Minnie Thomas Boyce (born Minnie May Thomas,[1] 1870 – December 19, 1929) was an American writer.

Minnie Thomas Boyce
A young white woman wearing a high-collared dress or blouse; her dark hair is dressed back, with some curls around her temples.
Minnie Thomas Boyce, from a 1902 publication
Born
Minnie May Thomas

1870 (1870)
DiedDecember 19, 1929(1929-12-19) (aged 58–59)
Cleveland, Ohio

Early life

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She was born in Fortville, Indiana, the daughter of Charles Perrine Thomas and Nancy Jane Humphries Thomas.[2] She took courses in English at Indiana University.[3]

Career

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Boyce wrote poetry and short stories which appeared in many American periodicals in the 1890s and 1900s,[4][5] including the "Punkin' Holler" tales in Chicago's Inter Ocean.[6][7] "Humorous sketches and stories of Hoosier life are specially Mrs. Boyce's forte, although her poems for children are eagerly sought for," commented one reporter in 1893.[8] A play by Boyce, The Hennypeckles, was performed in Muncie in 1908,[9] and in Alexandria and Yorktown in 1909.[10][11]

Boyce also gave speaking recitations,[2][12] taught oratory,[13] and wrote opinion pieces for newspapers. On divorce, she wrote, "It seems to me that there could be nothing more terrible, more barbarous, than for the law or any other institution to compel two people to live together all their lives who are utterly separated in mind and taste and devotedness."[14] She was active in the Western Association of Writers[15] and the Indiana Writers' Association.[1]

Personal life

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Minnie Thomas married Charles Wilson Boyce in 1889. They had a son, James G. Boyce, and lived in Muncie, Indiana. Her husband, who managed an electric light plant, died in 1896,[16] and she died in 1929, aged 59 years, in Cleveland, Ohio.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Charles Boyce". Indianapolis Journal. November 14, 1896. p. 2. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b A Portrait and Biographical Record of Delaware and Randolph Counties, Ind: Containing Biographical Sketches of Many Prominent and Representative Citizens, Together with Biographies and Portraits of All of the Presidents of the United States, and Biographies of the Governors of Indiana. A. W. Bowen & Company. 1894. pp. 205-206. Minnie Thomas Boyce.
  3. ^ "Minnie Thomas Boyce's Plans". Muncie Evening Press. August 11, 1897. p. 4. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Writers of the Day". The Writer. September 1901. p. 139. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Thompson, E. S. L. (July 29, 1906). "Minnie Thomas Boyce". The Star Press. p. 3. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Rice, Alonzo Leora (1908). Some Indiana Writers and Poets. Teachers Journal Printing Company.
  7. ^ Kemper, General William Harrison (1908). A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County, Indiana. Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 498. Minnie Thomas Boyce.
  8. ^ Prescott, Augusta (April 2, 1893). "A Beautiful Western Poetess". Victoria Daily Colonist. p. 9. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Internet Archive.
  9. ^ "25 Years Ago Today". Muncie Evening Press. November 22, 1933. p. 4. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Play for Charity". The Alexandria Times-Tribune. September 24, 1909. p. 3. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Gave Play in Yorktown". Muncie Evening Press. March 18, 1909. p. 5. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "A Charming Recital". The Star Press. March 10, 1908. p. 12. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Advertisement". The Star Press. May 3, 1908. p. 7. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Osman, William Brazier (1905). Divorce and Remarriage, the Other Side. Mayhew Publishing Company. p. 150.
  15. ^ "Western Writers". Indianapolis Journal. June 30, 1894. p. 2. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Hoosier Chronicles.
  16. ^ "Charles Boyce Dead". Indianapolis News. November 13, 1896. p. 1. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Hoosier Chronicles.
  17. ^ "Mrs. Minnie Boyce Dies in Cleveland". Muncie Evening Press. December 20, 1829. p. 14. Retrieved October 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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