How my Grandmother risked her life for Votes for Women

Posted on March 3, 2011 | 2 Comments

I wrote this award-winning story about how my grandmother (Edna Buckman Kearns) risked her life for Votes for Women; it takes us back to 1915. And what a great way to kick off the many activities of Women’s History Month! Accompanying this tale is a contribution by Tara Bloyd, Edna’s great granddaughter, who seasons the story with her favorite corn soup recipe. My grandmother Edna canned fruits and vegetables and made jam to raise money for the women’s suffrage movement. While our family saved some of Edna’s plates and dishes, the most prized possession is Edna’s canned corn which is featured in the story.

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This entry was posted in 19th amendment, civil rights, human rights, Long Island, New York State Women's History, right to vote, Votes for Women, voting rights, woman's suffrage, women, women suffrage, Women's Suffrage, women's history. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to How my Grandmother risked her life for Votes for Women

Teri Gay | March 3, 2011 at 8:18 pm | Reply

A wonderful tribute by Marguerite about her very special great-grandmother — a woman who exemplified how many suffragists used their very womanliness and feminine talents as civic tools to fight for the right to vote! While we sometimes think that all of the early suffragists attempted to “gender-neutralize” the women’s rights movement, in order to prove their equality with men, there were many, many women’s activists who embraced their femininity for their noble cause. Edna Buckman Kearns was one of these women. As a mother and grandmother – AND political activist – she showed the world how her gender gifts were vital to the efforts to win enfranchisement and other political, legal, economic, and social rights for women in the twentieth century. What a terrific story about her here – I hope all the suffragewagon readers pass this along!!! Happy Women’s History Month!
Ann | March 4, 2011 at 3:35 pm | Reply

Great story! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Ann