
Mary Morris Burnett Talbert
Mary Morris Burnett
was born in 1866 and educated at [
Mary Talbert soon settled into the
communal life of her new
home. She joined her husband as a member of the
It is often noted in her biographies
that Mary Talbert was
the first black woman to receive a Ph.D. from the University at
In November 1900, Mary Talbert, along
with other members of
the Phyllis Wheatley Club of Colored Women, organized a protest rally
at the
Mary Talbert’s advocacy for black
women included her
involvement in and leadership of several organizations, in addition to
the
Phyllis Wheatley Club of Colored Women . In 1905, she opened her home
to Dr.
W.E.B. Dubois, John Hope, Monroe Trotter, and others who founded and
organized
the Niagara Movement, forerunner of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People. In 1911, she became a charter member of
the
Empire Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the group’s second president
from
1912-1916.
In 1916, she was elected President of
the National
Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. She was elected to a second
two-year term
as President of that organization in 1918. During her tenure as NACW
President,
Mary Talbert was instrumental in the preservation and restoration of
the
Frederick Douglass Home in Anacostia.
During World War I, Mary Talbert was
active in the war bond
drives, personally soliciting thousands of dollars in Liberty Bonds.
Further,
she served as American Red Cross Nurse with the American Expeditionary
Forces
in
Mary Talbert died in 1923 [15
October]. She is buried in
Posted with
permission of Uncrowned Queens Institute for
Research and Education on Women, Inc., http://wings.buffalo.edu/uncrownedqueens/files/talbert.htm
Miriam L. Tallmadge
Miriam L. Tallmadge, born Feb 6,
1917, died Jan 31, 1998 in her residence in Berea, Ky. The daughter of
Marion Martin Lemmon and Waldo Biddle Lemmon, she was born in
Cleveland, Ohio. She [graduated from OHS in 1935,] attended Oberlin
College and Ohio State University and graduated from the business
school in Oberlin, Ohio. After graduation she was secretary to the Vice
President of Oberlin College.
She was married to William (Bill) H.
Tallmadge for 57 years, and they raised 4 children. When Bill retired
in 1976 the couple moved from Buffalo, New York to Berea, Kentucky.
There she was a deacon and choir member of Union Church, and
volunteered for many years with Woman’s Industrial. She was the
secretary for the League of Women Voters. Mim was a charter member and
secretary of Body Recall, Inc. and traveled thousands of miles all over
the U.S. with their Travel Team demonstrating exercise programs
for the elderly. She participated in several National 10 kilometer race
walks with her husband; she won a gold medal when she was in her early
70s.
Mim was a lover of wildflowers.
Obituary provided by family.
Charles
Finney Tambling
Charles Finney Tambling,
teacher and administrator, died on
Mr. Tambling, the son of Corydon L. (OC 1861-63) and Nellie
Fields Tambling, was born in
Mr. Tambling married Bessie Fancer (1894-95) in November,
1895; she died in 1936. Later, he married Clara H. Wiggin. After his
retirement, they moved to
Surviving are Mrs. Tambling and seven children by the first
marriage: Fielden F., Captain Preston S., Charles W., Corydon L., Ralph
F.,
Mrs. Leonard Boller, and Mrs. Elizabeth T. Lee. There are nine
grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.
The Oberlin Alumni
Magazine, December 1938, p. 38.
Joe Roy Tatum
Services for Joe Roy
Tatus,
57, former Oberlin resident, will be at noon today at the Cowling
Funeral
Home. Friends may call from 11 a.m. until services begin. The Rev.
Johathan
Ealy will officiate and burial will be in Westwood Cemetery.
Mr. Tatum died Nov. 9 at
Meridia Suburban Hospital in Cleveland after a long illness.
Born in Patrick County,
Va., he was a 1956 graduate of Oberlin High School and was active in
sports.
He had been employed as
a truck driver at Gilford Systems.
Survivors include his
wife,
Carol; sons, Joe of Cleveland, Kevan of Sheffield Lake, Stevan of Salt
Lake City, Utah, and Tim of Tucson, Ariz.; five grandchildren; his
mother,
Irene Brodus of Elyria; and a sister, Shirley McGee of Elyria.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, November 15, 1994, p. 2.
Geoffrey
Taylor
Geoffrey Warren Taylor of
Oberlin died Monday, Nov. 24, 2003, at Allen Medical Center following a
lengthy illness. He as 67.
Born March 27, 1936, in
Chicago, Ill., he lived most of his life in Oberlin, New York, Texas
and
New Mexico. He graduated from Oberlin High School in 1954 and from
Oberlin
College in 1957.
He earned a masters degree
in film production and film criticism from Columbia University in New
York,
and while there worked as a statistical analyst for a public opinion
survey
company. He also worked as a broadcaster in radio and television while
living in New Mexico and Texas.
He served in the U.S. Army
during the Berlin crisis of 1962.
He was active in drama,
acting and directing, and enjoyed studying movies and national politics.
Mr. Taylor is survived by
his brothers Thomas William Taylor of Downers Grove, Ill., and Joseph
Ransom
Taylor with whom he lived in Oberlin; niece, Sarah Adele Taylor and
nephew,
David Thomas Taylor, both of Downers Grove, Ill. He was preceded in
death
by his parents, Warren and Adele Elizabeth (nee Wanner) Taylor; and
brother,
William Dickinson Taylor.
Dicken Funeral Home and
Cremation Service in Elyria handled arrangements.
Oberlin
News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Tuesday, December 2, 2003, p. 3.
Georgia Ann Taylor
Georgia Ann Taylor spent
her retirement years in Arizona after a long career as a public school
teacher in Connecticut, following an MA degree at Case Western Reserve
University and a professional diploma at Columbia University. After
settling
five years ago in Scottsdale she involved herself in a number of
community
groups. She used her teaching experience in the children’s department
of
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, chaired the Education Foundation
Committee, and published the monthly bulletin, aside from participating
in a number of other volunteer activities. Miss Taylor died at age 67
March
22 in Scottsdale’s Mayo Hospital.
Oberlin
Alumni Magazine,
Oberlin College, Fall 2001, p. 51.
John
Wallace Taylor
J. Wallace Taylor
died Aug. 7[, 1968,] in Port Clinton,
Ohio. [He was an 1898 graduate of OHS.
He was born in
In 1907 Mr. Taylor married Cora Graf,
’99-02. They had no
children. His parents, Wallace and Mary Wisner Taylor, were in the
class of
1867. He had a brother, Carl, who attended the academy in 1898-1900.
His
sister, Harriet, ’09, is his sole survivor.
The
Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
Laura Scott Taylor Dies at 79, Ran Bedford-Stuyvesant School
Laura Scott Taylor, the co-founder
and retired principal of the Concord Baptist Elementary School in
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, died on Sunday at Kings County Hospital
Center. Mrs. Taylor, who lived in Crown Heights, was 79.
Mrs. Taylor was fatally injured when she was hit by a truck last Friday while crossing a street in Crown Heights.
For 32 years, Mrs. Taylor served as the unsalaried principal of the
Concord Baptist Elementary School, which she established in 1960 with
her husband, the Rev. Gardner Taylor, now pastor emeritus of the
Concord Baptist Church of Christ.
Dr. Taylor, who had been a member of the New York City Board of
Education, said the school was founded because many parents felt their
children were being "intellectually butchered" by the public school
system. "The kids were finished before their lives had started," he
said.
The school emphasizes reading and extensive instruction in black
history and culture. "It means a great deal to know Negroes are making
a success in every phase of life," Mrs. Taylor said in 1967. "For these
children to get a good opinion of themselves is very important. They
should know that those who want to make it can."
Begun with 25 pupils in grades one through six, the school reached an enrollment of 130 pupils in seven years.
"We have proved that Negroes can learn to do what anybody else can do,"
Mrs. Taylor said then. "There is something radically wrong with the
public school system if our kids can't read."
Today, the school has an enrollment of 150 in its six grades.
Mrs. Taylor, who was born in Cleveland, grew up in Oberlin, Ohio, and
graduated in 1937 from Oberlin College. In 1940, after teaching in
South Carolina, she married Dr. Taylor, whom she had met at the Mount
Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin while he was a student at the Oberlin
Graduate School of Theology.
