The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Compiled and Edited by Virginia Ross
Registrar for Daniel McMillan Chapter, N.S.D.A.R.1913
Stronghurst Graphic, August 14, 1913
CIVIL WAR VETERAN DIES: Jacob S. Bennington, Sr., well known in the area, died at Dallas City last Thursday and was buried at LaHarpe. Mr. Bennington was born in 1826 in Ohio and came West in 1836. He married his wife, Emaline Law of Van Buren County, Ia. in 1852 and she died in 1885. These children were born to the couple, seven of whom are living: John, Asa, Jacob, Jr., and Charles of Dallas City; Carrol of Tacoma, Wash.; Mrs. Wm. Ingerson of Blackwell, Okla.; and Mrs. Phoebe Ralph of Aledo. Mr. Bennington was a Civil War veteran and had been an Odd Fellow since 1856.
LOCAL AND AREA NEWS: Under the new road and bridge law of the state, the county board will appoint a county superintendent of highways who will have general supervision of all the road and bridge work in the county and who must also pass on all expenditures of highway commissioners exceeding $200. Dr. and Mrs. Henderson were at Kirksville attending a convention of osteopaths. A.H.Warner, the aged Gladstone farmer who stabbed special officer Ream at the Burlington Union Depot was bound over to the grand jury and his bond fixed at $1000. A certified check for the amount was put up to guarantee his appearance. Henry Sweetland of LaPlata, Mo., has just completed a barn for Frank Lant on the old Dobbin farm east of his mother's place. The old house has been demolished and a new one will be erected. (Such news items can help you determine the age of the house in which you live. Look at the abstract to determine previous owners, read the 1882 History, and check the 1900 platbook-all are clues.)
Lightning struck the Smithshire M.E.Church last Sunday morning while services were in progress. Several members of the congregation were shocked, but no one seriously hurt. The damage to the building is estimated at about $50.
FOR SALE: Peaches, Peaches, Peaches. 500 bushels or more fine yellow free stone peaches, ripe about Aug.20 to 25th, average price $1 in bushel baskets. The Ellison Valley Farm, Runge & Gregg, Carman, IL. Our orchard is 3 miles north of Carman and 4 miles south of Crystal Lake. Ralph Vance, a nephew of Mrs. Thomas Williams and Miss Mattie Miller is returning to his home at Amenia, N.Dak. Ralph has been working with a party of surveyors in Indiana and is expecting to become a civil engineer. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Vance, live on a farm twenty miles west of Fargo, and a station on a railroad recently built through their farm is located within a few rods of their residence. (Sounds like a town waiting to happen.) I have a barn and buggy shed to rent. Would prefer renting to students from the countryÑMrs. Inez Doty. (If you wanted to attend high school, you had to ride a horse, drive a buggy, or walk; hence, Mrs. Doty's offer would have been of great interest to country kids. Another similar ad was placed by Mrs. Sarah Graham.)
NEWS OF THE COUNTY-CARMAN- Miss Maggie Dixon is visiting her grandparents at Corydon, Iowa. Mrs. Thos. Swick of Watkins, Ia, will be with her parents Wm. Vaughn and wife for a month. Born to Fritz Dannenburg, a daughter. Fritz is wearing a smile that won't wear off.
OQUAWKA-J.A. McCartney has enlisted in the Navy for four years. The"ferry case" has been appealed to circuit court ( case concerns who issues a ferry license-town or county board). Wm. Schlotzhauer and George Hall each took two loads of cattle to Chicago. A large number of Stronghurst citizens were in attendance at county court in the matter of the petition to appoint a conservator for J.B.Lant. (It was alleged that his mental condition was such as to render him incapable of properly looking after the management of his assets.) The case was tried before a jury of six men: J.M.Atkin, Ben Rozell, Chas. George, Wm. Yeomans, Robert Hurka and Robt. Meloan. The verdict was in favor of James B. Lant. A representative of the State University at Champaign was in town in the interests of the experimental station soon to be started here.
MEDIA-Fred Ross lost another valuable horse by being cut on the barb wire from which it bled to death. Cards announce the arrival of Elizabeth Margaret July 25th born to Mr. and Mrs. B.R.Higgason of Knoxville. Work is now in progress on the basement of the Academy. The dirt is being removed from beneath the entire building and a new cement foundation built from the bottom of the basement. A steam heating plant is to be installed. Little Marjorie Fritchie, who with her mother, Mrs. Gus Fritchie, was visiting her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. W.E.Drain when taken violently ill with what was thought to be ptomaine poison. Later a case of spinal meningitis developed and she died. The funeral was held at the home with interment in the Stronghurst Cemetery. (Cemetery stone spells name "Fritsche.")
GLADSTONE-Mrs. Clyde Galbraith went to Burlington Hospital for an operation. Dave Sage had a sale of his household goods and expects to move to Burlington. Arub Siebring has bought Mrs. Roseling's house in the east part of town; sounds like wedding bells will be ringing soon. Philip Cadel of Buda, Il was visiting the old home town. Frank Porter and Acel Brainard motored to the LaHarpe Fair. Miss Blanche Duvall hopes to attend school in Iowa City this year.
DIES SUDDENLY IN KANSAS***Mrs. Lavina Wever*** Greeley Co. Republican, Tribune, Kan.ÑAbout two o'clock Mr. Wever discovered that Al Mille's house was on fire. Mrs. Wever went hastily to Mr. Hughes' to waken them and when she returned home just as she got inside the house she exclaimed, "Oh, my!" and fell prostrate on the floor. Mr. Wever was dressing to go out and help save the house or contents and he sprang to her side, but life was gone. Lavinia Jane Brown was born August 21, 1856 in Washington County, Iowa, where she grew to womanhood. She was united in marriage with Henry Wever at Red Oak, Iowa, March 20, 1877. They moved to Illinois where they resided until 1887 when they moved to Kansas. To them were born four daughters all of whom are living: Mrs. Anna VanMoy and Mrs. Wynona Rockwell at Madras, Oregon, and Mrs. Gertie Ridlen and Miss Theresa at Horace, Kans. She also leaves to mourn one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Dobbin, three brothers and eleven grandchildren.
During a revival meeting held in the country during the summer of 1890 she and her husband were converted and united with the church. She was a leading worker in the W.C.T.U.(Women's Christian Temp