MARTHA WASHINGTON - 1st
Place – Short Story
Martha
Washington was a great young woman. She was born in 1731 as
the first of many children, born to John and Frances
Dandridge, who were very wealthy Virginia planters. In
1746, Martha Dandridge found the perfect bachelor, Daniel
Custis, who was thirteen years old. Daniel was the son of
John Custis, one of the wealthiest men in Virginia.
Before Martha was eighteen, she married Daniel.
Within five years, Martha gave Daniel two children, but they
both died in early childhood. Then she gave two more
children who survived. A daughter named Patsy who was born
in 1755, and a son named Jacky, born in 1757. Shortly after
Jacky’s birth, Daniel died.
George Washington and Martha met while eating dinner, and a
week later George proposed to Martha and she said, “YES!”
In 1759 George and Martha got married. George loved Jacky
and Patsy to death and adopted them. Unfortunately, Patsy
died in 1773 by an epileptic seizure. In 1774, Jacky
disappointed George and Martha by dropping out of school and
marrying young.
George inherited Mt. Vernon, and he and Martha
were on their way. In 1776, George Washington set up
headquarters in New York, and in 1781 Jacky Custis joined
George in New York as his aide. On April 14, 1788 George
Washington was finally elected president. Martha could not
believe how happy she was to be home after the long lost
years living in New York and Philadelphia.
On December 14, 1779 George Washington had died. He and
Martha were married for forty years, and on May 22, 1802
Martha had quietly died in her sleep. And that is the
wonderful story of Martha Washington.
HELEN KELLER – 3rd Place - Poem
Helen
Keller was never quite blind,
For
she could see, into heart and mind,
Her
teacher patient, kind, and caring,
Could
not help but loving, adoring.
That
one who was boarded physically,
But
someone only had to help her spiritually,
And
see her fly with something others,
Have
very little of, and try not to bother.
Her
mouth did not move to tell,
But
her hands could tell a story like a bell.
(And
argue with them just as well!)
AMELIA AIR HEART
– 1st Place
From
up there she sees the plains,
Oceans
stirring and fields of grains.
She
had her face in the clouds, and heard in the sky,
Whenever the people seemed to pass by.
She
flew with such smiles and wonderful cheer,
She flew without care or the slightest
of fear.
One
day her future wasn’t so bright,
When
she set out on a very long flight,
Something bad happened late in the dawn,
Awe
had finally heard that Amelia was gone.
There’s something she taught me that I know now,
It’s
to keep flying and never slow down.
SOJOURNER TRUTH – 2nd Place
Sojourner Truth
was mild and kind, she always did her best,
When others thought her queer in mind,
she never stopped to rest.
Had
four kids, one was taken far,
Set
out to find him, singing along to find her fallen star.
Inspiring many from her song. She did what she set out to
do,
Through aching hearts, and many times, a worn out shoe.
And in
her grave, now she may sleep in peace, for all was done.
She
did what she set out to do. In all our hearts, she won.
MOLLY PITCHER – 2nd Place
June
28, 1778
I can’t believe it! Mary
Ludwig Hays or “Molly Pitcher” has run out to a cannon. She
appears to be reloading it, but now she’s giving water to
parched soldiers and officers. She’s reloading the cannon
again, and man! A cannonball has just shot through her legs
and amazingly she’s still reloading the cannon with plenty
of adrenaline. Now she’s yelling at me to stop writing in
my journal, to help reload the cannon, and to be brave. I
can’t believe she’s brave enough to die for liberty and
freedom from tyranny of the lazy, cruel king of England and
his soldiers. She’s the single bravest woman that I’ve seen
or heard about. She once carried an injured patriot soldier
to safety from the charging British forces. Only one woman
before her has ever manned a gun, her name was Margaret
Corbin in 1776 at Fort Washington.
Later
during the war. . .
I’m really surprised I lived through that battle, but I’m
glad I did o I can see George Washington make her a
noncommissioned officer. Now she’s hailed as “Sergeant
Molly.”
HELEN KELLER – 3rd
Place
Helen
Keller was a girl. She wasn’t an ordinary girl. She was
blind and couldn’t talk. People that can’t talk are called
dumb. People that can’t hear are called deaf. Helen was
special although she wad deaf, dumb, and blind.
Helen
wanted to talk really bad. She would scream for something,
and her parents didn’t know what she wanted. Finally, Annie
came to help.
Annie
was going to teach Helen sign language. When Annie was
there, Annie would do anything for Helen to sit down.
Finally Annie took Helen to the water well. She splashed
water on Helen’s hand and signed the word, water. That was
the lesson for the day.
The
next day, Annie came over to teach and review. “All righty
Helen, let’s get started then.” She said it in an English
accent, so it sounded like, “Stoted, Helen, of course,
didn’t hear her.
Annie
took Helen over to feel a dish. Instead, Helen decided to
lock Annie in her room. “Let me out!” Annie yelled.
Helen’s parents heard her screaming and came to get her.
After that, Helen got spanked.
After
all that fuss, Annie taught Helen more words, and then, the
entire alphabet.
Annie
finished teaching and returned back home. Everyone
understood Helen now. Because of Annie, Helen could talk.
