MERRITT, Edna

MERRITT

Posted By: Karyn
Date: 4/13/2024 at 11:54:35

1905

Grandma Edna Merritt, the oldest person in Mills County, as well as one of the very earliest settlers in this section, died at 3:30 yesterday afternoon in Glenwood at the home of her son Rufus L. Merritt. She was in her 99th year and had lived in Mills County for more than 56 years.

She was born in 1807, while Thomas Jefferson was still president, and she could remember the war of 1812. She was one of a family of 8 girls, who resided on a farm in Caswell County, North Carolina. Her father died while she was small. This necessitated much hard work in the fields on the part of the girls, but it gave them rugged constitutions and accounts largely for Grandma Merritt’s long life. She moved to Kentucky, later to Missouri, and on October 10, 1849, she came to Mills County settling on 100 acres in section 23, Lyons Township, seven miles south of Glenwood. She and her son have therefore, been residents of Mills County for many years. Her husband died. She was a widow for 52 years.
She would have been 99 years of age on the 13th of next May. She had been very poorly for several months’ past. The physicians could not find any special ailment. Her life machinery, in all its parts, had simply worn out.

Her mind had failed in recent months and she became quite childish toward the last. her hearing and sight also became seriously impaired in late years. The has been without a tooth in her head for the past 27 years.

Some 22 years ago she fell and broke her hip. This caused her to be lame and because of the inactivity it occasioned her health was somewhat impaired.

Funeral Wednesday: The funeral will be held Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock at the Glenwood Methodist Church. Grandma Merritt united with the the Baptist Church when a young girl back in North Carolina. She has 34 living descendants.

Mills Obituaries maintained by Karyn Techau.
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