Christine Bracken

**Christine Nora Blackwood** (née **Bracken**; July 8, 1871—February 12, 1932) was the wife of Lawrence Blackwood, the first President of Terranova. She served as the inaugural First Lady of Terranova, During her time as first lady, Christine Blackwood was known for her advocacy for women's rights and education. She also founded several charitable organizations that continue to operate in Terranova today.

Christine Bracken was born on July 8, 1871, to Philip Bracken, a professor, and Catherine Brooks, a housewife. Despite her privileged upbringing, Christine was passionate about using her position to make a positive impact on society and dedicated her life to philanthropy and activism. Christine had six brothers and seven sisters: Edward Bracken, Daniel Braken, Mary Bracken, Lydia Bracken, Caroline Bracken, Isabella Bracken, Ian Bracken, Henry Bracken, Jacob Bracken, William Bracken, Anne Bracken, Alice Bracken, and Sarah Bracken. As the oldest of thirteen, Christine took on a leadership role within her family and was known for her kindness and generosity towards her siblings, often using her own resources to help them achieve their goals. She later extended this same spirit of compassion and service to the wider community, becoming a prominent figure in the social reform movements of her time.

She grew up and was educated in Boston, Massachusetts, and went on to attend college in New York City for a semester, then got accepted into Harvard and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she met Ivan Alhufra and Lawrence Blackwood. Christine dated Ivan for a short while before realizing that they were not compatible, but she remained friends with him, and she and Lawrence became closer and ended up dating the last year of college. After college, they separated, and she moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to work for a non-profit organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children, where she continued her activism and advocacy work. She got a letter from Lawrence saying he wanted to reconnect with her, so she decided to take a chance and move across the country to be with him. They rekindled their relationship and decided to give it another try. Lawrence founded Terranova in 1899, and she became known as the "Mother of Terranova." and first lady of Terranova. Together, they worked tirelessly to build Terranova into a prosperous and thriving community. Their love for each other and their shared vision for the future of their town inspired many others to join them in their efforts. They officially got married in 1903, and the couple had three children: Melanie, Nova, and Mitchell Blackwood.

Christine died at the age of 61 on February 12, 1932, at the hands of a criminal organization that was founded by Ivan. He had a vendetta against her husband, Lawrence Blackwood because she picked him over her. They had been targeted because of their role in exposing corruption within the organization, and their deaths were part of a larger plot. Bernard Dial, Wilhelm Dial's son, murdered Lawrence, Christine, and Mitchell Blackwood on the same day. Bernard Dial murdered the Blackwoods in retaliation for his father's incarceration and the deaths of his mother and brother. The tragedy left a deep wound in the community, and many people struggled to come to terms with the senseless violence. The tragic event is now known as the “Blackwood Massacre.”

The The Lawrence-Christine-Mitchell Memorial was established in their honor to recognize their contributions to the community and their unwavering dedication to improving the country's infrastructure and quality of life.