The Muncie Morning Star Deaths
1904-1905

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Dec. 2, 1904  Pg. 10, Column 2

GOODRICH- Miss Hulda Goodrich, 35, died of heart failure at noon Thursday
at her home near Yorktown.  The funeral will be conducted at the Pleasant Run church Saturday morning at 10 o'clock.Burial in the Pleasant Run cemetery.

Dec. 2, 1904  Pg. 10, Column 2

CHEESMAN- The death of William Cheesman, for many years a resident of the county, occurred at his home in Monroe township, five miles southwest of the city, at 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon.The deceased was 68 years old, and had lived on the farm where he died for thirty years.  He was born and raised in this state and was well known here. He is survived by a wife only.The funeral will be conducted in the Mt. Zion church Saturday. The funeral cortege will leave the residence at 10 o'clock. Burial will be made in the Tomlinson cemetery,

Dec. 2, 1904  Pg. 10, Column 2

METTMAN- The death of Mary Mettman, 38 years, occurred at the home of her sister, Mrs. Adam Crone,Thursday morning at 2:30 o'clock. The funeral will be conducted from the St. Lawrence Catholic Church Saturday morning at 9 o'clock.  Rev. W.G. Schmidt will officiate.

Tuesday, January 10, 1904

"Very Large Photo"

Mrs. Susan Ferguson
Cooked meals in hollow stump and helped drive wolves away

Mrs. Susan Ferguson, wife of Josiah Ferguson, was born in Northampton county, N.C., June 9, 1823 and died at the home of her son, Josiah Ferguson, near Gaston, December 25, 1904, at the age of 81 years. She was the daughter of Josiah and Tabitha Oliver. Her ancestors were from the British isles and came to America during the Revolutionary war.  In 1833 she, with her father and brothers and sisters, moved to Ohio. They walked the distance, which was over 500 miles.  While on this trip she met Josiah Ferguson,whom she married in 1838.They
were very poor at first, but both were industrious and saving, and they soon
had accumulated enough to go to housekeeping.  In 1848 they removed to Delaware county, Ind., where they remained the balance of their lives. She delighted in telling of how she cooked many meals in the hollow of stumps
and helped her husband drive away the wolves. She has raised sixteen children,
six of whom are living.

Mrs. Ferguson was not a member of any church, and always thought that she could live just as good out of the church as she could in it.  She was a highly respected person around Gaston.

The picture has been taken for over twenty-five years, but looks very much like she did before her death.
 

Monday, December 19, 1904

NANCY FORD DEAD, AGED NINETY-TWO

Mother of Seventeen Children Passed away 25 Years to a Day after Husband

Daughter of Indian Fighter

Settled on a Clearing in Delaware County When the Indians were Neighbors

Mrs. Nancy Ford, aged 92, one of the oldest residents of the county, died yesterday at the home of her son, George Ford, 1600 West Ninth street. Death was due to old age.

The funeral will be held Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock from the residence.  Burial will be made in Beech Grove cemetery.

A remarkable coincidence connected with the death is the fact that her husband died twenty-five years ago on Sunday, December 18, at about the same hour that Mrs. Ford's spirit passed away, and their closing moments were much the same.

BORN IN YEAR 1812

Mrs. Ford was born in Pike county, Ohio, in 1812.  She came here with her husband in 1853.  At that time Muncie consisted of only a dozen houses.  Indians were roving about the dense forests of this territory and wolves and panthers were more numerous than white men.

Mrs. Ford, her husband and children took land by the government landgrant act.  Ford staked out a claim near where the town of Eaton is situated.  Mr. Ford died in 1879.  Since that time Mrs. Ford has been living with her children.

Mrs. Ford came from one of the oldest families of West Virginia.  Her father was Captain James Stuart, whose name is prominent in the annals of the Indian wars of the early part of the nineteenth century. Long before his daughter even thought of settling in Indiana he had fought the redskins about this section.  At one time he was stationed at Ft. Recovery, O., where he did gallant service.

STORIES OF EARLY DAYS

The Stuarts came into Ohio from West Virginia before that section contained more than 10,000 white people.  Mrs. Ford, whose mind remained very active until a few hours before her death, often told her children and grandchildren of the stirring times of the early history of that state.  The family moved from West Virginia in a pack-train.  There was a general exodus about that time, due to the efforts of the government to colonize Ohio.  Indians and wild beasts were so numerous that a troop of government soldiers escorted the party to their new home.  Mrs. Ford was a child at the time her parents moved into Ohio.  She remained there until a short time after her marriage, when she came to Delaware county.

Mrs. Ford was the mother of seventeen children, eleven of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. They are Andrew S. Ford, of Blackford county; Mrs. Mandy Vance, of Dunkirk, Ind., Albert Ford, of Delaware county, and Joseph and G.W. Ford, of Muncie. The children were all at her bedside when she died.
 

Sunday, January 8, 1905

Simon R Braden
Brother has forsaken Braden and Company will bury his body
Simon R. Braden and sister

"Large Photo"

The remains of Simon R. Braden, who died as the result of injuries received in being struck by a train Thursday evening, will probably be buried in Muncie at the expense of the Big Four Railroad company, which employed him.  The woman in the picture above is his sister, whose name and residence are not known here. The photograph was taken while she was here on a visit some time ago.

Only one telegram has been received from his relatives, and that was signed by J.C. Braden, who is supposed to be a brother, in Cambridge, O.  It said:  "Bury the remains of S.R. Braden in Muncie.  J.C. Braden."  Nothing else has been heard from the dead man's relatives. The time of the funeral has not yet been set.

Dec. 2, 1904

William Ford
Redkey, Ind., Dec. 1.-William Ford died from the effects of a paralytic stroke and funeral services were held today at the home under the auspices of Alexander Trimble Post, No. 213, of this place.

Dec. 2, 1904

David Dean
Richmond, Ind., Dec. 1- David Dean, 66, at Greensfork, this county, was found dead in his home, where he lived alone, the result of spoplexy.  The body was found seated in a chair before the fire.  Dean served in the civil war and was well known.



All articles in this section are Contributed and transcribed by DJ Faust DEFLEUR@prodigy.net

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