Nelle G. Burger
Nelle G. Burger ( Lemon; July 27, 1869 – December 24, 1957) was an American temperance leader. For 34 years, she served as president of the Missouri State Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.). Early life and education Nelle (or "Nellie") Gilham Lemon was born in St. Louis, Missouri, July 27, 1869. Her parents were Thomas James Lemon (1845-1935) and Irene E. (Jacobs) Lemon (1849-?). Nelle's siblings were Daisey, Reginal, Edgar, and Harry. While still a child, the family moved to Roodhouse, Illinois. She was educated in the high school in Roodhouse. Career In Roodhouse, her interest in temperance work began by a chance invitation to attend a meeting of the local W.C.T.U. After she married Charles A. Burger (1862-1936) on September 1, 1886, she moved with her husband to Clark, Randolph County, Missouri, and became actively involved in every feature of the temperance cause. In December 1896, Burger organized a W.C.T.U. at Rocky Comfort, Missouri. She was subsequently appointed national organizer of the W.C.T.U., and in that interest lectured in every State of the U.S., and in Canada. By appointment of Governor Frederick D. Gardner, she became a member of the State Board of Charities and Corrections, and she was