USA > Ohio > Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state, Volume II > Part 10
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One can easily appreciate the asset to the community of such a person as Maria Boyle Ewing. Having so much in common with her husband and sharing in so many of the delightful and informative conversations engaged in by him and his friends in governmental circles, it is not hard to imagine that here was a woman not only cultured and spiritually minded, but well informed and civic purposed as well.
Mark and Samuel Howe conducted a private school in Lancaster by the time Ellen was ready for school and with other children of the community she attended this school. Latin and Greek as well as the common branches were taught by these brothers and in between times Ellen attended a French School for the study of French and music.
She was later placed in the school at Somerset, Ohio, conducted by the Sisters of Saint Dominic while her parents were in Washington.
But Ellen had been accustomed to a rather care-free life, and no doubt the strict discipline of a boarding school for girls palled on her. When given permission one day to accompany another student to the postoffice to get the convent mail, she noted the stage coach standing in front of the tavern, jumped in, and hid herself in back of the stage.
It so happened that an uncle was a passenger on the stage. He took charge of Ellen and escorted her to her home. It was a much chagrined girl who returned to school after a few days. The coolness with which she was received by the Sister in charge was sufficient punishment. Ellen never played truant again.
She later went to school to the Visitation Nuns at Georgetown, a suburb of Washington, D. C. and it was while a student here that she became an aide for the Catholic Church in Ohio.
In the meantime, Catholics of Lancaster had outgrown the old log cabin church and a new one was being built. Maria Boyle Ewing was one of the prominent movers in the project. She organized the women of the community to sew on altar linens and vestments. They also gave a financial contribution which made it possible for the new church to be plastered and made ready for use, long before the scheduled time.
Ellen was the shopper for the family while in Washington and almost every letter from her mother brought forth a request for something or other and ended always with an appeal for her to solicit aid for "our poor struggl- ing church."
In the meantime, "Cumpy" Sherman had been sent to West Point, was graduated and received an army assignment. Correspondence between Ellen
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and "Cumpy" continued. Ellen, like her mother, grew up to be devout, civic minded, and deeply interested in affairs of government and church. She was the soul of culture and great dignity and charm.
Ellen's school days ended in February, 1842, and she returned home with her father, the proud possessor of two gold medals, one for music, as she was an accomplished harpist, and another for "superior excellence" in the senior circle, and still another award in drawing.
Ellen began to take over the responsibilities of the household, since her mother now was ill a great deal of the time. As one of her daily tasks, she took care of the altars at Saint Mary's Church across the way from her home, and placed fresh flowers daily upon the altars.
Ellen and her mother visited the poor of the city, and on more than one occasion when the mother in the family died, it was not unusual for the Ewings, mother and daughter, to bundle up the children and bring them to their home until some disposition could be made for them. Some of these became permanent guests. It became necessary to enlarge the house; the stables, and on some occasions, Mr. Ewing's law offices, were taken possession of in order to keep children from the alms house or orphanage.
Mrs. Ewing and her husband traveled to Cincinnati in November of 1845 to attend the dedication of the new Saint Peter's Cathedral there, and she wrote a glowing account of the ceremonies to Ellen. "To give you any idea of the splendor of the Church, the heavenly music, the grand and imposing ceremony would be impossible. Therefore I will not attempt it. I will tell you all the rest of the news when I write again."
The dedication ceremonies must have carried over for some time, because Mrs. Ewing writes again: "I have been so busy attending church that I have not had time to go to the mantua makers to see about fashions and to get patterns. We have three or four Masses every morning, and a sermon every evening since Sunday. We have had a great and glorious time. I do not ever expect to be again so happy on earth as I have been in the past week."
When women went traveling in those days they kept in mind the interests of their neighbors and friends. On this same visit to Cincinnati, she informs Ellen that she does not notice any difference in the styles worn in Cincinnati from those worn at home in Lancaster, and then she writes: "Tell Louise I could not advise her how to have her dress made to be most in style." She continued-"dresses are worn shorter than formerly, two wide flounces are used frequently ; waists are very long, very high in the neck; tight sleeves with trimming running up them to the elbow (or cut with scallops laced to- gether with a cord) and a white undersleeve of course all the way down."