The Taylors moved to New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., and came to
Brooklyn in 1948, when Dr. Taylor was named pastor of the Concord
Baptist Church. He retired in 1990 as the dean of black pastors in the
United States. In 1952, when the church was destroyed by fire, Mrs.
Taylor led its women in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for
the construction of a replacement.
Besides her husband, Mrs. Taylor is survived by her daughter, Martha
LaCroix; a brother, Eugene Scott; a sister, Elizabeth Taylor; a sister
by adoption, Ruby Harris, and a grandson.
The New York Times, New York, N.Y., Friday, February 10, 1995, p. 26.
Laurabelle Scott Taylor
Laurabelle Scott Taylor,
79, of New York City, former Oberlin resident, died Feb. 5 at Kings
County
Hospital Center after being struck by a city truck on Friday, Feb. 3,
as
she crossed Brooklyn Avenue.
Born in Cleveland, one of
11 children of Wayman and Rosa Scott, she grew up in Oberlin. She
graduated
from Oberlin High School [in 1933] and in 1937 from Oberlin College,
where
she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
After graduation she
taught
for three years at the Avery Institute in Charleston, S.C., until
marrying
the Rev. Gardner C. Taylor, a graduate of the Oberlin Graduate School
of
Theology.
The Taylors moved to New
Orleans where he was pastor of Beulah Baptist Church, then to Baton
Rouge,
where he was pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church. In 1948 they moved to
Brooklyn, N.Y., when he became pastor of the Concord Baptist Church of
Christ, which he served until retirement.
Through the years, as the
Rev. Gardner Taylor became one of the outstanding religious leaders of
the country, Mrs. Taylor was active in the many projects of Concord
Baptist
Church. When the church was destroyed by fire in 1952, she led the
women
of the church in raising money for rebuilding. In 1960, she organized
the
Concord Baptist Elementary School and remained as the unsalaried
principal
of that school for 32 years without missing ten days.
Mrs. Taylor is survived
by her husband, a daughter, Martha LaCroix of Harbor City, Calif.; a
sister,
Elizabeth Taylor of Washington, D.C.; a brother, Eugene Scott, of
Knoxville,
Tenn.; and a grandson, Marcus LaCroix.
Services were at Concord
Baptist Church on Feb. 9, with burial in Evergreen Cemetery in
Bushwick,
N.Y.
Memorial contributions may
be made to the Laura Scott Taylor Scholarship Fund at Concord
Elementary
School, in care of Concord Baptist Church, 833 Rev. Gardner Taylor
Blvd.,
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11216.
Oberlin
News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, February 14, 1995, p. 3.
Death Was Sudden
Dr. Maynard Taylor,
Formerly
of Oberlin, Passes Away at Pittsburg
Dr. T. Maynard Taylor, son
of Dr. and Mrs. Wallace Taylor, of 126 East Lorain street, and a
teacher
in the Carnegie Technical schools at Pittsburg, was found dead in his
rooms
in that city last Wednesday morning.
The young man’s death was
undoubtedly the result of overwork and overstudy. Dr. Wallace went at
once
to Pittsburg, bringing the remains here for burial. The funeral was
held
Friday from the home. Dr. Bradshaw officiated.
For several years Mr.
Taylor
was a member of the Oberlin faculty and he had a large circle of
friends
here, many of whom attended the funeral services. The deceased was a
man
of quiet habits, being above all else a student. His was a strong
Christian
character and his life was clean cut. He graduated from [OHS in 1892
and
from] Oberlin [College] with the class of ’97, receiving the degree of
S.B. During the following summer he was instructor in physics and
chemistry
at the Williamson trade school, Williamson, Pa. He studied at the
University
of Pennsylvania from 1898 to 1901, the first year taking university
scholarship
in chemistry; 1899, Harrison fellowship in chemistry and in 1901 he was
given the degree of Ph.D.
In the fall of 1901 he
accepted
a position as instructor in chemistry in Oberlin college and remained
here
until last September when he resigned to accept a position as
instructor
in chemistry in Carnegie Technical school in Pittsburg.
During his teaching here
he devoted considerable time to practical work, being interested in
various
improvements in the methods of chemical manufacture.
Mr. Taylor’s brothers,
William,
a Youngstown physician; John W., a Massillon mechanical engineer, and
Carl
and Norman, of Chicago, were here for the funeral. His sister, Miss
Hattie
Taylor, is a senior in college.
The
Oberlin News, Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, March 5, 1907, p. 4.
Thomas Maynard Taylor
T. Maynard Taylor died at Pittsburg, Pa., February 27, 1907.
Mr. Taylor was born May 25, 1874 at Kobe, Japan. He received his
preparatory in the Oberlin High School [class of 1892] and Academy and
was graduated from the College with the class of ’97. During the years
1897-1899, he was University Scholar in Chemistry at the University of
Pennsylvania. The following two years he held the Harrison Fellowship
at the same University and was granted the degree of Ph.D. In the fall
of 1901, Mr. Taylor returned to Oberlin, where for five years he was
instructor in Chemistry in the College. Last September, Mr. Taylor
accepted a position in the Carnegie Technical Schools in Pittsburg. The
attack of melancholia, during which he took his life, was no doubt due
to overstudy and too close confinement in his class-room and laboratory.
The following resolutions were prepared by a committee of his
classmates:
The recent death of Dr. T. Maynard Taylor of ’97 removes another member
from the class circle—the fifth in the ten years since graduation.
The news of this sudden bereavement was a great shock to his
classmates. Those who were in Oberlin and several from nearby towns
gathered to attend this funeral and to pay their last respects to the
memory of a dear classmate and friend.
In behalf of the class of ’97 they wish to express to the parents and
relatives of Dr. Taylor their heartfelt sympathy in this bereavement,
feeling that in the untimely removal of this noble and pure young life,
the whole class share in the deep sorrow of his loss.
In behalf of ‘97
V. O. Johnston [OHS ‘92]
H. C. Marshall [OHS ‘92]
A. G. Thatcher
L. E. Lord
E. A. Miller
J. E. Dexter
G. G. Brown
The Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
Oberlin, Ohio, April 1907, pp. 285-6.
Oberlin
Word has been
received of the death [on
The
Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
Bernard
F. Tenney dies in Oberlin at 105
Bernard Frederick Tenney
[died] Dec. 9, 1973, at the Welcome Nursing Home, Oberlin, where he had
resided since 1966 and had observed his 105th birthday last May 4.
Mr. Tenney was born in Sandusky, Ohio, when his parents, Luman and
Frances Andrews Tenney, were on their way west after the Civil War. His
mother had graduated from Oberlin in 1863 and his father had studied at
Oberlin before volunteering for the Army and becoming a brevet major.
Mr. Tenney attended Oberlin High School [where he graduated in 1884]
and the Oberlin Academy (1885-86) and studied at the College for two
years before transferring to Amherst where he received his A.B. in 1890.
He was cashier and vice president of the First State Bank of Ada,
Minn., from 1903 to 1919. Earlier he was in the real estate business in
Edmunds, N.D., and in Duluth. He also did some farming at Glyndon,
Minn. He served in the Army Quartermaster Corps during World War I.
Prior to returning to Oberlin in 1922, Mr. Tenney had a peach orchard
and did some truck farming in New Jersey. Throughout his life he loved
the outdoors and he always enjoyed gardening. He learned to play golf
at the age of 63 and continued to play it and to grow roses and
gladiolas until he was almost 90.
Mr. Tenney resided for many years in the home at 178 N. Professor St.
(now the site of East Hall) which was built by his grandfather, Edward
Andrews, in 1853.
He leaves his daughter, Mary Frances, ’17, grandchildren Ruth Tenney
Adamitz, ’53, Jane Tenney Griffin, Melissa Tenney Brown, Arthur E.,
’51, James B., ’55, and Richard L. and 13 great-grandchildren. His wife
(Sadie Snedecker, ’93) died in 1961 at the age of 90. Sons Luman H.,
’18, Edward A., ’23, and William H., ’29, are deceased.
The Oberlin Alumni Magazine, Oberlin,
Ohio, January/February 1974, p. 41.
Daniel
L. Tenney
Daniel L. Tenney, 78, of
Wakeman, former Oberlin resident, died Nov. 2 at his home after a long
illness.
