Jennie E Tracy 93rd birthday article

TRACY, RATTRAY, MANSON, DURFEY, MOSCRIPT, FENCHEL

Posted By: Joel Tracy (email)
Date: 1/12/2008 at 13:23:53

1948
Pioneer Woman 93 at Fayette
Fayette, Ia. - Mrs Jennie E. Tracy the oldest person in Fayette, observed her 93rd birthday Monday. Her 93 years have been spent in Iowa.
She was born in a little village at the edge of Dubuque. She was a daughter of Walter and Jane Rattray Manson, who had come from the same place in Scotland in 1851 but who did not know each other until after they had arrived in Iowa. She lived in Dubuque county until when she was six years old, the family came to Fayette county.
In December 1875, she was married to Joseph H. Tracy. They made their home on a farm near Strawberry Point,until 1899, when they moved to Fayette, where he owned and operated a lumber business until fire destroyed the yard in 1911. He died in 1928.

Keen of Mind
Mrs Tracy is in fair health, keen of mind and interested in news of the day.
She was born and married in a log house and has many memories of early days in Iowa, of the desperate fight made by pioneers against prairie fires, of Indian raids, and of long winters of intense cold.
One of Mrs Tracy's accomplishments, along with excelling in cooking and good housekeeping, has been knitting of fine lace. During later years, as he family was grown, she has made yards and yards of lovely lace of intricate patterns, and many doillies and luncheon cloths, some of which required the use of 30 needles.

Eyesight Deteriorates
She continues this work to some extent until perhaps two years ago. Since then her eyesight has prevented this work.
Mrs. Tracy has three daughters: Mrs Mary Durfey, of Fayette, with whom she resides; Mrs Clara Moscript, of Zenda, Kans., and Mrs Agnes Fenchel, of Strawberry Point. A son, James, died several years ago. At a reunion last week all were present, it being the first time in 20 years that Mrs. Moscript had been with her mother.