Previously on this blog, a post entitled “Report on the Ku Klux Klan Demonstration at Millersburg, 1927” noted the following:
At 4:30. Mrs. Corda Brubaker, representative of the Women of the Ku Klux Klan spoke on “Americanism” and held her hearers spell-bound with her startling remarks.
Who was Corda Brubaker and was she related to the Brubaker family of Millersburg? At first search, no Brubaker was found in any on-line records with the first name of “Corda.” Attempts to find her as Cordelia, Cordella or similar names, also came up empty. However, a match was found to a Cora Brubaker or Cora V. Brubaker and it has now been confirmed that this is the same person who “held her hearers spell-bound” at the Millersburg event.
Cora Violet Daily was born December 31, 1881, in Pennsylvania, the daughter of George Daily and Mary Daily. On September 25, 1903, she married William Lindley Brubaker, who was born May 2, 1872, at Duncannon, Perry County, Pennsylvania, the son of Christian Brubaker and Mary [Usaw] Baker, an immigrant from Germany. In the 1900 Census, William was living in Harrisburg and his occupation was railroad brakeman. In 1910, still in Harrisburg, but married, he was still working as a brakeman, and the couple had a four year old son, Marlin Daily Brubaker. In 1920, he and Cora were living in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and he was working as a conductor on a steam railroad. Their fourteen year old son, Marlin D. Brubaker, was living with them. By 1930, the son was no longer in the household, and William was working as a designer at a stove works, with Cora stating “no” occupation, William died August 24, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio, and is buried at Middletown, Dauphin County. At this point in the research, a cause of death for him has not been located. As a widow, Cora continued to live in Middletown and moved in with her parents. She gave her occupation in 1940 as “clerk,” and indicated that she was a “new worker.” Cora died in December 1975 in Pennsylvania.
While more research needs to be done on William L. Brubaker, at this point it does not seem that he was closely related to any Brubaker’s who were involved in business in Millersburg.
In addition to the Millersburg Klan Demonstration which took place in late June 1927, an advertisement was found for a Klan rally held on August 20, 1920, in which Mrs. Cora Brubaker was the featured and only named speaker. The notice, shown above, was from the Conneautville Courier, Conneautville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, August 17, 1927. The Conneautville Klan meeting featured band concerts, a baby show, drill teams, games, and ended with a “fiery cross.”
On February 2, 1929, the Harrisburg Telegraph reported that Mrs. Cora Brubaker represented Klan Haven at a Christmas party for orphanage children. Klan Haven was the orphanage created by the Klan at a site near Paxtang, Dauphin County, which was involved in a disastrous fire in 1927.
After the Klan membership significantly declined at the end of the 1920s, Mrs. Brubaker concentrated her “charitable” interests at the Odd Fellows’ Orphanage at Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.
A report in the Daily Item, Sunbury, of August 11, 1939, noted that Mrs. Cora V. Brubaker of Middletown was president of the Rebekah Board of the Odd Fellows’ Orphanage:
She is now at the institution, where she has been of material assistance since the departure of the former warden and matron, Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Titus.
On August 16, 1945, the Perry County Times, New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania, indicated that Cora V. Brubaker was secretary of the Odd Fellows’ Orphanage. The Odd Fellows, as previously noted on this blog, was a racist (whites-only) organization.
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In the Harrisburg Telegraph, April 3, 1944, it was reported that Mrs. Brubaker had been appointed to the Steelton War Price and Rationing Board:
NAMED TO OPA BOARD
Mrs. Cora V. Brubaker, 32 Pine Street, Middletown, has been named to serve as a volunteer worker on the Steelton War Price and Rationing Board, Frank J. Loftus, director of the Harrisburg District OPA Office, announced today.
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The Harrisburg Telegraph of July 17, 1944, reported on Mrs. Brubaker’s efforts on behalf of the Girl Scouts to collect waste fats to support the war effort. Note that the collection of the fats was “segregated” and that the “colored” Girl Scouts had to be “authorized” and could only collect fats in the first ward.
Collect Waste Fats
The collection of waste kitchen fats now in progress by the Girl Scouts under the supervision of Mrs. Cora V. Brubaker, will continue two more weeks due to many scouts being away on their vacations. The collection of the fats is far more important than many realize. The government is daily pleading to housewives to save every bit of waste fats for the use of our boys over there. The boys get sulpha drugs and ammunition when you save and give the fats.
The Girl Scouts will also make collections in the second and third wards. Authorized colored Girl Scouts will make collections in the first ward only. Each scout is requested to wear the official scout pin.
After World War II, not much is known about the work or interests of Cora V. Brubaker. In 1945, she was 64 years old. She did not apply for a Social Security number until 1963, when she was 82 years old. And, according to records on Find-a-Grave, she died in December 1975, and is buried next to her husband at Middletown.
The son, Marlin Daily Brubaker, died in Cocoa Beach, Florida, December 18, 1980. There was one known granddaughter, Jeannie [Brubaker] Hammer, born 1954, died 2013.
Additional information is sought about Cora Violet [Daily] Brubaker who apparently continued her racist, white-supremacist activities after the Ku Klux Klan had lost influence in Pennsylvania.
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Photo of women in Ku Klux Klan regalia is from the cover of the paperback edition of Women of the Ku Klux Klan: Racism and Gender in the 1920s, by Kathleen M. Blee. The book references a New York Times article of July 11, 1926, about Mrs. Brubaker. It is not believed that Mrs. Brubaker is one of the women pictured.
News articles are from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.