Born in Lee, Mass., he had
lived in Pittsfield and Oberlin before moving to Wakeman.
Mr. Tenney was director
of security at Oberlin College for 12 years retiring in 1980. He had
formerly
worked for Norwalk Truck Lines and was a member of the Teamsters Union,
retiring after 23 years.
During World War II, he
served in the Coast Guard and the Merchant Marines.
Survivors include his wife
of 56 years, Jeanne W.; a daughter, Barbara Fehlan of Wellington; a
son,
Bill of Columbus; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a
sister,
Mary E. Tenney of Norwalk.
He was preceded in death
by a brother, Bradford M.
A memorial service was
held
Nov. 5 at Bethany Lutheran Church, Wellington, with the Rev. Dale
Huelsman
officiating. Burial was in South Pittsfield Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made
to New Life Hospice, 1212 N. Abbe Rd., Elyria 44035.
Oberlin
News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Tuesday, November 8, 1994, p. 2.
Jeanne M. Tenney
Jeanne M. Tenney, 79, of
Wakeman, former Oberlin resident, died June 17 at Amherst Manor Nursing
Home after a long illness.
She was born in Oberlin
and lived most of her life in Wellington, Oberlin and Wakeman areas.
Mrs. Tenney was a 1935
[1936]
graduate of Oberlin High School. A homemaker, she enjoyed cooking,
gardening
and collecting antiques. She also volunteered at Allen Memorial
Hospital.
Survivors include a
daughter,
Mrs. Ray (Barbara) Fehlan of Wellington; a son William of Columbus; 10
grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ruth Avery of
Aluras,
Calif., and Eva Halliwell of Wellington; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death
by her husband, Daniel; her parents, Joseph and Lulu Wait; a sister,
Betty
Myers; and a brother, Charles Wait.
Private family services
will be held.
Memorial contributions may
be made to New Life Hospice, 5255 N. Abbe Rd., Elyria.
The Gerber-Smith Funeral
Home, 16 Cooper St., Wakeman, is handling arrangements.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, July 21, 1998, p. 2.
Raymond P. Tenney, A Retired
Diplomat
Special
to The New York Times
Madison, N.J., May 11—Raymond Parker
Tenney of San
Francisco, a retired foreign service officer, died yesterday at the
Pine Acres
Nursing Home here. He was 75 years old [and a 1904 graduate of OHS].
Mr. Tenney was born in
He served as consul in
Before returning to this country at
the outbreak of World
War II, Mr. Tenney was director of the Salt administration in
He is survived by a brother, Dr.
Albert S. Tenney of
The
New York Times,
Mrs. Bernard F. [Sadie
A.] Tenny [Tenney]
Mrs. Bernard Frederick
Tenney (Sadie A. Snedeker) died in Oberlin on September 11, 1961. She
was 90 years old. Mrs. Tenney had spent most of her life in Oberlin.
She was born in Aurora, Ohio, on March 17, 1871, came to Oberlin as a
child, and attended Oberlin public schools [OHS class of 1889] and the
college [OC class of 1893]. She taught for a year under the American
Missionary Association in Alabama, then in public schools in Melbourne,
Florida, 1891-95. On May 4, 1895 she married Bernard F. Tenney, ’90,
and again came to Oberlin to live until 1903. For 17 years, in the
period around World War I, the Tenneys lived in Ada, Minnesota, where
Mrs. Tenney was active in the Congregational Church and in civic and
club work. She served for seven years on the Board of Education in Ada.
The Tenneys returned to Oberlin in 1922 and have lived there since. She
was a member of the First Church and the Oberlin Woman’s Club. In 1945
Mr. and Mrs. Tenney celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, noted
in the Alumni Magazine that year.
Surviving Mrs. Tenney are her husband, who lives at 83 Elmwood Place; a
daughter, Mary F. Tenney, ’17, professor emeritus of classics at
Newcomb College, New Orleans, now of Oberlin; three sons, Dr. Luman H.,
’18, director of the Mental Health Center, Asheville, North Carolina,
Edward A., ’23, professor of English at Indiana State College, Terre
Haute, Indiana, and William H., ’29, professor of English at the
University of Idaho at Moscow; six grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren. Four generations of the Tenney family have
attended Oberlin College.
The Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
Oberlin, Ohio, December 1961, p. 30.
William
Harvey Tenney
William H. Tenney died May
14[, 1973,] in
Mr. Tenney was born in
He lettered in football in 1927 and
1928 and was a graduate
assistant in English 1929-30, receiving his A.M. in 1930. He received
the Ph.D.
from
After serving as assistant professor
of English at
Mr. Tenney leaves his wife, the
former Marion Failacci,
daughters Jean (Mrs. Robert Griffin) and Melissa (Mrs. Lowell Brown),
two
grandson, his father in Oberlin, and sister Mary F., ’17, in Oberlin.
Brothers
Luman H., ’18, and Edward A., ’23, are deceased.
The
Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
Mrs. Isaac Terborgh Killed In Accident Near
Medina
Memorial Service Held
in First Church Monday for Well Known Former Resident
Memorial services were
held
in First Church Monday for Mrs. Isaac Terborgh, well known former
Oberlin
resident who died Saturday after being struck by an automobile as she
was
crossing a highway near Medina. Dr. W. F. Bohn officiated at the
services
here. Private burial services will be later.
Mrs. Terborgh was born
July
31, 1864, in Benzonia, Mich., the daughter of retired African
missionaries.
When she was 15 she moved with her family to Oberlin, where she
attended
Oberlin High School[, graduating in 1883,] and graduated from Oberlin
College
in 1888.
She was a teacher in
Oberlin
for several years and later taught in Wymore, Neb. In 1894 she was
married
to Isaac Terborgh, a graduate of the Oberlin Theological Seminary.
Mrs. Terborgh lived the
life of a small town minister’s wife until 1905 when her physician
recommended
a drier climate to alleviate a chronic bronchial irritation, and the
family
moved to a farm in Alberta, Canada.
Their farm, 27 miles from
a railroad was in the wilds of Canada. In the frontier community, Mrs.
Terborgh taught the first school organized in the region. She conducted
Sunday school classes and organized literary societies, choruses, and
amateur
theatricals.
In 1916 the family moved
back to Oberlin where they continued to live until 1941, when they
moved
to St. Cloud, Fla. Mr. Terborgh died early in 1946.
Mrs. Terborgh was visiting
a niece near Medina at the time of the accident which caused her death.
Surviving are a brother,
John Winter Thompson of St. Charles, Ill., three daughters, Mrs.
William
C. Childs of Westfield, N. J., Mrs. John Murray of Blackburg, Va., and
Mrs. Robert Rowe of Metuchen, N. J., and a son, George Terborgh,
Arlington,
Va.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Thursday, July 3, 1947, p. 1.
Mary Eliza Church Terrell
Upbringing Prepared for Rights
Struggle
By Perre Magness
Mary Eliza Church was born
in Memphis Sept. 23, 1863, nine months after the Emancipation
Proclamation.
She died only a few months after the Supreme Court declared segregation
unconstitutional.
She was one of the great
figures of the struggle for civil rights. Her father, Robert Church,
was
the son of the white owner of a steamboat line, Capt. Charles B.
Church,
and a slave. Robert worked on his father's steamboats until the Civil
War
closed the line. He was able to buy a saloon on De Soto Street in
Memphis.
Her mother was Louisa
Ayers,
who had been a lady's maid. When the Emancipation Proclamation freed
her,
she opened a ''hair store'' near Court Square, where Memphis ladies
could
buy chignons and false curls, and have their hair coiffed.
Mollie, as the little girl
was known, and her brother Thomas were born into prosperous
circumstances,
since both their parents were succeeding in their businesses.
But she heard frightening
tales of slavery from her maternal grandmother, which sometimes brought
her to tears. Her parents divorced when the children were very small,
and
Louisa eventually moved to New York, where she opened another hair
store.
The quality of education
for blacks in Memphis was so poor that when Mollie was 6 years old, her
parents agreed that she should have better advantages. They sent her to
Yellow Springs, Ohio, to the model school connected with Antioch
College,
whose first president was famed educator Horace Mann.
The child was fortunate
to board with a black couple who kept the town's hotel, and who
provided
a warm and loving home for her for five years. When she was 12, she was
sent to Oberlin, Ohio, to attend high school [OHS class of 1879] and
then Oberlin College.
