St. Charles Miscellanea

11/25/13: I received this email from Mr. Hahn:

Hello,

I am a postal history collector and recently acquired an envelope postmarked on August 19, 1908 in Monroe City, Missouri. The envelope was from P.E.O., Supreme Grand Chapter, Mrs. Dora Hallock, Organizer. A copy of the envelope is shown below.

Since I did not know what P.E.O. was or what it stood for, I went to the Internet and found that it stood for Philanthropic Educational Organization and it is a pioneer society for women founded on January 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. In searching for information, I came across your Chapter’s Website. I notice you have some links for ”Local St. Charles Info”. I am on the Board of Directors for the St. Charles County Historical Society, and a past President of the Society, with its archives located in the City of St. Charles. You may want to add a link to the Historical Society’s Website, which is: St. Charles County Historical Society

Best regards,

I did indeed add this link to our Local St. Charles Info page. Mr. Hahn also generously included a picture of this envelope in his email. It's amazing how our history swirls around us and all we have to do is keep our eyes open! Thank you Mr. Hahn!

Here are some of the responses back from our Chapter LR sisters:

• • What a small, wonderful world we live in. You never know what connections we have with one another. I grew up in Monroe City, Mo. How amazing that Mr. Hahn found out about our wonderful Sisterhood from that letter.

    • Love in P.E.O.,

    • Carolyn

  • I am entertained by your correspondence with "Mr. Hahn," and came to full attention upon reading your email. Dennis is a second cousin on my father's side.... and still striving to live an enriched life, I see. Good that he connected with you for information. Beth

• I am quite impressed that Mr. Hahn took the time and patience to research back to what P.E.O. stood for, summarized the history of what he gathered, and then found the LR chapter's internet link to forward the envelope and information. The P.E.O. titled organization envelope with the August 19, 1908 letter and the one cent stamp were solid leads that this story had to be told to today's P.E.O. members. Thankfully Mr. Hahn is a historian and took great care to find a happy ending to the historical letter. It's a wonderful historical documentation of how P.E.O. has traversed our country and beyond to help further women's higher educational goals. Thank you Mr. Hahn for caring and sharing.

  • Sincerely, Lois

  • Thank you so much for sharing this correspondence. I think it is amazing. It totally caught my attention because Pratt, Kansas is the birthplace of my dad.

  • Love,

  • Beverly

• I am a member of the SCCHS too, and know Dennis. This is interesting and I hope you will submit an article to The P.E.O. Record. LIP.E.O., Marge