Caroline Vincent Wray 1821-1922

WRAY, VINCENT, LENHART

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 7/29/2013 at 20:42:16

Caroline Wray, Well Known Centenarian of Creston, Is Dead

The grand old lady left us about a half hour before midnight, last night or 11:30 o’clock, Feb. 2, 1922, aged 100 years, 2 months and 2 days. The end came peacefully at her home on North Sycamore street in Creston, where for some years she had the personal, tender care and marked devotion of her son, J.M. Wray, and much of the time her niece, Miss Ella Vincent, and other relatives and friends.

For several weeks, Mrs. Wray had been unusually strong for one of such advanced age, enjoying her meals and life, generally with those around her death removes not only an old pioneer of this section of Iowa, but about the last link connecting the early part of Union County with the present. She was here and had a great part in the making of this section of country. While one cannot point to any single set of Mrs. Wary entitling her to great distinction, yet her long years of successful devotion to every day duties mark her as a prominent and useful citizen, so recognized by all who knew her. Her maiden name was Vincent, Caroline Vincent, born in Helbeach (Lincolnshire) England, Nov. 1, 1821, and was married to Benjamin Wray (who died on the old Union County family farm home south of Creston some dozen years ago.

Mrs. Caroline Wray, mother of J.B. Wray; Lottie Lenhart and J. M. Wray, will have completed her hundredth year of this life tomorrow. She and her son, J.M. (Joe) live on North Sycamore street, the last house on east side of the street, near Fair Grounds gate, Mrs. Wray until recently has been quite strong and well but now the infirmities of age appear more marked each day. Last Christmas Day I visited her and had quite a lengthy conversation. The picture presented herewith was party of a description I wrote at the time and which appeared in a paper ZI was publishing and in which there has since appeared sketches and portraits of many either old Pioneers of Union County. Here an extract giving brief history of this remarkable pioneer.

Caroline Vincent was born 1821 in Holbreach, Lincolnshire, England. She came with her husband to America in 1851, settling first in Painesville, Ohio. In 1857, or ’63 years ago, they came to Union County, Iowa and settled on a farm on “Old State road” three or four miles south of where Creston was AFTERWARDS LOCATED. The past two years since the death of her husband, she has lived with her son, J.M. Wray in Creston. She is certainly an old pioneer. The writer visited her on Christmas Day and found her in her hundredth year, vigorous physically and mentally, active and alert. The picture presented with this brief sketch was taken about thirty years ago. During our talk Christmas day, she told of the husband going to Iowa, the nearest railroad point, also to Winterset and Des Moines. Sometimes he would be away a week or two with no means of sending word back home. These were days of worry, trial and hardship for at times. It was the dead of winter and a large family to care for. She told me much more including the keeping travelers on prominent highway, sending her children to school four miles away and other details of pioneer life, but she did not tell me what I already knew…….Her large, sympathetic heart went out to all in trouble. This feature of this good, old mother is still prominent in her life today.

I will do myself the honor of calling on the old lady tomorrow and doubt not many of her fellow citizens will do the same or remember her with flowers of which she was very fond.

Creston, October 31, 1921 by J.B. Harsh