KEREN LEACH MCCRARY

MCCRARY, LEACH, HAMILTON, THATCHER, THOMPSON, PETERSON, MANGUM, LIPPINCOTT, JOHNSON, PERKINS, JEFFREY, DAVIDON, FELLOWS, DISBROW, ROBERTS, STRICKLING, DAUGHRITY, BURNS, MANNING, SLOAN, DAVIDSON, FINABARGER

Posted By: H.Vargus (email)
Date: 9/28/2010 at 17:59:20

From State Line Democrat, Thursday, 22 May 1902, page 1, col. 5-6

KEREN LEACH MCCRARY
Death of Mrs. Keren McCrary--Was Last of Charter Members of Christian Church

Mrs. Keren McCrary, whose illness with dropsy had been so protracted, expired Tuesday evening, age 81 years. Mrs. McCrary was the widow of Major J.D. McCrary, who died 15 June 1892.

Mrs. Keren Leach McCrary was born 15 Dec 1820 in Monongahela Co., PA (sic--(West) Virginia). In the spring of 1839 she came with her mother's family to this county, where she ever after resided. She was the youngest of seven children, four sons and three daughters.

She was 10 years old when she arrived here, and on the 15th of the following August she was united in marriage to Mr. J.C. McCrary, who had come with his father's family to the county two years previously. Six children were born to them, four sons and two daughters, but only three are now living--Mrs. Hamilton of Spearfish, South Dakota, Mrs. Thatcher of Lawton, Oklahoma, and Mrs. Oscar McCrary, of this place. The young couple moved at once to Mr. McCrary's claim, about two miles south east of Keosaugua, which he had preempted in the winter of 1836-1837, and lived on the same farm until they retired from active life and came to this place. Mr. McCrary was sheriff of the county, and successively lieutenant, captain, and major of the 3rd Iowa Cavalry, and in the absence of the colonel and lieutenant colonel, was for several months in command of the regiment.

Major McCrary's father was a minister in the Christian church, as was also one of his brothers, the late A.H. McCrary. When the Christian church of this place was established the charter members were the families of A.H. McCrary, Major McCrary, David Thompson, Ralph Peterson and A.W. Mangum.

The church was organized in 1843, on Mr. A.G. Lippincott's place in a building that was situated between the Lippincott residence and the river. The society afterwards held services in a brick schoolhouse in South Keosauqua, and built a church there in 1866, which it used until the church was erected at this place. The subject of this sketch united with the church at this organization in 1843, and was the last surviving charter member.

Mrs. McCrary was a truly noble and good woman--one of the best type of the pioneer mothers. The funeral was held at the Christian Church at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. It was conducted by Elder Johnson, assisted by Rev. C.D. Perkins and E. J. Jeffrey, Jr. The pall bearers were Messrs Geo. W. Davidon, S. D. Fellows, H.H. Disbrow, and W.H. Roberts, W.J. Stickling and J.F. Daughrity. The honory pall bearers were Mesdames J.W. Burns, Edwin Manning, Robt. Sloan, Geo. W. Davidson, Wm. Finabarger, and S.D. Fellows. The interment was the Fellows Cemetery.