USA > Ohio > Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state, Volume I > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
HAZEL CLARKE WITCHNER
HAZEL CLARKE WITCHNER has been untiring in her efforts for the public good, working in connection with women's clubs, patriotic organizations and civic societies and also with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
362
WOMEN OF OHIO
She has been a lifelong resident of Toledo and is a daughter of John W. and Amelia K. (Beyer) Clarke. While spending her girlhood days under the parental roof she attended the grade schools and in due time was graduated from Central high school.
It was in 1908 that Hazel Clarke became the wife of Robert W. Witchner, a native of Tiffin, Ohio, where he was reared and educated. For twenty-three years he has been connected with the De Vilbiss Company of Toledo. Mrs. Witchner's father was a well known artist and in her girlhood she took up the study of art, especially ceramics and sculpture. She studied the former in Detroit, Michigan and was an art student in the schools of Toledo and also at the Toledo Museum of Art. She still does painting in watercolors, oil and pastel and has many beautiful specimens of her work, both paintings and sculpture in her home. She is a state director of art in Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs and she is a past president of the Toledo Federation of Woman's Clubs, having served from 1928 to 1930. For two years she was state chairman of conservation of the Ohio Federation and during her incum- bency she promoted the planting of Washington Memorial Grove in Ottawa Park, for which the club women have provided perpetual care.
Mrs. Witchner is also a recognized leader in the Woman's Educational Club and has for some time been its president and has recently been elected to this office, while just a short time ago she put on a recital for the Chorus of this organization. She is likewise state chairman of art for the Woman's Educational Club. She was the organizer and served as president of the Soteria Club, which was formed for the conservation of all things beautiful and was the outgrowth of a division of the work of conservation of the Toledo Federated Clubs. She has membership in the Samagama Club, composed of former club presidents and she is a past president of the Toledo Federation of Women's Clubs, is also a member of the Toledo Woman's Club, the Toledo Housewives League and is a charter member of both the Toledo Delphian Society and the Parkside Garden Club. She is connected with the Toledo Museum of Art and is a graduate of the Institute of Musical Art, having studied the piano and voice, being for ten years a pupil of Carl Coppas.
In addition to all her other activities Mrs. Witchner has been an active temperance worker and was president of the Norwood Woman's Christian Temperance Union for five years and was the organizer of the Anna Gordon W. C. T. U. of this district, while recently she retired from the presidency of the Lucas County organization after serving for four and a half years. She has been elected and is now serving as state secretary of the Loyal Temperance Legion. She belongs to the Chapter of the Woman's Relief Corps, to the Rebekah Lodge, auxiliary of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a past officer and charter member of the True Kindred and formed the first lodge in Ohio. Her name is also on the roster of Service Star Chapter, No. 1,
363
WOMEN OF OHIO
of the American Legion auxiliary. She belongs to St. John's Methodist church and its Woman's Foreign Missionary Society and is a member of the Toledo Council of Missionary Women.
Mrs. Witchner taught art to adults for many years and has a fine studio in her own home. She also has a recreation room, where every Monday she teaches a class of eighty children. She helped to organize and is a member of the Toledo Motion Picture Council and she is serving on the board of the Woman's Protective Association. Her interests thus cover a wide scope and have ever been of a most constructive and beneficial nature, touching the gen- eral interests of society and always for the uplift of the individual.
MARIA STORTS ALLEN
MARIA STORTS ALLEN was actually a first generation Daughter of the American Revolution. In fact, she was Ohio's only first generation daughter when the organization was founded in 1890.
Mrs. Allen was a daughter of Private John Jacob Storts who joined Washington's army at Red Hill, Pennsylvania, when he was fifteen years of age. Private Storts saw five years of service under the great American gen- eral. When the war was over, he married and settled down to a sober and industrious life on a farm near Red Hill, where he planned to spend the rest of his days. However, the sudden and tragic death of his wife changed his plans ; and a short time after his bereavement he joined a company of friends who were migrating westward. Storts settled near New Lexington where he married again.
Maria, the youngest of five children of this second marriage, was born in 1842; she scarcely remembered her soldier father, since she was only seven years old when he died. But she had reason to remember all her life through the struggles which she and her brothers and sisters and their widowed mother endured to maintain the land which her father had taken up in Perry County.
