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Friday, July 18, 2025 at 4:07 PM

Book Review -- The Widow Washington

Book Review -- The Widow Washington
The Widow Washington: The Life of Mary Washington by Martha Saxton The father of our country George had a mother named Mary. Since Andrew Jackson’s time she has been portrayed as uneducated, crude and a hindrance to her esteemed son. Martha Sexton, utilizing primary source material makes the case Mary was, in fact, none of those things but rather a product of the times in which she lived and her circumstances. She was raised with very little and stepped into the ruling class through marriage. After her husband died she managed to raise her five children with limited resources because as a widow she lost most of her husband’s property. And she managed to boost her children up the social ladder in large part through her parenting. Much of her thinking was based on a few spiritual texts popular at the time. These readings shaped her beliefs on religion, work ethic, slavery, and child rearing. She instilled these values in her children and her grandchildren. Her conflicts with George were usually about financial security, particularly as she aged. This book is very readable and fascinating on many levels including the rights of women in pre-Revolutionary times, how Mary shaped her children from an early age, and the attitudes toward slavery during this time period. Carol Lloyd is the Director of the Churchill County Library. This book dovetails nicely into her reading over the years on the founders of this country.       Never miss a meeting or community event – keep an eye on the community calendar at https://www.thefallonpost.org/events/ If you like what we’re doing, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and contribute to The Fallon Post, your online news source for all things Fallon.          


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Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I knew Sam as a member of our church growing up. He always had a warm smile, a kind word, and a great sense of humor! He will be great missed!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:57 AMComment source: Obituary -- Samuel Bruce WickizerComment author: Mike HinzComment text: Great teacher, great coach, but even a better person!!! Rest in peace Mr. BeachComment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:53 AMComment source: Obituary -- Jack Victor Beach, Jr.Comment author: Mike HinzComment text: I had Mrs Hedges for First Grade at Northside Elementary in 1969. I still, to this day, remember her as a wonderful teacher…one of my favorites!!Comment publication date: 7/2/25, 11:29 AMComment source: Obituary - Nancy Marie Hedges C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: What are MFNs and PBMs ?? ............................ From the editor: This is a very good question and we apologize for not catching that wasn't in there. We reached out to the writer/submitter and got this info back...hope it's helpful. PBM: Pharmacy Benefit Managers are pharmacies that are owned by insurance companies. (CVS is one.) They negotiate with drug makers to get reduced pricing for medications, but they historically have not passed along those savings to patients. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/pharmacy-benefit-managers-staff-report.pdf MFN: Most Favored Nation pricing is a policy that means a country agrees to offer the same trade concessions (like tariffs or price reductions) to all member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO). When applied to pharmaceuticals, it could disrupt global access, deter innovation, and obscure the deeper systemic issues in American health care. https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2025/05/22/the-global-risks-of-americas-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy/Comment publication date: 6/23/25, 7:47 AMComment source: L E T T E R TO THE EDITOR
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