Celebrating Women

By Wendy Post —

March is recognized as Women’s History Month, and as we close out the month, we can look back with reflection on women in our own communities. The theme for 2025 is “Moving Forward Together! Women Educating & Inspiring Generations,” which highlights the contributions of women in education, mentorship, and leadership. 

Locally, women continue to serve the public as well as their communities. Some have led suffrage celebrations, while others serve as an example of the strength and perseverance of the women who came before us, building a path to the collective strength, equality, and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership, shaping the minds and futures of all generations, as the theme defines.

One of those recognized in this feature is Emma Sedore, the Tioga County historian that embraces history and has dedicated much of her life to writing about it and preserving it.

The other woman who persevered and overcame many challenges in early life, landing in Owego until she passed on Feb. 20, 2025, and just two days before her 106th birthday, is Jeanne Liu You. You’s story is one that embraces travel, family, and community.

But before I delve into the reasons why these two women inspired this story, this writer needs to take note of the many other women within our community that remain an inspiration. Women who serve their communities, working for the greater good. Some that come to mind include our Legislative Chair, Martha Sauerbrey, who has provided dedicated government service for many years and is soon to retire.

I also think about women like the late Fran Leavenworth, Rose Garrity, Pat Hansen, Nancy King from Candor, Marcie Keichle from Newark Valley, and many others, many of whom are still serving their communities. Volunteerism and community service are great ways to stay involved and to keep young, too.

Emma Sedore, Tioga County Historian

Such is the example of Emma Sedore, Tioga County Historian. Last year, the county proclaimed March 12 as Emma Sedore Day in Tioga County, New York, a well-deserved accolade. The proclamation was read that year on the lawn of the county building, and to recognize Sedore for her efforts in the discovery and retrieval of the Bell of Sessions, a bell that once rang from the cupola of the courthouse in the 1800’s when court was in session. You can find that full story online at www.owegopennysaver.com/PS/2024/03/18/emma-sedore-and-the-bell-of-sessions/.

That is only one small piece, however, of Sedore’s accomplishments and contributions.

In 2017, during the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, Sedore immersed herself in every aspect of the celebration. The yearlong events were organized by the Broome-Tioga Suffrage Anniversary Committee, led by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and Tioga County Legislative Chair Martha Sauerbrey.

Sedore, throughout this time, conducted walking tours at the Belva Lockwood Inn, a residence on Front Street in Owego that was purchased by Belva Lockwood in 1863. Lockwood was Principal of the Seminary until 1865. Belva sold the home and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1879. She was the first woman to be admitted to the Bar, and later became the first woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court. Belva went on to run for president of the United States in 1884 and 1888.

In addition to the tours at the Belva Lockwood, Sedore has also been host to walking tours at the Tioga County Historical Society and Museum, served as chair of the Evergreen Cemetery Committee, and delved into storytelling, often with puppets in the early days, among her other varied involvement within the community.

Sedore’s book on Hiawatha Island, however, is what she views today as her biggest accomplishment. The book was published in 1994 and is available at Riverow Bookshop in Owego. The book is also a testament to Sedore’s passion for local history.

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Emma went on to marry the late Steven Richards Sedore. Her husband worked for IBM at that time.

The couple made a move to Owego in 1958, after Sedore’s husband transferred to IBM Owego. They lived on Front Street for seven years before moving into the Lincolnshire Development, where they raised their children, Thomas and Elaine.

Sedore recalled speaking engagements at the Coburn Library early on. Emma integrated puppets into her storytelling and even contributed stories to The Owego Pennysaver, titled “Raggity Time Puppets.”

Emma recalled, with a chuckle, “We had one story where the king would let his leg fly off, and the children would laugh.”

Sedore started a circuit around her act, taking it to Binghamton and the surrounding areas.

In 1987, Secore began working with Nora Schumacher as a clerk in the Youth Bureau. She also started classes at Broome Community College and began writing. Soon after, Sedore was invited by Warren Olen, past director of TCHS, to serve as the Town of Owego Historian. In 2001 she was appointed county historian, a position she still holds today at the age of 91.

As Sedore reflected on this during an interview last week, she stated that her desire today is to just keep learning.

Surrounded by books, Sedore’s reach extends beyond the community.

Several years ago, Sedore assisted this writer in obtaining the ISBNs needed to begin work on a series of books surrounding the Rochester Mafia. Sedore worked with the writer and the books’ author, Blair Kenny, via a phone call made to Florida, offering advice and suggestions for publishing.

Sedore has also been a “go to” resource for historical inquiries, having information readily available to help draw a picture of the county’s past. You can contact Sedore by email at SedoreE@tiogacountyny.gov; she would love to talk history with you.

Jeanne Liu You

Another local woman who stands out, for the purpose of this article, is the late Jeanne Liu You. A resident of Owego since 1980, this longtime community member passed away just two days before her 106th birthday. According to her daughter, Olivia Chin, Jeanne was living on her own, tending to her gardens and cooking up until the age of 104, when the family realized that she needed assistance.

