USA > Ohio > Women of Ohio; a record of their achievements in the history of the state, Volume III > Part 27
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So she took a journalism course at Columbia University. Had six months on the Marion Star, former Harding paper and while there covered the "city" beat, including hospitals, police, council, city hall, courts and schools.
Before going on the society desk five years ago, Mary Berger was court- house, school and general reporter, in addition to writing a daily theater page and regular women's features. Her "courthouse beat" included both county and federal courts. Covered four first degree murder trials as a regu- lar news reporter, not from the woman's angle. Has written everything at one time or another except sports.
It will be deduced from the above that Mary Berger is a hard worker and a busy one. That's why she was asked to compile the important chap-
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ter on "Women in Literature" for "Women of Ohio." Experience teaches that the best woman for a time limit task is a busy woman-who knows how to be busy efficiently.
FLORENCE BLACKFORD
FLORENCE BLACKFORD, outstanding pioneer newspaper woman and one of the first women to enter this field, who died in 1935, was born in Findlay in 1866, the daughter of Jason and Nellie (Ricketts) Blackford. Miss Blackford taught school in Findlay, Deshler and Glendale and later on en- tered the newspaper field. Her entrance into this work is said to have given her the distinction of having brought into existence the society and club page of the daily newspaper of today.
Florence served as the first society editor of the Morning Republican of Findlay, the first on any newspaper, it is believed. Prior to that time wom- en's activities had been grouped as a special Sunday feature in city news- papers only.
Following her service on the Republican, Miss Blackford went to To- ledo and became society editor of the Toledo Morning Times. Later she gave up her newspaper work in Toledo and returned to Findlay. She became so- ciety editor of the Republican in 1915 and continued in this capacity until 1918 when she went to Daytona, Fla., to become connected with a newspaper there. She also engaged in advertising work in Florida for a time.
She returned to Findlay and resided there until her death. Following her retirement from newspaper work, Miss Blackford attended the annual institute of public affairs in Virginia and conducted public affairs classes. She was one of the founders of the Toledo Writers' Club, which she had the distinction of naming.
MARY DIETRICH BRADSTREET
MARY DIETRICH BRADSTREET (Mrs. E. Payson Bradstreet), was born in Cincinnati, the daughter of Emil and Justine Carlier Dietrich, of Fayetteville, O. She completed her high school education at the Academy of Mt. St. Joseph-on-the-Ohio, attended Miami University two years and re- ceived her A.B. from the University of Cincinnati in 1925.
Her work on the Cincinnati Enquirer began in 1921 and at first com- bined general assignments with special coverage of women's group activities. But as the field of women's organizations and club activities developed under her skilled direction, the woman editor realized that possibilities of this type of news justified expenditure of all her time and energy.
This concentration of ability and growing experience has resulted in what is said to be one of the finest women's news departments of the middle west.
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Even so, in Mary Bradstreet's opinion, the surface of the situation, as regards the possibilities and potentialities of both this type of news medium and of the news it conveys, has barely been scratched. The medium offers virtually unlimited encouragement for the development of "good news," deal- ing with human co-operation and human progress, in cheering contrast to the prevalent and inescapable tidings of human disintegration and human failure.
On the whole, Mrs. Bradstreet believes, club women of Ohio have, through their activities and programs, provided constructive news of increasing in- terest and importance. Clubs of the "Woman's City" type have definitely promoted civic progress, and welfare, purposes that she would like to see shared by other and larger groups.
The League of Women Voters is doing a fine piece of educational work in the field of human government and women's clubs representing political parties are working much more than in the past along similar lines. The "Consumers' Conference" type of organization which seeks to educate the woman in the art of buying wisely-innumerable other groups provide news that is a record of honest effort in the direction of human betterment. Achievement of such effort depends largely, in the opinion of this close-up observer, on the awakening of the average woman to realization of the vital force inherent in organization of women's groups.
Marriage of Mary Dietrich to E. Payson Bradstreet, a descendant of the famous New England family, took place in 1924. They have one child, Jane, 21/2 years. Their home is at 1016 Richwood Ave., Cincinnati.
