Elizabeth Virginia (Kelly) McGowan (1897 - 1986)

Born 29 Jul 1897 in Grand Forks, North Dakota

Ancestors

Wife of Martin James McGowan Sr. — married 9 Jun 1934 in Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Descendants

Died 12 Nov 1986 at age 89 in Worcester, Massachusetts

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Meg McGowan [send private message]

Biography

Elizabeth was the oldest of five children in the family of J. Nelson and Eleanor Murphy Kelly.^[1] She grew up and attended school in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where her father was superintendent of schools.^[2][3][4][5] Elizabeth's mother began teaching her the piano at age 5. She continued studies with several teachers and attended the Grand Forks School of Music for the last two years of high school.^[6] She had shown an early musical talent when she wrote and directed an operetta in sixth grade, in which her sisters and cousins performed.^[7]

Elizabeth attended the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks, where she was a member of the Playmakers drama group and president of Alpha Phi sorority.^[8]She graduated from UND and from a cooperating institution, the Wesley College Conservatory of Music, whose campus adjoins the University,^[9] and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.^[10] During her last two years at UND, she began took piano lessons from Adelaide Okell, a concert pianist who had studied under internationally known Venezuelan pianist Teresa Carreno. Adelaide Okell "inspired me." Elizabeth had relfected.^[11]

Music Teaching

After graduation, she worked for Mrs. Carlyle Scott, the wife of the head of the music school at the University of Minnesota who selcted outstanding artists to apear in courses in the music school. She then took a position at Appleton, Minnesota public school, teaching English and music. The music position was in elementary school, where she would go from room to room spending about 15 minutes in each classroom. The second year in Appleton, she was given a classroom with a piano where the students came for music instruction.^{[12] [13]} The local newspaper noted her direction of a musical pageant, ”Singing Around the World,” including 300 students, and presented at the city hall in February 1930.^[14] Among her students in 1930 was ten year old Marty McGowan who was to become her stepson.

She left Appleton for better pay as an English and music teacher in the Waseca, Minnesota, school system, where she taught for three years.^[15] She returned to Appleton after her marriage to Martin McGowan Sr., the editor of the Appleton weekly newspaper. They are the parents of one daughter, Eleanor, in addition to Martin Sr.'s son Marty.^[16]

Piano Teacher

After the birth of her daughter Eleanor in 1935, Elizabeth began teaching private piano lessons in her home. She began with five pupils, charging 50 cents for a half hour lesson. Her largest enrollment was 75 pupils.^[17] She taught more than 35 years, averaging 60 pupils per year.^[18] Some of her last pupils were children of her first students. Some of her students also became piano teachers.

Community Activities

She was active in many music and civic activities in Appleton. She was the organist and choir director for St. John's Catholic Church for 33 years . Although she was not trained as an organist, she took on the position when the previous organist did not know how to play a new organ that had been purchased for the church.^[19]

She was one of the founding members of the Music Club in Appleton, and also served as its president. She was also a member of the St. John's Rosary Society and the American Legion Auxiliary.^[20]

Later Years

Her husband died after 20 years of marriage. In her later years, she sold her home in Appleton and moved to Westborough, Massachusetts, to be near her daughter Eleanor Simcoe and family.

Elizabeth died in Massachusetts at the age of 89,^[21] and is buried in the McGowan family plot in Appleton Cemetery, Appleton, Minnesota.^[22]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11122-71122-37?cc=1325221 : accessed 24 Jul 2014), North Dakota > Grand Forks > ED 67 Grand Forks city Ward 1-2 > image 43 of 63; citing NARA microfilm publication T623.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLGY-QPT : 29 October 2015), Elizbeth B Kelly in household of James N Kelly, Grand Forks Ward 1, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 97, sheet 7B, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,375,155.
3. ↑ "North Dakota Census, 1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-46437-6162-28?cc=2346284 : 30 December 2014), Grand Forks > image 186 of 709; citing State Historical Society of North Dakota.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MC8B-53Y : accessed 25 Jul 2014), Elizabeth G Kelly in household of J Nelson Kelly, Grand Forks Ward 1, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States; citing sheet 10B, family 234, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821334.
5. ↑ "North Dakota Census, 1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9H-HVQZ : 30 June 2016), Elizabeth Kelly in household of J N Kelly, Grand Forks, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States; citing sheet number 28, family number 1, State Historical Society of North Dakota; FHL microfilm 1,731,398.
6. ↑ "The Happiest Years of My Life have been in Appleton," by Dianne Johnson, The Appleton (Minnesota) Press, Sept. 8, 1982, p. 8.
7. ↑ "Mrs. McGowan Honored for Church Work," Appleton Press, Appleton, Minnesota, May 17, 1967.
8. ↑ "Mrs. McGowan Honored for Church Work," Appleton Press, Appleton, Minnesota, May 17, 1967.
9. ↑ The Quarterly Journal of the University of North Dakota, Volume 2, p. 328.
10. ↑ "Mrs. McGowan Honored for Church Work," Appleton Press, Appleton, Minnesota, May 17, 1967.
11. ↑ "The Happiest Years of My Life have been in Appleton," by Dianne Johnson, The Appleton (Minnesota) Press, Sept. 8, 1982, p. 8.
12. ↑ "The Happiest Years of My Life have been in Appleton," by Dianne Johnson, The Appleton (Minnesota) Press, Sept. 8, 1982, p. 8.
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X3DR-ZDJ : accessed 25 Jul 2014), Elizabeth V Kelly in household of Karrie Johnson, Appleton, Swift, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0002, sheet 10A, family 238, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1132.
14. ↑ The Appleton Press 60th Anniversary Edition, 1940, p 62, col. 1.
15. ↑ "The Happiest Years of My Life have been in Appleton," by Dianne Johnson, The Appleton (Minnesota) Press, Sept. 8, 1982, p. 8.
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KSLM-97V : accessed 25 Jul 2014), Elizabeth Mcgowan in household of Martin Mcgowan, Appleton, Appleton Village, Swift, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 76-2, sheet 9A, family 176, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 1963.
17. ↑ "The Happiest Years of My Life have been in Appleton," by Dianne Johnson, The Appleton (Minnesota) Press, Sept. 8, 1982, p. 8.
18. ↑ "Mrs. McGowan Honored for Church Work," Appleton Press, Appleton, Minnesota, May 17, 1967.
19. ↑ "The Happiest Years of My Life have been in Appleton,Ci" by Dianne Johnson, The Appleton (Minnesota) Press, Sept. 8, 1982, p. 8.
20. ↑ "Elizabeth McGowan," The Appleton Press, Nov. 28, 1986.
21. ↑ "Massachusetts, Death Index, 1970-2003," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VZT6-SZW : accessed 25 Jul 2014), Elizabet K Mcgowan, 12 Nov 1986; citing "Massachusetts, Death Index, 1970-2003," Ancestry.com; Worcester, Massachusetts, death certificate number 058558, Department of Health Services, Boston.
22. ↑ "Elizabeth McGowan," The Appleton Press, Nov. 28, 1986.