Mary Jane Olmsted was the daughter of Richard Montgomery and Hester Janet (Mix) Olmsted. She had a twin sister Martha Julia Olmsted. Mary Jane became an author and a suffragrette. Her books on phrenology were translated into at least eight languages. Although not accepted as science, during her lifetime, this was a respected study.
Mary Jane married three times:
The first marriage was to Charles Starr King, by whom she had three children, Jessie Ida King, May King and Charles Starr King. After he died in New York City, she married Jesse Turner Hanks, by whom she had one child, Edmund Hanks (later known as Edgar Hanks Evans).
After he passed away, she was impoverished and placed her four children in a children's home in Connecticut. To earn money, she tutored and served as a nannie to newspaper publisher Horace Greeley's children, wrote books and became involved with the woman's movement in Willamantic. She attended the first delegation to the California Legislature to ask for women's right to vote, and according to a family letter from her twin sister's daughter Georgiana, she was the first one to speak there.
Mary Jane later married Andrew Palmer Stanton (AKA A. Palmer Stanton), the business manager of the San Francisco Argonaut newspaper.
Her obituary and a family letter from her niece Georgiana confirms that she was in association with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the key leaders of the suffrage movement and she met with others including Emmeline Pankhurst who is mentioned in a 1902 newspaper article.
Mary's death certificate does not report a burial, and it is believed she was cremated, since no record has been found reporting interment with either husband.
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Partial transcription by Mary Harrell-Sesniak, a direct descendant, of a family letter.
264,-w-34th St.
New York
Jan 16th/89
To
George P[unclear] Esq,
You were perhaps informed at the time when you took Eddie that I had been unjustly dealt with by some of his fathers relatives, which deprived me of the power of providing for my children, as I at the time of my husbands decease was ill from the effects of attendance upon him during his last illness. I have never fully received the stock and fatigue
While my children were at the "Home" I made every effort to compel my relatives to do me justice but without result they all denied ever having had anything belonging to my husbands estate in their possession, and as I had no legal evidence to bring forward (although morally certain) I was left entirely without means, and in feeble health, but I struggled along until I married a man who has been a kind and generous husband, and we have worked together until our declining years promise a respite from arduous labors.
My oldest daughter Jessie L King is a teacher in the public schools of San Francisco, the second daughter May is happily married to a rising young musician and composer Henry B. Pasmore, he is a graduate of the Leipsie Conservatory and holds several prominent positions as Musical directer, teacher, organist, etc. they have two lovely little girls under the age of three years of age. The youngest child with me is Charles L. King, now twenty five years of age, he is attending a Business College here and studying.
... Eddie is heir to a share in 480 acres of land in Minnesoto Pope Co. I am Administratrix of his fathers Estate, and shall try to sell this Land and make a home for myself and daughter. Could I have done this before I parted with him I should not have been obliged to leave him at the "Home." ...
Mary Jane married three times:
The first marriage was to Charles Starr King, by whom she had three children, Jessie Ida King, May King and Charles Starr King. After he died in New York City, she married Jesse Turner Hanks, by whom she had one child, Edmund Hanks (later known as Edgar Hanks Evans).
After he passed away, she was impoverished and placed her four children in a children's home in Connecticut. To earn money, she tutored and served as a nannie to newspaper publisher Horace Greeley's children, wrote books and became involved with the woman's movement in Willamantic. She attended the first delegation to the California Legislature to ask for women's right to vote, and according to a family letter from her twin sister's daughter Georgiana, she was the first one to speak there.
Mary Jane later married Andrew Palmer Stanton (AKA A. Palmer Stanton), the business manager of the San Francisco Argonaut newspaper.
Her obituary and a family letter from her niece Georgiana confirms that she was in association with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the key leaders of the suffrage movement and she met with others including Emmeline Pankhurst who is mentioned in a 1902 newspaper article.
Mary's death certificate does not report a burial, and it is believed she was cremated, since no record has been found reporting interment with either husband.
------------------------
Partial transcription by Mary Harrell-Sesniak, a direct descendant, of a family letter.
264,-w-34th St.
New York
Jan 16th/89
To
George P[unclear] Esq,
You were perhaps informed at the time when you took Eddie that I had been unjustly dealt with by some of his fathers relatives, which deprived me of the power of providing for my children, as I at the time of my husbands decease was ill from the effects of attendance upon him during his last illness. I have never fully received the stock and fatigue
While my children were at the "Home" I made every effort to compel my relatives to do me justice but without result they all denied ever having had anything belonging to my husbands estate in their possession, and as I had no legal evidence to bring forward (although morally certain) I was left entirely without means, and in feeble health, but I struggled along until I married a man who has been a kind and generous husband, and we have worked together until our declining years promise a respite from arduous labors.
My oldest daughter Jessie L King is a teacher in the public schools of San Francisco, the second daughter May is happily married to a rising young musician and composer Henry B. Pasmore, he is a graduate of the Leipsie Conservatory and holds several prominent positions as Musical directer, teacher, organist, etc. they have two lovely little girls under the age of three years of age. The youngest child with me is Charles L. King, now twenty five years of age, he is attending a Business College here and studying.
... Eddie is heir to a share in 480 acres of land in Minnesoto Pope Co. I am Administratrix of his fathers Estate, and shall try to sell this Land and make a home for myself and daughter. Could I have done this before I parted with him I should not have been obliged to leave him at the "Home." ...
