Painter, Elizabeth (Self) 1824 - 1900

PAINTER, SELF, ARY, YOUNG

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 6/5/2020 at 12:27:00

Source: Decorah Republican June 14, 1900 P 2 C 1

Death of Mrs. William Painter.
We are informed that Mrs. William Painter died at Dexter, South Dakota, on the 28th of May. If she was not one of the pioneer women of Decorah, who was? So far as we know she was second only to Mrs. Elizabeth Day. Her age as given to us as 86, but this is either too old, or else Mrs. Self, (who was her mother) is older than a hundred years.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows this was Elizabeth who is buried in Dexter Cemetery in Florence, SD. It shows she was born in 1824.

Also attached are reports of her mother who died in Nov. 1900 showing that she was over 100 years old and her gravestone shows she was born in 1795.

Source: Decorah Republican Dec. 6, 1900 P 4 C 2

AGED 105 YEARS.
Death of Probably the Oldest Person in Iowa.
Nancy Ary Self, widow of John Self, and a pensioner of the war of 1812, died at the home of her granddaughter Mrs. Joseph Young, in West Decorah, Thursday evening, Nov. 29th
Deceased was a native of Rockingham, Virginia, and, as near as can be ascertained, lived to see her one hundred and sixth year. There is no record evidence of her age, and until quite recently she has passed as one hundred years old. Indeed, only last June what was supposed to be her hundredth anniversary was observed. But since then the examination of a cotemporaneous family record of one who was an associate of the deceased in childhood, but two years younger than she, seems to fix her birthday as June 12, 1795. Her residence in Decorah dates back nearly forty-five years. She married John Self when seventeen years old, and became the mother of twelve children. She survives them all. The last one to pass away was Mrs. Wm. Painter, who expired at the good old ago of 82 years about one year ago. But age was not without representatives. Her grandchildren number 22, and her great grandchildren 66.
In her 27th year she united with the Methodist church, and to the last enjoyed the offices of her church. The visits and the prayers of “her preacher” were bright events in her fading years. Until within two or three years she had enjoyed good health and was active beyond her years. Her last illness dated back only a few months, although the weakness of extreme age had been creeping upon her for two or three years. Funeral services were held at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Young, in West Decorah, last Sunday afternoon, Rev, A. W. Smith officiating and Rev. J. W. Allen assisting. The events such a lifetime covers are not easily told. It spans three generations, and includes some of the most remarkable facts in the world’s history. When it began those United States consisted of a mere strip of territory along the Atlantic coast, and many of the felt necessities of to-day were undreamed of as possibilities.

Transcriber’s Note: Find a Grave shows she was born June 12, 1804 and that she married John Self in 1821 which agrees with the age as stated above when she married. She is buried in Phelps Cemetery and her gravestone shows she was born June 12, 1795.

Source: Decorah Republican June 14, 1900 P 2 C 2

Hundredth Birthday.
Tuesday at the home of her grand-daughter, Mrs. Joe Young, in West Decorah, Mrs. Nancy Self celebrated her one hundredth birthday. Such events are so rare that they cannot be passed without proper recognition and in honor thereof a party was given to which all the relatives in this vicinity and a few friends wore invited. Although she had lived thirty years longer than the allotted span of three score and ten, Mrs. Self was able to greet all who came to enjoy the occasion with her, and enjoyed it fully as much as some people of sixty might.
Mrs. Self was born in Virginia and was married to John Self when she was in her eighteenth year. In conversation with her grandchildren she said she could not remember when she was a little girl, though she did remember when she was twelve years old because her father and brothers went to the war. She came to Decorah about forty-three years ago, joining here her oldest daughter, Mrs. Wm. Painter, who recently died in South Dakota. The latter was the last of her children, so it will be noted that she outlived her entire family. The remaining relatives hereabouts are Geo. Painter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Painter and the first white child born in Decorah, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Myron Hall, of Ossian, Mrs. P. C. Bloomfield and Miss Maude Thayer, all grandchildren.
Mrs. Self is a pensioner of the war of 1812, her husband having served in that war as well as in the Mexican war. She enjoys a degree of good health which is remarkable for one so advanced in years. The history that has been made during her life covers almost all the important events of this nation, the like of which few are privileged to pass through.