wilmington College, and married in 1886. The temperance movement enlisted her early sympathy and later her civic interests broadened and she became active in the Clinton County Health League, of which she was president for seven years.
MARY LOUISE GRANDIN HIGH
When MARY LOUISE GRANDIN HIGH (Mrs. E. Nelson High) directed, as general chairman, the Norwood, Ohio celebration, on October 1st, 1938 of the sesquicentennial of the founding of the Northwest Territory and thereby established an attendance record-as proportioned to the size of the com- munity-everybody was delighted but no one seemed surprised. They knew, as they said, that they could "make it on High".
It is true that they had good grounds for this assurance. Mrs. High had served the city of Norwood-which adjoins Cincinnati-many times, in many capacities. She had wide reputation for ability both to conduct a one woman job and to obtain enthusiastic participation of the members of widely exten- sive organizations.
This was strikingly instanced while Mary Louise High was regent-May, 1918, to May, 1920, of Cincinnati Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolu- tion. This was the crucial period, for the United States of the World War. Every chapter of the D. A. R. throughout the country was straining its re- sources, physical and financial, to the utmost.
Cincinnati Chapter did not lag. More than $1000 was expended to in- crease comfort of soldiers in training at Camp Sheridan, with an additional $300 as Christmas gift. Almost $2000 was given to the D. A. R. Lodge of Camp
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Sherman, nearly $1000 worth of Liberty Bonds and thrift stamps were sub- scribed for-in all nearly $7000 was raised, one way or another, for war services.
But other responsibilities were not neglected. Money was paid into the George Washington Memorial Fund, to the fund for Memorial Continental Hall, and when appeal was made in behalf of the newly projected Caroline Scott Harrison Memorial, Mrs. High made the first contribution.
When the King and Queen of Belgium visited Cincinnati, Cincinnati Chapter presented them with a beautiful Rookwood vase. Money expenditures were dwarfed in comparison with other major problems wherewith Mrs. High and the other Daughters struggled in those agonizing days. Thousands of garments were made, innumerable surgical dressings. They visited soldiers families, comforted mothers, saw that children did not lack.
Before this period of intensive service Mary High had helped to complete an outstanding civic job for her community. She was a leading member of the board that built the Norwood Public Library. She organized the State Officers Club of the D. A. R., worked actively with the Norwood Women's Club and the Norwood Federation of Women's Clubs, heading the committee that built their club house. She belongs to Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Cincinnati Women's Club, the National Society of Colonial Daughters, of which she was president general for three years, the Dames of the Court of Honor, Dames of the 17th Century- other patriotic and historical organizations.
Interest of Mary Louise Grandin High in historical organizations is deep and vital, for very good reason. Her forebears, on each side, helped to make American history. Her great, great grandfather, on the side of her father, Thomas Calhoun Coe, was Jacob Piatt, a captain in the Revolutionary Army and an officer on Washington's staff. Her maternal great, great grandfather was John Grandin, a surgeon in the Revolutionary War.
His son, Philip Grandin, great grandfather of Mrs. High, lived on Walnut Street at what is the present site of the Keith Theatre. He was a man of amazing enterprise, whose fine country estate was one of the first homes on Grandin Road-where the Longworth, Anderson, Harrison and other old homes still remain. He owned the first Ohio River steamer between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The Grandin and Piatt families were even then connected through business interests- Philip Grandin was the silent partner in the great banking firm, first west of the Alleghanies, of John Piatt and Co. John H. Piatt, brother of Captain Jacob Piatt, is said to have been foremost in launch- ing Cincinnati as a business center and to have added materially to the city itself. One of his gifts to the city was what is now Garfield Park and was then the Grandin-Piatt subdivision. The city was given the land to use as a market place but it was never applied to this purpose.
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John Piatt was a wealthy and powerful man, famous throughout the Northwest Territory, until the War of 1812. This practically ruined him. Not through his fault but through the confidence in the United States Government, with which he contracted to furnish provisions for the Northwest Army, under General Harrison.
