Cunningham1

ColleenCunningham
EnglishLiterature1
Ms.Cunningham
7August2015

StrongWomen
Ifyouknowanythingabout1980sTVandyouseemylastname,Imsureimagesofa
happy,suburbanfamilylivingasimple,middleclassliferunthroughyourmind.Tobehonest,
myoriginsdolookfairlynormalfromtheoutside.IamtheoldestchildofMarleneandVern,
marriedAugust15th,1970.Iwasborninthe3rdyearoftheirmarriage,inOctoberof1973.I
havetwoyoungersisters:Katie,bornKathleenJanelleinFebruaryof1976,andTrisha,born
PatriciaAnneinMarchof1979.Myparentsdidnotgrowupwealthy,andneitherdidI,butwe
alwayshadenough,bothofmoneyandlove.Itseemsprettyordinary,butIveonlygoneback
onegeneration.Movebacktwogenerationsandyoufindmorecomplexity.Mypaternal
grandfatherwasaPearlHarborSurvivor.MymaternalgrandmotherimmigratedtotheUSfrom
Finlandasachild.MymaternalgrandfathersurvivedPolioattheheightoftheepidemic.And
thentherearethewomenalonglineofwomenwhosurvived,brokethemold,laughedtooloud,
anddidtheunexpected.Thosewomenhaveshapedme.
Idonthavetogobackveryfarinmygeneologytofindanextraordinarywoman.My
greatgreatgrandmother,Dr.MaryCarrMoore,wasthefirstAmericanwomantoconductand
composeGrandOpera.Now,mysistercouldtellyouwhatGrandOperaactuallyis,butwhatI
doknowisthat,eventoday,itisraretofindafemaleconductorinanyorchestra.Shewasa

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womaninamansworld,andshewasdarnsuccessful.Ittookatollonherpersonallifeshe
marriedmorethanonce,includingamuchyoungermanunderafalsename(gasp)butsheis
definitelyanexampletomethatgendershouldnthaveanythingtodowithsuccess.Mygreat
grandmotherCleoPearlShantzArmstrongAndersonwasanotherexampleofbreakingthesocial
rules.Sheandhermotherinlawfoundedandranaverysuccessfuljamandjellycompany,
CopperKettleInc.,inthe1930s,atimewhenwomendidntworkmuchlessrunbusinesses.
PerhapstheironyisthatthegreatestlessonIlearnedfromthatpartofherhistoryistoprotectmy
ownfinancesbecauseGrandpaJoewasabletosellthebusinessrightoutfromunderneaththem
becauseahusbandhadarighttodoso.GrandmaCleowasasurvivor.Shewasburnedover
mostofherbodyandnearlydiedinthefirethatkilledherhusband,butshefoughtbackand
livedwellintoher90s.Shewasirreverent,loud,andalittlecrazy,andsheloveddeeply.She
wouldhavegivenherlastdollartohelpagrandchildnomatterthecircumstances.Andfromher
Ialsolearnedtofighthardandlovedeeply.
GrandmaNonnieandGrandmaCleoarejusttwoexamplesofthewomenwhoshaped
whoIamtoday.Igrewupsurroundedbywomenwhospoketheirminds,usuallyloudly,
sometimeswithcolorfullanguage,frommanypartsoftheworld.Theylaughedandcriedand
lovedandlost.Morethananything,theyloved,andtheylovedme.