EDITH POWELL PRINGLE

(Edith M. Powell)

GERMAN-ENGLISH
Prepared at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pa.

Letters
June 6, 1922
May 7, 1929
May 1936

Handwritten Excerpt

Photograph
Basketball Team Photo

Edith Powell has been the guest of friends in the city.

1904 Program:

Present address: 344 Caey Avenue, Wilkesbarre, Pa.

June 1906 Kalends:

Frances Doherty, Hattie Taylor and Edith Powell were in Baltimore to attend their class reunion.

June 1910 Kalends:

Edith Powell Pringle was at College for Commencement.

July 1930 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle had a very handsome daughter in the Senior class and one in the Junior, and several more yet to come to Goucher. Edith is President of the Woman's Club of Punxsutawney, Pennsulvania.
Dorothy Pringle will be mother's chief assistant during the summer.

November 1930 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle is another very busy lady these days: "It is the same busy time and rush, with all church and civic organizations starting their fall work. Last week was crowded because of attending a lecture by Admiral Byrd, and a luncheon in his honor; and then spending a day at the Philadelphia Branch meeting of the W.F.M.S. at Oil City, necessitating a 140-mile drive; and then being hostess to our hospital auxiliary. Now I am trying to pack to drive to Wilkes-Barre, my old home town, to see the daughter in school at Wyoming Seminary, and then go on to Scranton for State Federation meeting. We just had our first WOmen's Club meeting, and as I am starting my second year as president, I must attend the state meeting for some inspiration.
No time for getting degrees, or publishing books, or otherwise becoming a famous alumna, but some of us must do the everyday work along with bringing up our families till they get a few degrees.
Our class had such a grand gossipy - (dare I say it?) - reunion; we each told our tales then.

May 1937 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle is president of the Jefferson County (Pa.) Federation of Women's Clubs, a county honor she shares with two other Goucher graduates, Marian Fickes Mitchell '26, who is president of the Clearfield County Federation, and Ruth Smith Smith '18, president of the Warren-Forest Federation.
Edith has joined the ranks of grandmothers. Her daughter, Helen, who is married and lives in INdianapolis, Ind., has a nine months old daughter. The Alumnae Office enjoyed a brief "Hello" from Mrs. Pringle in April, when she was on a week-end trip to Washington with Mrs. Blakeslee, mother of Ruth Blakeslee '24, as a travelling companion.

May 1939 Alumnae Quarterly

The class individually and as a whole extends deepest sympathy to Edith Powell Pringle in the loss of her husband, Dr. Francis Pringle, in January. Dr. Pringle's untiring kindness and helpfulness to all his patients was well known and his loss will be sorely felt in the entire community.

July 1939 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle came from Punxsatawney, Pa. She has done a big job with her family, and we share her grief in the loss of her fine doctor husband.

May 1944 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle is doing he rbit for her country by going back to teaching math in the junior high school in Puxsutawney, Pa. Edith has one son in the army, somewhere in England. Her daughter, Dorothy, is in the WAVES. Frances is in Washington, with the Pan-American Union. She also has two married daughters nearby, and her youngest daughter is on the farm with Edith.

November 1949 Alumnae Quarterly:

Too late for the July notes came a card from Edith Powell Pringle at Punxsutawney, Pa. "'Late as usual.' Broke my glasses 2 months ago and still haven't new ones, so am writing little. No excitement Under 1898 my sister told of our spring trip to Charleston. I had 3 springs! One on way to Charleston, one here, and saw still later flowers on a couple of business trips up along Lake Erie. My family come and go, and that is most of our excitement. Laurel and rhododendron lovely this year-we went to Cook's Forest and on other drives to see the flowers. So glad to hear from Anna that our class overtopped our fund."

Spring 1950 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle sent a card showing a scene in Yosemite. She addressed it to me at "Riverbunk"! (Maybe she only forgot to dot an "i".) She says, "After helping out at my daughter's in Winchester when new daughter arrived, my sister Nellie, daughter Edith and I drove to California via southern route and are visiting my brother and his son's families. Tried to call Martha Enochs in Jackson but failed to reach her. Don't know just when we will start back."-Claire Ackerman Vliet

Spring 1951 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle writes front Punxsutawney, Pa.: "Always disappointed when no 1903 news so here goes, though not much. No grand trip this year. We got caught in 'big snow' here when we came from Thanksgiving with our daughter near Pottsville, and again on ice after a Christmas trip to our other daughter near Binghamton. There was so much ice that we stayed most of the winter. No teaching this year, so the same old housework, church society and Woman's Club, with no excitement. Had word this week that my son had a small daughter, which makes my ninth grandchild. Ruth's family of 5 was here for Easter, so it was plenty lively."

