The Washington herald., 1911-01-30
MISS MARY DBSHA
CALLED BY DEATH
Prominent Woman of D. A.
r. Stricken OH Train.
NEWS SHOCKS MANY FRIENDS
Honorary Vice President General Of
National Society Yields to Apo
plcxy-Hcr Passing Will Have
Bearing on Coming Election at
Continental Congress In April.

While walking near Calvert street and
Adams Mill road abou. 80 o'clock last
night Miss Mary Desha. honorary vice
president general of the National Society
of the d. A. r., was stricken with apo
plcNy. and died almost instantly. DrS.
Wolf and Adams who were summoned.
pronounced her dead.
The BODY wa. removed TO tho apart
mcnts of friends. Her only known rcla
tive. George Lyman q. Chalkley. dean
OF the law school of Washington and Lee
Uni> ersity will arrive here to-day and
make funeral arrangements.
NCws Of hcr sudden death was received
with great sorrow among her fellow
workers in -ho National Society of the
H. A. f. and her many friends in Wash
inCion.
In II. 4. X. circles last night it was
tho consensus OF opinion that the death
nf Miss DeSha will have a bearing on the
coming election for president general of
the society at tho Continental Congress.
which will meet in Memorial Hall in
April.
Supported Mrs. story.
Miss Dcsha belonged 10 the element who
claim they are striving to uphold the
principles fnT which the society was
SaniZcd. She was a[d5nt supporter
of Mrs. William Cumming Story. and
al :hC last presidential election was one
of the most tireleSS workers for tho
ronsc Native faction, Of which Mrs. Story
is the leader.
Friends of Miss Desha have been wor
rcd for some time over her ill health,
and triel to induce her to retire from
the government service During the last
month. Miss DeSha worried over ID. a. r.
politics and spent most Of her time writ
ing long letters to other Daughters who
feel politically as she did.
Filled Important Offices.
Besides being honorary vice president
general of the u. A. r.. Miss Dcsha filled
every important office in the gift of the
society except that OF president general.
tor which offc" she WAS frequently men
toned. hut was obliged to decline the
honor
Miss DcSha was born in lexington. Ey..
her father Dr. John Randolph Desha be-
ing prominent politician of the Blue
Grass State. Miss Desha made her debut
in Lexington. and was popular in the So
cial set of that city. She received her
education in Sayre Institute and the Ken
tucky state College, and was a finished
linSuiSt.
After the death Of her father, Miss
Dcsha taught in the public schools of
her State for twelve years. She received
an appointment to a clerkship in the
United States Patent Office. where she
Wis employed since lS>6.
Miss Dcsha was on" of the three
founders of the y. \. r. and was tho
chief Inspiration of the constitution and
bylaws of the society as they were first
accepted. Miss Dcsha ranked as first
a ronc :hc women pariiame hav-
ing taken course in parliamentary law
at George Washington University.
Formed Hospital Corps.
she won laurels for herself when she
organized the y. 4. r. hospital corps
during tn" Spanish-American war. and
Was the assistant directress, having 1000
nurses in her charge. Miss Dcsha or
Canixct the Albert Sidney Johnston
Chapter OF the United Daughters of the
of which she was for many
years president.
The Mary Washington Memorial Asso-
citation owes its life to Miss Desha. as
does the POCahontaS Memorial Assoca
tioT. of which she was recording Secre-
tary up to the time of her death. The
objects Of these two associations are to
pcrpetGate the memory of Ilary Wash
inGton and Pocahontas.