ANNE AMOS BROWN
ANNE AMOS BROWN (Mrs. Edward M. Brown) was for several years connected with the Sidney Daily News and comes of a family widely known in journalistic circles of this state, the family name being a synonym of high standards of service and efficiency in connection with newspaper publication. It was a natural step for Mrs. Brown to take up reportorial work, in which she engaged to the time of her marriage in Sidney.
Born in Sidney, January 30, 1911, Mrs. Brown is a daughter of Ernest Clarence and Annie (Immel) Amos, the former born in 1871 and the latter in 1876. After attending the elementary schools and completing a course in the Sidney High School, she entered Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, where she won her Bachelor of Arts degree as a member of the class of 1932. The following year she was a student in the Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School of Boston, Massachustts. She was a resident of Sidney all of her life up to the time of her marriage, when she came to reside in Wyoming, this state, and she has done general reporting on the Sidney Daily News, publishd by her relatives.
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On the 2d of October, 1937, in Sidney, was celebrated the marriage of Anne Amos and Edward Maurice Brown, who was born in Watertown, New York in 1909, a son of Edward Ernest and Eunice (Lewis) Brown, the former born in Manchester, England, and the latter in Williamstown, New York. They are now residents of Middletown, Ohio, where Mr. Brown is the general manager of the Superior-Lawrence Bay division of the Sorg Paper Com- pany. Edward Maurice Brown is an attorney-at-law, practicing as a mem- ber of the firm of Nichols, Wood, Marx & Ginter in Cincinnati.
While Mrs. Brown was in charge of the travel column of the Sidney Daily News, she directed four trips through the South seas and to the orient in 1934, also to South America in 1936 and to the North Cape and Europe in 1930. Her college societies are the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Mortar Board, the latter a national honorary college sorority. She belongs to Pleiades Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star at Sidney and to the First Presbyterian Church in her native city. She was the first president of the Sidney Charity League, the recognized philanthropic organization of Sidney and is now an associate member. She also belongs to the Seven Hills Garden Club of Cincinnati, is alert and energetic and is interested in many progressive projects.
MILDRED E. CRONLEY
MILDRED E. CRONLEY, of the Sidney Daily News has been associated with the newspaper life of that city for more than 15 years, serving the entire period as a reporter and society editor on the News. Mildred began her newspaper work while still a student in Sidney High School. Immed- iately upon graduation she accepted the position on the paper.
Interest in her career in newspaper work soon brought her into mem- bership of the Ohio Newspaper Women's Association. She has been active in the work of the O.N.W.A. and served for four years as its treasurer, to which office she was first elected in 1925. At the present time she is serving the second half of the two-year term as a co-chairman of the contest com- mittee of the Association.
Miss Cronley is an active member of Pleiades Chapter, No. 298, Order of Eastern Star, and of the Sidney Business Girls Association. She is the second daughter of the late Charles B. Cronley, and Anna M. Cronley, of 627 S. Miami Avenue, where she resides. She was born in Sidney. Her sisters, Mrs. Herman J. Schlagetter, Mrs. Lewis A. Windle, Mrs. Ralph W. Morton, Mrs. Robert E. Dunn, and her brother, Carl S. Cronley, all of Sidney, are prominent throughout the community.
IS
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ZELL HART DEMING
ZELL HART DEMING, distinguished newspaper manager and publisher, the first and for many years the sole woman member of the Associated Press, was born at Warren, Ohio, the only child of Mary Douglas and James Hen- derson Smith. Warren was her home all her life with the exception of two years spent in Chicago following her graduation from Warren High School and her marriage to Frank Clinton Hart. When he died she returned to Warren with her baby daughter, Helen Hart, and made her home with her mother.
The talented and energetic young mother soon secured a position as society reporter for the Warren Daily Tribune and in the years that followed learned the business in minute detail in every one of the departments. She was an untiring worker-at the office early and late; indefatigable in planning for the success of the paper which benefitted also by the many influential contacts she made.
Her second marriage occurred some years later when she became the wife of William C. Deming, publisher of the Cheyenne (Wyoming) Tribune.
The interests which had Mrs. Deming's devotion all her life were the Tribune, and her home, family and friends, each complementing the other and contributing to her life of accomplishment. She became president and general manager of the Tribune and, in 1924 bought its only competitor in the daily field, the Warren Chronicle, whose history ran back to the "Trump of Fame," established in Warren in 1812 and being the first newspaper in the Western Reserve.
