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The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History
League of Women Voters
Politician members in Michigan

  Vera Andrus (1896-1976) — of Port Huron, St. Clair County, Mich.; Tucson, Pima County, Ariz. Born in Reedsburg, Sauk County, Wis., August 21, 1896. Republican. School teacher; delegate to Michigan state constitutional convention from St. Clair District, 1961-62. Female. Christian Scientist. Member, League of Women Voters; American Association of University Women; National Education Association; Phi Beta Kappa; American Historical Association. Died in August, 1976 (age about 80 years). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of William Andrus and Alice (Barton) Andrus.
  Connie Berube Binsfeld (b. 1924) — also known as Connie Binsfeld — of Maple City, Leelanau County, Mich. Born in Munising, Alger County, Mich., April 18, 1924. Republican. Member of Michigan state house of representatives 104th District, 1975-82; member of Michigan state senate 36th District, 1983-90; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1988, 1992; Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1991-98; candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan. Female. Member, League of Women Voters. Still living as of 2001.
  Ruth Gibson Butler (1891-1981) — also known as Ruth G. Butler — of Houghton, Houghton County, Mich.; Marquette, Marquette County, Mich. Born in Republic, Marquette County, Mich., July 11, 1891. Republican. Member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1961-62; delegate to Michigan state constitutional convention from Houghton District, 1961-62; candidate for Michigan state house of representatives from Houghton District, 1962. Female. Episcopalian. Member, League of Women Voters; Order of the Eastern Star. Died in March, 1981 (age 89 years, 0 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of Thomas Henry Gibson and Alice (Quinn) Gibson; married to Jesse C. Butler.
  Catherine Moore Cushman (b. 1916) — of Dearborn, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., August 10, 1916. Democrat. Delegate to Michigan state constitutional convention from Wayne County 16th District, 1961-62. Female. Episcopalian. Member, League of Women Voters. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of George Edwin Moore and Gertrude (Snow) Moore; married to Edward Lowell Cushman.
  Daisy L. Elliott (1917-2015) — also known as Daisy Elizabeth Lenoir — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Filbert, McDowell County, W.Va., November 26, 1917. Democrat. Realtor; delegate to Michigan state constitutional convention from Wayne County 4th District, 1961-62; member of Michigan state house of representatives, 1963-78, 1981-82 (Wayne County 4th District 1963-64, 22nd District 1965-72, 8th District 1973-78, 1981-82); defeated in primary, 1950 (Wayne County 1st District), 1954 (Wayne County 11th District), 1956 (Wayne County 4th District), 1958 (Wayne County 4th District), 1960 (Wayne County 4th District), 1982 (8th District); delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1968 (alternate), 1976; co-author of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act; candidate for Michigan state senate 5th District, 1978; arrested in April 1982 for driving a stolen 1977 Cadillac deVille automobile; arraigned on a charge of receiving and concealing stolen property; she claimed she had bought the car from a dealer, but the firm had no record of this, and the document she presented had been faked; lost renomination as State Representatve in August 1982, while under indictment; convicted in November 1982 and sentenced to 60 days in jail. Female. African ancestry. Member, NAACP; League of Women Voters; Junior League. Died, in DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., December 22, 2015 (age 98 years, 26 days). Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Mich.
  Relatives: Daughter of Robert Lenoir and Daisy (Dorm) Lenoir.
  The Elliott-Larsen Building (housing state offices; built 1919-21; burned 1951 and rebuilt; previously named for Lewis Cass; given present name in 2020), in Lansing, Michigan, is partly named for her.
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Clara Mae Fleming (1886-1960) — also known as Clara Mae Young — of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Mich. Born in Bristol, Kendall County, Ill., July 4, 1886. Republican. Insurance agent; candidate for Michigan state house of representatives from Kalamazoo County 1st District, 1922. Female. Member, League of Women Voters. Died in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Mich., March 3, 1960 (age 73 years, 243 days). Interment at Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park South, Kalamazoo, Mich.
  Relatives: Daughter of Isaac Ketchum Young and Julia Elizabeth (Knox) Young; married 1912 to Harry Cowles Fleming.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Barbara B. Goushaw (b. 1954) — of Southfield, Oakland County, Mich. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., February 5, 1954. Libertarian. Candidate for Michigan state board of education, 1996; candidate for Michigan State University board of trustees, 1998. Female. Member, League of Women Voters; American Civil Liberties Union. Still living as of 1998.
