New Hampshire’s First Woman Embalmer and Funeral Director: Minnie (Edwards) Atwood (1854-1904)

Posted on 20 March, 2017 by Janice Brown

Before it became a profession, care of the dead often fell to women. Generally preparation was bathing the body, and readying the newly departed for a wake and burial. In America, that process changed during the Civil War when those who died far from home needed extra time and care to make the journey by train or wagon back to their families.

At the same time various discoveries had been made using arsenic and later formaldehyde for body preservation. Though many families still clung to their traditions and made their own preparations, others opted for the services of “undertakers” and “embalmers.” Most of these early services were performed by men. Continue reading →

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100 Years Ago: New Hampshire’s Irish Celebration of 1917

Posted on 16 March, 2017 by Janice Brown

Nashua Telegraph advertisement from 16 March 1917 by Speare Dry Goods.

On March 17, 1917 New Hampshire, along with many other places in the United States, celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. No one knew that 20 days later, this country would be at war [announced April 6, 1917].

In New Hampshire where there were many of Irish descent to celebrate the day, but most of the celebrations were in private homes.   The Portsmouth Herald of 17 March 1917 announced: “Preparations are being made for the celebration of ‘St. Patrick’s day in the morning’ in New York City on the usual elaborate scale, and there will be exceptional interest in the event this year owing to the world conditions and conditions in the ‘fair green isle’ from which the followers of good St Patrick come.” Continue reading →

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Dover New Hampshire Suffragist and UNH Administrator: Carmita Aileen (Cameron) Murphy (1925-2003)

Posted on 12 March, 2017 by Janice Brown

Carmita Aileen Murphy, from the 1957 UNH Yearbook, “Granite.”  Image courtesy of the University of New Hampshire Library Digital Collections.

New Hampshire women take for granted that they can vote. Many believe that with the passage of the federal suffrage amendment in 1919 New Hampshire women were automatically given complete voting rights. It is not so. Constitutionally women did not have full rights in New Hampshire until Carmita Murphy proposed they should in 1956, and it was placed on a state ballot and approved (by vote) in 1958.

I came across an interesting story published in several newspapers on the same date of 19 March 1958. “Mrs. Carmita A. Murphy of Dover ran a one-woman suffrage campaign as a delegate to a 1956 constitutional convention to have the word ‘male’ deleted from those sections of the constitution. She won. A proposed constitutional change will appear on the state ballots in November. When New Hampshire ratified the 19th Amendment in 1919, the Legislature ordered the word “male” deleted from the state voting restriction laws. The change had never made in the state constitution.” Continue reading →

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Newport New Hampshire Teacher, Suffragist, Civic & Club Leader, Business Woman: Mary Matilda (Putnam) Sibley (1860-1927)

Posted on 8 March, 2017 by Janice Brown

Mary Matilda (Putnam) Sibley (1860-1927). Photograph from One Thousand New Hampshire notables, page 17

There was very little that Mary Matilda (Putnam) Sibley could not do. She was the daughter of Marshall & Mary M. (Carroll) Putnam, born in 1860 in Croydon, Sullivan County New Hampshire, just before the Civil War began. She was teaching in the local Croyden schools in 1880, and graduated from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden NH in 1883. In 1884 she married Frank A. Sibley of Newport NH, who was partner with his father in a successful scythe factory. She removed to Newport NH where she raised a family.

When her husband died in 1909 she ran the scythe company for a few years, eventually turning it over to her son-in-law, and then her son Homer. She was active in many local clubs and groups, including the Daughters of the American Revolution (a descendant of Caleb Putnam) on the local, state and national levels. Continue reading →

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New Hampshire WWI Military: Yeoman Anne (Frasier) Norton of Derry, Manchester and Portsmouth NH (1893-1918)

Posted on 4 March, 2017 by Janice Brown

Anne Frasier, later Mrs. Edwin Norton in her graduation dress from Pinkerton Academy, Derry NH circa 1911. Photograph courtesy Pinkerton Academy Archives. Used here with permission.

Anne “Annie” Frasier was born in East Boston MA on 10 April 1893, daughter of Charles Warren & Catherine (Walsh) Frasier. She attended East Boston schools when young. Her mother died when she was nine years old, and the family soon moved to Derry, New Hampshire where Anne graduated from Pinkerton Academy. She went on to graduate from Bryant and Stratton’s Business College.

Anne married Edwin Norton, who was also from Derry NH. They lived in Schenectady, NY and Manchester NH (and other places see obituary notes below). He enlisted in the U.S. Army during WWI and want sent to officer’s training school. They had no children, and she enlisted as a yeoman in the United States Navy. This was the first time that a branch of the U.S. military was providing enlisted women with military rank.  (Note that nurses were not included in that group). Continue reading →

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