The Sandburg Daughters

/

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site recently shared tributes on its Facebook page celebrating the remarkable lives of Carl and Lilian Sandburg’s three daughters—Margaret, Janet, and Helga.

Though each of the daughters lived uniquely different lives, they shared a deep bond rooted in creativity, intellect, and a profound love for their home, Connemara. Along with their remarkable parents, these women helped create a legacy that remains at the core of Flat Rock’s identity.

Margaret, Janet, and Helga were not only the daughters of one of America’s most cherished poets—they were vibrant individuals whose passions and quiet contributions enriched the Sandburg legacy and continue to inspire visitors today.

You can find the original posts on Facebook here.

The Sandburg Daughters

Margaret

Young Margaret Sandburg reading a book, photographer unknown, Carl Sandburg Collection at The Rare Book & Manuscript Library of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The eldest daughter of Carl and Lilian Sandburg, Margaret “Marne” Mary Steichen Sandburg, was born on June 3, 1911. Her intelligence showed at an early age, and her range of interests was broad. She was an avid reader, pianist, gardener, painter, and birdwatcher. It was Margaret who established the trail of bluebird houses on the Connemara property, and she kept journals documenting the birds she observed. She was even a junior member of the National Audubon Society.

Both Margaret’s parents and their friends were in awe of her cleverness, but her diagnosis with epilepsy prevented her from living a life outside of the family home. Since there were only experimental and often uncomfortable treatments available at the time Margaret didn’t have many options for independent living. The treatments she underwent as a child affected her even as an adult. She was physically weaker than her sisters and less inclined towards farm work – although she, too, had a deep love for animals and nature.

Regardless of her health issues, she lived a full and vibrant life with her loving family engaging with her many pastimes. A look around Margaret’s room offers glimpses into her interests in Asian culture, art history, Native American culture, and French and Russian literature – many of these were shared with her parents and siblings to various extents. Margaret was a voracious reader, and she even read and notated the family’s entire Encyclopaedia Britannica collection. She was mostly self-educated, much like her father and his idol, Abraham Lincoln.  

Visitors to the historic house museum learn that Margaret organized the 12,000 books in the house. When the Dewey Decimal Classification system was first introduced, she suggested implementing it in the house, but her father disagreed. As a result, the books remain organized by genre and theme throughout the various rooms, usually with books by the same author kept in close proximity. Maintaining organization was no easy task, as Carl Sandburg was known to place a book in any open space he found rather than return it to the same shelf. Aside from being the family librarian and archivist, she also helped edit her father’s work.

Margaret Sandburg and Carl Sandburg playing Chinese Checkers in the house at Connemara, photograph by John Vachon, 1956, Carl Sandburg Papers at Carl Sandburg Home NHS.

From a young age, Margaret seemed to resemble her father both in looks and in personality. She too was more of a night owl and frequently took nighttime walks with her father through Connemara, singing songs as they went. They played music together in the family room, she on piano and her father on the guitar. When Helga and her two children lived at Connemara, Margaret attempted to teach her nephew and niece the piano, always eager to share her knowledge and interests with others.

Margaret was instrumental to preserving the legacy of her father and family at Connemara. She offered insight to the National Park Service and even transcribed and edited the love letters of her father and mother into a book, "The Poet and the Dream Girl." Her sharp intellect and incredible memory helped breathe life into her parents’ love story and bring new dimensions of her family’s personalities to light.

Janet

Janet Sandburg and the dog, photographer unknown, Carl Sandburg Collection at The Rare Book & Manuscript Library of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

The second daughter of Carl and Lilian Sandburg, Janet “Jannie” Mary Steichen Sandburg was born June 27, 1916. Almost immediately, Carl Sandburg noted that Janet took after his wife in looks with her blue-gray Steichen eyes. Janet also shared similarities in personality to her mother, as she had a deep affection for animals and took great care of the goats. She rose early, like her mother, and would prepare a breakfast tray for her father to leave outside his room before feeding the family dogs and then going to tend to the herd. Since the goat kids at Connemara were separated from their mothers almost immediately, many of them regarded Janet, their daily caretaker, as their mother. She was at the farm so often, in fact, that two pulls on the bell by the house at Connemara was a signal specifically to call her back to the house.  

At the age of sixteen, Janet was struck by a car. She was plagued with severe headaches for years afterwards. Nevertheless, she had her own schedule, social life, and interests despite never moving out of the family home. She enjoyed reading and drawing in her room, listening to music, cutting pictures out of magazines for collages like her father, and keeping track of the weather. Everyone admired her cheerful disposition, and she was quick to befriend people when she was out and about. She frequently wrote to people and signed off most of her letters with, “I think of you quite often. Loads of love, Janet.”

