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A woman joining the working men

| February 19, 2020 1:00 AM

Alice Corder George was born in 1906. Ruth Fletcher Rankin was born in 1910. These women were my maternal and paternal grandmothers, respectively. They were quite different, Grandma George wore an apron and had a cookie jar that was never empty. Her pinto beans and cornbread were the stuff of legends. Grandma Rankin was a city girl who worked retail and wore dresses accessorized with pearls. The aroma of burnt toast and See’s Candy still remind me of her.

An interesting similarity of both is that in their lifetimes women did not have the right to vote. It wasn’t until 1920 that the 19th Amendment was ratified by Congress. Oh how I wish my grandmothers were still alive today so we could have a conversation about such topics.

This year there will be commemorations to mark the Centennial of the 19th Amendment and celebrations of the Women’s Suffrage movement. This past Saturday my husband and I attended an open house at artist Terry Lee’s studio to see the life-size clay sculpture of a suffragist which will be heading to a Montana foundry soon to be cast in bronze. When she’s finished The Suffragist will take her place in the Working Men collection of statues on the terrace above McEuen Park. The Working Man (Dean Haagenson donor), Idaho Farmer (Doyle Jacklin donor) and Idaho Lumberjack (Idaho Forest Group donor) were all commissioned pieces, gifted to the city of Coeur d’Alene.

The Suffragist is not only unique as the first woman to be included in the series but as a piece of art that is being funded by individual donations, no small feat for something that’s costing $50,000. The project is the result of a conversation a year ago over breakfast with a group of local women and Terry Lee. They were ribbing him about the Working Man series not including women. And they were serious. Terry’s late sister, Deanna Goodlander, was among the breakfast group. After brainstorming ideas, The Suffragist to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote was the choice.

The women pledged to raise the money and are in the homestretch after several months. Ruth Pratt, Mary Lou Reed, Mary Sanderson, Roberta Larsen, Sue Thilo, Teri Farr, Claudia Brennan and Nancy White have been doing the figurative heavy lifting to spread the word. This piece of public art will truly belong to the public. With about $10,000 remaining to raise, tax-deductible donations of all sizes are welcome. If you’re a woman, or have a mother or daughters or if you’re a man who loves and respects a woman/women, write a check! If you’re a woman who holds elected office in a Kootenai County community, write a check!

The Suffragist will be dedicated in a celebration in August to coincide with the actual ratification of the 19th Amendment anniversary. It will warm my heart to know that my modest contribution is part of something that recognizes equality as well as honoring my grandmothers and their great-granddaughters.

Make checks payable to: City of Coeur d’Alene, Suffragist Statue, 710 E. Mullan Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Contact the Coeur d’Alene Arts and Culture Alliance for additional info: 208-292-1629.

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Things to Do: On Friday, “These Shining Lives” opens at Lake City Playhouse, 7:30 p.m., and runs through March 8. Info: www.lakecityplayhouse.org

From 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, enjoy Post Falls Rotary’s Agave Tequila Tasting and Celebrity Margarita Shake-off at Nashville North. Info: www.agaveforrotary.com

The coronation of Miss Gem State Stampede 2020, Ashley Bennett, and a dinner/auction is 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. Info: 208-765-4969.

On Sunday the 23nd annual Frosty Bunz Run starts at 9:30 a.m. at Lawrences Motorcycles in Coeur d’Alene. The ride ends at Curly’s Hauser Lake. Info: 208-664-8032

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Happy Birthday today to Amy Boni, Kandi Johnson, Teri Nipp, Rebekah Newbry, Samantha Kraack, Helga Wernicke, Julia Jaworski (21!) and Rob Colvin and tomorrow to Ron Ouren, Maycie Goodlander, Brock Bauman, Barb Eveland, Phil Romans and Jared White.

On Friday Megan Reagan, Diane Zell, Jerry Moss and Paige Watkins celebrate. On Saturday Mark Sales, Tami Crawford, Joseph Louck, Billie Jo Campbell, Jim Clark and Jack Lash take another trip around the sun. Celebrating Sunday are Sydney Knox, Janet Curry, Shawn Telford, Corinna Hunter, Diane Mort, Louise Robeson, Bill Kaufman, Holly McNee, Denise Wilbanks and Marion Brendis (70!).

Monday birthdays belong to Ingrid Allen, Sheila Wooley, Betty Leonard, Tamara Booth and Barb Koerner. Marking their special day on Feb. 25 are Nathan McLeod, Peter Braunlich, Barb Dietrick, Rosalie True and Jimmy Conrow.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.