When you turn on your windshield wipers, do you know who invented this beneficial automobile aid? Guess who invented the coffee filter brewing system. Ever wonder who came up with the idea of a practical dishwasher? Women!

Mother’s Day is an occasion that is often warm, and happy in celebration of mothers. It is a day that special greetings and attention are bestowed upon not only one’s own mother but also to grandmothers, aunts, wives, sweethearts, special friends, teachers and to anyone who merits the accolades of motherhood. It is also the day that we pay tribute to inventors, because all mothers must be inventors to keep things in order and running smoothly.

Was it not your mother who ran a shoelace through the sleeves of your winter coat in third grade? She came up with this invention so that your red, knitted mittens would always be close at hand! Women are natural inventors — they see a need and they take care of it. Take for example Mary Anderson–she was riding in a streetcar in 1902 on a snowy day. She had noticed that the driver had to get out and continually clean off the windshield. She thought how inconvenient and the delays this halting caused were numerous. Anderson went back home, made a sketch of her device, and wrote up a description of it that included an inside handle for convenience. Being smart, she then applied for a patent. Anderson’s attention to creating a commonplace device surely proves that she had a clear idea how to solve this one!

Melitta Benz, a housewife from Dresden, Germany, invented the paper coffee filter brewing system. Prior to the invention of this filter, coffee was usually brewed by pouring fine coffee powder in hot water and waiting for the powder to settle at the bottom of the coffee pot. Melitta’s filter took care of this concern and made for quicker cups of coffee. She was also a bright businesswoman who founded the Melitta Company. Bentz’s innovation remains the precursor to all modern pour-over and drip coffee brewing worldwide.

Josephine Grais Cochrane knew that standing at the sink and doing dishes was not for her. She also realized that millions of other women agreed with her. Cochrane was an American inventor who invented the first successful hand-powered dishwasher with the assistance of mechanic George Butters. Her patent was issued on Dec. 28, 1886, and she founded the Garis-Cochrane Manufacturing Company. She rewarded Butters by inviting him to be her first employee. She was brilliant at marketing and showed her new machine at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Nine of her machines were installed in the restaurants and pavilions at the fair and were met with great interest. Hands across America were raised because dishpan hands were going away! In time, Cochrane’s business became part of KitchenAid. Cochran was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006 for her patent.

Here’s one more woman inventor that rocked the baby world — Marion Donovan was a graduate of Rosemont College and Yale University. She is credited with inventing the first waterproof diaper. As a housewife, Donovan was all too familiar with the deficiencies of common diapers. Once again, we see the ingenuity of a woman to fix a concern. Donovan experimented with cloth from her shower curtains to sew a reusable leakproof and breathable diaper. It was, however, nylon parachute cloth that won out in the design. She called her diaper “Boater,” as it looked like a boat and because it helped babies “stay afloat.” No manufacturers were interested in getting onboard. Donovan decided to manufacture it herself. It debuted at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City, where it became an instant success. She sold her patent that year, 1951 for $1 million.

The list goes on of amazing women inventors. Let take a moment and give thanks for the women inventors who “patented” us to be kind, work hard, play fair, inspired us to appreciate music and art, taught us to cook, reminded us that our best accessory is our smile, instilled in us to dream — no matter what, taught us to trust our instincts, showed us the importance of an education, reminded us that family matters first, to have faith, and always loved us unconditionally. Thanks mothers!

Every time I step into the kitchen to cook, I am reminded of my mother and the time that she took to teach her sons the importance and the joy of cooking. Thank you, mom! This is the second cookie recipe that my mother taught me to make. It comes from the St. John’s Lutheran Church Cookbook in Underwood. It was submitted by Rachel Westby-Busch. The cookies have great flavor, and the frosting not only looks inviting, but tastes delicious too.

Coffee Creams

1 ½ cups of brown sugar

1 cup soft butter

2 eggs

1 cup strong coffee

½ cup molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 to 4 cups of flour

Cream butter first and then add sugar and beat well. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add molasses and coffee. Add sifted dry ingredients. (I usually add the 4 cups of flour). It is best to refrigerate dough for an hour or more. Drop on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until the cookie springs back when touched. Cool and frost with powder sugar icing.