Oberlin was founded by abolitionists, and was the first college to
accept
black students, in 1835. Mollie was one of three black women to
graduate
in the class of 1884.
Despite her popularity
with
her classmates, she was always aware of the color line, and the
prejudices
that met her at many turns. After college, she accepted a teaching
position
at Wilberforce University. Her father, who had remarried, strongly
disapproved;
he wanted his daughter to be a ''real lady,'' and real ladies did not
work
because the men in the family could support them. By this time, Robert
Church was well on his way to becoming the first black millionaire in
Memphis.
So few black women were as well qualified, and she was determined to
use
her excellent education. For a year she was estranged from her father,
but he came round to her point of view. After she had taught at
Wilberforce
for two years and one year in the Washington high school for blacks, he
took her to Europe, and supported her desire to study abroad. She spent
a year studying French in Switzerland, and another studying German in
Berlin.
She returned to Washington to teach, and a romance bloomed with Robert
Heberton Terrell, the head of the Latin department of Washington high
school
for blacks. Terrell's education matched Mary's; he had graduated from
Groton
and with honors from Harvard. They were married in 1891 at her father's
home on Lauderdale in Memphis.
Even the Memphis
newspaper,
which seldom printed news of black people, described ''the elaborate
menu
and excellent champagne'' and the orchestra, ''which made the air sweet
with its beautiful music.'' Marriage ended her teaching career, for
married
women were not permitted to teach in most parts of the country. The
early
years of her marriage were full of sadness. She lost three babies; a
daughter,
Phyllis, survived, and Mary and her husband adopted her brother's
daughter,
Mary. In the spring of 1892, while she was pregnant for the first time,
she heard horrifying news from Memphis.
Tom Moss, who had been a
close childhood friend and who had recently sent her a set of silver
oyster
forks as a wedding present, was one of the owners of the People's
Grocery
Store in South Memphis, who had been involved in a rivalry with a white
grocer across the street. He and two other men had been lynched by
angry
whites. The tragedy, combined with the death of her baby a few months
later,
plunged her into depression but her strength of character asserted
itself,
and she entered into community affairs.
Long Career Paved Way for
Women,
Blacks
She found plenty to occupy
her. She was the first black woman appointed to the District of
Columbia
Board of Education and served for nearly six years, resigning when her
husband was appointed high school principal.
When a new board was
formed
under a different jurisdiction, she was the only person to have served
previously to be appointed. Upon her resignation after 11 years of
service,
she received many tributes for her devoted work in the cause of
education.
One of the innovations she
introduced was Douglass Day. The day honoring Frederick Douglass – so
black
pupils could take pride in their history – was the first official
celebration
of black history in the nation. She became involved in club work. She
was
a co-founder of the Colored Women's League of Washington. When it
merged
in 1896 with more than 100 other clubs to form the National Association
of Colored Women, she was elected the first president.
She attended the meetings
of the American Woman Suffrage Association, and entered a resolution
that
the injustices of colored women be included in the association's
actions.
Her friendship with Susan B. Anthony led to invitations to speak before
large suffrage meetings, and this led to another career. She became a
popular
lecturer, traveling the circuit, delivering talks on such subjects as
''The
Progress of Colored Women,'' ''The Bright Side of a Dark Subject'' and
''Harriet Beecher Stowe.'' She told her husband, ''I really feel that I
am putting the colored woman in a favorable light every time I address
an audience of white people.''
She lectured for more than
30 years, even braving the Jim Crow laws to tour the South and reach
audiences
who had never seen an educated black woman.
Although her friends
warned
her not to make her speeches too harsh, she wrote, ''I felt that I
could
not be true to myself or to my race, if I did not . . . tell the truth
about the barbarities perpetrated upon representatives of the race when
I discussed the problem.'' In 1904, she was invited to address the
International
Council of Women in Germany, where she was the only dark-skinned
delegate.
That in itself aroused curiosity, which turned to awe when she
delivered
one lecture in German and another in French.
Her husband, who had
attended
law school while teaching, had been appointed judge of the Municipal
Court
of the District of Columbia, first by President Theodore Roosevelt and
then for five more terms by both Republican and Democratic presidents.
Mrs. Terrell attended the
founding conferences of the NAACP in 1909 and 1910 and served on its
executive
committee. She fought discrimination wherever she found it. Her
organizational
talents and her speaking ability made her invaluable.
After she was awarded
honorary
degrees by Oberlin, Wilberforce and Howard colleges, she applied for
membership
in the American Association of University Women in 1946. It took the
board
three years of wrangling to accept her and to welcome the black women
who
followed. When she wrote her autobiography in 1940, British writer H.
G.
Wells wrote the preface.
In 1950, when she was 87,
she joined a protest against Washington's segregated restaurants;
leaning
on her cane, she led the picket lines. She died July 24, 1954. Her 90
years
saw immense changes, and she was a leader in gaining rights for blacks
and for women.
Sources: Roberta Church
and Ronald Walter, Nineteenth Century Memphis Families of Color
1850-1900
(1987). Mary Church Terrell, A Colored Woman in a White World
(Washington:
Ransdell Press, 1940). Dorothy Sterling, Black Foremothers (The
Feminist
Press, 1988).
The Commercial Appeal,
Memphis, Tennessee, Thursdays, July 21 & 28, 1994.
Mrs. Terrell Praised
First Lady Pays
Tribute to Negro Woman Leader
Washington, Aug. 1 (UP)—Mrs. Dwight
D. Eisenhower said today
that the late Mary Church Terrell, first president of the National
Association
of Colored Women, dedicated her life to “the betterment of humanity.”
The First Lady’s encomium was read to
the organization’s
convention here by Maxwell M. Raab, secretary to the Cabinet and
associate
counsel to the President. Mrs. Terrell died on July 24.
“I am proud to honor the memory and
the great work of your
first president, Mrs. Mary Church Terrell,” Mrs. Eisenhower’s message
said.
“She was rarely endowed. For more than sixty years her great gifts were
dedicated to the betterment of humanity, and she left a truly inspiring
record.
Her life was the epitome of courage and vision and a deep faith—an
example
worthy of emulation by all who love their fellow men.”
The New York Times, New York,
N.Y., Monday, August 2, 1954, p. 13.
William J. Teves
William J. Teves, 80, of
Elyria, former Oberlin resident, died July 22 at EMH Regional Medical
Center
after a nine-month illness.
Born in Lorain, he moved
to Oberlin as a child and graduated from Oberlin High School [in 1932]
and from the Oberlin School of Commerce.
In 1937 he started work
at the National Tube Co. in Lorain, now known as USS/Kobe Steel Co., as
a clerk in the accounting department. He was later promoted to
personnel
services.
In 1951 Mr. Teves was
transferred
to the McKeesport, Pa., Works and in 1954 to National Tube’s
headquarters
in Pittsburgh, where he was a general supervisor of personnel.
From 1957-68 he served as
assistant superintendent of personnel services at McKeesport, Pa., and
Ellwood City, Pa., returning to the Lorain Works in 1968. He was
superintendent
of personnel services at Lorain Works from 1969-78.
He served as a board
member
and was a former president of Goodwill Industries of Lorain and also
served
on the board of directors at the Lorain Family YMCA.
Mr. Teves was a member of
the Lorain Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lorain Works Management Club,
Elyria Kiwanis Club and St. Jude Catholic Church in Elyria.
He is survived by his wife
of 54 years, Ruth (nee Eaton); a daughter, Patricia Gary of Los Alamos,
N.M.; a son, Thomas W., of Short Hills, N.J.; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death
by a brother, Michael.
Services were Monday
morning
at the Dicken Funeral Home, Elyria, followed by Mass at St. Jude
Catholic
Church, Elyria, with the Rev. Daniel R. Fickes, associate pastor,
officiating.
Burial was in Ridge Hill
Memorial Park in Amherst Township.
Memorial gifts may be made
to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, July 26, 1994, p. 2.
Michael
Tevesz
Michael J. Tevesz, 67, of
Amherst, formerly of Oberlin, died Sunday at Lorain Community Hospital
after a 14-month illness.
Born in Lorain, he grew
up in Oberlin and graduated from Oberlin High School in 1936.
