From collection Candidates
In 1882 Mrs. Hester M. Smith was elected Pulaski County, Illinois superintendent of schools. She served until 1906. In 1912 Mrs. Smith was elected Illinois grand matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, a fraternal organization with male and female members, and ties to the Masons. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilgssi/gazette/obit_1914.htm http://www.archive.org/stream/educationalhisto00cook#page/205/mode/1up