At my meeting last Tuesday night, I mentioned a wow woman who influenced me both in my younger years and continues yet today: Catherine Marshall. The women in the room never heard of her.  Even an older woman stared at me blankly with no recognition of her name. I knew Catherine Marshall needed to be the next woman featured in this series. Who Was Catherine Marshall? Catherine lived from 1915 to 1983. In the 40's she married Peter Marshall who became the chaplain in the US Senate. They had one son, Peter Jr. Tragically her husband died of a heart attack and Catherine was left alone to raise their 9-year-old son. Soon afterward, Catherine began to write. She shared the story of her husband in the popular book titled A Man Called Peter and she published a collection of sermons by her husband. She ended up with more than 20 books to her credit. Her most famous work was the 1967 novel, Christy, inspired by her mother's journey into Appalachia to teach. Christie was made … [Read more...]

Many stories about women in history are forgotten, hidden or never told. Learning about strong women who made a difference in their world inspires me and I want to tell their stories.  Lately, I have uncovered more and more of these WOW women and thought I would share a bit of their lives with you over the next few weeks.  Last week we met one and here is a new one today Enjoy the series. WOW Woman – Argula von Grumbach The chatter about what happened in town couldn't be stopped. Everyone in Ingolstadt, Germany heard about the trial of young Arsacius Seehofer and how the church had silenced him by exiling him 160 miles south to a Benedictine monastery. The year was 1523 and the German Catholic Church practice damage control of the rising Reformation movement. Two years before this, Martin Luther published a German translation of the Bible that was now, thanks to the new-fangled printer presses, a best seller. Arsacius spoke about these new beliefs at his university and the … [Read more...]

I love the background stories of strong women making a difference. Lately, I have discovered more and more of them and thought I would share a few of their lives with you over the next couple of weeks. Enjoy the series. Matushka Olga Michael Matushka Olga Michael lived in Alaska in the early 1900s. This WOW woman was an indigenous Alaskan of Yupik origin and born in1916. Her given name in Yup’ik is Arrsamquq, and Olga is her “church name”. She was one of the first in her tribe to be baptized as an infant. Her husband, Nikolai Michael, was the village postmaster and manager of the general store, who later was ordained a priest and subsequently was elevated to Archpriest.  Their marriage was arranged and as the wife of the priest, she was frequently by herself to raise their eight children. On top of being a busy mother, Olga became known for her compassion for women who suffered abuse, especially sexual abuse – a taboo most people denied and never discussed. A woman ahead of … [Read more...]