Glasgow Family Genealogy

Alma Glasgow White

by Janet (Glasgow) Mulshine

It is appropriate to inaugurate this Glasgow family website with a person who was instrumental in preserving her family history at a time when it wasn’t fashionable or easy. In David Faris’s book The Glasgow Family of Adams County, Ohio, he acknowledges the work of Sarah (1) Alma Glasgow White, as follows:

The major unpublished family source, forming the principal basis of this family history, is the work of Alma (Glasgow) White (1861-1934)….She collected detailed (but undocumented) information about many descendants of all the children of her great-grandfather Robert Glasgow except for the eldest daughter Hadassah (Glasgow) Dryden. Mrs. White’s materials were widely distributed among interested descendants, some of whom added more detail about their own branches. (Pg. 1)

I first heard of Alma Glasgow White years ago when I happened to find an oil painting of hers for sale on the internet. When I called the gallery to inquire, I was told it was long sold and the continued listing was an oversight; it was then removed. I began to research her, created an extensive page for her on my Ancestry.com tree and I took over an existing Memorial for her at Find-a-Grave, which had barely any detail. Coincidental with this effort, I was contacted by the San Benito County (California) Historical Society, which led to visiting her gravesite and musing over the mystery of the notebook. The following biography of a modern professional American artist was written by myself, mostly using the biography I had already posted in Find-a-Grave.

Alma Glasgow was born in Washington County, Iowa, in 1861, to Robert Anderson Glasgow and Mary Ramsey Finley. In 1860 the Glasgows were living in Jackson Township, Washington County, Iowa. (2) Robert Anderson Glasgow was the son of James & Mary (McNeil) Glasgow. James was the youngest son of Robert and Rosanna (Barclay) Glasgow. Alma was a great granddaughter of my immigrant ancestor, Robert Glasgow.(3)

Alma graduated from the Washington Academy in 1878.(4) In January of 1884 she married the Reverend Johnston Duffield White, at his home in the town of Washington, Iowa.(5) Unfortunately, he died within a year of their marriage while on a recuperative trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico.(6) Following his death, she went to New York to study art. Ten years later, Alma was living in Cedar Rapids and teaching art in the public schools. By the date of the 1895 Iowa state census she had moved back to Washington, to live with siblings following the death of their father in 1894.(7) The 1900 federal census for Iowa shows she was still living with siblings.(8)

In 1903 Alma wrote and illustrated an article in entitled "Ride up Marble Mountain.”(9) It reflected her move west to live with her older brothers and sister in San Francisco. In 1905 she gave a lecture at the Palo Alto (California) Women's Club on "Art in the Public Schools.”

Alma never married again and continued to live with her unmarried siblings, teaching art, until the last sibling died in 1929.(10) In 1930 she was living alone, listed as an Artist,(11) and was in various shows, including a one-person show at the Mission Inn in Riverside, California. Sometime after 1932 she moved to Alameda City, Alameda County, to live with various distant cousins and their spouses. She died in 1934, was cremated and her ashes were buried in the same plot as two older brothers, a sister, and the relatives she was living with at the time of her death.(12)

In 2012 the San Benito County (California) Historical Society discovered among their collections a book composed of photographs of her original paintings, together with poetry and scriptures, entitled "Paintings of Alma Glasgow White." While it is known to have been donated by a long-time resident of San Benito County, there is no explanation of where it originally came from or how it came into the donor’s possession.

For more information on Alma Glasgow White, see also the following links:

https://www.askart.com/artist/Alma_S_A_Glasgow_White/10057993/Alma_S_A_Glasgow_ White.aspx
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/9848252/person/-178336714/facts
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87547478/sarah-alma-white

(1) In later years she chose to use the name Alma Glasgow White, which I will use here.
(2) 1860 U.S. Census, Washington County, Iowa. Robert Glasgow household, Sheet 114, dwelling 862, family 845.
(3) Because her grandmother, Mary McNeil, was James’ first wife, Alma and I are technically half first cousins, 3 times removed. My 3G-Grandmother was his second wife, Sarah Lyle.
(4) Shaw, Floyd A., The Washington Academy, Washington, Iowa : Its History and Service, January 1, 1941.
(5) Iowa, Marriage Records, 1923-1937.
(6) Woodlawn Cemetery, Washington, Washington County, Iowa. F.A.G. memorial 185939400. His name is inscribed onthe stone of his in-laws, Robert and Mary Glasgow.
(7) 1895 I owa State Census, Washington County. L. Grier Glasgow household, p. 16, dwelling 131, family 134.
(8) 1900 U. S. Census, Washington, Washington County, Grear [sic] Glasgow household, p. 205A,, dwelling 904, family 927.
(9) Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine. Series 2, v. 42(1903):40-47 & 528. Hathi Trust Digital Library.
(10) Lorenzo Grier Glasgow, died 2 Dec 1929, San Francisco. Buried Forest Lawn Cemetery, Colma, San Mateo County, California. Find-a-Grave memorial 114315038.
(11) 1930 U. S. Census, San Francisco, San Francisco County. Alma White, sheet 16B, dwelling 266, family 323
(12) Sarah Alma Glasgow White died 30 Nov 1934, Alameda, Alameda County. Buried Forest Lawn Cemetery, Colma, San Mateo County, California. Find-a-Grave memorial 87547478.