Author Archives: lhsittig@verizon.net

Aelfleda and Her Fellow Needle Workers by Linda Harris Sittig

Picture a few women sitting together with a large piece of linen stretched out between them on a wooden frame. They are hunched over the fabric. Threading their needles with brightly colored yarns dyed from natural resources, they carefully embroider … Continue reading

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Jessie Tarbox Beals: First American Female Photojournalist by Linda Harris Sittig

I love to profile stories of strong females who vigorously pursued their passions because they had a zeal for life. Jessie Tarbox Beals was like that. She became a pioneer of American photojournalism in the late 1800s when the competitive … Continue reading

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Jacqueline Cochran: a WASP Clothed as a Butterfly by Linda Harris Sittig

Jacqueline Cochran, like her other 1,078 WASP sisters, was among the first female pilots who flew for the Army in WWII. These women, collectively known as the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or the WASPs, flew together for more than two … Continue reading

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Mary Musgrove: Peace Negotiator by Linda Harris Sittig

Back in the early 1700s when America was still a group of loosely knit colonies, England, France, and Spain all vied for control over the New World. In order to claim the virgin territory for their native countries, enterprising men … Continue reading

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Mary Fields: Frontier Pioneer by Linda Harris Sittig

Mary Fields may just be the strongest of the Strong Women I have researched. Literally. Even from her early years, she did the unexpected. Born into slavery sometime in 1832 on a plantation in Hickman County, Tennessee, she became friends … Continue reading

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Dorothy Height: Carrying on the Dream by Linda Harris Sittig

If you look at the 1963 press photo of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., you might notice a woman standing off to … Continue reading

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Ruth Pfau: Humanitarian by Linda Harris Sittig

My first introduction to leprosy was from the movie, The Hawaiians, based on Michener’s epic novel. In particular, I remember when the Chinese character, Mun Ki, was sent for lifelong exile to the leper colony on Molokai; and his wife … Continue reading

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Laura Stockton Starcher and the Ladies of Umatilla by Linda Harris Sittig

It was a calm morning for Election Day, December 5, 1916, in the small Oregon town of Umatilla, population 198. Nestled on the southern bank of the Columbia River, Umatilla was a place where everyone knew everyone else. No one … Continue reading

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Moina Belle Michael: Champion of Veterans: by Linda Harris Sittig

If you’ve ever worn a red paper poppy in support of Memorial Day or Veterans Day, you can thank Moina Belle Michael. Her tireless efforts of bringing recognition to the plight of disabled veterans is symbolized with the poppy. Born … Continue reading

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Mary Louisa Black: Chronicler of Pioneer Movement by Linda Harris Sittig

As a youngster, I was fascinated by the stories I read of the Oregon Trail. Now, I know those stories were only made possible by the efforts of women like Mary Louisa Black. Mary Louisa kept a meticulous journal of … Continue reading

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