PoliticalGraveyard.com

League of Women Voters
Politician members in West Virginia

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   Ethel Louise Leonard (b. 1919) — also known as Louise Leonard; Ethel Louise McVey — of Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, W.Va. Born in Washington, D.C., October 7, 1919. Republican. Candidate for West Virginia state house of delegates from Jefferson County, 1968; member of West Virginia state senate 16th District, 1971-74; defeated, 1974; delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1972; candidate for U.S. Senator from West Virginia, 1972. Female. Episcopalian. Member, Daughters of the American Revolution; League of Women Voters. Presumed deceased. Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Daughter of Roy Leslie McVey and Florence Alberta (Bellows) McVey; married, January 23, 1948, to Robert P. Leonard.   Charlotte Pritt (b. 1949) — of Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va., January 2, 1949. Democrat. School teacher; member of West Virginia state house of delegates 23rd District; elected 1984, 1986; member of West Virginia state senate 17th District, 1989-92; member of Democratic National Committee from West Virginia, 1996; delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 1996. Female. Presbyterian. Member, American Association of University Women; League of Women Voters; National Organization for Women; Sierra Club. Still living as of 1996.   Relatives: Daughter of Garnett Edmund Pritt and Ada Ernestine (Lanham) Pritt.   E. Ruth Pyrtle — of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Neb. Born in Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Democrat. School teacher and principal; alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 1924. Female. Methodist. Member, Pi Gamma Mu; American Association of University Women; Daughters of the American Revolution; League of Women Voters. Burial location unknown.   Jody Guthrie Smirl (b. 1933) — also known as Jody G. Smirl; Jody Guthrie — of Huntington, Wayne County, W.Va. Born in Mobile, Mobile County, Ala., August 30, 1933. Republican. Member of West Virginia state house of delegates, 1967-74, 1985-86, 1995-97 (Cabell County 1967-74, 13th District 1985-86, 16th District 1995-97); resigned 1974; delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1976, 2004; candidate for West Virginia state senate 5th District, 1980. Female. Presbyterian. Member, League of Women Voters. Still living as of 2004.   Relatives: Daughter of Raymond B. Guthrie and Emmajeane (Cole) Guthrie; married, December 17, 1955, to Dan W. Smirl.   Martha G. Wehrle (b. 1925) — also known as Martha Gaines — of Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Kanawha County, W.Va., November 30, 1925. Democrat. Member of West Virginia state house of delegates 17th District; elected 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982; member of West Virginia state senate 17th District, 1989-94; appointed 1989. Female. Episcopalian. Member, League of Women Voters; Junior League. Still living as of 1994.   Relatives: Daughter of L. Ebersole Gaines and Betty (Chilton) Gaines; married, October 16, 1954, to Russell S. Wehrle.

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