May Bonner was a forceful person. Always active in civic life, she was the first woman elected to a city council in Connecticut. Her responsibility was for police work and the Chief of Police often consulted her. Sometimes he parked his car several blocks away and walked to her house. The porch light was off and these consultations were "off the record". As a council member she worked vigorously for the establishment of the first nursery in the public schools of Norwalk. After persistent efforts she succeeded in securing fire escapes in the public schools. One of her daughters recalls an occasion when a maid, Rosie, was employed to care for the household and meal planning. When time for the dessert came May asked Rosie what she was serving for dessert. "Fire escapes, Madam!" Rosie disdainfully replied. During World War I she headed British Relief efforts in Norwalk and as a result was decorated by King George VI at a post-war dinner in New York City. May was the first woman to serve as Republican Committeewoman in her state.
May recalled for her three daughters an experience in her childhood. She was with her father in Charlston, S.C. when there was a riot. Her father had to leave the hotel and told Maria not to go out of the room. She looked out the window and someone shouted "there's a head, shoot it". She did not look out again!
Maria Bonner, was the daughter of Alice Davidson who was born in England, and had a daughter, of the same name: Alice Davidson who married David Hogg. Maria's daughter Josephine later married Alice Davidson Hogg's son or grandson, George Chapman Hogg.
June 1870 Census lists her age as 4 months, her parents were George Bonner, railroad engineer born in England, and Alice, also born in England, siblings George, born 1865 in England, and Elizabeth, born 1868 in England.[1]
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May is 27 degrees from Herbert Adair, 25 degrees from Richard Adams, 22 degrees from Mel Blanc, 25 degrees from Dick Bruna, 24 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 36 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 24 degrees from Sam Edwards, 21 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 26 degrees from Marty Krofft, 19 degrees from Junius Matthews, 18 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 22 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.