Feel free to share a historical woman in your life.
Mine’s my Aunt Julie, a history teacher who kept trying to retire but felt the call of the classroom so much it took her multiple attempts. She is the woman I call when I need to talk to someone smart. She has a twisted sense of humor and she’s been my rock pretty much since I was a little girl looking to duck the slings and arrows of my parents’ divorce. If she wasn’t in my life already, I’d go out and find her and place her there.
Mar 10, 2023·edited Mar 10, 2023Liked by Susan Campbell
My fourth grade teacher, Cora Moore. Who, though I’m not 100% sure, had to be the first black woman to teach in our local schools. She was a neighbor of my grandparents and a friend to the family before she was my teacher. When I’d visit my grandparents, I’d hang out some with her sons, her daughters were older. During those times she was always kind and fun. After I was assigned to her class and before the school year started she had a talk with me. She told me that while our relationship would be the same that our behavior would be a little different in school, that my classmates would be my equals and we both needed to treat them that way. It was a growing up moment in the best possible way. Later in the school year she did something that had to be extraordinary in 1964. She led the class through a reading of the book “Liliies of the Field”, the movie having come out early in the school year. This was after the Oscars; Sidney Poitier had won for best actor and the film had been up for best picture. Her approach to the group read was to assign a chapter or two and when we got together to discuss it, she would first read the chapters aloud. It was a few years later that I learned that she thought the book might be a challenge for some of us and that that was a way to give us some cover and to get all of us on the same page, so to speak. To say she was multi-dimensional is an understatement and over the years, when asked which teacher influenced them the most, there’s very few of us who don’t mention her first.
Sarah Jane Claunch, the name sake of my daughter, ghosted me since hearing she’d been sold to a bean farmer in New Mexico. At 14, she left Kentucky for New Mexico and married a total stranger. At 14, I found a blurry, hand-colored, black and white photograph signed Sarah Jane Claunch, age 23. I looked at the photograph and saw the woman Sarah Jane the child-bride eventually became; gaunt and beautiful. I made up stories about her. I won an essay contest writing about her. She became a confidant for an isolated tween, weirdly living in New Mexico too, inspiring me to learn more. There is no more. That’s all I learned about her. She’s my great-great-grandmother history forgot; I will not let her be forgotten by her descendants. ⚔️
It's amazing how we all got here, the women who held us up so we could see better. My Grandma Marrs was absolutely pivotal to my upbringing, and when she passed, there stood my Aunt Julie, smiling, waiting. I am so very lucky/blessed.
I've had one woman's story in my head the last few weeks. Alice "Clover" Pinney. She was the first woman to vote in Unionville after the 19th amendment was ratified. She was the 1st female Tax Collector in CT. She was a correspondent for the Courant for 55 years and for the Farmington Valley Herald for years. She believed in kindness. She wrote to Unionville servicemen. She never missed a fire - always bringing donuts & coffee for the fire fighters. She took some great photographs of people in town and donated even more to our little museum. I'm going to a pitch doing an exhibit in her honor next March.
Funny you should say that. We've had some ugly divorces in my family since my parents', and I always remind myself that the kids need an Aunt Julie. I've told her how much an influence she's had on my life, and the lives of an entire busload of Campbells.
My fourth grade teacher, Cora Moore. Who, though I’m not 100% sure, had to be the first black woman to teach in our local schools. She was a neighbor of my grandparents and a friend to the family before she was my teacher. When I’d visit my grandparents, I’d hang out some with her sons, her daughters were older. During those times she was always kind and fun. After I was assigned to her class and before the school year started she had a talk with me. She told me that while our relationship would be the same that our behavior would be a little different in school, that my classmates would be my equals and we both needed to treat them that way. It was a growing up moment in the best possible way. Later in the school year she did something that had to be extraordinary in 1964. She led the class through a reading of the book “Liliies of the Field”, the movie having come out early in the school year. This was after the Oscars; Sidney Poitier had won for best actor and the film had been up for best picture. Her approach to the group read was to assign a chapter or two and when we got together to discuss it, she would first read the chapters aloud. It was a few years later that I learned that she thought the book might be a challenge for some of us and that that was a way to give us some cover and to get all of us on the same page, so to speak. To say she was multi-dimensional is an understatement and over the years, when asked which teacher influenced them the most, there’s very few of us who don’t mention her first.
Wow. Look at the influence this woman had on you. I hope she knows she's a shero.
She's gone but she knew.
Nice.
Sarah Jane Claunch, the name sake of my daughter, ghosted me since hearing she’d been sold to a bean farmer in New Mexico. At 14, she left Kentucky for New Mexico and married a total stranger. At 14, I found a blurry, hand-colored, black and white photograph signed Sarah Jane Claunch, age 23. I looked at the photograph and saw the woman Sarah Jane the child-bride eventually became; gaunt and beautiful. I made up stories about her. I won an essay contest writing about her. She became a confidant for an isolated tween, weirdly living in New Mexico too, inspiring me to learn more. There is no more. That’s all I learned about her. She’s my great-great-grandmother history forgot; I will not let her be forgotten by her descendants. ⚔️
It's amazing how we all got here, the women who held us up so we could see better. My Grandma Marrs was absolutely pivotal to my upbringing, and when she passed, there stood my Aunt Julie, smiling, waiting. I am so very lucky/blessed.
I've had one woman's story in my head the last few weeks. Alice "Clover" Pinney. She was the first woman to vote in Unionville after the 19th amendment was ratified. She was the 1st female Tax Collector in CT. She was a correspondent for the Courant for 55 years and for the Farmington Valley Herald for years. She believed in kindness. She wrote to Unionville servicemen. She never missed a fire - always bringing donuts & coffee for the fire fighters. She took some great photographs of people in town and donated even more to our little museum. I'm going to a pitch doing an exhibit in her honor next March.
I have never heard of it, and now I'm sad that I hadn't. She sounds wonderful and I'd love to see an exhibit honoring her.
Awesome. Everyone needs an Aunt Julie. And to be an Aunt Julie. ❤️
Funny you should say that. We've had some ugly divorces in my family since my parents', and I always remind myself that the kids need an Aunt Julie. I've told her how much an influence she's had on my life, and the lives of an entire busload of Campbells.
We grow up to be who we admire. ❤️
Then I am well on my way to a spot in heaven.
See ya there. I hope. 😁
Karen Scavotto
She and her sister went to school with my stepdaughter and I took karate with them
Her grandparents lived next door to my mother in law and they set up a target for her to practice archery
It paid off
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Scavotto
Holy cow!
Oh! This is a beautiful family story and I have an appreciation for Florence Harriet Eastman Pratt.