Hannah Morton Redmond, long-time community volunteer and a Rustic Canyon resident for 55 years, died in Santa Monica on June 8 at the age of 99. She would have celebrated her 100th birthday in October. Born and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri, Mrs. Redmond was the daughter of Joseph Morton and Pearl Jane King Morton. She graduated in 1927 from Central High School and attended St. Joseph Junior College before earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority and later became a member of Junior League and the League of Women Voters in St. Joseph. After a vacation trip to California in the 1930s, she decided to relocate to Los Angeles, where she had cousins who lived nearby. She admitted that her decision was influenced somewhat by hay fever: California didn’t harbor the ragweed that caused her such discomfort in the Midwest. She worked first for the Los Angeles Board of Education and later for Wilshire Oil Company. She had begun studies to become a petroleum engineer when mutual friends introduced her to Rod Redmond, whom she later married on the day after D-Day in 1944. They had each developed an interest in travel, and over the course of their marriage, they continued the interest together, including a memorable trip on a freighter from Amsterdam to South Africa, visits to Mrs. Redmond’s brother in The Hague, and travels to Central America and Mexico. Born at a time before women had gained the vote, Mrs. Redmond valued the right highly throughout her life and advocated for informed and active participation of voters in their government. She continued her active involvement with the League of Women Voters organization in Los Angeles, serving on the Board of Directors and continuing to be a member of the Pacific Palisades unit until her death. She remarked on Inauguration Day this year that she was pleased to live to see Barack Obama elected President. Mrs. Redmond had also been active with the PTA at Canyon School, Paul Revere Junior High, and Palisades High School. She served as president of both the Santa Monica and Angeles Girl Scout Councils. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rod; one sister, Margaret Morton; and four brothers, William, David, Joseph Jr., and John. She is survived by daughter Jane Mueller of Fremont, son John Redmond (wife Marilyn White-Redmond of Pacific Palisades), sisters Mary Hillix and Katherine Nelson of St. Joseph, and grandchildren Kathleen Olstein (husband Erik), Annie Mueller and Sean Redmond, and three great-grandsons. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, July 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Santa Monica. Memorial contributions may be made to the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles, 3250 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1005, Los Angeles, CA 90010-1512.
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