Martha Plassman, Pioneer, Hears Call
Great Falls, Sept. 25--Mrs. Martha Edgerton Plassman, first white woman to live on the site of Great Falls and daughter of Montana's first territorial governor, Sidney Edgerton, died at a daughter's home here today. She was 86 years old.
Mrs. Plassman was born in Ohio and came to Montana to visit in 1863, traveling by covered wagon. She returned for another visit in 1872 and finally came to the state as a bride in 1875. Her first husband, Herbert P. Rolfe, surveyer, editor and attorney, founded the Great Falls Leader and on his death in 1895, she took over the paper. She then married Theodore Passman, but he died within a year. She sold the Leader and engaged in insurance work, becoming one of the first women in Montana to enter that field. For the last 30 years she has done extensive free-lance writing, most of it historical material, and has supplied much data to the Montana Historical library. An accomplished musician in her girlhood, she taught music for a time after her graduation in 1875 from Oberlin college, and was music instructor at the Columbus, Ohio, School for the Blind.
She was the mother of seven children and all survive her. They are Mrs. H. Archibald, Mrs. A.B. Maxwell and Mrs. Alex Yule of Great Falls; Mrs. Charles Pierre of Couer d'Alene, Idaho; Mrs. Ralph E. Eveleth of Ferry, Wash.; Mrs. Hester Wishaar of Leupp, Ariz.; and H. Edgerton Rolfe of Butte. There are 16 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Helena Independent (MT), 26 Sept 1936
Great Falls, Sept. 25--Mrs. Martha Edgerton Plassman, first white woman to live on the site of Great Falls and daughter of Montana's first territorial governor, Sidney Edgerton, died at a daughter's home here today. She was 86 years old.
Mrs. Plassman was born in Ohio and came to Montana to visit in 1863, traveling by covered wagon. She returned for another visit in 1872 and finally came to the state as a bride in 1875. Her first husband, Herbert P. Rolfe, surveyer, editor and attorney, founded the Great Falls Leader and on his death in 1895, she took over the paper. She then married Theodore Passman, but he died within a year. She sold the Leader and engaged in insurance work, becoming one of the first women in Montana to enter that field. For the last 30 years she has done extensive free-lance writing, most of it historical material, and has supplied much data to the Montana Historical library. An accomplished musician in her girlhood, she taught music for a time after her graduation in 1875 from Oberlin college, and was music instructor at the Columbus, Ohio, School for the Blind.
She was the mother of seven children and all survive her. They are Mrs. H. Archibald, Mrs. A.B. Maxwell and Mrs. Alex Yule of Great Falls; Mrs. Charles Pierre of Couer d'Alene, Idaho; Mrs. Ralph E. Eveleth of Ferry, Wash.; Mrs. Hester Wishaar of Leupp, Ariz.; and H. Edgerton Rolfe of Butte. There are 16 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Helena Independent (MT), 26 Sept 1936
Martha Plassman, Pioneer, Hears Call
Great Falls, Sept. 25--Mrs. Martha Edgerton Plassman, first white woman to live on the site of Great Falls and daughter of Montana's first territorial governor, Sidney Edgerton, died at a daughter's home here today. She was 86 years old.
Mrs. Plassman was born in Ohio and came to Montana to visit in 1863, traveling by covered wagon. She returned for another visit in 1872 and finally came to the state as a bride in 1875. Her first husband, Herbert P. Rolfe, surveyer, editor and attorney, founded the Great Falls Leader and on his death in 1895, she took over the paper. She then married Theodore Passman, but he died within a year. She sold the Leader and engaged in insurance work, becoming one of the first women in Montana to enter that field. For the last 30 years she has done extensive free-lance writing, most of it historical material, and has supplied much data to the Montana Historical library. An accomplished musician in her girlhood, she taught music for a time after her graduation in 1875 from Oberlin college, and was music instructor at the Columbus, Ohio, School for the Blind.
She was the mother of seven children and all survive her. They are Mrs. H. Archibald, Mrs. A.B. Maxwell and Mrs. Alex Yule of Great Falls; Mrs. Charles Pierre of Couer d'Alene, Idaho; Mrs. Ralph E. Eveleth of Ferry, Wash.; Mrs. Hester Wishaar of Leupp, Ariz.; and H. Edgerton Rolfe of Butte. There are 16 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Helena Independent (MT), 26 Sept 1936
Great Falls, Sept. 25--Mrs. Martha Edgerton Plassman, first white woman to live on the site of Great Falls and daughter of Montana's first territorial governor, Sidney Edgerton, died at a daughter's home here today. She was 86 years old.
Mrs. Plassman was born in Ohio and came to Montana to visit in 1863, traveling by covered wagon. She returned for another visit in 1872 and finally came to the state as a bride in 1875. Her first husband, Herbert P. Rolfe, surveyer, editor and attorney, founded the Great Falls Leader and on his death in 1895, she took over the paper. She then married Theodore Passman, but he died within a year. She sold the Leader and engaged in insurance work, becoming one of the first women in Montana to enter that field. For the last 30 years she has done extensive free-lance writing, most of it historical material, and has supplied much data to the Montana Historical library. An accomplished musician in her girlhood, she taught music for a time after her graduation in 1875 from Oberlin college, and was music instructor at the Columbus, Ohio, School for the Blind.
She was the mother of seven children and all survive her. They are Mrs. H. Archibald, Mrs. A.B. Maxwell and Mrs. Alex Yule of Great Falls; Mrs. Charles Pierre of Couer d'Alene, Idaho; Mrs. Ralph E. Eveleth of Ferry, Wash.; Mrs. Hester Wishaar of Leupp, Ariz.; and H. Edgerton Rolfe of Butte. There are 16 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Helena Independent (MT), 26 Sept 1936
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