Theodora R. Jenness (, Robinson; 1847 – March 30, 1935) was an American children's author, editor, and clubwoman who spent many years doing missionary work in

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

. In addition to publishing several books between 1879 and 1917, she also contributed short stories and serials to magazines. Jenness died in 1935.

Early life and education

Theodora (

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

, "Dora") Robinson was born in

Greenwood, Maine Greenwood is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 774 at the 2020 census. The town was named for surveyor Alexander Greenwood. The village of Locke Mills, on State Route 26 in the northern part of Greenwood, is the ...

, 1847. Her parents were John and Mary (Stevens) Robinson. Jenness was educated in public schools. Known as Dora in her school days, she graduated from the high school in

Ottawa, Kansas Ottawa (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Franklin County, Kansas, United States. It is located on both banks of the Marais des Cygnes River near the center of Franklin County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the ...

, 1865.

Career

From 1894, Jennness was engaged in mission work for girls of the

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation was created by the United States in 1889 by breaking up the Great Sioux Reservation, following the attrition of the Lakota in a series of wars in the 1870s. The reservation covers almost all of Dewe ...

, in

. She was teaching at the St. John's Mission,

Fort Bennett Fort Bennett was originally called the Post at Cheyenne River Agency and was established during the Indian wars in the Department of Dakota by the U.S. Army to control the Sioux. History Cheyenne River Agency was established in 1869, following co ...

, South Dakota, in 1901, and in 1908, she was based in Flora,

Walworth County, South Dakota Walworth County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,315. Its county seat is Selby. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1883. It is named for Walworth County, Wisconsin. Geograp ...

. Along with several other young writers, including,

Mary Sheldon Barnes Mary Downing Sheldon Barnes (September 15, 1850August 27, 1898) was an American educator and historian. Her teaching style and publications were considered ahead of their time. She used a method that encouraged students to develop their own resea ...

Eudora Stone Bumstead Eudora Bumstead (, Stone; August 26, 1860 – 1892) was a 19th-century American poet and hymnwriter, remembered as "the children's poet". She began writing rhymes in childhood, and when ten years old was paid for a poem entitled, "Signs of Spring ...

, Edwin Roth Champlin ("Clarence Fairfield"),

Helen Gray Cone Helen Gray Cone (March 8, 1859 – January 31, 1934) was a poet and professor of English literature. She spent her entire career at Hunter College in New York City. Early life and education Cone was born in New York and attended the Normal Colle ...

Eleanor C. Donnelly Eleanor C. Donnelly (September 6, 1838 – April 30, 1917) was an American poet, short story writer and biographer. She was known as "The Poet of the Pure Soul". Her brother was the lawyer and author Ignatius L. Donnelly, who served as lieutenan ...

, F. ("Fern") Hamilton,

C. A. Stephens Charles Asbury Stephens (October 21, 1844 – September 22, 1931) was an American writer who published short stories and articles under the name C. A. Stephens. Stephens was born in Norway, Maine, and wrote under the name "Stephens" to avoid embarr ...

, Robert M. Walsh, and William S. Walsh, Janness got her start as a writer at ''

Our Young Folks ''Our Young Folks: an Illustrated Magazine for Boys and Girls'' was a monthly United States children’s magazine, published between January 1865 and December 1873. It was printed in Boston by Ticknor and Fields from 1865 to 1868, and then by James ...

''. Becoming well known as a talented and popular magazine writer, she was especially gifted in her stories and dialogues for children. She contributed to the "Zig Zag series", edited by

Hezekiah Butterworth Hezekiah Butterworth (December 22, 1839 – September 5, 1905) was an American author and poet. Biography Butterworth was born in Warren, Rhode Island. He was a platform lecturer, speaking on education, hymnology, and his travels, which inclu ...

. At one time, she held an editorial position with ''

The Youth's Companion ''The Youth's Companion'' (1827–1929), known in later years as simply ''The Companion—For All the Family'', was an American children's magazine that existed for over one hundred years until it finally merged with '' The American Boy'' in 1929 ...

''. Readers of ''The Youth's Companion'' and other juvenile periodicals often enjoyed her writing. She wrote "Fire Stories", "John Tryman", and made numerous other contributions to leading

eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air L ...

magazines. For example, in 1893, her serial, "An Educated Indian Story", ran in ''

Wide Awake Wide Awake or Wideawake may refer to: Places *Wide Awake, South Carolina, US *Prestonville, Kentucky, US, formerly Wideawake * Wideawake Airfield or RAF Ascension Island, a British military base Books and publications * ''Wide Awake'' (magazine), ...

''.

She was the author of, ''Two Young Homesteaders'', 1881; ''Piokee and Her People'', 1891; ''Above the Range'', 1896, and ''The Miracle Man'', 1917.

Personal life

In 1872, in Ottawa, Kansas, she married Maj. George B. Jenness (died 1918). He was associated with newspaper work in that city. They had two daughters, Ella and Frances. In 1882, in Ottawa, she organized and co-founded the MPM (Monday afternoon) Club, which became the oldest club of that city. In 1920, when she was granted a pension of a month following the death of her husband, Capt. Jenness, in 1918, she was a resident of

South Natick, Massachusetts Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...

. Theodora Jenness died in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, March 30, 1935. She was survived by her daughter, Frances.

Selected works

Books

* ''The Indian Territory'', 1879 * ''The Contributors' club.'', 1879 * ''Two Young Homesteaders'', 1881 * ''Piokee and Her People'', 1891 * ''Above the Range'', 1896 * ''A Homely Heroine. A Story of 'an Off Wheat Year'.'', 1902 * ''Big and Little Sisters: A Story of an Indian Mission School'', 1909 * ''The Miracle Man'', 1917

Co-author

* ''Young wives tales from Maine and Kansas'' * ''Young folks' cyclopedia of stories.'', 1886

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenness, Theodora R. 1847 births 1935 deaths 19th-century American writers 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American writers 20th-century American women writers American children's writers American women children's writers People from Greenwood, Maine Writers from Maine American magazine editors Women magazine editors Clubwomen