Margaret B. Denning (October 17, 1856 – August 16, 1935) was an American missionary and temperance worker who spent 29 years in India. She was also the author two books, ''Mosaics from India'' (1902) and ''Dainty cookery for the home'' (1903).

Early life and education

Margaret Weaver Boehme (or Beahm) was born at

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

, October 17, 1856. The family moved to

Canton, Illinois Canton is the largest city in Fulton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,704 at the 2010 census, down from 15,288 as of the 2000 census. The Canton Micropolitan Statistical Area covers all of Fulton County; it is in turn, part ...

and she was graduated from its high school. Afterwards, she attended Illinois Wesleyan University (Ph. B., 1882).

Career

Denning taught school until 1886. She married Dr. John Otis Denning, M. A., on May 4, 1886. The couple were affiliated with the Presbyterian Mission Agency. They received an appointment for missionary workin India by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church and arrived in Bombay, December 1890; they served in India for 39 years. She was stationed at Gonda, United Provinces, where she became active in temperance work in connection with her mission enterprises. In 1911, Denning was elected president of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) of India, and she retained that office until 1919. For some years preceding her election as president, she had been corresponding secretary of the Union, which at that time had a membership of about 4,000. She was also connected with the Independent Order of Good Templars, holding various positions in that body. After attending the World W.C.T.U. conference in London (1920), she stayed on for a few months to continue her temperance work in England. Over the next three years, she remained with the World W.C.T.U. in charge of correspondence with secretaries in 42 other countries. Besides delivering frequent addresses, Denning wrote a number of temperance pamphlets, as well as a book entitled ''Mosaics from India''.

Personal life

Denning was a member of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

. The Dennings had three sons, one of whom died at birth and two who died in 1905. Margaret B. Denning died in Pacific Palisades, California, August 16, 1935.

Selected works

* ''Mosaics from India: Talks about India, Its Peoples, Religions and Customs'', by Margaret Boehme Denning (Fleming H. Revell Company, 1902) * ''Dainty cookery for the home: containing English, American and Indian dishes'' (1903)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Denning, Margaret B. 1856 births 1935 deaths Temperance activists from Pennsylvania Presidents of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers Presbyterian missionaries in India Female Christian missionaries Illinois Wesleyan University alumni People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania American cookbook writers Daughters of the American Revolution people