Two Ladies – Toshi Seeger and Anne McAfee
Anne McAfee-Texas Activist and Amazing Lady
Pete and Toshi Seeger. Thanks to Tom Chapin for the photo
UPDATE: Anne McAfee passed away on the morning of July 12
One I didn’t know and one I know well. Toshi passed away on July 9 at the wonderful age of 91 just shy of her 70th wedding anniversary, and Anne is hanging on in Hospicecare at age 82 and has been married to her husband for at least 50 years.
These two ladies probably did know each other albeit tangentially. Anne McAfee is the niece of John Henry Faulk, humorist, folklorist, storyteller and radio show host who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. At one time, John Henry was married to Hally Wood, a folk singer in New York. In the late 1940’s John Henry had a radio show called “Hootenanny” and he often had as guests many of the folksingers that were based around New York City: Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee and the Almanac Singers.
Anne told me about visiting Uncle John Henry and Hally in New York when she was in her late teens and meeting quite a few of the folks mentioned above. I am pretty sure that she probably met Toshi then as well.
Both of these ladies were strong women with the courage of their convictions and beliefs as their guiding force in life. In their life partnerships, both were the backbone to their husbands and walking at their sides through all the years together.
Anne is my step-mother’s cousin and in getting to know her, I have come to admire and respect her. Along with her husband, Bill McAfee they have both been instrumental in progressive politics not only in Austin, but in the entire state of Texas. Anne suffered a stroke doing what she loved: joining in a protest at the Austin State Capitol Building.
If there is a place where we end up after we leave our physical bodies, I know very well that Anne and Toshi will get re-acquainted and have quite a lot to discuss.
