In 1840 U.S. Census, Mary Kilgore lived in Madison Co., Indiana as head of household. Ages of children - 1 son age under 5 and 2 sons between 5 and 10 years; 1 daughter under 5.
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Aunt Polly Moffitt, and Aged Pioneer Dies in this City Saturday MorningMrs. Mary Moffitt, known by everybody as “Aunt Polly,” quietly and peacefully sank to sleep last Saturday about nine o’clock, thus ending the long life of one of the earliest settlers of Jasper County and one of the sweetest and best of God’s noble women. Aunt Polly had passed her eighty-seventh birthday, on Wednesday – just three days before her death. In an early day there was no one in Jasper County better known and more dearly lived than she. Her long life had been one strangely mixed with sunshine and shadow, blessings and affliction – the darker side of life seeming to overbalance the brighter – yet under all circumstances her sweet cheerful disposition never failed her, the heavier her affliction the more hopeful and trusting she appeared, always finding a silver lining to the darkest cloud that overshadowed her pathway.
Fourteen years ago she became blind from the effects of a cataract over both eyes. An unsuccessful operation caused the entire loss of her sight, and since then she has been totally blind. Yet no one had ever heard her utter one word of complaint; she manifested her happy disposition, had a smile and kind word for everyone who came into her room, and trustingly relied on God’s promises, always saying, “He knows best.”
Aunt Polly’s maiden name was Mary Rodgers. She was born, Jan. 18, 1812, near Charlotte, North Carolina. When she was seven years of age, her parents, John and Mary Rodgers, moved to Indiana, settling near Pendleton in Madison County. In 1830 she was married to Alfred Kilgore, a young attorney and a brother to Judge David Kilgore one a famous lawyer and politician of Indiana. To them were born four children – J. M., Wesley, David and Rebecca – all of them now dead except the first born, J. M. Kilgore, who watched over and cared for his aged mother during all the latter years of her life. The husband died in 1838, and in 1841 the widow was married to Enos Adamson. Soon after their marriage they moved to Missouri, near St. Joseph. Mr. Adamson was a devout Quaker and bitterly opposed to slavery. He died in 1846, but before his death, ordered that his body should not be buried in a slave state, and the remains were brought to Iowa and interred in the Quaker Cemetery near Brighton. To them had been born three children – William, Jane and Fred – all of them having preceded their mother.
“Aunt Polly” with her children – all of them then living – came the same year, 1847, to Jasper County and settled on a farm in what is now Sherman Township, near W. H. Phillip’s farm, where she lived until 1855, when she was married to Stephen Moffitt who owned the farm two miles west of town on which his son Elias B. Moffitt now lives. Mr. Moffitt only lived a few years after their marriage.
The old neighbors of Aunt Polly who shared with her in the privation of pioneer life fifty years ago, have long since been “gathered to their fathers” – the Bodleys, Houcks, Harvins, Bairs, Gentrys, Hickmans, Callisons, Sims and other – and their places filled with a younger generation.
“Aunt Polly” was the oldest of a family of five children, the other being Dr. Henry, Hugh and William Rodgers and Mrs. Margaret Blake, all of whom with their parents came to Newton in an early day, and were prominent and well known among the pioneers of Jasper County and all of them long since passed to the “great beyond.”
Aunt Polly gave four sons to the Union Army and drew a mother’s pension on account of the death of her third son, David Kilgore. She was a Christian always – anyone who has ever known her can testify to that fact, and when the final summons came she was ready and waiting. When her blind eyes closed in death’s slumber, the awakened on the other shore with perfect vision to behold the loved ones from whom she had parted long ago.
Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon, her request being that there should be no church funeral, and that the religious services should be brief and simple. Rev. C. V. Cowan, pastor of the M. E. Church made a brief address paying tribute to the faithful, earnest Christian life of the dear old woman. After all had taken a last look into the face of “Aunt Polly,” the remains were taken to our beautiful cemetery and laid to rest beside her two daughters. For the aged son, “Matt” who for years has done the best he could for the comfort of his mother, and is now left alone, the tenderest sympathy is felt by everybody. ~ The Newton Record, Thursday, January 26, 1899, Page 8, Column 3
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Mrs. Mary Moffitt died at the home of her son, J. M. Kilgore, Saturday, January 21, 1899. Aunt Polly was born January 12, 1812. ~ Iowa State Democrat, Thursday, January 26, 1899, Page 1, Column 1
From Harold Clark:
The third child of Joseph and Mary Hickman was Jacob Hickman who was born Dec. 25, 1809, in Surry Co., NC. In 1832, Jacob married Martha Moffitt from Ross Co., OH. The Moffitts had come to Indiana in 1819. Jacob and Martha spent their entire married life in Randolph Co. They were married in a civil ceremony and not in the Friends Church, even though they both belonged to the White River Friends Church. They were reprimanded for this, but were then accepted. However, they were disowned by the church in 1856 for neglected attendance. (Friends Church information taken from Abstracts of Records of the Society of Friends in Indiana, Part I). They had 8 children from 1834 to 1848. They were Burilla, Mary Ann, Harrison M., Lydia, Margery, Henderson, Rozilla, and Hannah. Jacob died Mar. 15, 1873. Both he and Martha are buried in the White River Friends Cemetery, Winchester, IN.