He was a utilities analyst
in the Fuel and Power Department of U.S. Steel’s Lorain Works, retiring
in 1981 after 44 years.
He served with the U.S.
Air Force during World War II. He was a member of St. Joseph Church,
Amherst.
He is survived by his
wife,
Mary, a son, Dr. Michael J. Tevesz of Cleveland; and a brother, William
of Elyria.
Funeral services were
Tuesday
at St. Joseph Church, Amherst, with burial in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
The family suggests that
memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Thursday, January 10, 1985, p. 10.
Everett Thatcher, 88, A Naval Researcher
Everett W. Thatcher, a
former
director of research at the Navy Electronics Laboratory in San Diego,
died
on April 24. He was 88 years old and lived in San Diego.
He died of respiratory and
heart failure, said his son, James.
Dr. Thatcher was appointed
to the naval laboratory after leading several research projects
involving
radar and radio waves during World War II and coordinating nonmilitary
research for the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests after the war. Before
the
war he was a professor of physics. He taught at Union College, in
Schenectady,
N.Y., from 1931 to 1946.
Born in Ohio[, graduating
from Oberlin High School in 1921,] and reared in California, Dr.
Thatcher
earned a bachelor’s degree at Oberlin College in 1929 and a master’s
degree
there a year later. He was awarded a doctorate in physics from the
University
of Michigan in 1931. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a fellow of
Sigma Xi, and belonged to the American Physical Society and the
American
Association of Physics Teachers, among other organizations.
Dr. Thatcher’s wife, the
former Fernie Marie Klotz, died in 1988. He is survived by a son,
James,
of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., a daughter, Lucy Franck, of San Diego, six
grandchildren
and four great-grandchildren.
The New York Times,
Saturday, May 9, 1992, p. 31.
Anne H. Thomas
Anne H. Thomas (nee Helm); wife of the late Harry; died Jan. 18. at age
92. [She was a 1929 graduate of OHS.] Loving mother of Norman (Gloria),
Gary (Dolly), and the late Kenneth (Linda). Funeral services will be
held Saturday, Jan. 24. Wake 3 P.M., Service 3:30 P.M. at E.F. Boyd
& Son Funeral Home, 25900 Emery RD.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer,
Cleveland, Ohio, January 22, 2004.
Funeral service set today for Dorothea M.
Thomas,
76
Funeral services for
Dorothea
Mae Thomas, 76, of 171 East Lorain will be today at 1 p.m. at the First
Baptist Church with Rev. Paul Buckland and Rev. Steven Hammond
officiating.
Burial will be in Westwood Cemetery.
Mrs. Thomas died early
Tuesday
morning at Allen Hospital following a brief illness.
Born in Oberlin on Dec.
9, 1902, she was a lifelong area resident and had studied in the
Oberlin
Conservatory of Music. For many years she was active in the Oberlin
Girl
Scout program. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, the
Friendship
Guild and Missionary Society of the church, on the board of the Church
Women United of Oberlin, and active in the Allen Hospital Auxiliary,
working
during the past two years in the hospital gift shop.
She is survived by here
husband Robert S. Thomas, former Oberlin mayor and Lorain Journal
reporter;
daughter Helen (Mrs. Freeman) Woodson of 171 East Lorain; son Don M. of
Orange, New Jersey; sister, Mrs. Arthur Zebbs of 138 South Main;
brother,
John H. Jones, Elyria; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Thursday, August 23, 1979.
Elizabeth Thomas
Elizabeth G. Thomas, 76,
the first black teacher in the Oberlin public schools, died Monday at
her
home following a long illness.
She died in the same home
she was born in on N. Professor Street.
Mrs. Thomas attended
Oberlin
schools[, graduated from Oberlin High School in 1931,] and was a 1936
graduate
of Oberlin College. She taught public school for 36 years, 32 in
Oberlin
schools.
Mrs. Thomas retired in
1975
but remained an active afternoon volunteer at Eastwood Elementary
School
for 10 years following her retirement.
Her life was dedicated in
service to others. She served as a volunteer at the Allen Memorial
Hospital
gift shop as well as the local Meals on Wheels program.
She was a member of the
Oberlin Community Services Council, the Friends of Oberlin Public
Library,
the Historic Preservation Commission, the Oral History Committee, the
Women’s
Progressive Club, Beta Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, the Oberlin
Board of the American Association of University Women, National
Association
of Ohio Negro Professional Women’s Club, the Martin Luther King Adult
Group,
the Missionary Society and Church Women United. She served as the
superintendent
of the Mt. Zion church school for many years.
She is survived by three
cousins in New York and was preceded in death by her husband Philip in
1975.
Friends will be received
Thursday at the Cowling Funeral Home from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.
Services
will be held Friday at 7 p.m. at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church with the
Rev.
Fred Steen officiating. Burial will be Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in
Westwood
Cemetery.
The family suggests
memorial
contributions may be made to the Eastwood Elementary School library or
the Philip M. Thomas Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, October 31, 1989, p. 2.
Frances F. Thomas
Frances F. Thomas, 49, of
Oberlin died Feb. 27 at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis after a
one-year
battle with cancer.
Born in Oberlin, she
graduated
from Oberlin High School in 1961 [sic]. She received a master of
education
degree from Kent State University.
Mrs. Thomas began her
career
in education in Oberlin as a Scope teacher aide in 1969. She was hired
as a teacher in 1970 and served as Langston Middle School principal
from
1978 until she was named assistant superintendent in 1984.
She resigned from the
Oberlin
schools in January 1986 to accept the job of director of state and
federal
programs for the Mansfield schools. She had been director of curriculum
for the Indianapolis, Ind., school system for two years.
She was a member of Christ
Temple Apostolic Church, Oberlin.
Survivors include her
husband,
John B., to whom she was married 32 years; three sons, Bryan of Elyria,
and Kenny and Kevin, both at home; two grandsons, her father, William
Payne
of Philadelphia; and her mother, Susan Lewis of Elyria.
Visitation will be today,
March 3, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. in the Cowling Funeral Home. Services
will
be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Christ Temple Apostolic Church. Burial
will
be in Westwood Cemetery.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, March 3, 1992
George Thomas
George Thomas, 94, of
Oberlin,
died June 4 at Allen Memorial Hospital after a long illness.
Born in Oberlin [and a
1924
graduate of OHS], he lived in California for many years, returning to
Oberlin
three years ago.
He was an executive
director
of the Southern California Conference on Race Relations for 25 years,
retiring
in 1968.
The state of California
designated the Senior Citizens Centers in the name of Mr. Thomas and
his
late wife, Helen.
Survivors include three
grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; sister, Juanita V. Brown of
Oberlin;
and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death
by his wife, Helen (nee Anderson); a daughter, Jacqueline Thomas
Reynolds;
his parents, George A. and Lydia; brothers Robert and Harry; and a
sister,
Opal Gaines.
A memorial service was
held
June 6 at the Welcome Nursing Home with Pastor Charles B. Mayle of the
Christian Missionary Alliance officiating.
The Cowling Funeral Home
was in charge of arrangements.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Tuesday, June 9, 1998, p. 3.
Harry N. Thomas, 89, Post Office Supervisor
Bedford, Ohio – Harry N. Thomas played in the state basketball
tournament three years in a row when he was a star on the Oberlin High
School basketball team. They won the Class B title in 1926[, the year
he graduated].
Mr. Thomas worked in the Cleveland Post Office for 30 years. He was a
supervisor at the South Euclid branch when he retired in the 1960s. He
had earlier been a clerk in the University Circle branch.
Mr. Thomas died Friday at the Harborside nursing home. He was 89.
He was born in Oberlin, where he graduated from Oberlin Business
College. He married Anne Helm in 1933. He was a founding member of the
Oberlin branch of the NAACP. He remained active with the organization
in Cleveland. He was also a member of the National Postal Alliance.
During the Depression, Mr. Thomas worked as a waiter and red cap in
Cleveland's Union Terminal. He lived most recently in Bedford.
A son, Kenneth, is deceased.
In addition to his wife of 65 years, survivors include two sons, H.
Norman and Gary, both of Shaker Heights; a sister; a brother; six
grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. today at the E.F. Boyd & Son Funeral
Home, 25900 Emery Rd., Warrensville Heights.
