Myra and Alice Kingsbury

Spotlight on Early Settlers-

Myra and Alice Kingsbury

Myra and Alice Kingsbury were the daughters of Lemuel and Sarah Osborn.

Myra was born December 5, 1847 in Sheshequin, Pennsylvania

From writings of Rev. Ann Marie Alderman:

Myra never married and had no children. What is remarkable about her is that she was ordained to the ministry by the Sheshequin Universalists in 1880, and she twice served as their pastor, in 1880 and again from 1896-1898. Although she served as a pastor for this congregation, in total, for less than three years, the singular fact that she was ordained to the ministry by Universalists during the last half of the 19th century is quite an achievement.

There certainly were not many women ministers in her day. By 1870, there were only 15 known to be Universalist ministers. Some stories of these women are known, some not. It is known that these women worked for suffrage, for theological and educational reform and sought ordination. Like so many women of her time, records of her achievements could have been lost forever. Thanks to members of the congregation, her memory has not been completely lost. Myra died on July 11, 1898, just 50 years old from cancer. Much more can be learned about Myra from the archives at the museum.

Alice Kingsbury was born in 1845 and died in 1886, just 41 years old. She was married to Orrin D. Kinney No other records are available at this time for Alice.

A portrait of a Myra and her sister Alice as children, hangs in the Tioga Point Museum in Athens. According to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Athens and Sheshequin, the painting is by folk artist Susan Waters.

To see the portrait of the Kingsbury sisters, visit Tioga Point Museum, open from 12p-4p on Tuesdays and Thursdays.