Representative women of New England/Mary S. McHenry

by Mary H. Graves

MARY SEARS McHENRY, past National President of the Woman's Relief Corps, while a resident of Denison, la., is a native of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and comes of old colonial stock. She was born in New Boston village, in the town of Sandisfield, December 30, 1834, daughter of David G. and Olive (Deming) Sears. Her father was son of Paul" and Rachel (Granger) Sears, of Sandisfield, and a descendant in the seventh generation of Richard Sears (or Sares, as formerly spelled), of Yarmouth, Mass., the line being: Richard,¹ Paul,^{2 3} Joshua,⁴ Paul,^{5 6} David G.⁷ The name of Richard Sares was on the tux list of Plymouth Colony in March, 1633. In 1639 he settled with others at a place on Cape Cod which they named Yarmouth.

His grandson, Paul³ Sears, of Yarmouth, married in 1693 Mercy Freeman, daughter of Thomas³ Freeman and grand-daughter of John and Mercy (Prence) Freeman, Mercy Prence being a daughter of Governor Thomas Prence, of Plymouth Colony, by his wife Patience, who was a daughter of William Brewster, Elder of the church of Scrooby, Leyden, and Plymouth. Patriots, scholars, and philanthropists have been numbered among the posterity of Richard Sears of Yarmouth. The late Barnas Sears, D.D., LL.D., sometime President of Brown University and afterward superintendent of the Peabody Educational Fund, was a son of Paul⁶ Sears and an uncle of Mrs. McHenry.

David G. Sears, after the birth of his daughter Mary, resided successively in Hartford, Conn., and in New York City, engaged in mercantile business, and subsequently settled in Ogle County, Illinois, where he purchased a section of land and applied himself to farming. Mary Sears completed her school studies at the seminary (now college for women) in Rockford, Ill. On the 28th of January, 1864, she was married to William A. McHenry, who was orderly Sergeant of Company S, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and was then at home on a veteran's furlough. He continued in the service of his country, returning to Washington after his marriage ami rejoining his regiment. His brother held the office of treasurer of Craw- ford County, Iowa, and Mrs. McHenry was appointed his deputy. A'hen her husband returned from the war, they settled in Denison, la., where they still make their home. Mr. Mc- Henry is a banker and a breeder of Angus cattle. He is interested in the Relief Corps and also in other patriotic and charitable work in which his wife is a leader.

He was Department Commander of Iowa G. A. R., 1886-87, ami represented that order in San Francisco at the National Encampment, G. A. R., in 1886. The local camp of Sons of Veterans bears his name, W. A. McHenry Camp, S. of v.. No. 53.

In July, 1883, at the convention in Denver, Col., of all the women's societies in the country that were working for the Grand Army of the Republic, Mrs. McHenry was an unauthorized representative from Iowa. The Denver con- vention resulted in the organization of the Na- tional Woman's Relief Corps. Upon Mrs. Mc- Henry's return to Denison a local corps was formed under her leadership. She was electetl President thereof, and was active in the work throughout the State. After serving in various other capacities, she was chosen Department President of Iowa, and later served as Depart- ment Treasurer. At the convention held in Tremont Temple, Boston, in July, 1890, Mrs. McHenry was elected National President, to succeed Mrs. Annie Wittenmyer. Her admin- istration was conducteil in an able manner, and in her travels in several States of the I'nion she gave such a favorable impression of the order that many corps and members were aiUled to its rolls. At the 'next national convention, in Detroit, Mich., in August, 1891, Mrs. Mc- Henry gave a detailed and interesting account of the year's work. "The year has been to me," she .said, "full of responsibilities hereto- fore unknown, yet I have enjoyed the work and found a rare pleasure in the ]ierformance of varied and oftentimes complicated duties. The months as I recall them seem but as days, and the time has flown too quickly for me to ac- complish all I had hopetl and desiretl to do. . . . The membership of our order has steadily in- creased in number ami influence during the year, and is represented in every State of the Union but one — Alabama — and all the Terri- tories except Indian, Idaho, and Alaska. Even Canada claims its post and auxiliary corps (Gen- eral Hancock Post and Corps of Montreal), which are attached to the Department of Ver- mont. Three liundretl and sixty-two corps have been instituted during the year, with a membership of seven thousand two hundred."

