Lisa Anne Fletcher
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Lisa Anne Fletcher (, Stewart; December 27, 1844 – July 13, 1905) was an American poet and letter writer. She was widely known as artist, poet and correspondent. She was incapacitated for nearly 40 years by the lasting effects of malignant
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
, and during most of that period was bedridden, becoming a member of the
Shut-in Society Shut-in Society was an international non-denominational social service organization working through established channels to unite the sick and well through letter writing. The idea originated with Jennie Drinkwater in 1877 who sought to foster ch ...
in 1878.


Early life

Lisa (
nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...
, "Lizzie") Anne Stewart was born in
Ashby, Massachusetts Ashby is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,193 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which makes it the least populous municipality in Middle ...
, December 27, 1844. Her parents were Charles Stewart and Eliza (Derby) Stewart. When she was two years old, her father died, and when she was 16, her mother died. She was an only child. From earliest childhood, she showed an almost equal fondness for music, painting and poetry.


Career

In 1865, at the age of 20, the newly-wed Fletcher, now living in
Manchester, New Hampshire Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...
, contracted diphtheria in its most severe form. In her later years, she was bedridden, and worked in a reclining position. She kept a large correspondence, partly through the Shut-in Society. She wrote thousands of letters, and fulfilled the Society's mission of offering cheer and comfort to others. In later years, she was a member of the Tribune sunshine society, to which she contributed in similar fashion. In June, 1888, Fletcher began to write verse in earnest, mostly descriptive of objects and aspects in nature. Her poems' spirit of cheerfulness and hopefulness appealed to thousands who knew nothing of Fletcher's own story, and which appeared amazing to those who knew it in a general way, but did not understand the sources from which her cheerfulness and contentment sprang. Many of her poems were collected in a volume entitled ''Beside Still Waters'', while many others remained fugitive. She contributed regularly to more than 30 newspapers and magazines. Fletcher painted a collection of
wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, rather than being intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is any different from the native plant, eve ...
s that grew about Manchester, New Hampshire. The collection represented more than 300 species and was frequently exhibited. Many of the works had a place in the
World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...
(
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, 1893). Stewart's love for birds amounted to a passion. From her chair, she studied the wild birds outside her window and sketched and painted them. She was a local secretary of the
Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...
. Fletcher conducted a wide correspondence with nature lovers, and bird lovers in particular.


Personal life

In 1864, she married Edwin Samuel Fletcher (1883–1923), of Manchester, since which time her home was in that city. Lisa Anne Fletcher died in Manchester, New Hampshire, July 13, 1905.


Selected works

* ''Beside Still Waters'' (New York, Anson D.F. Randolph & Company, 1899)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Lisa Anne 1844 births 1905 deaths People from Middlesex County, Massachusetts 19th-century American letter writers American women letter writers 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers Writers from Massachusetts Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century American writers with disabilities Poets with disabilities