At the age of 22 she married John W. Allen of Portersville, and eleven children were born to their union. Her husband was selected by the govern- ment to aid in the protection of the defenseless during the raids with which Morgan and his men used to terrorize southern Ohio. During these times Maria was often left alone with her young children, whom she declared she taught to snatch up and hide at the first sign of trouble the few valuables which the household boasted.
When Mrs. Allen was 68 years old, she took her first airplane ride, which she described as a first-rate experience and not at all terrifying.
She died in November 1932.
364
WOMEN OF OHIO
MRS. MARY WOLLERMAN, of Toledo, is Worthy Grand Matron for Ohio of the Order of the Eastern Star, one of the leading women's fraternities of the United States.
MRS. GERTRUDE HOFFNER, of Cincinnati, is Deputy Grand Matron of the 20th District.
MRS. MINERVA GOEHLER, of Norwood, Ohio, is state president of the Daughters of Rebekah, women's branch of the organization of Odd Fellows.
MRS. HELEN HOWARD, of Columbus, Ohio, is Ohio state president of the Daughters of Isabella, outstanding fraternal organization of Catholic women.
WOMEN'S GREEK LETTER SOCIETIES
By MARY LOVE COLLINS, Cincinnati
Four of the 23 collegiate Greek letter societies for women have their national headquarters in Ohio; Chi Omega and Delta Zeta in Cincinnati; Kappa Kappa Gamma in Columbus and Alpha Xi Delta in Mansfield.
One of these, Delta Zeta, was founded at Miami University. All of the twenty-three societies have chapters at one or more colleges and universities in Ohio. These colleges and universities are: Miami, Ohio State, Ohio, Cin- cinnati, Wesleyan, Wittenberg, Denison, Akron, Marietta and Baldwin- Wallace.
The Greek letter society movement in the United States had its inception for men at a time when discussions were intense about creating an American democracy. The first of these groups was Phi Beta Kappa, founded in 1776.
Since the Greek letter society is group relationship at the college level, its function to develop the individual in the social setting of the group, it might be called the forerunner of all the present youth movements.
But although the active chapters are in colleges and universities the alumnal groups are also well organized.
In the United States there are 1150 chapters in colleges and universities and 2050 alumnae groups of the women's Greek letter societies. Their total membership is 400,000.
In addition to these collegiate social Greek letter societies there are a large number of professional and honorary societies having Greek letter names. These groups represent almost every vocational field, and have as members many of the most successful persons in every line of human endeavor.
Women's Greek letter and related societies with one or more Ohio officers are, as of March 1939-
Delta Gamma-President, Miss Marguerite Dawson Winnatt, 235 W. 75th St., New York City.
365
WOMEN OF OHIO
Delta Omicron-President, Mrs. Alma K. Wright, Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio. Vice-President, Erdine M. Francis, 3381 N. High St., Colum- bus, Ohio.
Delta Phi Epsilon-President, Felice Rokeach, 805 St. Marks Ave., Brook- lyn, N. Y.
Delta Psi Kappa-President, Mrs. Alice Drake, 101 E. Avenue East Ave., Los Angeles, Calif.
Delta Sigma Epsilon-President, Mrs. Robert S. Hill, 816 Columbus St., Rapid City, S. D. Secretary, Mary E. Warren, 406 South Rampart Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif.
Delta Zeta-President, Mrs. John W. Pease, 4719 Winton Road, Cincin- nati, Ohio.
Gamma Alpha Chi-President, Norma Carpenter Wayne. Secretary, Taina E. Nelson, 305 Boylston, Seattle, Wash.
Gamma Phi Beta Intl .- President, Mrs. Arthur Hoffman, 5035 Aldridge Ave., South, Minneapolis, Minn. Secretary, Mrs. L. A. White, 55 E. Wash. St., Chicago, Ill.
Hadassah-President, Edward Jacobs, 115 5th Ave., New York.
Iota Sigma Phi-President, Dr. Genevieve Stearns, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Secretary, Helen Norris Moore, University of Cincinnati.
Iota Tau Tau (Legal)-Dean, Mrs. Agnes Defoor, 468 Delmont Drive, N. E., Atlanta, Ga.
