Thyra Crawford Rees

ENGLISH-GERMAN
Prepared at Girls' Latin School of Baltimore.

Letters
December 27, 1920
May 18, 1927
December 31, 1930
June 30, 1937

Handwritten Excerpt (24 KB)

Photograph, 1930 (41KB)

Instructor in Graded School of Ada, Minn., 1903-.
Present address: 1038 Thirteenth Avenue, SE Minneapolis, Minn.

Thyra Crawford is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota.

January 1910 Kalends:

Thyra Crawford is doing graduate work at the University of Minnesota.

November 1911 Kalends:

Thyra Crawford was awarded a Fellowship by Bryn Mawr College. She is pursuing graduate work in the Department of German at Bryn Mawr College.

June 1915 Kalends:

After a sojourn of eight years in Michigan, Thyra Crawford is teaching in Philadelphia.

July 1930 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawfor Rees is still busy teaching Latin - her pet hobby always. This summer she is planning on taking a Virgilian Cruise.

November 1937 Alumnae Quarterly:

Emilie Doetsch and Edna Frizzell Thurlow '04 visited Thyra Crawford Rees at the latter's cottage in the "wilds" of New Jersey for a few days in August. Business called Emilie back to Baltimore and Washington, but Edna stayed a few days longer and she and Thyra drove over to Trenton and had a delightful visit with Claire Ackerman Vliet and her family.

July 1939 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Rees sent regrets and best wishes. Thyra teaches in the same school as Bess DeBow Thompson, who, by the way, did not come to Reunion.

August 1950 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Rees wrote from Gibbsboro: "I have sold my little place in the back woods where I have spent so many summers alone, communing with nature and cultivating my little garden. Winters I have been spending with my niece, Frances Crawford (Goucher '25), now Mrs. J.R. Moore, Jr. She is looking forward to the '25 reunion this year, I shall still spend considerable time with her at the farm near Forest Hill, Md., but I am to make my permanent home with my sister in Washington, D.C. Quite a change from this out-of-the-way nook to the most important city in the world! However, my sister and her husband have their own plans for a little woodsy place over in Virginia where we shall spend the summers, so I can still vegetate all I want to. It is a wrench to go so far away from my Philadelphia friends, but after all, I am still able to drive and they have all invited me to come back frequently for visits." Her new address is 1717 Lamont St., N.W. Washington 10, D.C. - Claire Ackerman Vliet.

Winter 1952 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Rees, now living in Washington, D.C., has been doing a little Red Cross work and some church work. "Most of my time I make myself generally useful in my sister's sizeable household. She has a double rooming house and has an aggregate of some 22 girls and women under her wing, most of them government workers. I was horrified when my sister began this project, but now I find it interesting. The girls are from everywhere, and are wonderful, high-type young women. They make me proud of our country.
We had an interesting visit from our youngest nephew who is now studying in Hartford, Conn. Theological Seminary, and plans on a teaching career, he hopes in India. His main interest is the Frank Laubach literacy movement-'each one teach one'."

Fall 1953 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Rees has a wise comment "de senectude." She will write again to tell us about the Fund meeting, I am sure. "Almost three months have passed since that goodly number of us celebrated our fiftieth anniversary, but I still like to relive those two days and the talks I had with our reunioners, some of whom I had not seen since graduation. I heartily agree with Cicero, Browning, and Emerson in their praise of the riper years. Not long ago it was my privilege to drive an octogenerian to Mt. Vernon and I was impressed all over again by finding how much fun we oldsters are getting out of life.
I have not been away from the vicinity of Washington all summer, driving back and forth between here and my sister's place in Fairfax County, Va. Because of my brother in law's continued invalidism I have tended vegetables and flowers. I should have been a farmer. One week I had my grandniece with me in the country. She is the daughter of Frances Crawford Moore, Goucher '25.
Soon comes the September Alumnae meeting which I shall attend as your Fund representative, to learn the plans and see how best we can meet our obligations. Clara Robinson Hand has given me helpful instructions and the records, so I hope to carry on the work which she has done so successfully the last five years. I know I shall have your cooperation."