  Fern Smith Hammond (b. 1900) — also known as Fern Smith — of Saginaw, Saginaw County, Mich. Born in Saginaw, Saginaw County, Mich., February 9, 1900. Republican. Nurse; Deputy state welfare director; vice-chair of Michigan Republican Party, 1939. Female. Presbyterian. Member, League of Women Voters; Daughters of the American Revolution. Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of Louis Smith and Sarah Elizabeth (LeRoy) Smith; married to Russel W. Hammond.
  Josephine Drivinsky Hunsinger (b. 1914) — also known as Josephine D. Hunsinger — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Acosta, Somerset County, Pa., 1914. Democrat. Member of Michigan state house of representatives, 1955-76 (Wayne County 12th District 1955-64, 16th District 1965-72, 1st District 1973-76); defeated in primary, 1976, 1980, 1984; candidate for Michigan state senate, 1977 (14th District), 1978 (7th District), 1982 (5th District). Female. Member, League of Women Voters; Order of the Eastern Star; Polish National Alliance. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown.
  Dorothy Leonard Judd (1898-1989) — also known as Dorothy L. Judd — of Grand Rapids, Kent County, Mich. Born in Grand Rapids, Kent County, Mich., September 14, 1898. Republican. Delegate to Michigan state constitutional convention from Kent County 3rd District, 1961-62. Female. Member, League of Women Voters; Urban League. Died in 1989 (age about 90 years). Interment at Fulton Street Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Mich.
  Relatives: Daughter of Harry C. Leonard and Willie (Stansbury) Leonard; married to Siegel Wright Judd.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Bertha Knight Landes (1868-1943) — also known as Bertha Knight — of Seattle, King County, Wash. Born in Ware, Hampshire County, Mass., October 19, 1868. Republican. Lecturer; writer; mayor of Seattle, Wash., 1926-28; defeated, 1928. Female. Congregationalist. Member, Soroptimists; League of Women Voters. First woman mayor of a large American city. Died in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Mich., November 29, 1943 (age 75 years, 41 days). Interment at Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park, Seattle, Wash.
  Relatives: Daughter of Charles Sanford Knight and Cordelia (Cutter) Knight; married, January 2, 1894, to Henry Landes.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Books about Bertha Knight Landes: Sandra Haarsager, Bertha Knight Landes of Seattle : Big-City Mayor
  Lucille H. McCollough (1905-1996) — of Dearborn, Wayne County, Mich. Born in White Rock, Huron County, Mich., December 30, 1905. Democrat. Member of Michigan state house of representatives, 1955-82 (Wayne County 16th District 1955-64, 31st District 1965-82); defeated, 1982. Female. Presbyterian. Member, League of Women Voters. Died March 14, 1996 (age 90 years, 75 days). Interment at White Rock Cemetery, White Rock, Mich.
  Relatives: Mother of Patrick H. McCollough.
  Jean McKee (b. 1925) — of Grand Rapids, Kent County, Mich. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., April 2, 1925. Democrat. School teacher; lawyer; member of Wayne State University board of governors, 1960-66; defeated, 1966; candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 5th District, 1970, 1972. Female. Baptist. Member, League of Women Voters. Still living as of 1972.
Irene E. Murphy Irene Ellis Murphy (1900-1989) — also known as Irene E. Murphy; Irene Ellis — of Birmingham, Oakland County, Mich. Born in Connersville, Fayette County, Ind., May 12, 1900. Democrat. Member of University of Michigan board of regents, 1958-66; defeated, 1966. Female. Episcopalian. Member, League of Women Voters. Died in Royal Oak, Oakland County, Mich., July 25, 1989 (age 89 years, 74 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of Lewis Miner Ellis and Martha Elsie (Pratt) Ellis; married to Harold John Murphy (son of John F. Murphy; brother of Frank Murphy); second cousin four times removed of Orsamus Cook Merrill and Timothy Merrill; third cousin thrice removed of Farrand Fassett Merrill; eighth great-granddaughter of Thomas Welles.
