Author Archives: lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on April 30, 2018 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on April 2, 2018 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on March 3, 2018 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on January 31, 2018 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on January 1, 2018 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on November 30, 2017 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on November 1, 2017 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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

Posted on October 3, 2017 by lhsittig@verizon.net

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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Grace Fryer: Workers’ Advocate by Linda Harris Sittig

Posted on September 1, 2017 by lhsittig@verizon.net

  I sat in the dentist chair while the technician placed a heavy leaden blanket from my chin to my waist. Then, she walked into another room, and the X-ray machine took pictures of my teeth. Grace Fryer never had … Continue reading →

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Laurel Hart Burch: Consummate Artist by Linda Harris Sittig

Posted on July 31, 2017 by lhsittig@verizon.net

Life handed Laurel Hart a debilitating disease at birth, and she fought back by making jewelry. Not just any jewelry, but artwork so distinctive that it is still to this day instantly recognizable by the vibrancy of the colors, the … Continue reading →

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