But Congress adjourned, as Congress from time to time has had a dis- astrous way of doing, without making appropriations for continuance of the war. Such funds as Piatt had obtained were soon exhausted. He was requi- sitioned for rations that would have cost $360,000.00. He went to Washington, was assured that he would be remunerated, went home and put his entire fortune-his entire credit as well-at the service of his country. He lost it all. Effort to obtain reimbursement from the government was in vain. He died broken-hearted, bankrupt and practically penniless.
Sixty years after Piatt's death the claim was adjudicated by the Supreme Court of the U. S .; i. e. the principal was allowed. But no interest on it.
It is easy to understand that the great great niece of John H. Piatt would know U. S. history-be deeply interested. It is also easy to understand her enthusiasm. Patriotism is not getting-it is giving.
EDITH IRWIN HOBART
EDITH IRWIN HOBART (Mrs. Lowell Fletcher Hobart) former presi- dent general of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was born in Cin- cinnati the daughter of James Taylor and Anna Underwood Irwin. Her fathers family came to Southern Ohio from Virginia in 1798 and her mother's ancestors landed at Salem, Mass., from England in 1630. Later they settled in Maine-became ship builders and ship owners.
Edith Irwin began her education in the Cincinnati public schools but completed her studies under private tutors. She was married in 1890 to Lowell Fletcher Hobart, a member of a family to which belonged one of the founders of Harvard College. He died in 1912.
In 1911 Mrs. Hobart was elected regent of Cincinnati Chapter, D. A. R. and was re-lected the next year for a second term. Her administration was marked by several outstanding achievements, notably the purchase of the Kemper log cabin, oldest home of the entire Miami country, which was re- moved to the Zoological Gardens to be used as a museum.
When the World War broke out in Europe in 1914, Mrs. Hobart set about organizing relief work in Cincinnati Chapter D. A. R. It is on record in a letter from King Albert of Belgium, that the first box of clothing and sup- plies to reach that country from America was that sent by Cincinnati Chapter.
Lowell Hobart, Jr., son of Mrs. Hobart and graduate of a military school, volunteered for service immediately on entrance of the United States into the World War and Mrs. Hobart closed her own home and went to Louisville where her son was in camp. From this time until the end of the war, she de-
MRS. LOWELL FLETCHER HOBART Cincinnati former President-General, Daughters of American Revolution
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voted her entire time and energies to services in behalf of doughboys and officers training for overseas.
In the fall of 1919 MRS. HARLEY MORRISON of Cincinnati whose son was killed in action in the Argonne, issued a call to form a woman's auxiliary to the Robert E. Bentley Post of the American Legion. Mrs. Hobart became active at once in the rehabilitation of the women's auxiliary and when at the convention at Kansas City of the American Legion, the election was held for presidency of the national Women's Auxiliary to the American Legion, Mrs. Lowell Hobart was chosen for this important position.
Her first official appearance was at the solemn ceremonies held at Wash- ington, D. C. for burial of the Unknown Soldier.
Later Mrs. Hobart was the main factor in forming a woman's auxiliary to the interallied veterans organization "Fidac".
In 1923 Edith Irwin Hobart was elected state regent for Ohio of the D. A. R. and on completion of her term of office was virtually drafted for the position of organization secretary general of the D. A. R. under Mrs. Brosseau, president-general. This means a period of intensive work. The extensive building program which had begun with Memorial Continental Hall completed in 1909, now centered about Constitution Hall and its needs. There were mountain schools to be visited, new chapters to be organized. Presently there was a big meeting organized with representation of all patriotic socie- ties-the Women's Patriotic Conference on National Defense. Mrs. Hobart succeeded Mrs. Brosseau as president-general of the D. A. R. Many honors came to her in the course of her administration-but it meant plenty of hard work as well.
Work, however, has become second nature to Edith Hobart. So when, in 1938, she was urged to take on duties of another high office-that of American Vice-President to Fidac, she accepted without question.
