Brother Charles Gloyd was a successful western Missouri physician who, among other things, organized and became first Master of Holden Lodge 262 in Johnson County, Missouri, in 1867. That same year, Brother Gloyd's mother began caring for an infant living with a young girl in town, Carrie Moore. Charles and Carrie met through that relationship, fell in love and married. Unfortunately, Brother Gloyd had been hiding his dependence on alcohol. The marriage soon fell apart and Dr. Gloyd died less than a year later. The tragedy devastated young Carrie, who was certain her husband's alcoholism was at the root of the problem. She remarried, took her second husband's surname and changed the spelling of her first name to "Carry." With an ax in one hand and a Bible in the other, she dedicated her life to eliminating the scourge of alcoholism and showing demon rum it had better not mess with the likes of Carry A. Nation.
There is some controversy over the spelling of Ms. Nations first name. Her father recorded it as "Carry" in the family Bible, but official records show it as "Carrie." Nation used "Carrie" most of her life but once her anti-alcohol movement was in full swing she saw the value of the slogan-like name "Carry A. Nation." She adopted that as her official name and even had it trademarked. That is also how it appears on her tombstone in Belton, Missouri.
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