Winter 1954 Alumnae Quarterly:

"Dear 1903's, I hope you have allread the vivid account by Virginia Kelley '46, in the fall issue of the Quarterly, telling of the Alumnae meeting on Sept. 25 and 26. If you have not, I wish you would sit down now and read it. The meetings were wonderful. I came away feeling new pride and new faith. So much has been done; so much is still to be done in the bright and promising future. Look at the pictures on pages 10 and 17. How wonderful if Goucher could have an Alumnae House, as so many of our sister colleges have! Who knows a millionaire who would likke to give us one?
But the most urgent need at present is for scholarships and the 1954 contribution is to go for that prupose. You will hear more about this when the 1954 Fund campaign begins; we shall then have the opportunity to give our share for that purpose.
But after all, we do want that Alumnae House. We can dream, can't we?

Spring 1955 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra reports on the Fund Committee lunch held at Froelicher Hall in January. "Owing to adverse but utterly false weather forecasts, I did not venture to drive over. Met another Washingtonian in the Baltimore Station, Elizabeth La Barre Sibley '26, and together we made our way to the campus and the 12:15 luncheon. I had a nice visit with Clara RObinson Hand, who will be captain again of the fund campaign in the Baltimore area. The afternoon meeting was reqarding, for the guest speaker, a past president of the Baltimore Vassar Club, was charming and enthusiastic, making us feel 'If Vassar can do it, Goucher can.' You will be hearing from us about it."

Summer 1956 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Rees writes from her new address, Riddle Manor, a retirement home which was the subject of an interesting article that appeared in the February, '56, number of Reader's Digest"How good of you to write to cheer up my early days of residence here! Everyone has been most kind an dI am noted here for the voluminous correspondence I have. Cecilia writes almost every day. It has not been too easy to adjust to a new type of living. Remembering Letitia Ricaud's reaction when she first went to the Church Home I have tried to emulate her in her lovely spirit of helpfulness to others, reading to those who cannot read without the use of tiresome reading glasses, taking someone out in my car for short drives, and doing errands. There is plenty to do. There is a committee of guests in charge of activities. A bingo party is planned for next Monday and recently we had a very good hobby show. We have one woman artist and several others who draw or paint. I sit at table with a married couple, both retired school teachers, and a woman who has travelled everywhere and loves to tell you all about it. The old manor house in which we live is wonderful. I wish you could see it."

Winter 1957 Alumnae Quarterly:

A Christmas message from Alice Flick contained her warm appreciation for Thyra Crawford Rees' good effort in fund raising and that is something we can all join in, for Thyra's letters were interesting as well as persuasive. Her illness has made it impossible to carry on that correspondence; we deeply regret it and wish her much better health in 1957.

Spring 1957 Alumnae Quarterly:

...It is good to know that her health is improving somewhat...

Fall 1957 Alumnae Quarterly:

"Dear 1903's: Some of you have already heard that on July 14 I entered upon a new phase of my life by marrying George Burton, a widower a few months younger than I. And so I have acquired a new name and congenial companionship with a man of like tastes and a similar past and present attitude toward life. I count as among themany other blessings of our companionship, George's three loving daughters, four fine sons, and nineteen grandchildren, with all of whom I have been happily associated during the past year. George and I hope to have a few more years together, making our home in Rosemont Presbyterian Village. I remember i n my young days being amused at the marriage of an elderly couple who entered a church home immediately after. Now I find that such weddings are not so unusual and are accepted as a matter of course. We know that we are under God's guidance and that our union has His blessing.
I have been in increasingly better health since my brief illness of last fall. Just now since our marriage, we have been living in the gracious home of my niece, Francis Crawford Moore '25 here in Forest Hill, and enjoying life in rural Maryland. We expect to be in Rosemont by the middle of September.
I hope you have all had a happy summer and are looking forward in your plans to our informal reunion in 1958. Lovingly yours, Thyra C. Burton."

Winter 1958 Alumnae Quarterly:

"Description and exposition used to be my specialty in Miss Conant's English. You remember? Now I am too too dull or lazy to do justice to the beauties of this place. The Mansion House was built as an exact replica of some French villa - beautiful paneled rooms, a well stocked library, a salon, music room, ball room (now the dining room) graceful main stairway, impressive iron grill front doors, self operating elevator, ten acres beautifully laid out with shrubbery and trees, ample walks, and pleasant vistas. Some cottages, too modern in style are suggestive of a motel, but time will help a little. There are 41 women guests and 5 men, who seem to be quite satisfied. Daily papers, lots of books, easy chairs, and pleasant walks! What more could an old gentleman wish, or an old lady, for that matter? The guests are congenial and friendly, some of them with special talents and interesting backgrounds.
I am so very much better than I was a year ago that I am taking the fund work back again. I have the leisure and will be glad to relieve Anna."

