Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920
Biography of Amanda Jane Linn Marble, 1846-1910
By Zack Sorich, Dr. Amy Forss, professor
Undergraduate student, Metropolitan (Omaha, NE) Community College
President and Vice President of Nebraska Woman's Suffrage Association
Amanda Jane Linn was born February 28th., 1846 in Tazewell County, Illinois, the third child to Elizabeth and Elder Richard Linn. She lived in Illinois until she was 19 years old and then moved to a Table Rock, a small city in Nebraska, located in Pawnee County. She lived in Southwest Nebraska with her four siblings and parents where her father became a popular minister. Three years after moving to Nebraska, she married Asaph Waldo Fairbanks, but he died suddenly from an illness in 1869, only two years after their marriage.
In 1870, she met Milton Marble, a teacher who knew many people and was well liked. Before Marble moved to Nebraska and met Amanda, he was the chief executive officer of the Postal Service while Abraham Lincoln was President. Milton was a man who wore many hats over time and was employed as a farmer, school teacher, insurance agent, merchant, hotelier, poet, and justice of the peace at one time or another. The two had a son together whom they named Max Marble, who lived to be 87 years old.
Amanda did so much, not only for the small community of Table Rock, but especially for women all over Nebraska. Amanda had a strong voice and felt everyone's opinion mattered no matter their gender or color. During all the years of her life in Table Rock, she loved her home and no self-sacrifice was too great for her to enhance its comfort and completeness. Even in small towns of the Midwest, women's suffrage was a passion, Table Rock was an anti-alcohol town and suffrage was probably supported as much as liquor was denied. A vote that required electing a woman to the powerful County Board of Commissioners or licensing a tavern in Table Rock would likely have resulted the woman taking over Table Rock with the support from Amanda. She always found time to give attention to the public thought and necessities. For several years, she was president of the Nebraska Woman's Suffrage Association, and at its last meeting, declined re-election because of her health. Despite her health conditions, she maintained the position as vice president until the time of her death; her work in this connection gave her a state-wide acquaintance. Amanda lived a lengthy life to the age of 64 and brought brightness to every life she touched.
Sources
"Amanda Jane Linn Marble" find a grave, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/page/gr/%253Cbr%253Ehttp://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43160530. Accessed 26 Apr. 2017.
Cerra, Sharla. "Re: Amanda J. Marble." Received by Zack Sorich, 22 Apr. 2017.
"Find A Grave Index" family search, 11 July 2016, https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3AMarble~%20%2Bbirth_place%3A%22Table%20Rock%22~%20%2Bany_place%3ANebraska~. Accessed 26 Apr. 2017.
"Milton Hall Marble" find a grave, https://www.findagrave.com/cgibin/fg.cgi/page/gr/%253Cbr%253Ehttp://www.findagrave.com/cgibin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43160523.