Minnie Page Hosmer - Obituary Notice

From Free Thought Magazine, Chicago - May, 1901: Minnie Page Hosmer, daughter of Hiram C. and Mary Page, was born in Minnesota, March 31, 1867. When quite young she-moved with her parents to Durand, Wisconsin, where she attended the high school until she was sixteen years of age when she begun her be-loved lifework as a teacher. At school, and while taking an active part in the social and educational life of the little city of Durand, she became acquainted with John Earl Hosmer, to whom she was married September 1, 1885.

Mrs. Hosmer was raised in the Congregational Church, and her husband having been converted to Christianity and having joined the same church, their lives were like the harmony of the sweetest music for a number of years. But a little cloud arose. Her husband became a doubter of the miraculous part of their religion and withdrew from the church.

Mrs. Hosmer soon followed him, and although there had never been anything like discord, their life under the influence of the new religion of science and love, became as sweet as life can be to those who struggle in the unequal fight against all forms of evil. In 1890 she came with her husband to Oregon and they took a preemption claim on Netarts Bay. While living there, with him she taught a private school in Tillamook City, and afterwards they were engaged to teach the public school. After having taught there several terms and having a strong desire for more knowledge, she and her husband attended the Oregon State Normal School, at Monmouth, where she graduated with honors in 1893.

A year's teaching in Southern Oregon, a visit to her old home in Wisconsin, a term of teaching in Tillamook County again, leads up to the time when she went to Portland and entered into the work of trying to help save the world by the truth and righteousness of the religion of right living. Those who attended the First Secular Church of Portland in 1894 know what her work was in church and Sunday school; but realizing that more educated workers were needed to accomplish the grand purpose, she became one of the founders of the Liberal University at Silverton. Here she taught until the holiday vacation of 1900 and 1901, when she and her husband resigned for reasons not necessary to be stated here, upon which, we regret to learn, there is a difference of opinion among the friends of the University.

This trouble so worked on her mind, her husband says, that, although she was one of the bravest women, it completely broke her down and brought on the sickness that caused her death. She urged her husband to get ready and go to California, where they might some time build a school of pure Science, Morality and Humanity. She tried to help pack her trunk to go to California, but was unable to do so, and she and her husband decided to wait until her health was better. Her husband says: "She was not easily moved to tears, but the thought of leaving her pupils, her friends and her school was too much for her to withstand, and she cried most of the time for three days, which so worked upon her physical system that it caused her death, which occurred at 9 o'clock p.m., February 1, 1901."

One who has been well acquainted with Mrs. Hosmer for a number of years, writes:

There never was a truer friend, a more faithful wife, a better teacher than this most excellent woman. She was a lady in every respect and, although she had charity for all, she despised everything low and mean, and wanted nothing to do with that which she considered degrading. The young people all loved her and she was always planning some entertainment or work to please them. In 1896 she taught in the public school of Silverton. After she commenced teaching in the Liberal University one of the little boys in the public school continually ran away from school, though a good boy, and he was admitted to the children's class at the University. His father asked him one day if he recited to Mrs. Hosmer. "No," said the little fellow," but she is there." In this expression of a child is the key to her life. She sought not the notoriety that many mistake for real worth, but whoever came into the sunshine of her pure and noble life were made happy; and now that she is gone, those who knew her best feel that her place in the world of humanity will be hard to fill.

We very much regret that anything should occur to hinder the growth and prospects of this new "Liberal University," and we desire to express no opinion as to who is to blame in the matter. The general opinion is that Prof. Hosmer and Mrs. Hosmer were first-class teachers, who had had much experience in teaching, and that their abandonment of the school is a serious blow to it. There was probably a misunderstanding among the friends of the University at Silverton, and that no one intended anything wrong. We think that all Liberals should unite in their efforts to sustain the school and do all in their power to bring about harmony where there is any discord; there would nothing please us more than to see Prof. Hosmer reinstated as one of the teachers and harmony again prevail in this, the only school on the face of the globe entirely free from superstition.

The saddest thing in the whole matter is the death of that grand woman, whose obituary we are glad to publish in these pages. The Liberals of America could do nothing better than to build some kind of a monument to her memory.

We publish below a poem by Mrs. Hosmer that appeared in the Torch of Reason about a year ago:

From Free Though Magazine, Chicago - July, 1901: The obituary of Mrs. Minnie P. Hosmer, in the Free Thought Magazine for May, is liable to lead people to believe two things which are not true, and which would be injurious to the Liberal cause and to L.U.O., viz.: (1) That Mrs. Hosmer was in some way removed, or forced to leave, the Liberal University; (2) and that such removal was the cause of her death. The facts are:

1. Mrs. Hosmer was never in any way removed, nor forced, nor asked to resign, nor was there any desire that she should do so. If forced to resign, or induced to leave the University by any one, it was by her husband. Because the Trustees would not, and could not, give him sufficient stock (without consideration) to enable him to have absolute control of the institution, he, and then she, chose to suddenly resign and drop their duties and obligations to the university. Then they demanded and took from Mr. Geer (for the University) their own valuation of their stock, so that they of their own accord entirely relinquished all interest in or claim upon the University. Then, instead of going to California, as understood they would, they immediately used the proceeds to buy the Silverton Appeal, at which they both went to work heartily. No complaint was made, and no reason was given for their abandonment of L.U.O., except that Mr. Hosmer might want to control the future of the institution, and that he would not be able to do so without majority-control of the stock. All other pretexts were after-thoughts, not known to him at the time, and have been shown to have no substance whatever.

2. The leaving of the University was not the cause of Mrs. Hosmer's death. That she was at first depressed about leaving and going to California was natural, but that was soon relieved by her staying in Silverton with the Appeal. During the time she attended the L.U.O. Friday Evening Literary, and participated in the dances and seemed happy. But she was then not well, but had what was found to be an intestinal trouble, caused, as we believe, by imprudent athletic exercises, and which became gradually worse until it resulted in her death. The cause of her death was not mental but physical-peritonitis; for so the doctors describe it, and so did her husband in a letter of Feb. 12th., which we have.

3. Finally, let it be remembered that there was never any complaint, reason given, quarrel, words, or difference at the University at all. Appreciation for Mrs. Hosmer and sympathy in her illness were expressed by the whole University by resolutions drawn and presented by us and moved by one of the students, and printed in the Torch.

The sudden withdrawal of Mr. and Mrs. Hosmer, in mid-term, without notice or cause assigned, was entirely their own affair and notion. Those upon whom the institution fell, and who are now laboring to sustain it, were in no way responsible for their action, nor for any of its consequences, whatever they were.