The National tribune., 1906-07-05

The news Of the death of Mrs. Tanner
came to her friends in Washington as
great shock. 1t is probable that there
is no better known woman in the city
among patriotic, philanthropic and
charitable workers. She was a Past
President of the Union Veterans Legion
Auxiliary. Past President of the Legion
of Loyal Women, and Past President OF
the old Potomac Woman's Relief Corps.
which went out of existence about Il
years ago to become the Legion Of
Loyal Women. The organization had a
membership of nearly 400 at the time
that Mrs. Tanner was its President. She
was also Past President of the Fedora
of the Pro Re Nata.
Mrs. Tanner was interesting herself
in legislation for veterans and their
widows, and many of the laws in their
interests now upon the statute books
were placed there largely through her
influence, which is said to have been
potent in Congress. A few years ago
Mrs. Tanner began to press Congress
for law permitting the body of an en-
listed mans wife to be buried in the
same grave with her husband in all Ma
tional cemeteries.
Lincoln Post, G.. A. R., Department
of Potomac. drafted the first bill for
this purpose, and the Posts and Wo-
mans Relief Corps had been pressing
the matter for some time when Mrs.
Tanner took up the matter 1t is be-
lieved the bill will go through at the
next session of Congress.
As the law now stands all enlisted
men are entitled to burial in National
cemeteries, but their wives are not.
while the wives of officers may be buried
beside them. in separate graves.
Mrs. Tanner asked for similar legis-
lation for enlisted mems wives, but find
ing that the chief objection to this bill
was that it would cost considerable to
acquire ground for SO many additional
graves, she drafted a bill which would
permit husband and wife to be buried
in the same grave. Just the contin-
gency has arisen which Mrs. Tanner
urged before the Congressional Commit
tee. Her husband, "Corp'f' Tanner.
may be buried in Arlington. but he
never wore shoulder straps. and she can
not be buried with him. She once said
she could not die till she was sure that
both could sleep in Arlington.
Her Executive Ability.
1dHlsT was TeSdTueu dS "O-
man of fine executive ability. little
dogmatic and domineering at times, but
so optimistically CHEEKY about it that
she won friends with these sterling
traits where many others would have
lost them. She was a speaker of force
and rare charm, many believing that
she even excelled her orator husband.
whom she idolized. The accident seems
particularly tragic, because 1t is only a
few months since Mrs. Tanner came
from under the surgeons knife in a
critical operation, where her life was
despaired of.
Mrs. Tanner was greatly interested In
a number of civic as well as patriotic
organizations in Washington, and was
an active worker in all patriotic socie-
ties long before her husband became
Commander-in-Chief of the G. A. r.
She vas a member of the Executive
Committee of the American National
Red Cross Society. Past National Presi-
dent Of the Ladies' Union Veteran Le-
gioH and was National Councillor OF
that organization.
Husbands Constant Companion.
Mrs. Tanner was married to CorpI
Tanner in 1866. In his later years of
intense suffering. due to his wounds,
Mrs. Tanner was never long from his
side. and always accompanied him on
all MS tT1pS. dS lie nee0e0 ner ASSIST
ance at every turn. One of her charac-
teristic remarks was: II want to live
till Jim goes, and then my work is
DONE
ITO me this is the very quintessence
of tragedy" declared a friend Mrs.
Tanner had reared a family of boys and
girls that any mother would be proud
of. and they were all self-supporting
and off her mind. L have just Jim to
look after now, she once said to me.
and he is more an object of hourly
seiicitude than any of my children ever
were. He needs me every hour"
Mrs. Tanner welded a ready pen. and
her friends possess many evidences OF
ncr literary ability though she rarely
Jared to have anything published. Dur
ng the Spanish-American War Mrs.
Tanner was particularly active in the
work for the younger veterans. the sec
md son of the family. Lieut.. Earl Tan
Ter. having performed distinguished
service in that war.