[NFB-Seniors] From the blind History Lady - Nebraska Woman, First in some Important Areas

Tue Mar 3 14:58:01 UTC 2020

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. 

**Claire Owens of Nebraska 

Hello Blind History Lady Fans;

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.

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.

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. 

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.) 

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

"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.

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.

In 1958, she was honored with The Women's Club Pioneer of the year for all
the community work and leadership. 

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. 

 If you would like to schedule a presentation contact me at
theblindhistorylady at gmail.com

You can read more of my Books at  https://www.smashwords.com 

www.theblindhistorylady.com