Now, you might have read my post about Nettie M. Pearson and thought, "Gee, there's nothing amazing about this woman other than her multiple marriages." And I suppose you would be right. Jennie Grace Terpinitz, however, is a most amazing (and as far as I can tell, forgotten) woman.
Jennie Grace was born April 1st, 1898, the only child of Charles C. Terpinitz and Leona Deane 'Sally' Green in Anna, Union County, Illinois. As a granddaughter of my ggg grandfather, Thomas J. Green, she is my 1st cousin 3x removed. Jennie came from a musical family, and this seems to have been a significant influence. Various articles about her early life mention her participation in theatre and music.
The Champaign Daily Gazette, 1916
The first amazing thing Jennie Grace does is attend college at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. This post's portrait was found in the university's 1919 yearbook. She was a first soprano in the University Women's Glee Club and a member of the Athenean Literary Society. According to the 1922 yearbook, this society was founded in 1907 for the purpose of "acquiring proficiency in literary eloquence." Jennie Grace was involved in several other groups/committees and graduated in 1922 with degrees in music and journalism.
She married Wilbur Carl Lambert in June of 1922, and the 1930 census finds them living in Nutley, New Jersey. A luncheon with friends that same year might have introduced Jennie Grace to her next husband. Listed among the guests was Mrs. J.W. Amey. Her husband was Dr. Jesse W. Amey, brother to Jennie's next husband, Peter W. Amey.
The Miami News, February 1930
Jennie Grace divorced Wilbur (as far as I have been able to ascertain, their 14-year marriage did not yield any children) and married Peter in 1936 in Dade County, Florida. Peter was 63 and Jennie Grace was 38. The 1940 census places them in St. Lawrence County, New York. Jennie's occupation is listed as a musician. They share their home with Jennie's mother, Leona Terpinitz.
The marriage did not last long, though. In 1941, Jennie and Peter divorced (their marriage didn't yield any children either), and Jennie married Elmer Johnson that September. When the United States entered World War II, Elmer, an officer in the Army Air Forces answered the call, and Jennie didn't feel like being left at home. She enlisted in the WACS on January 31, 1943, and an article in The Miami Herald says her husband approved of her service. Of her decision, Jennie said, "He's got his work, and I should have mine, especially in wartime." This, and other articles covering her service, mention that she spoke French, German, Spanish, and Italian, that she was a retired opera and concert singer, and that she had once studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. She was certainly a formidable female, even if she did only stand at 5 feet tall (according to her enlistment record)!
The last confirmation I have of Jennie's whereabouts is a 1946 article discussing her service to her country. Below are a few excerpts:
The Miami Herald, August 1946
Elmer dies in 1961, but there is no mention of Jennie in his brief obituary. Perhaps she predeceased him, or perhaps she got divorced for a third time. At present, I do not know when or where Jennie Grace died, but I am fairly certain she did not leave any children behind. For a woman who accomplished so much, it seems a shame that there was no one to remember her.
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