Jeanne, who lived through the end of the Spanish Flu in China, lived through the Japanese War, and was in China prior to the Communist Party taking over, came to the United States in the mid 1940s. Although for a brief time, she came back for good in 1948. Jeanne spent her time traveling, lived in New York City, and then came to Owego in 1988, following the passing of her husband in 1985 at the age of 72.

Jeanne’s daughter, Olivia, of Owego, described her mother as very strong. “She was an iron-fisted person, but very soft spoken,” said Olivia. “She kept our family together.”

Curiosity, however, about this soon to be 106-year-old woman, who lived happily tending to her gardens in the quaint village of Owego, New York, revealed some stories to tell. We caught up with her daughter earlier this month to hear them.

Jeanne Liu You was born in Tientsin, China on Feb. 22, 1919. Her family had a multi-level brick house that was home to multiple generations of family members. During the Japanese war with China, Tientsin (a major port city) decided to flood its own city to avoid being invaded by the Japanese.

Jeanne, according to Olivia, recalled being on the upper floors of her house and catching fish in the flooded stairway to eat.

She grew up with a special bond with her paternal grandparents. Unusual for China at the time, she had two pet dogs – a small Pekinese and a big German Shepherd named Charlie.

She and her friends enjoyed watching Tarzan movies as teenagers, no doubt due to the scantily clad actors. She and her best friend, the granddaughter of the last emperor of China, opened the first women-owned store in Tientsin, selling handmade silk-embroidered goods.

In her late teens, Jeanne came to the United States and attended a young girls’ finishing college near Boston, where she majored in Art History and was taught Western social skills as well as horseback riding. According to Olivia, Jeanne was an accomplished oil painter.

After that, she returned to China. However, her mother, at that time, was worried about the political events in the late 1940’s and persuaded Jeanne to return to the United States. She lived in New York City.

Jeanne’s best friend invited her and a young man to dinner. After dinner, her friend suddenly left to see a movie with her husband, leaving the two embarrassed singles together. The young man tried to go to China immediately after the communist regime took over, but he was unable to do so and traveled to Hong Kong and Japan instead. He was beleaguered by scores of families who had escaped to Hong Kong, presenting him with their daughters because he was a resident of the United States and could bring a bride back to America.

Instead, he bought a pearl necklace, returned to New York, and proposed to Jeanne. 

They were married and lived a fascinating life. Paul You worked as a simultaneous interpreter at the United Nations, and due to his work, they traveled the world together. Their trips and his work took them to London, Paris, Geneva, Athens, Vienna, Budapest, and more. They went to Russia, China, Japan, Spain, Costa Rica, and beyond. Eventually, they had two children, Nicholas and Olivia, who traveled with them almost everywhere.

After living in New York, Jeanne and the children moved to Lausanne, Switzerland. Jeanne was a fabulous cook, and she was quite famous in Switzerland for her cooking, teaching Chinese cooking courses, and entertaining large dinner parties. After a few years, Paul was able to relocate as Chief Interpreter at the United Nations in Geneva, near Lausanne.

As for their children, Nicholas worked for the United Nations Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya; Olivia worked at IBM Federal Systems in Owego, N.Y.

After Paul died, Jeanne moved to New York for a short while before moving to Owego in 1988 to be close to her daughter and son-in-law. There she enjoyed what Olivia described as Jeanne’s “retirement years.”

Olivia commented, “After all the excitement and constant traveling, she was happy to live a quiet life in the small village of Owego.”

Her passion, according to Olivia, was gardening.

“She loved gardening and grew flowers and vegetables,” said Olivia, adding, “When she worked in the garden, people would stop and talk to her.”

Jeanne also loved walking, which undoubtedly added to her longevity. She was often seen on the main streets of Owego, sometimes just to go to the post office or a drugstore, and mainly for the enjoyment of walking.

Jeanne kept to herself, according to her daughter, enjoying a life filled with her grandchildren, Katie and Elizabeth Chin. For many years, she had her family over for a weekly dinner filled with warmth and amazing food.

“She was a great cook,” said Olivia. “She would make our favorite dishes, like scallion pancakes or roast beef.”

This is what her daughter, Olivia, loves the most about Owego: the number of wonderful people who helped out this “quiet and self-contained woman.”

An example is the regular trips she would make to John’s Fine Foods, where the previous owners, specifically Bev, helped her in her later years by driving her grocery purchases home.

She would go to the bank, and employees would stand outside to see her walk most of the way home to make sure she was safe.

When she was outside gardening, people would stop to chat. 

Jeanne kept young, too, by staying fit. Although Olivia states that Jeanne’s youthfulness was partly genetics, she also kept moving.

“The walking kept her going,” stated Olivia, adding, “She stayed in a house with stairs to keep herself active.”

But time doesn’t wait, and at the age of 104, dementia took its toll, and Jeanne went to Riverview Manor Nursing Home for rehab and then long-term care. According to Olivia, she was well cared for. While there, Olivia and her husband would visit almost daily.

“Even there,” said Olivia, “she would get out of bed and take off with a walker at least once an hour.”

“She was always moving.”

Jeanne died two days before her 106th birthday, after what Olivia described as a long and fruitful life.

If you have stories about a remarkable woman in your life, send us your thoughts and submissions; we would love to hear your stories. You can email this writer at wpost@owegopennysaver.com.