Spring 1953 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle did not say anything about a change of address, but I note that her letter is headed "446 Greenwood Ave., Punxsutawney, Pa." "My excuse for not writing sooner, is that when your card came, Dorothy was in the hospital, so all I did was run over there for three weeks. Had only slight operation, but blood so low they delayed, to give her blood transfusions. She's glad she had given several times, so as not to have robbed soldiers- in fact, she gave one on election day! Glad to say she's back teaching and seems all right.
We didn't take any big trips last summer. My only recent one, except to see some of the chidlren, was to represent our club at Alumnae Council in November. I did enjoy seeing the college and hearing about it - though it poured rain until we were on our way to the station! Had supper with Anna Slease and her niece. Still hoping to get back for reunion!"

Spring 1954 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle is recovering from a serious operation which she underwent just before Christmas. She says she is greatly improved "and had even gone into Pittsburgh with my daughters. While there, I had lunch with Anna Slease in her lovely recently-moved-into apartment. Anna showed me a picture of Alice Flick and the group around her at the reunion lunch. Excellent of Alice, and some of the others."

Fall 1954 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle writes that she is as busy as ever - busier, if you ask me - with fall meetings starting, and fall gardening, and finishing with the fruit. "I am on the program committee for our Woman's Club and have to get the schedule in to the printer before our next meeting. Every time I think that now I'll not get into such jobs again, some friend drags me in, just as I am substituting as teacher for the Woman's Class, when I did not intend to, but thebooks were thrust upon me for 'the next Sunday' and I am still substituting.
Dot drove us in her car for a wonderful trip west. I drove only to relieve her, and only on wide straight roads. Went up through Wisconsin, north along the Superior shores, straight into Canada via the Internatinal Falls.
Among all the other wonderful and interesting things of the trip, I must mention the Passion Play at Spearfish, S.D. So many have made the trip that I shall not enlarge upon our own, but it was a wonderful summer, including the visit with Alice and her son."

Summer 1956 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle says she has nothing to write about, except the weather, but how uninteresting life would be without it. It starts conversations, it affords us endless change and uncertainty, and it gives us many good reasons for not doing things. So Edith adds, "We had been having deluges, but when we recently had our church supper on our back porch, it was a perfect day. Since then it has been hot and dry, so little has been done among the flowers or in the garden.
I've really given up so much. We had a symphony orchestra again last winter, even keeping up practive this summer, and as it met the same night as the WOmen's Club and I preferred the orchestra, I became a club member in name and dues only. I do try to keep up with some church work.
With my daughter living a half mile from us, I am there quite a little and enjoy her 3 children. I may try to stay at Chautauqua for a few days this summer; it is only 125 miles away."

Spring 1957 Alumnae Quarterly:

WHen I told Edith Powell Pringle about my sister's arthritis, in commiserating with her, she added with real sympathy that she too, had a bad knee "that stiffens for me when I'm on it very long and also makes me show my age when I try to get up after sitting for a time, but I am thankful to keep going. Someone said to an old man with a bad knee, 'What else can you expect in old age?' He replied, 'Old age, my eye! The other leg is just as old and no bother at all.' I really blame mine on the endless miles I have driven in the last 35 years, - and I am still on it, though each year I think I'll stop, so I don't get a new car. My sister in Washington, 6 years older than I, still walks two miles to church and goes to some meeting or sees her friends every day. She has just flown to California to visit my brother and his family and will drive east again with a nephew and a niece.
Just at present I am fixing over an apartment for a DP family arriving from Germany this week, sponsored by our church. We've begged about enough furniture and now some of the young people have taken over painting some of the walls and cleaning the windows. We are relieved to learn that they have some English to start with. I am ashamed of my lack of memory of all the German I once learned under Dr. Froelicher.
Not doing much - just a few meetings at church and the garden club, and am still trying to fiddle once a week in our orchestra. Though I work only a few minutes at a time, I hope to get in some work on my flowers and garden soon."

Winter 1958 Alumnae Quarterly:

It is too bad that Edith Powell Pringle has dropped her orchestra work, for she enjoyed it so much. "I don't have much news -not even orchestra this year- so don't do much but keep house and attend a few meetings. We did have a few short trips last summer -Chautauqua for a few days, where I saw Anna Slease, and a trip to Jackson and Perkins Rose Gardens; then on to see the cherry trees around Lake Erie. For the first time we managed to get all my children and their families together for one day -twenty-one of us. We were at one of the small lakes. Dorothy took Edith and me on from there for a few days in northern New York, sightseeing to White Face Mountain and Lake George. At the last named place we saw Silver Bay Hotel, which brought back memories of one of the best weeks of earlier days, when I was there for a YWCA conference with our college delegation."

