The Carthage Republican
Carthage, Illinois
Wednesday
April 7, 1920
Page 2
Column 3Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Patterson, who live one and one-fourth miles southeast of La Crosse, celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary March 31st. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson were the parents of twelve children, seven of whom have passed to the great beyond. The survivors are four sons and one daughter: W. E. Patterson, of La Harpe; Charles C., of La Crosse; James and Cleve, of the home neighborhood, and Mrs. James Fortney, of La Harpe.
Newspaper Article by
Louise McWhirtGolden Wedding Anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Patterson
of LaCrosse, Illinois, March 31, 1911Here's to the bridegroom the dearest old friend we know. Here's to the bride he won fifty years ago. May this semi-centennial of earthly love be the type of a perfect sentinel above"
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Patterson, of LaCrosse, Illinois, celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary Friday, March 21, 1911. They were married March 31, 1861. Mr. Patterson is 70 years of Age, and Mrs. Patterson 65. They are still a fine looking couple. Mrs. Patterson was formerly Virginia Antoinette "Nett" McCumber. They are parents of twelve children -- six living.
Sixty-two persons were present at the anniversary. Many useful and valuable presents were given the couple. After partaking of a sumptuous dinner, the crowd was called to the sitting room where old-time relics were shown, many of which the younger generation had never seen, and were viewed with astonishment. Among them were:
A quilt called the "Pumpkin Blossom", pieced by Mrs. Patterson's mother and given them when they were married. It looked as good as new.
A canteen Mrs. Patterson's father Wm. H. McCumber carried in the Civil War. He enlisted in the 17th Iowa Infantry. He was born in 1819 and died in 1907.
A cute lantern was shown. It would be hard to tell how old it is.
A candlestick 50 years old.
A very old coffee mill.
One of the first make of fruit jars. They were sealed with white of egg and flour or flour and water. Kept just as good as they do now, in glass.
An old cane that her father fetched from California 61 years ago. The top was made out of a piece of an elephant's tooth. This would be coming from the California Gold Rush.
An old iron teakettle that Mrs. Patterson used to cook on the old fireplace.
A grain cradle that was used to cut rye, oats and wheat. This work is done by machinery now.
A pair of cards which were used for carding sheep wool from which many of their clothes were made in her mother's day. They raised flax and cotton and made all kinds of wearing apparel.
One little ball bat their son, Ed, took to "Shakerag School"
A little white bonnet that belonged to their daughter, Rosa, now dead, which was 30 years old, but looked very pretty yet.
An old spinning wheel which Mrs. Patterson had 47 years.
A piece of old quilt made in 1856, with the outline of her brother's hand (George E. McCumber) quilted on it.
Mrs. Patterson wore a white apron made in 1876.
Their children, Ed, Charles, James, Reed and Cleve Patterson, Mrs. Alice Patterson and Mrs. Lillie Fortney presented them with a 100-piece white and gold trimmed dinner set.
William A. and George McCumber, of Monrovia, Iowa, gave Mrs. Patterson a beautiful gold broach and Mr. Patterson a gold watch chain.
Mr. and Mrs. Patterson, of Memphis, Mo., gave a water set; Mr. and Mrs. Lem Clark, near Memphis, a gold-trimmed table set; William Wilson a berry set; Mr. and Mrs. John Sullivan and family and Mrs. Maggie Sharp, of Panola, a silver butter knife and sugar shell; William Wellington and wife, of Fort Madison, Iowa, a gold sugar spoon; and Mrs. Ena Calman a gold-trimmed vegetable dish.
Virginia Antoinette Patterson (nee McCumber)
1921 History of Hancock County Illinois
by Charles J. Scofield
Page 1315PATTERSON, William J., one of the representative men of Hancock County, is engaged in farming in Pilot Grove Township. He was born in Macon County, Tenn., near Nashville, July 6, 1840, a son of Thomas, born in 1817, and Elvira (Howell) Patterson, natives of Tennessee, who in 1844 drove with an ox-team overland to Fulton County, Ill., and in the spring of 1845, came to Pilot Grove Township, Hancock County, where they bought forty acres of partly cleared timberland. Here the father engaged in farming for two years, then sold and bought eighty acres of land, all of which except eight acres, was covered with brush. This he cleared off with the help of his children, and here he died January 10, 1867, the mother, born in 1818, surviving him until 1903. Their children were as follows: Eson and Nancy, who are deceased; William J.; Benton, who lives in Arkansas; Mary Jane, who is deceased; Martha, who is Mrs. Thomas Wellington, of Mapleton, Kas.; and James, who lives at Rutledge, Mo.
On March 31, 1861, William J. Patterson was married to Antoinette McCumber, born at Ewington, Gallia County, Ohio, March 10, 1846, a daughter of Harrison and Mary (Ewing) McCumber. After a preliminary trip overland to Hancock County, the McCumber family returned here in 1858, by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and settled in Pilot Grove Township. The mother of Mrs. Patterson died January 23, 1874, and the father died August 8, 1907. Their children were as follows: Jonathan Reed McCumber, who is deceased; Mrs. Patterson; Alice, who is Mrs. John Sullivan of Burnside, Ill.; Florence, who is deceased; George, who lives at Moravia, Iowa; Margaret, who is the widow of John Sharpe of Panola, Ill.; and William A., who lives at Hocking, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson became the parents of the following children: Harrison and Mary, who are deceased; Edward, who lives at La Harpe, Ill.; Minnie and George, who are deceased; Charles, who lives at La Crosse, Ill.; James, who lives in Pilot Grove Township; Lillie, who is Mrs. James Fortney of La Harpe, Ill.; Reed and Rosa, who are both deceased; Cleveland, who lives in Pilot Grove Township; and Alice, who died in infancy. In politics Mr. Patterson is a Democrat, and he was constable for three years, was a school director and road commissioner, having generally held one office or another, his efficiency in public work making him popular with the voters of his neighborhood. He and wife are members of the Church of Christ. In 1911 they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary.
