Fun female characters in Detroit's history?

**kick22** · October-26-11, 03:21 PM

hello! I am wondering if anyone can tell me some fun interesting characters from Detroit's past that are female? I was thinking along the lines of hazen pingree or coleman young, just interesting people that happen to be female?

**Detroitnerd** · October-26-11, 03:26 PM

Didn't we have a thread like this a while ago? Rosa Parks, etc.?

I only recently found out about Sophie Lyons, "queen of the underworld."

**kick22** · October-26-11, 03:31 PM

is there? I am just trying to come up with a good costume for halloween and wanted something good, fun and from Detroit's past and really couldnt think of any interesting female from Detroit's history [[other than some motown peeps and rosa parks) but i wanted someone with a spooky story

**Detroitnerd** · October-26-11, 03:39 PM

Le Nain Rouge? Seems an easy costume for man or woman...

**65memories** · October-26-11, 03:58 PM

How about Mary Beck, first woman elected to Detroit City Council. She served from 1950 - 1970. As noted in the Detroit Free Press obituary, Dr. Beck was remembered by her political opponents and her colleagues on the Common Council for several other things as well - "her unusual hats" and the "swear box," which, in an era when the council chambers were "outfitted with spittoons and stained by cigar smoke," she initiated to fine councilmen who used profanity during sessions, with the proceeds going to charity. "For two decades she was a presence in city politics, and when she left it would never completely be a man's world again."

**Neilr** · October-26-11, 04:03 PM

You're looking for a fun and interesting character: Lily Tomlin aka Ernestine the telephone operator. She's a Detroiter: Crossman ES, Hutchenson MS, and Cass Tech HS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9e3dTOJi0o

**Detroitnerd** · October-26-11, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by Neilr

You're looking for a fun and interesting character: Lily Tomlin aka Ernestine the telephone operator. She's a Detroiter: Crossman ES, Hutchenson MS, and Cass Tech HS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9e3dTOJi0o

My mom remains convinced to this day that she worked the switchboard in the basement of Kern's with Lily back in the 1950s.

**jtf1972** · October-26-11, 05:17 PM

How about Laura Osborne?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Freele_Osborn

**Gistok** · October-26-11, 05:39 PM

Well I don't know about "fun"... but how about "funny" [[in a twisted sort of way)...

Here we have an image of 3 former important women in Detroit...

1) the left one would win for the "Aunt Esther's Gorilla Cookie Mold" award...
2) this middle one would win for the "Mommy Dearest Reenactment Award" in public meetings...
3) and right one would win an award for "I know music and little else..."

**Kathleen** · October-26-11, 05:44 PM

How about Emily Gail? With her pigtails and her "Say Nice Things About Detroit" campaign?

http://community.detnews.com/blogs/i...009/07/02/p701

**Evelyn** · October-26-11, 05:47 PM

Though she's not that funny, activist Millie Jeffrey should get a mention here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millie_Jeffrey

**birwood** · October-26-11, 06:16 PM

The late Councilwoman Irma Henderson gets my vote, she had dignity, style, grace and poise....BUT...hold on to your ass if you pissed her off.

**Jimaz** · October-26-11, 06:22 PM

Who has that photo of Stella? That was pretty scary.

**MidTownMs** · October-26-11, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Well I don't know about "fun"... but how about "funny" [[in a twisted sort of way)...

Here we have an image of 3 former important women in Detroit...

1) the left one would win for the "Aunt Esther's Gorilla Cookie Mold" award...
2) this middle one would win for the "Mommy Dearest Reenactment Award" in public meetings...
3) and right one would win an award for "I know music and little else..."

Or you and a friend can go as a couple:

Name: kwame & barbara.jpg
Views: 997
Size: 31.3 KB

**Jimaz** · October-26-11, 06:39 PM

RIP, Stella Paris

**Artistic** · October-26-11, 07:01 PM

Marilyn Turner from the channel 7 news...way back and the morning show called Kelly and Turner

**EMG** · October-26-11, 07:46 PM

Barbara-Rose Collins.

**jcole** · October-26-11, 08:00 PM

Not strictly Detroit but Sojourner Truth was a Michigander from Battle Creek

**jcole** · October-26-11, 08:03 PM

Also Custer's wife, Libby Bacon Custer, was from Monroe, MI

**gnome** · October-26-11, 08:09 PM

A very energetic lady, my auntie: Lottie the Body

**EMG** · October-26-11, 08:20 PM

I just thought of another one, but I can't remember her name - and I tried Googling in vain.

In the Detroit mayoral election of 1980, there was Coleman Young, John Mogk, and a few other people running. One of them was an OOLLDD gray-haired white lady, I'm about 75 percent confident her first name was Mary but I have no idea what her last name was. She was definitely a very animated character who was always talking about how she had lots of experience running her business [[whatever it was) "on Vernor Highway." She didn't have a ghost of a chance of winning and everybody knew that but she was still quite a vocal character to listen to and if nothing else kept the debates entertaining!

Does anybody remember her name?

**Kathleen** · October-26-11, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by EMG

One of them was an OOLLDD gray-haired white lady, I'm about 75 percent confident her first name was Mary but I have no idea what her last name was. She was definitely a very animated character who was always talking about how she had lots of experience running her business [[whatever it was) "on Vernor Highway." She didn't have a ghost of a chance of winning and everybody knew that but she was still quite a vocal character to listen to and if nothing else kept the debates entertaining!

Does anybody remember her name?

Mary Ann Mahaffey

**EMG** · October-26-11, 08:26 PM

Thanks for the guess, but I don't think it was Mary Ann Mahaffey, the former Council president. I think the Mary [[or maybe her name wasn't even Mary) I am thinking of was a relative unknown and, as I said, I think owner of a private business on Vernor Highway [[probably a Mom and Pop shop or something like that).

**Lowell** · October-26-11, 09:09 PM

What a fun thread and we haven't even touched the pantheon of Motown and the fabulous and colorful Detroit gals of that era.

Emily Gale came to my mind too. A cheerleader for Detroit at Its depths, when it had driven off the cliff and seemed in free fall. "Say Nice Things About Detroit. " Still good advice.

**kathy2trips** · October-26-11, 10:49 PM

The one that always fascinated me was Margaret Findlayson Haberkorn-Pabst a.k.a. Margaret Mather [[1859-1898). She went from peddling the Detroit Free Press on Griswold to become one of the world's finest Shakespearean actresses in the Victorian age. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...&GRid=8891014&

I'll think of more, I'm sure, but that's the first one that popped in my head.