The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio,
Tuesday, April 21, 1998, p. 7B.
John Bobby Thomas
John Bobby Thomas, 65, of
Sycamore Street, died at the Oberlin Medical Center on Friday, Aug. 3,
following a long illness. He was known to many as J.B. Thomas.
[Born in Sharpsburg, Ky.,]
Mr. Thomas lived in Oberlin all his life, [graduating from Oberlin High
School in 1956 and] working for BF Goodrich in Brecksville [as a lab
technician]
for 33 years before retiring in 1998.
He was a member of Christ
Temple Apostolic Church of Oberlin, and attended Grace Lutheran Church
of Oberlin as well.
He was a Webelo leader for
the Cub Scouts and coached eighth grade football in Oberlin when the
high
school was located where Langston Middle School is now [and coached
high
school football for Elyria Catholic for 10 years.] Mr. Thomas was
involved
in the Community Mentoring Program at Oberlin High School and was a
volunteer
tutor for the Athletic Study Tables at OHS as well.
He was a member of the
Oberlin
Schools for Excellence Schools team.
Mr. Thomas was a past
master
of Central Star Lodge #73 and was Pythagorean advisor. Up until his
illness,
he was director of personnel for the Oberlin Community Baseball and
Softball
Federation and was head umpire, affiliated with the organization for 35
years. He was a very active member of the Oberlin Athletic Boosters and
received a Community Service Award from the Oberlin Club of the
National
Association of Negro Business and Professional Womens Club.
He is survived by his
wife,
Harriet Thomas (nee Ahmed Forrest) of Oberlin; sons Bryan of Elyria,
Kevin
of Youngstown, and Kenny of Elyria; brothers Fred and Jackson of
Oberlin;
and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death
by his first wife of 33 years, Frances Flurette Thomas, and parents,
George
and Anna (nee Jones) Thomas.
The family suggests that
in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Oberlin
Community
Youth Scholarship Fund, c/o Access Program, 105 Abbe Road North,
Elyria,
Ohio, 44035.
Funeral Services will be
held at Christ Temple Apostolic Church, [370 Lincoln St., Oberlin,] at
11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 9 with visitation two hours before the time
of
services. District Elder Laurence Nevels of Christ Temple Apostolic
Church
will officiate. Interment will be at Westwood Cemetery with Cowling
Funeral
Home [228 South Main St., Oberlin,] handling the arrangements.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, August 7, 2001 [The Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria,
Ohio,
August 8, 2001]
Kenneth H. Thomas
Kenneth H. Thomas, 33, a
former Oberlin High School student (1961-62), was instantly killed in a
traffic accident in Phoenix, Ariz., last week. He was the son of Harry
and Anne Thomas, formerly of Oberlin, and now living in Phoenix; and
nephew
of Bob Thomas, 171 E. Lorain, who went to Phoenix for the memorial
service.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Thursday, February 3, 1977, p. 10.
Orville Buckner Thomas
Orville Buckner Thomas,
88, of Oberlin, died Nov. 21 at Welcome Nursing Home after a long
illness.
A lifelong Oberlin
resident,
he graduated from Oberlin High School [in 1931] and the Ekles School of
Mortuary Science in Philadelphia, Pa.
Mr. Thomas was employed
for many years with Ball, Burge and Kraus in Cleveland. After his
retirement,
he worked at Oberlin Savings Bank as a customer service representative.
Mr. Thomas was a member
of Mount Zion Baptist Church for over 65 years and later joined the
Church
of the Open Door in Elyria.
He was a member of Most
Worshipful Prince Hall, Grand Lodge of Ohio F&AM. In 1963, he was
installed
as worshipful master of Central Star Lodge #63 of Oberlin.
He is survived by
daughters
Renee Haskins of Covina, Calif., Yvonne Etter of Los Angeles, Calif.,
and
Marie Wakefield of Las Vegas, Nev.; nieces Ferne Moore, M.D., and
Shirley
Wilson-Young; nephews Harold Coleman and Thomas Georges M.D.;
great-nephew
Eric Wilson; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death
by his wife, Ethel.
Graveside services were
held at Westwood Cemetery Nov. 24.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, November 30, 1999, p. 6.
Orville Buckner Thomas
Orville Buckner Thomas, 88, of Oberlin, died Monday at the Welcome
Nursing Home after a long illness.
Born in Oberlin, he lived in Oberlin most of his life.
A 1931 graduate of Oberlin High School, he also graduated from Eckels
Mortuary College in Philadelphia.
He worked for the W. Stanley Jackson Funeral Home in Philadelphia for a
year, but needed to seek other work because of health problems. Mr.
Thomas was a clerk for Ball, Burge and Kraus investors on the New York
Stock Exchange for 34 years.
He also was a customer service representative at Oberlin Savings Bank
for two years before retiring in 1978.
He was a longtime member of the Church of the Open Door in Elyria.
Mr. Thomas was a former member of Central Star Masonic Lodge 73
F&AM, and was active with the Masons in increasing memberships.
He was a member of the Bezaleel Consistory 15 and the El Hasa Temple
28, both of Cleveland.
Mr. Thomas also was a charter member and former president of the Aracis
Building Corps of Oberlin.
Survivors include daughters Renee Haskin of Covina, Calif., Yvonne
Elter of Los Angeles, and Marie Wakefield of Las Vegas; eight
grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ethel Anna (nee Bowman) Thomas,
and his parents, Robert W. and Lulu H. (nee Adams) Thomas.
Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Cowling Funeral
Home, 228 S. Main St., Oberlin.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Westwood Cemetery
in Oberlin.
The Rev. Howard O. Jones will officiate.
The Chronicle-Telegram,
Elyria, Ohio, Tuesday, November 23, 1999, p. E2.
Philip
M. Thomas, attorney, dies at 61
Philip Merwin Thomas died
Tuesday afternoon at his home, 195 N. Professor, at the age of 61.
Funeral
services will be held tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church.
Mr. Thomas was an
attorney.
His wife Elizabeth said yesterday, “I would call him a social work
attorney
because he was more interested in people and what he could do to help
them
than in getting money.”
Born in Oberlin Nov. 22,
1913, Mr. Thomas [graduated from Oberlin High School and] enrolled in
Oberlin
College in 1932 but did not receive his degree in sociology until 1939,
because he had to interrupt his studies several times to help support
his
parents. His father worked on Lake Erie ships and had been laid off
because
of the Depression.
During World War II, Mr.
Thomas was with the U.S. Army in the South Pacific. With the rank of
sergeant,
he served as program director for Armed Forces Radio stations and
edited
overseas newspapers. After the war he was an adult probation and parole
officer and received his law degree from Cleveland Marshall Law School
in 1950.
Retaining his Oberlin
residence,
Mr. Thomas first practiced law in Lorain. He opened an office here in
1960
and in the same year was appointed assistant city solicitor. He became
solicitor for a two-year period in 1964. In 1971, he joined Atty. G.L.
Severs in the firm now known as Severs, Thomas and Boylan.
Mr. Thomas, whose nickname
was “Bud,” served in many civic capacities, including chairman of the
civil
planning commission and member of the Allen Hospital board of trustees.
He was a member of the City Club, NAACP, and Mt. Zion Church, of which
he was a trustee. He belonged to the county, state and national bar
associations
and had served as acting judge here and in Lorain.
Although he had been ill
for some time with liver trouble that dated from a wartime bout with
malaria
and hepatitis, he continued to work part time until Monday. He died of
a ruptured liver.
In addition to his wife,
a teacher here since 1942 who is retiring this year from her post at
the
Eastwood School kindergarten, Mr. Thomas is survived by a brother,
Wilbur,
of Madison, Wis.; and four sisters, Mrs. Gladys Wallace of 180 S. Park,
Mrs. Thelma Godette of 229 E. Lorain, Mrs. Linny Leach of Lorain and
Mrs.
Annie Hargraves of Covington, Ky.
Friends will be received
today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Cowling Funeral Home. Rev.
Fred
L. Steen of Mt. Zion Church will conduct the funeral service tomorrow,
and burial will be in Westwood Cemetery.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Thursday, May 15, 1975, p. 1.
