Brock Family Obituaries

John Brock

Father is Dead

John Brock, Father of Newton Councilman,
Dies at Hays, Kansas

John Brock was born near Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. 14th, 1833, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Mary Thompson, at Hays, Kansas, March 27th, 1924 at the age of 90 years three months and 12 days. Mr. Brock was the father of W. H. and George Brock of this county. The Civil war left him in poverty and at middle life he came to Jasper county to begin life over again.

Though not a soldier in the Civil war he did his bit serving as a patrol guard in the telegraph service open from Cumberland Gap to Cincinnati and Mr. Brock was also on duty when Gen. Morgan made his northern raid.

Mr. Brock's ancestors settled in Virginia long before the Revolutionary war. Two of his maternal sire were in that war, one a Lieutenant in Capt. Clark's Co., of Virginians and the other in the ranks. One grandsire was a captain in the war of 1812, two of his father's brothers marched with the American army to the city of Mexico where one of them lost his life at the storming of that city.

Mr. Brock's ancestors were all anti-slavery men; though living in the limits of slave territory. Seven generations lived and died as farmers. Mr. Brock being typical of his ancestors, loving the great out doors and though all else had been forgotten, he remembered and loved the wooded hills and rich agricultural valleys of his native southland.

Mr. Brock leaves to his children an unblemished name, more to be valued than material wealth.

Services were held for Mr. Brock at Bownell, Kansas, on Sunday March 30th, at which place Mr. Brock's wife and two daughters who preceded him in death are buried. ~ Jasper County Record. April 3, 1924, page 1, column 6

Catherine Johnstone Carrier

Almost A Centenarian

Nearly a Century ago, long before this State was the home of the white men, down in South Carolina, a little daughter was born to Mr. And Mrs. Aaron Johnstone. She was loved and tenderly cared for and was given the name Catherine. When she was only three months old, Her parents went to London, Kentucky, to make their home. Here, she attended school, grew to womanhood, and married John Carrier.

At the time when the Civil War began, Mr. And Mrs. Carrier, with their 8 children, resided in a beautiful home at London, Kentucky, which was 70 miles from Lexington. The broad fields of grain and the meadows where cattle grazed stretched away from the house, which stood just at the edge of the pretty village.

After the four years war was over, and the smoke had cleared away and the noise had subsided, what a change there was at this farm home. The fences were all destroyed, not a board was left which separated their land from their neighbors. The orchards and fields were desolate. The slaves, oxen, cattle, horses, sheep, and fowls which had been theirs, were all gone.

It's another one of those sad stories this old mother can tell of the destruction and havoc made by the war in the Southern States.

During all the long four years there was tumult and excitement, and for more than twelve months they were right in the midst of the turmoil. Many times for weeks they even suffered for food and drinking water. Many who came to the home for shelter were taken prisoners, as high as sixty being on the place at one time.

It was a terrible experience. For days the shells and bullets were flying thick around the home and the lives of the inmates were often in danger.

In 1871, Mrs. Carrier, now a widow, in company with her children, came to Jasper County and lived on a farm near Metz. A few years later, she moved to Newton, and for thirty years has lived at the home on West MacDonald Street, where she spent her ninetieth birthday surrounded by twenty-six of her children, grand children and great grand children.

Four of her daughters were with her that day, and their ages averaged sixty-three years. The oldest daughter, Mrs. John Burnett, of Colfax, is seventy-two. Then there was Mrs. C. J. Callison of Metz, Mrs. D. Kuhn, whose home is just north of town, and Mrs. S. A. Wyrick, who makes her home with her Mother.

Around the tempting picnic spread on the lawn that day were eight grand children, eleven great grand children, none of the great great grand children. They are Frances and Charles Chew of Colfax, and Lyle Emmack, Son of Mr. And Mrs. Guy Emmack of near Newton.

Mrs. Carrier is the oldest woman of this city and probably the oldest in the County. She has very good health, is not deaf, and has her second eye sight. She states that she began wearing glasses when she was forty years old and used them until about seven years ago, at which time gradually her eyesight returned. Since then she reads and sews without them. She walks around her home and yard and helps with the house work.

But, most of all, she enjoys a smoke. With a bag of corn cake tobacco and her pipe she is happy, and she sits many hours at a time in her chair in the corner of her sitting room or in the front yard. When asked if she would like to go back to her old some she said, "0, I should love to see the old familiar scenes again, and the few old friends and neighbors that are still living". And, so thinking of yesterday and waiting for tomorrows, she quietly enjoys the days as they come and go.