Maria Oxtoby Tanner: Creating a Stronger Saginaw

From the front page of the June 1, 1941, Saginaw News:

Maria Oxtoby Tanner's marker at Saginaw's Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Mrs. Tanner Dies Suddenly; Helped Organize Saginaw County League of Women Votes. Civic Leader Here

A Life devoted to the intellectual stimulus of women and to the community’s civic, social and governmental betterment ended suddenly Saturday afternoon when death claimed Mrs. Martin W. Tanner, sr., at Traverse City Hospital.

Mrs. Tanner and her sister, Miss M. Isabel Oxtoby, left Saginaw a few days ago to open their summer home on West Bay, near Traverse City. She was stricken Friday and was taken to the hospital. Although reported better Saturday morning, she took a sudden turn for the worse early in the afternoon.

A Woman of keen intellect and analytical power. Mrs. Tanner was an outstanding leader in women’s activities, not only in Saginaw but throughout Michigan. No one ever thought of Mrs. Tanner as a feminist – she was far too feminine for that – and no matter where her interest carried her, into governmental affairs, into public life or social events, she was first of all a woman. She was quick to grasp a problem, could tear it down into its component parts and outline it with clarity and conciseness. It was this keen analytical quality that made her invaluable in study groups.

Possessed a Humor Sense.

There was a sense of humor in Mrs. Tanner’s makeup, too, which always prevented her from taking herself or idea so seriously as to become boresome, and it was this sense of humor that endeared persons of all ages to her and kept them interested in learning from her. Mrs. Tanner never permitted herself to be with only persons of her own generation, but sought instead to interest younger women in study groups and social activities.  The same interest she carried into the lives of her grandchildren, seeking to teach them and interest them in the things about them.

Mrs. Tanner’s principal field of activity was the Saginaw County League of Women Voters, which she helped to organize and of which she was president for many years. She took as prominent a part in the state organization and served as a vice-president and also on the board of directors of the state organization. It was a point of pride with her that she was able to play a part in bringing the council-managed form of municipal government to Saginaw. She was also a member for several years of the city planning commission.

One of Mrs. Tanner’s chief interests in LWV work was her organization of the marathon roundtable discussion groups which took up subjects presented to study. She headed the committee for international cooperation and put all of her energy into getting women acquainted, through the roundtable, with the Kellogg pact to outlaw war. A good conversationalist, Mrs. Tanner also had the ability to lead and to participate in a discussion. She could hold her ground in any discussion, often taking the floor with some of the leading men lectures.

Educated by father

The daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Rev. John Oxtoby, Mrs. Tanner received most education through having her father tutor her. She was a student of Greek, Latin, German and French and possessed a wide field of information on almost every subject. Among her grandchildren it was common saying, ‘ Grandma will know,’ and to her went their questions. Reared in the Presbyterian faith, her father once having been pastor of Warren Avenue Presbyterian Church. She also was a member of Kermis and served on the board of directors of the home for the Aged.

Born in 1870 in Pittsburgh, Mrs. Tanner was the former Maria Louise Oxtoby. On a visit here as a young woman at the home of Mrs. G[u]rdon Corning, which later became the Home for the Aged, Mrs. Tanner met the late Martin W. Tanner, who for many years operated one of Michigan’s leading department stores was one of Saginaw’s outstanding leaders in civic, social and business life. They were married in 1890. He died April 26, 1931.

Mrs. Tanner leaves one son and one daughter, Martin W. Tanner, jr. of Saginaw and Mrs. Harriet Tanner Staffeld of Detroit; four grandchildren, Barbara and Clarissa Tanner of Saginaw, Susan and Stanley Staffeld, jr. of Detroit, and a step-daughter, Mrs. Florence Tanner Wood of Westfield, N.J., and sister, Miss M. Isabel Oxtoby of Saginaw, and one brother, Dr. Frederick C. Oxtoby, a member of the faculty of University of Illinois. (The Saginaw News, June 1, 1941.)

In the recounting of Saginaw history, Maria Tanner is rarely – if ever mentioned. She is eclipsed by the familiarity of the family’s store and the many accomplishments of her well-known son. In fact, we could not locate her portrait. However, her work made a lasting contribution to the community.

The Recipe: Mrs. M.W. Tanner’s Lakeside Eggs

1 cup stewed tomatoes, 1 large onion cut into dice, 6 eggs beaten together. Simmer tomatoes and onions together until thick. Add eggs, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly until almost dry.

From Back to the Kitchen with Lakeside Cooks, a c. 1924 cookbook published by the members of the Lakeside Association.

Images from Back to the Kitchen with Lakeside Cooks, including the Simmonds Cottage in Lakeside Camp at Higgins Lake.

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CTK Notes:

This is a straight-forward and fairly simple preparation. Although we agonized over the accuracy of our can of stewed tomatoes, they worked fine.

Although the salmon color might be a little off-putting for some, it could easily be tempered and made an asset with a careful garnish of chives, parsley, or even edible flower petals – the CTK staff is starting to think of spring.

Note from CTK Historical Department: Back to the Kitchen with Lakeside Cooks was assembled by members of the Lakeside Association. Featuring recipes from the families who own cottages in the Lakeside Camp on Higgins Lake in Roscommon, Michigan – the residents had and have strong Saginaw connections. This recipe was included in the section connected with the Simonds’ Cottage. Mrs. Herbert Simonds was from Dayton, Ohio. Maria Oxtoby Tanner would have had numerous friends and people she knew through her work who summered at Lakeside Camp on Higgins Lake. Although we cannot document the exact connection between Maria Oxtoby Tanner and Mrs. Simonds, it seems quite likely that she was at some point a guest of the Simonds. Which leads us to the profound culinary question:  Were these her interpretation of eggs she was served in the Lakeside dining hall? A recipe she created to honor time spent on the shores of Higgins Lake?  Perhaps the name is simply coincidence, and they were a recipe she devised at her own cottage on the West Bay near Traverse City and the referenced lake is Lake Michigan?