Robert S. ‘Bob’ Thomas, former Oberlin
councilman
Robert S. ‘Bob’ Thomas,
90, an Oberlin Councilman in the 1960s and 1970s, died at Allen
Memorial
Hospital this morning, after an illness of several months.
A lifelong Oberlin
resident,
Mr. Thomas graduated from Oberlin High School in 1922. He was captain
of
his high school football, basketball and track teams.
He had several jobs before
joining the post office in 1935. In the early 1950s, he began writing
for
the Lorain Journal and eventually became a full-time writer and
columnist,
retiring in 1968.
He founded “The Senior
Years,”
a newspaper for senior citizens in Oberlin and was inducted into the
Ohio
Senior Citizen Hall of Fame in 1988.
Mr. Thomas was elected to
City Council in 1969 and 1971. He was Council president for 2 ½
years. In addition, he was interim city manager for six months in 1971.
He helped found the
Oberlin
Welfare Council in 1954. He also served on several committees and
commissions
for fair and adequate housing in Oberlin.
In 1976, Oberlin College
officials honored him with the Distinguished Community Service Award.
He
was a 1993 Oberlin Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow and was an active
member
of the First Baptist Church in Oberlin, where he was a deacon.
He was a member of many
organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement
of
Colored People, the board of Jeanne Beattie Butts House, the Allen
Memorial
Hospital Board of Directors, the Oberlin Seniors Inc. trustees, the
Senior
Citizens Association of Lorain County, the Lorain Metropolitan
Authority
Board of Directors, the Lorain County Transit Board, the Lorain County
Board for the Mentally Retarded, the Lorain County Federation for Human
Service, the Western Reserve Area Agency Advisory Board and the Ohio
Commission
on Aging.
In 1981, he was a delegate
to the White House Conference on Aging, Lorain County Blue Ribbon
Committee.
He was also a trustee of
the Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization.
Survivors include a son,
Don M. of New York City; a daughter, Helen Woodson of Oberlin; four
grandchildren;
a sister, Juanita V. Brown of Oberlin; and two brothers, Harry N. of
Beachwood
and George L. of Los Angeles.
He was preceded in death
by his wife Dorothea M.
Friends may call 7-9 p.m.
Wednesday at the Cowling Funeral Home, South Main Street, Oberlin.
Services
will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Oberlin,
with
the Rev. Stephen Hammond, pastor, officiating.
Burial will be in Westwood
Cemetery in Oberlin.
Memorials may be made to
the Oberlin Schools Endowment Fund for the Robert S. Thomas Scholarship.
The Chronicle-Telegram,
Elyria, Ohio, Tuesday, March 30, 1993, p. C-2.
Wilbur
C. Thomas
Wilbur “Bill” Crawford
Thomas,
78, an Oberlin native [and 1936 graduate of OHS], died May 6 at his
home
in Madison, Wis.
He attended Oberlin
College
from 1937-40 when he joined the Army Air Corps. He spent part of his
tour
of duty at Tuskegee Air Force Base in Alabama.
After his military
service,
he graduated from Kent State University in 1947 and then taught
psychology
and practiced psychotherapy.
From 1950 to 1958, he
worked
fro the Urban League in Warren, Ohio. In 1958 he became executive
director
of the Wisconsin Welfare Council, then administrative director of the
Dane
County Mental Health Center in Wisconsin.
In 1967, Mr. Thomas was
appointed to the University of Wisconsin-Extension Faculty, where he
served
as chairman of community affairs, Community Dynamics Institute, family
living education. He retired as a professor emeritus in 1983.
He was a member of
Wisconsin
Juvenile Justice, Epsilon Sigma Phi and the Wisconsin Chapter Community
Development Association of America.
Mr. Thomas belonged to the
Madison Ecumenical Council Convention and the Madison Metropolitan
School
District’s Sex Equity Committee. He served on various committees of
Calvary
United Methodist Church in Madison and was a frequent lay liturgist
speaker
and consultant.
He was a consultant to
many
organizations, including the Madison Metropolitan School District Board
of Education, the district’s Affirmative Action Committee, the Urban
League,
NAACP, the Board of Missions of Wisconsin United Methodist Church and
the
board of directors of the Madison Urban Ministry.
At one time, he was listed
in “Who’s Who Among Black Americans” and the “Who’s Who in the United
Methodist
Church.”
Mr. Thomas received the
Governor’s Special Award for dedicated Service to the state of
Wisconsin,
the Outstanding Community Service Award from Madison Neighborhood
Centers,
a citation from the Wisconsin Extension Homemaker’s Council, and a
certificate
from the Wisconsin Black State Employees.
Survivors include his wife
of 52 years, Maria A.; a son, Philip W.C. Thomas of Middleton, Wis.;
daughters,
Diana R. Thomas of Madison and Maria A. Wakefield of Shoreview, Minn.;
and two grandchildren.
A graveside service was
held on May 11 in Westwood Cemetery with the Rev. Fred L. Steen
officiating.
Memorial gifts may be made
to the Ronald McDonald House, American Cancer Society or Calvary United
Methodist Church in Madison.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Tuesday, May 16, 1995, p. 2.
William G. Thomas
William Granville (Bill)
Thomas was born on December 31, 1929 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was the
son
of bandleader Burl (Tommy) Thomas and Helen Thomas. The family moved to
Oberlin, when he was a child and he was educated in the Oberlin school
system. After graduation from Oberlin High School in 1947, he briefly
attended
West Virginia State University.
He then moved to Los
Angeles,
California to pursue an acting career. While in California, he was
drafted
into the United States Army and served in Germany. After receiving a
honorable
discharge, he moved to Cleveland, OH and appeared in several
productions
at the renowned Karamu House Theater. He met Christine Thomas at Karamu
and they were married in 1955. The couple had two children, Antony Ross
and William Lawrence.
Bill attended John Carroll
University at night while holding down a day job at Associated
Industries
and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in English. His early career
included
positions as a Housing Inspector for the City of Cleveland, an
appointment
to a management position at the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services by
then
Ohio Governor Mike DiSalle, and a management position at the Urban
League
of Greater Cleveland.
In the mid-60s, he
accepted
a position with the Department of the Navy in the area of Contracts
Compliance.
During the next fifteen years, he served as Chief of the Office of
Federal
Contracts Compliance for the Departments of Defense, Treasury and Labor
both in Cleveland and Los Angeles regions. He was the recipient of the
Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the highest civilian award
conveyed
by the Department of Defense.
He remarried in 1971 and
had a daughter, Therese Lourdes.
In 1979, he graduated from
Pepperdine University with a Master's Degree in Public Administration
(MPA).
In 1980, he left the Federal Government to work for Ameron Corporation.
He held executive positions in the areas of Equal Employment
Opportunity,
Labor Relations and Public Relations. Bill was active in numerous
organizations
and served as President of LABEOL (Los Angeles Basin Equal Opportunity
League) and The International Institute of Los Angeles. He also
served
as an instructor at UCLA Extension.
Shortly after leaving
Ameron
in 1985, Bill was diagnosed with lung cancer, a disease he fought
bravely
for almost three years. He served as an independent consultant for
numerous
corporations until his death in September of 1988. William G. Thomas
was
a loving and giving human being and his presence has been sorely missed.
Family-provided obituary.
(Obiturary is also in the Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Thursday,
October 20, 1988, p. 2, with errors)
Mrs. Carrie LaVerne Thompson
Funeral services for Mrs.
Carrie LaVerne (Oliphant) Thompson, 68, 1905 Onaka Drive, Orlando, who
passed away Monday, will be held Friday at 10 a.m. from Fairchild
Chapel
with Rev. Walter Fortune of the Woodhaven Baptist Church officiating.
Interment
will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park. Mrs. Thompson was a native of
Ohio
where she graduated from Oberlin High School [in 1925]. She moved to
this
area 29 years ago. She is survived by her beloved husband, Floyd
Thompson
& brother Volney Oliphant. Calling hours will be Wednesday 7 to 9
p.m.
Fairchild Funeral Home, Lake Ivanhoe, is in charge of services.
Orlando Sentinel Star,
Orlando, Florida, Wednesday, August 4, 1976, p. 8C.
Emmett
C. Thompson
Emmett C. Thompson, 82,
of Oberlin, died Jan. 20 in the emergency room of Allen Memorial
Hospital
after an apparent heart attack.