Mrs. Deming realized one of the great ambitions of her business career when she moved her plant from rented offices into its own home-a building planned by her and constructed under her own direction. Within a few years this building was further enlarged by a substantial addition, designed to meet current needs and future growth. Considered a model plant, visitors came from other newspaper plants all over the country, attracted by reports of wise maintenance and "good housekeeping."
Later, when the establishment and organization of her business permitted, Mrs. Deming was able to indulge her love for travel. To this line she brought the same intelligence and enthusiasm that characterized her business life. She became a student of the history, art and literature of the many countries she visited. The love of reading, formed as a child in close companionship with her father, was evidenced by the library she built up, one of the most extensive in Warren.
Zell Hart Deming's success in business meant no sacrifice in the keeping of her home, and there her love of order and harmony found expanding ex- pression. Beauty of form and color were exemplified in her garden and in this lovely place she spent many happy hours of toil.
Zell Hurt Staining
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Until the multiplying responsibilities attendent upon a growing business and her mother's progressive invalidism came to absorb more and more of her time, Mrs. Deming was a leader in the social and civic work of the town and county. She was organizing sponsor of the Warren Band, and for years a member of the Library Board. She also took an active and efficient interest in the Probate Court's visiting committee to charitable and correc- tional institutions, and was one of the founders of the Trumbull County Humane Society, continuing as its secretary until her death.
Zell Hart Deming died April 26, 1936, in New York City, where she was attending meetings of the Associated Press and the American Newspaper Publishers Association. Could she have chosen the manner of going, she would have wanted it thus-"in the harness"-actively engaged in the work she loved so well. Only three days before she had addressed the assembled pub- lishers telling of experiences she had had as a newspaper woman, of various problems incident thereto and the way in which she solved them.
Carrie Chapman Catt, world leader of the Woman Suffrage Cause, in which Mrs. Deming had found time in her busy life to participate, pro- nounced her "a great woman," and newspapermen all over the country paid unusual tributes of respect and admiration to her ability and character and to the outstanding qualities of her mind and heart.
NINA S. DONBERG
NINA S. DONBERG, columnist and special writer of the Cleveland News, has many exclusive stories and clever features to her credit and has won enviable reputation as journalist throughout the state. She was born in Cleveland, the daughter of John G. and Katherine Leuenberger, educated in that city and was for a time a teacher, then social worker. She is still actively interested in social service and regarded as an authority in this field as well as in her chosen profession of journalism. She is an active member of the Ohio Newspaper Women's Association and a former officer.
MERAB EBERLE
MERAB EBERLE, music, art and literary editor of the Dayton Journal, was born at Mattoon, Ill., the daughter of H. J. and Olive Mary Eberle. She attended elementary and high school at Franklin, O., and took her A.B. at Oxford College for Women.
Merab has been on the staff of the Dayton Journal for sixteen years, during which period she had gained wide recognition. Her ability as writer is not confined to prose. Outstanding national publications have featured her verse, including the North American Review, English Poetry Review, the Christian Century, The Churchman, Christian Science Monitor, Magnificat, Young Catholic Messenger, and New York Herald Tribune.
Her home address is 219 Park Ave., Dayton, O.
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GEORGE ELLISTON
GEORGE ELLISTON, journalist and poet, enjoys a distinction to which, in all probability, no other woman in her profession can lay claim. She owns-and supports-Shiloh Church, the headquarters of a little congre- gation near her country home at Loveland, Ohio. Miss Elliston was born at Mt. Sterling, Ky., but has resided most of her life in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is the dean of the city's newspaper women .. She began her journalistic career on the Cincinnati Times-Star and has served this paper continuously, first as staff writer, then society editor and again as general reporter. Her career as prose writer has been paralleled by her contribution to contempor- aneous poetry. This began with newspaper verse, which was later syndicated and, in many instances, set to music by widely known composers.
