Grant County Newspaper, MARION, INDIANA,
DEC. 17, 1909
From THE DAILY CHRONICLE, Marion, Indiana, 17 Dec 1909
LIVED HERE FOR 70 YEARS
Samuel Pulley Settled In Wilderness of Van Buren Township in 1839
Samuel Pulley, who died Monday at the age of eighty-eight years, ten
months, had lived in Grant county for about seventy years. The funeral was
held Tuesday. Concerning Mr. Pulley's life, John C. Coons writes The
Chronicle as follows:
Samuel Pulley, son of Samuel and Elizabeth Pulley, was born in Guernsey
county, Ohio, February 12, 1821, and died at his home in Grant county,
Indiana, Dec 12, 1909, at the age of 88 years and 10 months. He first came
with his parensts to Indiana in the Spring of 1838, walking the entire
distance of more than three hundred miles, returning also on foot the
following winter to Guernsey county, Ohio, where he was united in marriage
to Margaret Kuhns, February 4, 1939, and soon after his marriage he returned
with his wife to Grant county and settled in Van Buren township on the farm
where he lived at the time of his death. To the above union were born three
children, one of whom died in infancy: another, Catherine Boxell, died about
nineteen months ago, and Daniel Pulley, of Van Buren, Ind., still survives
him. The mother of these children died April 3, 1845.
Mr. Pulley was again married September 23, 1846, to Elizabeth Marsh. To
this union were born eleven children, three of whom died in childhood, and
one daughter, Emily, died without issue, in young womanhood, after she had
been married to Aaron Barley. Seven of these children are still living,
namely, Marion Pulley, Simon E. Pulley, Silas A. Pulley, Martha M. Boler,
S. Henson Pulley, A Barton Pulley and Phoebe E. Keltner.
His second wife died July 23, 1905, since which time he has been cared
for by Simon E. Pulley and his faithful wife, who, as well as the other
children, did what they could to make him happy and comfortable in the
evening of life. Besides his children he is surived by two brothers, one
sister, twenty grand children and thirty-three great-grandchildren, besides
other relatives and many friends.
He had a rugged constitution, was always hardy during his entire life,
and up to a day before his death was able to wait on himself and was strong
in mind, spending much of his time in reading his bible as well as the
current literature of the day. About seventy years ago Brother Pulley
professed conversion and united with the church, and when the Antioch
Methodist Protestant church, which is now a part of the Hanfield church, was
organized, he became a charter member and served this church long and
faithfully. He bore the unique record of having served as class leader
continuously for more than a half century and became generlly known in the
community where he lived as "Class Leader Sam Pulley." He only laid down
this duty that had been so long imposed upon him by his brethern when the
weight of years was so heavily upon him that he was no longer able to
discharge the obligations of the office. He continued true to his church and
attended to public worship when the ___ ?____ __?__ his health would permit.
"He came to his grave in a full age, like a shock of corn cometh, in his
season."
Funeral services were conducted from the Antioch church by the pastor,
John C. Coons, assisted by Rev. P. W. Boxell; on Tuesday morning, December
14, and he was buried in the Burson cemetery.