EUGENE, Ore. — Two sisters are determined to bring their late mother’s dream to life by publishing her children’s books.
Jill Bartholomaus was tragically shot and killed by her estranged husband in 2005. At the time, Jessie was a 21-year-old college student but dropped out of school to take care of her 11-year-old sister Molly. The sisters recently discovered that their mother had eight children’s stories tucked away in a manila envelope along with cover letters for publishers. Molly and Jessie are working to give their mother a voice once more. They believe this effort is a way to reclaim some of Jill’s power that domestic violence had silenced, as well as a way to honor their mother’s memory.
“It was still important for her,” said Molly Johnson, Jill’s daughter. “And something she wanted to pursue until the time she died and, because of that, we feel like her dream didn’t belong in a closet which is where it was.”
The sisters are currently in the process of editing the books and are actively raising $20,000 for an illustrator. To learn more about this family’s journey and to donate to their efforts, visit their GoFundMe page.