Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920
Biography of Clara Cecilia Goddard, 1854-1941
By Emma Kvart, Seattle WA
Clara Cecilia Weibling was born in December 1854 in Indiana to Anna and Harmon G. Weibling, well-known Kansas pioneers and early Leavenworth citizens. Her father was a contractor, and her family was fairly wealthy. When she was six months old, her family moved to Leavenworth. She had a brother, Harmon G. Weibling Jr., born in 1859 and died before 1870, most likely due to illness. Later in 1864, her sister, Minnie, was born. Clara attended college and completed a fifth year of higher education, perhaps dropping out when she got married. On the 4th of July, 1874, in Platte, Missouri, she married Dr. Clarence Case Goddard of Gorham, New York, born in 1849. He had graduated medical school just one year earlier. Soon after their marriage, Clarence entered the U.S. Army as a surgeon, serving in several locations. During that time, in August of 1879, the Goddards' only child, Clarence Brock Goddard, was born at Fort Sill, where his father was stationed.
Clara and Clarence Sr. were friendly with the local Colorado Kiowa tribe, and upon Clarence Jr.'s birth, he was honorarily adopted into the tribe. He was honorarily named Toyhee, meaning 'deer'. Clara and her son boarded in the cities Clarence Sr. was stationed at after Clarence Jr.'s birth. In 1887, Clarence Sr. resigned from the army and returned to Leavenworth with his family. The family was well off, always having at least one servant in the household. Clara was also the secretary of the Kansas Federation of Women's Clubs. In 1904, she resigned, succeeded by Mrs. Dell Keizer of Topeka. She was later the president. She was very prominent in Leavenworth throughout her career, giving many speeches and presiding over countless federation meetings. In early May 1901, Clara and Clarence Sr. hosted many women visiting for the Kansas State Social Science Federation meeting. Clara and her husband carefully planned and hosted a luncheon at Clarence Sr's hospital, the Evergreen Place. Clara received much praise for the luncheon. Unfortunately, the Evergreen burned down in 1907. A local newspaper article in April 1918 indicated that Mrs. Goddard "Has attended all but two annual meetings of the Kansas Federation of Women's Clubs in the twenty-three years of its existence."
Around May 1911, Clara resigned as the federation president but continued attending and participating in events and projects. In 1911, Clara's only grandchild was born; a girl named Cece Goddard. On March 30, 1913, Clarence Brock Goddard died in Leavenworth following a short illness. He had suffered ill health for years. On January 28, 1925, Clarence Case Goddard died in Leavenworth of a stroke. He was 84.
Information about Clara Goddard's support of woman's suffrage is sketchy. A 1910 article quoted Mrs. Goddard: "We envy the women of Colorado . . .. they have made such wonderful progress in their club work and along the line of equal suffrage.. . . . The women of Kansas are so different; they could have equal suffrage for the asking. I am confident of this, for the men of our state have granted the women anything they have asked for." The following year, she presided over a public address in Topeka by Sylvia Pankhurst, the British suffrage leader. She served on the Legislative Committee of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association (KESA). In January 1919, in an article outlining plans for the annual Kansas Day, Clara Goddard and Mrs. C.H. Brooks of the KESA were mentioned as planning to attend a luncheon sponsored by the Woman's Kansas Day Club.
By 1930, Cece Goddard was living with Clara, along with a servant and one lodger. By then, Clara was the landlady of some apartments.
By 1940, Cece had moved out, and Clara was living with a recently widowed woman from Iowa, Nellie Wilson. On April 10, 1941, Clara Cecilia Goddard died in Leavenworth at age 88 after a brief illness. She was buried alongside her husband and son in St. Muncie's cemetery in Leavenworth.
