March 1, 2016 - The Center Women’s Reading Club met at the lovely home of Suzanne Ihlo on January 21st. President, Janene Walker presided over the Annual Meeting. The Club approved the 2016-2017 Budget.
Suzanne Ihlo presented a program on Edna Gladney, an incredible lady who fought for children’s rights and adoption reform. Born in Milwaukee in 1886, Edna Gladney was labeled as “illegitimate” from birth and, as an adult, lobbied for that label’s removal from all birth certificates.
Edna was born on January 22 to Minnie Nell. Her mother was not married and was only seventeen when Edna was born. Edna never knew her birth father. Minnie married when Edna was seven years old. In 1904, Minnie sent Edna to live with an aunt in Ft. Worth. She hoped the climate would help Edna’s health. She also hoped that by moving Edna into a completely new society, no one would find out that Edna was illegitimate. Being illegitimate at that time was a huge stigma.
While in Fort Worth, Edna met Sam Gladney in 1906. Sam was ten years her senior and worked at Medlin Flour Milling Company. The two eloped. In 1913, the Gladneys moved to Sherman, Texas so that Sam could open his own milling company, Gladney Milling. Edna joined the Sherman Civic League and started inspecting local meat markets and public restrooms for cleanliness. Edna, along with eight other ladies also addressed the Poor Farm and horrible living conditions. They white washed the building, burned the trash and took the children to Texas Children’s Home and Aid Society (TCHAS).
By 1910, Edna had joined the Board of Directors for the TCHAS and established the Sherman Nursery and Kindergarten for Working Women, a free day nursery to help poor working families by watching their children. In 1927, Edna was named Superintendent of the TCHAS.
After her husband died in 1935, Edna continued to make the welfare of unwanted children the center of her life. She placed abandoned children with adoptive families. She worked hard to place the right children with the right parents.
Edna lobbied the Texas legislature to have the word “illegitimate” kept off birth certificates of adopted and abandoned children. In 1936, Texas was the first state in the southwest to legally remove the stigma of illegitimacy
In the 1950s, Edna also helped to get a bill passed that gave adopted children the same inheritance rights as biological children.
In 1950, the Texas Children’s Home and Aid Society bought the West Texas Maternity Hospital, which was renamed the Edna Gladney Home – now The Gladney Center for Adoption.
In 1941, MGM released the movie “Blossoms in the Dust”, starring Greer Garson who portrayed Edna Gladney.
Edna Gladney passed away in 1961, but her legacy lives on through the tens of thousands of children for which she spent her life crusading. She never adopted a child herself, she loved them all.
Delicious refreshments were served and the ladies enjoyed a special time of fellowship.