About the same time that Maria Boyle Ewing was starting her work for the Catholic Church in Southern Ohio, two other women, MARGARET SHEHY McALLISTER and MARY SHEHY WOODS, daughters of Daniel
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Shehy, who settled in Youngstown, Ohio in 1796, were beginning their work for the Church.
On Father Fenwick's first visit to the northeastern section of Ohio, said to be about 1817, he found a colony of Irish and German Catholics near Dungannon. They had come from the Allegheny mountain regions. Some had emigrated from Europe and were employed on the Ohio River canal. He offered Mass and administered the Sacraments in a frame house of Daniel McAllister, which still stands in Dungannon, in Columbiana County, a short distance from the Ohio River.
Daniel McAllister's wife, Margaret Shehy, was the daughter of Daniel Shehy, who settled in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1796. Shehy had emigrated from Ireland. He had the background for the study of law, a study which he pursued in New York while employed as a court clerk. He was also a surveyor and so, when John Young purchased from the Connecticut Land Company the land which now constitutes Youngstown, and is named for John Young, Shehy was induced by Young to accompany him as a surveyor and to locate in the township.
Shehy is believed to have been a member of the surveying party which accompanied Moses Cleaveland to the Western Reserve to plot out the land in the Western Reserve area. It is for this Moses Cleaveland that the city of Cleveland is named.
With $2,000 in gold, Shehy purchased 1,000 acres of land in Youngstown Township from John Young, 400 acres were on the north side of the Mahoning River, and 600 acres on the south side.
Shehy's great great granddaughter, GERTRUDE WOODS GREINER, of Youngstown, in a brief history of the Shehy family in Youngstown and in Ohio, describes the first cabin of her ancestor as "made of rough logs, about 16 by 20 feet, one story high, all in one room, which served as a kitchen, sitting and bed room. The space between the logs being well filled with clay mortar, made it warm. The big open fireplace, five or six feet wide, a good devourer of wood. The chimney outside the walls, made of split lath, well mortared. The roof made of clapboards, three or four feet long, weighed down with rough logs. Shingles were a thing unknown, as there were no nails to put them on. One door opening and one window. The first season the only door was a quilt, as there was no boards to make one. The floor was made of split logs, dressed level. When they got a door of boards, it was hung with wooden hinges and wooden laths with a string through to the outside. No locks were needed in those days except a pin over the latch at night to keep wild animals out."
It was to this house that Daniel Shehy brought his bride, Jane MeLain, whom he met in Beaver, when he had gone with others of the settlers to celebrate the Fourth of July. She was born in Westmoreland County and her people located in what is now known as Pittsburgh. The honeymoon trip
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from Beaver to Youngstown was on horseback, both of them riding Shehy's horse.
Catherine Shehy, their daughter, was born in 1799 and is believed to be the first white child born in Youngstown, Ohio. She married Neil Campell.
Other children born were Robert in 1801, Mary, wife of William Woods in 1803, John, born 1805, Daniel Jr., 1808, Margaret, wife of Daniel McAl- lister, 1810, Lucious, 1813, James, 1816 and Jane, wife of John Lett, 1818.
As the Shehy family increased, they built near the same place, a double log house, two stories high, or rather two houses, with a six foot hall between them, in the custom of that day. The hall was open at one end and here were deposited the riding and pack saddles, axes and other tools and an endless assortment of bric-a-bac. Shehy and his family lived in this house until his death in 1834 at the age of 75 years.
In this primitive forest of Youngstown, wild animals and a subdued but not an entirely defeated band of Indians roamed. Women lived constantly in fear during the absence of their husbands from home for one particular trait of the Indians was to await the departure of the husbands on a long journey to incite fear in the wife and her children.
On one such occasion, two Indians called at the Shehy home, struck a tomahawk in a log and went into the cabin. They looked into every corner of the house, examined the crib in which Mrs. Shehy's two babies were sleeping, fondled them, and then left saying that they would do no harm. Their quest was for salt, a scarce commodity, and very expensive, as it sold for $10 per bushel.