Sources:
Clara Weibling in the 1860 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
H G Weeilberg in the 1870 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara Weeilberg in the 1870 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clarence B. Goddard in the 1880 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
C. C. Goddard in the 1880 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
C B Goddard in the 1895 Kansas State Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
C C Goddard in the 1895 Kansas State Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
O C Goddard in the 1895 Kansas State Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clarence B Goddard in the 1900 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clarence Goddard in the 1900 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara C Goddard in the 1900 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clarence B Goddard in the 1910 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
C C Goddard in the 1910 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara C Goddard in the 1910 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clarence C Goddard in the 1920 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara C Goddard in the 1920 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Cece Goddard in the 1930 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara C Goddard in the 1930 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Nellie Wilson in the 1940 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara C Goddard in the 1940 United States Federal Census, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Marriage Record of C C Goddard and Clora Weibling, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Grave of Harmon Gustavus Weibling, accessed through findagrave.com
Grave of Clarence Brock Goddard, accessed through findagrave.com
Grave of Clarence Case Goddard, accessed through findagrave.com
Clarence Case Goddard in the Find A Grave Index, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clarence Case Goddard in the Directory of Deceased American Physicians, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara Cecilia Goddard in the Leavenworth County, Kansas: Leavenworth Times Obituary Index, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara Cecilia Goddard in the Leavenworth County, Kansas: Leavenworth Times Obituary Index, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara Cecilia Goddard in the U.S. Find A Grave Index, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
Clara Cecilia Coddard in the U.S. Newspapers.com Obituary Index, accessed through ancestrylibrary.com
"Dr. C. C. Goddard Chosen," The Topeka State Journal: Friday, October 7, 1898, Page 4
"Sad News," The Leavenworth Times: Sunday, June 16, 1872, Page 4
"A Well Known Citizen Dies Suddenly," Leavenworth Daily Commercial, Sunday, June 16, Page 4
"State Federation Meeting," The Labor Chronicle: Thursday, May 9, 1901, Page 1
"At Evergreen," The Chronicle-Tribune: Thursday, May 9, 1901, Page 1
"The December Meeting Of Topeka Federation," The Topeka Daily Capitol, Sunday, December 1, Page 13
"The Club Directory," The Topeka Daily Herald: Saturday, October 4, 1902, Page 9
The Leavenworth Times, Tuesday, September 6, 1904, Page 5
"Rescue Fourteen Patients From A Sanitarium Fire," The Leavenworth Weekly Times, Thursday, March 21, 1907, Page 5
"Kansas Federation of Women's Clubs," The Hutchinson News, Saturday, November 20, 1909, Page 14.
The Leavenworth Times, Sunday, February 6, 1910, Page 10
"In the Nick Of Time," The Leavenworth Times, Sunday, February 20, 1910, Page 10
"Federation Meets," Lawrence Daily World, Thursday, April 28, 1910, Page 3
"She Is Very Pessimistic," The Leavenworth Post, Monday, September 12, 1910, Page 4
"Ninth Annual Meeting of First District Federation of Women's Clubs," Horton Headlight, Thursday, October 13, 1910, Page 1
The Hutchinson News, Saturday, October 22, 1910, Page 12
"City Federation Will Meet," The Topeka Daily Capital, Sunday, January 29, 1911, Page 9
"We Must Be Good Citizens Ourselves," The Topeka Daily Capital, Friday, February 3, 1911, Page 12
"Why They Want Suffrage," The Leavenworth Times, Saturday, December 30, 1911, Page 2
"Dr. Clarence B Goddard's Life Ended Sunday," The Leavenworth Post, Monday, March 31, 1913, Page 1
"K. U. Man Dead," Lawrence Daily Journal-World, Wednesday, April 2, 1913, Page 4
"Dr. C. B. Goddard Succumbs After 9 Day's Illness," The Leavenworth Weekly Times, Thursday, April 3, 1913, Page 6
"Mrs. Clara Goddard Dies," The Kansas City Times, Friday, April 11, 1941, Page 10
Ida Husted Harper, et al., eds., History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 6 (1922) [LINK].
"Mrs. C. C. Goddard Reported by a Colorado Paper," Leavenworth (KS) Post, Sept. 12, 1910, p. 4.
"Make New Work," Topeka (KS) State Journal, March 20, 1911, p. 3.
Untitled, Topeka (KS) Daily Capital, April 21, 1918, p. 4.
"Kansas Day Will Draw 500 Women," Topeka (KS) Daily Capital, January 19, 1919, p. 4.