Thursday, March 14, 2013

Celebrating National Women's Month- Newsmaker: "Grand Old Lady"

Blog Prompt for Day 14 from Lisa Alzo at The Accidental Genealogist

Newsmakers? Did you have a female ancestor who made the news? Why? Was she famous or notorious? Did she appear in the social column?



 While searching for information on my Great Great Grandmother Bessise Mae Eargle Price (1884-1943)
 I discovered this wonderful article about her sister Emma Eargle Williamson (1866-1958). Printed in the Augusta Chronicle in April 1953, 86 year old Emma gives the reader information on her life growing up in Aiken County, SC, and about her father George David Eargle (1827-1888) who served in the Civil War.







How fun to read about the tonics her father made, her memory of the mail being delivered by mule, how difficult it was to travel -taking all day to go 20 miles. She tells about how her father  David Eargle walked back from Gettysburg after the Civil War .He came home caring the Testament with him that he had kept during his time of service.

 Emma seems to have been quite a character and local celebrity.There are several more  mentions of Emma in the papers in August,Ga. and Aiken,SC. 






1 comment:

  1. What a fun post! I think we all aspire to be "grand old ladies" eventually. The reporter on this story seems to have such respect for his subject. She sounds very steady in her ways. I especially like the detail about mixing anvil dust with honey, in order to get enough iron!

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