Mears, Mary Grinnell 1857-1935

MEARS, GRINNELL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 11/2/2010 at 10:03:26

The Grinnell (IA) Herald; 1935

AN OBITUARY OF MRS. MARY GRINNELL MEARS

The Herald has received a copy of The Palo Alto Times containing a report of the active life of Mrs. Mary Grinnell Mears, last surviving member of the family of Hon. J.B. Grinnell, the founder of this city, notice of whose death appeared in this paper some little time ago. The article is as follows:

"Mrs. Mary Grinnell Mears, 77, widow of the late Rev. David O. Mears and mother of Prof. Eliot Grinnell Mears of the Stanford faculty died Saturday night at her home at 561 Center street. Professor Mears left last night for the East, taking the remains to Essex, Mass., for burial in the family plot. Funeral services will be held in the Congregational church of that city.

"Of distinquished ancestry and unusual attainments, Mrs. Mears was a lineal descendant of John Alden and Priscilla of Mayflower fame, and numbered five colonial governors among her relatives. She was a charter member and pioneer organizer of the parent-teacher movement in the United States, and continued her activity in the work on a national scale until her death.

"Mary Grinnell was born in Grinnell, Iowa, the town established by her father, the late Rev. J.B. Grinnell, to whom Horace Greeley issued his classic advice, "Go west, young man, go west." In response to that admonition the Rev. Mr. Grinnell went to Iowa., founding not only the town but also helping to secure Grinnell College. He served as congressman from Iowa during the administration of Abraham Lincoln. The daughter grew up in Grinnell, and graduated from the college there. In 1882, she married the Rev. David O. Mears, Presbyterian minister. They made their home for many years at Albany, N.Y., where the husband held a pastorate. He also held a pastorate in Worcester, Mass.

"Mrs. Mears attended the first National Congress of Mothers at Washington in 1897. That meeting, itself an outgrowth of the Mothers' Meetings at Chautauqua in 1895, signalized the birth of the Parent-Teacher Association movement which now has units in virtually every locality in the United States.

"My first knowledge of this project (National Congress of Mothers) Mrs. Mears explained in one of her writings, came from my husband who handed me a letter saying, "This will interest you. It is a call for a Congress of Mothers to be held next January. The letter came to me in common with other clergymen of the country, asking that we preach upon the coming congress and all that it signifies."

"A year later Mrs. Mears organized the New york Assembly of Mothers, precursor of the P.T.A. and served as its president from 1898 to 1905. Mrs. Mears also was the originator of Founders' Day in the P.T.A. organization, all of the founders having been intimate associates of her own in the movement.

"Widowed in 1915 when the Rev. Mr. Mears passed away, Mrs. Mears later made annual visits to Palo Alto, establishing a residence here in 1921 at which she wintered dividing her time between here and Washington.

"Mrs. Mears is survived by her son, Eliot Grinnell Mears, professor of geography and international trade in the Stanford Graduate School of Business and director of the Stanford Summer Quarter. A daughter, Helen Grinnell Mears, died in 1913."