  Political families: Kellogg-Adams-Seymour-Chapin family of Connecticut and New York; Murphy-Merrill family of Harbor Beach, Michigan (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Image source: Michigan Manual 1957-58
  Karla Van Ostrand Parker (1894-1986) — also known as Karla Parker; Karla Van Ostrand; Mrs. James C. Parker — of Grand Rapids, Kent County, Mich. Born in South Haven, Van Buren County, Mich., November 30, 1894. Republican. School teacher; candidate for Michigan state board of education, 1964. Female. Christian Scientist. Member, Delta Kappa Gamma; League of Women Voters. Died in 1986 (age about 91 years). Interment at Mountain Home Cemetery, Kalamazoo, Mich.
  Relatives: Daughter of Charles Harry Van Ostrand and Ray (Delamere) Van Ostrand; married, September 17, 1919, to James C. Parker.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Loret Miller Ruppe (1936-1996) — also known as Loret Ruppe; Loret Miller — of Houghton, Houghton County, Mich.; Maryland. Born in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wis., January 3, 1936. Republican. Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan; director, Peace Corps, 1981-89; alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1984; U.S. Ambassador to Norway, 1989-93. Female. Catholic. Member, League of Women Voters. Died, of ovarian cancer, August 7, 1996 (age 60 years, 217 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of Frederick Charles Miller and Adele (Kaualey) Miller; married 1957 to Philip Edward Ruppe; great-granddaughter of Frederick Miller.
  See also Wikipedia article — U.S. State Dept career summary
  Mary B. Schroer (1947-2017) — also known as Mary B. White — of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Mich.; Chelsea, Washtenaw County, Mich. Born in St. Marys, Auglaize County, Ohio, February 11, 1947. Democrat. Legislative assistant to State Sen. Lana Pollack; member of Michigan state house of representatives 52nd District, 1993-98; defeated, 1988. Female. Catholic. Member, League of Women Voters. Died, from cancer, in Arbor Hospice, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Mich., October 3, 2017 (age 70 years, 234 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of John Crane White and Louise (Koch) White; married 1967 to J. Michael Schroer.
  Laura M. Toy (b. 1951) — of Livonia, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., December 22, 1951. Republican. Member of Michigan state house of representatives 19th District; elected 1998, 2000. Female. Member, League of Women Voters. Still living as of 2000.
  Clara Towle Dockum Van Auken (1890-1977) — also known as Clara Van Auken; Clara Towle Dockum; Mrs. Howell Van Auken — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Springfield, Sangamon County, Ill., September 12, 1890. Democrat. Social worker; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1936, 1940, 1944 (co-chair, Committee on Permanent Organization); member of Democratic National Committee from Michigan, 1936-47. Female. Presbyterian. Member, American Association of University Women; League of Women Voters. Died in St. Clair Shores, Macomb County, Mich., February 13, 1977 (age 86 years, 154 days). Burial location unknown.
  Relatives: Daughter of Russel Myers Dockum and Catherine (Towle) Dockum; married to Howell Van Auken.
  Maxcine Young (b. 1907) — of Detroit, Wayne County, Mich. Born in Laurens, Laurens County, S.C., June 1, 1907. Democrat. Real estate sales; member of Michigan state house of representatives, 1960-66 (Wayne County 2nd District 1960-64, 23rd District 1965-66); defeated in primary, 1966, 1968. Female. African ancestry. Member, League of Women Voters; NAACP. Burial location unknown.
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The Political Graveyard

The Political Graveyard is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.
 
  The coverage of this site includes (1) the President, Vice President, members of Congress, elected state and territorial officeholders in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories; and the chief elected official, typically the mayor, of qualifying municipalities; (2) candidates at election, including primaries, for any of the above; (3) all federal judges and all state appellate judges; (4) certain federal officials, including the federal cabinet, diplomatic chiefs of mission, consuls, U.S. district attorneys, collectors of customs and internal revenue, members of major federal commissions; and political appointee (pre-1969) postmasters of qualifying communities; (5) state and national political party officials, including delegates, alternate delegates, and other participants in national party nominating conventions; (6) Americans who served as "honorary" consuls for other nations before 1950. Note: municipalities or communities "qualify", for Political Graveyard purposes, if they have at least half a million person-years of history, inclusive of predecessor, successor, and merged entities.  
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