Agnes Elizabeth Crane

Agnes Elizabeth Crane was author and poet Stephen Crane's older sister. She played an important role in his childhood, acting as surrogate mother and mentor, while their own mother traveled the country giving speeches to the WCTU (Woman's Cristian Temperance Union, activists who opposed drinking alcohol).

Agnes attended the Wyoming Seminary from 1872 to 1874, and graduated from Centenary Collegiate Institute (now Centenary College), where she won academic awards for an English essay and for excellence in German. She was also named valedictorian of Centenary's 1880 graduating class.

Agnes was considered a gifted poet and essayist, had a beautiful singing voice and possessed considerable artistic talent, but chose to pursue a career in teaching.

Unfortunately, she contracted meningitis and died at her brother Edmund's New Jersey home at the young age of 28.

Note: There is a discrepancy between Agnes' published date of death of June 10, 1884, and the State of New Jersey's official records, which list the date as June 18, 1883.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 14 2023, 7:34:37 UTC