Last Updated on May 4, 2026
Please join us for:
The Great Triumph: A Memoir of Courage and Devotion
Friday, May 8, 2026
10 AM – Noon
The Gallery, Charlestown Square
Presenter: Jeanne Estelle Saddler, author and former Baltimore Sun reporter
The Great Triumph, the story of the author’s mother, puts an unforgettable woman’s face on the turbulent 20th century – from the Great Migration to the Vietnam War.
Starting life as a sharecropper’s daughter, Thelma Jean Richardson navigated the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights era and the Vietnam War, in Detroit, Michigan, and, eventually, overcame great odds to save her son. This is the story of a woman who used education, mentoring and examples of courage to build a legacy of love and success for her family — and how the author believes we can all follow in her footsteps.
If you have questions or you’d like to be added to the group email, please contact Lois Schmidt or Sam Cushman. Contact information can be found in the Resident Directory, available online in MyErickson.