Mr. Patterson owns 100 acres of land. Mrs. Patterson's father first traded a yoke of oxen for eighty acres of this farm, then sold the eighty acres to Mr. Patterson's father for $300, in the year 1847. Mr. Patterson has always lived here on the farm, succeeding to the property when his father died.
The Quill
La Harpe, Illinois
Tuesday
January 7, 1930Mrs. Virginia Patterson
Virginia Antoinette, oldest daughter of Harrison and Mary McCumber, was born in Gallia County, Ohio, March 10, 1846, and passed away Jan. 4, 1930 aged 83 years 9 months, and 24 days.
When twelve years old, she with her parents came to Pilot Grove Township, Hancock County where she has resided ever since.
She was united in marriage to Wm. J. Patterson, March 31, 1861. This marriage was solemnized in an old log cabin standing near the banks of Crooked Creek a few miles east of Burnside.
For a short time this happy couple lived with Mr. Patterson's parents on a farm that Mrs. Patterson's father had bought in exchange for a yoke of oxen and afterward sold to Mr. Patterson's father for $800. A few years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Patterson bought this farm, which was their home till his death Nov. 19, 1921.
To this union twelve children were born, seven of whom have passed away, Mary, Minnie, Alice, Reed, Rosa, Harrison and George. Those living are Ed and Mrs. Lillie Fortney of LaHarpe, Charles of Peoria, James L. of Burnside, and Cleve of Keokuk.
Fourteen children and eleven great grandchildren survive her. Also a sister, Mrs. Alice Sullivan of Burnside, a half-sister, Mrs. Verdie Doty of Unionville, Ia. and a brother George of Moravia, Iowa. Her sisters Mrs. Florence Hobart and Mrs. Maggie Sharpe also a brother Will have preceded her in death.
Grandma for three years has lived with her son James L. and his wife, where she received the best of care and which was so much appreciated by her. For two years she has been blind but was always patient, never complaining of her affliction.
While it was known that her strength was gradually failing, no one could realize the end was so near. She rose as usual Saturday morning, dressed, and with help walked to the kitchen where she liked best to sit during the day. While walking across the room she became so weak that she was assisted to the couch, and very soon her spirit took its flight.
Very early in life she gave her self to the Master and united with the Christian Church. She was a great reader of the Bible and a faithful Christian woman.
Mrs. Patterson was one of Pilot Grove's oldest pioneers. During the span of years she lived many changes took place.
At the time of her marriage there were no railroads closer than Keokuk or Burlington, Iowa. Crops were put in by the aid of oxen and harvested by means of reap hooks and cradles; spinning wheels were seen in nearly every home and every woman knew how to card wool and weave homespun for clothes for her family.
Many an evening she sat by the fireplace or the tallow candle and made by hand, garments for her husband and little ones, from the material she had carded, spun and woven herself.
A good and noble woman has been called from our midst. Neighbors and friends, as well as relatives will miss Grandma, for she lived all her life for others.
Lord help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayer shall be for others.Help me in all the work I do
To ever be sincere and true
And know that all I'd do for you,
Must needs be done for others.And when my work on earth is done
And my new work in heaven begun
May I forget the crown I've won
While thinking still of others.Others, Lord, Yes, others
Let this my motto be
Help me to live for others
That I may live like Thee.Funeral services were held in the LaCrosse Christian Church at 1 o'clock Monday afternoon, Rev. F. M. Brannic of Macomb officiating. Interment took place in LaHarpe Cemetery.
The Carthage Gazette
Carthage, Illinois
Friday
January 10, 1930
Page 4
Column 2The LaHarpe Quill notes the death on Saturday last of Mrs. Wm. J. Peterson, for many years a beloved member of the LaCrosse community. Mrs. Patterson who had attained the age of 83 years, 9 months and 24 days lost her eye sight several years ago, and for the past several weeks her health has been perceptibly failing and after arising Saturday morning was assisted to dress and was being led to her accustomed chair in the kitchen when she became very weak and her death speedily followed.
Children:
Thomas Harrison Patterson 1860 27-Dec-1878 William Edward Patterson 1864 20-Jan-1935 Mary E. Patterson ? 22-Dec-1866 ? 30-Jul-1870 Edward Patterson 1867 . Minnie E. Patterson 17-Mar-1869 30-Jul-1870 George F. Patterson 20-May-1871 16-Sep-1901 Charles C. Patterson 08-Oct-1873 1945 James Levi Patterson 27-Oct-1875 16-Aug-1961 Johnathon Reed Patterson 05-Dec-1877 03-Mar-1912 Rosa Antionette Patterson 13-Mar-1880 18-Jan-1895 Lillie Jane Patterson 10-Dec-1881 09-Feb-1970 Oscar Cleveland Patterson 17-Oct-1884 . Alice May Patterson 02-Jan-1886 02-Jan-1886
