1881: Anne Ripley [right, 1915]
was born in Oak Park, Illinois. The oldest of four children, she was the
only daughter in a family that included her brothers Paul, Charles, and
Joseph.
In 1915, he and Dr. Bob S. would marry. With her in mind, he would say, “For some reason, we alcoholics seem to have the gift of picking out the world’s finest women.” Bill W. would say of her, “She was a woman who possessed a deep faith in God and unwavering love for those who suffer.” After her death, Bill would write in the A.A. Grapevine, “She was, quite literally, the mother of our first Group, Akron No. One.… In the full sense of the word, she was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
1913: In memory of Bertha Bamford, Bill W.’s high school sweetheart who had
passed away in November 1912, the YMCA and YWCA associations of
Burr and Burton Seminary—of which Bill was president of the former and
Bertha the latter—held a memorial service in the school chapel. According to
a brief article
[left]
on page 2 of The Bennington Evening Banner, “Many glowing tributes
were paid to Miss Bamford's memory by students of the upper classes and
teachers.”
1915: Frederick Harold “Hal” M. was born in McDowell, North Carolina, to
Fred and Louise Clarke Marley, their first child. After getting sober in
1964, he became known as “Dr. Gratitude” for designing and
giving “Attitude of Gratitude” pins [right:
similar pin, but not Hal’s]
to A.A. members.
1966: Edwin “Ebby” T. [left: Ebby's last photo], the man Bill W. called his sponsor, died sober. For the last two years of
his life, he lived at McPike’s Farm
[right, date unknown]
on Peaceable Street in Galway, New York, a pioneering treatment facility
for alcoholics only 25 miles [~40 km] north of his hometown, Albany. After the death of his brother, Ken, in
January 1966, Ebby’s caretakers believed he had lost his will to live. When
he fell ill, he had initially resisted hospitalization, but eventually
conceded that his end was near, saying, “Well, we all have to go sometime.”
Soon after, he had a stroke (cerebral thrombosis) and was rushed to a
hospital in nearby Ballston Spa. By Sunday night, he was in a coma. He died
at 1:00 am on Monday and was later buried in Albany Rural Cemetery.
In 1915, he and Dr. Bob S. would marry. With her in mind, he would say, “For some reason, we alcoholics seem to have the gift of picking out the world’s finest women.” Bill W. would say of her, “She was a woman who possessed a deep faith in God and unwavering love for those who suffer.” After her death, Bill would write in the A.A. Grapevine, “She was, quite literally, the mother of our first Group, Akron No. One.… In the full sense of the word, she was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.”
1913: In memory of Bertha Bamford, Bill W.’s high school sweetheart who had
passed away in November 1912, the YMCA and YWCA associations of
Burr and Burton Seminary—of which Bill was president of the former and
Bertha the latter—held a memorial service in the school chapel. According to
a brief article
[left]
on page 2 of The Bennington Evening Banner, “Many glowing tributes
were paid to Miss Bamford's memory by students of the upper classes and
teachers.”
1915: Frederick Harold “Hal” M. was born in McDowell, North Carolina, to
Fred and Louise Clarke Marley, their first child. After getting sober in
1964, he became known as “Dr. Gratitude” for designing and
giving “Attitude of Gratitude” pins [right:
similar pin, but not Hal’s]
to A.A. members.
1966: Edwin “Ebby” T. [left: Ebby's last photo], the man Bill W. called his sponsor, died sober. For the last two years of
his life, he lived at McPike’s Farm
[right, date unknown]
on Peaceable Street in Galway, New York, a pioneering treatment facility
for alcoholics only 25 miles [~40 km] north of his hometown, Albany. After the death of his brother, Ken, in
January 1966, Ebby’s caretakers believed he had lost his will to live. When
he fell ill, he had initially resisted hospitalization, but eventually
conceded that his end was near, saying, “Well, we all have to go sometime.”
Soon after, he had a stroke (cerebral thrombosis) and was rushed to a
hospital in nearby Ballston Spa. By Sunday night, he was in a coma. He died
at 1:00 am on Monday and was later buried in Albany Rural Cemetery.
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