Fall 1958 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Burton has no need to go on a vacation; she is on what seems like a permanent vacation in the attractive Rosemont home where she and her husband live. Just recently the man who gave the estate to the Philadelphia Presbytery had a beautiful carillon of chimes installed, which are played each evening at seven o'clock. Mr. Burton, who had been a church organist, has been practicing on the console, so as to be able to play hymns that are not on the records.

Spring 1959 Alumnae Quarterly:

In addition to writing very good letters for the Fund and lending a hand while helping to make life pleasant for some of the home members who are not so well, Thyra Crawford Burton has taken up knitting and weaving, neither of which is hard on the eyes which she saves for all the reading she wants to do.

Summer 1959 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Burton says our class fund is coming along fine. She and Milly do a good job. Thyra's hobbies are knitting and weaving, both interesting. Thyra sent me a bit of rhymed advice which I like so well that I want to pass it on to you. It is called "Over Seventy."
"Pamper the body, prod the soul;
Accept limitations, but play a role;
Withdraw from the front, but stay in the fight;
Avoid isolation, but keep in sight;
Beware reminiscing except to a child,
To forgetting names be reconciled.
Refrain from loquacity, be crisp and concise;
And regard self pity as a cardinal vice."

Winter 1960 Alumnae Quarterly:

Another 80th birthday coming up in May. Thyra Crawford Burton, in a brief note with her Christmas card, says, "We are two other old people who do not enjoy rushing around at Christmas time, but do thoroughly enjoy sending and recieving greetings." THat is what makes Christmas now for my sister and me, Thyra, and how much we do enjoy them!

Spring 1960 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Burton has had an attack of some sort of virus and was just beginning to take a normal interest in life when she wrote to me a short while ago. The life at Rosemont would suit me, I believe. There are numerous feeding stations for the birds, room enough for pleasant walks, newspapers, and magazines, a library, time for cryptograms and other puzzles, music, television, interesting people, and, of course, a few bores. Thank heaven for them; the world of people would be too stimulating if everybody in it was briliant.

Summer 1960 Alumnae Quarterly:

Thyra Crawford Burton's sister, Cecelia Dillon, and I had a telephone visit after she returned from a visit with Thyra. She spoke of the beautiful walks and the profusion of flowers and the lovely old house. An old Goucher graduate visited Rosemont, about the same time, whom Thyra was glad to meet - Dr. Jeannette Sherman, '94, now retired, of course, after a noteworthy career.

Summer 1961 Alumnae Quarterly:

I wish all of you could read Thyra Crawford Burton's last letter. She isn't missing much of what goes on around her, though she does not take an active part in it. Her chief pleasure is in the flowers and trees around their home.

Fall 1962 Alumnae Quarterly:

Locomotion seems to be an ever present problem with many of us. Thyra Crawford Burton says she can still walk about a mile a day, which gives her the opportunity of enjoying the glory of the dogwood and other October beauties in the Rosemont grounds.

Winter 1963 Alumnae Quarterly:

We begin the news of the year with a sad announcement. Thyra Crawford Burton died suddenly just before Christmas of a heart attack at the Rosemont Village, a lovely home for elderly persons near Philadelphia. Mr. Burton had been in the hospital earlier in the month, but had returned to Rosemont just two or three days before Thyra's death. We extend our sincere sympathy to her husband and to her bereaved family.

Spring 1963 Alumnae Quarterly:

When one recieves news of the sudden death of a friend, it is not easy to believe it. Thyra was not strong but her letters showed her continuing interest in world affairs and her delight in brief walks about the paths of Rosemont Village. She was also counselor and comforter for those who had no one else to turn to. She earned her master's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1912 and taught Latin and German for many years, mostly in Philadelphia. After her retirement she lived with her sister in Washington, then in Rosemont, where she met and married Mr. Burton.
Thyra Crawford Burton died in December 1962. We have lost a life-long and loyal friend. She was a woman of rare intellectual fervor, always studying, always analyzing, but her interests were too wide and too humane ever to become pedantic, and also too much touched with her deep religious feeling. -Eda Briggs Frost '03

Fall 1963 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mr. Burton, Thyra's husband, never recovered consciousness after a fall that he had this summer, and died about a month ago. It is very sad. Her death robbed him of all desire to live, and he was content only when he was in their quarters in the home, surrounded by the things that had become dear to him while they lived out their last years together.