Spring 1958 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle's daughter, Ruth, and her family moved to Pittsburgh, leaving Edith sad over not having any relatives, now, any nearer than that, but Ruth's older son may be with her for the rest of the year. And now we get more and more news of the grandchildren - notjust as children, but growing up and assuming their places in the adult world. Edith drove to Vestal, N.Y. to attend the wedding of the first of her granddaughters to marry.

Winter 1959 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle sends a cute Christmas-y card block printed by her daughter, Dorothy '30, who as some of you will remember, took our picture at reunion time, Sunday morning. Edith sends them on - very good color prints - for our book. She had a brief visit with Anna Slease, who is looking better and feeling better than she did last June.

Summer 1959 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle wonders if there will be accomodations in the dormitories for all those who wish to come to the anniversary celebration. Her daughter Dorothy will be there with her reuning class. Edith hoped to go to Pittsburgh to a surprise party for Anna Slease on May 16. One couldn't imagine a pleasanter reason for the trip.

Winter 1960 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle, on a trip to the west to see her brother, took that famous drive up the coast with the ocean in view so much of the way. She reported attending a good Central Pennsylvania Goucher meeting in the fall.

Summer 1960 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle writes: "We took a short trip to New York to attend the wedding of a nephew. Don't expect to do much this summer as Dot goes to summer school next week. Dorothy enjoyed reunion but Anna Slease was the only one from 1903 she talked to."

Winter 1961 Alumnae Quarterly:

Alice Flick is uncertain about an eastern trip this year as her older daughter will be visiting her. Both Alice and Edith Powell Pringle took part in the celebration in their respective churches of the anniversary of the founding of the Women's Society. Alice took part in a play, Edith played the violin; both confessed that they had a bit of stage fright. Well! Wouldn't you?

Spring 1961 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle said she did not feel able to join her sister in a Mediterranean cruise, but she plays her violin and practives with the old group as usual. She made no definite commitment about coming down to Baltimore in June, but we hope to see her.

Winter 1962 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle is still playing with her concert group, though just for their own entertainment nowadays. She seems to be doing about everything she ever did both at home and with the church groups, though she doesn't drive her car at night anymore.

Spring 1963 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle had a "warm-break" from the winter weather by a Christmas trip to Phoenix, Arizona, to visit her son and family, where there was general rejoicing over the birth of Edith's eleventh grandchild.

Summer 1964 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle joined her sister Nellie and her daughter Edith on a cruise to the Virgin Islands. They had a wonderful time and were glad to get away from snow and cold. Edith celebrated her birthday by going to hear the Johnstown Orchestra. She herself played in a local orchestra for some time.

Fall 1964 Alumnae Quarterly:

Do you remember Alice Dunning Flick's contribution in '59 on our Step SInging and Ivy Planting oration by Anna Haslup? A song which Alice quoted was Edith Powell Pringle's pretty jingle, "Why do we laugh so gay?" Remember? Edith's letters are as young as ever. She reads and threads a needle without glasses and still drives a little. She visited her daughter in New York this summer, went to the Fair and visited Mary Maxim Cowdrey '04 in New Jersey. Pretty gay sstill, I'd say.

Winter 1967 Alumnae Quarterly:

We wish to extend our sympathy to our classmate, Edith Powell Pringle, on the death of her sister, Nellie, a member of the class of 1898.

Spring 1967 Alumnae Quarterly:

Milly Benson Bielaski and Edith Powell Pringle say they are doing many of the same old things, but in moderation, a little gardening, some travel, church work, music (Edith), and painting (Milly).

Winter 1969 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle said that the 2 weeks in the hospital following an operation were more trying than the operation. She is getting her strength back afer breast surgery; a chair-lift at home, the nearness of her church, and her 2 daughters to care for her leave her little to complain of.

Summer 1969 Alumnae Quarterly:

I must tell you of an honor conferred upon another of our daughters. Edith Powell Pringle's was named Woman of the Year in Punxsutawney, Pa., where she teaches social science. Edith has resumed a bit of her old activities after her operation.

Winter 1970 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle is another of our 3-daughter members, carrying on their own tasks with the satisfaction of watching the takeover by the next generation. In spite of arthritis, Edith has not become a has-been.

Winter 1971 Alumnae Quarterly:

Edith Powell Pringle was a busy girl in college, as a student, maintaining a high scholastic average and taking part in the extra curricular activities with pleasure and profit. We might have predicted her later life: -- busy days as the mother of five, an active citizen in educational efforts, like organizing and founding the town library. Very much devoted to music, she was an invaluable influence in church music for many years. She loved driving, and she and her daughters spent many summer weeks visiting the picturesque or historical spots of the country. When she no longer cared to drive, one of the daughters took over, and the pleasant trips continued. We like to think of her as representing us for she was the sort of woman we thought a Goucher graduate should be. Our sincere condolences to her family, her friends, and co-workers in the church.