Amanda McMillen Lacock

LACOCK, LACOX, MCMILLEN, BOWEN, JOLLY, BOWERS

Posted By: Marlene Skalberg (email)
Date: 2/29/2012 at 15:31:35

Amanda McMillen Lacock
In a log cabin on the 10th day of March, 1855, a little baby was born to Thomas A. and Susannah Mary McMillen. She was named Amanda. The parents, with two small children had come by oxen and covered wagon from Indiana. They lived in the wagon under the trees in the timbered district where they settled south east of where the town of Nodaway now stands until they built the large; one-room log cabin with, a room overhead, in which about a year later Amanda was born: Later on they added a kitchen and two bedrooms to the cabin. They saw very hard times living on what they grew and for meat they had squirrel, prairie chicken, quail, pheasants, wild turkey, rabbit and deer. The mother often gathered corn from the field and grated it by hand to make corn bread. As time went on they began to have wheat flour, potatoes, and other vegetables. There were also all kinds of wild fruit and walnuts, hickory, and hazel nuts of which they laid in a large supply.
While there was a large fireplace in the cabin, they also had a cook stove after a few years. One day three men who had been hunting deer stopped in and were awfully tired and hungry, and Mrs. McMillen told her little daughter, Amanda, who was then 11 years old to fix up the fire so she could bake the corn bread and get dinner for the weary men. Amanda filled the stove with walnut wood and the meal was soon on the table. About this time, Mr. McMillen returned home from the mill with a load of flour and also brought company. The assessor also happened to be there and was sitting on the stair steps while the others were around the table, he having already had his dinner. they kept hearing noises as chunks of wood kept falling from the roof down on the stairs floor. Finally the 8 year old brother, just younger than Amanda asked the assessor to let him upstairs to see what the noise was. There were four steps up to the door that opened to the stairway. those steps were where the assessor sat. When the door was opened they discovered the house was on fire. Everything was saved downstairs, even to the doors and most of the windows. they started right in building a new house, after building a lean to smoke the smoke house, where they now cook, ate, and slept. Most of the lumber of the new house was saved from their own timber, even making all the lath. they went to St. Joe with teams and hauled the weather boarding, door casings, etc. This house still stands today and is now known as the Ed Stanton home.
They were determined to give the children all the education they could, and for two winters had school in their own home. Other times the children walked three miles to school through a timber. They always attended the Christian Church whenever it was possible. Services were held in school houses after there were any mostly in the Methodist Grove Schoolhouse. It was quite a struggle all during these early years to keep the children in school and church. In this way Amanda grew to womanhood, and later on was baptized in the Nodaway River.
On July 1, 1874 she was united in marriage to John Reuben Lacock. To this union nine children were born, six sons and three daughters. The first of her own large happy family to pass on was the eldest son, William in the year of 1902. then Myrtle and Nora were downed in the flooded Nodaway river six years later in 1908, the husband and father was next in 1920. then a son, Thomas in 1924, a son Albert, in 1934, and another son, Elver in 1947. Three of her children are left, these are John of Havre, Montana, Emory and Mamie Bowman of Nodaway. There are also four daughter-in-law, one son-in-law, 17 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, 2 grandsons preceded her in death and also one daughter-in-law. She reared to womanhood two small granddaughters, who were loved the same as her own children, namely Mrs. Eva Akers and Mrs. Vera Akers, who were left orphans upon the death of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lacock.
The decease's entire life was spent in Taylor and Adams Counties with the exception of about a month in Kansas. Most of her married life was spent on the old home place southeast of Nodaway. She moved into town 23 years ago where most of the time she kept herself busy working around in her home, piecing quilts, sewing, and mending. She read a lot. Her worn old Bibles testify that the Scriptures were read and searched diligently. She was often called upon to explain to her family some of the things she learned from having studied and read the Bible through so many times. She was very sweet and gentle at all times and happy when her friends and neighbors, as well as her family, dropped in to help while away the time.
She departed this life December 1, 1952, at her home in Nodaway at the age of 97 years, 8 months, and 21 days. She was a devoted wife and a most wonderful mother. The vacant place she has left can never be filled.
Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church in Nodaway Thursday afternoon at two o'clock conducted by the pastor, Rev. James Wilkins. Burial was made in the Methodist Grove Cemetery.
Adams County Free Press, December 11, 1952, page 4