Marie Watkins Oliver facts for kids
Marie Elizabeth Watkins Oliver (born January 11, 1854 – died October 18, 1944) was a talented woman who designed and created the official Missouri State Flag. Her hard work made sure Missouri had a unique symbol.
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Marie's Younger Years
Marie Elizabeth Watkins was born in Ray County, Missouri. Her parents were Charles Allen Watkins and Henrietta Rives Watkins. They lived in a nice country home called Westover. Her family was well-off because her father was a successful farmer and businessman. He owned several businesses with his brother, James R. Allen, including a brickyard and a flour mill.
Marie received her education from a private teacher (a governess) and at private schools. Later, she attended Richmond College with her younger brothers.
Meeting Robert Oliver
Marie became a tutor for her brothers when they were getting ready for the University of Missouri. One of her brothers, Charles, shared a room with a law student named Robert Burett Oliver. Robert would later become Marie's husband.
After Charles passed away, Robert and Marie started writing letters to each other. They wrote for two years before finally meeting in 1876. They got married on December 10, 1879. The couple moved to Jackson, Missouri. Robert worked as a lawyer there until he was elected to the Missouri Senate in 1882. Marie and Robert had six children: five sons and one daughter. During this time, Marie also began helping out in her community.
Designing Missouri's Flag
In 1896, Marie and her family moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Her husband started his law firm there. In 1904, Marie joined a group called the Nancy Hunter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1907, she became the state DAR vice regent.
The Search for a State Flag
In 1908, the state DAR group noticed that Missouri did not have an official state flag. Mrs. Samuel McKnight Green formed a committee to fix this. The committee's job was to research, design, and help pass a law for an official flag.
Marie Oliver was chosen to lead this important committee. She started by writing to the government leaders (secretaries of state) in every other state and territory. She wanted to learn how they designed their flags and how they got them approved. She received answers from everyone! Marie spent months learning about the history and steps needed to create a state flag.
The Flag's Design
Marie imagined a flag that would feature the Missouri coat of arms. This symbol would be surrounded by twenty-four stars. These stars would show that Missouri was the twenty-fourth state to join the United States.
Marie's friend, an artist named Mary Kochtitzky, painted Marie's design. Marie's husband, Robert, who was a former state senator, then wrote the official bill (a proposed law) for the flag.
Challenges and Success
On March 17, 1909, Marie's nephew, Senator Arthur L. Oliver, introduced the flag bill to the Missouri Senate. The bill passed in the Senate with a vote of twenty-four to one. However, it did not pass in the House of Representatives.
The bill was brought up again in 1911, but it failed again. This was because the state government was considering another design called the "Holcomb flag." Marie believed the "Holcomb flag" did not truly represent Missouri. She thought its stripes looked too much like the national flag, and it didn't include any symbols for local government.
Later that year, the Missouri State Capitol building burned down. This fire destroyed Mary Kochtitzky's original painting of Marie's flag design. Marie and another friend, Mrs. S. D. MacFarland, worked together to recreate the design using silk.
Finally, on January 21, 1913, the Oliver Flag Bill was introduced one more time. This time, it passed on March 7. Governor Elliot Woolfolk Major officially signed it into law on March 22, 1913. Missouri finally had its official state flag!
The Flag's Journey
Marie Oliver kept the silk flag she helped recreate until she passed away in 1944. She was buried in Lorimer Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. In 1961, her son Allen gave the flag to the State of Missouri. It was put on display, but over time, it started to wear out.
In 1988, elementary school students raised enough money to have the flag repaired and restored. This was done to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Today, the restored flag is displayed in the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Recognition
Marie Oliver is one of about 46 or 47 important Missourians shown in the Missouri Wall of Fame. This is a large painting (mural) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It was painted by Margaret Dement in 1995. The people featured in the mural were chosen by a group of important citizens from Cape Girardeau.