Janet Sandburg and Carl Sandburg, photograph by June Glenn Jr., 1946, Carl Sandburg Papers at Carl Sandburg Home NHS.

Janet, like her father, liked to collect things – though their specific interests were different. In Janet’s room visitors see many cat-themed objects, like figurines and even a tape dispenser. Janet had an affinity for cats and would cut out photos of them for her collages. She also liked birds, and birdwatched with her mother and Margaret at the dining room table where they could see the birdfeeders at the south end of the house. Additionally, Janet collected dolls, from her life-sized baby doll Nell with eyes that open and close to a Barbie-like doll in a traditional dress.

Janet was a fixture at Connemara and a bright and loving presence for everyone around her. Her routine made sure everyone’s day could go smoothly, and her letters to friends and family provide insight into what daily life in Flat Rock was like. Her gentle demeanor was a reflection of her family’s love and care, and a great reminder that Carl Sandburg wasn’t only an author, poet, and biographer, but a devoted father who cherished time with his family at Connemara.

Helga

We round out our Women’s History Month posts with the youngest child of Carl and Lilian Sandburg, Helga Mary Steichen Sandburg, born November 24, 1918. She was the only daughter to get married and have children. After her divorce in 1945, Helga went to North Carolina with her mother in search of a new home. When the Sandburgs purchased Connemara, Helga and her children moved too.

Helga Sandburg sitting in a tire swing, photographer unknown, Carl Sandburg Collection at The Rare Book & Manuscript Library of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

While Helga lived at Connemara from 1945-1952, she was an integral part of both her parents’ work. She would answer her father’s mail, fleshing out replies from his shorthand notes or dictations. She shared her mother’s office, typing up goat pedigrees and helping organize documents. Helga was the reason the family had goats — it was a compromise on her request for a Jersey cow in 1935, and something that happened to pique her mother’s interest. She later said about the Chikaming herd, “I was the farmer. My mother was the intellect.” While Helga lived at Connemara, she and Janet took on the bulk of the farm labor, but her mother stepped in at the farm more after Helga moved away.

In addition to helping with the goats, horses, pigs, cows, sheep, and chickens on the farm, Helga ran a Siamese cattery and bred Dobermanns, and her two children also briefly raised guinea pigs. Helga also had a myriad of other hobbies that she pursued passionately: gardening, playing guitar, singing, painting, breadmaking, and beekeeping. She encouraged her children to explore Connemara and all it had to offer.

Helga remarried in 1952 and moved to Washington, D.C., with her children and husband. She worked in the Library of Congress and pursued a literary career. Her first book, "Wheel of the Earth," was released in 1958. She would go on to publish 17 books including novels, memoirs, children's books, a music book, and poetry volumes. She divorced a second time in 1959 and, like her father, went on the lecture circuit. She married Dr. George Crile, Jr., in 1963 and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he lived. He later described her in his autobiography as “the most talented woman I have ever met.”

Carl Sandburg with wife and Helga at desk, 1946, June Glenn, Jr., Carl Sandburg Papers at Carl Sandburg Home NHS.

By all accounts, Helga had boundless energy and passion, not to mention talent. Although she didn’t live at Connemara long, she left her marks all over the property – perhaps most notably the beloved herd of goats, but also in the gardens and structures. Her autobiography and book about her parents’ love story revealed invaluable insight into her family’s life. Her willingness and ability to try anything mirrored her parents’ endless pursuits of knowledge and likely stemmed from their unending support of their children in all their endeavors. 

Read more about Helga’s life and the Sandburg family in “Where Love Begins: A Portrait of Carl Sandburg and his Family As Seen Through the Eyes of His Youngest Daughter,” "A Great and Glorious Romance: The Story of Carl Sandburg and Lilian Steichen," and in Helga’s daughter, Paula Steichen Polega’s book, "My Connemara."

—

From Margaret’s encyclopedic mind and thoughtful organization of the family library, to Janet’s gentle care for the farm animals and unwavering warmth, to Helga’s bold literary pursuits and zest for life, the Sandburg daughters each left an indelible imprint on Connemara and beyond. Their lives reflect the beauty of curiosity, resilience, and familial love.

As we reflect on their stories this Women’s History Month, we are reminded that history is often shaped not just by the famous, but by those who live with quiet brilliance, compassion, and a steadfast devotion to the life they build with those they love. For this reason, we give thanks to the contributions of the entire Sandburg family to our Flat Rock community.