Mrs.
Mary Beecher Longyear was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1851,
the daughter of Samuel
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MARY
BEECHER LONGYEAR
by Max Bohm
© Longyear Museum
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Peck and Caroline (Walker) Beecher. Her father was a member of the
well-known Beecher family of New England. After attending various
academies and Albion College in Michigan, she became a school teacher.
She married John Munro Longyear in 1879. J.M. Longyear discovered
vast mineral wealth in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, becoming
a large holder of properties which played a vital part in the development
of the northwest.
Mrs.
Longyear was an earnest Bible student from her early years. Shortly
after she was introduced to Christian Science, she and Mr. Longyear
became dedicated students of Christian Science.
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J.M.
LONGYEAR
by Max Bohm
© Longyear Museum
|
In
1901 the Longyears moved to the Boston area, and Mrs. Longyear
developed a warm friendship with Mary Baker Eddy, Discoverer of
Christian Science and Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist.
Mrs.
Longyear was very helpful to Mrs. Eddy and the early Christian
Science church in providing the funds to purchase land for the
church and for the Christian Science Benevolent Association in
Chestnut Hill.
When
Mrs. Eddy passed on in 1910, Mrs. Longyear, a world traveler and
collector, turned to gathering the considerable history of Mrs.
Eddy's life and achievements as her own life's purpose. She wanted
to insure that future generations saw Mrs. Eddy's true significance
and did not worship her as a cult figure or an idol. Mrs. Longyear
came to regard as paramount the factual record of the events of
Mrs. Eddy's life. She wrote, "The more complete it could
be made, the less opportunity would there be in succeeding centuries
to fabricate tissues of imagination in order to vilify or sanctify
her."
Mrs.
Longyear was a pioneer in the field of historic preservation.
She searched the back roads of Massachusetts and New Hampshire
to locate and purchase four houses in which Mary Baker Eddy once
lived. She had portraits painted of Mrs. Eddy and Mrs. Eddy's
early students and had reminiscences written by many of those
who knew Mrs. Eddy.
Mrs.
Longyear passed on in 1931 and left her home and collection to
her foundation, the Longyear Foundation, to be administered by
a board of trustees.
To email the
Longyear family in Marquette, MI click
here
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