Emma A. Cranmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma A. Cranmer
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"A Woman of the Century"
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| Born | Emma Amelia Powers October 2, 1858 Mount Vernon, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 1937 (aged 78) Minnesota, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | temperance reformer, woman suffragist, author, lecturer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cornell College |
| Genre | prose, verse, epigram |
| Literary movement | suffrage, temperance |
| Spouse |
Delos N. Goodell
(m. 1880; died 1882)Simeon Harris Cranmer
(m. 1884) |
| Children | Frances Willard Cranmer Greenman |
Emma A. Cranmer (born Emma Amelia Powers) was an important American writer and activist. She was born on October 2, 1858, and passed away on January 11, 1937.
Emma worked hard to help women get the right to vote, which is called suffrage. She also supported the idea of prohibition, which meant making alcoholic drinks illegal. She was a great speaker and leader. Emma led the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in South Dakota. She also served as president of the South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association. She wrote many short, clever sayings called epigrams.
Early Life and School
Emma Amelia Powers was born in Mount Vernon, Wisconsin. Her birthday was October 2, 1858. Her parents were Dr. Joseph Lewis Powers and Janette S. (Byam) Cranmer. She had four siblings: Julia, Laura, Fred, and Leland.
Emma went to college at Cornell College.
Emma's Career and Activism
Emma started teaching school when she was just fifteen years old. In 1880, she married Delos N. Goodell, but he passed away in 1882. Later, in October 1884, she married Simeon Harris Cranmer. He was a teacher and a lawyer from Nebraska.
In 1889, Emma and Simeon moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota. Simeon became the president of a bank there. The next year, Emma and her husband started a special school. This school helped young women who had jobs but hadn't finished their education. It offered free classes in reading, writing, math, and literature.
Emma Cranmer wrote a lot for newspapers and magazines. She wrote both stories and poems. She was known for her clever sayings, or epigrams. Here are some examples:
- "Applause is like strychnine, it either acts as a tonic or a poison."
- "Drunkenness is a disease to be treated by the physician and not the policeman."
- "What is needed in our progress is more schools and fewer jails."
She also gave many speeches. She talked about books and the temperance movement in cities across the Northwest. People thought she was a very good and inspiring speaker.
Emma was a dedicated member of the white ribbon movement. This group worked to reduce the use of alcohol. She was the president of the South Dakota Woman's Christian Temperance Union for many years.
She was also very passionate about women's right to vote. She became the president of the South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association. Emma worked with another activist, Anna R. Simmons, to help pass a new law. This law aimed to change the state's constitution to allow women to vote. Other important women in South Dakota at that time included Irene G. Adams and Ida R. Bailey. On June 9, 1893, Emma attended a big meeting called the World's Temperance Congress in Washington D.C.
Personal Life
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Emma Cranmer joined the Methodist Episcopal Church when she was a child. She was a leader in her church group. Later in life, she became a Christian Science practitioner.
Emma had one daughter named Frances Willard Cranmer. Emma Cranmer passed away on January 11, 1937, in Minnesota. She is buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