Kappa Alpha Theta-President, Mrs. George Banta, Jr., 350 Park St., Menasha, Wis. Secretary, Pearl Green, 13 E. Ave., Ithaca, N. Y.
Kappa Beta Pi (Legal)-Grand Dean, Mrs. Evangeline Fahy, 188 Ran- dolph St., Chicago, Ill.
Kappa Delta Epsilon-President, Dorothy Orr, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga. Secretary, Mary E. Webb, State Normal University, Normal, Ill.
Kappa Kappa Gamma-President, Eleanor V. V. Bennet, 385 Estudillo Ave., San Eldrio, Calif. Ex. Secretary, Clare Pierce, 404 Ohio State Savings Bldg., Columbus, Ohio.
Kappa Omicron Phi-President, Hettie M. Anthony, 212 North Ave., Marysville, Mo.
Lambda Kappa Sigma-President, Norma C. Wells, 1338 Sherman Ave., Alameda, Calif.
Medical Women's National Assn .- President, Dr. Lena K. Sadler, 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago, Ill. First Vice-President, Dr. Helena T. Ratter- man, 126 E. Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mu Phi Epsilon-President, Mrs. D. P. King, Macphail School of Music, Minneapolis, Minn. Secretary, Mrs. C. E. Geiser, 4719 Hamilton Ave., Cin- cinnati, Ohio.
Omega Epsilon (Dramatic)-President, Virginia Payne, 14 W. Elm St .. Chicago, Ill. Vice-President, Hazel W. Wallace, 350 Tibet Rd., Columbus, Ohio.
366
WOMEN OF OHIO
Omicron Nu-President, Nat L. Giddings, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
Order of the Eastern Star-Worthy Grand Matron, Mrs. Frances Haun, Milan, Tenn. Grand Secretary, Masonic Temple, 13th St. and New York Ave., Washington, D. C.
Osteopathic Women's National Assn .- President, Helen M. Giddings, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. Secretary-Treasurer, Grace P. Plude, 224 Gor- don Arcade, Cleveland, Ohio.
P. E. O. Sisterhood-President, Mabel Doud, 140 Commonwealth Ave .. Aurora, Ill.
Phi Beta-President, H. E. Stevenson, 6322 North Albany St., Chicago, Ill.
Phi Chi Theta-President, Ida Bell Tremayne, 2015 N. W. Flanders St., Portland, Oregon.
Phi Delta Delta (Legal)-President, Florence Selander, 625 N. Y. Life Bldg., Minneapolis, Minn. Second Vice-President, Miss Cornelia Leary, 2600 Observatory Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio.
Phi Delta Gamma-President, Dr. E. J. Barnes, Grenwood Terrace Apts., Jenkinton, Pa. First Vice-President, Dr. Norma C. Furtos, 2300 Delaware Drive, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Phi Delta Pi-President, Hazel C. Orr, 1319 Avon Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Phi Gamma Nu-President, Mary Musgrave, Temple University, Phila- delphia, Pa.
Phi Nu-President, Mary B. Merritt, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla. First Vice-President, Mrs. E. V. Rasmussen, 16080 Glynn Road, E. Cleve- land, Ohio.
Phi Nu Gamma-President, Bertha B. Hartley, 1088 Plainfield St., Provi- dence, R. I.
Alpha Xi Delta-President, Mrs. C. Arthur Carlson, Collingswood Road, Columbus, Ohio. Secretary, Mrs. Anna Knote, 119 Carpenter Road, Mans- field, Ohio.
Association of American Dentists-President, Dr. Geneva Groth, 1301 Medical Arts Bldg., Philadelphia, Pa. Secretary-Treasurer, Dr. E. Pearl Bishop, 316 Republic Bldg., Denver, Colo.
Association of Bank Women-President, Susan B. Sturgis, 1st National Bank, Boston, Mass. Treasurer, Miss Sarah J. Macleod, Society for Savings. Cleveland, Ohio.
Beta Phi Alpha-President, Mrs. Alice Hanson Jones, 912 19th St., North West, Washington, D. C.
Beta Phi Omicron-President, Miss Dorothy Brandon, 2110 State St., New Orleans, La. Alumnae Secretary, Mrs. C. E. Weisell, 3643 Lindholm Road, Cleveland, Ohio.
