Mrs. Catherine Ballard

Isaac Stalcup, the grandfathier of the subject of this sketch, was born in North Carolina, so also was her father, James Stalcup, the latter being born August 22, 1786. They moved from North Carolina to Tennessee, and from Tennessee to Indiana. Isaac Stalcup moved to the locality now known as Greene county in the year 1817, and located on section 26, township 8 north, range 4 west. This was before Greene county was organized, and the territory now embraced in Greene county was then a part of Daviess county, and a few years before had been a part of Knox county.

James Stalcup was married to Margaret Marlin, a native of Ireland, in 1812, while they resided in Tennessee. He came to Indiana in 1818 and settled on the hill just east of where Worthington now stands, and established the first blacksmith shop in that locality. Soon after this a large number of Stalcups came to Greene county, Indiana, and some of them settled in what is now known as Stafford, Washington and Highland townships. No one family in the county could count as many members and none stood higher as good citizens.

James Stalcup had the reputation of making the best axes and plows of any man in the county. He also built the first brick house in the county. His home was noted far and near for its hospitality and for the genial companionship of the husband and wife and their children.

It has been said by persons well acquainted with him that George Stalcup, the oldest son of James Stalcup, if he had been thoroughly educated, would have been the peer of George Dunn, who was the most eminent and lawyer in western Indiana at that time.

Catharine was the second child and was born in Sumner comunty, Tennessee, January 26, 1816, and moved with her parents to Indiana when she was two years old, and passed through all the vicissitudes and hardships of early pioneer life, thus fitting her for the great battle of life with which she was afterward confronted. Her opportunities for education were very limited, as there were few schools in that locality in her girlhood days, but her strong intellect, her determined courage and force of character made up to a great extent for her lack of high school education.

0n the 26th day of March, 1835, she was married to John Jones, who was born in Newberry, South Carolina, on May 9, 1810. To this marriage was born two children: Eliza A., the oldest, died in infancy; the second child was Margaret J. This daughter was sent to the common school of the neighborhood and the high school at Worthington, and while yet a young girl graduated at Worthington College in Ohio in 1858, being the first girl from Greene county who graduated in a college. The next year this daughter was married to C. C. Howe, of Worthington, Indiana, a most estimable citizen.

Mr. Jones died December 8, 1838. On the 22d day of December, 1840, Mrs. Jones was married to Benjamin C. Ballard, a son of Colonel James Ballard, of Shelby county, Kentucky. The Ballard family in Kentucky have been very prominent in many departments of life, and a history of that family is to be found in a sketch of John J. Ballard, published in this history. To this marriage were born two children, John J. Ballard and Ellen Ba!- lard. Mr. Ballard died October 4, 1844. and Mrs. Bal- . lard never after entered into the marriage relation. True to her great appreciation of education, she caused these two children to receive a good education, and each took first-class positions in life. Ellen was married to D. H. Wylie, of one of the best families in Kentucky.

On becoming a widow the last time she had, in addition to her three children, five step-children, the children of Mr. Ballard by a former marriage, to take care of, support and educate. She discharged her duty in this line as well as in every way in her long and useful life.

. In addition to these eight children under her care, she took charge of a large number of orphan children, not related to her, from time to time. At times she would have as many as four orphan children at her home, and seldom without one or more. So many orphan children were taken care of in her family that her home was often called the "Orphans’ Home.” Many of these orphan children who, now occupy positions of honor and trust in many portions of our country, hold her in loving remembrance on account of her disinterested and loving care at a time in life when they had no other person to care for them. During all this struggle in life, by strong force of character, indomitable courage and extraordinary business capacity, she was enabled to accumulate a large amount of property for the time and country in which she lived. As she approached the sunset of life she had ample income from her valuable lands to fully enjoy that grand hospitality and noble charity which seemed to be her delight during all her life. She seemed to fully realize that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” She was eminently an heroic character, in every way worthy of emulation. Her main desire in life seemed to be to do good to humanity, and especially to life up and better the condition of the unfortunate poor and needy. She did not attach herself to any church early in life, but was an earnest, faithful member of the Christian church for more than twenty years before she passed over to the other shore, which was on December 27, 1896.

Her life was a noble inspiration to good deeds. “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right,” she came up to the standard of the Master when He said “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

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"Biographical Memoirs of Greene County, Ind. with Reminiscences of Pioneer Days", B.F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, IN, 1908, Vol. 3 pg. 1184-87

Last updated 10.11.2009