Edith Brower |
Laura G Brower 75, head, single, born Dec 1824 Pennsylvania; Edith Brower 51, niece, single, born Aug 1848 Louisiana; Emma Brennerd 22, servant; Percival S Ridodall 27, boarder;
Laura G. Brower 53, single, keeping house, born Pennsylvania; Edith Brower 31, niece, single, born Louisiana; Lara Brower 18, niece, single, born Louisiana;
Laura Brower 61, widow, born New York; Abagael W Brower 37, born New York; Laura G Brower 25, born Pennsylvania; Ellen E Brower 18, born Pennsylvania; Frederick H Mann 7, born New York; Laura G Mann 3, born New York; Edith Brower 2, born Louisiana.
Name: Edith Brower; Gender: Female; Race: White; Age: 83; Birth Date: 24 Aug 1848;/ database online
Birth Place: New Orleans, La; Death Date: 16 Sep 1931; Death Place: Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, USA; Father Name: George Brower; Father Birth Place: Long Irland; Mother Name: Louise Gardiner; Mother Birth Place: New York
Name: Edith Brower; Birth Date: 24 Aug 1848; Birth Place: New Orleans, Louisiana;/ database online
Gender: Female; Race: White; Father's Name: George Clinton Brower; Mother's name:
Louise Leroy Gardiner
Death Takes Club Founder; Miss Edith Brower, Writer, Lecturer, Was in Her 84th Year;
Miss Edith Brower, idealist, writer, lecturer, founder of what is now Wyoming Valley Woman's club, and a descendent of one of the oldest families in the country, died at her home, 60 North Franklin street, of general debility yesterday morning. Her health began to fail four years ago, but she had been critically ill for only ten days. She was born in New Orleans on August 24, 1848, and was brought to Wilkes-Barre when nine months of age.
Wyoming Valley Woman's club, founded by her, was first the Town Improvement society, later the Sociological club, and then the Civic club before the present name was adopted. Its purpose was to arouse civic consciousness to the need of preserving the natural beauty of the city and to awaken a latent sense of civic responsibility. Miss Brower, an idealist all her life, found keen delight in all beauty, even after advancing years forced her retirement from active pursuit of beauty in art, literature, music and natural surroundings. Always as generous as her means would allow, she aided students of music, art and literature to a degree that will never be publicly known. As a young woman she was a zealous worker in field work of the Presbyterian church, and taught classes in the old Empire Sunday school, now Grant Street Presbyterian church, under the super tendency of the late Dr. C. C. Beck, and at the Coalbrook mission.
As a woman of middle years she saw that Wilkes-Barre was past the village stage of its growth and felt that the city was fast becoming a large community who residents did not sense the fact. Decrying the community's neglect of littered streets, unkept yards, uncared for river bank and lack of parks, she set about to remedy these conditions.
The well known story of her disdain of the "man who spat on Franklin street" brought laughter, then serious attention, then an ordinance prohibiting spitting on city streets. Through organization of women in sympathy with her ideals, she achieved other reforms which did much to make Wilkes-Barre more beautiful and more civic-minded. Ever ready to welcome newcomers to the city, she made herself known to them and introduced them into congenial circles where they might feel at home and become really a part of the community. She found and aided talent. Hers was the first appreciative criticism of Edwin Arlington Robinson, who might have waited many years for recognition had she not seen his worth. Miss Brower had talent of her own. She wrote musical criticisms and magazine articles, for many years contributed to the Atlantic Monthly, and was author of Little Old Wilkes-Barre.
Her family was one of the oldest in the country, and she was eligible for membership in the Holland Dames and Daughters of the American Revolution. Her father, George Clinton Brower, was born at Southold, Long Island, and was a direct descendent of Jan Brouwer, who came to New Amsterdam in 1687 and two years later sent for his bride-to-be, Afgie van Gelden. The next generation changed the spelling of the name to its present form. Her mother was the former Louise Leroy Gardiner of New York. She was one of three sisters famed for their beauty a century ago. She was a direct descendent of Lion Gardiner, who came to America in 1635 and obtained the grant of a small island off the coast of Long Island in 1639. The island, known since as Gardiner's island, was in the family's possession until the last generation. Captain Kidd, one of history's famed pirates, landed at the island in 1699 and, without disclosing his means of livelihood, made the acquaintance of Lion Gardiner and secured from him supplies for a voyage. The family history records his conduct as that of a gentleman. While on the island Captain Kidd buried treasure, gold, silver and jewels, which were later found by the Gardiners and restored to the rightful owners, with the exception of one silver coin which was kept as a memento. Lion Gardiner's daughter, Elizabeth, born on September 14, 1641, was the first child of English parents to be born in the New York colony. The oldest sons of the families which have descended from the first Lion Gardiner have been given the name Lion.
Miss Brower's grandfather, Dr. John Gardiner, gained fame in his time as the one doctor who was able to cure lockjaw, and epidemic of which struck Long Island. Miss Brower's nearest relatives are her cousins, Miss Effie Parsons of New York, who has cared for her during the past five years, and Archibald Parsons of Providence, R. I. Private funeral services will be held on Friday Morning with Rev. Paul S, Heath, D. D., of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Burial will be in Hollenback cemetery. Friends are asked to omit flowers.