Chi Omega-President and Executive, Mary Love Collins, 26 Cooper Bldg., Hyde Park. Cincinnati. Vice-President, Frances Dyer Lyon, 3590 Montieth Ave., Hyde Park, Cincinnati.
367
WOMEN OF OHIO
Delta Delta Delta-President, Mrs. Joseph D. Grisby, 3815 Cathedral Ave., N. W., Washington, D. C. Vice-President, Mrs. B. M. Richardson, 71 Jewett Drive, Wyoming, Ohio.
Alpha Alpha Gamma-President, Irene McFaul, 3548 East Huntington, San Gabriel, Calif. Secretary, Laurie Cliett, 219 East Elm St., Hillsboro, Texas.
Alpha Phi Alpha-President, Rita Padway, 1808 Angelo Drive, Beverley Hills, Calif. Secretary, Jeanne Kerney, 409 3rd St., N. W., Watertown, S. D.
Alpha Delta Pi-President, Mrs. Joseph E. Hubbard, 3 Frost St., Cam- bridge, Mass. Ex. Secretary, Mrs. Thomas Harris, Jr., Hotel Claremont, Berkeley, Calif.
Alpha Epsilon Iota-President, Dr. Margaret Reynolds, 3547 Eightieth St., Jackson Heights, New York. Secretary, Dr. Luvia Willard, 14749 84th Road, Jamaica, New York.
Alpha Epsilon Phi-President, Elizabeth Eldridge, 511 Shook Ave., San Antonio, Texas.
Alpha Gamma Delta International-President, Mrs. Chandler T. Jones, 126 Aurora St., Hudson, Ohio. Secretary-Louis Leonard, 150 Claremont Ave., New York City.
Alpha Omicron Pi-President, Mrs. Arnold K. Anderson, 127 S. Sparks St., State College, Pa.
Alpha Phi International-President, Mrs. Philip W. Gordon. Secretary- Treasurer, Eileen Kinnane, Detroit, Mich.
Alpha Sigma Alpha-President, Mrs. Wilma Sharp, 1405 Hardy Ave .. Independence, Mo. Secretary, Leona Wilcox, 1904 44th St., Des Moines, Iowa.
Alpha Sigma Tau-President, Mrs. H. E. Steehle, Clinton Heights, Colum- bus, Ohio. Secretary, Mary Jane Manchester.
Phi Omega Pi-President, Mrs. Genevieve Turnipseed, University of Ore- gon, Eugene, Oregon.
Phi Sigma Sigma-Grand Archon, Mrs. Harold Fendler, Pershing Square Bldg., Los Angeles, Calif.
Phi Epsilon Omicron-President, Dr. Winona Morgan, Ohio State Uni- versity.
Phi Alpha Tau-Chancellor, Miss Estelle Lavitt, 125 Northern Ave .. New York City.
Pi Beta Phi-President, Mrs. Army B. Onken, Chapin, Ill.
Pi Delta Theta-President, Mrs. Volney Jones, Museums, Ann Arbor, Mich. Register-Helen Bremer, Massilon, Ohio.
Pi Kappa Sigma-President, Mrs. C. P. Neidig, 3620 Paxton Road, Cincin- nati, Ohio. Central Office, 1st National Bank Bldg., Cincinnati, Ohio.
Pi Lambda Theta-President, Bess Goodyknootz, Office of Education, Washington, D. C. Secretary, Mrs. Katherine Greene, Broadway. Ann Arbor. Mich.
1
1
368
WOMEN OF OHIO
Sigma Alpha Iota-President, Gertrude Evans, 614 E. Seneca St., Ithaca, N. Y.
Sigma Delta Epsilon-President, Dr. Edna Mosher, Aldelphi College, Garden City, N. Y.
Sigma Delta Tau-President, Miriam S. Levy, 6629 Wayne Ave., Phila- delphia, Pa.
Sigma Epsilon Sigma-Secretary, Margaret Halbert, Shorewood Hills, Madison, Wis.
Sigma Iota Chi-Grand Worthy Matron, Mrs. A. E. Bott, 1317 Penn Ave., E. St. Louis, Ill.
