Fearless Females March 14: Newsworthy Women

News makers? Did you have a female ancestor who made the news? Why? Was she famous or notorious? Did she appear in the social column?

I have a group of female ancestors who made the news.  While not director ancestors they are still tied into my lineage.  These women were the women of the Loomis Gang. 
Rhonda M. (Mallet) Loomis was known as the mother of the Loomis gang.  She was the wife of George Washington Loomis, Sr.  Rhonda was described as "a beautiful and accomplished girl who taught school and was the belle of the ballroom but she had a fiery temper" (from Noman R Cowen, "Loomis Family History").  It is also said that Rhonda had a liking for counterfeiting money and harassing the women in her son's lives. Rhonda died in 1887 at the age of 94. She outlived all her children, except for her son, Plumb, who died in 1903.


Cornelia Maria Loomis was a daughter of George Washington and Rhonda M. Loomis.  She was known as the "Outlaw Queen" and considered the most aggressive and most intelligent of all the Loomis children.  It is said the once she dressed as a man and bought oxen from a farmer with counterfeit money.  It is also told that once at a ball she entered to dressing room and slid other ladies muffs on her legs and left the ball with them.  The muffs were later recovered at the Loomis Mansion. 

Cornelia Maria Loomis

There was another sister, Calista, but she didn't seem to play as much of a part in the Loomis family, or at least that is what account of the Loomis gang portray.