This being the 100th anniversary since the 19th Amendment was enacted and women were allowed to vote, we are introducing you to a very special Brown County woman: Rose Elizabeth Annis Reeves Roberts.
She was born March 18, 1887, in Brown County, Indiana, the daughter of Mary Elizabeth Fox Reeves and Elihu Reeves. Rose was raised on the Reeves home place in Van Buren Township, on Valley Branch Road.
Rose was married March 18, 1905, to Otha Roberts, the son of George Melvin Roberts and Susan Petro Roberts.
Rose and Otha were blessed with nine children, eight living: Dorothy Edith, Clara Mae, Rhoda Pearl, Wanda Lucille, Otis Glenn, Rachel Saphronia, Winiferd Lorene and Otha Jr.
Rose was called a variation of her name, from “Rose” to “Rosa,” and lots of folks called her “Rosie.” Maybe you called her “Mom” or “Granny.”
Rose and Otha worked hard to make a living and raise their family. They farmed from the beginning of their married life, like most everyone who lived in Brown County in those days. You were either a farmer or a farm hand.
The mode of travel was mainly the horse and buggy or the horse and wagon. In the summertime, Rose and Otha would travel to Illinois, where they hired out to work on farms harvesting crops or working in the canning factory. However, this trip, the whole family went along.
It so happened that a sister-in-law had passed away, leaving several children, so Rose and Otha went out to help with the children and to gather in the crops. Otha described the trip home. The starting point was about six miles north of Hoopeston and their route covered about 200 miles. Each night was spent in a livery stable along the way. The first day they reached Judyville in Warren County. Next day, Crawfordsville. The third night was spent in Brownsburg. The fourth night was spent at Martinsville.
Grandpap said, “It started raining at Brownsburg and didn’t stop raining until they reached home Saturday night.”
At home, Rose and Otha cut wood and sold their surplus. Rose was known to take the horse and wagon and deliver a load of wood by herself. In an interview Otha gave several years ago, he said, “Rose would cut the tree down and he would drag it to the house where they would cut it into firewood.” They also cut crossties.
Rose ran for county recorder when FDR first won the presidency in 1932. She was the first woman elected to a Brown County public office. She served four years, 1934 to 1937, and the pay was $66 per month.
Since then, several members of Rose’s family have served the county in various offices. Her son, Glenn Roberts, was Washington Township trustee. Carmen King Altop, her granddaughter, served as the first woman trustee in Brown County. Carmen went on to serve as Brown County clerk and various other offices.
Karen King Olmstead, Rose’s granddaughter, served as Brown County clerk and in various other county offices. Benita Williamson Fox and Beth Williamson Mulry, Rose’s great-granddaughters, also served as Brown County clerk and in various other county offices.
Somewhere along the way, Rose learned to drive a motorized vehicle. She drove a school bus. I don’t know what year the school bus began picking up the school children, taking them to school and delivering them back home. But we do know Rose was the first woman to drive a school bus in Brown County.
In addition to all of her accomplishments, did I mention what a wonderful cook she was? I was one of the blessed to call her “Granny.”
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Mrs. Blanche Tracy. In the 1930s, Blanche’s husband, Everrett Tracy, was the treasurer of Brown County and Blanche worked for him. In 1940, she ran for the office and won the election on her own. She served from 1940 to 1944. Blanche was the second woman to serve in an elected public office.
— Pauline Hoover, Brown County Historical Society