"Patriotism is not just being. It's doing" says Edith Irwin Hobart.
MRS. ARTHUR W. HUSE
MRS. ARTHUR W. HUSE, 100 Grace St., Elyria, is president of the Middle-North district of Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs, to which she was elected in 1937 for a 3 year term. She was district chairman of General Federation Foundation Fund of Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs 1937-38, has been a member of Elyria Woman's Club, Inc., which was organized in 1908, for 28 years and is a past president of Lakeside Federation of Women's Clubs.
Mrs. Huse helped to organize and is a charter member of Elyria Chapter of Daughters of American Revolution, was chapter regent 1933-38 and was Ohio D. A. R. state chairman of Americanism 1935-38.
For the past 22 years Mrs. Huse has been chairman of Elyria Musical Art society, Choral Department, she is a past president of Four O'Clock, a
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literary club, a member of First Congregational church and has been resident of Elyria for 29 years, coming to this Ohio city from Newburyport, Mass.
ANNA B. JOHNSON
In every community are people who become the potent factors in bringing about improvement and development along lines which make for permanent good. and it is in this connection that mention should be made of ANNA B. JOHNSON, whose contributions to public progress have been made along edu- cational, musical, health and civic lines in a very definite and resultant way, so that Springfield has greatly benefitted by her efforts.
Born December 22, 1862, in the city which is still her place of residence, Anna B. Johnson is a daughter of James and Catherine (Eby) Johnson, the former a native of Donegal, Ireland, and the latter of Charleston, Virginia. The father left the Emerald Isle when a small boy in company with his parents, who resided for a short time in the state of New York, and then removed to a farm in Clark county, Ohio, where James Johnson grew to manhood. He became one of the leading contractors and builders in south central Ohio, erecting many of the larger buildings in Springfield in his time. At one time he served as postmaster of the city and he was one of the best known men of Springfield, where he was affectionately termed "Uncle Jimmie", for his sterling qualities endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. He held membership in the Methodist church, to the teachings of which he was ever loyal. He was married in Springfield to Catherine Eby, who went with her parents from Charleston, Virginia to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the family afterward removing to Clark county, Ohio, where her father engaged in mer- chandising until his death. Mrs. Johnson survived her husband for some time and she too was a member of the Methodist church.
Miss Johnson spent her girlhood days in Springfield, attending the public schools until graduated from high school with the class of 1880. Two years later she was graduated from the Springfield Seminary and next attended Vassar College for a time, after which she returned to Springfield Seminary as a teacher. In time she became owner and principal of the Seminary, which she conducted until 1912, when she went to Europe, turning her school over to the Young Women's Christian Association. She traveled abroad for a year, making her headquarters in Paris, France, and following her return she was elected president of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs.
Since that time Miss Johnson has taken a very active part in furthering public projects. In 1917 she went to Youngstown, Ohio, to organize women for war work, forming the National League for Women's Service, which shipped clothing to France. She has not only been president of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs but in 1921 was elected president of the City Federation of Women's Clubs, doing much to direct organized effort into
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channels through which flows the greatest and most permanent good for the greatest number. In musical circles too her labors have been most effective. She has been instrumental in securing outstanding orchestra, vocalist and other musical artists to appear here, gaining the very best talent. For many years she has been president of the library board of Springfield; has taken a very active part in promoting the old age pension; has served on the build- ing committee of the Clark County Tuberculosis Sanitarium, and for a num- ber of years has been on the board of that institution. She is now secretary of the Clark County Public Health League and secretary of the Woman's Town Club. Thus her activities have covered a wide scope and she has used her talents and her qualities of leadership wisely and well.
LUCY BROWNE JOHNSTON
LUCY BROWNE JOHNSTON (Mrs. William Agnew Johnston) educator and clubwoman, was born at Camden in 1846, the daughter of Robert Henning and Margaret Wright Browne. She attended Western Female Seminary, now Western College, by which she was presented the honorary degree, Litt. in 1921. She married William Agnew Johnston of Minneapolis, Kansas, who became Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.
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