Today, May 23, on what would have been her 150th birthday, the City of Oklahoma City celebrated “Kate Barnard Day,” by proclamation of Mayor David Holt. Kate Barnard was the first woman in Oklahoma to be elected to statewide office, only the 11th in the nation at the time.
Her devout Catholic faith guided her work and reform efforts. She faced many challenges and retaliation in her career, which hit a peak in 1910 when she sought justice on behalf of American Indian orphans.
After leaving public service, she passed away in 1930. Her funeral was held at Saint Joseph Old Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City with nearly 1,400 people attending. It wasn’t until 1982 that her grave received a headstone.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is currently raising funds to commission an 8 foot statue of Kate Barnard to stand at the Sanctuary Women’s Development Center in Oklahoma City.
Deacon Dave Ashton delivered a prayer and Mayor Holt and many other city leaders honored Kate’s legacy by placing flowers on her grave at Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City.
(Photos: Avery Holt, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City)
