Birthday of

Margaret Weddle Tartar.

This first appeared in the Somerset (KY) 'Journal' newspaper, date unknown to me, but circumstantial evidence would place its publication as sometime the week of February 23rd, 1942. The 'Russell County (KY) News' reprinted it in the Thursday, March 5, 1942 edition, page 7. I added the words in [ ]'s.

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Mrs. J.T. Tartar 90 Years Old

  Her ninetieth birthday was quietly celebrated by Mrs. Margaret Tartar Friday [February 20] at her home on the Stanford pike just north of the [Somerset] city limits.

  Mrs. Tartar served as Somerset's postmaster from 1889 to 1903, being appointed by President William Harrison. She was the first woman postmaster in Kentucky to be appointed by a president. John Wanamaker of Philadelphia was postmaster general and Mrs. Tartar has a letter from him complimenting her on her services.

  She was born at Waterloo in this county [Pulaski], a daughter of Mr.and Mrs. Solomon Weddle. Her father was a magistrate for over thirty years. She has spent her entire life here and for more than fifty years has resided on the Stanford pike.   Mrs. Tartar's husband, the late Jerome T. Tartar, son, son-in-law and grandson have served as judges of the Pulaski county court. Her husband, one son, and son-in-law served one or more terms in the Kentucky legislature, and another son has served as county attorney, city attorney, and postmaster.

  Mrs. Tartar has a keen interest in county, state and national affairs. She has many friends who hope she will live to reach 100.

  She has five living children, Mrs. S.S. Shepard of Covington, Mrs. Helen Cooper of Somerset, County Judge R.C. [Roscoe Conkling] Tartar of Somerset, Jerome T. Tartar of Lawrenceburg, and City Attorney C.L. [Christian L.] Tartar of Somerset.
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Transcriber's notes: Mrs. Tartar lived to be 92 years and two days old, dying on February 22, 1944. The grandson mentioned as having served as a judge of the Pulaski court was John Sherman Cooper, Jr., who later would serve over twenty (nonconsecutive) years as a US Senator; as Ambassador to India and Nepal (mid 1950s); and as Ambassador to East Germany (mid 1970s). A statue of Senator Cooper stands in the public square of Somerset.