Her verse soon justified, both in quality and quantity, publication in book form and was presented in an attractive volume, "Everyday Poems." In due succession followed other volumes, "Changing Moods," "Through Many Windows," "Bright World" and "Cinderella Cargoes." Miss Elliston has been an active member of the League of American Penwomen and for more than 10 years has been editor and publisher of a well known poetry magazine "The Gipsy." Among notable assignments entrusted to this Ciu- cinnati newspaper woman was the coronation of King George of England, for which she made a special trip abroad, later followed by a tour of the world.
FRANCES C. FAULKNER
The far famed wit of FRANCES C. FAULKNER (Mrs. Peter J. Faulkner), Club Editor of the Cincinnati Times Star, shines through dull details to re- assure the reader, that although a newspaper woman, she has all her life lived in just one city, with just one husband, and that, moreover, they have even ventured to have one son.
Be that as it may, there is no question but what when it comes to telling the world's best newspaper stories, there is just one Fan Faulkner.
Frances Clements was born in Cincinnati, the daughter of the late Michael Clements, head of an important iron firm, and of Elizabeth Flannigan Clements. She was educated at Sacred Heart College, in the alumnal organi- zations and activities of which she is still deeply interested and active.
Her newspaper career began as society editor of the former Commercial Tribune, a position previously held by her sister, the late Katherine Clements James. Her marriage to Peter J. Faulkner took place in 1901.
The Faulkner family has made unusual contribution to the newspaper profession. The late James W. Faulkner was known throughout the country as political correspondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer and was the only news- paper man after whom a Scholarship Fund was named. This fund is available to needy students at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Peter J.
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Faulkner, formerly with the Cincinnati Enquirer, was for many years with the Federal Reserve Bank at Cincinnati. Joe Faulkner was Sunday editor of the Enquirer and later in charge of the Associated Press for Cincinnati.
Mrs. Faulkner was with the Commercial Tribune for six years and for the past sixteen years has been a highly valued member of the Times Star staff.
AMORETTA FITCH
AMORETTA FITCH (Mrs. George Fitch), of Cincinnati, oldest living member of the Ohio Newspaper Women's Association, was born in 1857 at Boston, Mass., the daughter of Lucius and Julia Colby.
While still in her teens, she was married to George Fitch, then a concert singer of promise, and in 1876 came to Fernbank, then a suburb of Cincinnati.
It was while she resided at Fernbank, more than 50 years ago, that Mrs. Fitch made her entry into the newspaper profession. She "covered" suburban news for the old Commercial Tribune.
Amoretta made her rounds - Fernbank, Hartwell, Riverside and way points, on her faithful bicycle and many a nice little item she picked up.
Presently she picked up a nice big one. It concerned the "Baby Taylor" case, a big newspaper story in its day. The Taylor family living in Fern- bank, had several children. A new baby girl, Margaret, when only two weeks old, was taken away by an aunt. The mother was under the impression it was to be kept for only a few weeks, until she was able to care for it and the other small children herself. When the father went to get the child, neither the aunt nor baby could be found. Mrs. Fitch immediately contacted all papers and endeavored to locate the baby. Search spread all over the country and abroad. Newspapers everywhere-with police and detectives- the father going everywhere to follow up clues-finally after four years-he went abroad-on Amoretta's "tip" and located the child in Rome, Italy.
Mrs. Fitch is a charter member of the Ohio Newspaper Association and a former vice president. She has written verse which has been widely pub- lished and recognized, notably by an award of first honors from the Society of Present Day Poets.
Her most famous poem consisted of a single verse, her "Morning Prayer."
"Now I get me up to work I pray the Lord I may not shirk If I die before the night I pray the Lord my work's all right."
Jack London thought so much of the poem that he called it to the attention of a London, England, labor organization, by which it was adopted as their official message of greeting.
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Mrs. Fitch has been active in the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs, National Penwomen's League, Women's Press Club, Cincinnati Literary and Musical Society, Cincinnati Music and Poetry Club and many other or- ganizations.
She has had a long life and a varied one-marriage, a career, widowhood, the tragic loss of two fine sons, many interests, many friends. At 82, she is inspiration and encouragement to many, especially to newspaperwomen. When things get them down, they remind each other. "Just look at Amoretta" they say.
WINIFRED FLANNERY
From the stenographic ranks of the business office of a daily newspaper to the society and editorial departments, was the road to a brilliant news- paper career for WINIFRED FLANNERY, one of the first woman newspaper writers in northern Ohio, and the very first woman writer in Youngstown.