Part of the time of the early settlers was given to following the trails of animals in search for salt springs. Otherwise all salt had to be hauled by wagon over the mountains. So scarce a commodity was it, that with the discoveries of salt springs in Ohio, the government decreed that these should be set aside for all of the people in order to prevent a monopoly. The gov- ernment not only refused to sell the lands but also reserved a sufficient amount of timber about each salt spring as to afford plenty of wood for fire with which to boil down the brine.
Others from the Connecticut and Allegheny regions joined the Youngs- town colony and soon a thriving community was being developed. Forests were being cleared, saw mills erected. The men used the day time for tilling, building and repairing, and at night, wood fires served a double purpose, to clear the forests and to drive away the wild animals that could not stand the brilliant lights.
Mrs. Shehy became quite the aristocrat of the neighborhood when she came into possession of a hand mill with which to grind the corn for her family. It was much in use by her neighbors.
A distance of thirty miles to Beaver had to be traveled in the early days for the bare sustenances of life. All wearing apparel was of home spun, and traveling on foot or by horseback was the only mode of conveyance.
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Shehy, with others of the settlers, had difficulty with John Young over clear titles to the land which he purchased and this necessitated several trips back to Connecticut. The trips were made on foot and in the winter time, as it was the only time that he could be away from his work. Out of the 1,000 acres, when litigation was completed, he was allowed only 320 acres.
Upon the death of Daniel Shehy in 1834 he divided his property among his children. One of his daughters, MARY SHEHY WOODS, inherited an uncleared portion of its estate. When she had cleared and plotted it into lots, she gave a portion of it to the Valley Mill Company, now the Republic Steel Corporation, as an inducement towards developing an industrial area in the section. The mill was established. Her father and others of her family were honored long after in this connection, for in Youngstown, Ohio, today, such streets as Shehy, Emma, Albert are named for this family. A public school, Shehy School, is also named for Daniel Shehy.
Among the orphans who found refuge in the Ewing home at Lancaster, Ohio, were two, FANNY O'NEIL, whom Ellen Ewing regarded as a sister, as she was mothered by Mrs. Ewing almost from infancy, and ELIZA MARIA GILLESPIE, some eight months younger than Ellen, a daughter of John Purcell Gillespie, a first cousin of Ellen's mother.
Eliza Gillespie was born in Brownsville, Pa., and her childhood play- mate was "Jimmy" Blaine, her first cousin, who was later to become one of America's great statesmen.
Fanny O'Neil was born in Lancaster, Ohio. Eliza Gillespie, upon the death of her father in 1836, came to Lancaster, Ohio, to live with the Ewings. Eliza's mother later married William Phelan, who became one of the great benefactors of the Holy Cross order of Nuns at Notre Dame, Ind.
Fanny and Eliza both studied with the Dominican Sisters at Somerset, Ohio and Eliza later continued her studies with the Visitandines, a cloistered order of Nuns at Georgetown, D. C., in the same convent where her cousin, Ellen Ewing, was a student.
Both of these orphans carried from the Ewing home the religious and cultural atmosphere that dominated it and in their chosen fields were able to extend this influence beyond the borders of Ohio. Fanny O'Neil as SISTER ALOYSI of the Dominican Order of Nuns, was to be the first from Ohio to volunteer for work in education and orphanage care in the new diocese of Monterey, Cal., established in 1850, Eliza Maria Gillespie, as SISTER MARY ANGELA of the Holy Cross order of Notre Dame, Ind., made a name which still ranks high in the history of Catholic Education in America.
One of Sister Angela's biographers, a Sister of her community, writes of her : "Lives of the great as a rule leave little private history to record. Those who spend themselves for others have a beautiful inner life, of which only God can write the biography.
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"Among the American women who have done great things for God and country, for Mother Church and for the cause of Catholic education, Mother Mary Angela of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, ranks with the highest and noblest. The outer story of her life and its accomplishments is written across the United States, in schools, in orphan asylums, in hospitals, in homes wherein fine women do honor to the training received from the Sisters of the Holy Cross ; but the inner story of her life is written within the Book of Life by the Hand that is over and above the Universe."
