Category Archives: Midge Kirk

“War will not end war. No matter who wins, everybody loses… War is entirely emotional. It is insanity.” Jessie Annette Jack Hooper was born on a farm in Winneshiek County, Iowa, on Nov. 9, 1865. Her mother was Mary Elizabeth … Continue reading →

Elaine Goodale Eastman was born on a small farm in Mount Washington in the Berkshire Hills, in Massachusetts, on Oct. 9, 1863. She was the daughter of a nota­ble colonial family, and her father, Henry Goodale, could trace his family … Continue reading →

I’ve once again been stunned by the plethora of information that is coming out about Indian Schools, much of it unimagi­nable, unthinkable, yet it happened. I have a difficult time wrapping my head around what happened to so many: the … Continue reading →

The Great Depression of the 1930s hit everyone hard, but the remote hills of Ap­palachia, where poverty was already ram­pant, was one of the hardest-hit areas. The rural mountains were isolated. The people living there had little or no access … Continue reading →

Olga Schaaf immigrated to the United States from Germany with her family in 1885 at the age of 2. The family settled in Southwest Colorado somewhere near Du­rango. She attended the Spanish school in Chama for a short while. This … Continue reading →

Hannah E. Myers was born to a Quaker family in Sandy Spring, Md., on May 30, 1819. She was the daughter of Samuel My­ers and Paulina Oden Myers and one of seven children. When she was 14, the family moved … Continue reading →

(Terri Helm is writing in place of Midge this month.) Bessica Medlar Raiche would have been considered a bit of a “naughty” woman during her lifetime. Born in April 1875 in Wisconsin, Raiche once said of herself, “I got more … Continue reading →

March 8 is International Women’s Day. March has been designated Women’s History Month. During March we celebrate the contributions women have made and recognize the specific achievements they have made in history in a variety of areas. Here are nine … Continue reading →

Elizabeth Blackwell was born on Feb. 3, 1821, in Bristol, England. Her father, Samuel Blackwell, was in the sugar refinery business, owning a large refinery. Her mother was Hanna Lane Blackwell. She had two older siblings, and eventually had six … Continue reading →

Elia Wilkinson Peattie was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1862. She grew up in a home without books and had to drop out of school at age 13 to help her father in his job-printing office, then at 15 go … Continue reading →

We know her name, she has received some mainstream notice, but what do we really know about this dynamic woman? I decided I wanted to know more and did some research. Stacey Yvonne Abrams was born in Madison, Wis., on … Continue reading →

I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own. — Audre Lorde Agnes Laughter is a traditional Navajo woman and a heroine who fought for her rights. She was born … Continue reading →

The fight is not over. Not for equality, not for justice and not for ending the patriarchy which is not only dangerous for women, but also for men. A friend stated she was not comfortable celebrating the 100th-year anniversary of … Continue reading →

I have been awed by some very strong and powerful women of late. Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, or AOC, is one. She hails from Brooklyn, N.Y. I honor and respect her. She is real. She is articulate. She speaks her truth. … Continue reading →

“We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.” By the age of 9 she could pick 250 pounds … Continue reading →

2020 is the centennial anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, protecting women’s constitutional right to vote, and allowing women to exercise that legal right. Fact: The 19th Amendment never directly mentioned women. The text actually states, “The right … Continue reading →

During these strange and stressful times, there are many heroes, a wide range of people in service including delivery people, cashiers, farmers, nurses, doctors, bank tellers, EMT’s, firefighters, police, doctors and nurses, and I am sure I probably missed a … Continue reading →

Eliza Ann Grier was born enslaved in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1864 but along with her parents, Emily and George Washington Grier, she was freed by the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in1865 when she was barely a … Continue reading →

Beverly “Buffy” Sainte Marie was born on Feb. 20, 1941 (or maybe 1942), on the Piapot 75 reserve in the Qu’Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was orphaned as an infant when both of her parents died. She was adopted by … Continue reading →

While the Great Depression of the 1930s had a huge impact on pretty much everyone, the workers in the U.S. were particularly affected by the devastating loss of jobs and economic deterioration. The women of their period were particularly hard … Continue reading →

Caroline Maria Hewins was born in Roxbury, Mass., on Oct. 10, 1846. Her father was a wealthy Boston merchant who provided a comfortable home for his wife, children, and an extended family of aunts, uncles, and grandmothers. She was the … Continue reading →

Mary Moody Emerson was born on Aug. 23, 1774, on the eve of the American Revolution, in Concord, Mass., the fourth child of Phebe Bliss and the Reverend William Emerson. Both Phebe and William were very spiritual and came to … Continue reading →

Children should be seen and not heard. This was a common belief of her time, but one strongly rejected by Lucy Sprague Mitchell. Growing up in a well-to-do family, where children’s days were rigidly scheduled and expectations of her were … Continue reading →

Mary Lucinda Bonney was the fourth of six children born to a devoted Baptist family in Hamilton, New York, on June 8, 1816. Her father was a farmer in good circumstances, said to be a man of integrity, sound judgment … Continue reading →

Mary Harris Jones was born on May 1, 1830, in Cork, Ireland. She was the daughter of Roman Catholic tenant farmers, Richard and Ellen Harris. During her early years, she and her family fled the Irish Potato Famine, which ravaged … Continue reading →

Nella Larsen was born Nella Walker, in Chicago on April 13, 1893, to a Danish mother, Mary Hanson. Her father, Peter Walker, was a black West Indian. Whether her father died or simply left a Chicago that was becoming segregated … Continue reading →

Highlighting the vital role played by women in history is the goal of Her- Story. Women have always been driven by their dreams, which has resulted in amazing accomplishments. We draw inspiration and strength from those who came before us. … Continue reading →

Millicent Peterson Young was born circa 1922 near Lodgepole, Neb., on the family farm. When she was six years old, a pilot landed his plane on their property telling her, “Don’t touch that plane, little girl.” That was the wrong … Continue reading →

Emily Greene Balch was born in Jamaica Plain, Mass., on Jan. 8, 1867. Hers was a prosperous family. Her father was a successful attorney and had been secretary to United States Sen. Charles Sumner. As a young girl, she attended … Continue reading →

Josephine Sophia White Griffing was born Dec. 18, 1814, in Hebron, Conn. Her father was Joseph White Jr., a representative in the state legislature. Her mother was the sister of portrait artist Samuel Lovett Waldo. Very little is actually know … Continue reading →