Fearless Females

Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month

March 2 — Post a photo of one of your female ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this photo?

Today, I choose my grandmother, Viola Barbara Pfeiffer Werner. Viola was the 2nd child and the first daughter of Henry and Cora Benton Pfeiffer. She was born on Christmas Eve in 1894. There would be 8 children in this family, 4 boys and 4 girls. Four years after Viola was born, the 4th child of the family, Irene Bessie Pfeiffer, was also born on Christmas Eve. These two sisters maintained an extremely close relationship throughout their lives. Both became teachers in the early one-room schools of Grafton Township in Lorain County Ohio. They had a double wedding on 12 March 1918. Each had 3 daughters.

Grandma Vi was a person who always wanted to "know more". She was an early graduate of Kent State University, she taught school, she was a musician, and she was a photographer. She took and developed her own pictures - you know, those postcard pictures on the heavy cardboard. She wasn't afraid to take on new challenges. She was active in her church and in the Eastern Star.

This is just a short glimpse into the life of my grandma. She died in September of 1991. 

My grandmother was the pianist in a small musical group. She played both piano and violin. This picture was probably taken around 1918-1920. I chose this picture because it shows the musical tradition that has been a strong part of our family over the years.