Catharine Sulgrove Wright 1814-1901

SULGROVE, WRIGHT, WILSON, GASTON, LUECKEL, SARGENT, COLEMAN

Posted By: Volunteer - Rich Lowe
Date: 11/13/2004 at 06:52:42

Miss Catharine Sulgrove was born in Morgan county, Ohio, October 14, 1814, where she lived until she was 13 years of age, when she moved with her parents to Indianapolis, Indiana. Living there until she was 22 years of age, she became the second wife of Mr. Jessie Wright, and continued living in Indianapolis until 1839. In that year they removed to Farmington, arriving here on the 19? day of June, and settled on a farm across the river, where she lived until December 25, 1901, when she took her departure to the spirit world, where she will live forever. This makes 62 years that she lived on the same farm, and making her age 87 years, 2 months and 11 days at the time of her death.

By her marriage to Mr. Wright she became a stepmother to two children, a son and a daughter, whom she raised to manhood and womanhood. The son died in early manhood and was buried in the same cemetery where the deceased will be buried. The daughter married Mr. Thomas Wilson and became the mother of nine children, five of whom are living, namely: Albert, Joseph, Mrs. Emma Gaston, Mrs. Laura Lueckel and Mrs. Lucy Sargent. Besides these five step-grandchildren there are ten step-great grandchildren.

Mrs. Wright was the mother of eight children, four sons and four daughters, only three of whom are living viz: E. H. Wright, A. S. Wright and Mrs. J. S. Coleman. She also has left nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Mrs. Wright made her home during the last twenty-two years of her life with her daughter, Mrs. Coleman, and died in the same house that she lived in sixty-one years ago.

She has one sister, living at Sac City, Iowa, 85 years of age, and one brother, Eli Sulgrove, who is living at Madisonville, Mo., aged 82 years.

Mrs. Wright’s husband died in 1870, consequently she has been a widow thirty-one years. She was a firm believer in Spiritualism and, has been for sixty years, consequently she had no doubts about a future state of existence. She fully expected to live in the spirit world when her earthly house was dissolved. She was very firm in her convictions, and having once made up her mind what was right she was not easily turned to the right hand nor the left, but adhered to her doctrines and principles to the last.

During her married life and until her constitution began to break down she was a hard working woman and endured many severe hardships, among others was the care of her husband, who was partially helpless for eighteen years before his death.

She was a kind-hearted woman and one of her children told me that he never knew her to turn a hungry person away from her door. One of the relatives said that she never knew her to speak ill of any person. Not only the relatives but the neighbors give her the credit of being a good, kind mother to her children, not only while they were young but since they have arrived at manhood and womanhood.

The three sweetest words in the English language are, Mother, Home and Heaven.

One thing happened which seldom occurs, and that is that all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, with one exception, were present to look for the last time upon her face and to bid her god bye.

Fifteen years ago she made a request that when she died that Rev. G. C. Goodenough should preach her funeral sermon, and has repeated the request several times since. This request was among the last words she spoke on earth. This request was complied with and the funeral services were conducted at the home residence on Friday at 2 p.m., and the remains were buried in the Wright cemetery, located on the farm where she had spent the greater part of her life.

Thus another of the oldest settlers of this community has departed from our midst. The red men who wandered over these hills and prairies in those early days have gone on towards the setting sun, while she has gone to the bright spirit world.

Her children and friends who have administered to her wants during her declining days will not regret their labors of love. She has gone, yet she is near. She is not dead, but livith.

Source: obiturary and photo furnished by Gary and Denise Wallingford of rural Farmington, IA who currently own the property where the Wright family lived and who have taken steps to care for the Wright cemetery on the same property.

Van Buren Obituaries maintained by Rich Lowe.
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