Winifred, born in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1875, died during the influenza epidemic of 1918. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Flannery pioneer Youngstowners. She attended St. Columba's school taught by the Ursulines. It has been said of the Ursulines teaching program of that day, that an eighth grade diploma from their school, was the equivalent of a Junior college diploma of today. Winifred's style of writing was a tribute to the Ursuline training. They excelled in the teaching of English and Winifred found it easy to transfer from the private secretary position she held in the Youngstown Telegram as secretary to James J. McNally, its publisher, to the position of society writer for the Youngstown Vindicator, and later editor of the Woman's Page and special writer.
The woman newspaper writer is indeed fortunate who can have written of her by a fellow newspaper man, the tribute which appeared in the Youngs- town Citizen, a weekly publication at the time of her death and excerpts of which appear herewith :
"Constantly her writings reflected the nobility of her nature, her Christian virtues, her profound faith. Many of her articles were practical sermons which left the reader better and cheerier for having read them. To an extraordinary degree she possessed the ability to point the way to the nobler and more heroic elements of this life, without becoming didactic.
"In her long newspaper experience (25 years) Miss Flannery came into contact with thousands of people and gathered and retained information about them that proved invaluable in her work. Her fund of knowledge in this respect was the knack of translating the news of the hour in an engaging, and interesting manner, separating the chaff from the wheat with keen discernment. In short she was a thorough newspaperwoman in the highest sense of the word.
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"But it was Miss Flannery's quiet modesty, her simplicity, her charity, her desire to serve that were among her most pronounced attributes. Deeply religious she carried her religion into her everyday life, judging people from the Christian viewpoint and emphasizing always their better qualities, subtly ignoring their failings. She lived as she believed, scattering flowers and spreading sunshine in this thorny world, which is better for her having been here."
KATE ELLIOTT FOLEY
KATE ELLIOTT FOLEY (Mrs. J. J. Foley), widely known reporter of the Warren Tribune Chronicle, was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1883, the eldest child of Andre H. and Mary Crowley Elliott. Early in life Kate showed interest in music and literature, and her father, a college graduate himself, developed her tastes through travel and by giving her an opportunity to enjoy the best in music, art and the theater.
At the age of 11 her father died and her mother and her two brothers and sisters moved to Cleveland, the girlhood home of her mother. It was in that city that most of Kate Elliott's education was received, under the direction of the Ursuline Sisters and also at South High School, where she was the editor-in-chief of the first high school paper in that school. Always with a hope of following the profession of writer, Kate trained along that line, working at the Avery Fresh Air Camp in Cleveland, and in other places where she could learn about people. During her high school years she served as an assistant at the Hiram House, working among the girls.
Married at an early age and with, in time, a family of three sons and a daughter, Mrs. Foley continued to study and develop. One year she attended Warren High School to take up special work in English, took several college extension courses and had one residence year at Warren Branch of Hiram College.
For the past 23 years Kate Elliott Foley has been a member of the Warren Tribune Chronicle staff, first as society editor and for the past 10 years as religious, music, market and foreign news editor.
For 13 years she organized and taught classes of young people in Sunday schools in Trumbull County. She started Sunday schools at Newton Falls, Leavittsburg and Warren, and these schools operated until the Notre Dame Sisters came to St. Mary's parish and opened a parochial school at Warren, Ohio. She is a charter member of the Catholic Daughters of America, Warren Community Forum, Warren Cooperative Concert Association and Association of Social Workers. During the 1913 flood in Warren, Kate Foley served as a volunteer nurse and cared for the flood refugees. She has resided in Warren 31 years.
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DOROTHY TODD FOSTER
DOROTHY TODD FOSTER, president of the Ohio Newspaper Women's Association, was born October 28, 1908, at Urbana, Champaign County. She is the daughter of Frank W. Todd, formerly editor of the old Urbana Citizen and state editor of the Columbus Dispatch and now in charge of The Dispatch's Information and Service Bureau, and of the late Grace Teets Todd of Marysville, Ohio. The late Judge David W. Todd of the Champaign County probate court was her grandfather.
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