by Nancy McCammon-Hansen
As we chronicle the lives of famous Fort
Wayne Women this Women’s History Month, we turn to a booklet produced by
Lindenwood Cemetery entitled “Pioneers Resting in Historic Lindenwood”. We hope
you are spurred to do further research into some of these women as their lives
and work made Fort Wayne a better place.
Minette Baum
Baum was born in 1879 and was known as a
prominent social worker and as one of the founders and first secretary of the
Jewish Federation. She was also one of the organizers of the Fort Wayne Woman’s
Club.
She aided in the founding of both the local
Hadassah Chapter and the Fort Wayne Zionist district and made two trips to
Palestine to “engage in welfare work there”.
She assisted in the organizing of the League
for the Blind and the Inter-Racial Commission.
Born in Russia, she came to the United States
at age 3 and lived in Fort Wayne for 45 years. She graduated from Chicago
University.
She was a member of Achduth Vesholom and an
honorary member of B’nai Jacob Congregation.
In addition to her affiliations with the
Jewish congregations and their work, she was also active with Goodwill
Industries, the Urban League, College Club and Fortnightly Club.
She died in 1956.
Jessie Maria Bond
Bond was known as a philanthropist. “At the
time of her death it was reported, ‘perhaps no one individual in the city took
a greater interest in works of charity than did Mrs. Bond.’”
Bond was born in 1844 and married Stephen E.
Bond, former president of the Old National Bank. She was the daughter of Jesse
Vermilyea, one of the original directors of the Fort Wayne Branch Bank. She was
born in the family mansion built in 1839 in Aboite township.
Her work included the development of the
former Hope Hospital, the Visiting Nurses League and the Allen County
Children’s Home.
She died in 1914.
Margaret M. Colerick
Colerick, born in 1857, served as the head of
the Fort Wayne-Allen County Library, beginning as assistant librarian in 1895
and becoming chief librarian in 1898. She served in that capacity for 36 years.
Colerick is described as a “kindly, cultured,
little lady (who) truly laid the groundwork for the extensive expansion of the
local library.” Under her leadership ACPL grew from its initial 3,600 volume
collection, becoming the impressive library network we are blessed with today.
She died in 1934.
Margaret Ann Keegan
Keegan devoted her adult life to community
service and is best known for founding the Christmas Bureau in 1936.
Born in 1903, she attended Fort Wayne Public
Schools and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan,
specializing in psychiatric social work. She worked for the Fort Wayne State
School and later in the bureau of testing and measurements for FWCS.
In addition to the Christmas Bureau, she
created the Fine Arts Festival and brought together many of the city’s cultural
groups leading to the establishment of the Fine Arts Center. Arts United yearly
presents an award named after her.
She died in 1966.
Isabelle McClure Peltier
Peltier was active in bringing culture to
Fort Wayne, serving as a leader in Fort Wayne’s Morning Musical and the
Community Concerts Association as well as a board member of the Civic Symphony
and Philharmonic Orchestra.
Born in 1881, she was an artist herself and
taught piano. She was a graduate of Westminster Seminary and European School of
Music.
Her love of music led her to work to bring
some of the finest concert artists of the day to Fort Wayne. Her estate
provided gifts for Fort Wayne Fine Arts, First Presbyterian Church and Trinity
Episcopal Church.
She died in 1961.
Bessie Roberts
If you’ve followed Fort Wayne history over
the years, you’ve likely heard of Bessie Roberts. Roberts wrote “Fort Wayne’s
Album”, “The Glorious Gate”, “A Wayne Scrapbook” and the unpublished history of
Abraham Lincoln entitled “The Frontier Line”.
Roberts was born in 1886 and worked as a
reporter for the “Evansville Courier” before becoming the society editor of the
“Fort Wayne Journal Gazette”. A graduate of FWCS and IU, she also taught in
Fort Wayne schools for a time.
The wife of Frank Roberts, a former editor of
the “Journal Gazette”, she died in 1964.
Helena Wolff
Wolff was a Union Army nurse and one of Fort
Wayne’s better-known Civil War personalities. Born in 1836, she attended
patriotic gatherings of Civil War heroes for over 20 years after the war’s end.
Wolff nursed the wounded in military
hospitals in Cincinnati, Louisville and Nashville. She was publicly received by
both President Lincoln and General Grant in recognition for her service and
received a citation for bravery from Gen. Logan for her service to the wounded.
She died in 1925.
Clara Porter Yarnelle
Yarnelle was an active community leader,
serving as president of the YWCA, College Club, Visiting Nurses League and
Washington School PTA.
Born in 1884, she attended public school in
Fort Wayne and graduated from Bryn Mawr.
Her other community activities included the
Community Concert Association, American Association of University Women, Fort
Wayne Art School, Needlework Guild, Fortnightly Club and First Presbyterian
Church.
She also worked with mothers of young
children, leading to the formation of Yarnelle Child Study Clubs.
She died in 1966.
If you read our blog post on Prince Kaboo http://historycenterfw.blogspot.com/2013/11/prince-kaboo.html
you can learn about Jordan Crossing within
Lindenwood. Two African-American women buried there are Elma E. Alsup and
Serlena Samuels Ridley. We reference here a booklet written for the Ride and
Walk 4 Rides fundraiser of Community Transportation Network.
Elma E. Alsup
Alsup was born in 1897 in Humbolt, TN and
lived most of her life in Fort Wayne. She was a social worker for 14 years,
working at the former Wheatly Center (now the Urban League) and an organizer of
the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, the Elma E. Alsup Club, the
Lillian Jones Brown Club and the Girls Reserves.
She was also an officer in the Indiana
Association of Negro Musicians.
Alsup ‘s “personal and civic contributions to
improve the conditions of the African-American Community of Fort Wayne and
Indiana continues to encourage through education and social events. Her efforts
live beyond her mortal life.”
She died in 1985.
Serlena Samuels Ridley
Ridley was born in 1850, an enslaved child,
and received an education when the Freedman Bureau initiated Fisk Camp Schools
for African-Americans in Nashville. She taught school through the Methodist
Church at a time when most African-Americans were not allowed to teach in many
public schools in our country. She arrived in Fort Wayne about 1881 and
continued her teaching career.
Ridley and her husband, Daniel, served as deaconess
and trustee of Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church and were active members of the
congregation. She was also a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and toured with
the group throughout the United States. “She greatly contributed to up-lifting
the African-American race.”
She died in 1918.
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