64

Elia Wilkinson Peattie
Succumbs; Noted Writer

Served World-Herald
as First Newspaper
Woman in Omaha

Mrs. Elia Wilkinson Peattie,
author, critic, and 50 years ago
the first newspaper woman in
Omaha, where she worked for
The World-Herald, died of heart
trouble Friday at the summer
home of a son, Prof. Roderick
Peattie, of Ohio State university,
at Wallingford, Conn.

Mrs. Peattie was born in Michigan
in 1862, and was reared
in comparative poverty. At 13
she left school to help her
mother. She married Robert
Burns Peattie, well known Chicago
and New York newspaperman,
in 1883, and herself joined
the Chicago Tribue staff in
1884. Four years later she and
her husband came to Omaha,
and for the next eight years
both were employed by The
World-Herald.

While here, Mrs. Peattie helped
organize the Omaha Woman's
club, of which she was a charter
member and which she served
as president in 1896. The couple
remained here until 1898, when
Mr. Peattie rejoined the Tribune
staff and they returned to
Chicago. There Mrs. Peattie became
literary critic, which position
she held until 1917.

She wrote many novels, and
later turned her attention to
playwriting with much success.

Mrs. Peattie was guest speaker
for the Omaha Women's Press
club here in February, 1923,
when many social events were
held in her honor.