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Women continue proud tradition |
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How proud we are that four of 10 regional winners of Outstanding Women awards are from local com-munities. Mary Jane Queen, Joyce Dugan, Martha Queen and Brenda Oliver exemplify our area's tradition of strong mountain women.
The four will be honored tomorrow in Asheville during the Western Carolina Women's Coalition conference. The ceremony is timed to coincide with the beginning of Women's History Month. It seems fitting to honor women who have made history themselves and who continue to serve their communities in unique ways. The oldest, 86-year-old Mary Jane Queen, hails from Johns Creek in Cullowhee's Caney Fork community. Raised in an earlier time when entertainment was largely homegrown, Queen learned to sing and play the banjo without a single lesson. Mary Jane and her musical family received last fall's Mountain Heritage Award from Western Carolina University. Queen is also quite a storyteller - just ask her about the 1940 flood. And we have three politicians - Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver and former Principal Chief Joyce Dugan of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, who are the first women to hold their respective positions, and local school board Chairman Martha Queen. Oliver's experience demonstrates the practicality and self-determination of WNC women. A surgical nurse for 25 years and trained to be adept at solving problems, Oliver resented being patronized and ignored by past town leaders. As a result, she armed herself with knowledge of local government, was elected to Sylva's town board and subsequently became mayor, a position she has held for the past seven years. Former Chief Dugan also took a roundabout road to elected office. A teacher for 20 years, she said she never imagined a life in politics. Turbulent times in tribal government changed her mind. People urged her to run and told her to stop complaining about things if she wasn't willing to seek office and try to change the system. "My election shocked everybody...and no one was more surprised than I," Dugan said. As head of Jackson County's five-member school board and leader of committees that established REACH and the Council for the Status of Women, Martha Queen has dedicated herself to improving the lives of women and children. The ultimate team player, she has said, "Never did I do anything by myself...it was always a group effort." These four are present-day standard bearers for local women. The torch has been passed to them from past county leaders like Gertrude Dills McKee of Sylva, the first woman to be elected to the N.C. Senate, and legendary fiddler Samantha Biddix Bumgarner of Lovesfield. We know they'll keep it burning brightly. Editorial policyThe opinions expressed on this page are those of the Sylva Herald Editorial Committee. Opinions are derived independently and owe no allegiance to any group, organization or political party. We welcome opposing views. |
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