Gilkey - Hannah Stringham
HANNAH STRINGHAM GILKEY
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana Saturday April 18, 1891
Mrs. Hannah Gilkey, one of the oldest residents of the county died in her 80th year at the residence of her daughter, Miss Maggie Gilkey, 409 S. Washington Street, Monday at 4 o'clock p.m. of pneumonia superinduced by la grippe [Stomach Flu]. Mrs. Gilkey was the daughter of Daniel and Abigail Stringham and was born at Newburg, NY Nov 25, 1811.
At the age of 5 years she came to Indiana Territory with her father's family. They settled near Terre Haute and began the arduous task of rearing a home in a new country. In the year 1827 she was married to John Gilkey and shortly afterward removed with her husband to this county arriving in Ripley Township. Her husband died Sept 30, 1846, leaving her with a family of six children ranging from 12 year to 6 months of age. With indomitable courage and true devotion, she took up the task of rearing her almost helpless family. Mrs. Gilkey belonged to a family some of whose members rendered good service to the country.
Her father, Daniel Stringham although not old enough to carry a musket, volunteered as a wagon boy in Gates's army during the Burgoyne Invasion. Her oldest brother, John Stringham was a captain of NY Volunteers in the War of 1812 and died of fever contracted in the service. Another brother, Silas H. Stringham, entered the Navy in 1808 and served as a shipman on different vessels during the War of 1812. He also commanded the Ohio, Scott's flag ship at the capture of Vera Cruz. At the breaking out of the late war he was put in command of the Atlantic blockading squadron; and while serving in that capacity in connection with the land forces under Gen. Butler, captured the forts at Hatteras Inlet, the entering wedge which led to the final recovery of the whole Atlantic coast.
Mrs. Gilkey was a resident of Indiana 3/4 of a century and saw the State in all the stages of development from a wilderness inhabited almost entirely by indians and wild animals to a powerful commonwealth of two and a quarter million inhabitants. She was a firm believer in the doctrine of the final restoration of the whole human race to the favor of God.
Mrs. Gilkey was the mother of 9 children, six of whom grew to manhood and womanhood four of whom survive her. She made all arrangements for her funeral several months ago, selected six of her grandsons as pall bearers. The obsequies were held at the residence Wed at 2 o'clock p.m. conducted by Rev. Dr RJ Cunningham. Interment in Oak Hill Cemetery. - transcribed by kbz