Margaret Jeffery
Civilian ROLL OF HONOURMargaret Jeffery grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, the youngest daughter of Oscar and Harriet Blythe Jeffery. Oscar W Jeffery (1872-1965) was an alumnus of Princeton and ran his own law firm in the town. He was President of the New Jersey State Board of Education for many years. Margaret had two older sisters, Suzanne and Frances. Her mother, Harriet, died in 1931.
Margaret attended Vassar College and graduated in 1940. She was secretary of her class.
She was an Assistant Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York when she was granted a leave of absence in March 1945 so that she could join the Red Cross. Her maternal grandmother was born in England, which might give some reason as to why she decided to join the American Red Cross and serve overseas.
She joined the ARC's overseas branch on 1 April 1945 and sailed in early May. She was on active duty with the American Red Cross in Scotland when she died of influenza on 3 September 1945. She is buried in Cambridge American Cemetery.
From New York Times article:
'Basil O'Connor, national chairman of the American Red Cross, in announcing her death, paid tribute to her "selfless service on behalf of the members of the armed forces".'
Connections
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Units served with
- Type Category: Other
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Died |
Scotland, UK | 3 September 1945 | Aged 26 |
Buried |
15 September 1945 | Exact date of burial not yet known Plot D Row 5 Grave 68 Next of kin on Headstone and Internment document listed as: Mr. Oscar W Jeffery 78 Franklin Street Englewood New Jersey | |
Other Graduated from Vassar College |
Vassar College, 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604, USA | Margaret was secretary of her class. | |
Other Volunteered with the Metropolitan Museum |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028, USA | ||
Other Worked in the American Wing of the Met Museum |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028, USA | Appointed Assistant Curator of the American wing in 1944. | |
Other Took a leave of absence and joined the American Red Cross |
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Other Margaret's article entitled 'Mementos of the China Trade' published in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin |
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Other Entered service |
Englewood, NJ, USA | ||
Born |
Englewood, NJ, USA | In the 1920 census, carried out on 13 January 1920, she is recorded as being 10 months old. | |
Other Graduated from Shipley School |
The Shipley School, 814 Yarrow Street, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA |
Revisions
Article published on 12 September 1945 in the New York Times. See: http://spiderbites.nytimes.com/pay_1945/articles_1945_09_00003.html
Obituary of her father Oscar published by Princeton. He graduated from there in the class of 1894: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1hRbAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA159&lpg=RA1-P…
'Early American Embroidery' by Margaret Jeffery was published in the Met Museum Art Bulletin:
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rj…
Vassar College alumni listing for the class of 1940: http://alums.vassar.edu/connect/class/1940s/1940/
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, October 1945: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=r…
ABMC record: http://www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-burials-and-memorializations/detail/WWI…
Findagrave record: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56291029
1940 Census and Headstone and Internment record available on Ancestry.com