Mary A. Cornelius: Difference between revisions

Mary Ann Mann was born in [[Pontiac, Michigan]], on September 25, 1829.<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" /><ref name="TheBanner1912">{{cite magazine |title=Woman's Department |magazine=The Banner of Gold |date=March 1912 |volume=XXV |issue=2 |pages=26-2726–27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_lAxAQAAMAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=RA2-PA26 |access-date=9 September 2023 |publisher=Gold Publishing Company |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref> Her parents were Lewis Whiting Mann (1802-1889) and Elvira (Bagley) Mann (1810-1867).<ref name="Womans1914">{{cite book |title=Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915 |date=1914 |publisher=American commonwealth Company |page=206 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MQnhIJhYbbMC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA206 |access-date=10 September 2023 |language=en |chapter=Cornelius, Mary Ann (Mrs. Samuel Cornelius)}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref><ref name="familysearch">{{cite web |title=Mary Ann Mann Female 25 September 1829 – 18 April 1918 |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZTV-W24 |website=www.familysearch.org |access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> Both of her parents were of [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]] ancestry and [[New England]] origin.<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" /> Cornelius' siblings were Anna (b. 1827), Sarah (b. 1832), Preston (b. 1834), Louie (b. 1838), Evelina (b. 1842), and Lewis (b. 1852).<ref name="familysearch" />

She was educated at the Pontiac Academy.<ref name="Womans1914" /> Her first school composition, written when she was nine years of age, was a hit in the rural community where she lived, and was printed in the local newspaper.<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" />

Her husband encouraged her to write short articles for the press on religious and philanthropic subjects., When,even with the responsibilities of motherhood and her position as a pastor's wife upon her,. But wen she brought to his notice a story she had written of 39 long chapters that she had written, he protested against this draftit.<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" />

Although a semi-invalid for many years, she struggled against her weakness and was involved in Christian and philanthropic enterprises.<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" /> Cornelius' first public efforts were in aid of her husband's callingoccupation as a clergyman. So many broken-hearteddesperate women in the church confided to her their troubles with drinking husbands and sons that sheCornelius became interested in the cause for temperance andcause, joinedjoining the W.C.T.U.<ref name="TheBanner1912" /> In 1885, she servedwas aselected president of the state W.C.T.U. of Arkansas.<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" /> She led the first canvass by petitions for closing the [[pub|saloons]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]] under the [[Three-mile laws|three-mile law]]. The canvass was a bitter one and even threats were made to kill herCornelius if she continued the work. When the papers were ready for presentation to the judge of the court, an attempt was made to steal the petition, but Cornelius set herself to the task of making friends with the perpetrators for the cause of temperance. sheeven so far succeeded as to make ofmaking the leader a life-long friend.<ref name="Daily-21apr1918">{{cite news |title=In Memoriam. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-arkansas-gazette-in-memoriam-mrs/131523389/ |access-date=9 September 2023 |work=Daily Arkansas Gazette |via=Newspapers.com |date=21 April 1918 |pages=9 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>

She assisted her husband when he was engaged in editorial work. andAbout editedthe atime journalof his death, in the1886, interestshe ofedited thea societyjournal aboutin the timeinterest of herthe husband'stemperance death, in 1886society. Her poems, numerous prose articles, and voluminous newspaper correspondence testified to her industrywriting career. Perhaps the best known of her writings were ''Little Wolf'', which has had a wide sale, and the poem, "Sweet Marie".<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" />

By 1893,<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" /> Cornelius removed from [[Arkansas]], Cornelius removed to [[Topeka, Kansas]], that she might have the benefit of [[Women's suffrage in the United States|woman's suffrage]] in her temperance work. While there, she learned of the [[Keeley Institute|Keeley Treatment]] and having investigated its results, she was assisted by some of the leading women of the city to organize a Woman's Keeley Rescue League. Its object was to assist indigent inebriates to obtain astop curedrinking.<ref name="TheBanner1912" />

LaterStill later, Mrs. Cornelius carriedremoved to Tacoma, Washington,<ref name="Womans1914" /> carrying the temperance message by means of the Keeley Treatment to the [[West Coast of the United States|Pacific coast]]. But realizingRealizing that prevention iswas better than cure, she established a free reading room for boys, which became a favorite resortplace for many of the men and women in the neighborhood. Here were to beIt foundcontained books of every description, from the novel to the work of science;, history and romance, humor and pathos. TheyThe loadedshelves downalong the shelveswalls liningwere theloaded wallswith books and placed themore books were placed on tables; theythere were books everywhere. Some of them were new and some were soiled, worn, torn, mutilated, damaged, and dog-eared to such an extent that it did not seem possible that they could be read without falling to pieces. This was a unique reading room that Cornelius furnished as entertainment and instruction for scores of boys and young men who were eager for advancement, but whose lives provided few advantages. Many of the books had been discarded by the public library as too worn for further service, and patched up and repaired by Cornelius for her reading room. In addition to the books, there were papers, magazines, and games. Cornelius' unique reading room provided entertainment and instruction for scores of boys and young men who were eager for advancement, but whose lives provided few advantages. It was a veritable club, where members mightcould find recreation and improvement, and gain wisdom and courage for the responsibilities of life.<ref name="TheBanner1912" />

Cornelius wrote four books;: the first, ''Little Wolf'', in the interest of temperance; the second, ''Uncle Nathan's Farm'', to promote tolerance; the third, ''The White Flame'', to emphasize God's love for the world. The fourth was dedicated to the young people who frequented the reading room.<ref name="TheBanner1912" />

In 1850, she married Rev. S.Samuel Cornelius, Jr., D.D. (1825-1886), of [[Alexandria, Virginia]].<ref name="WillardLivermore-1893" /> He was at one- time pastor of the [[First Missionary Baptist Church (Little Rock, Arkansas)|First Baptist Church]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].<ref name="ArkansasDem-19apr1918">{{cite news |title=Mrs. Mary A. Cornelius. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arkansas-democrat-obituary-for-mary-a-c/131519732/ |access-date=9 September 2023 |work=Arkansas Democrat |via=Newspapers.com |date=19 April 1918 |pages=14 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref> They had one child, a son, William S. Cornelius (1853-1894).<ref name="familysearch" />

Cornelius suffered a severe injury from a fall in October 1911, which confined her to her room for many weeks. During thethat time, she wrote the poem, "The Watchword".<ref name="TheBanner1912" />

Mary A. Cornelius died on April 18, 1918, in Chicago. Burial was at [[Oakland-Fraternal Cemetery|Oakland cemetery]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].<ref name="DailyArkansasGaz-20apr1918">{{cite news |title=Obituary. Mrs. Mary A. Cornelius. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-arkansas-gazette-obit-mary-a-cor/131519641/ |access-date=9 September 2023 |work=Daily Arkansas Gazette |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |date=20 April 1918 |pages=9 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>

[[Category:19th-century1829 American writersbirths]]