Sophie (Kerr) Underwood (1880 - 1965)

Born 23 Aug 1880 in Denton, Caroline, Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Wife of John Deloss Underwood — married 6 Sep 1904 (to about 1908) in Denton, Caroline, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Sophie (Kerr) Underwood is Notable.

Sophie was born in 1880. She was the daughter of Jonathan Kerr and Amanda Sisk. She grew up in Denton, on Maryland's eastern shore. Sophie earned her baccalaureate degree from Hood College in 1898 and her Master's degree from the University of Vermont in 1901.

Sophie was a prolific writer, having authored nearly two dozen novels and several hundred short stories published in magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, and McCall's. She also worked as an editor for the women's Sunday supplement of the Pittsburgh "Gazette-Times," and later as an assistant editor and then managing editor for the "Women's Home Companion."

She married John D. Underwood on September 6, 1904, but divorced in 1908.^[1]

She passed away in 1965. In her will, she left the bulk of her estate to the English department at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. She created an annual prize for the graduating senior who has demonstrated the best ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor. ^[2]

Honorary degrees:

• Honorary Doctor of Literature from both The University of Vermont (in 1934) and Washington College (in 1942)
• Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Franklin and Marshall College (in 1948).

Sources

1. ↑ Downs, Winifield Scott, ed. Encyclopedia of American Biography. New Series, Vol. 22, pages 158-159. The American Historical Company, 1950.
2. ↑ Sophie Kerr Legacy, Washington College English Department

• "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (16 February 2022), Sopha G Kerr in entry for John W Kerr, 1900.
• Announcement for the wedding of Sophie Gates Kerr to John DeLoss Underwood on 10 Sep 1904 in the Baltimore Sun. Published on 11 Sep 1904. Newspapers.com
• Find a Grave, database and images; Find A Grave: Memorial #8874089 page for Sophie Kerr Underwood (23 Aug 1880–6 Feb 1965), citing Denton Cemetery, Denton, Caroline County, Maryland, USA ; Maintained by Holly Holy(ND) (contributor 47620858) .

See Also

Sophia Kerr at:

• Wikipedia: Sophie Kerr
• IMDB: Sophie Kerr
• Encyclopedia.com: Sophie Kerr Underwoood