Sigma Kappa-President, Audrey Dikeman, 6244 North Oakley Ave., Chicago, Ill.
Sigma Sigma Sigma-President, Mabel Lee Walton, Woodstock, Va.
Sigma Theta Tau-President. Florence Parisa, Minneapolis General Hos- pital, Minneapolis, Minn.
Theta Sigma Phi-President, Gladys Henderson, 1709 Brazos St., Austin, Texas.
Theta Epsilon-President, Mrs. Wm. Fletcher, 19413 Argyle Oval, Rocky River, Ohio.
Epsilon Alpha (Dental)-President, Dr. Beulah Nelson, 105 S. Ashland Blvd., Chicago Ill.
Zeta Nu Epsilon-President, Miss Jo Flanagan, Independence, Mo.
Zeta Pi Eta-1st Vice Archon, Pearl Bennett Broxam, Extension Divi- sion, University of Iowa.
Zeta Tau Alpha-President, Mrs. Albert Hillix, 417 W. 68th St., Kansas City, Mo. Vice-President, Mrs. David Ott, Lyndhurst Village, Ohio.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Women in Suffrage and Political Education
CHAPTER EIGHT
WOMEN IN SUFFRAGE AND POLITICAL EDUCATION
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
By BELLE SHERWIN Former President, National League of Women Voters
If a Gallup poll had been taken in Ohio in 1920-21 on the purpose of the League of Women Voters, then just launched, the general public would have replied that it was unknown; the politicians that it was a chimera because voters of all parties could never be united.
On the other hand, the political scientists and the then few-and somewhat wearied-organizations interested in government might have said they hailed the League with great expectations, as a new Richard in the field; the majority of women who heard of the League could have said it was a present help in taking a troubled part, for the first time, in a Presidential election ; the suffragists and the leaders attracted by the League would have said it was a new hope for democracy by way of the education of a large body of the electorate.
Questioned further on what the League would be and do, only its leaders would have answered. Even they would have agreed that only time could tell the way of unpartisan, popular, political education. They did say this frankly-and that they could not predict the future of the League. But its why and wherefore were clear-women with new opportunity and power needed to become accustomed, confident in a new field, and to take a responsible part in it for the public interest.
There was an exhilarating rising tide of interest and belief among the closer observers of the League when it met in Cleveland in 1921 for the first convention, after its organization in Chicago. An onlooker likened it to the first Continental Congress. The members of the
371
372
WOMEN OF OHIO
League were full of new faith and resolution. Their convention speeches were eager, ringing with hope and ambitious purpose.
"Our aims are still largely possibilities, hopes, ideals," said Mrs. Maud Wood Park, in her first presidential address. "They will not become realities without hardships and disappointments." And she proceeded to set the League to work.
Already Elizabeth Hauser of Girard, O., had, through correspond- ence as a Regional Director of the National League, related many of the women well known to her through the suffrage movement in Ohio, to the new Ohio League. Its first president, AMY MAHER, of Toledo, began at once to teach the local leagues in Ohio how to work in support of a chosen federal measure. As soon as the 1920 Presidential election was ended, the League's legislative workers in Washington undertook to tell Congress what the women of the new league wanted for mothers and babies as embodied in the famous Sheppard-Towner Bill, then on its first course through the Congress. Miss Maher and some fifteen members of the League from many states worked day by day with Mrs. Park in Washington, keeping in touch with the new local Leagues, to inform their members and to get help from them in increasing the volume of opinion in favor of the Act.
So the League in Ohio began the development of organization through the states and the interlocking work of education through participation in legislation, the support of legislation because of edu- cation.
It was in Cleveland shortly after, in the office of one of the na- tional vice presidents, Belle Sherwin, that a beginning was made on the new long list of creditable publications which have given the League a base for organized study leading to action. It is truly significant that the first publication was a modest leaflet on the "Merit System," which is today the first objective in the program of the League throughout the country-as Qualified Personnel in Government Service. The grad- ual progress of the League and the need for a political education which continues and which clamors for a future of wider influence could hardly have more obvious evidence.
