GREENE, Mrs. Louisa Morton

Louisa Morton Willard Greene was born in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, on May 23, 1819. She worked in a woolen mill in Dedham, Massachusetts, where she began writing, and later taught in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

After marrying businessman and politician Jonas Greene in 1841, Louisa became the mother of a son, Jonas Willard Greene, who was stillborn, two younger sons, Willard Jonas Greene and George Henry Greene, and five daughters, Martha, Estelle, Christina, Wilma, and Charlena.  The family lived in Peru, Maine. 

Louisa was involved in many philanthropic and reform activities, including ministering to the sick using the Water Cure, and participating in philanthropy, anti-slavery reform, temperance reform, and suffrage efforts. Louisa utilized her public speaking and journalistic talents on behalf of the causes she believed in.

Before the Civil War,  Louisa wrote poetry, contributed articles to the Oxford Democrat, and led anti-slavery efforts in her area   As her daughter Christina later remembered, Louisa was very active in the war effort:  "During the civil war Mrs. Greene's patriotic labors were untiring.  In addition to multitudinous household duties, which were always faithfully performed, she took upon herself the labor of collecting, preparing and forwarding hospital supplies for the boys at the front who were so dear to her heart."

In 1869, Louisa's family moved to Manassas, Virginia, residing at the home they named Birmingham. She became a widow four years later. 

Louisa passed away in Washington, D.C. on March 5, 1900, and her ashes were buried in the family plot at St. Paul's Cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia.  In addition to Christina's beautiful obituary, Louisa's daughter Estelle also penned a farewell announcement and included a poem that she had written about her mother's passing.  Within her tribute, Estelle included Louisa's motto: "Help for the living and hope for the dead."

At the National American Woman Suffrage Association Convention in February of 1902, it was announced that Louisa had bequeathed $100 to the organization.

• The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.), 13 March 1900. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87060165/1900-03-13/ed-1/seq-2/>

• Louisa Morton Willard Greene - Find A Grave

• Louisa Morton Greene - Geni

• New-York tribune. (New York [N.Y.]), 14 Feb. 1902. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1902-02-14/ed-1/seq-7/>

• The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.), 27 Nov. 1900. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87060165/1900-11-27/ed-1/seq-2/>

• Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.), 10 April 1900. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83009653/1900-04-10/ed-1/seq-3/>