Mary Jane Olmsted was the daughter of Richard Montgomery and Hester Janet (Mix) Olmsted. She had a twin sister Martha Julia Olmsted. Mary Jane became an author and a suffragrette. Her books on phrenology were translated into at least eight languages. Although not accepted as science, during her lifetime, this was a respected study.
Mary Jane married three times:
The first marriage was to Charles Starr King, by whom she had three children, Jessie Ida King, May King and Charles Starr King. After he died in New York City, she married Jesse Turner Hanks, by whom she had one child, Edmund Hanks (later known as Edgar Hanks Evans).
After he passed away, she was impoverished and placed her four children in a children's home in Connecticut. To earn money, she tutored and served as a nannie to newspaper publisher Horace Greeley's children, wrote books and became involved with the woman's movement in Willamantic. She attended the first delegation to the California Legislature to ask for women's right to vote, and according to a family letter from her twin sister's daughter Georgiana, she was the first one to speak there.
Mary Jane later married Andrew Palmer Stanton (AKA A. Palmer Stanton), the business manager of the San Francisco Argonaut newspaper.
Her obituary and a family letter from her niece Georgiana confirms that she was in association with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the key leaders of the suffrage movement and she met with others including Emmeline Pankhurst who is mentioned in a 1902 newspaper article.
Mary's death certificate does not report a burial, and it is believed she was cremated, since no record has been found reporting interment with either husband.
------------------------
Partial transcription by Mary Harrell-Sesniak, a direct descendant, of a family letter.
264,-w-34th St.
New York
Jan 16th/89
To
George P[unclear] Esq,
You were perhaps informed at the time when you took Eddie that I had been unjustly dealt with by some of his fathers relatives, which deprived me of the power of providing for my children, as I at the time of my husbands decease was ill from the effects of attendance upon him during his last illness. I have never fully received the stock and fatigue
While my children were at the "Home" I made every effort to compel my relatives to do me justice but without result they all denied ever having had anything belonging to my husbands estate in their possession, and as I had no legal evidence to bring forward (although morally certain) I was left entirely without means, and in feeble health, but I struggled along until I married a man who has been a kind and generous husband, and we have worked together until our declining years promise a respite from arduous labors.
My oldest daughter Jessie L King is a teacher in the public schools of San Francisco, the second daughter May is happily married to a rising young musician and composer Henry B. Pasmore, he is a graduate of the Leipsie Conservatory and holds several prominent positions as Musical directer, teacher, organist, etc. they have two lovely little girls under the age of three years of age. The youngest child with me is Charles L. King, now twenty five years of age, he is attending a Business College here and studying.
... Eddie is heir to a share in 480 acres of land in Minnesoto Pope Co. I am Administratrix of his fathers Estate, and shall try to sell this Land and make a home for myself and daughter. Could I have done this before I parted with him I should not have been obliged to leave him at the "Home." ...
Mary Jane married three times:
The first marriage was to Charles Starr King, by whom she had three children, Jessie Ida King, May King and Charles Starr King. After he died in New York City, she married Jesse Turner Hanks, by whom she had one child, Edmund Hanks (later known as Edgar Hanks Evans).
After he passed away, she was impoverished and placed her four children in a children's home in Connecticut. To earn money, she tutored and served as a nannie to newspaper publisher Horace Greeley's children, wrote books and became involved with the woman's movement in Willamantic. She attended the first delegation to the California Legislature to ask for women's right to vote, and according to a family letter from her twin sister's daughter Georgiana, she was the first one to speak there.
Mary Jane later married Andrew Palmer Stanton (AKA A. Palmer Stanton), the business manager of the San Francisco Argonaut newspaper.
Her obituary and a family letter from her niece Georgiana confirms that she was in association with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the key leaders of the suffrage movement and she met with others including Emmeline Pankhurst who is mentioned in a 1902 newspaper article.
Mary's death certificate does not report a burial, and it is believed she was cremated, since no record has been found reporting interment with either husband.
------------------------
Partial transcription by Mary Harrell-Sesniak, a direct descendant, of a family letter.
264,-w-34th St.
New York
Jan 16th/89
To
George P[unclear] Esq,
You were perhaps informed at the time when you took Eddie that I had been unjustly dealt with by some of his fathers relatives, which deprived me of the power of providing for my children, as I at the time of my husbands decease was ill from the effects of attendance upon him during his last illness. I have never fully received the stock and fatigue
While my children were at the "Home" I made every effort to compel my relatives to do me justice but without result they all denied ever having had anything belonging to my husbands estate in their possession, and as I had no legal evidence to bring forward (although morally certain) I was left entirely without means, and in feeble health, but I struggled along until I married a man who has been a kind and generous husband, and we have worked together until our declining years promise a respite from arduous labors.
My oldest daughter Jessie L King is a teacher in the public schools of San Francisco, the second daughter May is happily married to a rising young musician and composer Henry B. Pasmore, he is a graduate of the Leipsie Conservatory and holds several prominent positions as Musical directer, teacher, organist, etc. they have two lovely little girls under the age of three years of age. The youngest child with me is Charles L. King, now twenty five years of age, he is attending a Business College here and studying.
... Eddie is heir to a share in 480 acres of land in Minnesoto Pope Co. I am Administratrix of his fathers Estate, and shall try to sell this Land and make a home for myself and daughter. Could I have done this before I parted with him I should not have been obliged to leave him at the "Home." ...
Gravesite Details
Most likely the ashes were spread in California either at a favorite place in Alameda County or at a previous residence shared with her third husband.
