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Former publisher's wife was 1st T: woman elected county school headt.'»w- Ohifl, Gregg Smith, Roger Carter- sun, Mrs. Konald Kcstfr, Patii is KIM, (.ail Peterson unit Whydir, ilanMD.Austin was less than 10 years old when Gertrude Ellis Skinner was born on Evergreen Farm, Nov. 12, 1865. She lived to slt;e her home farm divided into city lots, as the community's developed from a struggling village to a flourishing city. Mrs. Skinner died March 24, I960.Perhaps, her keenest interest was in the growth of the schools since she devoted so mar.y years in the pursuit of knowledge and in sharing it with others.Mrs. Skinner was graduated from Austin High School in 1881, and from Winona State Teachers College in 1882.AT THE AGE of 14, she taught one term in the Woodson rural school and later four years in Austin schools, one year in Clo-verdale, Calif., one summer in a native school in Hawaii and two years in Omaha, Neb.W hile she was teaching in Omaha, a law was passed making women eligible to the office of county superintendent of schools in Mower County, and she found herself unwittingly thrown into a political hassle. She won not only the election hut a victory for womanhood at a time when women were beginning to assume new responsibilities in the changing world She' held the office of Mower County superintendent for 10 years, and she savs that many problems she faced then continue.IN 1909, Gertrude Ellis married .lohn H. Skinner, editor of the Austin Herald, and was assistant editor for 20 years. Haring that time and since, Mrs. Skinner participated actively in civic projects. She helped organize the Austin YWCA and was made a lile member. Sheserved three times as president.Mrs. Skinner helped orgar.iz# the Sunshine Society, which pie-ceded the Welfare Board and the coming oi the Salvation Army to Austin.DURING WAV I, Mrs. Skinner was a leader in local Ked CroM volunteer work.She was a member of the Ladies Floral Club, Art Travel Club and the Congregation a 1 Church. Her bobbies are reading, travel and gardening, and t he Skinner home on Sunrise Hill was filled with books, mi mt n-toes of travels, and, in the summer, their garden was a souice of pleasure and beauty.The lirst trip Mr, and M r ». Skinner made together tock them arouml-the-world, and this and the many journeys that followed provided inspiration icr travel talks and writings.GIFTED WITH a rare clo-quence and a remarkable rm m-ory, she spoke without noUs and was constantly in demand as aspeaker at civic and social clubs. Her wide background of travel, her experience as a newspaper woman, and her devotion to literature and art, enabled her to sm’ak with authority.Mrs. Skinner was chosen Austin's Centennial queen in 1956, not only because of her record for continuous residt'nee but because* s!ie was held in such high esteem by her fellow citizens.Because of her service in education, hi r continuing interest in local, state, nat i o na 1 and world affairs, and her humanitarian attitude toward othe r *, the Austin Floral Club voted unanimously to nominate M r s. Skinner as its candidate I«t Modern Maiia Sanford.
Newspaper Details
Austin Daily Herald
Austin, Minnesota, US
Wed, Jan 26, 1972
Page 42
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Oct 2023
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Austin Mower County Transcript
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