A Pioneer Passes Away
Margaret (Moffitt) HickmanAunt Margaret Hickman, one of the early pioneers of Jasper County, passed away last Tuesday morning, May 26th, at the ripe old age of 77 years, 8 months and 22 days. She had been in failing health for many months, gradually failing under the infirmities of age; and when death came she was ready and only waiting for the summons to join her loved ones on the other shore.
Mother Hickman’s maiden name was Margery Moffitt. She was born near Chillicothe, Ohio, Sept. 3, 1819. When but an infant her parents immigrated to Randolph County, Ind., then a wild, unbroken forest almost solely inhabited by Indians, where her early life was spend and where, on the 10th day of September 1837, she was united in marriage to Samuel Hickman.
.In the fall of 1852, they came to Jasper County, purchasing the farm three miles west of Newton a good part of it from the government. Jasper County was then but sparsely settled, and they, in common with the settlers of that day had trials and privations to encounter which we of today can scarcely understand. The hospitalities of their primitive log cabin were known all over this county, and their latchstring was always out to those who needed shelter and comfort.They continued to live on the old farm until the spring of 1893, when they moved to Newton, where on the 4th day of Nov. 1895, Mr. Hickman died. Mother Hickman was raised a Quaker, but over fifty-three years ago, she united with the M. E. Church, and has ever remained an earnest believer in its doctrines and a faithful follower of the Master.
Six children were born to them, one of whom died in infancy. Those surviving are E. M. Hickman, Seward, Neb., Mrs. L. A. Whitmore, Muscatine, Ia., and Mrs. P. J., A. M. and Z. N. Hickman, of this city all of whom were permitted to be at the bedside of their mother when death claimed her, but her eldest son, Erastus M.
The funeral services were held in the M. E. Church at 2:30 o’clock Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. C. V. Cowan, and were attended by a large number of relatives and old friends and neighbors of the deceased. ~ The Newton Record, Newton Iowa 28 May 1897
Death of Another Pioneer
Hickman, SamuelMr. Samuel Hickman, who has been a resident of this county for over forty-three years, died at his home in this city, Monday afternoon, November 4th, age 77 years, 9 months and 26 days. Mr. Hickman was born in Surrey County, North Carolina, January 8, 1818. In 1831, when a mere boy, his parents moved to Randolph County, Indiana, where on September 19, 1837, he was united in marriage to Miss Margery Moffit, who still survives him.
Fifteen years later, in the fall of 1852, they emigrated from Indiana to the then new state of Iowa and settled on the farm three miles west of town, beginning for themselves a home on the wild, broad prairie, which at that time gave little promise of becoming the thickly settled and prosperous community that it is now. They continued to live on this farm during all the long years intervening, until about three years ago, when they came to town with the view of enjoying the rest and quiet in their declining years, which they had earned by long years of honest toil.
Last spring Mr. Hickman suffered a stroke of paralysis, and although he seemed to rally from its effects, other complications set in and his health was never good afterward, yet for most of the time he was able to be about greeting his friends in his usual happy way, good natured way. Last week he was suddenly taken worse, and all efforts in his behalf seemed to avail but little, until Monday evening when death came and his long life of usefulness was over. He leaves his aged companion to continue her journey alone. To her is especially accorded the tenderest sympathy. Four children also mourn the loss of a dear father: E. M. Hickman, of Seward, Nebraska; Mrs. L. A. Whitmore, of Muscatine, Iowa; and Mrs. George W., A. M., and Neely Hickman, residing here.
Mr. Hickman was converted in 1842, and united with the M. E. Church. During all the fifty-three years since, he has been a faithful and willing witness for the Master. The funeral was held in the M. E. Church, at 2 oâclock, Wednesday afternoon conducted by Rev. C. V. Cowan. ~ The Newton Record, Newton Iowa, Friday, November 8, 1895