Mary Easton Sibley

Mary Easton Sibley (January 24, 1800 – June 20, 1878) was an early American pioneer and educator. She and her husband George Sibley founded a school that became Lindenwood University.

Early life Mary Sibley was born in Rome, New York on January 24, 1800, the daughter of Rufus Easton and Alby Abial Easton. She was the first of eleven children for the Easton family. Mary's father's family was from England and settled in Connecticut in the 1640s. The family helped found Hartford, Connecticut.

While little is known of Sibley’s early life, family records state that for a period she was sent to boarding school in Lexington, Kentucky. It is likely that Sibley attended Shelbyville Female Academy when she was 14 or 15 between 1813 and her marriage in 1815. Mary met George Champlin Sibley one evening in 1814. Mary later said she first met George at a dinner party at her parents' house, but it is possible that the two met at a dance at one of the surrounding forts.

Fort Osage George operated an Indian trading post at Fort Osage on the Missouri River. He was the factor of Fort Osage, which meant he was not only a fur trader, but was an official representative of the United States government at what was then the westernmost post. George attempted to go into business setting up a trading post with two former employees, but the collapse of the business put him so far in debt it took him ten years to recover. By December 1829, a log cabin was built at Linden Wood. As Mary's vision for a school solidified, this building became the initial building used for Lindenwood Female College when it was formed in 1832.

By 1839, the school at Lindenwood cost three dollars a week for tuition, board, and school supplies. Students learned French and German, music, art, and Protestant virtues of piety and personal responsibility. In the 1840s, enrollment increased, requiring additional instructors. Around this time, the Sibleys were also operating a day school for boys and girls in St. Charles. That school had forty-nine students for the 1839 fall term. Both of the Sibleys' schools closed in 1841, however, due to economic stress in the region and problems hiring teachers who met Mary's standards. The schools were reopened in 1842, but were not without their problems. In 1853, George and Mary Sibley donated 120 acres of land to the school and Lindenwood Female College incorporated with a 15-man board of directors. The board helped appoint professors, teachers, and developed the school's curriculum.

Mary’s spiritual awakening According to Sibley’s diaries, she grew up in a home where religion was inconsequential. This view toward religion lasted until the early years of the Second Great Awakening, after which she became an ardent Old School Presbyterian.

Around the time Mary opened Lindenwood, she met Margaret Lindsey, who along with her husband were pillars of the local Presbyterian church. Margaret became like a second mother to Mary. With Margaret's influence, Mary became interested in religion. Margaret fell seriously ill some time later, and Mary sat with her friend for a week. The vigil became an extended prayer meeting with other members from the church. On March 25, still dealing with her friend's death, Mary professed her faith at a Presbyterian meeting and was admitted to the church. Her family was shocked. Mary's husband and family were Christians, but non-sectarian. They were suspicious of organized religion and particularly evangelical preachers. George disapproved of her new interest in the church, and her mother said she would've rather seen her children die than see them become Presbyterians. Mary attempted to bring her sister to a church meeting, but her mother refused to let her go. Mary and her mother did not speak for a year or more after the fight.

Through Mary’s influence, George was converted a few years afterward. Due to the preeminent role of religion in the Sibleys' lives, Mary incorporated her faith into her continued interest in educating the area youth. Mary required her students to attend Sunday worship, Sunday school, daily prayer sessions, and Bible readings. She was also able to convert several of her students.

After joining the church, Mary's views on moral and social reform became more radical. By January 1834, Mary was contributing articles to the St. Louis Observer, a newspaper known for its anti-Catholic and anti-slavery stance. Mary wrote anti-Catholic pieces often, and she also wrote on other religious topics and slavery. She also contributed to other evangelical and reformist newspapers.

She writes in her diary about schooling the children of newly arrived German immigrants using a bilingual Bible to teach English. Additional attempts at education were made with the region’s slaves, but as fearful slaveowners worried about a potential rebellion from enlightened blacks, Sibley was quickly forced to stop. Ultimately, the Sibleys' faith was the focal point of the women’s college they opened and named after their property, Lindenwood College (today known as Lindenwood University).

Later life and death After her husband died in 1863, Mary sold her house and moved to St. Louis. Between 1866 and 1869, Mary joined an organization created by a prominent St. Louis philanthropist, James E. Yeatman. Named Bethany House, the organization was for missionary nurses to work with the St. Louis poor. Bethany House was struggling, and in December 1866, Mary was asked to take charge and revitalize it. She often clashed with volunteers and clergy and her grand plans for building a hospital and other projects were more than the financial backers wanted to take on. In 1868, Yeatman and other backers withdrew their funding and Bethany House closed.

Once Bethany House closed in 1868, Mary moved back to St. Charles at Linden Wood. Near the end of her life, Mary became involved in the Second Adventist Movement . In 1873, Mary received a letter from a Japanese man named Isaac K. Yokoyama, who requested that she send educators to Japan who could also spread Christianity. In her mid 70s, Mary took it upon herself to serve as a missionary/educator and set out for the West Coast, en route to Japan. Mary left from New York City by boat to Panama, crossed the isthmus, and traveled to California. Mary became ill before she could board the ship for Japan. On June 20, 1878, Mary Sibley died at the age of 78. She is buried with her family in a cemetery located at Lindenwood University.