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Laura Margaret French

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Laura Margaret French

Birth	:	9 Dec 1869 Winterset, Madison County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	28 Feb 1957 Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas, USA
Burial	:	Blakely Cemetery, Madison, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate	:	38.1599998, -96.1667023
Description	:	Emporia Gazette, Thursday, February 28, 1957; p.1, c.6 Miss Laura French Miss Laura M. French, 813 Neosho, printer and managing editor of The Gazette prior to 1919, died at 4:15 o'clock this morning in the Newman Memorial County Hospital, where she had been a patient for many months. Funeral arrangements were not announced today. Miss French is survived by a sister, Mrs. Alva Huntsinger, of Vaughn, N.M., and a brother Lewis A. French, of Emporia. Another sister and two brothers preceded her in death. They were Mrs. Ida Jardinier, Frank and Fred French, of Madison. Read More	Emporia Gazette, Thursday, February 28, 1957; p.1, c.6 Miss Laura French Miss Laura M. French, 813 Neosho, printer and managing editor of The Gazette prior to 1919, died at 4:15 o'clock this morning in the Newman Memorial County Hospital, where she had been a patient for many months. Funeral arrangements were not announced today. Miss French is survived by a sister, Mrs. Alva Huntsinger, of Vaughn, N.M., and a brother Lewis A. French, of Emporia. Another sister and two brothers preceded her in death. They were Mrs. Ida Jardinier, Frank and Fred French, of Madison. Laura Margaret French, one of the six children of the late Samuel T. French and Elizabeth Brendel French, was born on a farm near Winterset, Iowa, Dec. 9, 1869. Her parents had been married in Lyon County, and they returned to this county and their home in Elmendaro Township, where Miss French attended Summit school, and grew to young womanhood. In the summer of 1895 Miss French came to Emporia and started work on The Gazette as a printer. She quickly learned how to set type and was considered by the editor, the late W.A. White, as one of the paper's most valuable employes (sic). Mr. White had purchased The Gazette earlier in the same year. In 1901 she was lured to Topeka by the offer of a job in the State Printer's Office and she spent two years there before she was hired back by The Gazette as its city editor. She was placed in charge of the growing newspaper and during the next 16 years or until she retired in 1919 she was destined to win high prominence not only as an editor, but as a force in the community and state. In 1911-12 Miss French threw herself into the Woman's Suffrage movement in Kansas and her direction of the work in the Fourth Congressional District was declared by Mrs. William A. Johnston, then President of the Kansas Suffrage Association, and wife of Chief Justice Johnston, to have been the most outstanding and effective of any in the eight Kansas districts. In 1913 she was appointed by Governor George H. Hodges as a member of the Kansas State Normal School in Emporia. A few years later, in 1916, she was appointed by the State’s Industrial Welfare Commission as a member of its Laundry Board, Mercantile Board, Public Housekeeping, Telephone and Factory boards, which in 1918 were consolidated as the State War Board. All were concerned with the betterment of conditions for women in Kansas industry. For many years, Miss French was active in state, local and district women’s clubs. For a four-year period, she was associate editor of the Kansas Federation Magazine. For several years also, she was a member of the Advisory board of the Normal School’s Y.W.C.A., and she served many years on the board of directors of the Emporia Public Library. She was a member of the Kansas Woodward Wilson Luncheon Club, a life member of the Kansas Historical Society, and a charter member of the Lyon County Historical Society. Her memberships also included Chapter CG of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, the Women’s City Club, the Parliament Study Club, and the Women’s Relief Corps. She was one of the organizers and a charter member of Daughters of Union Veterans. After her retirement from The Gazette, Miss French never loafed, and it was not until failing health prevented, that she lay her typewriter aside. For many years she was a contributor to The Gazette, supplying column after column of feature stories, based on the life of pioneers and old settlers of Lyon County. She believed that people were news, and she dug up scores of stories about the “old timers” which were widely read. Shortly before Christmas in 1929 Miss French’s crowning achievement, her book, “History of Emporia and Lyon County” appeared in the bookstores. Miss French regarded it was her most ambitious piece of writing and probably her best, explaining that since people always were asking about historical facts concerning Lyon County, she decided to write the book. The late George Plumb financed the project and the book was published by The Gazette. Miss French also gained considerable fame with her wail to The Gazette in 1922, “Legs Is Legs.” It was written by Miss French about the visit to Emporia of Anna Pavlova, famous Russian dancer. Miss French had remembered that 25 years previous, nice people were told to stay away from a leg show in the old Whitley Opera House because it was improper. She now asked: “Why, if it was improper to see a leg show 25 years ago, is it highly desirable now?” This article together with several others were later incorporated into a booklet and sold. In her “retirement” also, Miss French found time to be advertising agent for the Lyon County Farm Bureau News, and in recent years she contributed a series of articles on pioneer teachers for Delta Kappa Gama, national education fraternity. She had been made an honorary member of the Emporia chapter in 1944. Miss French also had contributed to several magazines and newspapers. ***************************************** Emporia Gazette, Friday, March 1, 1957; p.2, c.3 French Funeral Saturday Funeral services for Miss Laura French, 813 Neosho St., who died Thursday morning, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in the McVey Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Robert L. Moreland of the First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Blakeley Cemetery, Madison. ***************************************** Emporia Gazette, Monday, March 4, 1957; p. 2, c.3 The French Services Funeral services for Miss Laura M. French, 813 Neosho St., who died Thursday morning at Newman Memorial County Hospital, were held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the McVey Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Robert L. Moreland of the First Presbyterian Church. Erwin Gile sang, accompanied by Mrs. Harry W. Richmond. Pallbearers were Arthur Musgrave, E. T. Lowther, Roger Triplett, Calvin Lambert, S.R. Rice, and J.R. Sheen. Burial was in Blakely Cemetery, Madison. Employes of The Gazette, the P.E.O., and Parliament Study Club attended in groups. Relatives attending from out of town were Mrs. John Wilson, Mrs. Arthur Webb, Mrs. Howard French, Marlan French, Christine Jardinier, Mrs. Harold Robert and Mrs. Alice Ames, Madison; Mr. and Mrs. Wallace French, Waverly; Mr. and Mrs. Harry French, Hartford; and Mrs. A.E. Huntsinger, Vaughn, N.M.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Laura Margaret French's memorial?
Laura Margaret French's memorial is located at: Blakely Cemetery, Madison, Greenwood County, USA.
When did Laura Margaret French death?
Laura Margaret French death on 28 Feb 1957 in Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Laura Margaret French's memorial?
Latitude: 38.1599998
Longitude: -96.1667023