Mrs. Simon Ross, of Cincinnati, is president of the Ohio League of Women Voters. Mrs. C. C. Shively, of Columbus, is first vice pres-
373
WOMEN OF OHIO
ident; Mrs. James T. Hoffman, of Cleveland, second vice president, and Mrs. Francis Walters, Jr., of Youngstown, third vice president. Mrs. U. V. Portman of Cleveland is secretary and Mrs. John Colville Taylor of Cincinnati is treasurer.
Members of the advisory committee are Mrs. Robert A. Taft and Miss Agnes Hilton, of Cincinnati; Mrs. Lucia Johnson Bing, of Athens; Mrs. Ralph Daniells, of Toledo; Mrs. H. E. Freeman of Springfield; Mrs. Harry N. Holmes, of Oberlin; Mrs. Frank Melampy, Dayton; and Miss Belle Sherwin, Cleveland.
ETHEL METZ BOOKMAN
ETHEL METZ BOOKMAN (Mrs. Clarence Monroe Bookman) wife of the executive director of the Community Chest of Cincinnati, was born at Newark, Ohio, the daughter of J. Frederick and Mary Pyle Metz. During her long residence in Cincinnati, Mrs. Bookman has served with distinction on the board of directors of the Girl Scouts of Hamilton County ; the Woman's City Club; the Cincinnati League of Women Voters and has acted as presi- dent of the Audubon Society of Ohio for a number of years.
She is a past president and also a former treasurer of the Ohio League of Women Voters.
Especially interested in the program for an improved civil service law for Ohio, she has played an important part, as representative of the League of Women Voters, on the recently formed Civil Service Council of Ohio.
OLIVE A. COLTON
OLIVE A. COLTON, one of Toledo's outstanding citizens, was placed on the State Roll of Honor by the Toledo League of Women Voters of which she was inspirational genius since its organization.
She was a vice president during the first three years of its existence, was president for two years and has since been a director.
At the annual meeting of the Toledo League, Miss Colton was elected honorary president for life. She was a member of the state board for two years and has served the State and National League in various ways.
Miss Colton has contributed articles on Peace, Adventures of a Woman Voter, and Adventures in Philanthropy to Scribner's, the Outlook, and the Survey.
She has helped to bring about a Domestic Relations Court in Lucas County ; to bring about a street trades ordinance for Toledo; to bring an end to the discriminatory compulsory examination of women vice offenders; and is one of Toledo's most ardent workers for World Peace.
374
WOMEN OF OHIO
Miss Colton is a trustee of the Consumer's League and Treasurer of the Information Bureau of Woman's Work.
MAUDE NEELY ROSS
MAUDE NEELY ROSS (Mrs. Simon Ross), of Terrace Park, near Cin- cinnati, president of the Ohio League of Women Voters, was born in Cov- ington, Ky., the daughter of the late Winfield Scott Neely, attorney, and Frances Romaine Neely, who went to Kentucky from New Philadelphia, O., in the early seventies.
Mrs. Ross became identified with volunteer social service in Hamilton County after her marriage to Simon Ross, of Cincinnati, now judge of the Court of Appeals. Work in occupational therapy at Longview Hospital for the Insane, in which a group from the Terrace Park Garden Club took effi- cient part, challenged her earnest interest.
This concern deepened as her contacts increased through participation in various mental hygiene projects initiated by a number of organizations in different parts of the state and when possible she utilized individual opportunity for lessening the mental suffering and thus promoting the cure of women at Longview.
For instance-it was near Christmas. Something had to be done about the old lady who was grieving her heart out, brooding over the Christmas times of long ago, when she was in her own home with her children around her. She was a fine old lady and rational most of the time but subject to dangerous lapses of acute melancholia. What the old lady obviously needed was a real Christmas.
Mrs. Ross determined that she should have it. But suppose a suicidal impulse suddenly seized the patient while she was out on probation ? Members of the family of Maude Ross stressed the folly, however well intentioned, of deliberately assuming so vital a responsibility. They did not mince words. Their protests were in vain. Mrs. Ross, it seemed, had made up her mind. So, with assent of the proper authorities, Mrs. Ross was made legal guardian for the holidays of her Longview protege, who then went as guest to the Ross home at Terrace Park.
It was impressed on everybody that the old lady was to be treated exactly like any other guest. She must be spared excitement as much as possible but otherwise should be given every opportunity of forgetting that she was anywhere but back in her own dear past.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.