Born in Fenton, Iowa, he
lived most of his life in the Oberlin area [and was a 1931 graduate of
OHS].
A self-employed painter,
he also managed the Oberlin College Bowling Lanes for over 12 years.
During World War II, he
served in the Navy. He was a member of the Carl Wilson Locke Post of
the
American Legion.
Mr. Thompson enjoyed
hunting,
fishing, golf, bowling and gardening.
Survivors include his
wife,
Josephine (nee Gibson); a daughter, Mary Jo Bailey of Oberlin; a
grandson;
brother Max of Vermilion; and three sisters, Kathleen Harbaugh of
Toledo,
Phyllis Cote of Maumee and Olga Thompson of Oberlin.
He was preceded in death
by his parents Emmett C. and Agnes (nee Rorem).
Private services were held
with burial in Westwood Cemetery.
The family suggests that
memorial gifts be made to the American Heart Association.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Tuesday, January 30, 1996, p. 2.
Idabel
Edwards Thompson
Idabel Edwards Thompson died
Mrs. Thompson was born in Gambier,
The daughter of Lafayette A. ’83 and
Sarah Probert ’86 [OHS ‘81], she was married to Donald C., a former
park superintendent for the Milwaukee County Park Board. She leaves
daughter Patience and son James F. ’51. Brothers Ellis E. ’15 [OHS ‘09]
and Philip P. ’14 [OHS ‘08] are deceased.
The
Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
James
Thompson
James Thompson, 57, of
Kipton,
died early last Thursday morning at Allen Hospital after a brief
illness.
Born in Montreal, Quebec,
he [graduated from Oberlin High School in 1947 and] moved to Kipton
from
Oberlin 16 years ago.
He was manager of the body
shop at Schubert Buick for 34 years.
He was an Army veteran of
the Korean War and had served in Germany.
A gardener and fisherman,
he was also a collector of antique lamps.
Survivors include his
wife,
Dorothy (nee Welch), to whom he was married 26 years; two daughters,
Theresa
Brown of Wellington and Judy Baumann of Henrietta; a son, William of
Columbus;
his mother, Theresa Thompson of Sullivan; a sister, Elsie Mohrman of
Sullivan;
a brother, George Thompson of Elyria; and three granddaughters.
Services were Saturday
morning
in the Gerber Funeral Home, Wakeman, with Rev. Leah Matthews, pastor of
Brownhelm Congregational United Church of Christ, officiating. Burial
was
in Camden Cemetery, Kipton.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin,
Ohio, Thursday, October 10, 1985, p. 2.
John
L. Thompson
John L. Thompson, 58, of
Oberlin, died Friday at Allen Memorial Hospital after a short illness.
He was born in
Williamston,
S.C., and came to Oberlin in 1943. He graduated from Oberlin High
School
[in 1948], and while in high school started working for Schubert Buick
and continued there for 42 years.
He was a member of Rust
United Methodist Church. He enjoyed golfing and gardening. He was an
Army
veteran, serving in the Korean War.
He is survived by his
wife,
Jean; two sons, Freeman Woodson and James Woodson, both of Oberlin; a
daughter,
Mrs. Jack (Paulett) Marsh of Macedonia; his mother, Mrs. Kathleen
Thompson
of Oberlin; and four grandchildren.
Services were Tuesday
morning
at the Cowling Funeral Home with Rev. Sadie Reynolds, pastor of Rust
United
Methodist Church, officiating. Burial was in Westwood Cemetery.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Thursday, February 12, 1987, p. 2.
Dr. John W. Thompson
Special to the New
York Times
The
New York Times,
John W. Thompson
John W. Thompson, organist and teacher of piano, theory, and organ,
died at his home in St. Charles, Illinois, March 8, 1951.
Mr. Thompson graduated from Oberlin [College in 1890] with a diploma of
music which was replaced with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1906. In
1894 he was graduated from the Leipzig Conservatory.
He was a teacher of piano, theory, and organ at Knox College
Conservatory from 1890 until his retirement as professor emeritus in
1938. In addition to his teaching schedule, Mr. Thompson was organist
at the Central Congregational Church in Galesburg, Illinois, from 1890
until 1926. He also served as president of the Illinois State Music
Teachers Association for a number of years.
After his retirement, he and his wife made their home in St. Charles.
Survivors are his wife and two daughters: Edith and Mrs. Glen Seibel
(Helen ’23).
The Oberlin Alumni Magazine, May
1951, p. 27.
Josephine ‘Jo’ Gibson Thompson
Josephine “Jo” Gibson
Thompson,
88, of Oberlin, died unexpectedly Aug. 5 at her home.
Born in Oberlin, she was
a lifelong resident. She graduated from Oberlin High School in 1930.
Mrs. Thompson worked for
many years in the children’s room of the Oberlin Public Library.
She enjoyed bowling and
most outdoor activities, especially gardening, fishing and golfing.
She is survived by her
daughter,
Mary Jo Bailey of Oberlin; and a grandson, Todd Bailey of Oberlin.
She was preceded in death
by her husband, Emmett Court Thompson; parents, Thomas L. and Mable
(nee
Fauver) Gibson; and a sister, Elizabeth Conrad.
Funeral arrangements will
be announced by the Cowling Funeral Home.
Oberlin News-Tribune,
Oberlin, Ohio, Tuesday, August 15, 2000, p. 2.
Merton E. Thompson
Merton E. Thompson,
86, of
The Oberlin Alumni Magazine, March
1946, p. 30.
Life’s Scenes Close for a Veteran Teacher
Miss
Rose M. Thompson Dies
After a Long Illness
After a protracted illness
of tuberculosis, Miss Rose M. Thompson, well known teacher, died at the
Oberlin hospital Monday morning at 2:30. Miss Thompson had been
receiving
treatment at the hospital for three months.
The daughter of the late
Rev. George Thompson, who spent a number of years in missionary work in
Africa and who was for many years prior to his death an honored
resident
of Oberlin, Miss Thompson was widely known and highly regarded. She was
graduated [from OHS in 1881 and] from Oberlin College in the class of
1886.
For 18 years she was a teacher in Oberlin Academy, where her work was
highly
appreciated.
Miss Thompson, who was
about
40 years of age, is survived by her aged mother, a sister, Mrs. Lillie
Thompson Terborg, and three brothers, John W. Thompson, director of the
conservatory of Galesburg, Ill.; Rev. W. L. Thompson, a missionary in
East
Central Africa, and Moses Thompson, engaged in farming in Michigan.
For a number of years Miss
Thompson had been active in the work of the First church. Funeral
services
will be held at the James Brand House at 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon.
Burial will be made at Westwood.
The Oberlin News, Wednesday,
January 29, 1913, p. 1.
Rose M. Thompson
Miss Rose M[aritta] Thompson died in Oberlin, January 27, 1913.
Miss Rose M. Thompson was born in Oberlin, September 28, 1859. She
prepared for college at Oberlin [High School, graduating in 1881,] and
graduated from the college with the class of ’86. The next year was
spent in teaching at Kidder, Mo. In 1889 she received the degree of
Master of Arts from Oberlin. In 1894 she began her teaching in Oberlin
Academy as teacher of Latin and English. In 1896 she was made tutor in
Latin and English and in 1901 instructor in Latin and English. In 1908
her title was changed to instructor in English—the position which she
held till her death.
The Oberlin Alumni Magazine,
Oberlin, Ohio, March 1913, p. 207.
William Lamarcus Thompson
William Lamarcus
Thompson died in
Born in Oberlin on
The
Oberlin Alumni Magazine, March
1947, p. 16.
Eleanor B. Thornblade
Salisbury — Eleanor Barnard Thornblade, 97, died Sept. 17, 2003, at
Porter Hospital in Middlebury.
She was born April 13, 1906, in Oberlin, Ohio, the daughter of John and
Clara Barnard.
She [graduated from OHS in 1924 and] attended Oberlin College and later
received her master’s degree in music education from Northwestern
University.
She taught at Bluffton College and schools in Princeton, N.J., and was
a choir director and keyboardist.
She enjoyed French cooking and playing the piano.
Survivors include a son, Nicholas of Castleton; and five grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband, Herbert; a son James; and two
brothers, Dudley and Jack.
A private memorial service will be held at