Family Members:

Parent

Samuel Thomas French

(1831 - 1897)

Elizabeth Christina Brendel French

(1842 - 1914)

Siblings

Franklin Barzilla “Frank” French

(1859 - 1926)

Ida May French Jardinier

(1861 - 1941)

Fred O. French

(1864 - 1935)

Lewis Albert French

(1866 - 1958)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Blakely Cemetery
Madison, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1599998, -96.1667023

2. Cemetery Hill
Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1822520, -96.2280050

3. Kelley Family Cemetery
Madison, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1715200, -96.2339800

4. Line Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1772003, -96.2382965

5. Number Eight Cemetery
Madison, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1284500, -96.0942800

6. Woods Cemetery
Madison, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0931015, -96.1757965

7. Fairview Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2050018, -96.0947037

8. Maydale Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2289009, -96.1181030

9. Zion Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2327995, -96.2474976

10. Koenig Cemetery
Lamont, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1135070, -96.0581070

11. Pleasant Ridge Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2602997, -96.1813965

12. Andrew Cemetery
Madison, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1004900, -96.2758900

13. Lena Valley Cemetery
Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1618996, -96.0310974

14. Saint Joseph Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2667007, -96.1628036

15. Stark Cemetery
Olpe, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.2789600, -96.2446300

16. Lamont Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery
Lamont, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0843400, -96.0140800

17. Prairie Chapel Cemetery
Hamilton, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 38.0224991, -96.2502975

18. Janesville Cemetery
Hamilton, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9853000, -96.1767000

19. Mennonite Cemetery
Hartford, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3036003, -96.0167007

20. Ott Cemetery
Hamilton, Greenwood County, USA
Coordinate: 37.9686012, -96.1502991

21. Greenwood Cemetery
Emporia, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3546982, -96.2082977

22. Evergreen Cemetery
Emporia, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3572006, -96.1791992

23. Apostolic Cemetery
Gridley, Coffey County, USA
Coordinate: 38.1272011, -95.9124985

24. Chicago Mound Cemetery
Neosho Rapids, Lyon County, USA
Coordinate: 38.3478012, -96.0610962