Mary Mildred Owens McCormick papers

Mary Mildred Owens was born on July 31, 1901 in Greensburg, Indiana. Her father, John W. Owens, was a jewelry merchant from Kentucky, and her mother, Versie A. Bell Owens, was a native of Decatur County. She had an older half-brother, Edwin E. Owens, the son of her father’s late first wife. Edwin lived with the family into his adult life, working at the family’s jewelry store. In her early childhood, Mary was called by her middle name, Mildred, and was known as Mildred for the rest of her life. At age seven, she formed a “Teddy Bear Club” at her family’s home. She and her classmates elected a president, a secretary, a treasurer, nurses, and a program committee for their little organization.

In 1920, Mildred enrolled at DePauw University to study music, her principal instrument being the organ. She was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, a co-ed music fraternity that performed public recitals. She was also part of the “Shifter Club”, dedicated to doing miscellaneous favors for fellow members, and the Glee Club, which sang in programs on and off campus. Additionally, Mildred was involved with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA). For fun, she frequented the nearby Turkey Run State Park with her friends and kept score records for DePauw sports. She graduated in 1924 with a bachelor’s in music, called a “very accomplished pianist” in a local newspaper.

Months after graduating from DePauw, Mildred married Roy A. McCormick, a recent graduate of Oberlin College. They both had teaching careers, Mildred as a piano teacher and Roy as a physical education instructor. The McCormicks would bounce between multiple homes in Ohio and Indiana, but they spent most of their married life in Wellington, Ohio. They welcomed their only child, Marcia Maureen McCormick, in 1926. In 1942, Roy was drafted to a noncombat position in World War II. He passed away in 1963. Mildred later moved back to Greencastle, Indiana, never to remarry. She died of pneumonia on December 27, 1995 at the age of ninety-four and was survived by her daughter.

Sources:

“30 Years Ago.” Greensburg Daily News, August 19, 1959. Newspapers.com.

"Indiana, Birth Certificates, 1907-1944." Marcia Maureen McCormick, 1926. Ancestry.com.

"Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2017." Mary Mildred McCormick (1901-1995). Ancestry.com.

“It Happened 50 Years Ago.” Greensburg Daily News, April 27, 1973. Newspapers.com.

"Long, Long Ago." Greensburg Daily News, October 23, 1947. Newspapers.com,

Mary Mildred Owens McCormick Papers. Archives and Special Collections, DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana.

“Michigan, U.S., Marriage Records, 1867-1952.” Mildred Owens, 1924. Ancestry.

“United States Federal Census.” Population, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Ancestry.

“U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current.” Greenwood Cemetery, Wellington, Lorain County, Ohio. John Wesley Owens. Ancestry.

This biographical note was created by Sophia Lovell and Mirabelle Ullom as part of the HIST278: Women's History from 1890-Present course during the fall 2024 semester. It was revised by Professor Sarah Rowley and the Coordinator of Archives and Special Collections Bethany Fiechter.