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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>I met this woman in 1964; shortly after my blinding in a car accident. We lived in Geneva, and my parents knew her. She encouraged me to not stop living life to the fullest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>**Claire Owens of Nebraska <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Hello Blind History Lady Fans;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking to the NFB of Nebraska state convention regarding blind history. Nebraska has a rich and complicated history regarding the blind. One of the Nebraska blind ancestors I glossed over was Claire Owens as I thought she was well-known to their members. Turns out, Ms. Owens was not as well-known as I thought. So, today, I would like to introduce to you and the new Nebraska members of this email list Claire Owens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Claire Estelle Owens was born in a sod house on her parents' homestead near Exeter, Nebraska, January 31, 1876, the daughter of Lewis Dudley and Harriet (Totton) Owens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>She fell from a horse at the age of eight that caused her blindness. It was not a sudden loss but came on over a period of no more than a year. Claire attended the public schools of Fillmore County for a short time after losing all her sight, but the parents had to pull her out as the school was not equipped to teach a blind child. At age 16, she was sent to the School for the Blind in Nebraska City, graduating in 1898. She majored in Piano and Literature. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>She got a position as music teacher in the public schools at Fairmont, Nebraska, from 1899 to 1902, Some accounts say that she was the first blind person to teach in a public school in Nebraska and in the United States. (James Muirhead had been teaching music at the Arvilla Academy in Arvilla North Dakota since 1891.) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Claire became supervisor of music in public schools at Exeter a period of seventeen years 1898 to June 1903; fall of 1907 through June 1909; and September of 1913-June 1916. She taught music from 1907 to 1917 in the Geneva public schools, and from 1905-07 was supervisor of music at Oakland and Macedonia, Iowa.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>During her summer months, she continued her education at Weslien College in York,. University of Nebraska Conservatory of Music; Ginn Summer School of Music at Lake Forest Ill; graduate work in pipe organ, piano & voice, Nebraska City all while she was teaching school and private music and voice lessons.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>When teaching in Exeter, she had not only taught music classes, but directed the musical activities as well. When high school graduation came, her quartets and small groups would perform for the event. In 1900, the graduation ceremonies were held in the Methodist Church. She directed the entire musical performances for the church as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>When she had classes to teach in different communities, Claire took the train back and forth by herself. Mostly, the communities were close enough for her to return home almost every night. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Singing lessons, began to take a toll on her voice. As her voice deteriorated, she decided that it was time to follow another career path. For the rest of her life, she continued to teach some piano lessons and played for her church each Sunday, but her singing days were over, except for herself. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>In 1917 she decided to become a doctor of osteopathy, graduating three years later from the Des Moines Still College of Osteopathy, a school known to admit women students. The school was located at 1422 West Locust Street. She took rooms as 1420 West Locust, taking a position as the keeper of the lodging house to help pay for her schooling. Many times, women made up more than a third of the class. The school worked with Des Moines General Hospital where Claire was able to practice her craft on real patients. (Still College became Des Moines University.) Claire graduated near the top of her class. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Claire moved back to Exeter where she and her brother bought a house together, located at 102 Exeter Ave. Her patients came to her home for their appointments. Within two years, her income was more than doubled that of being the Music Supervisor for several schools.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>But there was much more she wanted to do, laws to be changed, voices to be heard. Claire decided to run for the house of representatives, being elected in 1930 serving two terms as Democratic Representative from 1931-35, the last year there was a two-house system in Nebraska. Here is what a local paper said about Claire while serving her state.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>“A Democrat, Dr. Owens has been unusually active in Politics in Fillmore County, acting as legislative representative from District 54 in Fillmore County during the session held in 1930-31; regular and special; and candidate for that position in 1928. She was president of the Exeter Woman's Club for four years, was president of the Nebraska Association of Workers for the Blind for two years, served as a member of the board of directors of the Fillmore County Federation of Woman's Clubs for four years, and acted as director of the local Red Cross, two years. She is now president of the Nebraska Women's Osteopathic Association, is a member of the Exeter Commercial Club, and is affiliated with the First Presbyterian Church.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>She is a member of the Fillmore County Red Cross, the American Association for the Workers for the Blind, the American Osteopathic Association, and the Nebraska Osteopathic Association. Dr. Owens was a member of the board of education at Geneva, 1922-23, and served in that capacity at Exeter, 1924-27. She was recently elected to membership in the Nebraskana Society. Her hobby is traveling. Residence: Exeter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>In 1958, she was honored with The Women’s Club Pioneer of the year for all the community work and leadership. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>When 88 years old, she took a train and airplane to attend the national osteopath convention in New Orleans. She was still working as a Chiropractor at the age of 90. Her hometown of Exeter began the process of writing a town history. Several members of the committee interviewed Claire regarding herself and many other town’s folk as her memory was still very clear. Claire died on November 9, 1966. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> If you would like to schedule a presentation contact me at theblindhistorylady@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>You can read more of my Books at https://www.smashwords.com <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>www.theblindhistorylady.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>