The net gain during the year was reported as twelve thousand six hundred seventeen mem- bers, and the total membership as one hundred seventeen thousand fifty-eight. Referring to work among the colored people, Mrs. McHenry stated that there were Relief Corps in Virginia, the Carolinas, in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi, auxiliary to colored posts. Seven of these were insti- tuted during the year. "Their ritualistic work may be imperfect," .she said, "but their zeal and loyalty are unabated, and they accomplish much good in their own way among their own people." Referring to Memorial Day, she stated that many appeals for this object were received from the several Department Com- manders within whose jurisdiction were located national cemeteries with their tens of thousands of Union soldiers. She ackncnvledged the liberal donations of corps in tlepartments where com- ratles sufferetl from severe drought during the past season.

A part of her address related to the National Woman's Relief Corps Home, of which she spoke in congratulatory terms, as follows : " This first year in the history of our National W. R. C. Home has been one of unwonted prosperity and success. The sympathy and co-operation of the people have been expressed in every possible manner, and their gifts for its equipment and support have been generous even to lavishness. ... A most princely gift is the appropriation by the Ohio Legislature of twenty-five thousand dollars for the erection of a cottage upon the home grounds. We asked for twenty-five hundretl dollars, and the State gave us twenty-five thousand dollars. This is the highest recognition of the Woman's Relief Corps and its work that has ever been given, and is truly a crown of glory to this administration and the seal of future possibilities." Quoting from the report of the Invalid Pension Committee of Congress, to whom the bill for pensions for army nurses had been referred, she continued: "I trust the work of securing special pensions will he pushed to the utmost. The greatest obstacle in the way seems to be the defective record of army nurses in the War Department. Twenty-six thousand names of women are enrolled. Eighteen thousand of them have no record whatever. Six thousand two hundred and. eighty-one are mentioned as army nurses, but four thousand six hundred and ninety-four of these have no statement as to the authority by which they were appointed. It is not probable that Congress will pass a general pension law for army nurses until a satisfactory record is made. Therefore I believe it is of the utmost importance that this record of the War Department be corrected and, if possible, completed. This will require a vast amount of time, patience, work, and influence, an immense correspondence, and some money. But the women who served their country amid the perils of war deserve something at our hands; and, if we cannot secure for them pensions while living, let us build for them a monument of deeds, recorded in the military register of the nation. Many, very many of them are dead. All will soon be gone. Then let us not allow their heroic services to sink into oblivion, but take immediate action toward the accomplishment of this work."

In closing her address, Mrs. McHenry presented several recommendations of value to the work, and expressed thanks to many friends for courtesies received.

On motion of Mrs. Kate B. Sherwood, past National President, the convention extended thanks to Mrs. McHenry "for her exemplification of all the womanly qualities enjoined by the obligations of our order while presiding over this convention." Mrs. McHenry responded: "Ladies, I thank you. Time is too precious for me to use it in telling of my appreciation of all the kind things you have said and done for me, not only here in convention. but during the whole year. I trust the friendships thus formed will grow warmer as our years increase. Parting is the one 'sweet sorrow' of our conventions; but, as I claim you all as 'my daughters,' I trust each one will remember me with the same fraternal love I bear you, and in that lovely 'somewhere' we shall all meet to 'go out no more forever.' "

Mrs. McHenry has continued her active interest in the work of the National Woman's Relief Corps, and has been a liberal contributor to various charities, expending her money freely for benevolent objects. Enjoying the quiet of her home life, she is interested in public work only for the good she can accomplish. Mr. and Mrs. McHenry have four children, two sons and two daughters, who are perpetuating the principles of patriotism by membership in the societies of S. of v., W. R. C, and Sons and Daughters of the Revolution.