Martha Waldron Janes

Martha Waldron Janes
"A Woman of the Century"
Born	Martha Waldron (1832-06-09)June 9, 1832 Northfield, Michigan, U.S.
Died	May 22, 1913(1913-05-22) (aged 80) Muskegon, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	minister social reformer columnist
Language	English
Spouse	John Allen Sober ​ ​ (m. 1852; died 1864)​ Henry H. Janes ​ ​ (m. 1867; died 1886)​
Children	3

Martha Waldron Janes (née Waldron; after first marriage, Sober; after second marriage, Janes; June 9, 1832 – May 22, 1913) was an American minister, social reformer, and columnist of the long nineteenth century. Born in Michigan, she was converted when very young. Her religious zeal was so conspicuous that many questioned her sanity.^[1][2][3] She preached for some time from the pulpits of the Free Baptist Church, before becoming regularly ordained in 1868, being the first woman ordained in that conference. The denomination espoused more egalitarian views than others of the time, which matched well with Janes' convictions regarding social reform. She opposed prescriptive gender beliefs regarding limitations on educational opportunities for girls. At a young age, she embraced women's suffrage and wrote columns on the topic for seventeen weekly papers. She was also actively engaged in temperance work.^[2][3] Janes died in 1913.