Merab Eberle (February 2, 1891 — October 31, 1959) was an American journalist and a writer in several genres, including science fiction and children's plays.

Early life

Merab Shipley Eberle was born in

Mattoon, Illinois Mattoon ( ) is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 16,870 as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Lake Land College and has close ties with its neighbor, Charleston. Both are principal cities of the Charleston� ...

, the daughter of Homer J. Eberle, a railroad employee, and Olive Rossman Eberle. Her paternal grandfather, Jacob Kauffman Eberle (1824-1902), was a medical doctor. She had the same three names as her paternal grandmother, Merab Shipley Eberle (1826-1888). Merab Eberle attended Oxford College in Ohio,Eric Leif Davin
''Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965''
(Lexington Books 2006): 380. graduating with honors in 1916.

Career

Plays by Eberle included ''The Maydew Charm'' (1918, a fantasy play for May Day children's events), ''Bobby in Belgium: A Junior Red Cross Play'' (1918), ''Capt. Anne of the Red Cross: A Red Cross Comedy for Girls'' (1918), and ''The Spirit of Democracy: An Allegorical Pageant'' (1917). Stories by Merab Eberle included "The Mordant" (''Amazing Stories'', 1930) and "The Thought Translator" (''Wonder Stories'', 1930). She also wrote poetry, and won a prize for her poem "Prayer" in 1930."Herald Critic Wins Poetry Prize"
''Dayton Herald'' (October 11, 1930): 4. via Newspapers.com "Prayer" later became a church hymn. She won another prize for a historical ballad, in 1944. A collection of her poetry, ''Many Doors'', was published posthumously in 1961. She was a member of the Dayton Women's Club and the Ohio Newspaper Women's Association. From 1930 to 1959,"Merab Eberle Services Will Be Held Today"
''Journal Herald'' (November 2, 1959): 10. via Newspapers.com she was a reporter, arts editor and book reviewer for ''The Dayton Journal Herald''. Among the newspaper contributors under her editorial guidance was cartoonist Milton Caniff. "She gave richly of herself, her time and talent in promoting the cause of all the arts in her long career as art, music, and book editor of the ''Journal Herald''", recalled the

Dayton Art Institute The Dayton Art Institute (DAI) is a museum of fine arts in Dayton, Ohio, United States. The Dayton Art Institute has been rated one of the top 10 best art museums in the United States for children. The museum also ranks in the top 3% of all art mus ...

in a statement after she died. "Her distinctive style enhanced all of her writings, and her deep love, understanding, and compassion for all of the arts helped promote the cause of art in Dayton as few other people have been able to do."

Personal life

Merab Eberle died from a heart attack in 1959, aged 68 years, in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. She had worked late at the newspaper until a few hours before she died. Her gravesite is with her parents' graves, in Franklin, Ohio.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eberle, Merab 1891 births 1959 deaths 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American newspaper editors Mass media people from Dayton, Ohio American science fiction writers American women newspaper editors Clubwomen