Sister Angela was vested in the habit of the Holy Cross order March 19, 1853. and was immediately sent to France, where the Mother House of the Sisters was located, to make her novitiate (to prepare for full entrance into the religious life of the community) and to study at the same time the best methods of teaching the deaf and dumb. Upon her return from France in February, 1854. she was placed in charge of the school conducted by the Sisters, at their first American foundation, in Bertrand, Mich. Evidence of her unusual ability is noted in the fact that almost from her very entrance into this community she was a member of the administrative body of the Religious order, continued in this capacity until her death in 1887, and is regarded as the first American born foundress of the order.
She collaborated with Orestes Brownson, one of America's too little known philosophers, essayists and brilliant writers of Catholic Apologetics, in the compilation of text books for Catholic schools. She joined with her brother, Rev. Neil Gillespie and Father Edward Sorin, French born and founder of the Holy Cross order of Priests and Nuns in America, in establishing the magazine "Ave Maria" published at Notre Dame, Ind., a weekly which has appeared continuously since its founding in 1865.
When the Civil War broke out, Mother Angela, at the request of the U. S. Government, established three hospitals in Memphis. Tenn., for the care of wounded soldiers and she headed the army of 80 nurses who volun- teered for war services.
Of her service, General Grant wrote, "She is a woman of rare charm of manner, unusual ability and marvelous executive talent."
ELIZA ALLEN STARR, who was the first woman to receive the Laetare Medal from Notre Dame University, receiving this award in 1865, and who as a teacher of literature and director of art in St. Mary's at Notre Dame, Ind., was associated with Mother Angela, wrote of her:
"Who does not remember her, who saw her during those years, as a veritable inspiration, and recall the fact that, whether at St. Mary's or Chicago, Philadelphia or Washington (cities where schools of her Order were conducted), there was that in her presence which put the highest ideals of education before directresses, teachers and pupils ?
"School books-a whole series, according to the best models in use, adapted to all the grades of the schools taught by the Order, academic or
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parochial-were in progress; the deaf-mutes were under instruction, and she seemed perfectly absorbed in the work of Catholic Education when the beat of the drum, calling on the nation to arm for the defense of 'the Stars and Stripes,' broke the stillness of the seclusion even of St. Mary's."
Another biographer wrote:
"The good done by Mother Angela and Her Sisters who served as nurses during the Civil War can be humanly estimated only by the suffering soldiers in the warehouses and sheds that masqueraded as hospitals. This period is another chapter written for Heaven's eyes only."
In the interest of her Religious community Mother Angela traveled abroad frequently, and St. Mary's College at St. Mary's, Ind., today bears eloquent testimony to her exquisite and artistic taste, in the rare paintings, tapestries and other works of art of which the Sisters are the proud owners.
Despite her 34 years of arduous service in the Church, she was known to say frequently before her death : "Oh, I greatly fear the judgment of God and unless I am aided by the charity of others, what shall I do? My soul is filled with terror when I think how worse than empty handed I am."
Fanny O'Neil as Sister Aloysi of the Dominican Order was to make a name for herself, in her quiet, patient and gentle care of the orphans.
In her work, she had the cooperation of Ellen Ewing, who as the wife of General Sherman lived for awhile in San Francisco, and became one of the great benefactors of the orphanage of which Sister Aloysi was a part.
Upon one occasion, Ellen Ewing Sherman was responsible for raising $9,000 on a bazaar given for the benefit of the orphanage, and of the $100.00 given her by General Sherman to spend at the bazaar, she said, "money went pretty fast, buying ice cream at one dollar a glass and coffee at fifty cents a cup.''
Ellen wrote to her mother in Lancaster, that she was "too anxious to save money and get home to indulge in such a luxury-unless invited, as I was today, by one who is here for life." For to Ellen, Fanny's wish was law-Fanny, her girlhood companion, who had dedicated her life to the care of the orphans in the Monterey diocese.
FRANCISCAN ORDERS
The rule of "The Poor Man of Assisi," St. Francis, governs more reli- gious orders in Ohio today, than does the religious rule of any other founder of a religious or monastic order. Francis was born in Assisi, of wealthy parents in the year 1181 or 1182, and died in 1226. Until his 21st birthday, he lived a carefree life and had every wish satisfied by indulging parents. He spent money lavishly upon himself for his own pleasure. Underneath all of this worldly display, however, this luxurious and selfish living, he did have compassion for the poor.
