Robert David Tisdale

BEERBOWER, CASON, DEBORD, FORSYTHE, GOULD, HOLMES, LEWIS, MCKONKEY, TISDALE

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 7/21/2006 at 21:47:55

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, March 31, 1904
Page 1

NEARLY A CENTURY - Robert David Tisdale Dies at Extreme Old Age

Deceased was Born in 1804 and Was the Oldest Person in Madison County. Served in the Indiana Legislature in the Early 40"s.

Robert D. Tisdale who died at his home in Patterson, Iowa, on March 22d, was the oldest person living in Madison county. He was born in Stanover county, Virginia (near Richmond), September 27, 1804, and at the time of his death was 99 years, 5 months and 24 days old.

In early life he moved to Marietta, Ohio, and from there to St. Mary’s Ohio. In the early 40" he moved to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and while there served his state as a member of the Indiana Legislature. He came to Madison county in 1855 and continued to reside here the remainder of his life. In his youth he identified himself with the Baptist church and later was ordained a minister of that denomination. Deceased was married four times during his life. His first marriage was to Minerva Forsythe in 1828; in 1845 to Sophrona Lewis, in 1849 to Mary Gould and in 1863 to Zerilda Debord, who survives him.

Of a family of fourteen children, only four survive him, Mrs. Sara McKonkey and Mrs. Lois Cason, of Winterset, Mrs. Martha Holmes, of Truro, Iowa, and Mrs. Etta Beerbower, of Warren, Arkansas. Besides his companion and four children he leaves twelve grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Mr. Tisdale was an exemplary citizen, a man of strong convictions and of positive character. He lived uprightly before God and man according to the teachings of his conscience and enjoyed the friendship and respect of a wide circle of acquaintances. To say that he lacked but a few months of being one hundred years old means much, but comparatively few might pause to review the important events that have transpired since the date of his birth, September 27, 1804. Born during Jefferson's second term, he has lived under the administration of every president with the exception of the first two, Washington and Adams. He was three years old when Fulton astonished the world with the Clermont's successful trial trip on the Hudson and twenty-five years old when the first locomotive train was run in the United States. Few indeed there be whose span of life includes so long a time and fewer yet whose life has witnessed such a mighty evolution in the world's progress.
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The Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, March 31, 1904
Page 3

An Old Settler Gone

On Monday evening March 21, occurred the death of Robert D. Tisdale, at the age of 99 years and six months less six days. He was born near Richmond, Virginia, Sep 27, 1804, where he grew to early manhood, then moved with his father to Pennsylvania and after a few years married Miss Minerva Forecythe and moved to Indiana. To them were born 7 children, his wife dying Jan. 30th, 1845. He afterward married Sophrona Lewis, who lived 3 years and died. Next he married Mary Gould and to them were born 3 children and in 1855 she died leaving him with a large family he moved to Iowa and settled one and a half miles south of Patterson. There he married the fourth wife and to them were born 3 children, the wife and one daughter survive him and of the former children 3 survive. From youth he lived a conscientious Christian and in middle life was quite a noted doctor.
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The Stuart Herald
Stuart, Iowa
April 8, 1904
Page 1, Column 1

Robert Davis Truesdale, who settled in Madison county in 1855, died at his home in Patterson, March 22nd; aged 99 years, 5 months and 24 days.
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Coordinator's note: Transcribed as published, the deceased's surname is Tisdale per his gravestone. His death was likely only noted in the Stuart newspaper due to him being the oldest person in Madison County.

Link to Gravestone Photo
 

Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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