A serious illness when he was 21 years of age suddenly turned him away from worldly pleasures, and directed his mind towards an intense love for
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God and aroused an earnest desire to serve his Creator through service to others. Upon his complete recovery, he severed all ties with his family and his friends. He renounced his patrimony, divested himself of his costly rain- ment, disposed of all of his worldly goods, and donned the coarse brown tunic-like garment, worn by the poorest of the poor of the time. "Leave all and follow Christ," became the objective of his life. Today, more than 700 years later, there are innumerable thousands enrolled under the banner of St. Francis in the service of the Catholic Church the world over, who have voluntarily chosen the same objective, "Leave All and follow Christ." Like St. Francis, their founder, they are going through the world, "carrying neither bag nor purse, nor bread nor money, nor a staff." This was the rule adopted by St. Francis for himself which is being observed today by all fol- lowers of St. Francis, as it applies to their own persons.
Ohio and its people have benefited immeasurably through the services of the many followers of St. Francis. Since 1858, when the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis came from Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany to Cincinnati, Ohio, followers of St. Francis have engaged in varied types of service, from the service of prayer and penance carried on by the contemplative orders of the "Poor Clares" and others of the strictly cloistered orders to the more active service of education; care of the aged poor; of the incurable and the curable ill; of foundlings, of orphans; of the needy poor in their homes. In addition they conduct Schools of Nursing, of Medicine and Surgery for those pursuing those professions; houses of retreat for lay persons, desirous of retiring from the world for awhile.
When Francis founded his religious order, men of his own social circle and others of wealth and prominence joined with him in a religious com- munity, accepted his three rules-poverty, humility and charity-and at the same time accepted his ideal of service-to serve Christ through service to the poor.
Pious women of the day were attracted by reforms brought about by Francis and his followers and sought to live a similar life, cloistered away from the world in a religious community. Such a community would have its existence based in a complete dependence upon God, and the service of its members, given entirely for the honor and glory of God. Clare, daughter of a wealthy family, and her sister Agnes were leaders in this new movement. Under the direction of Francis, the second Franciscan order was founded and named the "Second Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies." It is more familiarly known today as "Poor Clares." This is a strictly cloistered order in which the members voluntarily retire from the world, and consecrate them- selves entirely to prayers, fasting, penance, and acts of charity.
In 1221, men and women who had heard Francis preach in his wanderings throughout Italy, were moved to follow his example, but home responsibilities
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and often the nature of their special avocations, prevented them from com- plete withdrawal from the world. For such as these Francis founded the Third Order of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. Its membership consisted mostly of the laity, although many Popes, Bishops and clergy not identified with any monastic order, have enrolled under the banner of St. Francis in the Third Order. This order was to be a kind of middle state between the world and the cloister, and was to be governed by rules less severe than those binding the religious of the first and second orders of Franciscans.
The foundresses of the different Franciscan Orders of women in Ohio had been largely members of this Third Order before entering into the fuller religious life, to be found in a congregation of Religious. As they lived in their own homes, and associated with their friends, they had observed Francis' rules of poverty, humility and charity, and so it was only a short step for them to embrace the religious life in which they would renounce all things of the world for service in religion.
SISTERS OF THE POOR OF ST. FRANCIS
The first Franciscan Order for Ohio, the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis came to Cincinnati in 1858 through the instrumentality of Mrs. Sarah Peters of Cincinnati, about whom more is said elsewhere. Frances Schervier, whose god-father was Emperor Francis First of Austria, founded this religicus com- munity in her native Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany in 1845. Mrs. Peters, on a visit to Europe in search of religious communities to aid the Catholic Church in Ohio, was referred to Mother Frances Schervier, who in due time sent five professed Sisters and a postulant to Ohio. The Sisters of Good Shepherd in Cincinnati extended hospitality until a former orphanage at Fourth St. and Central Ave. was made available for them.
These six women left their native Germany, bade good-bye that was to be forever from their convent friends, their family, and the surroundings they held so dear-and for no other reason than to prove their great love for God, in the opportunities for service that would come to them in the mission fields of Ohio.
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